CLUTCH, GRAB & LeGREED
REALTY INVESTORS

Membership: Ebeneezer Clutch, Phineas Grab, Phil LeGreed

Purpose: Realty investment

Affiliations: Formerly the Baron von Blimp and his neo-nazis, Bongo Condo Corporation (Mr. Leonardo)

Enemies: Al the Alien and his Alien brethren, U.S. Archer, Poppa Wheelie, US1, Wide Load Annie

Base of Operations: A strip mall in a town not far from the Short Stop.

First Appearance: U.S. 1#6 (October, 1983)

History:
(U.S. 1#8 (fb) - BTS) - Through LeGreed's apparent employment at the bank, he learned that the land on which the Short Stop truck stop was built was sought for purchase by the Bongo Condo Corporation for luxury condominium development. He shared the information with his partners, Clutch and Grab, and they plotted to force the foreclosure of the Short Stop's mortgage so they could gain the land themselves and sell it to Bongo Condos to add to their already considerable wealth. Bongo Condos agreed to have the investors drive the current owners out.

(U.S. 1#6 (fb) - BTS) - Poppa Wheelie and Wide Load Annie got behind on their mortgage payments on the Short Stop due to spending so much money on U.S. Archer's medical bills and the US1 super-truck, combined with US focusing on finding the Highwayman and not taking on any real hauling jobs. Phil LeGreed came by the Short Stop and threatened to foreclose on their mortgage if they didn't pay before the end of their grace period. Wide Load assured him they'd make the payment somehow and warned him to mind his manners (and apparently he did not) and to not get uppity (and apparently he did).

(U.S. 1#6) - Wide Load threw LeGreed through the front window of the Short Stop, then threatened to make him pay for it. LeGreed, in turn, threatened to sue her for assault and battery. She told him they'd make the payment and told him to leave before she beat him further, and he reminded her of the due date, noting he'd happily foreclose on their mortgage.
    LeGreed showed up soon after with the police, intending to press charges for the assault, but everyone present denied having seen any such thing. When LeGreed accused everyone of lying, a big fight broke out at the Short Stop. The chief officer recommended that Wide Load get out of there until things calmed down, and US  took her away in the US1. LeGreed jumped in the truck's path to try to stop it, but Wide Load just reached over and stepped on the gas, forcing LeGreed to leap out of the way at the last minute.
    US Archer then took a job and made enough money to pay off the mortgage for that month.

(U.S. 1#7) - When Wide Load and US returned, LeGreed showed up with the police again, agreeing to not press charges if she would apologize. He taunted and baited her, presumably hoping she'd try to beat him up in front of the cops, but Wide Load -- who was at the time, unbeknownst to all, under the psychic control of Midnight, calmly apologized, promising it would never happen again. He accepted her apology, but reminded her that it would be his pleasure to foreclose on the Short Stop the next time they missed a mortgage payment.

(U.S. 1#8) - Ebenezer Clutch questioned LeGreed in what was taking so long in their takeover of the Short Stop property, and Phineas Grab reminded him that they had learned of Bongo Condos' interest in the land. LeGreed told them that the owners had narrowly avoided forfeiture once, and that he had taken steps to guarantee that they would miss a payment in the future. Ebenezer, looking especially sinister, reiterated how they would sell the land to Bongo Condos to add to their already considerable wealth.

(U.S. 1#9) - LeGreed led Clutch and Grab to a quiet stretch of highway to introduce them to Baron von Blimp, who would aid them in preventing the owners of the Short Stop from paying their mortgage, both to regain his honor after being defeated in a race by US Archer and to gain the sizable sum of money LeGreed had offered him. The three investors accompanied von Blimp aboard his zeppelin and watched as he sent his pseudo-Nazis to attack the Short Stop and their customers to discourage people from going there. Clutch, in particular, seemed disturbed over von Blimp's use of Nazis, and von Blimp explained that neither he nor his agents were even German, but that he just liked their uniforms the best.

(U.S. 1#10) - When the Baron climbed down his ladder to aid the Highwayman against Archer and his allies, the investors feared they would be trapped in his dirigible, after which the Aliens showed up.

(U.S. 1#11) - Clutch, Grab, and LeGreed climbed out of the dirigible and hid in the bushes minutes before Al the Alien transported the dirigible, von Blimp, and his pseudo-Nazis to Tel Aviv, Israel. They were mortified by the Aliens, but then the truckers began to feel ill from the Aliens' manipulations, and they left, blaming the Short Stop. The investors realized things could work out in their favor, and they left alongside the truckers, telling them they were from the board of health and that they were going to shut down the Short Stop. Hitching a ride with one of the truckers, they encouraged him to use his CB (Citizen's Band) radio to warn others from stopping there.

(U.S. 1#12) - With not a single customer since the incident with the Aliens, Poppa Wheelie and Wide Load lamented that they wouldn't be able to pay their mortgage. Clutch, Grab, and LeGreed then showed up and taunted them with their plans for the land after they foreclosed on their mortgage. When Annie became enraged and threatened them, the three men beat a hasty retreat.
    Ultimately, the Aliens took the entire Short Stop and its crew into space with them. Clutch, Grab, and LeGreed then brought Mr. Leonardo of Bongo Condos to see the land, and he was pleased with their success, and even moreso since they had gotten rid of the unsightly diner; but then he noticed that the land was glowing with radiation, and that no one could use it. The deal was off, and Clutch, Grab, & LeGreed were less than happy about it.

Comments: Created by Al Milgrom, Frank Springer, Mike Esposito,

Yes, the evil, evil banks expect people to pay back the money they lend them. Evil!

There's some confusion in US1#8, b/c the man who looks most like LeGreed apparently speaks for the voice of Phineas, and the one who answers the questions about the Short Stop doesn't look like LeGreed. Every time Phil LeGreed is alone, he is clearly identified as LeGreed, and it is the guy with straight, dark hair. At least twice, when the group is together, he's accidentally referenced as Grab.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Clutch, Grab, & LeGreed has no known connections to:

 

Ebenezer Clutch

Apparent senior partner of Clutch, Grab, & LeGreed

--U.S. 1#8 (8 (fb) - BTS, 8-12

 

 

 

Phineas Grab

A partner of Clutch, Grab, & LeGreed

--U.S. 1#8 (8 (fb) - BTS, 8-12

 

 

 

Phil LeGreed

A partner of Clutch, Grab, & LeGreed, he was also either employed or otherwise associated with a bank, from which he learned of Bongo Condos' interest in purchasing the land on which the Short Stop stood. He was the first to visit the Short Stop and warn its owners that they would foreclose on their loan if they missed their mortgage payment. Wide Load Annie tossed him through a window.

--U.S. 1#6 (8 (fb) - BTS, 6-12

 

 

 

images: (without ads)
U.S. 1#7 (LeGreed)
    #8, p9, panel 1 (office)
            panel 3 (Grab)
            panel 7 (Clutch)
    #9 (Clutch, Grab, & LeGreed), p13, panel 1 (Clutch, Grab, & LeGreed)

Appearances:
U.S. 1#6 (October, 1983) - Al Milgrom (writer), Frank Springer (penciler), Mike Esposito (inker), and Ralph Macchio (editor)
U.S. 1#7 (December, 1983) - Al Milgrom (writer), Frank Springer (pencils), Mike Esposito (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
U.S. 1#8 (February, 1984) - Al Milgrom (writer), Frank Springer (pencils), Mike Esposito (inks), Ralph Macchio & Jim Shooter (editors)
U.S. 1#9 (April, 1984) - Al Milgrom (writer), Alan Kupperberg (pencils), Mike Esposito (inks), Ralph Macchio
U.S. 1#10 (June, 1984) - Al Milgrom (writer), Frank Springer (pencils), Mike Esposito (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
U.S. 1#11 (August, 1984) - Al Milgrom (writer), Frank Springer (pencils), Mike Esposito (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
U.S. 1#12 (October, 1984) - Al Milgrom (writer), Steve Ditko (pencils), Dan Bulanadi  (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)

First Posted: 10/05/2007
Last updated: 10/05/2007

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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