GROMITZ

Real Name: Gromitz

Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (Grunds) technology-user

Occupation: Agent of the Byan'Hantandu

Group Membership: None (other than being one of four Grunds serving as agents of the Byan'Hantandu...the "Galaxy Gamers")

Affiliations: Three unidentified Byan'Hantandu, Grundune, two unidentified Grunds, unspecified number of Darbians (including Blustar, Durbuur, and Jophurg)
    I doubt the other Grunds held a grudge against him, and I  would speculate that they were back to being rivals in the Galaxy Game soon enough.

Enemies: Cloak (Tyrone Johnson), and, to a lesser degree, Dagger (Tandy Bowen), Rebecca "Rusty Nales, and the "old man" (all of whom were detrimentally but indirectly affected as a result of Gromitz' actions)
    presumably numerous others

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Grundune and his other Grunds allies called him "cheater," "clumsy sodbuster," "hombre," "owlhoot," "snake-in-the-grass," and "yellow-belly" (the latter is literally true)

Base of Operations: The Byan'Hantandu ship, mobile throughout the universe;
    formerly planet Grundar, Quist system, Milky Way galaxy

First Appearance: The Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger#2 (December, 1988)

Powers/Abilities: Gromitz did not demonstrate any superhuman abilities (see comments).

    He utilized a rocket or jet cycles that could travel within a planet's atmosphere. These cycles could travel at great, though unspecified, speed and navigate through confined spaced.
    Since the other Grunds accused Gromitz of cheating by accessing an interdimensional portal to reach Earth first, it seems likely that the ships could also be used for space travel (or perhaps they were transported from the Byan'Hantandu ship via Bhontar (energy spheres)).

    The cycles could project snare/binding beams and some sort of force of other beam to open spatial/dimensional warps.

    On missions, Gromitz wore an atmospheric helmets, patterned after a specific planetary totem; in his mission to Earth, his helmet was patterned after Earth.

    It is unrevealed how Gromitz remotely accessed Cloak's interdimensional portal, nor how he knew to do so in the first place.

    I would speculate that he could have secretly accessed the Byan'Hantandu's Book and learned of the portal, but since Grundune and the other two Grunds serving the Byan'Hantandu also accessed the portal, I would further speculate that all of their cycles had the means to do so. But speculation is just that...opinion, theory, etc.

Height: Approximately 3'2" (average height for a Grunds, and he looked to be the same height as the other Grunds, and roughly 3' tall)
Weight: Unrevealed (perhaps 35 lbs.; extrapolating approximately 240 lbs at 6' tall)
Eyes: Unrevealed (distant or poorly colored shots; dark, so perhaps brown)
Hair: None
Other Distinguishing Features: Yellow skin, paired antennae atop his head

History:

(Cloak & Dagger III#3 (fb)) - Gromitz, Grundune, and at least two other Grunds spent much of their time observing early television transmissions from Earth, including Westerns, quiz shows, and cartoons (perhaps many or most Grunds observe transmissions from Earth and/or other planets).

(Cloak & Dagger III#3 (fb) - BTS) - As the Byan'Hantandu race -- who traveled from galaxy to galaxy, removing (per guidance from their sacred tome, the Book) certain dangerous objects from the grasps of planetary inhabitants whom the Byan'hantandu felt were too unsophisticated to safely possess them -- became dependent on life support within their immense ship, they recruited agents, including at least four Grunds (including Gromitz and Grundune) and a number of lobotomized Darbians.

    The Byan'Hantandu found that the Grunds would only carry out their commands if it was fun for them to do so. To this end, the Byan'Hantandu invented the "Galaxy Game," a sort of scavenger hunt where they earned points for recovering targeted items. Each player was assigned a planetary totem; the punishment for cheating (such as illegally accessing dimensional warps) was to destroy that totem.

    The Byan'Hantandu supplied their agents with rocket or jet cycles that could travel throughout a planet's atmosphere.

(Cloak & Dagger III#3 (fb) - BTS) - The Byan'Hantandu's sacred Book foretold the the creation of an incredibly dangerous object.

    As the time of the object's creation approached, the Byan'Hantandu sent the four Grunds to collect the object. Somehow learning of a guardian of an interdimensional portal on Earth (perhaps by sneaking access to the Book?), Gromitz accessed that portal and arrived on Earth first. The other three Grunds pursued Gromitz through the portal.

(The Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger#2) - Wearing an Earth-like globe on his head, Gromitz abruptly emerged on Earth via accessing Cloak's interdimensional portal as a shortcut, surprising both Cloak and his associate, Detective Rebecca "Rusty" Nales. Cheering, "Wah-hoo-hoo-hoo!" and proclaiming his success, Gromitz noted that he would gain the "booty"."

    Shortly thereafter, the other three Grunds, wearing Saturn-like and two other helmets, emerged from Cloak and pursued Gromitz despite Nales' efforts.

(The Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger#2 - BTS) - While Cloak vowed that he would not allow the aliens to further manipulate his interdimensional portal, Nales departed.

(The Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger#2 - BTS) - Franklin Richards -- playing with the scraps from his father (Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic)'s laboratory -- unwittingly created "the most dangerous object in the universe" (in the process of trying to create a "Gobot"). Instructed that it was time for bed, Franklin took his creation to his bedroom.

(The Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger#2) - As Franklin slept, Gromitz flew in, grabbed the object, and departed, noting that he might advance to the bonus round. However, he froze upon being confronted by the other three Grunds.

(The Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger#2 - BTS) - Gromitz fled the other Grunds.

(The Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger#2) - Reaching Cloak in advance of his opponents/pursuers, Gromitz prepared to utilize Cloak's portal again; when Cloak resisted, Gromitz tried to force his way through via a beam from his cycle, pleading with Cloak when that failed: "C'mon Earther -- have a heart! Every second you delay me might cost me lovely parting gifts!"

    Cloak continued to resist, and hen the other Grunds arrived, insisting Gromitz surrender the object. Realizing he could neither force his way through nor persuade Cloak to cooperate, Gromitz commented, "Oh Crambratz" and then threw the object through the partially-open portal; criticizing Cloak as a stubborn gate-fellow, Gromitz advised Cloak he would have to hold the booty, lest Grundune and the other two "moccasins" cop his precious bonus points.

    Binding Gromitz with some sort of energy snare and calling him "yellow-belly," the brown-globed Grunds noted it was probable disqualification for him; brown-globe further told the "snake-in-the-grass that all decisions of the judges would be final."

    Cloak refused to surrender the object to Grunds. Blaming loco-weed, Gromitz noted that the portal-guardian was stubborn, but one of the other Grunds (they were too distant to see clearly)-globe silenced him..

    Back aboard the Byan'Hantandu ship, the Grunds removed their helmets (or had it removed, as was likely the case with Gromitz) and one of the Darbians, possibly either Durbuur or Jophurg restrained Gromitz within his fist. Grundune and the other Grunds explained Gromitz's activities; while assuring the other Grunds they would hand down a fair judgment concerning the breach of rules, the Byan'Hantandu explained that recovering the lost object would be their priority.

    As the Byan'Hantandu consulted their Book to learn the portal guardian's identity, a Grunds asked to be allowed to bring the guardian to them for glory and big bonus points; with the Grunds having exhausted their patience, the Byan'Hantandu instead dispatched Jophurg the Darbian to retrieve the guardian; however, as the Book was out-of-date, Jophurg retrieved instead the previous guardian of the portal to the Darkforce Dimension (referred to here as the "old man," as he was never named).

(The Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger#3 (fb)) - Jophurg brought the Old Man before the Byan'Hantandu, who swiftly realized that this was the previous portal guardian; one of the Grunds (not Gromitz) was also present at this discussion.

(The Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger#2 - BTS) - Jophurg subsequently retrieved the current guardian, Cloak (Tyrone Johnson), and brought him to the Byan'Hantandu ship.

(The Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger#3) - After the "old man" had been sent back, a Grunds (I'd speculate Grundune; see comments) instructed Jophurg to bring Cloak and Gromitz to the Byan'Hantandu. When Gromitz tried to explain to the "head limburgers," the Byan'Hantandu silenced him and had Jophurg confirm Cloak to be the correct portal guardian and the receptacle of their target article. Wishing to use the object as a bargaining chip, Cloak refused to surrender it.

    After the Byan'Hantandu reviewed their mission statement and their policy of destroying an agent's totem planet as punishment for cheating (during which time Jophurg dropped Gromitz, causing his helmet to fall off), they denied Cloak's efforts to dissuade them.

    Knowing the Byan'Hantandu would not spare Earth, Cloak instead offered them the target article if they would allow him to say goodbye to his partner, Dagger (Tandy Bowen). At the Byan'Hantandu's guidance, the other two Grunds present prepared two-way astral projection for Cloak to communicate with Dagger. Cloak, however, goaded Dagger to unleash a blast of powerful light into him, which was transmitted into the Byan'Hantandu ship. The Byan'Hantandu ordered the shut down of all systems except life support to prevent their destruction. 

    Gromitz congratulated Cloak on nearly frying their hash with that electromagnetic surge; nonetheless, Gromitz demanded his punishment continue: "Earth must be annihilated if I'm to learn by lesson!"

    However, the Byan'Hantandu considered Dagger a "begetter of living light," who were considered sacred abov all others in the myriad galaxies, and they announced that Earth would be spared...to which Gromitz replied, "Gnuts!"

    As the ship was at minimal power, the Byan'Hantandu warned Cloak that they may not have sufficient power to send him home. When Cloak accepted the risk, Gromitz told him, "It's your kazoozle, Earth-man!"

Comments: Created by Terry Austin, Dan Lawlis, and P. Craig Russell.

    Don't worry, Cloak did not die...Cloak fought off some "Inferno" demons and then seemed to die while trapped with the Bhontar. His Cloak was usurped by Ecstacy...and then he got better, in Cloak and Dagger III#8.

    The Grunds' Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe referred to them as being able to absorb unspecified energies (including solar radiation) via their antennae to project concussive blasts. That description was in reference to Grott the Man-Slayer, native to Reality-691's 31^st century. It may be that this is only characteristic of 31^st century Grunds (possibly only Reality-691) or possibly only true of Grott himself.

    Gromitz originally had a sub-profile in the the Byan'Hantandu profile I published way back on 11/02/2001. In the process of working on the Grunds profile, I elected to expand his sub-profile into a full one.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Gromitz should be distinguished from:

•  other "Gro" characters
  

images: (without ads)
The Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger#2, pg. 6, panel 4 (Gromitz emerging from Cloak);
       pg. 13, panel 3 (Gromitz blasting Cloak);
          panel 4 (Gromitz on cycle, straight-on);
          panel 5 (Gromitz on cycle, lateral view);
       pg. 14, panel 2 (one of the other Grunds snaring Gromitz);
           panel 3 (Jophurg dropping Gromitz);
       pg. 22, panel 5 (Gromitz, red uniform)
       

Appearances:
The Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger#2 (December, 1988) - Terry Austin (writer), Dan Lawlis (pencils), P. Craig Russell (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
The Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger#3 (January, 1989) - Terry Austin (writer), Mike Vosburg (pencils), Scott Williams (inks), Carl Potts (editor)

First posted: 07/24/2019
Last updated: 07/24/2019

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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