ADRIAN GROUT

Real Name: Adrian Grout

Class: Human magic-user

Occupation: Sorcerer, former janitor

Group Affiliation: None

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Gotham City

First Appearance: Demon III #31 (January, 1993)

Powers: Adrian Grout learned a number of powerful spells from Merlin’s Eternity Book. He was armed with a mop that shot mystic bolts and he could animate excrement.

History: (Demon III #31-33) - Adrian Grout was a janitor for 20 years for Beckermann Inc. Abner Beckermann had been entrusted with Merlin’s Eternity Book by the demon Etrigan, but not seeing the use in upholding his deal with a demon or the value of the book he threw it in the trash. Grout found the book and soon learned to cast powerful magic spells. He quit his job, transformed his palace into an apartment, dubbed himself King Adrian the First, and created a group of magical duplicates of Wonder Woman to serve him. Etrigan’s human host Jason blood wanted the Eternity Book back so he could find a way to help his friend Harry Matthews, whose soul was being held in Hell. He learned from Beckermann that Grout most likely had the book, and went to visit King Adrian. Grout was unwilling to part with the Eternity Book, having tasted power after years of servitude as a custodian he never wanted to go back to the way life was. He sicced his Wonder Women on Jason, who turned into Etrigan and dispatched them. Grout turned his magic mop on a slop bucket, creating an excrement golem, who attacked Etrigan. Etrigan clawed at the golem and blasted it with hellfire, but it kept reforming. Etrigan finally succeeded in incinerating the golem and went straight for Grout, telling him his time as king and his life were both at an end. Etrigan filled Grout with eldritch energy, causing him to explode.

Comments: Created by Alan Grant & Rich Hedden.