gribitz-98140-fullgribitz-98140-face-half-close GRIBITZ

Real Name: Gribitz

Identity/Class: Alternate reality (Earth-98140) extraterrestrial (race unrevealed)

Occupation: Arms dealer / gun runner, professional gambler

Group Membership: None known

Affiliations: Drafhila, Xorxor

Enemies: Junwa and his enforcers, Legion Nomad Squadron (Torqa Dunn, Meico, Scathe Mescad, Torrie Montroc)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: "Gri-Bitz" (from both Junwa and an android-looking enforcer at Junwa's Pleasuredome)

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
    formerly the country of Synam, planet Kol, Thermor galaxy, Reality-98140

First Appearance: Alien Legion I#3 (August, 1984)

Powers/Abilities: Gribitz did not demonstrate any superhuman abilities. He seemed to be rather frail physically.

    He was unable to resist gambling, getting himself into grave debt; and he was willing to cheat in a bet and to kill others to ensure his own victory (at least when his own life was at risk).

    He had access to various forms of weapons, such as friction bombs.

    He had his own aircar-type vehicle and lived in an apartment (or the equivalent in Synam)gribitz-98140-armraised

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'8")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 160 lbs.)
Eyes: They were not shown clearly, but they appeared to be solid orange, yellow or white (they may or may not have changed based on his emotional state)
Hair: None
Skin: Brown
Other Distinguishing Features: Gribitz -- presumably like other members of his race -- had pointed projections extending down from his jowls.
    His prominent eyes extended outward from his skull, and he had small nares without an external nasal protuberance.
    His fingers (I think he had three fingers and a thumb, but it wasn't completely clear) had webbing extending to at least the first interphalangeal joints.
    His shoulders were raised to high points, and his upper arms were spindly, but his antebrachii (forearms) were much thicker, without a clear division between antebrachium and carpus (wrist)); his legs and feet seemed to be more humanoid in configuration.

History:gribitz-98140-smashfist
(Alien Legion I#3/2 (fb) - BTS) - Chronic gambler and gun runner Gribitz lost three hundred thousand zats to Junwa's Pleasuredome, betting against a peace treaty being signed between the various political and religious factions in Synam.

(Alien Legion I#3/2 (fb) - BTS) - Additionally, in times of peace, Gribitz' gun-running was less useful, and he had an arms deal go "down the black hole."

(Alien Legion I#3 - BTS) - Members of the Legion (including members of Stargrind and Nomad Squadrons) were sent to Synam to act as security/defense at the ceremonial signing of the treaty of declaration of peace at the Union Embassy.

    Members of the Pacifist Fellowship -- protesting the coalition government's adoption of a universal draft to fill the ranks of the national army -- kidnapped Union Ambassador Yuris.

(Alien Legion I#3/2 (fb) - BTS) - Gribitz received a tip from Xorxor to bet on a certain dronka (dog-like quadrupeds) in a race.

(Alien Legion I#3/2) - When the dronka Gribitz bet on lost to a dronka named Bravura, Gribitz cursed Xorxor, vowing never to trust his tips again.

    Having gambled his last zat, Gribitz paid it to a robot drone, considering that his luck had been all bad of late, and that he had better get out of there before one of Junwa's goons got hold of him.

    As he realized he had been a fool to think he could win back enough to pay off his debt, he was confronted by a large android-looking being, who grabbed his arm forcibly took him downstairs to see Junwa; Gribitz agreed to go peacefully, telling Junwa's enforcer that he didn't have to break anything.

    Brought before Junwa, Gribitz begged for another chance, explained his plight and promised he would have the money he owed by morning. After Junwa's men let him go, Gribitz decided his only chance was to go for a long shot.

    Returning to the gambling floor, Gribitz observed Legionnaire Torqua Dunn winning and considered him a "lucky son of a Bospor."

(Alien Legion I#3) - As Torqa Dunn departed while he was ahead, Gribitz wondered what his angle was. The dealer (or whoever was running the game, or perhaps just another player) asked Gribitz if he was just baggage or if he was in. Gribitz replied that he was in and to "let it ride."gribitz-98140-face-prof

(Alien Legion I#3/2) - When reports that the Legion was being sent to rescue Ambassador Yuris, Gribitz took the three-to-one odds against the Legion, betting one hundred thousand on the Legion to lose. Observing a group of Legionnaires -- Torqa Dunn, Meico, Scathe Mescad, Torrie Montroc -- in another room, Gribitz resolved to assure his victory.

(Alien Legion I#3 / Alien Legion I#3/2) - Tailing the Legionnaires to their first stop at the embassy, Gribitz pried open their hood and planted a friction bomb -- at the same time cursing the peace treaty, as he could have gotten a lot of money for these weapons otherwise -- deep within their vessel and then stole a solar cell from the vehicle to make it look like a simple case of theft/vandalism to prevent them from looking too deeply.

(Alien Legion I#3) - The Legionnaires discovered that someone had pried open their hood and stolen their solar battery, but they replaced it with the spare in the hold. As they flew, Dunn felt that the drive shaft was pulling, and when the instrument panel went haywire, he instructed his unit to abandon ship, and they escaped harm. The Legionnaires then commandeered a vehicle from a civilian and continued their mission.

(Alien Legion I#3/2) - As he prepared to check the news back in his own place, Gribitz considered that he would then go down to Junwa's collect and maybe play a little blackdeck. He started to consider that things would be looking up from then on, but the news on the video showed the Legion's successful uncovering of the insurgent cell responsible for the kidnapping (see comments).

    Incredulous, Gribitz realized that he was in grave danger and needed to get out of Synam. As he quickly packed a bag, he speculated that Drafhila might hide him, but he then opened his door to find a pair of Junwa's agents waiting for him with guns drawn.

    Junwa's agents either killed him then or knocked him out, but regardlessly they carried him out to a vehicle that they then drove to Junwa's Pleasuredome and -- with him certainly dead by this point -- dumped him out on the streets theregribitz-98140-dead

(Alien Legion I#3 (fb) - BTS) - Gribitz was found dead on the streets. The police felt that Gribitz was terminated by members of a rival faction in a last minute effort to even an old grudge.

(Alien Legion I#3 - BTS) - A news report described Gribitz as a down-on-his-luck gamber who frequented the cabaret where the Hobalit Party often met.

Comments: Created by Carl Potts, Alan Zelenetz, Frank Cirocco and Terry Austin.

    Alien Legion is a great storyline, with numerous stories in Epic (Marvel's creator-owned line of comics at the time), which Potts later continued in Titan Comics. As of 2023, the rights to an Alien Legion screenplay were picked up by Warner Brothers.
    Definitely check out the Epic series. After I get through with Dreadstar (not before 2030),  I will likely start working on profiling more Alien Legion characters.

    The ambassador had actually been mind-swapped with one of the pacifists, and the plot was a lot more complicated with conflict from local government officials, but none of that is relevant for Gribitz.

    Thanks to Loki for suggesting this character/profile for me.

    I vaguely remember the "tangent storyline" gimmick from early AL editions, but haven't re-read any of them in a million years, so only thought "Frank Cirocco really likes floppy face parts on his aliens" when looking at the art.  A lot of his designs have flesh mustaches and other dangly bits on their faces (my favorite character, Badj, has almost the exact same face shape, but all done with fur instead of....whatever those things are). 
    --Eric Guy

    This profile was completed 10/05/2024, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Gribitz should be distinguished from:

Gribitz apartment

gribitz-98140-apartment

(Alien Legion I#3/2) - After planting a bomb in the Legion's vehicle, Gribitz returned to his home. 

    As he prepared to check the news, Gribitz considered that he would then go down to Junwa's collect and maybe play a little blackdeck. He started to consider that things would be looking up from then on, but the news on the video showed the Legion's successful uncovering of the insurgent cell responsible for the kidnapping (see comments).

    Incredulous, Gribitz realized that he was in grave danger and needed to get out of Synam. As he quickly packed a bag, he speculated that Drafhila might hide him, but he then opened his door to find a pair of Junwa's agents waiting for him with guns drawn.

--Alien Legion I#3/2 (mentioned only)

Gribitz's vehicle

gribitz-98140-vehiclegribitz-98140-vehicle-ext

(Alien Legion I#3 / Alien Legion I#3/2) - Tailing the Legionnaires via his aircar to their first stop at the embassy, Gribitz pried open their hood and planted a friction bomb deep within their vessel, after which he departed in his own vehicle, returning to his own apartment.

--Alien Legion I#3/2 (mentioned only)

Drafhila

Drafhila was apparently an ally of some sort who had the resources to potentially help Gribitz escape.

    After his failure to prevent the Legionnaires from completing their mission, Gribitz realized that he was in grave danger and needed to get out of Synam. As he quickly packed a bag, he speculated that Drafhila might hide him, but he then opened his door to find a pair of Junwa's agents waiting for him with guns drawn.

--Alien Legion I#3/2 (mentioned only)
Xorxor

(Alien Legion I#3/2 (fb) - BTS) - Gribitz received a tip from Xorxor to bet on a certain dronka (dog-like quadrupeds) in a race.

(Alien Legion I#3/2) - When the dronka Gribitz bet on lost to a dronka named Bravura, Gribitz cursed Xorxor, vowing never to trust his tips again.

--Alien Legion I#3/2 (mentioned only)

images: (without ads)
Alien Legion I#3, pg. , panel 3 (full)
My comic has some water damage...sorry...

Appearances:
Alien Legion I#3 (August, 1984) - Carl Potts (producer), Alan Zelenetz (writer), Frank Cirocco (penciler), Terry Austin (inker), Laurie Sutton (associate editor), Archie Goodwin (editor), Jim Shooter (consulting editor)
    #3/2 "Last Chance" - Alan Zelentz (writer), Chris Warner (artist), Laurie Sutton (associate editor), Archie Goodwin (editor), Jim Shooter (consulting editor)

First posted: 09/10/2026
Last updated: 10/08/2024

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and � 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

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