Grunge (comics) - Powers and Abilities

Powers and Abilities

Grunge has the ability to molecularly bond with anything he comes in contact with. Once he bonds with an object he takes on its physical characteristics. For example, if he bonds with steel he gains increased strength and durability. The limits of his absorption ability were never revealed. He at times was able to meld with the ground beneath him sinking his hands at one place and having them come up at another place. He has also absorbed the properties of sand, from sand in his boot. Instead of gaining the properties of a rock, as sand is just small stones, he gained a form not unlike Marvel's Sandman -- a being made up of small grains which he can manipulate in a variety of ways.

The full extent of his powers was never fully addressed, with certain abilities seeming to appear out of nowhere and cease to be used soon after. It is revealed that he can actually assume the shape of objects he absorbs. While in the Gen¹³ 'Zine the creators established he was unable to absorb/copy the properties of other superhumans, he has on at least one occasion copied the physical abilities of Caitlin Fairchild. Another oddity that was never fully addressed was his extreme ability to heal himself. In the first mini series his arm can be seen being shattered, but shortly thereafter, it comes back together. He has been shot repeatedly and the bullets were rejected from his body. He seems to have a remarkable healing capacity, but a reason for this is never addressed. One theory is that he bonds with the embedded bullets, an ability shown when he was able to pass through a wall.

The current version is shown however able to absorb other superhumans' powers, and he does on a regular basis. He even claims to have a thing for gaining wings from flying superhumans. However, he cannot choose by himself what property he takes from the superhuman he's touching: while succeeding in gaining Nestling's wings, in one occasion he failed miserably in taking Caitlin's strength for himself. Instead, he absorbed her feminine and curvaceous appearance, being burdened with a large pair of breasts until he found another source of power for himself, an advanced suicide booth. Thus, he demonstrates how he's able to borrow even the abilities of complex machinery.

One time, he was captured in some kind of limbo. After hours of flying in the nowhere, he tried to absorbe the dimension itself, giving him god-like powers, however this power consumed too fast, bringing Grunge back to normal.

Aside from his powers, Grunge is also a skilled martial artist and has a photographic memory.