Grossout

GROSSOUT

Real Name: Philbert Hoskins

Class: Human mutate

Occupation: Drummer, superhero

Group Affiliation: Scare Tactics

Known Relatives: Mrs. Hoskins (mother), unnamed father(deceased)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile

First Appearance: Showcase '96 #11 (December, 1996)

Powers: Grossout possessed superhuman strength and durability and he suffered from an insatiable appetite.

History: (Scare Tactics #4 (fb)) - After Philbert's father died his mother became incredibly overprotective, not allowing him out of her sight or letting him socialize with neighborhood kids. Despite his protests she kept overfeeding him until he was as fat as she was. He was bullied in school and his teachers thought he was slow because of his stutter. Philbert knew the only thing he was good at was sitting quietly and paying attention, and he discovered a use for his skill set when he became infatuated with astronomy. One day he saw a meteor fall and raced to find it. He unwisely poked it with a stick, causing it to explode and bathe him in unearthly energy. He was slowly transformed into the gruesome Grossout and found himself craving an unlimited supply of food. When his mother couldn't afford to feed him she turned him over to government officials who were interested in metahumans.

Grossout was placed in a New Mexico R-Complex holding facility, where he met Slither, Screamqueen and Fang, three other monstrous superhumans. They escaped the facility with the help of Fate and Arnold Burnsteel.

(Scare Tactics #1) - Burnsteel drove Grossout, Fang, Slither and Screamqueen to Screamqueen's neighborhood in NYC. The group decided to go their separate ways, except for Grossout, who was only interested in getting dinner. After Burnsteel fed him they met up with Fang and Slither at club Slaughterhouse to save Screamqueen from the Graveyard Shift, a group of vampire hunters. Screamqueen brought them onstage to give an improvised rock performance as the newly named Scare Tactics, with Grossout playing the drums. They decided to stick together, and as Scare Tactics they intended to go on tour.

(Scare Tactics #2) - Burnsteel bought a tour bus for Grossout and Scare Tactics, and they drove to Burnsteel's home in Boston to pick up some things befor a long stretch on the road. Burnsteel got lost, and they ended up in Beaumont, CT. They split up to get gas, and Grossout ran into what appeared to be the same highschool bullies that used to torment him, causing him to go ballistic. The other members were confronted with their own worst nightmares until Burnsteel saved them, and the nightmares vanished. When they left the town they learned at a nearby town that there was no such place as Beumont, CT.

(Scare Tactics #3) - Grossout and Scare Tactics arrived in Boston, and Burnsteel insisted on going to his apartment by himself, and left Fang in charge of keeping the others on a short leash. The team enjoyed some time at a bar angd grill before changing their mind about listening to Burnsteel. They found him on the verge of being captured by R-Complex agents. Scare Tactics beat off the agents, but had a harder time with Scorcher, a former inmate from one of R-Complex' facilities. Burnsteel convinced her to leave them alone, and Scare Tactics made their escape. Grossout used Burnsteel's computer to start communicating with his teammates, telling them they were his only friends.

(Scare Tactics #4) - Grossout wrote his tragic life story out on Burnsteel's computer for Scare Tactics to read. Scare Tactics played a small club, with their opening song written by Screamqueen, and inspired by Grossout. Grossout was appreciative of Screamqueen's song, but she just told him not to get a swelled head. The next morning while eating in a diner, their Scaremobile tour bus was stolen by Cain Van Zandt with Screamqueen sleeping inside.

(Scare Tactics #5) - Grossout and Scare Tactics met Burnsteel's friend Bud, who hacked into the phone company, then sent a fax to the Scaremobile to pinpoint its location. They confronted Van Zandt, but Screamqueen'd become infatuated with him and wanted him to ride with them. The rest of the group objected because Van Zandt was a serial killer who made "art" out of his victims. Grossout had a moment of eloquence, telling Screamqueen the meaning in his "art" was stolen from his victims. The escalating argument became moot when Van Zandt ran off. Scare Tactics went back on the road, and they ended up in the Appalachian Mountains where Fang was born and raised.

(Scare Tactics #6) - Fang's family, the Ketchum clan, handed Grossout and Scare Tactics over to their mortal enemies the Kingsbridge clan to sacrifice to their god Tsathugoth as a peace offering. Scare Tactics escaped with the help of Fang's childhood friend Rod Kingsbridge and Ketchums Deke and Lemmy. Tsathugoth destroyed the Kingsbridge estate in a fury over being denied sacrifices.

(Scare Tactics #7) - Grossout and Scare Tactics opened up for Children of the Beast. During the Children's performance they performed a magic musical ritual from the occult Deus Requiem that transformed them into demons and opened a doorway to Hell. The Demon Entrigan was bound to destroy them, and Scare Tactics decided to help him out. Demon destroyed the Children of the Beast, and then Fate appeared to the heroes because he needed their help.

(Scare Tactics #8) - Fate told Grossout and Scare Tactics that forces from Genworld were intent on conquering the Earth dimension. Fate told Scare Tactics they owed him for freeing them from R-Complex, so they agreed to help him. A man claiming to be Sentinel was there to aid them, but soon revealed himself as a disguised army of Emerald Shocktroops. Scare Tactics defeated the army, but afterwards Slither went into a coma.

Comments: Created by Len Kaminski & Anthony Williams