Radu Grackleflint

Character History

Radu may be one of the three Grackleflints who attack Kevin Matchstick on the subway train.  The other two who attack Kevin are Emil and Lazlo, and we know that Piet is in the Styx Casino at the time, so the third subway attacker must be either Stanis or Radu.  If this was not Radu, then he first appeared with Piet when the Umbra Sprite heard back from the subway trio, after which point the Umbra Sprite sent them to look for the Fisher King.
 
Five months pass.  Realizing that the Grackleflints are targeting lame homeless people, the heroes set up ambushes, pretending to be lame themselves.  Lazlo and Radu, along with a Redcap, happen upon one of these ambushes, and are routed by Matchstick and Edsel.  Radu escapes by turning himself invisible.

 
The heroes learn that the Umbra Sprite and the Grackleflints are based in the Styx Casino, and go to visit undercover.  They don’t know that Piet can change the Grackleflints’ appearance.  Lazlo and Radu, in disguise as red-headed humans, see the humans first, and wonder what to do.  Emil joins them, and they begin to make a plan.   Lazlo touches Sean, to get a sense of who he is, but he doesn’t register at all, which has never happened before.  They wonder if Sean is really Mirth.  Emil goes to speak to their father, who knows Sean must be a ghost.  Emil asks if they should attack the heroes, but the Umbra Sprite doesn’t think they’re strong enough, and decides to summon some other creatures to do it.  In order to do this, they will have to put off the party and announcement for Emil’s beloved homeless mission–once again proving to Emil that his father’s priorities are misplaced.
 
Radu, Piet, and Lazlo keep an eye on Sean and Edsel, while Kevin is ensorcelled by some fairies.  Then Edsel and Piet manage to catch Piet and he shows them where the Umbra Sprite and Kevin are.  Kevin is being held over an endless pit, and the Umbra Sprite, Emil, Radu, and Lazlo are on a plank projecting underneath him.  Edsel runs in and knocks down all the Gracs, with Lazlo falling off into the pit.  The Umbra Sprite wants to attack her, but Emil makes him save Lazlo, since falling into the pit can affect one’s mind, and they still need his powers to find the Fisher King.  In the meantime

, Kevin frees himself and falls onto the plank, knocking Edsel and Emil off it.  Sean catches Edsel, and the Umbra Sprite gets Emil as he flies back up with Lazlo.  Kevin punches out Radu again, and the heroes run out.  The Umbra Sprite finally gets to the door, and he gets Piet out of the floor (where Sean put him earlier).  Emil is in pursuit, however, and using the magic of the hotel, is able to phase through the walls.  He catches Kevin by surprise, and spurs him in the chest, wounding him seriously. 
 
Edsel knocks out Emil and they take Kevin away so he can be healed by Mirth. The Umbra Sprite summons Cromm Cruich, the dragon, to deal with the heroes, and sends Radu and Piet along with him.  Sean Knight tries to use his fear power on them, and it works on Radu and Piet, but not on the dragon, who kills Knight.  However, Radu then moves to open the door to the apartment, which Mirth has boobytrapped.  His touch shoots out a heavy stream of water, blasting him in the face, and apparently kills him, leaving Piet grieving.  Cruich knocks down the door with his fire to find the heroes have left.

Powers, Abilities, and Weaknesses

Radu has all the standard powers and abilities of a Grackleflint, including somewhat enhanced strength and durability, and highly poisonous spurs on his elbows.  Water can cause them pain and even kill them.
 
Each Grackleflint also has a unique, individual power.  Radu’s power is invisibility.  He starts to fade away from the bottom, with his feet disappearing first and his head last.  He did not display this often, and the only times it was shown on panel he only used it on himself.  However, the Umbra Sprite asked if he made all of his brothers invisible on one particular occasion, so apparently he could use it on others as well.