Krul vs. Solomon Grundy is a What-If? Death Battle featuring Krul from the game VainGlory and Solomon Grundy from the DC Comics series. This page was created by GalacticAttorney and is his first-ever Death Battle.
Description
VainGlory vs. DC Comics! The feared undead warriors trade blows! Can the hulking zombie of repeating life and death overpower the terrifying warrior of the shadows?
Intro
Wiz: They wander the battlefield in swarms, swaying in the wind, an instinct to kill directing their movement. This is the way of the undead.
Boomstick: Like Krul, the cursed warrior of the Halcyon Fold...
Wiz: ...And Solomon Grundy, DC's resident nursery rhyme turned villain.
Boomstick: He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick...
Wiz: ...And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win a DEATH BATTLE.
Krul
Boomstick: If you ever find yourself wandering the Halcyon Fold, you're definitely in the wrong place.
Wiz: This 3v3 battle arena is host to many fearsome combatants, such as the fearsome fox ninja Taka or the massive crocodile Phinn. The very best warriors gather here to seek one of two things: glory...
Boomstick: And MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY!
Wiz: But lurking in the brush is the soulless husk of a man whose presence sends a chill down the spines of even the most hardened combatants. His - or rather, its - name is Krul.
Boomstick: This fearsome face has been around for a long time. Although no official documentation of what he once was exists, we can make an educated guess through the lore provided by the developers of VainGlory.
Wiz: In a time long forgotten, Krul was a man. He was once a great warrior, sailing with a crew of vikings all across the world. But when he was cursed by an unknown entity with eternal life, he slowly became the shell of a man you see now. To quote the lore itself, "I saw it… him… with my own eyes. An impossible creature. A man no longer a man, with a colossal sword through his chest. The glowing blade went clear through him and out the other side. Just imagine the gaping hole of a wound. An unthinkable sight."
Boomstick: Damn, this guy sounds like a walking nightmare.
Wiz: That's a fairly accurate description, actually. Again, from the lore: "He came out of the shadows, his jaw opened wide in a battle scream, eyes glowing with hate. He is some cursed dead thing that cannot be stopped. You don't believe me, but it's true; nothing could survive that wound - that agony."
Boomstick: *after a pause* Welp, no sleep for me tonight.
Wiz: The source of all of Krul's suffering - at least, according to him - is the massive sword embedded in his chest, which he refers to as Hellrazor. It's a massive hellish blade that glows blue. It's so large that it's almost as tall as Krul himself!
Boomstick: That thing is making my pants feel tight...
Wiz: *annoyed* ...Really?
Boomstick: What!? I can't help it! Look at that thing! It's so huge and... sexy...
Wiz: ...Anyway, Krul feels that the Halcyon Well in the Halcyon Fold is his only means of removing Hellrazor from his eternal wound and bringing his miserable existence to a close. Adding to this, he seems to be able to recall fleeting memories of his past life, drawing the conclusion that he can conduct rational thought.
Boomstick: Rationality aside, Krul is a fearsome beast in the Fold. He dominates in solo matches, being able to keep the pain coming while regenerating his own health through lifesteal, where he drains the foe's health through attacks.
Wiz: Every character in VainGlory has a Heroic Perk and 3 special abilities that make them unique, and Krul is no different. These powers shape his fighting style into one of a relentless attacker who won't back down from a fight.
Boomstick: First, there's his Heroic Perk, which is called Shadows Empower Me. This allows him to become faster and stronger the longer he stands still in the darkness, like that one emo guy you went to high school with who stood in the shade all the time and was probably a vampire.
Wiz: Well, more accurately, it grants him a large, temporary burst of movement speed as soon as he moves. Plus, his next attack deals a large slow to the target, decreasing their movement speed for a short time.
Boomstick: His first ability is called Dead Man's Rush. During this attack, Krul dashes to a foe and strikes them, slowing their movement and attack speed while also dealing some damage.
Wiz: It also grants Krul a health barrier, which prevents enemy attacks from affecting his health for a few seconds.
Boomstick: Next up is my personal favorite: Spectral Smite. When Krul uses this attack, he brings Hellrazor down onto the foe for a burst of damage and a burst of health to Krul. Awesome.
Wiz: Having this ability also allows Krul to apply Weakness to his foes. Weakness stacks up to eight times as Krul attacks his target. The number of stacks Krul has built up is displayed by a skull floating over the foe's head.
Boomstick: The more stacks of Weakness Krul has built up on his foe, the more health he regenerates per attack and the slower his foe becomes at moving and attacking. And once he's got all eight stacks, the burst of damage is massive! However, Krul loses all stacks of Weakness he's applied if he leaves the foe or doesn't attack for long enough.
Wiz: And then there's Krul's ultimate ability: From Hell's Heart. During this attack, he pulls Hellrazor from his chest and hurls it at a foe. If the foe is hit by the sword, they take a large amount of damage and are stunned for a moment, the damage and stun increasing in power the further Hellrazor has traveled.
Boomstick: And for some reason I don't understand, Hellrazor always comes back to Krul, even if it doesn't hit a target. It acts like a boomerang, always returning to the hole in his chest. Why doesn't he just throw it and leave it if he wants to be rid of it so badly?
Wiz: Well, maybe this is a metaphor for who Krul is. He's a tortured soul who only seeks release from his suffering; an end to the constant pain. He even says that the massive wound does hurt him, implying that he can indeed feel pain. This pain has, continues to, and always will haunt him for all eternity.
Boomstick: As poetic as that prediction was, Krul still isn't invincible. He's kind of slow, preferring to shamble along rather than actually run. Plus, if you come at him with an ally, he's pretty much screwed as he can't take a lot of punishment if it's coming from multiple angles.
Wiz: Now, since Krul and every other character in VainGlory can be greatly influenced by the wide array of items in the game, we are only going to allow Krul to have one item: Journey Boots, which increase his movement speed and add a slight amount to his health.
Boomstick: Well, boots or no, Krul is something to fear for any hero. He's powerful enough to take on turrets by himself and has even fought the Kraken, a massive turtle/Godzilla hybrid, on his own, and bested it. Something not many people can lay claim to.
Wiz: If there is anything to take away from this, it is that Krul is a relentless monster who will stop at nothing to relieve himself of the agony he calls life. So remember: if there is a glint of steel in the bushes, a deep cackle from somewhere in the darkness... Just run. Because he is coming for you.
Krul: Peace... PLEASE...
Solomon Grundy
Wiz: In the late 19th century, Cyrus Gold was a wealthy and powerful merchant in Gotham City. He was a successful businessman and made a substantial living off selling a variety of goods to all classes of people. Even if his family life and upbringing weren't the best.
Boomstick: Then one night he was murdered in his office by some mobsters. Unsure of what to do with his body, they traveled outside the city limits and dumped it in one of the most ominous-sounding places ever: Slaughter Swamp.
Wiz: There Gold's body sat for over fifty years before it combined with the earthy components of the swamp as well as some magical undead energy. Gold rose again, this time as a massive, hulking zombie. Eventually he would become known as one of the most fearsome villains in the DC universe: Solomon Grundy.
Boomstick: Now, since we're all familiar with DC's confusing timelines and alternate universes, we're going to be using the original Solomon Grundy story with his moveset pulled from Injustice: Gods Among Us. If you've got an issue with that, put it in the complaint box. By the way: we don't check that shit.
Wiz: Solomon Grundy is essentially a zombie Hulk. He possesses superhuman strength and stamina, near invulnerability, virtual indestructibility and immortality, and a healing factor.
Boomstick: His strength is incredible! At one point in the original storyline, his strength was deemed too much for even most of the Justice League to handle! Plus, if he ever needs any extra fighting power, he can just take one of the many knives he has embedded in his back for whatever reason and slice foes with them!
Wiz: He also has the ability to harness the undead energy he was resurrected with. He can summon the hands of the dead to attack foes from the ground, although he doesn't seem to be able to summon them fully.
Boomstick: Using his incredible strength, Grundy can toss his foes around like little dolls, slamming them into the ground with throws, beatdowns, and even piledrivers!
Wiz: And as if that weren't enough...
Boomstick: *interrupting* He can pull a fucking TOMBSTONE out of his CHEST to break it over foes' heads! Jesus, this guy has no chill.
Wiz: Obviously enough, his namesake comes from the children's poem 'Solomon Grundy,' which reads: "Solomon Grundy: Born on a Monday, Christened on Tuesday, Married on Wednesday, Took Ill on Thursday, Grew Worse on Friday, Died on Saturday, Buried on Sunday. This is the end of Solomon Grundy."
Boomstick: And for some strange reason, he seems to live that nursery rhyme over and over again!
Wiz: True to the tale he is named for, Grundy is at his most powerful at the beginning of the week and is at his weakest towards the weekend.
Boomstick: Which is the opposite of most normal people!
Wiz: This flaw has led to him being defeated quite easily on days like Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Boomstick: But that also means he's even tougher on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday!
Wiz: Despite his incredible strength and power, Grundy isn't perfect. He is often prone to intense fits of inhuman rage, which, depending on who he's fighting, can make him all the more dangerous.
Boomstick: And, as the stereotype of tough, beefy, angry dudes, Grundy's not very smart. He's been duped by his enemies and coerced into doing things more times than I can count!
Wiz: Plus, he's fairly slow due to his large frame and zombielike manner, meaning he struggles to keep up with foes who are faster than him.
Boomstick: But faults aside, Solomon Grundy is one villain you never want to cross. Of all the nursery rhymes you've heard in your life, this would be the one to end your days. Permanently.
Solomon Grundy: *beating up a goon* Grundy show you!
Intermission
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set! Let's end this debate once and for all!
Boomstick: It's time for a DEATH BATTLE!!!
DEATH BATTLE!
Setting: Slaughter Swamp
It's a cold, dark Wednesday night. The clock reads 11:36 PM in Gotham City, and just outside of Gotham City, Slaughter Swamp buzzes with midnight life, insects hovering around in the humid air.
Standing over a patch of mud and water is Solomon Grundy. He is staring at his own reflection somewhat solemnly, his broken noose in hand. He seems to be contemplating something. He eventually grows firm and puts the noose back around his neck. He turns around and begins to walk away from his mud patch.
Swish. A patch of grass sways slightly as something large runs by. Grundy looks over at the grass, curious. Maybe it was an animal, like a deer.
Swish. Another patch of grass, this time to Grundy's left. Beginning to become agitated, Grundy pounds his chest and shouts.
Solomon Grundy: Who there!? No hide from Grundy!
No response but another swish from the grass. Grundy hears a deep cackle resonate from the brush.
Solomon Grundy: Grundy no scared of you!
Another cackle, but this time a figure stepped out of the brush. It was the frame of a small man with long facial hair. But Grundy noticed one thing in particular: the massive sword that was piercing his chest.
Solomon Grundy: You undead, like Grundy?
Grundy questioned the figure, pointing to himself. The man simply laughed hollowly.
???: I am Krul... And I will tear you from this world...
(Cue this music)
Feeling threatened, Grundy slammed his fists on the soft swamp ground, leaving an indentation of his hands in the mud.
Solomon Grundy: Tiny man make Grundy angry! Grundy crush tiny man!
The figure chuckled once again. The large sword in his chest glowed in a blue flame.
Krul: Let me escort you beyond the veil...
FIGHT!
Grundy rushed at Krul and swing his massive fists at him. Krul dodged to the side and slashed a few times at Grundy's chest, cutting into him with his long, claw-like nails. Green blood oozed from the cuts and Grundy grunted in pain. Angry, Grundy swung his right fist, connecting with Krul's head. Krul flew back several feet from the massive punch.
Grundy stomped the ground and an ominous sound echoed through the swamp. As Krul stood up, the muddy earth beneath his feet churned and some undead hands sprung up, grabbing him by the feet. Krul couldn't move. Grundy rushed forward and took a knife from his back. He slashed at Krul many times before kicking him fiercely, sending him out of the hands' grasp. The hands faded back into the ground.
Krul moaned in pain before standing up.
Krul: Impressive.
Then his eyes flared blue and Krul charged forward. He struck Grundy in the chest with Dead Man's Rush, his claws piercing Grundy's flesh like paper. Krul then dealt a few surprisingly powerful strikes to Grundy's head. Grundy shoved Krul away and pounded his chest once. He began to secrete a poisonous gas.
Krul simply smirked and rushed again. His health barrier prevented Grundy's gas from harming him as he continued to slash. Furious, Grundy grabbed Krul by the throat and threw him away. At that moment, Grundy's gas dissipated and Krul's health barrier wore off.
Krul got up slowly, a bit dazed. Grundy seized the opportunity and rushed up to Krul, grabbing him by the throat again. He flung Krul up in the air and grabbed him by his feet. then he slammed Krul into the ground face-first.
Grundy: Solomon Grundy!
Grundy grabbed Krul by the back of the head. Hellrazor had been dislodged from Krul's body due to the slam, and clattered to the earth.
Grundy raised Krul up and squeezed his skull tightly.
Grundy: Born on a Monday!
He slammed Krul's head into the ground. A loud shout of pain was heard from Krul. Unrelenting, Grundy hoisted Krul up by his feet again and held him upside-down in a piledriver position.
Grundy: Christened on Tuesday!
Grundy leaped up, effortlessly carrying Krul's light, withered body up with him. Then, he slammed Krul's head into the ground with a painful-sounding crack.
Grundy: Married on Wednesday!
Grundy stood up, looking down at Krul. Krul's neck was bent horribly out of shape, clearly broken during the piledriver. Grundy scoffed and began to walk away, stepping over Hellrazor as he did so.
Grundy: Grundy showed you.
But while Grundy was walking away, he failed to notice Krul slowly get back up. He cracked his neck back into place and grabbed Hellrazor from the ground, rearing up like a pitcher. Then he threw it, performing his ultimate ability: From Hell's Heart.
Krul: You nag me enough.
Grundy shouted out in shock and pain as Hellrazor flew through the air and into his chest, the tip of the blade visible to Grundy as it pierced his body. Krul rushed up behind him and executed another Dead Man's Rush, and then proceeded to pull Hellrazor from Grundy's Chest. Grundy stumbled forward, reeling from the pain the massive blade had caused him.
Grundy then turned to face Krul again, rage burning in his eyes. He roared and stuffed his hand into his stomach, pulling out a tombstone. He rushed forward towards Krul and swung the tombstone down towards his head.
Krul, unfazed, slashed through the tombstone with Hellrazor. Then, with the memories of combat and training from a life lost to the ages, Krul dashed forward and swung Hellrazor, cleaving Grundy's right arm off.
Grundy screamed out in agony and fell to one knee, his left arm moving to cover the stump.
Krul: Took ill on Thursday.
The church bells in Gotham City began to chime, their tones ringing out over the swamp.
It was now 12:00 AM on Thursday.
Grundy could feel his strength beginning to ebb from him. He stood bravely and rushed at Krul, right shoulder out. Scoffing at the careless attack, Krul drove Hellrazor through his shoulder, causing Grundy to emanate another scream of pain.
Krul: Grew worse on Friday.
Krul withdrew Hellrazor from Grundy's shoulder and began to slash at him with it, cutting Grundy deeply in many places. The villain screamed in suffering, his cries sending shivers of pleasure through Krul's body.
Krul's cold, dead eyes stared at Grundy's shivering form, unforgiving. The eternal pain, the misery, the constant reminder of tragedies past...
This fighting was nothing more of a distraction from those horrible tortures that lingered over his head every day. And he relished in it.
Krul leaped up high, Hellrazor in hand. Grundy looked up slowly and weakly and noticed something hovering over his head.
A blue skull surrounded by eight burning flames.
Krul landed Spectral Smite, bringing Hellrazor down onto Grundy. The massive blade cut through the giant's body, straight through the middle of the skull and out from his pelvis. Grundy's face froze in an expression of horror, his body twitching violently from the damage to his cortex.
Krul: Died on Saturday.
Krul removed the blade from Grundy and grabbed his corpse by the ankle. He dragged it over to Grundy's mud patch and threw it in. Grundy's heavy body sunk into the mud.
Krul: Buried on Sunday.
With a grunt of pain, Krul forced Hellrazor back into the cavity in his chest, turning away from Grundy's sinking body. Then, without a second look back, he vanished back into the brush.
K.O.!
Boomstick: This is the end of Solomon Grundy.
Wiz: While Grundy clearly held the strength advantage, Krul trumped him in most other areas. Not only is he faster and more experienced in combat than Grundy, but he is also the more intelligent of the two, allowing him to think more creatively and mix up his fighting style, unlike Grundy, who relies on sheer force to out-muscle his foes.
Boomstick: Not to mention that Hellrazor definitely trumps any knife Grundy could have pulled out of his back, or that Krul's lifesteal allowed him to just heal any damage Grundy was dishing out.
Wiz: While the argument can be made that Krul never uses Hellrazor as a weapon in the game outside of From Hell's Heart, an official image depicts him facing the Kraken with Hellrazor pulled from his chest and held like a normal blade, implying that he is fully able to wield Hellrazor as an actual weapon.
Boomstick: Plus, Krul has multiple generations' worth of experience to work with, while Grundy has only been around since the early-to-mid 19th century. The experience difference is obvious there.
Wiz: Even though Krul isn't very physically strong, he is durable enough tank hits from the Kraken, artillery turrets, and even the strongest attacks of other heroes in the Halcyon Fold. Meanwhile, Grundy gets taken down rather easily by significantly less powerful adversaries like Batman and Green Arrow. Factoring in all of these advantages made this match-up a fairly easy one to decide.
Boomstick: For a while there, Grundy was a real Hellrazor, but it turned out it just wasn't his day. Yeah, Krul gave a whole new meaning to Krul-tey.
Wiz: The winner is Krul.
