Gutterball

Gutterball is a bowling ball superhero and friends with Wick-Man and Muffler.

Personal Information[]

Real Name: Layne Gustafson

Age: Unknown

Location: Quadropolis

Created: in 1992 by Michael J. Longo

First Appearance: Sprinkles the Psychotic Moose Volume 1, Number 23. (1992)

Powers, Abilities and Weaknesses[]

His head is a bowling ball, and cannot be easily hurt or damaged.
He uses bowling pins as weapons, either for tossing or clubbing.

Current Era Appearances[]

"Gutterball and Friends" Number 1 (2015)
"Gutterball and Friends" Number 2 (2015)
"Gutterball and Friends" Number 3 (2015)

Character Biography[]

Layne had juggling lessons when he was young. ("Gutterball and Friends" #1).

In his adult life, Gutterball ended up being homeless and alone, living on the streets and sleeping in a dumpster. One day, Wick-Man and Muffler thwarted the jetpack powered getaway of Peanut Butter] and Jelly. Wick-Man uses his wax-blaster from a rooftop to jam up Jelly's jetpack, sending him falling into an alley. Jelly fell onto the dumpster in which Gutterball was sleeping. A drunk Gutterball was angry with Jelly, and even angrier once the villain sprayed him in the face with jelly. When Wick-Man and Muffler go down to street level, they find Jelly beaten up... by Gutterball. He is petrified of Gutterball and asks the heroes for help. Peanut Butter, realizing his partner was missing, flies in and punches Wick-Man and Muffler. He swings around and attacks Gutterball, firing peanuts at him. The peanuts hit but are ineffective. Gutterball tosses bowling pin after bowling pin, striking Peanut Butter in the head repeatedly, until he gives up. Wick-Man and Muffler then invite Gutterball to have pancakes with them, as the QPD takes away PB&J. ("Gutterball and Friends" #1).

After pancakes at QHOP, Wick-Man and Muffler continue to ask Gutterball to join them as a hero, and he continues to refuse, stating he's not cut out for it and has too much on his mind. As they're walking out of the restaurant, they witness Microwave zapping a Deep Pockets Bank ATM with his microwave gauntlets and money spewing out. Wick-Man and Muffler instinctively attack, while Gutterball walks off, leaving the hero duties to them. After a few moments, Gutterball looks back and sees his new friends in trouble. He decides to help out, and charges into Microwave's back, knocking him down. He then smashes the gauntlets with bowling pins, breaking the criminal's weapons. Gutterball then punches Microwave out, and carries him off to jail. As he's walking away with Wick-Man and Muffler, he admits to them that he actually likes beating up the bad guys. ("Gutterball and Friends" #2).

Gutterball gets more and more confident in his role as hero, as evidenced by his increasing use of bowling puns. This begins to be evident in the battle with Whipstache. One day, the three heroes/friends are on the streets of Quadropolis and Muffler suggests they get hot dogs from the Wiener Wagon. They get up in line, behind Captain Plump, to wait. Whipstache comes along, cutting to the front of the line and demands money of the proprietor, Amit. Captain Plump protests, only to be scared away by Whipstache's gun. The heroes then step in. Wick-Man is shot in the head by Whipstache, but explains that he is made fully of wax and cannot be hurt by bullets - just by burning his wick to the bottom. Gutterball and Muffler rush in to attack Whipstache, who's now intent on sharing the story of his facial hair growth. Muffler knocks his gun away and Whipstache punches him hard in the stomach, making him gasp (muffle) for air. Gutterball cracks Whipstache over the head with a bowling pin, knocking him out. The threesome are given discounted hot dogs by a grateful Amit, and they cart Whipstache off to jail. ("Gutterball and Friends" #3).

Initial Era[]

In the Initial Era, Gutterball first appears In Sprinkles the Psychotic Moose Volume 1, Numbers 23-24. He is part of a team of DOPEs, led by Mr. Mako and Numbskull, who are searching for Sprinkles in the city. He gets shot dead by Jack, one of four D.O.P.E. member deaths in that encounter (Muffler, Wick-Man and Tommy the Tiger are the other three).

A moment of silence is given during a full D.O.P.E. assembly in D.O.P.E. Volume 1, Number 12 for Gutterball and the other fallen D.O.P.E. members.

Gutterball is shown on the cover of D.O.P.E. Volume 1, Number 15 as official member #67.

Gutterball was part of the Enemies Galore storyline in Sprinkles the Psychotic Moose Volume 1, Numbers 31-34. Malice stumbles upon his grave while looking for enemies of Sprinkles. He resurrects Gutterball (and Muffler) and telepathically commands them to kill Sprinkles. They go to the woods and find Sprinkles and Jack's cabin and attack them. Gutterball hits Jack with a bowling pin, and then beats up on Sprinkles, along with a host of other villains, until Sprinkles gets so mad he transforms into a moose monster (which had happened previously in Issue #29) and he crack's Gutterball's head with a punch, knocking him out.