Konstantin Grünner

Konstantin Grünner
Character information
Title/rank	Stabsscharführer
Age	Mid-50s
Born	c.1877-1881, Germany
Died	23rd December 1934, Winter Immer, Düsseldorf, Germany
Hair	Grey; very short
Eyes	Unknown; wore round, wire-rimmed glasses
Dist. Features	Scar running down the right-hand side of neck
Nationality	German
Occupation	Ambassador to the Netherlands Spymaster
Affiliation	Federal Foreign Office Schutzstaffel
Status	Deceased; incinerated by molten metal
Behind the scenes
Role	Main Villain
First seen	Strike Lightning
Last seen	Strike Lightning

Konstantin Grünner was a fictional high-ranking National Socialist spymaster and confidant of Adolf Hitler. He was ostensibly a wealthy German Foreign Office diplomat acting as ambassador to the Netherlands. The character served as the primary antagonist of Steve Cole's 2016 Young Bond novel, Strike Lightning.

Biography

Early life

An ardent supporter of National Socialism, Herr Grünner stood by Adolf Hitler from the beginning of his movement; using his townhouse in Berlin for the secret meetings that paved the way for his rise to power. After Hitler became chancellor of Germany in 1933, Grünner - a Stabsscharführer in the Schutzstaffel, or SS - was appointed ambassador to the Netherlands in order to gather intelligence from the strategically-located nation. Though quiet and repressed at social functions, his pleasure when witnessing violence – or relishing its prospect – is revealed in an eerie high-pitched giggle.

Strike Lightning

Circa 1934, Konstantin Grünner was involved in a National Socialist plot to seize and develop powered exoskeleton technology designed by weapons manufacturer, Blade-Rise Industries. The Germans acquired exclusive rights to the prototype "Steel Shadows" to prevent others from creating similar technology. Meanwhile, they secretly created their own exo-suits based on Hepworth Blade's design – dubbed the Blutbanner, or Blood Flag. During the Autumn of 1934 Grünner sent Herta Axmann to ostensibly assist Blade-Rise scientist, Dr. Randolph Whittaker, in the development of the Steel Shadow. In reality she was tasked with gathering intelligence and confirming the weapon's weaknesses; lest Blade renege on their agreement and sell the design to competing world powers. By 20th December 1934 four Steel Shadow prototypes had been completed and shipped to Germany.

On 21st December, Herr Grünner began to tie-up loose ends, personally murdering Whittaker at a meeting in the Hotel des Indes during an annual Christmas party. Later that evening he had Blade himself kidnapped and brought to a research bunker near Düsseldorf. There he pressed him into service with the German special weapons programme to oversee development of the next generation of Blutbanners. On 23rd December, Grünner held a battle demonstration for National Socialist VIPs consisting of three Steel Shadows (piloted by the kidnapped James Bond and Blade's two bodyguards) versus two Blutbanners (piloted by Herta and Kitty Drift) in a special testing site in the bunker. The scenario claimed the lives of both bodyguards and Axmann. Its two surviving participants, James and Kitty, were rescued by the intervention of their friend Perry Mandeville, who had stolen a D-8 armoured car. Grünner donned the last of the Steel Shadow prototypes and pursued them to the bunker's foundry. James drove a Tatra 77 car into the machine to no effect. Grünner turned and mowed down Blade with machine-gun fire as the arms magnate breached the foundry's furnace with a BR-12 mortar. The room was flooded with a stream of molten copper, heated to more than 12,000°C (21,632°F), incinerating Grünner instantly where he stood.

Images

An official illustration of Grünner by artist Kev Walker.