Gorilla Grodd

Real Name:  Grodd

Voiced by Powers Booth

Grodd is a scientific genius and dangerous renegade from Gorilla City, a hidden civilization of highly evolved talking apes.  In addition to his natural physical strength, Grodd’s powerful mind force can move solid objects and control weaker minds (courtesy of Cartoon Network press materials and Cartoon Network’s Justice League Homepage).

nothing on Gorilla Grodd:  “Grodd looks like a talking gorilla, not as menacing as the [Superfriends] Grodd…[He’s] gray [unlike his Superfriends design, which was brown].  Also, he doesn’t like bananas (courtesy of Toon Zone).”

Dr. Sarah Corwin (voiced by Virginia Madsen)

Real Name:  Sarah Corwin

Images

Gorilla Grodd cToon Image

Commentary

You'll never run again.  I'm going to chew through your Achilles Tendon, Flash, and afterwards I'm going to suck the marrow from your Tibias...After I skin you, I'll wear your hide back to Gorilla City, and that city will bow before me.  Now—enough talk...open your brain.

Gorilla Grodd (to Flash) in The Flash #193

Although not his arch-villain, Grodd is definitely the most dangerous and savage foe in the Flash’s Rogues Gallery.  An adversary dating back to the Silver Age of comics, Gorilla Grodd (as he is more commonly known) desires nothing less than world conquest and revenge against the inhabitants of Gorilla City, a hidden city of super-intelligent talking apes.  Naturally, he possesses incredible strength and a devious mind, but it would appear that his telepathic and telekinetic abilities are generated through his helmet on Justice League (as opposed to being intrinsic in the comics).  This is just as well, however, as it better displays Grodd’s technological expertise, provides a hubris for the Flash to exploit, and, frankly, looks really cool.

As it could be surmised, The Brave and the Bold was hardly the end of Grodd on Justice League—it is rumored that he will lead The Secret Society during an episode of the Second Season.  While we may question his leadership over others such as Vandal Savage or Lex Luthor, this does parallel events in the comic books, where Grodd briefly led an incarnation of the Society in their own monthly title.

Fans have speculated that Sarah Corwin’s infatuation with Grodd is a nod to Giganta, a Wonder Woman villain best known for her appearances on Superfriends.  In the Golden Age comics she was originally a gorilla who was transformed into a human and, on Superfriends, she appeared to have some sort of flirtation with Grodd.  On the other hand, perhaps the creative team is setting her up to become another hench-girl character like Harley Quinn or Mercy Graves.  Dr. Corwin’s actual motivation, however, is anyone’s guess…until Grodd’s next appearance, of course.

Images courtesy of Warner Bros. Online UK, Cartoon Network, and Rob’s Superfriends Fan Page.

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