Grodd (Absolute Universe)

Grodd was abducted from his natural habitat in Africa as a baby by hunters who killed his mother.^[1] He ended up as one of Project Olympus' test animals, one of several different primates housed on The Mountain, a large research facility located on the military base Fort Fox. Grodd, along with his fellow primates, was experimented on by Project Olympus personnel. While most of the subjects gained an unusual green coloration to their fur, Grodd also gained a large, visible brain mass on the back of his head^[2] and telepathic abilities.^[1]

Of Two Worlds

Grodd frightened Wally West, a resident of Fort Fox, when the teenager went looking for Olympus scientist Barry Allen.^[2] Subsequently, a failed experiment bestowed superpowers upon West in the form of super-speed, and he became a government fugitive by evading authorities. Wally's father, Colonel Rudy West, dispatched a high-tech military unit known as the Rogues to hunt him down. Grodd was sent with them in a cage and when Wally proved difficult to capture, their Captain ordered Harkness to unleash him against their target.^[3]

Grodd tracked Wally to a barn where he had fled to take refuge. However, when they met again Grodd make telepathic contact with Wally. They each saw how the other had lost their mother at a young age and Grodd declared that they were the same. The Rogues attacked the barn and Wally had a panic attack that caused his powers to go haywire, but Grodd was able to calm him and used his powers to knock the Rogues unconscious. Harkness was unaffected and flew at them with a swarm of boomerang drones, but Wally punched him out. Grodd told Wally to escape but Wally said they would go together and carried Grodd away with him.^[1]

Trials of the Flash

Wally and Grodd fled to Central City and spent the night sleeping in a park in the rundown Iron Heights district. Wally had a nightmare of seeing Barry's skeleton in his mother's grave screaming for help and started awake just before sunrise. Grodd helped calm him and they headed out into the streets with Grodd hiding in Wally's backpack. Unbeknownst to either of them, Project Olympus were able to track Grodd and knew exactly where he, and therefore Wally, were.

Grodd sensed that Project Heatwave, another Project Olympus test subject, was nearby and that he needed to be stopped. He ran towards Heatwave and Wally chased him through the streets until he opened an manhole and dropped down into the sewers were Heatwave was hiding. Grodd lead Wally through the sewers saying that they needed to stop "Hot". He lead Wally to where Heatwave was hiding.^[4]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Enhanced Intellect
Telepathy: Grodd has the ability to read the thoughts of others and project his own memories into their minds.^[1]
- Empathy: Grodd can calm Wally's emotions.^[1]
- Psychic Link: Grodd has a mental link with Wally that allows them to communicate non-verbally.^[1]
- Sleep Inducement: Grodd was able to use his powers to put the Rogues to sleep, although Harkness was mysteriously immune.^[1]

Abilities

Tracking^[1]

Notes

Grodd was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, first appearing in The Flash #106. However, the Absolute Universe version of Grodd first appeared in Absolute Flash #1 by Jeff Lemire and Nick Robles.
Due to Darkseid's interference in the Absolute Universe, Grodd is no longer a Gorilla from Gorilla City, but a monkey from a military research project unlike his DC Universe counterpart. He is also an ally of the Flash rather than his enemy.

Grodd (Absolute Universe)

Contents

History

Early Life