Gretchen Goode, popularly known as Granny Goodness, gives off the impression of a warm and matronly businesswoman who claims to see her products as a means to inspire children, encourage creativity, and maintains this notion even when she is being disparaged on live television by G. Gordon Godfrey, never raising her voice or appearing to take umbrage from his less-than-flattering commentary.[2] She appears kind and generous, such as when she complimented Garfield Logan's acting skills and telling him his mother would be proud.[3] But underneath this grandmotherly facade is a sinister woman with an agenda that endangers and exploits children, evident by her affiliation with the Light, serving as one of its leaders.[2]
Physical appearance[]
Gretchen Goode takes the appearance of a short, slightly overweight, Caucasian elderly woman with brown eyes and gray hair arranged in a bouffant. She has a square face with wrinkles on her brow and under her eyes.[2]
History[]
Early history[]
At some point Granny Goodness used a device to create a duplicate of herself to act on Earth as Gretchen Goode, alongside a duplicate Overlord.[4]
Gretchen was an invited guest on a live GBS interview with G. Gordon Godfrey about her latest product: the Goode Goggles. Despite Godfrey's claims that the device was harmful, especially for the youth, Gretchen proclaimed to take pride in her product and in its goal: to spark the imagination. She quickly changed subject and announced a partnership between the Goode World Studios and the Wayne Foundation to help meta-trafficking victims. She went on to say that both companies have made donations to the new Meta-Human Youth Center in Taos and other charities.[2]
After watching the dailies for Space Trek 3016, Gretchen complimented Paul Sloane and Garfield Logan for their performances. She declared that she had made a good call in casting them together for the show, in an attempt to "recapture that Hello, Megan! magic". She went on to reassure Garfield that both his mother and godmother would be proud of him. At that point, Steve Dayton approached Gretchen for a word. She politely asked him for a moment, pulled Paul aside and slipped away.[3]
In a live interview with G. Gordon Godfrey, Gretchen responded to Aquaman's public accusations against her company in their involvement in meta-human trafficking via the Goode Goggles. All the while assuming responsibility for the incident, Gretchen placed the blame on Jaqqar Marlo, director of research and development, who found dead months ago. Despite not being able to bring Marlo to justice, Gretchen reassured that "true justice" would be served up by herself. She had already recalled all her faulty devices and would offer new ones in return, thus promising to "make everything right as rain".[5]
Gretchen summoned Garfield Logan to her office to commend him for stopping a burglary, a deed that was trending on social media. Garfield, who already knew she was up to no good, called her out on her façade. Gretchen menacingly warned him to be careful and Garfield challenged her.[5]
Gretchen was visited at her mansion by Kaldur'ahm and Wyynde, who had come to retrieve Nightwing and Black Lightning, who had been captured at the mansion the night before. Goode took them to an X-Pit and allowed them to take them, but once back at the mansion had the two enthralled captives attack their would be rescuers. With help from the Outsiders, Halo, Vic and Oracle, everyone escaped, but not before Goode witnessed Halo use their mind-cleansing ability, causing her to realise that Halo might be the key to solving the Anti-Life Equation
Later, she contacted Darkseid to inform him of her discovery.[7]
Goode called in to a meeting of the Light and reported the loss of her captives. She made a bid to get Halo, but Ultra-Humanite claimed them. She later contacted Darkseid, and he interceded on Goode's behalf with Vandal Savage.[8]
Goode and Ultra-Humanite met Helga Jace at a lab to take custody of Halo and the Markovs. Goode took everyone to the X-Pit to demonstrate her theory on the Anti-Life Equation. As she expected, exposing Halo to the Ghost Dimension repolarized their healing aura, causing them to spread Anti-Life. She tested this on Helga. Once they returned to the lab, Tara stopped pretending to be enthralled by a control chip and freed her brother. Goode boom tubed away with Overlord and Halo.[8]
Gretchen was interviewd on GBS where she complained about her sense of betrayal after various Goode World Studios's properties were tresspassed on by Meta-humans, in fact referring to the search for Halo.[9]
Gretchen and Overlord sensed the Outsiders arrive at Building 16 of Goode World Studios, where her duplication machine was located. She had the Outsiders boom tubed to the X-Pit, where she challenged Beast Boy to a fight. Despite Beast Boy's tenacity, he was no match for her. After Vic defeated Overlord in cyberspace, everyone was returned to the warehouse, and Gretchen was overpowered by the group. After the duplication machine was destroyed, Gretchen and Overlord teleported away against their will.[4]
Gretchen merged back together with Granny Goodness.[4] Vic, who had followed Goode, recorded the merging.[10]
On February 14, Vic released the video footage to GBS as proof she was in fact an alien involved in meta-human trafficking in space. Goode World Studios issued a statement denying the allegations, claiming the footage was faked.[10]
