Broken Frontier

As the Blackest Night spreads across the DC Universe, Broken Frontier unearths the histories of several of the key players in the event.
Spoiler warning:  Read no further if you’ve not had a chance to dig into your most recent Blackest Night titles…

Created in October 1944, Solomon Grundy has an extensive and frequently shifting history in the DC Universe.  Over the decades, the most consistent aspect of the character’s origin is based around a man named Cyrus Gold being murdered in Slaughter Swamp (retroactively relocated to be just outside of Gotham City).  Gold’s corpse decomposed in the swamp for 50 years, before it was mysteriously reanimated as a shambling, white monstrosity (this re-animation is attributed to a curse, although in the past, it has been linked to the intervention of the Parliament of Trees from Swamp Thing).  Nearly mindless, the monster could only recall that he had been “born on a Monday.”  Inspired by a 1842 rhyme by James Orchard Halliwell, the beast gained his name;

“Solomon Grundy,
Born on a Monday,
Christened on Tuesday,
Married on Wednesday,
Took ill on Thursday,
Grew worse on Friday,
Died on Saturday,
Buried on Sunday,
This is the end
Of Solomon Grundy.”

Embarking on a criminal rampage, Grundy came into conflict with the original Green Lantern, Alan Scott.  Already dead (thereby immune to physical harm) and resistant to Scott’s powers (which could not effect the swamp wood now merged with Gold’s corpse), Grundy was only stopped when he was hurled into the path of a train (All-American Comics #61).

Throughout the Golden Age, Grundy returned several times, menacing both Green Lantern and the larger Justice Society of America (most of these appearances were retroactively added, as in actuality, the character had a relatively limited number of appearances prior to the Silver Age).  Of particular significance is Grundy’s battle with the individual members of the Justice Society from All-Star Comics #33 (February 1947) which ended with Grundy stranded on the moon by Green Lantern.  When the Grundy character was revived for the Silver Age, he discovered a new power thanks to absorbing Green Lantern’s emerald energy – complete mastery over wooden objects.  Following a clash with Hourman, Doctor Fate and the Golden Age Green Lantern (Showcase #55, March 1965) Grundy was cast into space, never to return (a plot point that was eventually explored in Starman #49, January 1999).

Grundy resurfaced several times through the late 1960s and 1970s, menacing the Justice Society, the Justice League and Superman, his strength seeming to fluctuate depending on the need of the story.  Compounding the inconsistencies surrounding Grundy, was the introduction of an “Earth-One” Grundy (in DC continuity prior to Crisis on Infinite Earths, there were an infinite number of parallel worlds – the Justice Society and their enemies all came from Earth-Two) who appeared to be infinitely strong, going toe-to-toe with the likes of Superman and Swamp Thing.  Following Crisis on Infinite Earths and the condensing of DC history into “one Earth/one direct history), these multiple Grundies become either apocryphal, or are assumed to be one-in-the-same (again, the Starman series later made use of this as a plot point).

Over the next several years, Grundy came into conflict with Infinity, Inc., a team of young heroes descended from the superheroes of the Golden Age.  On one such adventure, Grundy was rescued from certain death by Jade, the daughter of the Golden Age Green Lantern (Infinity, Inc. #23, February 1986).  From that point on, Grundy developed a bond of loyalty with his enemy’s daughter, protecting her, and by extension, the other members of Infinity, Inc.  This alliance ultimately came to a tragic end when the simple-minded Grundy was duped by Injustice Unlimited, resulting in the accidental death of Infinity Inc member, Skyman (Infinity, Inc. #51-53, June-August 1988).

Grundy resumed the life of a drifting menace, clashing with Alan Scott, Jade (Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #4, Spring 1993) and Batman (Batman: Shadow of the Bat #39, June 1995).  Grundy next surfaced lurking in the sewers of Opal City, bringing him into contact with that city’s protector, Jack Knight (Starman #10, August 1996).  Initially, Grundy lashed out at Knight (the son and, at the time, reluctant successor to the Golden Age Starman), but when struck, broke down in tears.  Taking pity on the creature, Knight brought Grundy to his father’s home, where the original Starman was tending to an amnesiatic alien named Mikaal Tomas.  Grundy became a sympathetic character, simple, although savagely loyal. 

Brought together by their peaceful natures, Grundy and Mikaal quickly became friends, a bond that was strengthened when the pair were captured and tortured by the Mist’s gang (Starman #15, January 1996).  Jack’s father, Ted (the Golden Age Starman), again tended for Grundy following his ordeal.  During this time, the elder Knight mused on the seemingly radical different personalities he had seen in Grundy over the years – from mindless savage, to childlike naiveté.  A scientist, Knight speculated that following every “death”, Grundy devolved back into the swamp, forever destined to be “Born on a Monday” into a new variation of Grundy.  At this time, Ted also expressed his internal conflict over Grundy, sympathizing with the gentle creature before him, but unable to forgive Grundy’s part in the death of Skyman (who had been an apprentice of sorts to the elder Knight).  Unbeknownst to the Golden Age Starman, Grundy overheard his musings and, heartbroken, left to prove himself (Starman #17, March 1996).

Grundy watched over his friends from afar, coming to Jack Knight’s aid when the Infernal Dr. Pip bombed a crowded department store.  Captured by television cameras, Grundy literally held the entire crumbling building up, as Jack ushered the civilians to safety.  Unable to extract himself from under the crumbling weight, Grundy asked Jack to tell Ted that he was sorry for killing Skyman and that this Grundy was “good Grundy” (Starman #32, July 1997).  Grundy’s body was pulled from the rumble, just barely alive, leading Jack and Ted, along with Batman, Alan Scott and the Floronic Man into a journey within Grundy’s subconscious.  There, the heroes encountered all the past incarnations of Grundy, confirming Ted’s theory on the nature of Grundy’s rebirths.  Although the heroes overcome the “evil” Grundies, they are unable to save “good Grundy,” who dies, destined once again to be reborn in a new form (Starman #33-34, August-September 1997).

As a brief aside, this cycle of death and rebirth played into the events of Starman #49 (January 1999), in which Mikaal Tomas and Jack Knight encountered an evil Grundy in outer space.  This Grundy sprung forth from being hurled into space back in Showcase #55.  When Grundy died of exposure, he was reborn both on Earth (the Grundy that most of this article deals with) as well as on an alien world (who faced the heroes in this issue of Starman).

Sure enough, an evil Grundy returned, the first form of which banded together with several Starman villains to lash out at “good Grundy’s” former friends (Starman #64-71, April-November 2000).  In the coming years, various forms of Grundy faced off against Stargirl and Jakeen Thunder (JSA #29, December 2001), Superman (Superman #182, July 2002), and Green Arrow (Green Arrow #18, December 2002).  On one of his subsequent reincarnations, Grundy demonstrated a never-before-seen intelligence, uniting several villains against the Justice League, in an effort to gain immortality, thereby ending his cycle of death and rebirth (Justice League of America #1-6, October 2006-March 2007).  Following his death on another planet (Salvation Run #1-7, January-July 2008), there was a distinct change in the nature of Solomon Grundy.

This time, what emerged from Slaughter Swamp was Cyrus Gold, not Solomon Grundy.  Wandering Gotham City, Gold transformed into Grundy only when injured.  Pondering his strange circumstances at his own grave, Gold encountered the Golden Age Green Lantern and the mysterious Phantom Stranger.  Learning from the Stranger that Grundy is at a crossroads – to be turned to the greater good, or to become part of a night of pure darkness – Lantern and Gold embark on a journey of redemption (Faces of Evil: Solomon Grundy, March 2009).   Given one week to uncover and forgive his killer, Gold came into conflict with several monstrous and mystical forces in the DC Universe before finally remembering the truth surrounding his death – that it was suicide.  Unable to forgive himself, Gold is pulled into Hell, leaving Solomon Grundy a lifeless husk at the bottom of Slaughter Swamp (Solomon Grundy #1-7, May-November 2009)…

…until a Black Lantern ring arrived in Slaughter Swamp, ordering Solomon Grundy (not Cyrus Gold) of Earth to rise…

Black Lantern Solomon Grundy’s story continues in Superman/Batman #66 & 67, this November and December…