Glorious Godfrey

Last updated
Glorious Godfrey
Gloriousgodfreydcu0.jpg
Glorious Godfrey as depicted in The Forever People #7 (March 1972). Art by Jack Kirby.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance The Forever People #3 (June 1971)
Created by Jack Kirby (writer-artist)
In-story information
Alter egoGlorious Gordon Godfrey
Species New God
Place of origin Apokolips
Team affiliations Darkseid's Elite
Galaxy Communications
Notable aliasesG. Gordon Godfrey, Reverend G. Godfrey Goode, Godfrey
Abilities
  • Immortality
  • Superhuman physical attributes
  • Limited mind-control
  • Commands the Army called The Justifiers

Glorious Godfrey is a DC Comics supervillain who is part of The Fourth World series of comic books in the early 1970s. [1] He is a New God from Apokolips and a servant of Darkseid who masquerades as a human television personality.

Contents

Godfrey has been adapted into various media outside comics, primarily in association with the New Gods. Enrico Colantoni and Tim Curry voice the character in Justice League and Young Justice respectively, while Michael Daingerfield and Tom Cavanagh portray Godfrey in Smallville and Superman & Lois .

Publication history

Glorious Godfrey first appeared in The Forever People #3 (June 1971) and was created by Jack Kirby. [2]

In 1971, an article in The New York Times Magazine about "relevant comics" described "a handsome toothy character named Glorious Godfrey, a revivalist. Godfrey is drawn to look like an actor playing Billy Graham in a Hollywood film biography of Richard Nixon starring George Hamilton". [3] The character was intended to embody the powerful, charismatic speaker who could talk people into justifying violence and evil. [4]

Jack Kirby biographer Mark Evanier states that Glorious Godfrey was based on Billy Graham, with elements of Arthur Godfrey. Kirby was disturbed by Graham's antisemitic views and apocalyptic sermons, which instilled fear rather than faith. [5]

Fictional character biography

Godfrey and his sister Amazing Grace are members of Darkseid's Elite who possess similar mind control powers. [6]

In his first appearance, Godfrey confronts the Forever People, who had stumbled upon a recruitment program for Earth-based warriors for Darkseid, and almost kills one of their members, Serifan. Despite the efforts of the Forever People's semi-sentient Super-Cycle, Godfrey's attack would have succeeded in killing Serifan; however, Highfather chose at that moment to recall all his people (and the cycle) home via teleportation. [7]

Godfrey as depicted in Legends #4 (February 1987). Art by John Byrne. GloriousGodfrey.png
Godfrey as depicted in Legends #4 (February 1987). Art by John Byrne.

In Legends , Darkseid attempts to deprive the world of its heroes, not only so that they would be ineffective against Darkseid, but also in the hopes that the people of Earth would more willingly surrender to his rule. The first phase of the plan consists of creating immense collateral damage by sending creatures to Earth to fight the superheroes. The public begins to resent the heroes in their midst, and therefore Darkseid starts the second phase of his plan by sending the master manipulator Glorious Godfrey to Earth. Assuming the identity of G. Gordon Godfrey (a reference to G. Gordon Liddy), he starts a hate campaign against the superheroes that proves to be very effective, riling the public and ultimately leading to a presidential decision to outlaw any super-heroic activity. The final phase of the plan consists of the Apokoliptian warhounds, cybernetic creatures that are bonded to human hosts, for which Godfrey is able to find an ample number of 'volunteers' among his hypnotized public. He leads his charges to Washington D.C., only to be confronted by a cadre of assembled heroes. He obtains Doctor Fate's helmet, but it wipes his mind and leaves him an empty shell. [8] [2]

Godfrey was seen as an inmate of Belle Reve. Darkseid dispatches the Female Furies to spring out Godfrey so that he can deal with him. Their mission is a success at the cost of Bernadeth betraying Lashina. [9]

During the "Genesis" storyline, Godfrey is seen during a major battle on Apokolips. [10]

In Final Crisis , Godfrey possesses human reverend Godfrey Good. Godfrey is present when Darkseid possesses Dan Turpin's body. However, Darkseid responds to his minion's impending death (presumably due to the fact that Godfrey's host body was not modified to successfully contain Godfrey's essence) by watching them die in front of him. [11] A one-shot revealed that Godfrey had been chosen by Darkseid to be the secretive, personal assistant to the Earth-based villain Libra. The man is given generic technology to support him throughout the years because Darkseid believed the man had potential for greatness. Godfrey's assistance turns out to be invaluable, as Libra is the key to Darkseid's defeat of Earth. [12]

In 2011, The New 52 rebooted the DC universe. Glorious Godfrey makes his first appearance by giving greetings to Batman and Ra's al Ghul from Apokolips. He has a new look, sporting a beard and an all-black uniform with red gloves and belt. [13] Glorious Godfrey's reason for coming to Earth is to retrieve the Chaos Shard, a powerful crystal which once belonged to Darkseid which Ra's al Ghul revealed was hidden inside the sarcophagus he crafted for Damian Wayne. After detecting a trace signature of the shard coming from inside Damian's body, and despite the assistance of the Justice League, Glorious Godfrey escapes with the corpse back to Apokolips, with Batman vowing to get Damian's corpse back. [14]

Powers and abilities

As a New God, Godfrey is nigh-immortal and possesses superhuman physical abilities. However, he is a poor fighter and relies on his persuasive abilities.

In other media

Television

Film

G. Gordon Godfrey appears in Reign of the Supermen , voiced by Trevor Devall albeit uncredited. This version is an editorialist who wrote an article on how Earth's people need to be their own heroes instead of relying on metahumans.

Video games

G. Gordon Godfrey appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure . [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darkseid</span> Supervillain in the DC Universe

Darkseid is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer-artist Jack Kirby, the character first made a cameo appearance in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134, before being fully introduced in Forever People #1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Gods</span> Fictional race appearing in the New Gods comic book series

The New Gods are a fictional extraterrestrial race appearing in the eponymous comic book series published by DC Comics, as well as selected other DC titles. Created and designed by Jack Kirby, they first appeared in February 1971 in New Gods #1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doomsday (DC Comics)</span> Fictional comic character

Doomsday is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Dan Jurgens, the character first made a cameo appearance in Superman: The Man of Steel #17 before being fully introduced in Superman: The Man of Steel #18. He has become one of Superman's most enduring enemies belonging to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orion (character)</span> Fictional character in the DC Comics universe

Orion is a fictional superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the son of Darkseid and half-brother of Kalibak and Grayven who was traded to Highfather as part of a peace deal between Apokolips and New Genesis. Since then, Orion has assisted the New Gods of New Genesis against his father and was also a member of the Justice League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeSaad</span> DC Comics character

DeSaad is a supervillain, appearing in books published by DC Comics. He is one of the followers of Darkseid from the planet Apokolips in Jack Kirby's Fourth World meta-series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apokolips</span> Planet in the DC Comics universe

Apokolips is a fictional planet that appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The planet is ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series, and is integral to many stories in the DC Universe. Apokolips is considered the opposite of the planet New Genesis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Female Furies</span> Group of fictional women from DC Comics

The Female Furies are a group of women warriors and supervillains appearing in comics published by DC Comics. All of them are New Gods who serve Darkseid. They operate directly under Granny Goodness, who trains all of Darkseid's soldiers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forever People</span> Fictional group of extraterrestrial superheroes in the DC universe

Forever People are a group of extraterrestrial superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Forever People #1, and were created by Jack Kirby as part of his "Fourth World" epic.

<i>Superman & Batman: Generations</i> Comic book series by DC Comics

Superman & Batman: Generations is the umbrella title of three Elseworlds comic book limited series published by DC Comics in the United States, written and illustrated by John Byrne. A major concept of the series is the avoidance of so-called comic book time; it places Superman, Batman, and the other members of the DC Universe in a single timeline, showing the characters aging and being replaced by their progeny.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Barda</span> Fictional comic book character

Big Barda is an superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Mister Miracle #4, and was created by Jack Kirby. She was raised as a member of the New Gods, but left to become a hero.

Earth-Two is a setting for stories appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in The Flash #123 (1961), Earth-Two was created to explain differences between the original Golden Age and then-current Silver Age versions of characters such as the Flash, and how the current (Earth-One) versions could appear in stories alongside earlier versions of the same character concepts. Earth-Two includes DC Golden Age heroes, including the Justice Society of America, whose careers began at the dawn of World War II, concurrently with their first appearances in comics. Earth-Two, along with the four other surviving Earths of the DC Multiverse, were merged into one in the 1985 miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trigon (comics)</span> DC comics character

Trigon is a supervillain appearing in media published by DC Comics. He is one of the most powerful beings in the DC Universe, having enslaved many worlds and dimensions. He is an adversary of the Teen Titans and the Justice League, the father and arch-enemy of the superheroine Raven, and husband of the human Arella.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steppenwolf (character)</span> Fictional DC comic-book character

Steppenwolf is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer-artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in New Gods #7. A New God and military general from the planet Apokolips, Steppenwolf is Darkseid's uncle and subordinate who commands his army of Parademons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superman (Earth-Two)</span> Version of the superhero Superman from an alternate reality called Earth-Two

Superman of Earth-Two (Kal-L) is an alternate version of the fictional superhero Superman, who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was introduced after DC Comics created Earth-Two, a parallel world that was retroactively established as the home of characters whose adventures had been published in the Golden Age of comic books. This allowed creators to publish Superman comic books taking place in current continuity while being able to disregard Golden Age stories, solving an incongruity, as Superman had been published as a single ongoing incarnation since inception. This version of the character first appeared in Justice League of America #73.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mother Box</span> Fictional device used in Jack Kirby comics

Mother Boxes are fictional devices in Jack Kirby's Fourth World setting in the DC Universe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lashina</span> Comics character

Lashina is a supervillain appearing in comics published by DC Comics. She is a New God from Apokolips and a member of the Female Furies who wields electrified whips.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superman (franchise)</span> Portrayals of Superman outside of comic books

The American comic book character Superman, created in 1938, has appeared in many types of media since the 1940s. Superman has appeared in radio, television, movies, and video games each on multiple occasions, and his name, symbol, and image have appeared on products and merchandise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stompa</span> Comics character

Stompa is a supervillain and goddess appearing in books published by DC Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Mister Miracle #6.

<i>Justice League Dark: Apokolips War</i> 2020 American animated superhero film

Justice League Dark: Apokolips War is a 2020 American adult animated superhero film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Home Video. The film is directed by Matt Peters and Christina Sotta, while Ernie Altbacker and Mairghread Scott wrote the screenplay. It stars an ensemble cast including Rosario Dawson, Jerry O'Connell, Jason O'Mara and Matt Ryan. In the film, members of the Justice League, Justice League Dark, Teen Titans and Suicide Squad join forces against Darkseid to save Earth.

Red Tornado is a codename for different characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics that appear in the mainstream and other realities. The most common of them is Ma Hunkel and the android version.

References

  1. ↑ Greenberger, Robert; Pasko, Martin (2010). The Essential Superman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. p. 107. ISBN   978-0-345-50108-0.
  2. 1 2 Wallace, Dan (2008), "Glorious Godfrey", in Dougall, Alastair (ed.), The DC Comics Encyclopedia, New York: Dorling Kindersley, p. 138, ISBN   978-0-7566-4119-1, OCLC   213309017
  3. ↑ Braun, Saul (May 2, 1971). "Shazam! Here Comes Captain Relevant". The New York Times Magazine . p. 55. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  4. ↑ Sacks, Jason; Dallas, Keith (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1970s. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 40. ISBN   978-1605490564.
  5. ↑ "Master Villains - News From ME". News From ME. March 7, 2002. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  6. ↑ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 120. ISBN   978-1-4654-5357-0.
  7. ↑ The Forever People #6-7 (February–March 1972). DC Comics.
  8. ↑ Legends #1-6. DC Comics.
  9. ↑ Suicide Squad #3. DC Comics.
  10. ↑ Superboy and the Ravers #14. DC Comics.
  11. ↑ Final Crisis #1-5 (2008). DC Comics.
  12. ↑ Final Crisis: Secret Files and Origins (December 2008). DC Comics.
  13. ↑ Batman and Ra's al Ghul #32 (2014). DC Comics.
  14. ↑ Batman and Ra's al Ghul #33 (2014). DC Comics.
  15. 1 2 "G. Gordon Godfrey Voices (DC Universe)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved July 15, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  16. ↑ Byrne, Craig (26 April 2012). "Young Justice Interview: Greg Weisman & Brandon Vietti Talk Saturday's Season Premiere - KSiteTV". ksitetv.com.
  17. ↑ Matadeen, Renaldo (November 20, 2024). "Who Does Tom Cavanagh Play On Superman & Lois Season 4?". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  18. ↑ Eisen, Andrew (October 2, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.