Gorilla Grodd may have a secret, evil plan on The Flash that could involve the Speed Force. The latest episode of the CW series featured a fun team-up between Gorilla Grodd and Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) that opened the door for Grodd to turn over a new leaf. A new fan theory speculates that a recent Flash comic could inspire Gorilla Grodd's next story arc (h/t Reddit).
Gorilla Grodd has a reputation in DC Comics as one of the Flash's greatest villains. He joined the Arrowverse in season 1 as a gorilla who gained psychic powers and an advanced intellect from the particle accelerator. Grodd proved to be quite the adversary for Team Flash, but was eventually defeated. He returned in season 2 and tried to force Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker), a character with whom he had once shared a close connection, into making more intelligent gorillas, but was tricked by Team Flash and sent to Gorilla City on Earth-2.
Grodd made a few more appearances in the Arrowverse, including a time travel adventure to the Vietnam War in Legends of Tomorrow season 2, an invasion of sentient gorillas in The Flash season 3, and an epic clash of the titans with King Shark in season 5. His battle with King Shark concluded with Grodd being put in a coma by A.R.G.U.S. This was the last time Grodd was utilized pre-Crisis. Grodd finally returned in the back half of The Flash season 6. Grodd's latest guest appearance hinted at a heroic turn for the fan-favorite villain, but things may not be what they seem - and they rarely are when Gorilla Grodd is concerned.
Gorilla Grodd Temporarily Gained The Speed Force
In The Flash season 6, episode 13, titled "Grodd Friended Me", Barry finds himself trapped in a place called a "mind-scape" with Grodd. The world resembles S.T.A.R. Labs prior to season 1. For the most part, Grodd communicates with Barry by appearing to him as Caitlin, Joe (Jesse L. Martin), and Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh). It's explained that the mind-scape is how A.R.G.U.S is keeping Grodd in his coma. The guardian of the mind-scape is Solovar, a warrior ape encountered in season 3. Grodd asks Barry to help him get out, but Barry initially refuses to intervene, believing that Grodd will never change. Grodd tries to convince Barry that thanks to the Crisis, he's not the same as he was before.
Barry tries to defeat Solovar on his own but fails. He agrees to a team-up with Gorilla Grodd, which culminates in the two fusing into one being. For the first time, Grodd is able to understand what it means to possess the Speed Force. At first, Grodd is in awe at his new abilities. Using his new speedster powers, Grodd engages in an intense battle with Solovar. The fight ends with Grodd (and Barry) escaping the mind-scape. Barry and Grodd's minds were separated, and after waking up it was agreed that Grodd could leave A.R.G.U.S., albeit with certain conditions. A.R.G.U.S. is keeping a close eye on Grodd through a microchip embedded in his body.
Gorilla Grodd May Have A Secret Plan To Beat The Flash
Though Barry is doubtful of Gorilla Grodd's sincerity for most of the episode, "Grodd Friended Me" concludes with Barry striking a more optimistic tone about Grodd's future. Barry says he does believe that Grodd meant what he said, but this wouldn't be the first time Grodd managed to deceive Team Flash into believing that he could be trusted. In season 3, Team Flash found out that Solovar was going to lead the gorilla army of Earth-2 in an attack on Central City, but Grodd was willing to help them stop it. Grodd wanted Barry to defeat Solovar, so that Grodd could become kind and prevent the attack. Grodd claimed that he still cared about Central City, considering that it was his home at one point. As it turned out, Grodd always planned on him starting a war with the humans. Their true enemy was never Solovar.
This episode showed just how manipulative Grodd could be. It's possible that Grodd - being a villain of remarkable intelligence -- knew what would happen if he lured Barry into the mind-scape. In recent Flash comics, Grodd found out he was dying from a disease and hatched a scheme to steal the Speed Force from Barry while acting as the leader of the Black Hole (a terrorist group that the show is currently using). An advanced device of some kind was able to make the transfer. Could having the Speed Force be what Grodd wanted all along? Since their connection was severed, he should no longer have access to it, but it could be that Grodd has a better understanding of the Speed Force than anyone expects. The official synopsis for The Flash's next episode reveals that there's something wrong with the Speed Force. The promo shows Wally (Keiynan Lonsdale) suggesting that Barry is the cause of it all. Could it be that Barry made a grave mistake by merging with Grodd? Barry may have unknowingly established a link between Grodd and the Speed Force that can be triggered again at some point in the future.
Will Gorilla Grodd Finally Become Good (Or Will He Stay A Villain)?
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" has shaken up the Arrowverse by providing major changes to its characters, and so far, The Flash's villains have been on the receiving end of several of them. It's not impossible that Grodd was telling the truth about the Crisis changing him, but it's also possible that Grodd was lying. The Flash could be leading up to another betrayal by Grodd or a twist that connects him to the Black Hole, but either scenario would run the risk of the story feeling like too much of a repeat of what he did to them in season 3 with Solovar.
The Arrowverse has used Grodd as a villain for several episodes already, so it could be more interesting to see The Flash toy with the idea of Grodd as a hero instead. A character as deep and unique as Gorilla Grodd joining forces with Team Flash could make for a compelling story arc in season 6, or possibly in season 7. What The Flash actually plans to do with Gorilla Grodd, however, remains up in the air, and it's not clear when he'll appear again.