One of DC Comics' most terrifying villains just revisited one of the most tragic elements of their backstory. Granny Goodness, who serves Darkseid on the fiery hellscape known as Apokolips, divulged that she was forced to kill someone close to her in order to appease her master. It's another story that shows Granny, despite being one of the vile villains in comics, didn't have it easy.

Granny Goodness was created by Jack Kirby and first appeared in Mister Miracle #2. Leader of the Female Furies and the lieutenant of Darkseid, Granny has always been loyal to the leader of Apokolips. However, she suffered abuse at the hands of the cosmic villain and was often forced to make brutally tough, life-and-death decisions. While there's little doubt Granny evolved into pure evil, before she reached her current form, she was forced to kill her own pet on the orders of Darkseid.

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In Harley Quinn #74 by Sam Humphries, Sami Basri, Hi-Fi, and Dave Sharpe, Harley Quinn discovers that her friend's suicide was indeed a murder and the person responsible, Jonathan Wittleson, is actually working with Granny Goodness as the two have brought an Apokolips fire pit into North Hollywood. Granny reveals to Harley that the 'Infant Fire Pit' grows bigger every day and she intends on enveloping the Earth in the name of Darkseid. After the two fight and Granny has Harley on the ropes, Quinn tells the villain that she sees grief carried in her eyes. That's when Granny reveals the story of her hound, Mercy.

Darkseid Granny Goodness

The story flashes back to Granny and her hound, Mercy. Darkseid orders Mercy to kill Goodness, as he uses the hound as a pawn to get Granny to kill her beloved pup. Granny reveals that "it was her death or mine," and tells Harley the hound didn't deserve to die. It's a heartwarming moment and humanizes Granny. But, while Harley is sympathetic, she uses an Apokoliptian gun to destroy the 'Infant Pit,' which leads to Granny leaving Earth via Boom Tube.

The hound story is a direct callback to the Granny Goodness story "Goodness and Mercy" from Secret Origins of Super-Villains 80-Page Giant #1 by Walter Simonson, Jon Bogdanove, and Bill Reinhold. The story reveals Granny reluctantly killing Mercy led to her graduation to become Darkseid's new trainer at the Apokolips orphanage. While Granny is beyond saving at this point, the moment shows that wasn't always the case. It's completely tragic and further shows how complex (and messed up) Granny Goodness's relationship with Darkseid truly is.

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