Baddies That Need Movie Love: Solomon Grundy

Baddies That Need Movie Love: Solomon Grundy

"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, that is the end of Solomon Grundy." An odd, but potentially awesome villain for a film!

Feature Opinion
By ecksmanfan - Dec 28, 2011 04:12 PM EST
Filed Under: Fan Fic

Back yet again with another installment in the Baddies That Need Movie Love series. This time, I will be headed to the world of DC comics to a big, bad mamma-jamma that has gone up against some of the greatest heroes like Batman, Superman and Green Lantern/Alan Scott. Back when Christopher Nolan first started production on what is now The Dark Knight Rises, the internet was flooded with speculation as to whom Batman would be facing. We heard rumors of Hugo Strange, The Riddler, Killer Croc among several others. But I was one of the few who was hoping for something a little bit...different. On the surface, Solomon Grundy may seem like a mindless brute; a distraction even, but the character has potential to be a serious threat and an incredible addition to a film. Most people see him as a Batman rogue, but Grundy could function as a Baddie in a number of DC films, but more on that later.

Cyrus Gold was born sometime in the mid 19th Century. In 1895 (or 1894, depending on the story line), Gold "hooked up," as it were, with a prostitute from the Gotham City area named Rachel Rykel, who claimed she was pregnant. In exchange for her silence, Gold was forced to pay Rykel money. The two scheduled to meet at Slaughter Swamp to negotiate the deal, but Gold was bashed over the head with a shovel by Rykel's pimp. The pair dumped gold's body in the swamp, certain that no one would find the body. Over the course of about 50 years, and via a process that is still unknown, Gold's body "interacted" with the dead plant life and detritus. According to the Earth-Two story line, Gold's reanimated corpse meandered out of the swamps in 1944, with no memory of his previous life. He quickly encountered two escaped criminals, who he murdered for their clothes. He then stumbled into a hobo camp and was asked about his name, which he could not recall. The only thing that came to mind was that he was born on a Monday. One of the hobo's brought up the old children's rhyme involving Solomon Grundy, and the name stuck.

Very strong, cruel and practically mindless, Grundy fell into a life of crime and soon attracted the attention of Alan Scott, the Green Lantern. Grundy quickly proved to be a formidable foe for Scott, considering that he was not able to be killed, and that his powers had little effect on him being that his body was largely made up of wood. The pair battled multiple times, the first of which ended when Grundy was thrown under a train. The second go-round involved Lantern's Justice Society friends and ended when Grundy was defeated and placed on the moon. In 1947, Lantern buried the behemoth. After a brief stint working for the time traveling villain Per Degaton, Grundy was once again banished to the moon, where he remained for the next 20 years. But, having stored up residual emerald energy from battling the Green Lantern, Grundy made his way back to Earth, where he battled Lantern, Dr. Fate and Hourman. During this time, Grundy actually had the power to manipulate and control wood particles, a power that did not last long however.

Grundy has single handedly taken on the entirety of both the Justice Society of America, as well as their counterparts, the Justice League, multiple times, often to a stand still. He has also spent time as a member of the Injustice Society of the World, but he also spent time as a quasi-hero. After being rescued from a glacier by Jade, Green Lantern's daughter, Grundy developed an attraction to her and became very loyal to her, making him an ally of sorts with Infinity, Inc. This was short lived however, when the dastardly Marcie Cooper (aka Harlequin) used her illusion powers to disguise herself as Jade. Harlequin tricked Grundy into attacking each of the Infinity, Inc members one by one, which eventually led to the death of Skyman.

In the Earth-One story line, Grundy arose when "the Parasite used an enhanced crystal to metabolically hasten the growth of residual cells left over in the sewers from when the original version had crossed over from Earth-2, which became a new, much more bestial version." During a battle with Superman, Grundy proved to be too much for the Man of Steel to handle. Superman then flew Grundy to a distant planet where nothing but the strongest life forms could survive. Superman then gave Grundy a cape, which he happily donned and flew through air mimicking his one-time rival. However, this proved taxing on Superman's conscience, until an encounter in which Grundy clones were spawned. Superman, along with Swamp Thing, battled the clones until they were rendered inert, seemingly killing the unkillable. Swamp Thing tried to protest, believing that Grundy met the definition of life, but was unable to express his thoughts. This version was retroactivley erased after the Superman was revamped in the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" story line. One of Grundy's most notable appearances occurred in "The Long Halloween", when he held a brief partnership with the newly scarred Harvey Dent. This also included a fierce battle with another sewer dweller, Killer Croc.

More recently, Grundy was the victim of mind control from Gorilla Grodd, who was looking to cash in on the $1 billion bounty set up by President Lex Luthor. Grundy was forced to attack Superman and Batman, but was defeated by Batman. For a time, Grundy adopted Arrowcave as his home, which is the former hide out for the Green Arrow. Ollie, and his former ward Roy "Arsenal" Harper discovered Grundy's new hideout, as well as the fact that this incarnation of Grundy was much more violent, but was able to defeat him by strangling him with his bow string. In "Infinite Crisis," Grundy was seen fighting along side the Blood Pack during the Battle of Metropolis. But he was quickly disposed of by Superboy-Prime's heat vision, which destroyed Grundy's current incarnation. In the Justice League of America series, a much different Grundy can be seen. Here, he is depicted as an intelligent and sophisticated villain and is believed to be the brains behind a complex operation to transfer Professor Ivo's immortality to Grundy.

I realize that Solomon Grundy is an odd choice for a film baddie, but I also think he could provide for some very memorable moments. Being that there have been numerous incarnations of the character, there are many different directions you could take. Having said that, one thing I would do away with is the idea that he is a mindless oaf; even if he does play an enforcer role. I think that adding a more intelligent and coherent trait to him would make him all the more intimidating; strong intellectually and physically. While I think Grundy could make a great Batman villain, I also think he could prove a dangerous foe for multiple franchises. Imagine the Justice League (should it ever actually happen) taking on a massive force like Grundy? Or Green Lantern, who's powers have little effect on the massive zombie? I can picture a battle something along the lines of Hulk versus Abomination in The Incredible Hulk, a massive brawl between multiple powerhouse characters. Ah! I get giddy just thinking about it! Now, as much as I like Grundy, he's not the type of character to serve as a main villain, but he could definitely provide for some intense and highly entertaining scenes.

Usually, I come prepared to offer up an actor to play the selected Baddie. This time around however, I had a hard time narrowing it down to just one actor. Instead, I'm going to leave it up to you! Below, I've selected a group of actors that I thought would do the character justice. Take a look and make your selection!

Kevin Durand
Info: Starred in Legion, I Am Number Four, X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Stats: 6'6", 230 lbs







Tyler Mane
Info: Former WCW wrestler; Starred in X-Men, Halloween (2007)
Stats: 6' 9", 295 lbs







Benicio Del Toro
Info: Starred in Wolfman, Sin City, Snatch
Stats: 6'2", weight unknown







Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Info: Current WWE Wreslter; Starred in The Scorpian King, Fast Five, GI Joe: Retaliation
Stats: 6'5", 275 lbs







Daniel Cudmore
Info: Starred in X-Men: The Last Stand, The Twilight Saga
Stats: 6'7", 255 lbs







Kane (Glen Jacobs)
Info: Current WWE wrestler; Starred in See No Evil
Stats: 7'0", 323 lbs







Ralf Moeller
Info: Former body builder; Starred in Gladiator, The Scorpion King, Pathfinder, Conan (TV Series)
Stats: 6'6", Weight unknown. Thought to be about 260 lbs








Nathan Jones
Info: Former WWE wreslter; Starred in Troy, Conan the Barbarian
Stats: 6'11', 360 lbs








If you have suggestions or want me to highlight a Baddie you'd like to see, be sure to send me an email! I will see what I can do! Be sure to check out the past installments of "Baddies that Need Movie Love:"
Mr. Sinister
Ultron
Kingpin
Black Tom Cassidy
Omega Red
Brainiac
The Shade
Harley Quinn
Ventriliquist & Scarface
Darkseid
Lady Deathstrike
Morbius
Ares
The Sentinels
Apocalypse
Electro
Deathstroke
Carnage
Lobo
Doctor Doom





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SpiderBat209
SpiderBat209 - 12/28/2011, 4:39 PM
KANE/GLENN JACOBS FTW! :D
nuck82
nuck82 - 12/28/2011, 4:50 PM
[frick] you ecks, [frick] you right in the ear
ecksmanfan
ecksmanfan - 12/28/2011, 4:52 PM
I will get to clay face....eventually
Greengo
Greengo - 12/28/2011, 4:58 PM
Lmao @nuck

Supes17
Supes17 - 12/28/2011, 5:03 PM
meh, "Me no like Grundy"
I prefer Clayface
thewolfx
thewolfx - 12/28/2011, 5:06 PM
the rock ..really


hes awesome but grundy ...really
DudeGuy
DudeGuy - 12/28/2011, 5:15 PM
Tyler Mane and Ralf Moeller are the best choices up there
Howlett
Howlett - 12/28/2011, 5:19 PM
he's a poor mans Hulk.
dmm5
dmm5 - 12/28/2011, 5:24 PM
I want an Arkham City movie! No orgin, just cut right in the middle! Gotham going crazy, villians/goons/prisoners running everywhere, Batman being the world's greatest detective that he is with his gagets and way of thinking things through. Please? :)
RyanLantern77
RyanLantern77 - 12/28/2011, 5:31 PM
Raped
soberchimera
soberchimera - 12/28/2011, 5:50 PM
Well Grundy was originally the archenemy of Alan Scott, so maybe if they made a JSA movie set in the 40s he could work.
JohnTom88
JohnTom88 - 12/28/2011, 5:54 PM
"Hulk" with a cheesy rhyme. Meh.
MaddMonkk
MaddMonkk - 12/28/2011, 6:13 PM
Betty White for Grundy!
Jolt17
Jolt17 - 12/28/2011, 6:19 PM
Grundy is interesting indeed. Kane, I'd say. But can he act? Then Dwayne Johnson, if not, though he can potentially be other greater villains (Black Adam).
ecksmanfan
ecksmanfan - 12/28/2011, 10:42 PM
@JohnnySmoke- I get my info from varius sourced and compile it into one article. So it's a combo of both I guess. And thanks!
tripttwe
tripttwe - 12/28/2011, 11:25 PM
Great article! I read it through my loss of sobriety! That speaks volumes to me! Kane for the role of Grundy! I'd love to see him reoccur in the Justice League's individual films as a nod to their connection. With each loss, he comes back stronger until they have to take him down together ala Avengers (Yeah, Clark Greg is a freaking Skrull. You heard it here first). Thanks for posting....
Blackmatter
Blackmatter - 12/29/2011, 12:53 AM
id rather see bizarro any day tho i thought we were goin to see brainiac sooner than later--guess not

STILL WANNA SEE THIS BEAST.....


joeker
joeker - 12/29/2011, 2:22 AM
Michael Clarke Duncan for Grundy!
Zordan
Zordan - 12/29/2011, 3:09 AM
benisio, trust me. im nolan :D
mwmcintyre
mwmcintyre - 12/29/2011, 3:12 AM
Ummm... Big Guy, Character Role, Facial Prosthetics required..... NO ONE thinks of effing RON PERLMAN!!! Hello, people! Not even saying he has to get it, but come on, he should be one the first ones anyone thinks of.
jimpeachey
jimpeachey - 12/29/2011, 4:54 AM
Why bother, just cast a 'normal' sized guy like they have with bain and all the DC boys will love it anyway!
Hawksblueyes
Hawksblueyes - 12/29/2011, 5:32 AM
Excellent write up ecks! Great stuff!
ThaMessenger07
ThaMessenger07 - 12/29/2011, 6:22 AM
He should be in the next Superman movie beating the shit out of Supes with Swamp Thing



And F*ck you Ecks! You know who needs to play Grundy!



GARY COCKADOODIE BUSEY!!!
darknlight
darknlight - 12/29/2011, 6:25 AM
great article dude,love all your articles about baddies.
plasticman
plasticman - 12/29/2011, 6:48 AM
Nothing against you adding him to the list, Ecks, but why do we always say the Rock for every character that we want to see on film? I do it too.

So far, The Rock should have been Superman, Shazaam, Black Adam, and now after reading Superior I feel he should hold out for this as being his Oscar potential role.

I notice we want to see him in more DC roles than Marvel. Must go back to what was once said about DC being who we would want to be and Marvel being who we could be.
valeriesghost
valeriesghost - 12/29/2011, 8:20 AM
From the list above i'd choose Kane. But if Tom Welling was available...
darksuper
darksuper - 12/29/2011, 9:03 AM
solomon grundy i dont understand why superman will let himself being hit by guys with is level of strenght and durability yes but with that speed we have in a fight with characters like solomon grundy,mongul or hulk he can be the only one to hit there is no way them can land even a punch so them all have the same strenght and durability and super is a god of speed too the result of the battle is very obvious if the guys of comics put the battles correct corresponding with each others powers you will see that powerfull guys like those cant have a chance with super because he simple have what they have and plenty more why wasting time?now doomesday its another story we have to crazy kriptonian speed,refelexs,durability,strenght and evolution/adaptation its the true killing machine even being smart than him dont really give you a edge because before you can think you are dead thinking:"how the [frick]ing hell i went here":),e know people come with the bulshit of hulk strenght up and up [frick] that we still not hit the supes and still be hiting at lighting speed infinity strenght true the hulk can in some moment be stronger but to that level we would need a very good time to be stronger because super as infinite strenght and if the battle would last that time what would not if they show how there powers of the characters work in a battle without bulshit supes only need 2 seconds to go to sun and come unstapable and you know what i mean ask the black adam what happen to him in dc universe online clip but i dont know if we still alive to ask:):),dont [frick] with kriptonians and [frick] with the one who grow up under the yellow sun good luck even supes dont have full idea of is power level if we go all killing machine
ecksmanfan
ecksmanfan - 12/29/2011, 10:00 AM
Ummm...What?
Fastestmanalive
Fastestmanalive - 12/29/2011, 11:23 AM
Good article.

Grundy is cool and I find him pretty funny.

Whenever I think of Grundy I think of that scene from Superman/ Batman public enemies, when Batman is fighting Grundy.

Grundy: "Grundy no feel good"

Batman: "Grundy gonna feel alot worse."
"BAM!!!"
LMAO!!! Love it.
mctrinket
mctrinket - 12/29/2011, 2:01 PM
Batman rogue? I thought he was a Superman/Flash baddie.

Anyway, he is not a very charismatic bad guy. Just a muscle/thug type really. Bizarro is more interesting than him, and he is a punchline, so...no on Grundy. Unless it's Miss Grundy from the Archie Comics. She would be a good bad guy!
SkaarJones
SkaarJones - 12/29/2011, 2:37 PM
Grundy would need to be CGI. He's too big for a normal human to play. What's up with all the reported comments? LOL! Nothing wrong with any of them.
thedude2936
thedude2936 - 12/29/2011, 11:25 PM
He could work as a minor villian. Also out of all the people you listed, Kane and Tyler Mane seem like they could pull it off.
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