Creature Commandos Season 1: Who Is the Ape DC Villain in Episode 4?

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Creature Commandos Season 1, Episode 4, “Chasing Squirrels.”

Creature Commandos Season 1, Episode 4’s shocking apocalyptic vision sequence prominently features an unnamed ape supervillain – so, who is he? And what do we know about him based on DC Comics’ canon?

Who Is the Ape DC Villain in Creature Commandos Season 1, Episode 4?

The ape villain in Creature Commandos Season 1, Episode 4 is Gorilla Grodd. Don’t expect to glean that information from the episode itself, though. Grodd isn’t referred to by name, and since he doesn’t have any dialogue, he’s not listed in the credits, either. That said, anyone familiar with Creature Commandos‘ DC Comics source material will quickly identify Princess Ilana Rostovic’s furry ally as Grodd – the gold helmet is a dead giveaway. Grodd often sports similar headgear in the comics (and other media), and it sets him apart from DC’s other primate pests.

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How Grodd and Princess Ilana are connected is unclear at this stage. Amanda Waller’s vision implies that Ilana is calling the shots, with Grodd as her muscle. However, Grodd’s whole deal in the comics – aside from being a talking gorilla – is that he can control people’s minds. Is he secretly manipulating Ilana? And will he return later in Creature Commandos‘ initial, seven-episode run? It’s too early to say for certain, although we know Creature Commandos writer (and DC Studios co-head) James Gunn has a soft spot for DC’s ape antagonists. Not only is Gunn a big fan of the Ultra-Humanite, but he managed to squeeze a Congorilla cameo into Creature Commandos Season 1, Episode 4, as well!

Who Is Gorilla Grodd in Creature Commandos DC Comics Source Material?

Eager for more Gorilla Grodd intel, now that he’s officially part of the cinematic DCU? For that, we’ll have to turn to the comics. As noted above, Grodd is part of the Flash’s rogues’ gallery. Created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, he’s plagued the Scarlet Speedster since 1959! Grodd’s also tangled with other DC superheroes over the years, and even gone head-to-head with Justice League. His sole preoccupation in life is to rule the world, and he’s occasionally come pretty close.

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Part of what makes Grodd so effective is his formidable powerset. Aside from his aforementioned telepathy, he’s super smart, super strong, super durable, and telekinetic. In at least one iteration of DC canon, Grodd can also steal the knowledge and powers of his victims by chowing down on their brains (ewww). Despite his considerable might, Grodd isn’t above teaming up with other DC supervillains; he’s joined several criminal outfits in the comics, including the Injustice League, Legion of Doom, and Secret Society of Super Villains.

Creature Commandos Season 1 is currently streaming on Max, with new episodes dropping Thursdays.