Ethel Peabody

"That's unusual."

- Ethel Peabody

Ethel Peabody, also known as Ms. Peabody and Dr. Peabody, is a major antagonist in the second season of Gotham, specifically during the Wrath of the Villains story arc. She made her debut appearance in the 11th episode "Worse Than A Crime".

She is portrayed by Tonya Pinkins.

Ms. Peabody is the personal assistant of Professor Strange at Arkham Asylum and also acts as a chief scientist in the underground research facility Indian Hill. Although Strange confides many of his plans to her, he keeps secrets from her. As most of the researchers at Indian Hill Peabody searches for a way to reanimate the dead.

History
Peabody is first seen when Theo Galavan's corpse is delivered to Indian Hill. When she uncover the corpse, it is revealed that Penguin jammed his umbrella down Galavan's throat. Peabody tells the men who delivered the body that Strange has particularly high hopes for this one.

Freeze formula
Although he at first managed to escape custody Cobblepot is eventually caught by the GCPD and, pledging insanity, is confined to Arkham Asylum. After meeting with Cobblepot to get to know him, Strange enters a secret elevator which takes him down to Indian Hill. There, he is greeted by Peabody who gives him the newest updates, revealing that one of their test subjects refuses to cooperate with their experiments and that for the third time she was forced to reschedule Strange's appointment with a Gotham City Councilman. She also hands Strange a newspaper article about Mr. Freeze, telling Strange that someone found a way to post-cryonic reanimation. Although Strange at first doesn't believe it, he then reads the article and is baffled about Freeze's cryonic knowledge. Stating that this could mean great progress for their program, Strange asks who the man is and Peabody reveals Fries' name.

When the GCPD plans to set a trap for Fries at Arkham Asylum, intending to put Nora into Arkham's medical wing, Strange uses the oppurtunity. When Leslie Thomkins, acting as Nora's doctor, arrives with Nora Peabody brings both of them into the medical wing. Leslie is shocked to see the comatose Barbara Kean, an old rival of hers, lying on the bed next to Nora. However, Peabody reveals that she thinks of Barbara as a sleeping angel and asks whether Leslie knows her. Leslie denies it. Whether Peabody arranged this meeting of sorts intentionally is unknown.

After Fries enters Arkham Asylum, Strange traps the cops behind a security door, claiming that there is a malfunction. He then contacts Fries via loudspeaker and him to leave a vial of his cyonic formula behind in exchange for safe passage out of the Asylum together with Nora. Fries agrees and Strange sends Peabody to fetch the formula.

Torturing Cobblepot
Strange then orders her to supervise the rehabilitation process of Cobblepot as healing a man like Oswald would mean great publicity. Peabody uses a neural headset using the fear formula from Gerald Crane on Cobblepot, causing him great pain and causing him to hallucinate vividly. Initially defiant and insulting, Cobblepot eventually develops a fear for Ms. Peabody during his "therapy sessions." However, the process turns Cobblebot more and more docile. After performing many tests to ensure that Oswald is healed, Strange proclaims Cobblepot sane and releases him from the Asylum.

Watching Cobblepot leaving Arkham Asylum, Peabody asks Strange whether he is sure about Cobblepot's rehabilitation. Strange tells her that he doesn't really think so and that Cobblepot's release is merely an experiment. When Peabody continues to ask, Strange reveals that he has deeper plans for Cobblepot that he can't share with Peabody for her own safety. Peabody coldly states that the plans can't be more secret than the laboratory in the basement (where semi-human creatures are being grown) and tells him that whatever he plans for Cobblepot will be on his head.

Season 2

 * "Rise of the Villains: Worse Than A Crime"
 * "Wrath of the Villains: Mr. Freeze"
 * "Wrath of the Villains: A Dead Man Feels No Cold"
 * "Wrath of the Villains: This Ball of Mud and Meanness"
 * "Wrath of the Villains: Into the Woods"