Empress Trudy
Vital Statistics
First Appearance: Voice: "Interlude: Trudy's Phone Call" (June 20, 2000); In person: Surreptitious Machinations: Prologue: Rhymes and Ruminations (November 24, 2001)
Full Name: Trudy Trueheart
Known Aliases: Moonbeam Gertrude Glowerhausen, "The Empress"
Status: Unknown
Species: Human
Gender: Female
Height: 5' 7" (170.18 cm)
Weight: 130 lb (58.97 kg)
Hair: Brown with gray streaks
Distinguishing Characteristics: Ruthless, merciless, mentally unstable
Marital Status: Single
Character Description
In the not-to-distant future, Trudy's dreams of world domination came frighteningly true. Our evil little marketing chick became Empress of the world, which she ruled with an iron fist. Using a twisted, circular plot involving time travel and "educating" her past self, she crushed all beneath her feet, aside from a small rebellion lead by an elderly Professor Wisebottom and his young helpers Todd and Sydney Duncan. But what she did not count upon was the resilience and determination of Todd, who doggedly struggled to see that her conquest of the planet never came to fruition.
By the end of Surreptitious Machinations, the Empress' cycle had been broken as Nick denounced the current Trudy years earlier than he should have. With the cycle broken, Todd and the Empress' future had been undone, and they began to fade from existence. But before she ceased to exist, the Empress used the time machine to apparently escape the jaws of oblivion. Whether or not she was successful—and if she continues to exist at all—remains to be seen. However, she was seen at least once by her past self, implying that, at least for a time, she continued to exist with Todd in hot pursuit.
Trudy has repeatedly had nightmares about the Empress, including disturbing versions where the Empress turns into a desiccated, mummified monster. These nightmares, combined with her growing guilt for her past sins, eventually pushed Trudy toward turning over a new leaf and helping her former enemies, including helping Ki rescue Nick during To Thine Own Self... and joining the team in the search for the missing Earth after the events of Scylla and Charybdis.
Selected Milestones
- Trudy doesn't realize it, but she's about to receive a very long distance call...
- The Empress makes her grand entrance
- Trudy receives an unexpected visitor
- The Empress steps in to personally stop Todd from ruining her "destiny"
- The circle is broken, but the Empress never claimed to be honorable
- "Your fate is sealed, and I am your only destiny. Embrace your future."
- The Empress still alive, with Todd in pursuit
Relationships
- Sharon Murphy, Trudy's younger sister (future status unknown)
- Esther Matusevitch, Trudy's mother (future status unknown)
- Victor Glowerhausen, Trudy's father (future status unknown)
- Gwynn (last name unknown), Trudy's distant cousin (future status unknown)
Group Affiliations
- C.R.U.D.E. (former member)
- Her own global empire
Miscellaneous Notes
Jeff has repeatedly promised that Empress Trudy's final fate will eventually be revealed in an exclusive Surreptitious Machinations "sequel" mini-series. The story for the mini-series has been complete for years, but progress on completing the actual art has been extremely slow. When the comic is finally released, it will surely be announced on the GPF News page.