- "She was the only hero I ever had."
- —Lena Luthor on Elizabeth Walsh[src]
Elizabeth Walsh[1] (died 1997)[2] was a powerful witch, the mother of Lena Luthor, and the former mistress and lover of the late Lionel Luthor.
Biography[]
Original multiverse[]
Affair with Lionel Luthor[]
Elizabeth Walsh started having an affair with billionaire Lionel Luthor sometime after 1983.[3] She would accompany Lionel on his various business trips, during which they had their romantic interludes.[4]
When Lionel's son Lex was seven, he was sent on a business trip with his father, where Lionel brought Elizabeth with him and insisted that she go everywhere with them. At first, Lex swore to hate Elizabeth for taking his father from him when he needed him the most, but he couldn't keep his promise because of how kind she was to him. On the day they put down his dog, Elizabeth embraced Lex and sang him a beautiful Irish song, and by the end of the trip, Lex wished that she was his mother.[5]
In 1993, Elizabeth became pregnant with her and Lionel's child. Not long after, his wife Lillian discovered her husband's affair when she caught them together during one such business trip. Deciding to rebuild his marriage, Lionel sent Elizabeth away and ended their relationship. She was also paid to keep quiet about their affiliation and stay away from the Luthor family.[4]
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Elizabeth plays with her daughter, Lena, in a VR simulation.
On October 24, 1993,[6] Elizabeth gave birth to a daughter, whom she named Lena, and the two were very close.[2]
Death[]
In 1997, Elizabeth took Lena out for a familial visit and they went swimming in a lake together during a cloudy day. She continued swimming while her daughter decided to watch nearby from the shore. Unfortunately, Elizabeth suddenly drowned in the lake and died.[2]
New multiverse[]
Early life[]
Elizabeth with her friends
Elizabeth was born in Fortune Bay, Newfoundland, where she became friends with Margaret Bishop. In time, they discovered that they had a talent for witchcraft. The two then turned to Florence Abbott for help, as sorcery required a deep knowledge of the land and learning the language of nature requires patience and rigor. Elizabeth committed herself to work drawing the power of nature. The three worked for a while in silence and contentment.
However, Margaret began to appear with bruises on her face and a broken arm. Elizabeth and Florence learned she was being beaten by her husband, Tommy. Seeking to take the matter into their own hands, Elizabeth, Margaret, and Florence approached Tommy one day, used magic to push him into a shed, and accidentally burned him alive. The town then turned against them and threatened to stone them. Because of this, Elizabeth fled to the United States.[1]
Life with Lionel Luthor[]
At some point, Elizabeth called Florence once, to say that she was with Lionel Luthor and that she was living under his control because she no longer trusted herself. Elizabeth then had a daughter named Lena with Lionel.[1] When Lena was a child, Elizabeth used to read a book of folktales to her.[7]
Death[]
At some point, Elizabeth drowned in a lake and died.[7]
According to Florence, Elizabeth visited her in her dreams and told her all about her daughter Lena. She said that one day he would show up in Fortune Bay looking for answers and warned her to be precise. She also said that Lena was a scientist.[1]
Legacy[]
Original multiverse[]
After Elizabeth's death, Lionel took in Lena and welcomed her into the Luthor family.[4]
Lena felt great guilt over her mother's death, as she had frozen in fear upon witnessing her drowning. This often made her wonder if she truly deserved the horrible legacy of the Luthor family.[2]
While working together on the Harun-El drug, Lex told Lena about the time he met Elizabeth, when he was seven and assured her she came from love and light, stating that he knew that ever since he met Elizabeth.[5]
New multiverse[]
- "Kelpie. A shapeshifter that drags people underwater."
"No, it's a myth. It's a story from my mother's book of folklore. It always gave me nightmares."
"Well, I can see why. That thing's terrifying."
"That's not it. It's the drowning. My mother drowned. Right in front of me. I always blamed myself 'cause I didn't stop it. I would read the story over and over, punishing myself. But in my nightmares, it was always the Kelpie who drowned me." - —Nia Nal and Lena Luthor[src]
Elizabeth appears as a hallucination caused by the Phantoms.
Because of her mother's death, one of Lena's greatest fears is to die by drowning. Lena kept the book of folk tales that her mother read to her, which she read as a form of self-punishment out of guilt over not trying harder to save Elizabeth.
When Lena went to rescue Supergirl from the Phantom Zone with the Superfriends, the Phantoms made her hallucinate with her mother in water form.[7]
In 2021, Lena traveled to Fortune Bay to learn about her mother's history and discovered that she was a witch. With the help of Elizabeth's friend Florence, Lena began to follow in her mother's footsteps and learn witchcraft.[1]
Personality[]
Elizabeth was a very loving and devoted mother to her daughter, Lena, who looked up to her as a hero. She had a playful, free-spirited disposition with a fondness for the outdoors.[2]
Powers and abilities[]
Powers[]
Appearances[]
Supergirl[]
Season 2
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
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Books[]
- Supergirl: The Secret Files of Kara Danvers (indirectly mentioned)
Trivia[]
- It was implied in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" that Elizabeth was Irish. This was confirmed in "Mxy in the Middle", though that episode additionally implied she was Irish-Canadian, given that Elizabeth was residing in Newfoundland prior to meeting Lionel.
- In real life, Katie McGrath is also Irish.
Behind the scenes[]
- Elizabeth is portrayed by Katie McGrath, the same actress who plays her daughter.
- In the BBC show Merlin, McGrath previously portrayed the witch Morgana Pendragon, the evil half-sister of King Arthur.
- In the TV series Smallville, Lena Luthor's biological mother is named Pamela Jenkins.