Susan Brayden

Susan Brayden
Biological Information
Species	Human
Status	Alive
Universe Information
Home universe	Earth-1
Current universe	Earth-Prime
General Information
Occupation	Original multiverse President of the United States (formerly) Vice President of the United States (formerly) New multiverse President of the United States (formerly)
Actor	Lucia Walters

"Many responsibilities have fallen to me since the president's passing at the beginning of this crisis. Sobering, sad responsibilities. This is not one of them. Today, it is my distinct honor to bestow upon you a small acknowledgement of the great debt that the world owes to you all. Although your brave efforts must remain a secret, know that meta-human or not, masked or not, each and every one of you is a hero."

—Susan Brayden^[src]

Susan Brayden is a former vice president and president of the United States of Earth-1, having taken on the latter position due to the death of her predecessor, Traveler, during the Dominator invasion. In the new multiverse, Susan also served as the president of the United States of Earth-Prime for some period including 2016.

Biography

Original multiverse

The presidential ceremonial speech led by Susan to the heroes of Earth.

After the death of Susan's predecessor, Traveler, she was sworn in as president of the United States. After Earth was saved from the Dominators, Susan thanked the coalition of heroes in a speech to a private government committee, expressing the world's great debt towards them.

Later, Kara Danvers informed Susan of agent Smith's attempt to murder Team Arrow, Team Flash and the Legends respectively, and hand over the Flash in an attempt to prevent the Dominator invasion. Susan subsequently demoted and reassigned Smith to Antarctica as punishment for conducting an unauthorized operation without her consent.

Sometime later, when attempting to transfer John Diggle to his possession from Iron Heights Prison, lieutenant general J.G. Walker promised District Attorney Adrian Chase that he would return with a signed warrant from the president. In response, Chase claimed that he couldn't wait, as he's always wanted her autograph.

Anti-Monitor Crisis

During the Anti-Monitor Crisis, Susan as well as everyone in the multiverse except for the seven Paragons, was killed in an antimatter wave by the Anti-Monitor on December 10, 2019, only to be restored a month later, after the Paragons and the Spectre created a new universe.

New multiverse

Susan remains alive in the new multiverse. Just like in Earth-1, she congratulated the heroes who repelled the Dominator invasion in Earth-Prime.

Personality

Like Olivia Marsdin, Susan is an extremely selfless and non-corrupt individual who cares more about the welfare of her country and morality, than she does about her approval ratings; for example, after being appointed as the president of United States (after her predecessor, Traveler was assassinated by the Dominators) her first act was to demote and reassign Smith to Antarctica; as punishment for conducting an unauthorized operation without her consent.

Brayden has no prejudice towards masked vigilantes and meta-humans, as she called the heroes she was surrounded with as heroes. Like her predecessor, she deeply cares for the United States, as she covered up the threat of the Dominators, knowing that knowledge of this would aggravate the citizens and make the Dominators do what they please.

Appearances

DC's Legends of Tomorrow

Season 2

• "Invasion!"

Arrow

Season 5

• "Who Are You?" (mentioned)

Season 8

• "Fadeout" (pictured)

Behind the scenes

• The character of the new president was originally intended to be the Earth-1 doppelgänger of Earth-38's Olivia Marsdin, who had stepped in to the role from her previous role as vice president, but the idea was scrapped for simplicity's sake.
• Given the timing of the death of her predecessor, it's possible that if he was recently re-elected, then Susan became both president and president-elect, as per the real-life American Constitution.