#and deeply significant to the series' themes of mortality since she turns out to be 'death personified'

[isfjmel-phleg]

Not that anyone was asking, but what does happen to Secret/Greta Hayes after the end of YJ 1998?

After Greta is restored to life (and therefore loses her powers), she apparently retires from hero work out of necessity.

We don't know what her home/guardian situation is at this point (the only family she has left is her mother, who has been institutionalized for mental illness), but she starts attending St. Elias School for Girls along with Cissie (and later Cassie). There are a few glimpses of her during this time, and as far as I know this is the last we ever see of her.

(Teen Titans 2003 #7 and #30)

(I'm confused by that last one--St. Elias's is very much an all-girl boarding school in all previous appearances, but at some point they've become co-ed?)

Anyway, Greta seems to be thriving at school, excelling at trigonometry and voicing her opinions in class. Her stumbling over what to use as a threat suggests that it might be somewhat difficult for her to adjust to no longer having (absolutely terrifying) powers.

It's surprising to me why we don't see more of her. She was an important part of the team, a good friend of theirs, and even though, like Cissie, she's retired, that's no reason why she can't continue to be a part of her friends' lives. And a lack of powers doesn't necessarily have to mean that she has to give up being a hero if she doesn't want to. Not all of YJ are metas, after all! I could see her transitioning into an Oracle-like behind-the-scenes role, perhaps. Or maybe not! Maybe she opts for the "everyday, boring life" with "many exceedingly mundane hardships'" that Darkseid prophesies for her when he "punishes" her with restoration to mortal existence.

Whatever the case, I hope she's out there somewhere in this 'verse continuing her education and living her best corporeal life surrounded by people who care about her. It's what she deserves.