Gertrude is a billionairess. With her aging body and failing health, Gertrude is on her death bed when we’re introduced to her in “Superman Returns”. Kitty Kowalski posed as a maid inside the Vanderworth mansion and, according to the “Superman Returns Prequel: Lex Luthor” comic book (story by Bryan Singer, Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris), Kitty worked inside the jail where Lex Luthor was imprisoned. Befriending Lex, Kitty tells him about Gertrude’s failing health and large bank accounts. Lex corresponds with Gertrude from jail and somehow cons her into believing that he’s worthy of her love, and, when he is released, she signs her entire fortune over to him, then immediately dies. Gertrude Vanderworth is not a character from any previous version of Superman – she was created purely for “Superman Returns”.