Last year, Superman (David Corenswet) soared high on the big screen, and now is the time for Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) to do the same. The Kents have been at the front and center of the new DCU, taking audiences worldwide on fast-paced adventures across dimensions, the farthest corners of Earth, and the cosmos itself. The dynamic duo each had the chance to shine, but the spotlight is currently on Supergirl thanks to the release of her standalone movie.
Supergirl has the monumental task of adapting one of the most acclaimed DC comics ever written, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. But while the movie is pretty faithful to the source material at the beginning, things are significantly different towards the end. So, what do these stories have in common, and how do they each forge their own path towards their third act? It's time to break it all down as we go over the ending of Supergirl and explain what exactly happened.
But before we begin: be warned. There will be spoilers for Supergirl ahead. Turn back if you don't want any surprises ruined for you.
Still here? Great, then let's dive into the film's story first.
Why does Kara kill the bad guy, Krem, in the Supergirl movie?
Supergirl follows two key characters throughout most of its narrative: Kara Zor-El, one of the last survivors of Krypton, and Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley), a young girl looking for revenge. Our two protagonists have something in common: they want to find Krem from the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts), a ruthless assassin who wronged them both.
Krem shot Kara's dog, Krypto, with a poisonous dart. While Krypto is usually immune to most attacks, this tragedy took place on a planet with a Red Sun—the very same kind of star that weakens Kryptonians. Now, Supergirl has 72 hours to find Krem, steal the cure from him, and save Krypto. On paper, this is very similar to the story of the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic book series, in which Krypto is also shot with a poisonous dart, and Kara must obtain a sample of the original poison to find a cure.
Ruthye, on the other hand, witnessed her whole family being killed by Krem. Now, she only wants retribution. She is determined to go to the farthest corners of the universe in order to kill her family's killer. As you would imagine, this is also Ruthye's arc in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.
After many fights across space, Ruthye and Supergirl finally come face-to-face with the man they have been looking for. At one point during the final confrontation, Ruthye puts her father's sword to Krem's neck and threatens to kill the villain. However, Kara decides to intervene. Our heroine argues that Ruthye won't find any satisfaction in killing someone. Instead, this will only haunt her for the rest of her life. After a little pep talk, Ruthye decides to turn away... yet tragedy strikes all the same. Supergirl grabs the sword and slashes Krem's throat.
The movie's message could be a little conflicting, since Supergirl fights so hard for Ruthye not to kill, only for the superheroine herself to do it all the same. However, the main idea behind the narrative is that Kara is willing to get blood on her hands before letting someone else go through a similar experience. Besides, space will be better without a big serial killer who likes to kidnap young women and make them his "wives."
Supergirl then steals Krem's antidote from his cold body and manages to save Krypto. Furthermore, she eventually returns to Earth and decides to stay there for a while. Meanwhile, Ruthye goes back home, and she doesn't have to spend the rest of her days knowing she took a life. It's a happy ending, but one that's very different from the Woman of Tomorrow comic storyline.
Supergirl doesn't kill Krem in the comics, and her whole adventure with Ruthye was just "a ruse" to teach her that killing isn't the answer
In the opening issue of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Ruthye tries to recruit Kara to kill Krem (much like in the movie). However, Supergirl declines such an invitation at first and lets the kid know that killing isn't the answer by stating:
"You seem like a very nice girl, but I can't go with you to go off and kill someone. You don't know this about me, but I have a job, a very responsible job that I need to go back home to do. And the first rule of that job just happens to be 'Don't kill people.'"
Things then follow a similar path to the movie. Krem unexpectedly attacks Kara, poisons Krypto, and then escapes in a ship. The biggest problem? Supergirl states that "in all the chaos of it all, she could not even remember Krem." Ruthye then states that she could recognize the villain even if he was wearing something different, and our two protagonists finally team up. Ruthye wants vengeance, Kara wants to find Krem's antidote to save Krypto, and the two need each other to accomplish their goal... or so it originally seems.
In the final issue of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Kara confesses to Ruthye that Krypto was never really poisoned in the first place by saying, "I just made up all that stuff about needing to find Krem to save [Krypto], needing you to come with me because you knew what Krem looked like. You don't think I could've solved all those problems? Come on. I'm Supergirl (...) You weren't going to learn that killing is wrong just by me saying it (...) I had to show you. I took you with me, hoping you'd learn."
After the final confrontation, Supergirl grabs a sword and threatens to kill Krem, but Ruthye intervenes by stating, "I learned it! (...) watching you, being by your side these many days, I can't help but think that grace did not die with my father." The young girl then recalls all the times that Supergirl taught her about strength and kindness throughout their intergalactic adventure. After hearing this, Kara puts down her sword, and Krem is spared. The villain is instead sent to the Phantom Zone, where he lives for over 300 years and gets the chance to reflect on his actions. When he's finally freed, he's a changed man.
The message of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is better expressed with one of Ruthye's dialogues from when she's still planning to hunt her father's killer:
"I saw before me Krem of Yellow Hills on his knees, his hands clutched, begging my mercy, swearing upon the deathless stars that he had reached a moment of reformation. Were I to let him live, from that day to the end of days, he would serve only the good in the world—he would be a beacon of hope and virtue. And he would do it all in my sacred father's name, thus transforming one moment of tragedy into a legacy of a thousand glories."
Both in the film and in the comic book series, Supergirl prevents Ruthye from taking a life, thus saving her from a heavy burden. Granted, the way in which the heroine handles the situation afterward is very different in both stories. Yet one thing remains the same: Kara will always be a hero in Ruthye's eyes.
Supergirl is now in theaters.
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