The Girl of Steel is over the moon to have her cousin hang out with her in National City, but Superman’s sojourn away from Metropolis proves problematic, as a new threat emerges and causes a bit of a… Crisis…
Yes, the image above is meant to evoke the iconic cover of Crisis on Infinite Earths no. 7, where Superman holds his cousin in his arms moments after she sacrificed her life to save the multiverse. No, Kara’s not dead here and no, the Anti-Moniter hasn’t attacked National City. The big threat in the second episode of the second season is Metallo. Actually, it’s a pair of Metallos, both created by Cadmus to rid the world of the alien menace that is Superman and Supergirl.
The first confrontation does not go well for the Team of Steel, as the first Metallo – John Corbin – manages to nail both Kal-El and Kara Zor-El with blasts of Kryptonite radiation, leading to the image shown above. It also leads to Winn creating a Kryptonite shield for the duo to help them take Metallo down in the future.
What they weren’t counting on was the SECOND Metallo, sent to Metropolis to divide and conquer the Kryptonians. So Superman heads off to The Big Apricot (no, really, that’s what it’s called) with J’onn J’onnz/Hank Henshaw/The Martian Manhunter while Supergirl stays in National City and teams up with her sister Alex – replete in her anti-Kryptonian super armor – to face Corbin.
The B-plot in t
he episode is the turnover and change at CatCo Worldwide Media. Last week, it was teased that Cat had an awakening and this week, we find out what that means. Cat is off to her next great adventure, so we get to meet some of the other executive leadership. First up, the editor of CatCo’s investigations division, where Kara has chosen to work: Snapper Car. Snapper does not like Kara and wants nothing to do with her on his staff, forcing Kara to earn her spot on his team.
Snapper (left) is, of course, an established DC Comics character, but this is a new incarnation for him. Created in 1960 as a supporting character for the Justice League, Snapper has usually been depicted as young and hip. Supergirl’s Snapper is decidedly not either, as portrayed by Ian Gomez. He didn’t even snap his fingers at anyone! But he did snap at Kara, so, I guess that’s where the nickname comes from in this corner of the Multiverse.
The second change at CatCo gives James Olsen – the company’s Art Director – a pretty big promotion: He’s taking over for Cat while she goes off to do whatever it is that she does. So now, Kara has an editor who doesn’t like her and a new boss that she just dumped. Cat really knows how to make her favorites feel comfortable at work, doesn’t she?
The second episode was a bit of a letdown after the brilliance that came in the first. There was a lot more heart and a lot more references to Super-lore in the season premiere, and I guess I was expecting that again this time around. This isn’t to say that the second episode wasn’t good – it was – but I was definitely hoping for more. The episode did focus on advancing the plot of the season, though, as we get more time with Cadmus than ever before. The mysterious doctor who was running the experiments at the secret facility – played by the former Sue Ellen Mishke, Brenda Strong – should make for another compelling antagonist – although I’m hoping we get a Paul Westfield or Dabney Donovan reveal sometime soon.
Since Cadmus has been revealed to be the ones who have captured Alex’s father, Jeremiah, AND they conduct weird experiments on people, it’s probably a safe bet that Jeremiah will be back as an established Superman villain. But who will it be? My guess? This guy:
The Cyborg Superman, introduced fully to comic book fans during the Reign of the Supermen story that followed Kal-El’s death in the early 1990s. DC Comics has been moving away from the character’s alter ego of Hank Henshaw – on TV Hank is the undercover persona for The Martian Manhunter; and in the comics now, the Cyborg Superman is Kara’s father, Zor-El. So, as the character’s origins are up in the air, why not put Jeremiah actor Dean Cain back in a Superman costume? I guess we’ll see as the season moves on.
NEXT WEEK! The Aliens vs. Humans philosophical battle returns, as Lynda Carter debuts as the President! Another established Superman supporting cast member makes a debut and we should finally find out who the dude in the pod was.