(Image Source: DC Studios)
It has been known for some time that the new Supergirl movie is based on the graphic novel Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Indeed, that was almost the title of the upcoming DCU movie. However, the latest trailer for the film confirms that one upsetting plotline from the comics has made it into the movie.
Scripted by Tom King, with art by Bilquis Evely, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow offered a drastically different take on the Girl of Steel. The story finds Kara Zor-El acting as the champion of a girl named Ruthye Marye Knoll, whose father was killed by a brigand chieftain, Krem of the Yellow Hills. This kicks off an intergalactic saga, dealing with themes of revenge and recovery.
Photo Credit: DC Comics / Bilquis Evely
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow was praised for presenting a more realistic take on Kara Zor-El. Relatively few stories have considered her status as a survivor who fully appreciated the destruction of Krypton. This was something her cousin Superman could not do, having been a baby when their homeworld died. However, there was one dark plot point from the comic many fans worried might its way into the DCU movie. The new trailer has confirmed that it did.
Supergirl movie will feature poisoned Krypto
(Image Source: DC Studios)
The trailer reveals that Krem of the Yellow Hills shoots Krypto with a poisoned bolt while making his escape. A healer informs Supergirl that the brigands always carry an antidote for their poisons. However, Krypto only has three days to live without that treatment. This establishes a firm deadline for Kara tracking down Krem, independent of Ruthye’s quest for revenge. This is a slight, but significant change from the original comic book miniseries.
Krypto is similarly poisoned in the comic, but his fate is left unclear. No timeline is given for his recovery. Indeed, until the final chapter showed him alive and well, many readers believed he had died in the second chapter.
(Image Source: DC Comics / Bilquis Evely)
This change is an improvement upon the comics. It raises the stakes considerably and provides a sense of urgency that the original story lacked. Many dog lovers are still likely to be upset and blame James Gunn for the story, given his history of depicting animal abuse in his movies. However, it should be noted that Gunn did this to highlight the evils of such things and won an award for doing so. Also, as upsetting as a suffering dog may be, it will make it more satisfying to see Supergirl go John Wick on the villain at the end.
