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Supergirl has soared into cinemas as the second mainline movie entry in the DCU. What you may not know, however, is that large chunks of its story have been adapted from the much-celebrated Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Bilquis Evely.
Fans of the graphic novel are likely curious about what has – and hasn't – made the cut. While those who have already seen Supergirl may want to know how the plot originally played out, including a different fate for villain Krem, missing characters, and so much more.
So, join us as we fly across the stars to bring you all the differences between the Supergirl movie and the Woman of Tomorrow graphic novel. Then, dive into our spoiler-filled breakdown of the Supergirl ending and read our verdict on the Milly Alcock-starring space adventure with our Supergirl review. Spoilers for Supergirl follow.
Krem's fate
Now, this is a big change in the Supergirl movie that comic readers will instantly recognize (and might be a little dissatisfied with, if we're being honest).
In the new movie, Alcock's Kara convinces Ruthye (Eve Ridley) that revenge against Krem of the Yellow Hills is not the answer. Instead, Kara is the one who kills him, stabbing him as he lay defeated.
In Woman of Tomorrow, Ruthye initially believes that is what is about to happen. In reality, Krem is imprisoned in the Phantom Zone for 300 years. Kara then brings Krem to an elderly Ruthye. There, Krem begs for forgiveness – but Ruthye responds with a vicious thwack of her cane and walks off.
While not as drastic a change, Krem's starting point in the Supergirl movie has also been tweaked.
In the DCU entry, his arrival comes with a clear purpose: he and his brigands are there to steal weaponry from Ruthye's father, a skilled sword maker.
In the comic, her father and Krem argue over the planet's new king before Krem stabs him. Ruthye's mother and brother are mentioned (she has six siblings, in fact), but not slain. It is suspected that, instead of being a brigand, Krem is a 'Kingsagent', a warrior designed to sniff out suspicion against the monarchy.
No time skip
As you might have gleaned from the change to Krem's fate, there is no centuries-long timeskip in Supergirl.
Thanks to James Gunn confirming Supergirl's place on the DC timeline (in-between Superman and its Man of Tomorrow sequel), there is clearly no space for that cathartic ending to take place. In fact, Kara reveals she is only 23 during the events of the film.
Speaking of all matters temporal, there is slightly less of an explicit ticking clock with Krypto in the Woman of Tomorrow graphic novel. While the dog's situation after being poisoned is similarly dire, it appears he has more than just a few days to live – and Kara needs to fetch the original potion to make an antidote, rather than Krem holding the antidote itself.
Maypole and other locations
While Kara and Ruthye's journey broadly follows the same beats in both Supergirl and Woman of Tomorrow, the movie omits their trip to Maypole, a segregated city that harshly spells out the themes of the graphic novel: namely, that institutional evil always exists and cannot be beaten by a simple swing of a sword or bloodthirsty revenge quest.
The planet with a green sun remains in both versions, though in the comic, Kara and Ruthye are teleported there by Krem and left to die.
Lobo and Superman
It may come as a surprise to learn that there is no Lobo in Woman of Tomorrow. Jason Momoa's chain-swinging vigilante certainly makes an impression in his DCU debut, but the Main Man doesn't feature in Tom King's story.
Despite that, King did initially have plans to include Lobo in Woman of Tomorrow – and saw the movie as a chance to move a little closer to his original vision.
King told the Word Balloon podcast (via Popverse), "That book began as me pitching a Lobo/Supergirl book. And it was my editors, Brittany Holzer and Jamie Rich, who were like, 'No, take Lobo out and make Supergirl the [True Grit] Rooster Cogburn character.'"
The Man of Steel also doesn't turn up in the graphic novel Woman of Tomorrow. His intermissions in Supergirl are there to showcase Kara's arrival on Earth and her newfound belief that she wants to stay on the planet in an attempt to make it feel like home. In a cute nod to the graphic novel, Kara mocks Superman's 'underwear' in his costume. In the comics, Ruthye does the same to Kara.
Eagle-eyed fans may notice that one character from the comic is left out of the DCU movie: Comet the Super-Horse. The man-turned-horse (yes, seriously) is mortally wounded during a third-act fight with Krem. Maybe Gunn and company are holding him back for another day?
Ruthye as narrator
While Kara is (understandably) the main focus in Supergirl, Woman of Tomorrow is told from the perspective of her companion Ruthye, who recounts the pair's time together, even doing a little mythmaking when it comes to Supergirl's exploits.
For some, that internal monologue may feel like a key component missing in Supergirl – with the character frequently reduced to running and hiding during action scenes, while there isn't as much talk of the duo's dynamic or burgeoning friendship.
Ruthye is also depicted as slightly older and more physically capable in the Woman of Tomorrow comic, ably swinging swords and swimming across large bodies of water.
Want to know what else is coming to the DCU? Here's our guide to upcoming DC movies.
