“The Last Children of Krypton” is episode two of season two of Supergirl.
There is a slight change to the introduction; now, when Kara says she arrived on Earth to find that her cousin had already grown up to become Superman, this time Superman is actually seen, rather than just a silhouette with his face obscured by the sun. Although he’s seen in the DEO, not by Kara’s pod.
The episode starts with a building on fire and a car has taken out the fire hydrant. A fireman says that he hopes to god she shows up. Then looks up and says ‘Even better.’ Both Supergirl and Superman are flying to the scene; in the previous episode, “The Adventures of Supergirl”, Clark had said he would stick around for a while. Kara asks her cousin if he is going to do the honours; Clark replies that he got to look cool last time, so Kara can. Supergirl uses her breath on the flames and Clark flies around the fire creating a vortex. Afterwards, Kara asks Superman if this ever gets old; he replies that if it does, he will let her know. Then they hear an alarm.
Two robbers are speeding off in a car – very briefly because Supergirl is in the road. They reverse away and crash into Superman. Both shoot at Supergirl and Superman to no effect and one punches Superman in the face after his magazine is empty. Which looks painful and stupid – after all, bullets bounced off. Which Clark comments on, asking why punch if bullets don’t work. He’s never understood that. Supergirl says she’s having a really good day then Hank cuts in and says if the two of them are done showboating, there’s something else that needs dealing with.
Winn, who is now working with the DEO, comments on Hank being grumpy. Alex tells Hank that he promised Kara he would be nicer when her cousin is around. Hank replies he said he’d try. Winn quotes Yoda – ‘Do, or do not. There is no try.’ and Hank asks him how badly he wants this job. Alex tells Hank that Superman will be leaving town soon anyway; Hank replies that until then he will be in the armoury. Shooting at something.
In the previous episode, the assassin John Corben who had been hired to kill Lena Luthor was instead shot in the back by her. He came around to find a woman standing over him, giving him two options. To die, or to live. Living involved injecting Corben with something and the woman called him Metallo. Now this woman tells Corben that it is time to wake up, and her associate presses a button. Corben does wake up, saying he feels strange, and breaks free of his restraints. The woman’s associate suggests calling security but she replies that there is no need for men with guns to come down.
Corben asks her how he did that and she replies that he needs context. The Kryptonians tried to kill him – well, they didn’t, Lena Luthor did to be fair – but they salvaged him, modified him and resurrected him. The woman says that she is simply a doctor, a member of Cadmus, and Corben is what they have been waiting for. The man with her who activated Corben doesn’t think that Corben is ready yet. She asks Corben if he isn’t ready to become the man who saved the world from the alien menace. She touches Corben and something green lights up on his chest. He asks what it is and she tells him it’s a gift.
At the DEO, Alex is heading out with a team when Kara and Clark arrive – Alex was heading out to deal with the thing Hank told the two about, but it’s already been dealt with. Kara just neglected to tell anyone because she’s having too much fun. Then the power fades and Winn says that there is a power drain from the holding area. Again. It started last night, and it’s being diverted to the Kryptonian who was found in the pod. Clark is not happy that the Kryptonian is being exposed to kryptonite, saying he is a survivor, not a threat. Hank replies that it’s just a precaution.
The Kryptonian is absorbing electrical energy and converting it to chemical energy and regenerating at a cellular level. Kara is still not happy about how Hank is behaving around Clark; Hank tells her if it’s so important to her, he will get along with Clark. After Hank leaves, Alex asks Kara if they are still on for sisters night. Kara says she is – and she’s invited Clark. To sisters night.
Kara arrives at CatCo for her first day as a reporter – she had told Cat that was what she wanted to be and Cat, it seems, already knew when she hired her that this would be what Kara wanted. Kara is gushing a bit then Cat starts drooling over Clark. Cat tells Kara that she is introducing her to her new boss, Snapper Carr. He is running the investigative team for CatCo Magazine and is one of the best investigative reporters Cat has ever known. And has the apparel to match. Cat tells Snapper that Kara is his new stringer, and to teach her well. Snapper isn’t really paying any attention to Kara, and leaves. So Kara asks Cat if that went well and is told yes – he really likes her. If so, Snapper hid it really, really well.
At sisters night, Clark has a word with Kara. He’s heading back to Metropolis. Kara says she thought would stay a couple more days but he replies that he needs to get back. On the television there is an article about a jumper on a bridge; Kara suggests one last team-up before Clark leaves. They arrive and Kara tells the jumper he doesn’t want to do this. He turns around revealing that he is, of course, Corben. The green device on Corben’s chest shreds the clothing above it, revealing a large chunk of green and various metal legs extending from it. A bolt of green shoots from the chest device and hits Clark. The green stuff would appear to be kryptonite. Corben – Metallo – is now very tough and very strong, plus he has kryptonite. Kara uses her heat beam on Metallo, removing all the flesh from his hand revealing a metal skeleton, but Metallo still gets the upper hand. So to speak. He is about to finish Kara when Clark smashes him off the bridge.
Kara and Clark arrive back at the DEO. Clark is not very happy with Hank, as Hank had told him that the DEO were the only ones with access to kryptonite yet they just went up against a kryptonite powered cyborg. Hank admits a shipment went missing four months ago. Stolen. They thought it was an inside job but everyone involved in the shipment check out clean. Clark wants Hank to get rid of it; Hank replies that if they had they would have been helpless when Astra and Non launched Myriad. Winn watches and comments that Superman and the Martian are going to fight. Which is terrible. And awesome.
At this point someone starts broadcasting a message. They claim that Earth has been stolen by enemies in the guide of heroes, and ask how long before these gods decide to rule not serve. Meaning Superman and Supergirl. With pictures, in case anyone was uncertain. They claim that they are the antidote, and that they are Cadmus. After the broadcast finishes, Alex asks if Cadmus turned Corben into Metallo, what might they have done to her father. Bad things seems the likely answer (and the Cadmus woman seems to confirm these later). Hank tells Winn to dig out Non and Astra’s anti-kryptonian technology from storage and see if he can improve on it. Clark says that Corben had a metallic endoskeleton, so he’s going to the Fortress of Solitude to analyse it. Hank says that they need to work together on this and Clark replies that he hopes Hank likes the cold.
Kara turns up to see her new boss. Snapper tells her she doesn’t get a chair. Because she doesn’t work here. His office, is hires. Kara says that this is the job she chose; Snapper says you don’t choose the job, you earn it. Either from going to journalism school or walking the beat. Kara has no assignment and no job. This is not going well.
So Kara goes to speak to Cat. She wants Cat to speak to Snapper. Cat asks Kara if she wants her to go and instruct Kara’s new boss to be nice. Cat tells Kara that she needs to stand up for herself. She’s a grown woman, whose smart, talented and astonishing, and she needs to accept who she is and own her power. Because Cat won’t be around very much longer. Bad choice of words; Kara thinks Cat is dying. No, Cat is taking a leave of absence – it looked like she was planning on a change – because she has done all she can do here and wants something new.
Corben is now back at Cadmus, looking at his skeletal hand – which looks like it came from a Terminator. He then puts a glove on it. The male scientist tells the woman that he said Corben wasn’t ready; she replies that Corben wounded Superman and asks if he knows how difficult that is. He replies that Superman is still alive, and it is only a matter of time before he strikes back. She agrees, and says that they are going to move on to Phase 2. He says that they don’t even have a suitable candidate. She says she has the perfect man for the job. Him. Whether he wants it or not.
With everything changing, Kara is now having a bit of a personal crisis. She’s thinking about moving to Metropolis with Clark. Which causes a bit of an argument with Alex. Neither sister is totally in the right; Winn helps Alex understand her mistake. Hank and Clark once again discuss kryptonite and Hank explains his reasoning. He already saw one planet destroyed by vengeful gods; he doesn’t want the same to happen to another.
Not quite a cliff-hanger, but something leads into the next episode, “Welcome to Earth”.