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darkmasterkattsvault · 1 year

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SAM ARIAS FAQS

Have You Even Seen Supergirl?

No. Well, yes, but also no. I stopped watching in either late season 2 or early season 3, before Sam appeared. I’ve read an unholy amount of fanfiction and have also read her wikipage which is insanely detailed, all things considered. I’ve also seen various clips and gif sets and all of that. Normally I wouldn’t write a character without consuming the source content, but I decided that while I understand canon made a decision, because it was a stupid decision, I’m going to make Sam better because they didn’t deserve her. I don’t claim her to be canon and I’m sure my portrayal of her will show that.

Why Make it A Superman Story?

Honestly? Because as much as I’m aware that even in the comics the World Killers are a Supergirl story, I don’t like the excuse they gave for Reign taking over being delayed. It makes more sense that it happened earlier in her life, even if you use pregnancy and being in stasis for 10 years as the why. Presumably, Reign should have taken over at 18, when Sam came of age but having been manifested from young childhood. Due to stasis she didn’t start manifesting until Sam was ten, so that was delayed, but not necessarily by a lot. Even if you consider that pregnancy put it on pause even further, Sam being nearly 29 in human years, 39 with stasis years counted, doesn’t really add up. So, it happens while she’s living in Metropolis, before Supergirl even comes on the scene.

Still Kryptonian?

Yes. While it can be assumed that even in canon, Sam’s Kryptonian DNA is just suppressed, the way she goes about becoming strong enough to kill Reign makes me feel as if that wouldn’t just go away. I also just don’t like the idea that Sam’s DNA is somehow magicked to be human. So, she’s fully Kryptonian. The reason she didn’t show powers until Reign took over is because whatever was done to her DNA to allow her to be a World Killer, made it so Reign was powered by the yellow sun and used that ability to actually reach the surface of Sam’s conscious mind.

Why Does She Still Call Herself Reign?

Partly because I can’t think of a better alias. Mostly, however, is because she’s looking for redemption. For Sam, even though she wasn’t in control when Reign was, she still considers the blood that Reign spilled to be on her hands.

Does Sam Know Kara Is Supergirl?

Yes, but also no. Sam has a hunch. She’s never discussed it with Kal/Clark but knowing that the difference between Kal and Clark is a pair of glasses, well… it’s not hard for her to realize that Kara is Supergirl.

Costume?

https://plastic-pipes.tumblr.com/post/168708818308/i-want-sam-to-stay-forever-t-t-please-do-not

I absolutely adore these designs by Pipes. Basically, if you take the cape and mask from the Reign alternate suit and put them on the Redeemed auxiliary suit, you have the costume Kal gave Sam.

Who Knows That Sam Is Kryptonian?

Lena, Clark/Kal, and Lois. Jack also knew. From there, the SuperFriends may eventually find out, but it would be on a case by case basis.

If Lena Knows Sam Is Kryptonian Does She Know Clark Is Superman?

This would depend on the Lena but genuinely, I don’t think she does. I think she only ever interacted with him as Superman and he was probably wary of her the entire time.

Who Do You Ship With Sam?

Everyone? No, I’m kidding, mostly. Sam is bisexual but definitely has a feminine preference. My main ships for her would be AgentReign/Danvarias and AgentCorp. I’m not against other ships but in all cases she’s very wary of relationships and getting close to people.

#sam arias (bio)#sam arias (general)#[i acknowledge that neither thing I dropped into the bio tag for sam is an actual bio but... yeah]#a gaggle of idiots (muse bios)

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supercorp-land · 3 years

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“kara we talked about this, you can’t thirst over lena in public”

#I saw this clip and immediately thought of supercorp... well in my defence I’m always thinking of supercorp #im not even sorry #supercorp #kara danvers #supergirl #lena luthor #katie mcgrath #kara x lena #supercorp endgame #karlena #supergirl cw #incorrect supercorp quotes #incorrect supergirl quotes #source: snl #1k

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supergay-supergirl · 2 years

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i fixed supergirl season 5 (part 1/3)

hi i'm back on my supergirl bullshit :) anyway my episode by episode notes for how supergirl season 5A could/should have gone is below the cut, enjoy

(the rest will be in another post, this got way too long)

Overall Themes

Season 5 is about facing reality and accepting grief and pain. This is already done well in 5B imo but it could have been even more central to the plot (see plot)

Emotionally Lena is in a terrible horrible no good very bad place right now. They executed this pretty well in the show but I think they should have scrapped Lex and Rama Khan / most of Leviathan and made her the primary villain.

Kara has to learn to forgive herself for keeping a secret she was forced to keep. They also did this pretty well huh maybe season 5 had good themes after all

Overall theme of forgiveness, of self and of others. This ties into the previous themes; you need to face your grief and forgive in order to move on.

Note on CGI

Real talk here the CGI is the one thing that I have no defense of

It's dependent on budget so there probably wasn't much they could have done but. hhh

Anyway imagine all of these things with like season 2 level CGI

Episodes

*important changes in bold.

5x01: Event Horizon

Original rating: 7/10

Absolutely love the cold open. Perfect. Change nothing

Instead of the confusing restrictive contract thing, the crew stays at CatCo because they still believe in it. A small amount of blackballing can be involved.

Kara and Lena scenes are good

Fight scene with Midnight: They don't know Malefic exists yet so there isn't that much you can do with action. But definitely a roll call style fight scene that showcases each character's powers in their most iconic way (Dreamer gets a dream pun, Guardian does his shield slide move, etc.)

And maybe let Supergirl do the sonic boom clap thing, just for kicks

Malefic doesn't tell J'onn he's his brother right away. Like Lena, he wants to hurt the person who hurt him while avoiding direct confrontation with those feelings or that person.

5x02: Stranger Beside Me

Original rating: 5/10

Cold open on William, talking to someone about Andrea and Russell Rogers. We start to get hints of his true integrity; he's kind to his source and willing to show his vulnerability to earn their trust.

Also he should be less annoying in general

Malefic releases some other villain from the Phantom Zone to kill J'onn. Brief villain of the week run ensues.

Lena is continuing to develop Non Nocere, but she's having science problems, as she often does. Perhaps intersperse some clips of Lex from S4 or childhood, showing her emotional volatility.

Leave Eve out of the picture for now

Kelly and J'onn figure out that J'onn is missing memories. J'onn thinks his mind was wiped by someone, but Kelly notes that his brain activity matches that of someone who's repressed trauma.

5x03: Blurred Lines (Ancestral Memory)

Original rating: 4/10

Split this episode in half and stretch it over two episodes. Move James's goodbye to episode 5.

Kara and Lena stuff is good

Malefic releases the Aurafacian from the Phantom Zone in a continued villain of the week fashion.

Nia and J'onn access J'onn's repressed memories. They realize that Malefic (1) exists and (2) is behind all this. J'onn considers reaching out, but he can't find the courage.

The Super Friends defeat the Aurafacian, but Rip Roar kills her before they can take her in.

Fight scene with Malefic: He continually turns into and/or mind controls each of them so that there's very little actual fighting (think DEO scene in human for a day)

Also I think it should be called ancestral memory

Closing scene: William finds an exhausted Russell after the attack. He tries to reason with him, but Russell speeds away.

Closing image: Frustrated at his delegates' failures, Malefic decides to take things into his own hands.

5x04: In Plain Sight

Original rating: 6/10

Cue Sean Astin and temporary Kelly superpowers

Lena works with the DEO to create the modified Phantom Zone projector

They manage to corner Malefic using temporary Kelly superpowers. Right when they're about to hit him with the Phantom Zone projector, J'onn calls out for them to stop—Malefic is worth saving, and one needs to face their past, not lock it away—but Lena sets it off anyway, imprisoning Malefic.

Meanwhile, Kara follows William while he investigates Gemma Cooper (prev. Margot), Eve's white-haired connection to Leviathan. He reveals that he's investigating the disappearance of his friend Russell, which he believes is related to Andrea.

None of the Elena Torres stuff. This is solidly a B plot

He tells her that he was only acting so annoying because Andrea only trusts people who act for their own predictable self-interests (hinting at a deeper backstory for Andrea). However, he got into journalism because he isn't afraid to face the truth. Kara relates.

Kara and Lena talk about what happened with Malefic. Lena asserts that she was right, echoing her words to Lex; Malefic is a bad person, and the world will never be safe with him in it. We see how the events of the past few months have radicalized her mindset. The only way to save humanity is to control it.

5x05: Dangerous Liaisons

Original rating: 4/10

Put James's goodbye here. We can still do the date-aversary and trauma stuff with Kelly in Calvintown.

Wracked with guilt, J'onn tries to reach out psychically to Malefic, but he can't reach him. He thinks it's because Malefic is in the Phantom Zone, but it's actually because Lena has used her data from the previous episode to block J'onn's Q-wave frequencies while she experiments with Malefic's Q-waves.

Big showdown with Rip Roar over the geyser

Fight scene with Rip Roar: Supergirl faces him alone, trying not to hurt him and instead to reason with him. When she says William's name, he hesitates long enough for her to catch him.

Closing scene: At the DEO, William talks to Russell, appealing to their close friendship. When William asks who did this to him (implying Andrea), Russell says one word: "Leviathan."

5x06: Confidence Women

Original rating: 8/10

I highkey love this episode, wouldn't change much about it

Previously on Supergirl: lots of longing looks between Andrea and Lena. But neither of them have the mental or emotional well being to actually talk to the other.

I think overall the adult plot could have been organized better. Spend less time on Acrata and focus instead on Russell, Leviathan, and the general turmoil in Andrea's life.

Draw clear parallels to Lena and Kara's relationship

Canon Rojascorp optional but encouraged

5x07: Tremors (mid-season finale)

Original rating: 7/10

Get rid of Rama Khan. Literally just delete him

Having been told by Kara about William's investigation, Lena follows the clues to Eve. Eve tries to apologize, but Lena won't engage and kidnaps her instead.

The Super Friends research Leviathan. Supergirl goes to the Fortress to gather more information.

Meanwhile, J'onn gets wind that Malefic is still on Earth.

Fortress scene good

Intercut with the Fortress scene, J'onn tracks Malefic and realizes that Lena's been keeping him prisoner. The two pairs speak in parallel as they finally air their grievances. J'onn and Malefic are able to forgive and make up, but Lena and Kara can't.

The reference in my head is why stay / a promise from Next to Normal

I think they kind of did this but not as deliberately

parts 2 and 3 to come!

#supergirl #cw supergirl #script doctor #superspeaks #kara danvers #lena luthor #supergirl season 5 #supergirl season 5a #supergirl meta #supergirl script doctor #andrea rojas #william dey #j'onn j'onzz #kelly olsen #supergirl cw #long post #my content

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karazor--el · 3 years

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EXCLUSIVE: Supergirl's Dreamer Journeys to Reunite With Her Mother

youtube

EXCLUSIVE: Ahead of @TheCWSupergirl's "Dream Weaver" episode, CBR obtained an exclusive clip that shows Dreamer teaming up with an unlikely source. #SupergirlCW

CBR.

#supergirl #Youtube

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msclockwatcher · 4 years

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Chris Wood on Legacies

TVLine is explicitly saying that Chris will recur on Legacies. I wonder how many episodes he’s signed up for. Julie said she knew she couldn’t have him permanently but would love to have him come in and out of the show. Interesting.

I’ll be watching this episode and depending on how I feel about it, will watch any subsequent episodes he’s on or just the YouTube clips.

Source

On the shallow side, I really hope we’re not getting his Supergirl Legion beard on Legacies.

#Chris Wood #Kai Parker #Legacies #The Vampire Diaries #TVD

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comickergirl · 7 years

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Wardrobe malfunction.

#my art #silly comic #supergirl #kara danvers #james olsen #Mean Girls reference #normally I would link the source #but I couldn't find a clip

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cyclone-rachel · 5 years

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So how do you feel about the new suit, with pants thoughts?

first of all: hi friend!

Second… I have complicated feelings about the suit.

to get this out of the way first: Like Alex, I’m not good with change, and I really liked the skirt! I thought there was some nice color contrasts, with everything, it fit Kara’s character really well, and it was classic/iconic Super. Everything in that outfit (cape, top, skirt, tights, boots) looked really well-designed and nice, and I loved it.

I’m not saying that this outfit isn’t well-designed or nice. It’s pretty decently both of those things, and Melissa looks very good in it! I’m glad that she kept her boots and the thumb holes on her top, and I like the little gold piece between the “cape clips”, as well as the new belt. The gold touches, in general, are really good, and the cape hasn’t changed aside from maybe getting shorter, which is also good. I like that the S is slightly raised now, there were very little changes on that front, and the gold outline is stronger than it used to be. It also looks Shiny, which is fun.

@motorcyclegirlfriends pointed out that the torso is reminiscent of Alura’s “super-suit” and her dress in 3x01, in terms of the lines on it, which is good and a comparison worth pointing out. And Melissa’s hair (I’m sure they’ll probably curl it a little more, like they usually do, when she’s in action- if only to highlight the difference between Supergirl and Kara- or maybe they won’t, who knows, we shall see) is super cute! I love the bangs and I feel like the new hairstyle fits with the suit as a sign that Kara is changing and isn’t the amateur hero we saw in season 1, she’s become someone new and different, but still the Kara we all know and love.

okay, so the point you were asking about: the pants.

I’m glad Melissa is warmer now, and that she was really excited for them. I’m happy that she is, and (like with everything else) they look good on her! I would never begrudge her that. I’m also glad that she did say she loved the old suit, and it did suit Kara well. And I’m glad that it’ll give little girls who maybe weren’t so thrilled about the skirt a costume to dress up in too. (for example, child me, who wasn’t into skirts, and adult-ish me, who also isn’t into skirts)

In this interview, though, there was a quote from her talking about Kara’s growth and how this suit demonstrates that visually (which is neat) but she also seemed to imply that people who wear skirts, as she used to, weren’t grown-up yet. (not so neat).

So, there’s that, one of the sources of my Complicated Feelings, and then there’s the part of this fandom that, without naming any names, is making more than a few Extra comments about Melissa/Kara, and seems to have taken this change as a sign that their ship will happen because CW is giving them what they wanted (Kara in pants, because they’ve insisted on this and said that the skirt is regressive and not feminist- even though Melissa, in her time on this show, has always demonstrated feminist ideals in her version of Kara). So, that entitlement has made me a tiny bit resentful that she has to change her costume at all.

Basically, it’s going to take me a little while to get used to, but Melissa is happy and the previous suit still exists, so I eventually will, one part of fandom notwithstanding.

#papa don't look #rachel answers questions #ithinkthingsaboutstuff #kara danvers #kara zor el #supergirl season 5 #supergirl spoilers #also it just straight up kind of looks like a feminine/melissa-sized version of the superman suit #with kara's house of el crest design #and i do like tyler's superman suit! i just also enjoyed the contrast between the super-cousins #but i'm sure he'll compliment her on it if he's in crisis #so we'll really have to wait and see #also 1. i love you friend and i really loved the fic you just posted! i love the el and dox symbols and whenever anyone talks about them #2. Let Brainy Make the Suit 2k19 #only alternative is it coming from krypton

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lena-in-a-red-dress · 5 years

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Blood in the Water, Ch. 3 of ?

Lena stared at the device for a long moment, then slid her glance towards Lara with an arched brow. "You want me to do what, again?"

"Lay down, relax, and explore Ancient Greece."

Lara had called it the Animus, and if what she said about it was true, it would be the greatest technological advancement of the 21st Century. The fact she's never heard of it does nothing to quell her sudden apprehension.

Lena nodded. "From a table in the middle of an abandoned warehouse."

"You're overthinking it--"

"And you've actually lost your mind. At school it was charming, but this is--"

But instead of getting offended, Lara only smirked. "Have I ever been wrong, Lee?"

Biting back a groan, Lena pulled in one deep breath, then another. "Why me? You're the fighter-- wouldn't you rather have me on the outside, monitoring?"

"I'm injured," Lara returned, a little too quickly. "The pain would be too distracting to get a strong connection to the Animus. And my research indicates that machine pairs best with high levels of intellect."

"That describes both of us--"

"That's sweet of you, Lee, but we both know that if you suddenly took up an interest in history, I'd be out of a job." Lara grinned, then huffed good-naturedly. "Look, I wouldn't have asked you if I had any other option. Abstergo is closing in, and I need to find the relic before they do."

Lena glared at the innocuous-looking table and the odd device unpacked on top of it. The interface was unlike anything she'd ever seen before, and from what Lara described, it would provide an experience unlike anything else on Earth.

She couldn't say no.

"What am I looking for again?"

Lara explained it all again as she helped Lena climb onto the table and get comfortable. "I found the Thermopylae Spear. It had DNA on the hilt-- this device will project your consciousness into the Animus to the source of the sample. From there you can observe the subject's life and exploits as though living it yourself. You're looking for the Staff of Hermes."

The visor snapped shut over Lena's eyes. She swallowed. "And let me guess: you die in the Matrix, you die in the real world?"

Lara laughed. "No. You'll desynchronize-- I can resynchronize and send you back in. So relax a little, okay? You're safe, so long as Abstergo doesn't catch up with us."

"And who is the subject again?"

"The readings describe a woman of skillful cunning. Most references simply call her misthios."

Mercenary. Great.

Lara seemed to sense her reaction. "Don't worry," she said with a smile in her voice. "I think you'll like her."

A warm hand gave Lena's a pat. With the visor in place, she couldn't see a thing, but a frisson of anticipation vibrated up her spine. Nothing was ever boring when Lara Croft came to town.

"Ready?"

Lena cocked a grin, in spite of herself. "Yippie-ki-yay."

"Activating in three... two... one..."

Lena jerked when the entire world jolted around her, and then she knew nothing at all.

She comes to in bright afternoon sunlight, with the sound of waves nearby. Huh. She doesn't remember agreeing to a vacation.

Almost as soon the thought occurs to her, Lena feels the prickle of eyes watching her. In an instant she rolls to her feet with weapon in hand, just as a blade connects with the rock where her head had been moments before.

She blocks the next swing awkwardly, and stumbles when a fist slams into her kidney from behind.

"Ow, jesus fuck--" Lena slashes out blindly, and catches the second assailant in the face. Not fatal, but enough to disarm them. The first opponent closes in again, but this time she darts in to meet him, slipping inside his guard to slam the hilt of her into his jaw.

He goes down with a grunt, and Lena easily relieves him of his sword. "Who sent you?"

"Markos," comes the moaning reply.

"Next time start with that." The words sound odd in Lena's ear. She understands it as easily as English, but her lips make the wrong shapes. Belatedly, she realizes it must be Greek.

It's disconcerting.

"He has business with you, misthios."

"Doesn't he always. Tell him to send a messenger next time. You two won't get such a warm welcome a second time."

She pulls a coin purse of each of them for her troubles, and neither of them puts up a fight. As they slowly back off down the hill, a small girl comes up along the same path, shoving the men out of the way.

"Phoibe," Lena greets her warmly. "Don't tell me Markos sent you too."

"No, I came to watch. But I am too late. Again."

Lena rolls her eyes, striding towards the well to wash the blood and dirt from her hands. The reflection that stares back at her from the water is dark with sun, with strong features that makes Lena's heart flutter.

Wow.

"Kassaaaandra!" Phoibe calls, "you promised you would teach me how to fight. Soon you will have defeated everyone on the island, and there will be none left for me."

Lena-- Kassandra-- smirks, and dips scarred, callused hands into the water. "One of the few joys of Kephallonia is that one will never run out of fights."

"You promised!" Phoibe repeats.

"And I shall. After I speak to Markos."

Phoibe runs off, with her small wooden eagle in hand. Lena watches her go. She must stand there too long, because a moment later the flap of incoming wings nearly gives her a heart attack as a giant eagle comes swooping down to land on her idle fist.

Despite its size, Lena can hold it easily.

"Okay," she remarks to no one in particular. "I could get used to the muscles."

God... is this what it was like to be Supergirl?

"Kephallonia..." Lena blinks at the sound of Lara's voice in her ear. "I expected you to be in Athens already."

"Are you pulling me out?"

"No. We can't aim the Animus. We're just going to have to ride it out."

"Ride it out? How long?" She'd made arrangements with L-Corp and CatCo, but it wouldn't allow her to spend months in here.

Lara quickly puts her fears to rest. "Time passes differently in the Animus, don't worry. Just play along, and you'll be home in no time."

With a huff, Lena breaks into a jog, following the two men down the hill. "All right then."

Kassandra's powerful legs carry her along a decent clip, and Lena relishes the wind that cools her skin.

"Ready or not, Markos, here I come."

#i wrote dis #blood in the water #lena luthor #lara croft #past lara/lena #tomb raider au #now an assassins creed odyssey xover #kassandra #and my dear phoibe #i love that girl #dont worry this wont be a play by play #supercorp is up next

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x5red · 5 years

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The lost Supergirl

To its detractors the 1984 Helen Slater Supergirl is an underwhelming, disjointed, and self-contradictory attempt to profit from the Superman franchise beyond the Man of Steel. To its supporters the 1984 Supergirl is a much misunderstood blending of super-heroics and fairy-tales, creating a magical story of adventure and courage. But no matter what your take on this movie, no one can deny that it failed to meet box office expectations and did not garner anything like the same reputation as Chris Reeve’s first two iconic Superman outings.

But with the passing of time comicbook fans seem to have slowly mellowed towards Slater’s Supergirl. Sure, it may never be considered a classic, but many fans now acknowledge that Helen Slater’s time in the red cape has a lot of charming qualities, qualities that are sadly lacking in many of DC’s modern offerings.

So, what caused this shift in attitudes?

Well, thanks to the internet, today’s fans have a greater awareness of the intentions of director Jeannot Szwarc, who (we now recognise) was pitching at a younger audience than the Superman movies -- hence the looser fairy-tale quality of the plot. But, more importantly, there’s also a growing awareness that many of the movie’s weaknesses were made far more glaring by the distributor’s brutal editing for US markets.

As more and more of the cutting room floor footage has been seen, so criticism has softened. Although still far from perfect, 2000′s extended 138 minute cut is generally recognised as a more balanced and coherent experience than 1984′s US theatrical version of just 105 minutes. But fans have speculated that yet more footage is still to be found. Rumours circulate on the far flung reaches of the internet concerning a possible 150 minute edit, smoothing over even more of the disjointed elements of the story.

In this article I want to first attempt a fact-packed recap of the editing history of the Supergirl movie, noting when and why its numerous cuts were created; then I want to briefly speculate on what might be in the still-missing 12 minutes (if indeed they exist), by pulling together the various rumours and looking at their evidence.

So, let’s begin...

From silver screen to small screen

Supergirl got its debut in London on Thursday 19th July 1984, as part of a Royal Charity Premiere screening attended by Princess Michael of Kent (whose husband is the current Queen’s first cousin, as I’m sure everyone knows(!)) This UK version was distributed by Columbia-EMI-Warner and ran at 124 minutes. Initial critical reaction was mixed, leaning more towards underwhelmed.

As US fans waited for the Maid of Might to fly onto their cinema screens, the movie began to open around the world. Ireland and Japan got Supergirl just days after the UK, then August saw Supergirl open in the Philippines, Australia, and Spain. In October it was the turn of France and Canada. Meanwhile Kara Zor-El fans in her (adopted) home country had no choice but to wait... and wait... and wait... The delay in the US release was caused by Warner Bros. dropping out of negotiations to promote and distribute the film in US theatres midway through production. As the movie was in post production, and overseas distribution deals were being struck, the Salkind family (the producers) scrambled to find an alternative distributor for their biggest market.

Finally, on Wednesday 21st November 1984, the Maid of Might launched onto US screens thanks to TriStar Pictures, but the switch in distributor had not been without major consequences. American Supergirl fans were treated to an experience that had been cut down to just 105 minutes, removing key exposition scenes from a movie that was already criticised for struggling with plot coherence. Supergirl grossed $5.7m on its opening weekend, and went on bring in $13.6m in the US market. On an estimated production budget of $35m, it was not considered a success.

At the same time as the US theatrical release, a 125 minute LaserDisc version appeared in Japan, marking the first time fans could watch the Girl of Steel in the comfort of their own Fortress of Solitude. The advertised 125 minute running time likely represents a rounding error rather than 1 minute of new material. Although not sold into US markets, some copies apparently did cross the Pacific. The LaserDisc version was likely a pan-and-scan copy (no documentation suggests widescreen), with Supergirl’s wide cinematic 2.35:1 image cropped drastically to fit television’s nearly square 4:3 ratio.

Pan-and-scan would also have been done to the initial VHS release into US markets by U.S.A. Home Video in 1985, which used the 105 minute cut that had appeared in US cinemas the year before. In 1987 a second pan-and-scan edit was created by TriStar for HBO‘s cable tv screenings, which was then used by the ABC Network when it broadcast a brutal 92 minute cut in February 1987. (It was common practice for ad-supported tv to heavily edit movies, making space for commercials without stretching the running time too far.) This super-slimline cut was later thrown together with other Superman movies into a tv syndication package by Viacom. The Internet Movie Database suggests that there was also a VHS cut that ran to just 89 minutes -- this may have been either the Avid Home Video release (1991) catalogued on the same site, or it may refer to an unknown overseas VHS release.

Lurking in the depths of the vaults

By the late 1990s the full 124 minute cut of Supergirl had still never been legitimately made available in the US. The rights to the Supergirl movie had subsequently been snapped up as part of a bundle of films by Canal + Distribution in France, and they allowed Anchor Bay Entertainment to release the two hour so-called International Cut on VHS. Many Supergirl fans now thought that they, at last(!), had copies of the most complete version of the film. But rumours quickly started to circulate that this was far from the case.

Not long after the International Cut’s release, speculation began that Canal + had found something interesting lurking amidst the dusty film cans they’d acquired as part of their rights acquisitions. A previously unknown 138 minute cut of Supergirl featuring a mono soundtrack had been unearthed, which quickly acquired the moniker of the Director’s Cut.

(Note: one citation-free internet comment suggests that the Director’s Cut was actually discovered at Pinewood Studios, in a box marked “do not use”. Although the early Superman / Supergirl movies were filmed at London’s Pinewood soundstages, it seems odd that a finished edit of the film, complete with soundtrack, would be discovered there.)

In mid-2000 Anchor Bay Entertainment released a two disc DVD set featuring both the 124 minute International Cut, and the new 138 minute Director’s Cut, both in widescreen format (2.35:1 letter-boxed to widescreen tv’s 16:9 ratio.)

So, thought fans, surely this is the definitive Helen Slater Supergirl... right..!?

Well, apparently, no..!

The rumours didn’t end with the Director’s Cut. Some evidence suggested that there were still scenes shot at Pinewood that didn’t make it into the 138 minute edit. Speculation was that somewhere in a rusting film can there might lie yet another 12 minutes of unseen footage, bringing the total running time of the film to a whopping 150 minutes -- that’s almost 50% more Supergirl than was seen by the original US theatrical audiences in November 1984.

So, what’s missing..?

First, let us rule out what we can say with certainty is not in any potential missing footage.

The original script for Supergirl, penned by David Odell, made heavy use of Christopher Reeve’s Superman. According to director, Jeannot Szwarc, the main plot device always revolved around the recovery of the Omegahedron, but in early drafts Superman was to encounter Supergirl in space, and the pair were to share a heartwarming scene in which he teaches his cousin how to fly, involving dancing together in mid-air. At a later point in the script Supergirl was to rescue Superman from a prison, where he languished as an old man having lost his immorality.

Regrettably, the producer’s hopes of securing Chris Reeve fell apart not long before shooting began. Without Reeve, Odell’s script (which, Szwarc claims, had already suffered numerous rewrites at the behest of the Salkinds and/or original distributors Warner Bros.) underwent yet another a major overhaul. As such, we can say with absolute certainty that none of the possible missing footage includes Christopher Reeve’s Superman.

So what might it contain?

A draft of the movie’s script, dated Monday 17th January 1983, is available online, and it seems to mention scenes that never appeared in any publicly available cut of the film, including the Director’s Cut. The draft’s date is just a few weeks away from the alleged filming dates: Monday 18th April 1983 to Thursday 11th August 1983. The script does follow the story line of the finished movie, although it is apparent that some action segments have been reworked and some of the dialogue is only vaguely similar to the filmed version.

A second source of information comes from an apparently test audience viewing in the US, with online accounts of this screening at sites like IMDB seeming to bear out the rumours that some of the elements in the draft script may have been filmed and included in this screening.

Speculation suggests that a number of clips featuring Selena are still lost. These include more material with Selena and the Omegahedron, and a clip during Selena’s takeover of Midvale in which the angry townspeople are cowered (except Lucy) by Selena when she uses an ice spell to kill a woman.

There’s also speculation that two short interactions with Linda at school are absent. The first involves Nigel quizzing Linda about her plans for the weekend (this happens immediately before the scene, 50 minutes in, with Linda sitting outside the school as other girls leave with their parents, when Lucy invites Linda to join her later in Midvale.) The second is a chat between Linda and Lucy about clothes and fitting in on Earth.

One interaction that always seemed a bit odd in the movie takes place immediately after the shower sequence (when Kara uses her heat vision to punish the two school bullies.) Entering their shared dorm room, Linda asks Lucy to comment on her new hairdo -- Lucy replies that it looks the same as before. In the script however (and in accounts of the advance screening) there is a segment with Supergirl using heat vision and a bathroom mirror to cut her blonde hair, but she forgets that she has reverted to Linda’s brunette wig when Lucy offers her critique. The second half of this interaction appears in the movie (albeit with different dialogue to the script), so fans have speculated that the laser haircut footage may exist too.

The January 1983 script also does a better job of tidying up the story’s loose ends. For example, rather than have Linda Lee just vanish without explanation, school principal (Fred?) Danvers uncovers Linda’s secret identity after she fights the energy monster, explaining why he won’t be frantically searching for her once Supergirl returns to Argo City. No accounts, rumoured or otherwise, suggest that these segments were filmed, however.

Conclusion

Even at 150 miniutes, Supergirl would still be a flawed movie. But then perhaps, as Jeannot Szwarc has noted, its intentions were never properly understood or promoted. The film isn’t trying to be the Christopher Reeve Superman, but rather a children’s fairy-tale in which the hero uses Kryptonian superpowers instead of magic. One internet commentator noted that Slater’s Supergirl is best enjoyed as a series of unconnected vignettes -- forget that the overall plot doesn’t make sense and just enjoy each scene on its own. I think there might be some truth in that analysis.

Despite its flaws, the 1984 Supergirl movie has amassed a loyal fanbase. The special effects are superb (even Richard Donner apparently admitted that the technique Szwarc used to make his Girl of Steel fly was superior to the zooming-lenses trick pioneered on Superman), the story is unapologetically lighthearted, and Helen Slater’s endearing portrayal as the Maid of Might is still considered by many to be the definitive live-action Supergirl.

Restoring the extra footage won’t overturn the movie’s shortcomings, but it will further soothe some of its inconsistencies, while sprinkling just a little more magic dust onto what its loyal fans already consider to be a charming and bewitching cinematic experience.

The movie’s heroine succeeds in her quest to find the Omegahedron and restore Argo City to its former glory -- we can but hope that one day her fans will find any missing footage, and restore her movie to its fullest length.

Timeline:

124 min (2h 04m) international theatrical release, July 1984.

105 min (1h 45m) US theatrical release, November 1984.

125 min (2h 05m) Japanese LaserDisc, late 1984.

105 min (1h 45m) initial US VHS release, 1985.

92 min (1h 32m) HBO / ABC television cut, 1987.

89 min (1h 29m) VHS release, unknown date (1991 perhaps?)

124 min (1h 04m) Anchor Bay VHS release, 1998.

138 min (2 hrs 18 mins) Director’s Cut DVD release, Summer 2000.

150 min (2 hrs 30 mins) speculated original cut, as yet undiscovered.

Sources:

imdb.com : Supergirl main page.

imdb.com : Supergirl alternative footage.

movie-censorship.com : Supergirl International vs Director’s Cut.

supermancinema.co.uk : List of VHS and tv cuts.

maidofmight.net : Director Jeannot Szwarc interview.

Thanks to Corrine, aka supergirldiaries, for the initial inspiration.

#supergirl #dceu #comics #movies #dccomics #dc #precrisis #superhero #superheroine #superman #helen slater

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