#supergirl 3x04

[aceofwhump]

Hey Ace, hope you have a fantastic weekend! If you are busy then feel free to ignore this ask.

I was wondering, can you think of any scenes in shows or movies where one character is being tortured or hurt while their friend or another character is forced to watch and isn't able to help them? Something like season 1, episode 12 of the Following when Mike gets kidnapped and Ryan tries to help him through the glass. I enjoy this trope because of the comfort and aftercare afterwards!

Hi nonny! That is an excellent trope! I have several examples for you. Enjoy!

Hawaii Five-0 6x01, 10x22

Hudson & Rex 3x09

Stargate Atlantis 3x07

Chicago PD 3x01

Castle 3x13

NCIS 7x01

Supergirl 2x07

Teen Wolf 3x04, 4x01

NCIS: Los Angeles 5x01

Stargate SG-1 5x07

Sense8 2x11 and show finale movie

Legends of Tomorrow 1x05

Killjoys 1x05

Supernatural 1x22

[super-lad]

So I just prayed. I prayed to anything, to anyone who was listening... To save me. And then out of this smoke came this hand, and grasped mine. My biology absorbs solar radiation at a different rate than humans. What about that is miraculous? In this life, prayer normally doesn't work. Nobody shows up. But... you do.

Supergirl. 3x04. “The Faithful.”

[mspirations]

Kara Danvers "The Faithful" - 3x04

Boden Ravello Top in Frosty Blue Scribble Print

Brooks Brothers Water-Repellent Cotton-Twill Trench Coat

L.A. Eyeworks Dap Frames in Tortoise Eyeglasses

Stone and Strand  Tiny Dot Stud Earrings

Kate Spade Metro Classic Watch

Thanks for identifying:

Melissa Benoist Fashion

[bitch-for-a-rainbow]

So there's a blanddcheadcanons post that says that "Kara is the mortal avatar of Rao" and I really don't like it, especially in the context of SG 3x04 (The Faithful). At best, as was pointed out to me by a friend with whom I discussed this post, the House of El is likely blessed and somewhat sponsored by Rao, which probably doesn't do much but produce Krypton's greatest heroes, given what the word "El" **means** in Kryptonian. I'm interested in your thoughts on this (pls post your answer).

    I reject the headcannon solely because if it were true it would mean Coville was right and I fucking hate that bitch.

     In all seriousness, though, this is an idea I've seen a lot and I'm not a huge fan of. I don't know much about Raoism beyond what appears in the show and that which can be inferred off of the show. One thing I would point out though is that El in Kryptonian (while obviously being intended to mean God by the original comic writers) can mean Sun or Stars, and since the Kryptonians in the show are, as far as I can tell, monotheistic, and worshipped only one particular star, the El family is not necessarily named God. It would, however, signify their enormous prestige on Krypton and contribute to the famous El pride (or rather, arrogance). I’m not sure it would necessarily have to mean anything more than that-- that the Els are a respected house who have produced a variety of successful politicians, civil servants, and scientists. And (this time reaching a little bit) that they are perhaps so old and respected that their house name was once a title. 

      There is a certain allure to the theory, for sure. Kara is a paragon character. She always, always does what she thinks is right, regardless of the cost, personal or global, and regardless of what other people might think of it. She has a very direct moral compass, and there are only a handful of times when she doesn’t follow it, all of which involve saving Lena. Ship who you want, but it is notable that Kara routinely prioritzes Lena’s life over that of others given the rarity of that happening otherwise. She never even considered breaking Rick Thompson’s father out of prison when he kidnapped Alex, and all he’d committed was bank robbery. Kara has lines she does not cross (though murder is clearly not one of them). She is a character that has seen some of the worst that sentient life is capable of, has seen more death and suffering than most people could imagine, and she came out of it with an all-encompassing desire to protect others. She lives to give people hope. Plus, the humor of having Kara-- the one person most offended by the idea of being an Avatar of Rao-- turn out to be an Avatar of Rao is great.

       But, I would also say that having Kara want to do good because she is the avatar of a benevolent god is reductive and not particularly true to her character. It is true that helping and protecting people is a large part of the core of who Kara is. But there is a difference between altruism and the self-destructive, bordering of suicidal desperation to save absolutely everyone that Kara practices. And to anyone who doubts the suicidal bit, I direct you to the season 1 finale where Kara literally goes on a goodbye tour because she thinks if she goes out to fight Non she’ll die. She still goes because she has hope, but that hope is that she can at least save Earth with her life. She doesn’t fight because she is certain in the ultimate victory of good and justice. She does it because she more afraid to lose another family than she is to die. Kara doesn’t become Supergirl and risk her own life because she believes in good, she does it because she can’t stand to listen to people suffer-- because she has suffered. To use Alex’s words in 1x13 “You fight everyday to keep people from struggling like you have.” Notably also in 1x13, Kara wakes up from the Black Mercy and her first words are “Who did this to me?” and then she goes after Non in what could arguably be described as a homicidal rage-- a rage that is fueled entirely for personal reasons, not the greater good of Earth (though that comes as an added benefit), which is.... not very befitting the avatar of a benevolent god. 

     A major part of season 1 is Kara dealing with grief and rage. She nearly breaks a guy's arm in episode 6 because he screamed at her for damaging his car, to hell with the children he'd almost hit with it. In season 3's Midvale flashbacks we see her first put both hands through a lunch table, then attack Jake when she suspects him for Kenny's death. She gets better at controlling it as the seasons progress, but during Crisis she very nearly melts Lex. Also not particularly godly of her. 

     Then there is the fact that so much of who Kara is is shaped by fear: fear of the government, fear of humanity, fear of abandonment, and fear of herself. In her civilian life, Kara is, for the most part, unnoticeable. She's polite, soft-spoken, doesn't wear a lot of bold colors or styles, and is often a pushover. As shown by her encounter with Red Kryptonite, Kara would not dress or speak the same way to people without the pressure of hiding her identity (though much of her dialogue is purely the loss of her "don't be an asshole" filter, some of it is stuff she had every right to say before and just didn't). I have always found that episode to be very interesting purely for the fact that Kara doesn't actually seem to be seeking harm on others so much as seeking their attention. Her argument with Alex is almost entirely about how much she hates having to hide and pretend to be less than she is. Kara drops Cat off the balcony and then catches her. She attacks the police when they point weapons at her but doesn't kill or even hurt them that badly, instead of destroying the car they're using as shelter. Red-K removed her inhibitions, made her angrier, yes, but if her goal was to actually hurt people, she could have done so-- would have done so, and with great ease. She goes to a public bar and uses super strength to smash bottles by flicking peanuts. Why do that at a crowded bar? Why not just flick potato chips at the windows in her own apartment?

      This is Kara at her absolute worst-- but does she seek out the DEO agents who shot her out of the sky? Does she go after Maxwell Lord or Non? No. She tries to make people pay attention to her. Her most shameful and hideous desire is for people to give her respect. (Admittedly, respect gained through fear, but still.). Kara's a nice person-- much, much nicer than average-- but a lot of that "nice" is just her avoiding conflict to avoid attention.

      Kara is a good person. Kara inspires people. But that is because Kara gets up every day and chooses to be good and to inspire. It's one of the reasons I enjoy Non as a villain so much-- he and Astra are Kara's narrative foils. They also remember Krypton and grieve its loss. They also were trapped in the Phantom Zone. But where Kara had the Danvers to convince her that some good people existed and would risk themselves just to help others, Non and Astra had Alura sentencing them to eternal suffering rather than helping them save their planet (through the means they thought necessary) and then landed on Earth and found it headed on the same path as the planet they'd just lost. Kara had people to help her grieve. Non and Astra were surrounded by misery. They lost hope. Kara discovered it.

     Kara is the Paragon of Hope because she has been hopeless. Because she has suffered so much, seen so much, and because she chooses to believe in a better future. She didn't have hope her first time in the Phantom Zone. She didn't even have hope for a while on earth. From what we can gather, Kara's choice to start actually believing in the future was a gradual shift that occurred sometime after Kenny's death and has lasted her ever since. For Kara, hope is learned. She chose to hope and she won't let it go, and to assign that incredible victory off to her being a God is an insult to her growth and to her character. 

   Now I personally thought “The Faithful” handled this concept very well. 3x04 is one of my favorite episodes of television in general, let alone in Supergirl. Season 3 is my second favorite season, and that says a lot for its good episodes when the bad of season 3 is so, so very bad (To say nothing of the episode to episode production value, we have the waste of Argo, Mon El’s return as obviously he’s grown he has a beard Mon El, and whatever the hell was going on with Kryptonian genetic engineering eclipse causing witches). To this day I don’t know why Kara had magic dreams. The show did nothing to explain it and I can’t imagine up a reason. 

     But “The Faithful” works because it highlights the whole paragon part of who Kara is. When you realize that every person in the room of Coville’s cult is a person she has personally saved-- that hits hard. Especially since only a fraction of the people she’s saved would ever set foot inside that building with the totally not-creepy, entirely wholesome way they deliver the invitations. (“Your daughter is special. She has been chosen. As have you.”) It works because it focuses on how the average human must view Kara, the ones who don’t see her argue with her sister over potstickers and crush her phone when she gets mad. It works because of how desperately hard Kara tries to be a human. It works because the writers know that we, the audience, do not see Kara as anything but a regular person with irregular abilities: a kind and remarkably devoted person, but not a god. 

[miraculousagentsofkrypton]

Supergirl - “The Faithful”

[petnissonfire]

Alex and Maggie being cute (◕‿◕)

[catargott]

@i-am-robie THESE TAGS GODDAMMIT WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO MAKE ME CRY???

[mrs-bartowski]

Me to my roommate: so you know how there's a cult in the new Supergirl episode?

Roommate: *nods*

Me: guess who the cult is worshipping

Roommate: Lena?

Me: No, supergirl

Roommate: is...is Lena in the cult?

[atgf-0]

[queercapwriting]

A Very Supercorp Girls’ Night

“maybe at girls night when it’s mentioned if kara is dating anyone and lena gives her that look indicating that her and lena are ready to tell everyone? or alex and maggie noticing lena looking at kara and alex confronting either kara or lena or both about it?” prompt from @softlena​ and “I second @softlena​'s request. have kara and lena finally admit after Alex and Maggie noticing the looks between the two and then obvs bets are won. or just like idk something to do with that fact...” from @cicinicole-14​ and “Lena’s reaction to “I’m not seeing anyone”” from @katiemcgraffs​ and “no mention of mon el in the girls night scene. instead of sam asking if karas seeing anyone, she asks if she has her eyes set on anyone and cue nervous glances between kara and lena” from @prettyprettygirls

A fan fic of... this... fan fic...?? https://queercapwriting.tumblr.com/post/166966243904/girls-night

Sam noticed it the first time Lena mentioned Kara -- and the second, and the third, and the fourth -- but she wasn’t sure until she actually met Kara, until she saw her and Lena together. 

That they were together.

Except no one knew it.

So when they’re all teasing Alex and Maggie about how cute they are together, about what a gorgeous couple they make and how many women they must make weep with their monogamous softness, Sam deliberately tries to keep her voice casual as she asks Kara the question.

“And what about you, Kara? Do you have your eyes on anyone?”

Lena’s eyes sparkle with both desire and challenge; with both affection and need; with sheer adoration and utter respect; with something even purer than tenderness and something even more painful than terror.

Because at Sam’s question, Kara’s eyes immediately and impulsively seek Lena’s.

Maggie, Alex, and Sam all hold their breath. 

“Oh, I’m so... I’m so busy... building my career... at CatCo, you know, that reporting career!” 

Maggie and Alex barely resist facepalming. Sam arches a bemused eyebrow and Lena just beams at this nerd who’s become the center of her universe.

“Okay, sure, but it doesn’t take too much time to uh...” Sam’s eyes subtly trace the path Lena and Kara’s eyes keep traveling, to each other. “Set your eyes on someone?”

Kara reddens, and normally, Lena would consider it her duty to laughingly get Kara out of the spotlight.

But she can feel her pulse in her fingers and her heart might slam out of her chest if it beats any faster.

She wonders if Kara can hear it.

Of course she can.

And Kara’s eyes find hers, and this time, they’re not just flirting. This time, they’re not exchanging a secret or a memory or a fleeting touch. 

This time, Kara’s eyes are asking a question.

And this time, Lena’s eyes are granting consent. Readiness. Willingness.

Excitement.

“Actually, um... I’m sorry, I... I lied before. Just now.”

“No!” Alex puts her hand on her heart. Maggie nudges her shoulder and Alex nudges back. Alex’s face sobers, leaning down from her teasing to hold Kara’s hand. 

“It’s okay, Kara, you can say it.”

“Say...” Kara leads, because she’s not sure what Alex means, because how could Alex possibly know?

“I think your sister’s referring to the fact that I’m your girlfriend, darling,” Lena ventures, and her voice is small, and it’s brave, and it’s hopeful, and it’s terrified.

“Told you Luthor would spill it first!” Maggie chimes, and Kara adjusts her glasses and tries to keep up with the ebullience around her.

With Alex dropping to the ground and nearly toppling Lena over with the force of her hug.

With Maggie dropping to the ground and nearly toppling Kara over with the force of her own.

With Sam slipping her phone out of her pocket and snapping pictures, because the Danvers girls and their future wives are going to want to have this moment on film.

“You’re not getting a flash grenade!” Alex scolds, still holding Lena.

“Oh come on, Danvers,” Maggie whines, still holding Kara.

“I can build you one of your very own, Detective Sawyer,” Lena whisper-shouts with a mischievous grin, and Alex lets go of her immediately.

“Don’t you dare, Luthor,” she warns, and Kara’s eyes fly wide.

“Choose carefully,” Sam leans into her. “The sister versus the sister-in-law and the girlfriend -- I don’t envy your position right now.”

Her smile is wide and Lena’s is wider.

“Oh darling, don’t be distressed, Alex and I are just teasing.”

“There will be no teasing if you build my fiancee a flash grenade, Lena,” Alex tries and fails to sound stern.

“Maybe as a wedding gift, then,” Lena teases, and Kara crawls over Alex’s legs into Lena’s lap.

“Maybe we can debate the finer points of the ethics of giving Maggie unnecessary weapons later?” Kara asks, and they all laugh.

Lena leans down to kiss her lips, and Alex watches her little sister melt. She watches her little sister soak in and radiate so, so, so much love.

She watches her little sister float, and bring her girlfriend along with her, and god, is it a beautiful sight.

[performativezippers]

Okay like I GET the urge to have kids, I really do.

But you’re honestly going to tell me it was watching that awkward-ass teenager she’s met once, in a childish dress singing the incredibly annoying song from fucking Willy Wonka, that did it for Alex? That led her to her (beautifully acted) breaking point??

And not the god damned adorable ten little bitty hoofers tap dancing their hearts out while dressed as her fucking baby sister who she raised and taught to read and showed the constellations to and taught to throw a punch and is constantly reminding that the world is better with her in it?

REALLY?

REALLY?

[love-wins-exd-trin]

“I love her so much..and it hurts. And I convinced myself that living a life with her…is enough”   – Ooohh, Alex. We can’t have everything, can we?😞💔–

[mspirations]

Kara Danvers "The Faithful" - 3x04

Brooks Brothers Jacquard Bird’s-Eye Silk-Cotton Shell

Brooks Brothers Water-Repellent Cotton-Twill Trench Coat

L.A. Eyeworks Dap Frames in Tortoise Eyeglasses

Stone and Strand  Tiny Dot Stud Earrings

Kate Spade Metro Classic Watch

Thanks for identifying:

Melissa Benoist Fashion

[bitch-for-a-rainbow]

Burial Rites

How religions and culture affect character choices and behavior has always been something that fascinated me, especially in shows and stories where such “small details” are painfully neglected. *Cough* Supergirl *Cough*. Just the little things that can cause massive butterfly effects, like the Kryptonian hatred of monarchy, something displayed with the daxamites but that would also have massive ripple effects on how Kara herself would interact with varying human civilizations and history. What does Kara think of the Queen of England, for example, or other non-monarchical, but also non-democratic dictatorships. Does Kara have the same disdain for Oligarchy that she has for monarchy? Is Kara one of those people who gets incredibly upset when someone says they don’t vote?

But one of the big culture and religious effects that I personally have always adored and played around with is how a sun god affects death and grieving rituals. We know from 1x14, that Kryptonians are sent to burn in their sun upon death, that a surviving female is supposed to lead these rites and that Kara knows how to perform it(this will be important later). We also know from the first season, but more in-depth the third, that Kara still practices her faith. (though that may be a strong word. How watching your world explode into a thousand tiny pieces as a child, and then being abandoned with aliens to be raised on a planet that despises your existence would affect your faith is a whole other essay). We also know from 1x14 that this death practice is incredibly important to the Kryptonian people. Non gives up his crusade for two weeks to observe the rites, a crusade he believes is the only salvation to Earth, and when questioned on whether or not Non will properly observe the mourning period Kara becomes very offended, saying “Do you think he is going to let his wife walk alone in the dark?”. The prayer for the dead also contains multiple allusions to bringing people home in the light and staving off darkness. 

This all brings me to the conclusion that, to a Kryptonian who worships a sun god, wouldn’t burial be the most horrific act to perform on the dead? We know from the 3x04 that Kryptonians can and do use candles and fire as a sort of replacement for sunlight. We can guess that pre-space flight Kryptonians would simply burn their dead. We know Kara doesn’t have a problem with humans burying other humans, we see her at funerals. But the real question I have is about Non. We don’t know whether or not Non survived the fight in the finale of season 1, but if he didn’t-- which I choose to believe because it’s more in-line with Kara’s character in S1, S2 and S4 (we are ignoring the utterly random and weird ‘wait i don’t kill people’ in S3 because it was random and weird) and, like, his eyeballs got blown up-- we never see Kara go through any kind of grieving rite. In season 1, Non begins the death rites within 24 hours of Astra’s death, and less than 12 hours after Non’s “fate”, Kara is home and having a party with her friends and family, and directly after that, Mon-El arrives. 

Sure, Kara could have just done the rites sometime when we weren’t watching but it’s just as likely that to her, Non no longer had the right to a Kryptonian funeral. Kryptonians had an honor based culture, and one where houses were everything. Non had done a bunch of, well, really shitty things, and had already been sentenced for murder and terrorism (a murder he actually committed even if the terrorism charge was less earned) before he arrived on Earth and attempted to murder his niece against orders (an action which indirectly led to his commanding officers death) and oh yeah attempted xenocide (not entirely sure whether to use xeno- or genocide here but they both work). If ANYTHING strips you of your right to honored rituals it has to be that. Beyond all of these things it is entirely up to Kara. A person who he 

A.) set a black mercy on 

B.) repeatedly tried to murder + her friends and family 

C.) forced the friends of whom to jump out a window, one of them to their deaths, 

D.) forced the sister of whom to try and kill her 

E.) had her martian friend stabbed and of course 

F.) tried to murder literally every friend and adopted family member she had.

After all of the pain he put her through, would it be so shocking then, that she chose to punish him for that the best way she knew how? 

Would it be so out of character that Kara sentenced the man who made her life a living hell to his own? Burying his body, and leaving him to rot in the cold and dark ground. 

Given how little Kara canonically discusses her faith and culture with others, even with Alex. Would anyone even know what she had done? And if Alex or J’onn did know, would they just not mention it and allow her the smallest of retributions for all that Non had done?

*******

This a headcannon of mine that has actually wormed its way into multiple of my fics, published and in progress, and one that I think invites thought. I might post more on how having a sun god would affect Kara’s perception of things (especially the phantom zone) but for now I hope people enjoy this.

tl’dr: Kryptonians probably hate burials, Non is a bitch, and Kara might’ve gotten revenge in a way most humans wouldn’t even recognize. 

[femaleheroes]

[silence-like-sleeping]

CW writers: Lena doesn't know Kara is Supergirl, but Cult Leader Guy™ looks Kara in the eye once and knows.

Us: that sounds fake, but okay