Supergirl Producer Teases Lena Luthor’s Ties to Cadmus



[SPOILERS for those not caught up on Supergirl ahead.]

Supergirl’s most recent episode earned much of its pre-release hype by suggesting (and then delivering) a long-awaited scene wherein Alex Danvers confessed her unexpected romantic feelings for her newfound friend, National City Police Detective Maggie Sawyer. But the episode ended on a surprise revelation of an entirely different kind: The mysterious female scientist in charge of Cadmus was actually Lillian Luthor – Lena and Lex’s mother!

Now, executive producer Andrew Kreisberg talks what this means moving forward.
In the broader backstory of the Supergirl mythos, traditional Superman arch-nemesis Lex Luthor is an alien-hating corporate villain said to have been imprisoned after being defeated by the Man of Steel in a scenario vaguely similar to the events of the original 1978 Superman movie. As of season 2, his adopted younger sister Lena has assumed control of the family company in an attempt to repair the family name – and has become a surprise friend and ally to both Supergirl and her civilian identity of Kara Danvers.


Instead, season 2’s primary recurring nemesis has been “The Doctor,” an unnamed figure leading the anti-alien terrorist organization Cadmus. However, as of last week, fans (but not Supergirl herself) learned that she is actually Lilian Luthor, Lex’s mother and adoptive mother of Lena. Left unsaid is what side Lena herself is actually on. Kreisberg talked what that means going forward to EW:

“That’s part of why we did it this way. You’re supposed to be left wondering how involved Lena is. We’ve seen that Lillian Luthor is somebody not to be messed with. She clearly wields a great deal of power and scientific knowhow. What exactly is her relationship with her daughter, and exactly how much Lena is involved with Cadmus, makes up part of the excitement factor for these next few episodes.”

Thus far, Supergirl’s second season has largely involved mysteries centered on characters who are keeping secrets about their various identities. Along with Lena’s true motives being suspect (especially in light of this new maternal reveal), Miss Martian is concealing her true face as a White Martian and the seemingly benevolent President (Lynda Carter) may herself be an alien in disguise. It’s believed that one or more of these plotlines may tie into the upcoming “Invasion” crossover event, which will bring together the main characters from Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow against alien villains known as The Dominators.

Supergirl continues Monday November 14 with ‘Changing’ at 8pm on The CW.