Unlike last year’s Superman or the upcoming Man of Tomorrow, it appears that Supergirl will instead feature a primary villain with a far more limited comic book resume. The main bad guy of Craig Gillispie’s Supergirl will be the murderous alien called Krem of the Yellow Hills, played by Matthias Schoenaerts. The character only ever appeared in one DC Comics series, Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, on which the upcoming film is largely based. Here’s the rundown on the history of this one-off villain, who will soon become far more well-known thanks to the newest entry in the DCU.
Krem’s Comic Book Origins in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
In the comics, writer Tom King describes Krem as an effective archer and swordsman, who hails from an unknown planet under a red sun. As DC Comics fans know, the powers of Kryptonians like Superman and Supergirl do not work on a red sun world. In Woman of Tomorrow, we learn about Krem when a young girl named Ruthye comes to Supergirl for help in getting revenge. She explains to Kara that Krem brutally murdered her father. Krem is an agent of the King who rules over this distant world. When a local farmer welcomes him into his home, he doesn’t know he’s there to test the farmer’s loyalty to the monarch.
How Krem of the Yellow Hills Becomes Supergirl’s Enemy
While sitting with the farmer, Krem tells a joke about the king, hoping to gauge a reaction. He travels the planet, looking to “Find the loyal. Punish the wicked.” The farmer doesn’t laugh, however, and instead finds himself offended at Krem’s disrespect of the crown. This should have saved him, but Krem didn’t like that the farmer found his joke unfunny. As a result, he stabs him in cold blood. He leaves the murder weapon in the home, firmly believing there will be no negative consequences for his murderous actions. However, the farmer’s young daughter, Ruthye, vows vengeance. And she enlists none other than Supergirl in her quest for retribution against Krem.
Krem Is a Master Archer and Swordsman Before Fighting Supergirl
Krem does not appear in much of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, although the focus is on the search for him. However, he does some serious damage when he does appear. He shoots two arrows into Supergirl’s chest, and also shoots Krypto the Super dog with poison arrows. Truly, he is the worst villain in all of history for this act. As Supergirl and Ruthye pursue Krem, we learn he’s joined a gang of genocidal space pirates known as Barbond’s Brigands. Supergirl and Ruthye pursue Krem across the universe, and finally, catch up to him. In the comics, instead of killing Krem, Supergirl banishes him to the Phantom Zone for 300 years.
Matthias Schoenaerts Plays Krem in Supergirl
Although an alien, the comic portrays Krem as a human-looking being, with red hair and a red beard. He looks like a stereotypical pirate from Earth’s past. His appearance in the upcoming film is completely different, however. Director Craig Gillespie covers Matthias Schoenaerts’s face in metal studs, to give him a more menacing appearance. He actually looks a bit like one of the Ravagers from James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy films. Will this villain have the same storyline and final fate as his comic book counterpart? We’ll have to wait and see when Supergirl lands in theaters on June 26.
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