James Gunn’s upcoming Superman film seems to be taking from many different aspects of Man of Steel lore. There seem to be pieces of All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison, and Richard Donner’s classic Superman: The Movie from 1978, among others. But the upcoming Supergirl film seems to be based on one specific comic book, Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow 10-issue DC Comics series from 2021-2022. And one of the main characters, Ruthye Marye Knoll, played by Eve Ridley, is making her live-action debut in the Supergirl movie. But who is DC Comics’ Ruthye, and what role will she play in the DCU? Let’s dive in and find out.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow Introduced Ruthye to the DC Universe
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow introduces Ruthye as a 14-year-old girl from a distant alien farming world with a red sun. When Ruthey, who has striking purple eyes and black hair, finds her father murdered by a man known as Krem of the Yellow Hills, she enlists the help of Kara Zor-El, a.k.a. Supergirl, to get revenge on the man who killed her dad. Krem had taken refuge on Ruthye’s father’s rock farm. But when the two men got into a heated argument about their world’s new king, it ended with Krem murdering Ruthye’s unarmed father. Oddly, he left the murder weapon, an ornate sword, behind.
Sword in hand, Ruthye went looking for a mercenary or warrior to help her seek revenge against Krem at a local tavern. After a local warrior bullies Ruthye, Supergirl springs to her defense. Kara is there to celebrate her 21st birthday by getting drunk. Since the planet orbits a red sun, her biochemistry works like a normal person on this planet. So she’s able to become drunk there, unlike on Earth. Famously, Kryptonians only have power under yellow suns, like Earth’s. Impressed with her bravery, Ruthye begs Supergirl to help her kill Krem of the Yellow Hills. At first, Supergirl denies her pleas, but after Krem attacks Supergirl and her Krypto, she reluctantly agrees to help Ruthye.
Ruthye and Kara Zor-El Form a Bond in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
Ruthye finds she has certain key things in common with her new ally Supergirl. After all, Ruthye lost her only parent at the age of 14, shattering her world. Kara Zor-El lost her entire civilization at the very same age. In their intergalactic quest for justice, Supergirl becomes a mentor figure to young Ruthey. Supergirl tries to convince her that killing her enemy is not the answer, and that vengeance will not quell her pain. During their galactic adventure together, they face many obstacles, and Ruthye acquits herself as a formidable fighter. We won’t spoil how the comic book series (and presumably, its film adaptation) ends, but it’s poignant and beautiful.
Ruthye in James Gunn’s DCU
Ruthye has not appeared in any DC Comics since. Will there be differences between Ruthye from the comics and her live-action DCU Supergirl incarnation? No doubt there have to be some changes made for a new medium. But as a character that appears in only ten comic books, and whose personality and motivation leave little room for interpretation, we wouldn’t be surprised if she’s one of the closest to the comic versions of a character in recent superhero movies.
For now, we get a hint of Ruthye in Supergirl‘s latest trailers. In it, we learn that, as in the Woman of Tomorrow comics, Krem of the Yellow Hills murdered Ruthye’s family. And she does seem to carry his sword… and a desire for vengeance.
Who Plays Ruthye in the DCU’s Supergirl?
Eve Ridley plays Ruthye in the DCU’s Supergirl. We don’t yet know if she’ll appear in other DCU projects.
But, we’ll all find out where this journey leads Ruthye and Kara when Supergirl hits theaters on June 26, 2026.
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