Author's Notes: This season is not adapted from CW Supergirl. The theme of this season will be matters of the spirit with a heavy emphasis on Christian apologetics and mythology. Theological concepts will be discussed...poorly in ways that may lack coherence, accuracy, sanity, and proper respect. Consult your local theologian for proper understanding.
Adventures of Supergirl 7x01
Kara came before Brainiac 5 in St. Peter, Paul, and Mary's Catholic Church in Metropolis. Brainiac 5 wore simple priestly robes as he approached a kneeling Kara. "Why do you ask this of God?" Brainiac 5 asked her.
"This might hurt, it's not safe but I know that I've gotta make a change. I don't care if I break. At least I'll be feeling something cause just being okay is not enough to help me fight through the nothingness of life. I don't wanna go through the motions. I don't wanna go one more day without Your all-consuming passion inside of me. I don't wanna spend my whole life asking what if I had given everything instead of going through the motions," Kara said sincerely.
"Women should remain silent in church. They are not allowed to speak," Brainiac 5 said to her.
"It is not I that speaks but God through me," Kara replied.
"Women are to be submissive to the law," Brainiac 5 continued.
"I shall be," Kara promised.
"If you have something to inquire about, ask your husband," Brainiac 5 told her.
"I have nothing to inquire about. Others shall inquire from me," Kara recited.
"Very well," Brainiac 5 said as he went through the motions and placed his hands on Kara's head. "Eternal God, the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the creator of man and woman, that did fill with the Spirit Mary and Deborah, and Anna and Huldah, that did not disdain that your only-begotten Son should be born of a woman. You that in the tabernacle of witness and in the temple did appoint women guardians of thy holy gates: Do you now look on this your handmaid, who is appointed unto the office of a Deaconess and grant unto her the Holy Spirit, and cleanse her from all pollution of the flesh and of the spirit, that she may worthily accomplish the work committed unto her, to your glory and the praise of your Christ."
Kara then got back to her feet. "It is done," Brainiac 5 said to her.
Apokalips
With Darkseid and his minions defeated, Apokalips was now under the occupation of New Genesis. In this regard, the New Genesis leadership began to terraform the planet, inventoried weapons and bombs, and took control of Darkseid's brainwashed slaves. During this process, they were particularly harsh to these former slaves with a strict legal code under the notion that pure freedom would terrify and confuse these people.
So, during the reign of Highfather when Orion was made governor of Apokalips, a slave in the wilderness named Sohn went into the land and preached repentance and the forgiveness of sins. He spoke these things while proclaiming he was getting the people ready for the return of their savior. "Prepare the way for our Lady, make straight the path for her. And all the people will see God's salvation," he shouted to all that would listen.
The New Genesis officials came to witness his preaching with some disdain. "You brood of vipers! Who warned you of the coming wrath of God?" he asked them as they stood a distance off.
"Highfather is our father. Who the fuck are you?" the New Genesis leader asked him.
"Do not think so highly of yourselves. God can bring forth children of Highfather from these stones," he pointed at them. "The ax is ready to cut the roots of those who do not produce fruit and they shall be cast into the fire."
"Mother-fucker," one New Genesis soldier said about to kill him immediately. His squad leader held him back as the crowd of slaves gathered around Sohn. "What shall we do?" they asked him.
"Anyone who has two shirts, share one with the one who does not. If you have food and your neighbor does not give some to them," Sohn said to them.
At once the slaves tore at their rags and began to clothe those who had nothing and they began to share meals together. Sohn then brought them over to a dirty pond filled with industrial waste. "I baptize you with water but one more powerful than I shall baptize you with spirit and power. I am not even worthy to shine her boots. She will gather the wheat of the harvest and burn the rest with fire," he said to them.
Many were baptized that day while the New Genesis soldiers looked on. Finally, Orion arrived on the scene. "What the fuck is this?" he asked as slaves were being baptized in the dirty water.
"A cleansing ritual of some kind, My Lord," the squad leader said to him.
"You have sinned, Prince Orion. You have married your own sister, the daughter of the evil one, Bekka," Sohn said to him.
"The fuck did I just hear?" Orion asked offended.
"Repent or be damned, Orion," Sohn declared. Immediately, his followers gave Orion looks of defiance and disgust.
"Arrest his ass," Orion ordered his men.
"Do not resist them for as I decrease, she shall increase," Sohn told his followers. He was then arrested peacefully and thrown into prison.
At the capital, Kara came before Orion's court in a recently renovated fortress. "You are most welcome here, Kara Zor-El of Krypton," Orion said courteously.
Kara eyed Orion's court of New Genesis officials scanning them for their weapons and powers. "The spirit of the Lord has come upon me recently because He has anointed me to proclaim the good news to these slaves. He has sent me to proclaim freedom to prisoners and recover the sight of the blind, to set the oppressed free, and to proclaim the Lord's favor," Kara said.
"When you refer to the Lord, do you refer to Highfather or me?" Orion asked confused.
"This is fulfilled in your hearing," Kara said vaguely.
"Oh, really?" Orion doubted. "You think you can manage this world better than me? You think you can make it a paradise?"
"Yeah," Kara said nonchalantly.
"You may be the greatest killer in the galaxy but you're no ruler," Orion insulted.
"You have a prisoner that was talking shit about you. Release him to me now," Kara ordered.
Orion motioned for his lieutenant to bring forth the prisoner. Kara waited patiently and then her eyes widened as Sohn's head was brought before her on a silver platter. "You know what? I've assessed the situation and I'm going to leave," Kara walked out disgusted.
Kara went out to talk to the slaves and was rudely interrupted by a possessed slave still under the influence of Darkseid's brainwashing and torture. "Go away! What do you want with us, Kara of Krypton? Have you come to destroy us?" he asked her.
"I did not come to judge but to save," Kara said gently.
The man calmed down and then lay prostrate at her feet as he cried. "What words these are and with such authority?" the slaves said to one another.
With a healing device from Brainiac 5, Kara began to heal the people of their ailments and wounds inflicted upon them after years of mistreatment. "Lady, if you are willing make me clean," he begged of her.
"What makes a man unclean is not his body but his spirit," Kara said to him and then healed his skin disease. "Spread the word."
Immediately, the healed slave preached Kara's awesomeness to everyone he came across. A crowd of slaves then brought a paralyzed man to Kara to heal. "I'm cursed this way because of my parents' sin," the paralyzed man said pitifully.
"The sins of the father do not pass to the son and the sins of the son do not pass to the father. And the same goes for virtue as the Lord has made all of you His children," Kara taught the crowd and then healed the man. "Get up and walk," Kara ordered the paralyzed man.
All the while, New Genesis soldiers watched Kara from afar. "We're holy and good as offspring of Highfather. We don't have to do shit," the New Genesis soldiers reassured themselves.
Kara then hosted a grand banquet in Orion's fortress with only slaves. The slaves ate to their full and got drunk as fuck. Orion came up to a slightly tipsy Kara with a disgruntled face. "Our people fast during this time of scarcity, but you treat these people to food and drinking," he scolded.
"Don't you see these people?" Kara asked as many of them appeared as skeletons due to malnutrition. "When I leave, you can have them fast but while they are with me, they will have their full."
In the fields, Kara and a group of slaves picked grain to eat. Immediately, New Genesis soldiers were on their asses. "It's the weekend. We now have strict labor laws. These people are not to work on the weekends," one of them said to Kara.
"The fuck is your problem, asshole? These people are starving," Kara pointed out.
"We will report this to Prince Orion," he threatened.
"Yeah, you go do that. For as long as I am here, I'm in charge of Saturday," Kara told him off. Shortly thereafter, Kara entertained a large crowd of slaves in a field. "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of me," Kara said to them.
"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven," Kara said to the cheering crowd. She then turned to the New Genesis soldiers looking on.
"But woe to these rich fucks, for they have already received their comfort. Woe to them who are well fed now, for they will go hungry. Woe to those who laugh now, for they will mourn and weep," Kara pointed them out.
"This could be an issue," the New Genesis squad leader said dryly as the crowd gave them hostile looks.
However, not all New Genesis soldiers were assholes. One came up to Kara as she was teaching a crowd of slaves. This man had helped the slaves to build a church and other primitive dwellings while the other soldiers refused to intervene. He came before Kara and begged for help on behalf of his servant. "My Lady, please heal my servant," he requested.
"Fine, where is he?" Kara asked.
"No, I'm unworthy that I should have you enter my house but say the word and he shall be healed," the New Genesis soldier said to her.
"I have never seen such great faith in all of Apokalips," Kara said amazed. "But we're all sinners here. Bring me to your house," Kara insisted.
"I am also a commander like you. When I give an order, I know it will be done. I do not need to see it," the New Genesis soldier said.
"I get the point. I'm not a god. I actually need to be present to heal him," Kara said impatiently.
"It's...messy," the New Genesis soldier frowned.
"Well...shit," Kara sighed as they reached an impasse. "Take this and bring it right back," she said handing him the 31st-century healing device.
"Thank you, My Lady," he said graciously and then ran off.
"You better come back with that or I'll take back everything good I said about you," Kara warned.
Soon thereafter, the slaves brought forth a supposedly dead man with his widow mother. Kara scanned his body and realized he was still alive, albeit barely. Pointing her device at him, she ordered him to arise. The slaves backed away astonished as the man started walking and talking. After healing many others, Kara spoke to the people.
"Blessed are those that do not take offense to me," she smiled. She then noticed the New Genesis soldiers scowling at her. "What can I say about these people?" she asked pointing at them. "Sohn the Baptist ate neither bread nor wine, and they called him a devil. Now, I drink and eat with all of you and they call me a glutton and a drunk, a friend to sinners. But wisdom is within children," she said as she gathered young children around her.
Orion politely invited Kara to dinner with him hoping to mend the rift between the slaves and his soldiers. "We respect you and what you have achieved, Kara Zor-El, but are you willing to accept our laws? The slaves are not to work on the weekend. Do you want these people to not rest on the weekend?" Orion asked.
"You have them work extra hard on the weekdays to make up for it. I'm merely helping them collect food and water to survive," Kara said reasonably. "If you had a ship crash on a weekend, wouldn't you get it out?"
"Well, no, I'm rich as fuck. I would just get another ship or wait until the weekday to retrieve it," Orion said. "What you're doing is confusing our labor laws. We live by the law. If we are ruled by exceptions, then we are lost. Without the laws, we would never be a people. The law provides security. It guides our way of life."
"It wouldn't take me long at all to see that none of you are just according to your own law. The heart of your law is to love Highfather and to love one another as you love yourself...which is a lot," Kara said.
"We impose the law on the slaves but they are not one of us," Orion replied.
Suddenly, a slave woman burst into the room and wept on Kara's boots and wiped them with her hair and tears. "I am a sinner, My Lady," she sobbed.
"For Highfather's sake," Orion rolled his eyes and motioned for his guards to take her away.
"Orion, I have something to say to you. I had two creditors, one owed me five hundred thousand dollars and the other owed me fifty thousand dollars. When they had nothing to pay, I could have taken their house, their cars, their possessions, and bankrupted them. But I didn't. Now, tell me, of these two who ended up loving me the most?"
"The one with the most debt," Orion said obviously.
"Well...no shit," Kara agreed. She then turned to the sobbing woman. "Pray to God for forgiveness and He will grant it to you."
The woman nodded gratefully and was escorted out of the room. "Orion, you have no mercy towards those who owe debts to you no matter how small," Kara accused.
"So what? I'm not in debt to anyone," Orion said dismissively.
"During your long life, you have done a lot of fucked up things. You don't owe any debt to me or to these people, but you're deep in the red with God," Kara declared and then dropped the mic as she left the room.
After she had healed and taught the people, she asked them an important question. "What do you say I am?" she asked them.
"You're a goddess, the daughter of God," one said. "You're a prophetess," another said. "You're Tigra back from the dead."
"I'm merely a maid of might for God, a non-commissioned officer in His church. I'm of the lowliest position in the church hierarchy and eventually, it will be taken away when this mission is over. But my authority does not come from myself but from God for He will use the lowliest of creatures, the most sinful of creatures to promote His will. For the prideful will be taken down but the humble will be exalted," Kara told them. "And no one is more humble than me."
Kara continued with her speech. "Orion and all of New Genesis will come after me. They will reject me and try to make me suffer. Let them try. For whoever will save his life will lose it and whoever gives up their life for God's sake will save it. For what good is it to gain this whole world and lose one's soul? While Darkseid is mere atoms now, you will be raised to eternal life if you have faith."
In front of the crowd, the slaves lay prostrate as they saw two people appear next to Kara appearing as Moses and Elijah. The dark perpetual clouds of Apokalips then opened revealing sunlight for the first time in countless years. In their minds, they heard a voice in their heads. "This is my messenger, hear her," the voice said to them all.
"What's going on with all of you?" Kara asked confused. The clouds then covered the sun once more.
One morning, a huge gathering of slaves came before Kara to hear what she had to say. Upon looking at them, she saw how hungry and malnourished they were in wretched clothes. "Give them something to eat," Kara said to one of the slaves.
"All we have left is five loaves and two fish," the slave said bringing them to her.
Kara eyed the weird-ass-looking fish with three eyeballs from nuclear waste. Kara took the food, raised it up to the people, and then dropped a replicator machine capsule from the 31st century on the ground. The capsule opened and immediately the replicator was full-sized. Kara placed the food in the replicator and it started to replicate it using Kara's energy as an input. The crowd of several thousand were all fed that day.
While the slaves feasted, Orion came over to Kara. "They didn't even wash their hands before eating. How disgusting," he said arrogantly.
"Your cups and platters are immaculately clean but, on the inside, you are corrupted. You're fucked up for passing judgment on these people. You arrogantly position yourselves as lords over them and cause them to stumble into pits. You impose burdens on these people but never lift a finger, yourself. Many resisted Darkseid in the past but you had them killed to preserve the so-called peace. How many virtuous men had to die to preserve your peace?" Kara raged.
Orion sneered at Kara but went on his way with the rest of his New Genesis escort.
In a provocative act, Kara led a parade of slaves into the capital all cheering God and His messenger. As they did, the slaves sang loudly in the streets.
"Make way for Queen Kara! Clear the way in the old Bazaar!"
Kara then spoke to the capital residents made up largely of New Genesis citizens oblivious to her movement. "It's a brand new star. Oh, come be the first on your block to meet my eye. You're gonna love me. Queen Kara, the fabulous."
Kara then noticed some guards not paying her any heed. "Show some respect, boys, genuflect. Down on one knee," she scolded and then turned to the city.
"Now, try your best to stay calm, Queen Kara, mighty is she, strong as ten regular men, definitely," Kara boasted. "I've faced galloping hordes, a hundred bad guys with swords, and sent them all to the Lord."
Orion and the New Genesis officials frowned as they realized Kara was now becoming a real threat to them. As she marched, Kara scanned a large number of metal silos all filled with grain. Disturbed by this, Kara punched through one of them and let the grain come out, all edible. Kara gave Orion and his men a WTF look and then fired heat vision at each of the silos releasing grain to the people to collect.
Orion came up to Kara with a pissed-off expression. "What you have done has shocked and surprised us."
"Has it now?" Kara mocked.
"Do you wish to destroy this capital?" Orion asked.
"This city is nothing but twisted metal. I could destroy it and rebuild it in three days," Kara said confidently.
"It took centuries to build this capital but you think you can rebuild it in three days?" Orion doubted.
"Yeah, I've got super-speed and a master's degree in engineering. No sweat," Kara said.
"The salvation of this planet is the capital, not whatever the fuck you're doing outside the walls in the outskirts," Orion said angrily.
"Why do you have all of this food stockpiled away from the people?" Kara asked.
"It's reparations for thousands of years of war," Orion said obviously.
"You're already rich as fuck. What do you need more food for?" Kara asked incredulously.
"It's the principle of the matter," Orion said.
"Darkseid and his minions are dead. I saw to it. These people are innocent," Kara said.
"Innocent? They're a cursed people of a cursed race genetically designed to be subservient. They can't be saved in this life or the next," Orion sneered and then walked off.
In the capital, Kara spoke to the people that gathered around her, both slaves and New Genesis citizens. "Blessed are your eyes that have seen and your ears that have heard, for I tell you that Darkseid desired to see and hear what you have for thousands of years and never did. The Will of God is now revealed to the innocent and the simple. For the greatest is a servant like me. Darkseid wanted to be the first and now he's nothing. I didn't come here to be served but to serve. And, I must say, business is a booming," Kara said with a double entendre.
The crowd chuckled in amusement with her. "Come to me, all who have heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Follow my words and you will inherit the Kingdom of God on this world and in the next," Kara said.
"How do we inherit this kingdom?" one asked.
"When you see someone hungry, give them food. When you see someone thirsty, give them a drink. Welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the prisoner, treat the sick. For whenever you do this to the least of you, you have done so for God," Kara replied.
Suddenly, New Genesis soldiers interrupted the meeting as they hurried about the city chasing after a slave woman. Kara sped over to them and saw the slave woman thrown to the ground. The New Genesis soldiers went to shoot her with their rifles when Kara got in between them. Orion then arrived on the scene. "Lower your weapons," he ordered his men.
"What's going on?" Kara asked.
"She's guilty of prostitution," Orion said.
"Oh, really? Fuck presumption of innocence, due process, legal defense, jury trial," Kara listed off.
"We know she did it," Orion insisted.
"According to the law, you must have two witnesses. Bring them forth," Kara said.
Orion looked at his men for two volunteers to give a falsified report but none came forward. "Fuck me," he realized.
"He among you that hasn't been with a prostitute, fire first," Kara said as she stood off to the side.
The New Genesis soldiers one by one left the scene. "This is some bullshit," Orion muttered as he left as well.
Kara went over to the woman quivering in fear and took a knee next to her. "I don't judge people. I just send them to God's courtroom," Kara said to her.
The woman gave her a fearful look expecting to be killed. "Go," Kara said softly. The woman got up and walked off amazed at Kara's mercy.
Orion's wife, Bekka, then came over to Kara in the night away from others. "There's to be a meeting on New Genesis. You have many enemies there but also friends that acknowledge your teachings. Yet, my heart is troubled and my mind is confused. You must help me see the truth."
"You can't fuck your own brother," Kara informed her.
"I wish Orion and I had not the same father. If only I could be born a second time," Bekka said mournfully.
"You can only be born again in spirit, not flesh," Kara told her.
"In spirit, we can still love each other?" Bekka asked hopefully.
"In spirit, you must love everyone: Orion, New Genesis citizens, and even these slaves," Kara said. "I didn't come here to condemn you but to save you...all of you."
Shortly thereafter, Bekka annulled her marriage to Orion and became a follower of Kara.
Bekka leaving didn't sit well with Orion. He immediately made plans to arrest Kara and put her on trial. Kara was minding her own business alone in a garden when a grenade of black-star metal alloy shards blasted her severely injuring her. Kara fell to the ground stunned and bleeding. New Genesis soldiers quickly surrounded her in a deliberate ambush. As Kara regenerated from her wounds, a New Genesis soldier slapped Kryptonite handcuffs to her wrists. Kara fired heat vision at one of the soldiers blasting his ear off and nearly taking off his head. Kara then fell to her knees weakened by the Kryptonite. Orion then emerged from the shadows, pulled Kara up to her feet, and gave her an unwanted kiss.
"Kiss of death," Kara spat at him.
The New Genesis soldiers put black star chains around Kara and led her away to Orion's personal mansion. Curious slaves, that had heard the commotion, were turned away by New Genesis soldiers. "This is not your party, you toothless vermin," the New Genesis soldiers said to them.
Orion sat on his throne as his officers insulted Kara. "Who is this beggar all chained up?" one mocked Kara. "Kara of Krypton, the trouble-maker," a guard said as he pulled on Kara's chain forcing her forward.
"They say you're a queen? Where is your kingdom of yours now?" Orion mocked. "What line of royals do you descend from? You're just a scientists' daughter, no?"
"You're just as fucked up as your real father," Kara glared.
"You're accused of blasphemy against Highfather. What do you have to say to that?" Orion asked.
"I have spoken openly to everyone. I have taught in the capital. Ask those who have heard me what I have said," Kara evaded.
"Is that how you address the High Prince?" a guard asked. "With arrogance?" he asked as he punched Kara hard to the face dropping her.
"Is that all you got?" Kara mocked as she got back to her feet.
"Yes, we'll listen to those who have heard your blasphemies," Orion allowed.
A number of New Genesis officials took their turns talking shit about Kara with obvious lies. "She calls herself Daughter of God. She said she would destroy the capital and raise it back up in three days," one official said and then spat on her boots.
"She claims that if we do not eat of her God's flesh and drink of her God's blood, we will not inherit eternal life," another said.
"Silence!" Orion said to them all clearly amused by all the shit-talking. "Haven't you have anything to say to these accusations?" he asked her. "Tell us, what are you?"
"I am only a messenger to the one true God," Kara replied.
"Blasphemy!" Orion declared and then tore off his armor in an immature fit. "What is your verdict?"
"Guilty!" the New Genesis officials all declared. They proceeded to beat on Kara one-by-one until her face was bruised up and then threw her into prison with heavy guard.
The next day, Highfather came to personally oversee Kara's trial in the capital. Orion brought Kara before Highfather's throne in chains. "Do you always punish your prisoners before they are tried?" Highfather scolded.
"Highfather, she resisted arrest," Orion excused.
"What accusations do you bring against this woman?" Highfather asked impatiently.
"Well...if she weren't a malefactor, I wouldn't have brought her before you," Orion said vaguely.
"This is not what I asked," Highfather rebuked. "Why don't you judge her, yourself?"
"Highfather, you know it is unlawful for me to condemn any man or woman to death," Orion reminded him.
"To death? What has she done?" Highfather asked visibly confused.
"She violated no working on Saturday," Orion accused.
"Go on," Highfather said unimpressed. Even Kara gave Orion an eye roll.
"She has seduced the people with disgusting false doctrines. Her God is a zombie that gives his flesh and blood to the people," Orion said.
"And yet, she was welcomed, here, as a celebrity only five days ago," Highfather pointed out. "And now you want her dead. Explain this madness."
"Highfather, please, she has become the leader of a large and dangerous sect of former slaves who hail her as a queen. She has forbidden her followers from paying taxes to you," Orion lied.
"Well...that is fucked up," Highfather allowed and then motioned for Kara to come towards him.
Two guards dragged Kara up to Highfather and into his chambers. "Leave us," Highfather ordered the guards away. "Drink?" he offered Kara.
"Thanks," Kara said appreciatively and had a sip of water.
"You claim to be a queen. Are you queen of these slaves?" Highfather asked.
"Who told you that?" Kara evaded.
"Orion has delivered you into my hands. He wants me to have you executed. Why? What have you done?" Highfather asked. "Are you their queen?"
"My kingdom is not of this time. If it were, my people would not have allowed Orion to hand me over to you," Kara replied.
"Then, you are a queen?" Highfather pressed.
"I was born a commoner, a reject, I'm only here to testify to the truth. All who hear the truth hear my voice," Kara said.
"Truth? What is truth?" Highfather asked dismissively.
Highfather brought Kara back outside in front of the New Genesis crowd. "I have questioned the prisoner and I find no fault in her."
"She is an imposter, a blasphemer! Execute her!" Orion said forcefully. The New Genesis crowd chanted, "Execute her!" repeatedly.
"No, I will chastise her but then I will set her free," Highfather ruled. "See to it that the punishment is severe but do not kill her," he ordered Orion.
Just before Kara was to be flogged, Bekka came to him. "Don't condemn this Kryptonian. She means well. It will only bring trouble upon yourself."
"Do you want to know what my idea of trouble is, Bekka? This stinking planet, that filthy rabble out there," Highfather said disdainfully. "Who knows what is truth?"
"If you do not hear the truth, no one can tell you," Bekka told him.
"Truth...," Highfather sighed. "This is my truth, Bekka: I've been at war with this rotten planet for thousands of years. If I don't condemn her, I know Orion will start a rebellion against me. If I do condemn her, then her followers may. Either way, there is bloodshed. If there is another war, it will be my blood the people demand. That is my truth."
"My Lord, I have warned you," Bekka said sadly and then left his court.
Kara was then dragged away to the front of the New Genesis barracks. Her hands, still cuffed with Kryptonite, were hooked onto a pillar. The New Genesis soldiers ripped of Kara's cape and tore down her uniform to her waist with her breasts bare for all to see.
"Enjoy it while you can," Kara shook her head dismayed.
The New Genesis soldiers took rods on either side of her. Orion motioned for them to start. Kara was hit repeatedly with the rods creating long welts on her back. Kara tensed up not having felt this kind of pain before in her entire life. Orion smirked as Kara was being repeatedly struck. After they ran out of space on her back, the soldiers went for her legs. Kara nearly fell as she was hit. Eventually, the beatings became too severe and Kara fell to her knees hugging the pillar to remain upright. The soldiers continue to strike at her. After forty good strikes, Kara was in bad shape. Her hands shook and her body squirmed from the intense pain. Defiant to the end, Kara eventually got back to her feet.
The soldiers mocked her and then took out whips of black-star metal shards. "You like?" they mocked her as they shook the whips in front of her face.
Kara shook from genuine fear as she was about to receive the greatest torture of her life. The soldiers whipped Kara terribly created deep gashes in her back. Kara cried out in pain unable to bear it. After several strikes, she was on her knees unable to stand. The soldiers continued to whip at Kara with one such strike ripping a large chunk out. Kara cried out and started to go into shock. The soldiers continued to whip Kara non-stop. After the halfway mark, they turned Kara over and shredded her shoulders, breasts, and abdomen. Occasionally, they would hit her head creating deep bloody gashes. Finally, Kara was released from the pillar a bloody mess with muscles and bone exposed.
The soldiers dragged her back up, placed a royal cloak on her, and then forced a black-star crown on her head. As they did, Kara bled from her scalp to the point that her blond hair was made red. Once the soldiers were gone, female slaves loyal to Kara quickly cleaned up all the blood considering it holy. Orion then presented the humiliated Kara back to Highfather.
"Damn," Highfather muttered upon seeing her but quickly recovered. "Behold the woman," Highfather said to the New Genesis crowd.
"Execute her!" Orion shouted inciting the crowd.
"Isn't this enough? Look at her," Highfather said stunned. "Shall I execute this queen?"
"Only you are the king of the universe," Orion said with false sincerity.
Highfather turned to Kara who could barely stand. "Say something, I have the power to execute you or free you."
"You have no power over me except what was given to you by God, my God," Kara told him.
"If you free her, you are no king," Orion declared. "You must execute her. Let her death be on us and our children!"
"So be it," Highfather ruled.
Kara was brought out to be executed on a hill. New Genesis guards took either side of her as she was brought out into the capital streets to further humiliate her. As she did, she fell a few times only to be dragged back up. Orion smiled as New Genesis soldiers struck and whipped Kara as she walked. Finally, Kara fell to the ground and couldn't get back up. Orion enlisted a random slave to assist her back up and keep walking. Even so, an exhausted and hurt Kara fell to her knees taking her assistant with her.
A slave woman placed her rag on Kara's face to take away the blood and sweat. Kara gave her a grateful look but was then pulled back up to her feet. As Kara walked slowly towards the hill, she noticed the New Genesis guards preparing a stake to burn her with firewood all around it. "We'll make sure you feel the flames all the way to the end. No dying of smoke inhalation for my girl," Orion mocked.
"Tell me...were you born fucked up...or did you have to work on it?" Kara glared at him.
Suddenly, the capital was overwhelmed with a million slaves. The New Genesis soldiers were quickly overwhelmed and beaten down by the vengeful slaves. Orion quickly realized the threat and began firing on the slaves with energy beams from his hands. The slaves threw spears and blades at him that merely bounced off his energy shield. As the New Genesis guards kept watch on Kara, Orion beat on the slaves laughing maniacally as he did.
A little girl managed to get past the guards and removed the Kryptonite from Kara's handcuffs. The New Genesis soldiers grabbed the girl to kill her when Kara snapped off her cuffs. "Oh, shit!" Orion realized.
Kara's wounds quickly healed within a few seconds. Kara took the crown off her head and threw it aside with disdain. Immediately, the wounds on her scalp healed but her hair remained blood-red. She touched a button on her belt allowing nano-machines to give her a new suit with pants. As Kara focused herself, Orion fired a beam at her that blasted a hole through several city blocks. Kara emerged from the smoke and gave Orion a solid beating that destroyed his chest armor. She then grabbed his helmet.
Orion struggled against her as she slowly crushed his head. The ground shook and then split open tearing the capitol building in half. "Forgive me," Orion said as his head was about to burst.
"I don't judge. I just send men to God's courtroom," Kara said as she crushed his head completely. Orion fell to the ground dead with his head caved in. Kara then took a slow walk towards the capitol building firing heat vision at New Genesis soldiers trying to stop her. After incinerating several soldiers, Kara cornered Highfather. Alarmed by her, he pointed his staff at her.
Kara kept walking towards him. "What is truth? Let me show you some. And while I'm at it, justice and the American Way," Kara said as her eyes glowed red.
New Genesis
Kara entered a large stadium in the humbly named golden city of Supertown. The city was in stationary orbit with the planet high above the surface and was completely covered in gold. Kara eyed the gold with some disgust and then greeted Bekka. "What can I do to help you?" she asked sympathetically.
"I have a message for the people of New Genesis. Fill up this stadium or I'll melt this city and burn all of its inhabitants to ash," Kara ordered.
Spooked, Bekka quickly departed, and quickly the stadium was filled with New Genesis citizens all wearing golden clothes and looking perfectly healthy. From a balcony box, Kara eyed the tens of thousands of so-called new gods. Her eyes turned red and her hands twisted the gold metal of the balcony as she felt hate and contempt for them. Although physically healed, she still felt the trauma of the flogging and disrespect she had received. Even now, her body shuddered and she closed her eyes trying to block it out. Bekka noticed Kara's demeanor with some alarm.
Kara then focused herself and addressed the crowd with a booming voice. "It has been said that you should forgive your brothers and sisters up to seven times," Kara began. "On Apocalypse, your leaders punched me, spat on me, and generally disrespected me. I was beaten with rods forty times, whipped nearly to death forty times. Then, I was marched through the city to be burned on a stake. And...I took that personally."
The New Genesis crowd remained hushed thinking they might be incinerated on the spot. "But a man wiser than me...," Kara said and then began to cry as she was having a mental breakdown. "A man wiser than me said that you are to forgive not seven times...," Kara said and then paused for dramatic effect with everyone in Supertown holding their breath.
"But seventy times seven," Kara told them. "I'm here to turn the other cheek. Does anyone here...want a piece of me?"
The New Genesis crowd was silent and didn't move a muscle. "No? Well, okay then," Kara said with a less than stable mental expression. "Since coming here, I've seen a lot of changing. The way you felt about me, and the way I felt about you. I guess...what I'm trying to say is that if I can change, and you change, everybody can change!"
The crowd was on their feet with applause thankful for the message but also for not being incinerated in Kara's wrath. A mentally exhausted Kara turned away from the crowd and went back to Apokalips.
Apokalips
The New Genesis occupation force left Apokalips leaving the former slaves in charge of their own planet. Kara baptized as many of them as she could with clean water. "Once I leave, you are to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit," Kara said to them.
"Won't you stay to rule our world?" one of them said to her.
"You will receive power from the Holy Spirit to witness to all corners of this world...and someday, other worlds," Kara smiled. She then flew up into the air until she was no longer visible to them.
The former slaves of Apokalips waved goodbye as their sky was now a healthy blue with white clouds.
Author's Notes: Kara's missionary work on Apokalips mirrors the Christian Gospels but the end is more oriented towards the Jewish desire for a Messiah that would lead a revolt, overthrow the enemy, and establish a global kingdom. The point here is that Kara is not Jesus, obviously, and her mission is quite different here reflecting her approach and personality. In the 31st century, Kara is that Messiah figure so she continues that role here.
*B5 temporarily appoints Kara as a deaconess (non-ordained) not to be confused with "female deacon" (ordained). The deaconess was a position in the Early Church before it was phased out by the nuns. The point here is that a theoretical deaconess would be one of the lowest ranks within the Church and yet Kara is able to convert an entire planet with this assignment. B5 is also quoting 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 when he tests Kara's intentions for her rank.
*Sohn is an obvious reference to John the Baptist.
*Bekka is not the sister of Orion in the comics. She's the daughter of Himon, not Darkseid. However, for AOS purposes, her background has been changed to create an analogy to King Herod and his wife. She also plays the role of Nicodemus and Pilate's wife, Claudia.
*Highfather and Orion are supposed to be the "good guys" but AOS has twisted the situation in a more cynical direction.
*Kara quotes Rocky who gives the greatest reconciliation and forgiveness speech of all time in movie history.