The second season of My Adventures with Superman came to an epic conclusion as not only Superman and Supergirl, but all the allies of the Man of Steel rose up to the occasion to stop Brainiac’s invasion of Earth. Previously, Jimmy, Kara, and Lois, who arrived on earth in their space jump drive ship, were captured by Waller and her armada, only to later get released with the help of journalists Vicki Vale, Perry White, Steve Lombard, and others.Â
Meanwhile, taking the Superbrainiac form, the Kryptonian AI launched an attack on Metropolis, prompting Waller to order Lex to unleash a horde of Kryptonite-powered Metallos on the invaders. Clark was able to escape Brainiac’s psychological control induced by Black Mercy, as Lois’ shared her true feelings with him, and as the couple reconciled with each other, Brainiac’s mental hold over Clark was broken. Clark returned as Superman and, along with his cousin, Kara, tried to stop Brainiac once and for all. However, as Brainiac took control of the Kryptonite powered Metallo droids and launched them against Clark and Kara, the duo get subdued as well. The final episode of the second season, titled My Adventures with Supergirl, not only puts an end to the Brainiac saga but also acts as a culmination to the overall development of different plot threads throughout the entire season.
Spoilers Ahead
Super Friend to the Rescue
The Brainiac-controlled Metallo droids didn’t just attack Clark and Kara; they also held people in Metropolis, including Waller and co., at gunpoint. Due to kryptonite poisoning, Clark and Kara remain pinned down for the time being. As Brainiac charges the destructive beam on his spaceship to decimate the city, Hank Henshaw and his team of fighter pilots from the Human Defense Squadron fly in to engage with the mechanical adversaries. Unfortunately, the whole squadron is wiped out in an instant, and even though viewers aren’t shown exactly what happens to Hank, but it seems to be a hint at Hank’s future as Cyborg Superman.Â
Waller commands Luthor to shut the Metallo droids down, but he isn’t able to bypass Brainiac’s control over them. Ironic how their own hubris eventually bit them back at the end. However, Waller decides to make a last stand to protect the earth, which was her prime directive behind every heinous decision she has taken so far, and a cowardly Lex flees the scene. Just when all hope seems to be lost, help arrives in the most unexpected way: as John Henry Irons in his Steel Exo-armor, with the team of supervillains—Livewire, Heatwave, Silver Banshee, Mist, and Rough House—drops in to rescue Superman and co. from the Metallo droids. Furthermore, none other than Sam Lane is leading them, and he saves his old comrade, Waller, from a near-death situation. Earlier in this season and in the previous one, Superman’s positive influence inspiring the people of Metropolis to come together to save the city was established as a recurrent motif, and having everyone come together to assist in such a way ends the second season on a high note. Livewire and her crew, along with John Irons, engage with the Metallos in an explosive battle, while Superman and Kara go on to confront Primus Brainiac for a final battle.
Clark and his friends help Kara overcome Brainiac’s influence
Brainiac, who still has certain control over Kara, activates the eradicator protocol to knock her out in an instant. The sentient AI reveals to Clark that he was responsible for the destruction of Krypton in the first place. Under Jor El’s guidance, Krypton was going to become a more pacifist civilization, changing its former conqueror-colonizer approach, and that would have rendered Brainiac decommissioned as its sole purpose of existence was to wage war. Out of pure spite and malice, the AI caused the destruction of the planets, thereby ensuring the eradication of its makers while it survived alone, and since then, it has manipulated and gaslit Kara into becoming its trusted enforcer. As part of the Eradicator protocol, Kara emerges as a fierce, unhinged, mindless killing machine and begins to unleash a barrage of vicious attacks on Clark. Brainiac has offered Clark a terrible choice: with both his world and his cousin’s lives at stake, he can save only one of them.
After taking down Brainiac’s sentries, Clark continues to plead with a mind-controlled Kara to snap out of Brainiac’s command. Clark embraces his cousin as he reassures her of his trust in her, and even in her unhinged state, an anguished, conflicted Kara starts weeping. All her life, she has never known love, friendship, or caring, as the cruel sentient AI was hell bent on controlling her by manipulating her mind into forming insecurities. Jimmy and Lois join Clark in comforting Kara, sharing their belief that she is her own person and that she can fight Brainiac’s control to free her mind. Finally, Clark, who himself was suffering from his feeling of lacking a sense of belonging through the season, shares his realization that, like him, Kara can have a life of her own on earth, have a family, and have a home amidst people who love and care for her. For someone who has spent her entire lifetime alone and hankered for a place to belong, this works as magic as Kara finally manages to break free from Brainiac’s control.
How Did Superman and Co. Stop Brainiac’s Invasion?
Kara and Clark push Brainiac’s ship out of earth’s atmosphere and go to throw it to the sun, and while knowing there is no escaping from this, the Kryptonian AI makes a last-ditch attempt to get back at the duo by unleashing a Kryptonite synthesized beam, blasting Kara directly into the sun. Clark follows his cousin to rescue her, only to realize that, as Kryptonians, they get stronger in the earth’s yellow sun. As Kara and Clark emerge in their enhanced, stronger form, Kara dons a new ‘El’ house costume, completely severing any possible connection she had with Brainiac. The two proceed to destroy Brainiac’s ship, and Kara takes down a Kryptonite-laced Brainiac, getting injured and losing consciousness in the process. However, before losing her senses, Kara is delighted to save a planet for a change (as Brainiac’s enforcer, she was forced to be a conqueror), and she experiences a new joy as she sees people from Metropolis cheering them. Along with Kara, Brainiac’s mainframe, the last relic of Krypton, is brought back to earth by Clark.Â
Kara wakes up in the Kent household as she learns that she has been recovering for the past few days while everyone waits to throw her a welcome home party. Clark introduces her to his parents, Thomas and Martha Kent, who become busy right off to shower Kara with their love and affection. Kara and Clark play a game of catch, similar to how they enjoyed their first time playing together in space. Sam Lane, the entire Daily Planet office, are invited to Kara’s welcome home party (not knowing she is the Supergirl, of course). In his report to the Daily Planet, Clark details the support the people of Metropolis provided to save the planet from a full-scale alien invasion, similar to his thankful acknowledgement in the first season finale.
Later, Clark and Lois meet at their favorite hangout place, the rooftop of the Daily Planet, and Clark mentions that he has arranged every means to ensure Lois settles in just fine in Gotham, taking her new job at the Gotham Gazette under Vicki Vale. However, Lois mentions that she has decided to stay at Daily Planet by refusing Vicki’s offer, as she wants to stand on her own, not under her idol’s shadow. The lovebirds celebrate their reconciliation with a kiss, and later Jimmy and Kara join in for a brunch. The episode ends as Supergirl and Superman fly off to handle a fire breakout, taking Jimmy and Lois along with them as well. As Clark’s monologue itself mentions, they don’t know what the future holds for them, but they will certainly face it together.
After a brilliant end to what has been an amazing season through and through, My Adventures with Superman will possibly focus on Kara’s life on earth in its third season, while also building a larger connection with the DC universe as a whole. Lex and Slade Wilson are gaining strength while forming the Lexcorp, while Waller is still at large and has possibly evaded capture thanks to Sam Lane’s help. There are no future teases at the end of the second season finale, but plenty of clues have been scattered throughout the narrative as a whole to set a roadmap for a third one, which has already been greenlit.Â
