Warning: Spoilers for Superman & Lois season 2, episode 8
Superman & Lois is setting up the same villain identity twist to happen for the fourth time. Even though the show hasn’t been on the air for a full two seasons yet, it’s already pulled off three major misdirects with its villains and their identities. In each instance, the show used the names of comic book characters to fool viewers.
The first time was in season 1 when the series introduced Captain Luthor, who was thought to be an alternate universe version of Lex Luthor with a grudge against Superman. As it turned out, “Captain Luthor” was actually Steel from DC Comics. The series successfully hid his true identity through misleading Lex Luthor references. A very similar twist was delivered in the same season when Morgan Edge (who shares his name with a DC Comics crime boss) stood revealed as Superman’s secret half-brother. And most recently, what appeared to be setup for Doomsday culminated in the shocking arrival of a different Superman villain – Bizarro.
Based on what’s happening with Anderson and Ally Allston, the show is in a position to use the same trick again. Because she shares her name with a DC Comics version of Parasite, it was believed that Ally’s pendants and her plan to reach Bizarro World would lead to her transforming into her comic book counterpart. However, the events of Superman & Lois season 2, episode 8, titled “Into Oblivion”, indicate otherwise. When trying to get through the portal, Anderson betrayed Ally, stole her pendants, and crossed over. Now that Ally no longer possesses the tools she needs to reach her goal, the door is open for Anderson to steal her thunder and become Parasite instead.
Of course, Superman & Lois isn’t done with Ally just yet. Thanks to Lucy Lane’s deception, Ally now has a way to escape from military custody. The problem though, is that even if she gets out, Anderson is now closer than she is to becoming the god she hoped to be. The effect the pendant had on Superman during one of his fights with Bizarro hinted that they have energy-draining powers. If that’s the case, the pendants could indeed be the key to becoming Parasite, especially since stealing powers is what the character is known for in DC Comics.
Assuming that Anderson made it to Bizarro World, the next step in his journey could be to use the pendants and merge with his other self. If that were to happen, Anderson – and not Ally – may be the Arrowverse’s real Parasite. It’ll be a familiar turn of events to be sure, but not necessarily an unwelcome one. Surprisingly, the fact that Superman & Lois has repeatedly tricked audiences didn’t stop it from working effectively with Doomsday and Bizarro, and the same could very well be true for Anderson and Ally in season 2’s remaining episodes.
Superman & Lois releases new episodes on Tuesdays on The CW.