Supergirl (TV Series)

Still I Rise (2021)

Melissa Benoist: Kara Danvers, Supergirl

Photos 

Quotes 

• Supergirl : Nxyly?

  Nxylgsptinz : Miss me? Be honest.

  [as Kara prepares to fire her heat vision, Nxyly snaps, and Kara's legs are trapped in ice] 

  Nxylgsptinz : Oh, look at that. You're powerless now. I know we didn't end things on a chipper note when you left me to die in the Phantom Zone. But I wanted to thank you. You see, when I got to Earth, my powers were... nil, nothing. Nada. I had to use every resource, every ounce of my ingenuity to build something that would restore me. But, you know, it just wasn't quite enough. Until you came around. And you gave it the boost it needed.

  Supergirl : My heat vision didn't destroy your weapon, it powered it. I gave you your powers back?

  Nxylgsptinz : Mm-hmm.

  Supergirl : [into her comms]  Sentinel, Martian Manhunter, I need backup now.

  Nxylgsptinz : [looking around with a gasp]  Uh-oh. You're all alone. Utterly powerless. I felt that, time and time again. All those years in the Phantom Zone, there was only one thought that kept me going. Do you wanna know what it was? That one day, I would go back to my home, to my father, and I would kill him. I would stick him with a spit and roast him like the pig that he is. A violent thought, I know. But he betrayed me. And so did you.

  Supergirl : You gave me no choice.

  Nxylgsptinz : We were partners, friends. And yet you destroyed my last hope right before my very eyes. I never thought I would recover. But as I struggled to keep myself alive, a new thought kept me going. That one day, you would know the pain that I felt. You would watch as your greatest hope crumbled before your very eyes. And unlike you, I'm a woman of my word. So... let's get on with it, shall we?

  [she snaps, and the Ormfell building begins to crumble and collapse] 

  Supergirl : No! No! No!

  Nxylgsptinz : Struggle all you want, Supergirl. It won't work. You're bound by magic now. And only magic can beat magic.

  Supergirl : [running solutions through her head]  Mr. Mxyzptlk!

  [Mxy appears in a flash of blue light] 

• Supergirl : I remember my training days. Alex made me train blindfolded under kryptonite emitters.

  Kelly Olsen : Oh.

  Supergirl : And if that wasn't bad enough, then she made me study the tapes.

  Alex Danvers : Yes.

  Supergirl : It was not pretty.

• Supergirl : I heard from Joey's caseworker that you lost your housing. I'm sorry.

  Orlando Davis : Same old story. As soon as things start to get better, the world just knocks you right back down. You think I'd be used to it by now.

  Supergirl : Can you tell me what happened?

  Orlando Davis : Joey and I were supposed to move into this building, the Ormfell. It was part of a program that offered affordable housing for people like me. People who were recently incarcerated. But now, some tech company is buying it instead, so... back to crashing on a friend's couch. The same friend that landed me in prison in the first place.

  Supergirl : I'm sorry. That's so horrible. Can I help you find an apartment or...

  Orlando Davis : Wish it was that simple. I can't afford a place here until I get a decent job. And I can't get a decent job until I have a place to live, and I can't get Joey out of that group home until I have both. I was really counting on that housing program. A lot of people were, and City Council just took it away without a thought. Look, I appreciate everything you've done, Supergirl, but... this is how it always goes. Things get better until they get worse.

  Supergirl : Orlando. I told you I'd have your back, and I meant it.

• William Dey : I've been experimenting with almond flour alternatives, and I need an honest palate.

  Kara Danvers : Oh, you know I am always down for a taste test, but I'm kind of snowed under right now.

  William Dey : Okay.

  [glancing at the files she's carrying] 

  William Dey : "Affordable housing suffers funding cuts", "housing statistics for the Heights." What is all this?

  Kara Danvers : Our next cover story with Supergirl.

• Kara Danvers : You've heard what's going on in the Heights with the Ormfell building, yeah?

  William Dey : Yeah. Councilwoman Jean Rankin was able to negotiate a bid for Orquoia, the largest cloud computing company in the world. They want to use the Ormfell as their new HQ. Why?

  Kara Danvers : [taking another file from a co-worker]  Thank you. Well, did you know that before the bid was negotiated, the Ormfell was actually set aside for low-income housing with a percentage of the space dedicated to, uh, recently unincarcerated?

  William Dey : Well, I'd heard rumors the bid was pushing out the earmark, but people in the Heights seem ecstatic at the prospect of this company. So much so, I guess the council is holding the vote at the Ormfell.

  Kara Danvers : Yeah, the community's only ecstatic because they don't know the other side of the story. Especially when it comes to how housing stability and recidivism are related. Plus, a lack of permanent address could make it difficult for people to get jobs, and-and make them more at risk for parole violations. I mean, the ramifications are endless.

  [taking a bite of his bread sample] 

  Kara Danvers : God, that's good!

• Supergirl : That's even worse than I thought. I cannot believe I let you talk me into doing that.

  Brainiac-5 : Nonsense. That PSA is pitch-perfect. I mean, sure, your hair looks a little weird, but no one's gonna notice that.

  Supergirl : Okay.

  Brainiac-5 : Look, you said you wanted to use our role in the media to bring attention to important issues.

  Supergirl : Yes, I meant weightier issues, like mental health or the welfare system.

  Brainiac-5 : Healthy eating? That's important. I mean, you must have heard how I struggled with that. It was gross.

  Supergirl : Brainy, I'm... I'm sorry, but we... I cannot let this go live.

  Brainiac-5 : CatCo posted it 20 minutes ago.

  Supergirl : What? You... you sent it to Andrea without asking me?

  Brainiac-5 : I asked you, didn't I?

  Supergirl : No! No, you didn't... whatever. It's fine. It's fine. We can have Andrea pull it before too many people see it.

  Brainiac-5 : It's already garnered 800,000 views.

  Supergirl : 800...

  Brainiac-5 : You were right. When we spotlight an issue, the populace really listens.

  Supergirl : [holding her chest]  My heart is beating so fast.

• Supergirl : What's Mitch been up to since he was released?

  Alex Danvers : Well, there's no known address on file. I mean, it looks like he's been in and out of county jail, just a few petty thefts, one B&E.

  J'onn J'onnz : Sounds like small-time crime wasn't paying him enough money, so he sparked up the menagerie again. Hence the kidnapping.

  Brainiac-5 : I tried tracing their ship. Either it left with Naxim, or Mitch is using a cloaking device.

  Supergirl : God, another dead end? Feels like we just put this guy away and now we have to do it again. What are the odds of that?

  Brainiac-5 : Based on Mitch's history of non-violent offenses, his destitution, lack of support system and welfare available to him, and his overall lack of aptitude, two in five.

  [seeing she meant the question rhetorically] 

  Brainiac-5 : Recidivism is nothing if not statistically reliable.

  Supergirl : That's why the Ormfell vote tomorrow is so important. I need to figure out how to sway that vote stat. Maybe if I speak directly to Councilwoman Rankin, I can convince her not to hand the building over to Orquoia. You guys keep looking for Mitch and Dr. Raab. Let me know if you find anything.

• William Dey : All of this is terrible, but what does that have to do with Supergirl?

  Kara Danvers : Well, City Council is voting on the Orquoia deal tomorrow morning, and Supergirl wants to change their minds.

  William Dey : That might be a tall order. My source at city hall said Rankin spent years putting this deal together. I doubt she'd fold.

  Kara Danvers : Well, she might, if her constituents can pressure her to see things differently. Supergirl thinks that an interview from her and a few educational articles from us could get people in the Heights to see the benefits of affordable housing and convince City Council to restore the Ormfell building to its original status.

  Andrea Rojas : [having entered as she talked]  Ten out of ten for enthusiasm, dear Kara. But as for entertainment value, this strategy is DOA. Look, I hear the import on Supergirl's cause, but the vote's tomorrow. If she wants to sway the council's opinion, she needs the public engrossed and engaged, like, yesterday. And a few statistics and a colorful pie chart might not get the blood pumping. I've got three words for you: social media takeover. Supergirl can use CatCo's account to do a Q&A. We'll stream it live on the website, let our readers chime in with questions and comments in real time.

  Kara Danvers : Yeah, I-I don't know if that's her style, though.

  Andrea Rojas : Oh, dare I remind Supergirl that we are living in a technological age where hashtags are battle cries, and the fuse of a revolution can be lit by just one tweet. This takeover can circulate her cause around the world in a millisecond. I mean, just look how fast the PSA went viral.

  Kara Danvers : I mean, about that PSA...

  Andrea Rojas : My point exactly. Have Supergirl do the takeover. She can thank me later.

• Supergirl : I have searched every corner of the city and I still can't find them. Do we have an ID on the victim?

  J'onn J'onnz : His name is Dr. Desmond Raab. Originally from the planet Edifor, a race of aliens known for their building capabilities and technological advances. He moved to Earth two years ago with his family.

  Supergirl : Huh. What about the kidnapper?

  Brainiac-5 : Naxim Tork and his sidekick, Mitch. Though thanks to image inducers, Mitch is looking less blue these days. They used to run a cosmic menagerie.

  Supergirl : That's right. He tried to kidnap me in high school, make me a part of his sideshow. But I-I only saw Mitch. No Naxim.

  J'onn J'onnz : According to the files, Naxim fled Earth sometime last year.

  Alex Danvers : How? I thought the DEO put those two away years ago.

  J'onn J'onnz : We did. Naxim and Mitch were released by Lex sometime before the DEO was destroyed.

• Supergirl : Hi.

  Brainiac-5 : Hello.

  Supergirl , Brainiac-5 : We're your friendly neighborhood Super Friends.

  Supergirl : Wanna know how us superheroes stay strong and sharp?

  Brainiac-5 : We eat our greens.

  [pulling a cloth off a tray of healthy vegetables] 

  Brainiac-5 : You see, kids, I used to eat a lot of donuts. Mmm! Good, correct? Incorrect. I could barely keep up my strength to fight crime. But now, I have 86% more energy than I used to because I eat my greens.

  Supergirl : And you would know all about being green, wouldn't you, Brainiac-5?

• Supergirl : [interrupting an abduction]  Let him go.

  [recognizing Mitch] 

  Supergirl : Wait, don't I know you?

  Mitch : Interesting story.

  [he and his captive disappear] 

• Kelly Olsen : [receiving a text from work]  That was Joey's group home. Apparently, he just got some news from Orlando. The apartment fell through.

  Supergirl : What? I thought they were supposed to move in next month. What happened?

  Kelly Olsen : I don't know. But I need to be there for Joey. I promised him I'd have his back.

  Supergirl : Yeah, I made the same promise to Orlando. I'd better find him.

• Councilwoman Rankin : Supergirl, what a pleasant surprise. By the way, my daughter loves your PSAs.

  Supergirl : Oh.

  Councilwoman Rankin : She gets a kick out of that funny little green man.

  Supergirl : Just trying to make a positive impact on my community, which actually brings me to the purpose of my visit. Please consider voting no on the Orquoia deal.

  Councilwoman Rankin : Why in high heavens would I do that?

  Supergirl : Reverting the Ormfell back to its original purpose could give the recently unincarcerated people living there the support they need to get their lives back on track. Housing projects like this also benefit the community by reducing eviction rates...

  Councilwoman Rankin : That's exactly what I'm trying to do with Orquoia. Improve the community and the lives of everyone that lives there. A deal like this could inject the Heights with new money, growth, opportunity.

  Supergirl : That's exactly what affordable housing could do. Instead of investing in a corporation, you'd be investing in the people to create that change.

  Councilwoman Rankin : Do you know how many people are Orquoia employees? They add billions to the GDP each year. A business of this magnitude would increase property values in the Heights, bring better schools to the area, improve infrastructure...

  Supergirl : You're talking about gentrification, which prices out everyone who currently lives in the Heights.

  Councilwoman Rankin : I am talking about progress. I've spent years putting this deal together, and when it closes, it will be the largest community investment in the history of National City. You want me to sacrifice all that so a bunch of criminals can have a roof over their heads? Stick to leafy greens, Supergirl. Leave the politicking to me.

• Kelly Olsen : Nothing is going right today.

  Supergirl : Hey, I-I know you're frustrated about your training, but don't you think you're being a little hard on yourself?

  Kelly Olsen : You, Nia, Brainy, J'onn, you have powers. Alex has her gauntlet and her combat skills. How am I gonna fight beside all of you when I can't even master one move?

  Supergirl : What are you talking about? I saw you take down Alex. That was awesome.

  Kelly Olsen : Yeah, but I couldn't get the move she was showing me.

  Supergirl : Who cares? The way you used her momentum against her was efficient and brilliant. You just have to... shift your perspective so that you see how capable we already know you are.

• Supergirl : [Kelly receives a text]  Is it Joey?

  Kelly Olsen : No. I, um... I set an alert for your healthy eating PSA. Oh, wow, you are already at 5 million views.

  Supergirl : Oh, my God.

  Kelly Olsen : Congrats.

  Supergirl : [groaning and then laughing]  You know what? Good for Brainy. He found something that resonated with people. Meanwhile, I can't get anyone to see how important the Ormfell would be to someone like Orlando. Maybe I should publish the recidivism statistics.

  Kelly Olsen : I don't think it was the healthy eating statistics that resonated with people. It was Brainy's personal story. Okay, um... when you talk down a bad guy, you don't rattle off facts and figures. You share your personal experiences. And that's what inspires people to do the right thing.

  Supergirl : Yeah, you're right. But my voice is not the one that's important right now. So maybe I step aside and use my platform to amplify others' voices.

  Kelly Olsen : Now, that will resonate with people.

• Councilwoman Rankin : National City wants this deal. And if you couldn't tell from your little social media stunt, they don't want to hear from you.

  Supergirl : You're right. They don't need to hear from me anymore. But you should hear from the people you're planning to displace.

  Orlando Davis : People like me. Councilwoman, you don't know me. But I'm one of your constituents. My name is Orlando Davis. I spent the last two years at Van Kull Prison, and was one of the people counting on housing in the Ormfell. I've lived in National City my entire life with my little brother Joey. We lost our parents when I was 14. I quit school to take care of my brother. But there isn't a big market out there for dropouts, so the bills piled up. I made a stupid mistake and I've been paying the price ever since. But I'm not the only one who's paid it. See, I remember what it felt like to go to bed at night with my family nearby. To feel safe. To feel loved. But Joey doesn't. He's been in and out of the system his entire life, and I am so scared that he's gonna make the same mistakes that I have and I can't even be there to help him. Because what he needs is a home. He is not the only one. So I'm here today to ask you one thing: see us. All the people hoping to live in this building, when you're deciding whether to vote for this deal... you're voting on our lives, on our families. On my chance to give my brother some hope. So, please... see us.

• Supergirl : Looks like I'm not the only one working out my aggression. Mind if I join?

  Kelly Olsen : Be my guest.

  Supergirl : Any sign of Dr. Raab or Mitch?

  Kelly Olsen : No, uh, but everyone's out searching the city, so we should hear something soon.

  Supergirl : [working out with a training device, she punches it across the room]  Rankin doesn't care about anything but her own ambition. I even talked to two other city council members to try to get them to see my way, but it was... it was useless. Looks like the Ormfell is going to Orquoia anyway.

• Councilwoman Rankin : After much deliberation, the council has decided... to rezone the Ormfell for affordable housing, effective immediately.

  Supergirl : [polite applause]  You did this.

  Orlando Davis : Joey's not gonna believe it.

  Supergirl : Hey, Councilwoman. You did the right thing. Thank you.

  Councilwoman Rankin : That little speech may have swayed the rest of the council, but not me. Now the Heights will be left to the criminals. I hope you're happy.

  Supergirl : The formerly incarcerated are members of the community, too, and your council agrees, they deserve a second chance.

• J'onn J'onnz : The temperature's dropping too fast.

  Supergirl : It's encased in lead. I can't see a way to defuse it. The building will collapse if you don't calm the quaking. I have to destroy the bomb.

  J'onn J'onnz : This whole place could explode.

  Supergirl : It'll explode if I do nothing.

  [J'onn uses his powers to brace a concrete column] 

  Supergirl : Here goes nothing.

  [she fires her heat vision] 

• Brainiac-5 : I must admit, it was worthwhile to use our platform for more than just promoting healthy eating. Orlando really made a difference today. Why the burdened look?

  Supergirl : I was thinking about Mitch, actually. How he went back to a life of crime after all these years. People like him slip through the cracks every day because the system isn't designed to help them. Don't get me wrong; I am so happy Orlando won this one today. But I can't help but think that's all this is; it's one.

  Brainiac-5 : The fight for systemic change often feels never-ending. All we can do is keep showing up. Keep sharing our platform. I can't promise you it'll ever get easier. But I can promise this: I will be beside you. Every step of the way.

  J'onn J'onnz : Sorry to interrupt. We picked up an energy signature coming from the Ormfell.

  Brainiac-5 : That's strange. The energy from the cryo-nuke should have dissipated by now.

  Supergirl : It could be residual from my heat vision. I'll check it out on my way home.