The following article contains spoilers for Black Adam, in theaters October 21st.
Adrianna (Sarah Shahi) is a major humanizing factor in Black Adam, forcing the god-like Adam (Dwayne Johnson) to see the world from a grounded perspective. She's one of the film's few major non-super powered characters, letting her bring a unique perspective to the massive events of the film.
The thing is, Adrianna is also the modern incarnation of the character Isis, who in the comic books briefly became Black Adam's wife. Although she doesn't get her powers in the film, there's a good chance any prospective sequel would follow cues from the comics and imbue her with as she grows closer to the anti-hero. But hopefully, she won't end up following her complete comics fate -- which was so dark, it set Black Adam off on a murderous global rampage.
How Did Black Adam's Adrianna Become Isis?
While most of the action in Black Adam is split between the nigh-unstoppable ancient fighter and the Justice Society, the heart of the film can be found with Adrianna and her family. Along with her son Amon and brother Karim, Adrianna has spent years struggling under the control of Intergang, who mine Kahndaq for all that it's worth. It's Adrianna who summons Black Adam back into the present day in the film, and its her noble intentions and good influence that help turn Black Adam into a lethal protector for her nation. Although the film doesn't end with the pair romantically tied, their connection could easily take that direction -- setting up Adrianna for her own power boost (and tragic storyline).
52 was an ambitious fifty-two-issue-long series set in the Post-Crisis DC Universe, released in the aftermath of Infinite Crisis. Focusing on a wide scope of characters while the trinity of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman spent an in-universe year out of commission. One of the major characters featured in the event was Black Adam, who'd by this point already briefly reformed and even served as a member of the JSA. Returning to Kahndaq and forging alliances with other nations, Black Adam is surprised by Adrianna Tomaz, a human woman unafraid to call out Adam's mistakes. He eventually falls in love with her, and is able to imbue her and her brother Amon with the powers of Shazam -- transforming them into Isis and Osiris.
The Tragic Fate of Black Adam's Isis
Together -- alongside their own Mr. Tawny Tiger in the form of the crocodile-man Sobek -- the group form their own version of the Captain Marvel family. Adam and Isis are even married, and make strides in peaceful developments for Kahndaq. But it isn't long before everything falls apart. After being manipulated into murder by Amanda Waller (destroying his global reputation), Osiris is killed by Sobek -- in reality, a member of the Four Horsemen assembled to destroy Black Adam. The assault fails to kill the ancient figure, but Isis is fatally poisoned in the attack. Enraged, Black Adam goes on the offensive -- destroying the entire population of the Four Horsemen's nation Bialya and setting off the rampage that occurs across the World War III miniseries by Keith Champagne, John Ostrander, and a host of artists.
That storyline ended with Black Adam reduced back to his human form, with the magical word that grants his powers changed and kept secret from him. Isis would also later be resurrected -- but that was retconned away as part of the Flashpoint reboot of the DC Universe. In current continuity, Adrianna is dead -- and her death lingers in Adam's mind, influencing his attempts to be a hero alongside the Justice League. Black Adam largely only takes cues from the original comics in adapting the character for the big screen, so the fate of Adrianna might play out differently on the big screen in any prospective sequel to the film. But given her fate in the original comics, Adrianna transforming into Isis might come with some very serious risks to her safety.