Supergirl Investigates the Truth About Krypton's Destruction

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Supergirl #22 by Terry Dodson, Marc Andreyko, Kevin Maguire, Rachel Dodson and Amanda Conner, on sale now.

Following the events of Man of Steel, Kara Zor-El left Earth to find answers about the final fate of Krypton. Did the planet blow up in a natural disaster, or was it truly murdered by the genocidal villain Rogol Zaar? Taking the alien's axe into space, she and Krypto intended to visit Mogo to peek into the Green Lantern Corps' official records. However, thanks to a surprising turn of events, things didn't really go according to plan.

Though the mysterious weapon has remained inert since the epic battle on Earth, it seemingly comes to life in a big way in Supergirl #22, activating while Kara and Krypto were in transit, generating enough energy to destroy the duo's spaceship. They were rescued by Green Lanterns, but the weapon only proved to be more mysterious than before, eventually revealing itself as the conduit through which Supergirl might uncover the ultimate truth about her homeworld.

The Hidden Power of the Axe

What was once thought to be a simple-yet-powerful weapon has evolved into the focal point of cosmic mystery. There has never been anything normal about Rogol Zaar's axe; even before it became such an important piece of Supergirl's investigation, it was strong enough to pierce the skin of Superman. It was also engraved with a mysterious symbol that no one could identify. Now, readers are beginning to learn that there is far more to this weapon than anyone previously realized.

Not only can the weapon generate enough power to destroy an entire spaceship, it also seems to posses the ability to shapeshift. Something in the axe is activated while Kara is on Mogo, and it transforms from a giant, unwieldy axe into a small and compact hammer. Things take an even weirder turn when Kara is caught breaking into the GLC archives. The weapon seems to react to the threat and transforms into an even larger axe, crackling with energy.

Controlled by unknown forces, Supergirl is barely able to contain the power of the axe as it swoops around and attempts to attack the nearby Green Lanterns. The weapon seems to have a mind of its own, and Kara does everything in her power to prevent it from hurting anyone. Then we see what the axe was really trying to do -- it transports Supergirl away using the energy it has collected. She is then confronted with a message from Appa Ali Apsa regarding Rogol Zaar.

Page 2: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='The Mad Guardian Reappears, Looking To Make Amends']

The Message in a Bottle

Kara seemingly triggered the secret message embedded in Rogol Zaar's axe by making contact with the weapon. The messenger is Appa Ali Apsa, a Guardian of the Universe and one of the members of the galactic syndicate known only as the Circle. longtime DC Comics fans will remember that Appa eventually went mad and tried to destroy the universe. Though he has long been dead, it would seem his secrets live on far after his demise. Now, he wishes to make amends.

He tells Kara about his involvement with the Circle, and how they employed Rogol Zaar to unleash unspeakable crimes against the people of the cosmos. It was revealed in Man of Steel that the villain eventually went rogue from the group and may have gone on to kill Krypton. Even if Appa and his cronies were not directly responsible for Krypton's demise, it's clear that the guilt of these crimes weighed heavily on him.

Appa left the message hidden in the weapon, hoping that a surviving Kryptonian would one day discover the axe of Rogol Zaar and that the truth may finally be revealed. After all, many of the members of this syndicate still rule over the cosmos today. It would seem that if Supergirl truly wants to avenge Krypton, she will have to confront a force greater than she originally anticipated.

Supergirl's Investigation Widens

Supergirl has been investigating the existence of a galactic crime syndicate that may have once been involved with Rogol Zaar. It seemed as though, in order to discover the truth about the villain who attacked Earth, she would need to learn who knew about him and how he became a genocidal monster. Now, Appa Ali Apsa's message is giving her the lead that she needed, and it's also far more information than she expected.

With the Circle being composed of the most powerful cosmic rulers in the DC Universe, it's clear that the group was pooling their power and influence for selfish gain. Previous glimpses at this syndicate have shown that they were protecting their own interests instead of defending the universe. Appa Ali Apsa may be gone, but many of the group's members still live on and rule their corner of the universe.

Whichever direction this secret message leads her, it's clear that Supergirl's journey for truth and justice is just getting started, and Rogol Zaar's mysterious axe could come into play again.