- "That little girl so desperate to win her father's love... You left her on the side of the road, and all these years I've been that little girl. Yearning for my papa to come back for me. Praying that one day he would see me and love me for who I am. Thank you, for coming to the shower. You gave me an amazing gift. You showed me that I'm not that scared little girl in that picture anymore. I am an adult woman, and I am happy in my own skin, and I am so fortunate that I am surrounded by people who value and cherish me. I finally understand I don't need you to see me, or get me, or to even like me. I don't need anything from you. I'm already good. Goodbye, papa."
- —Maggie to her father[src]
Margarita "Maggie" Sawyer[1] is a police detective of the National City Police Department and a member of the Science Police.
Biography
Early life
Maggie was born to Oscar Rodas and unnamed woman. She was raised in Blue Springs, Nebraska, in a very conservative family. As a non-white lesbian, Maggie had a hard childhood, being discriminated against and treated as an outcast by her peers.[2] Growing up, she idolized her father and aspired to be a cop just like him.
When Maggie was 14, she realized she was a lesbian when she had her first crush on her friend, Elisa Wilkey. Believing the feeling was mutual, Maggie wrote a Valentine's Day card declaring her feelings and asking Elisa to the school dance and put in the latter's locker. However, Elisa showed the card to her parents, who then called Maggie's parents - outing her. When Maggie came home from school that day, her father had packed a suitcase with her belongings and told her to get in the car. They drove in silence for a while as Maggie stared out the window, initially too scared to speak. Eventually, she timidly asked her father what she did wrong. Oscar looked at her with contempt and told her "You shamed me." He left Maggie with her suitcase on the side of the road near her aunt's house. Maggie then lived with her aunt for three years, from whom she learned that her mother removed her photos from the family albums. Maggie would subsequently have no contact of any sort with her parents until adulthood, though was still hurt deeply by their rejection.[1][3]
During some point in her life, Maggie was in a serious relationship with Emily and they dated for five years. However, Maggie cheated on Emily with an unnamed woman, which lead to a very sour break-up. Emily said some horrible things to Maggie, including that she didn't deserve to be happy, which stuck with her for a long time.[4]
A hard-working and tough woman, Maggie joined the police force, rising to the rank of detective. During that time, she cracked the Martial murder, an 18-year-old cold case, by looking for clues in the seemingly mundane details, as her father taught her.[1] She later transferred to the National City Police Department Science Police division, which deals with aliens and "all things that go bump in the night". Shortly after her arrival, Maggie began to routinely attend the alien bar and had a brief romantic relationship with one of the bartenders, Darla.[2]
Working with Alex
Maggie meets Alex.
After the assassination attempt on the President, Detective Sawyer began collecting evidence at the airport when Alex Danvers, who claimed to work for the Secret Service instead of the clandestine D.E.O., came up to her and asked what she was doing in her crime scene. Maggie pointed out that she was from NCPD's Science Police and her work is to investigate everything regarding aliens. Alex tries to throw her off the investigation, but Maggie proves herself as the other woman's intellectual match, culminating in an exchange of banter between the two of them that finally ended with Alex sternly asserting herself.
The two would later meet again when Alex led her D.E.O. team into a warehouse raid in search of a supposed rogue Kryptonian. Maggie was already there, thanks to her street contacts, and casing the evidence from within; Alex's armed gear and the team allowed Maggie to discern that the former was in fact, D.E.O., much to the agent's chagrin. Later, Maggie invited Alex to an alien bar where they tried to figure out where Mon-El, the Kryptonian, was since they assumed that he is the one who attacked the president. As Alex was leaving she bumps into Scorcher.
Supergirl eventually found Mon-El and locked him up at the D.E.O.
The next day, Maggie, along with Alex, attended President Marsdin's signing decree on the alien embassy act. During the ceremony Scorcher tried again to assassinate the President; they tried to stop her, but she got away kidnapping Maggie and brought her to a factory stock where she was tied up. The detective is later rescued by Supergirl and Alex, whom she helps fighting the alien terrorist.
After a brief medical check-up at the D.E.O. Maggie thanked Alex for having saved her and then she left, saying she had a date with a girl.[2]
Alex and Maggie undercover at the alien fight club.
A few days later Maggie brought Alex to a crime scene where they found the corpse of an alien and, according to the bruises on his fists, they concluded that before his death, he fought and was killed by another alien. Later, they went to their prime suspect's home, only to see him being kidnapped by a few unidentified people in a van. In the evening, Alex and Maggie infiltrate an underground National City fight club hosted by Roulette, in which the aliens are forced to fight to the death for the money. In the first battle, M'gann M'orzz fights the kidnapped alien Quill and is about to kill him when Supergirl shows up. Alex and Maggie fire shots into the air to disperse all those present and save Supergirl.[5]
After Kara found out the new address in which Roulette will host the battle, Alex and Maggie organize a police riot and arrest the woman; however, Roulette managed to get released thank to her "friends in high places". After that, Alex invites Maggie to have a drink together, but Maggie says she can not and leaves with her girlfriend.[5]
Helping Alex come out
Sometime later, Maggie broke up with her girlfriend and Alex tried to cheer her up. After they met at the site of a diamond robbery, Alex invited Maggie to go somewhere - a bar or a cafe and, when Maggie refused, Alex tried to persuade Maggie to help 'keep each other company.' Maggie replied she didn't realize Alex liked girls. Alex denies it because she is not sure herself her orientation, and Maggie says that a lot of lesbians say the same thing prompting a shocked Alex to leave.
Alex tells Maggie that she may be a lesbian.
After the arrest of a criminal gang, Maggie placing them in the police van, when one gang member, Chet Miner, started to tell her who supplied them with alien weapons. Suddenly, the ears of all the members of the gang began to bleed and they die on the street in front of Maggie. That night, Alex found Maggie at the alien bar, asking if she was ok. Maggie apologized for how she behaved before when she accused Alex of being a lesbian, but Alex confessed that she could not stop thinking about it and that in fact, it could be the truth.[6]
Alex kisses Maggie.
Later Maggie advised Alex to come out to her family and promised that immediately after that, they'll go to have a drink together. The next night, Alex comes back to the bar telling Maggie that she came out to her sister Kara, then Alex kisses her. However, after the kiss, Maggie tells Alex that she does not want to have a relationship with someone who just came out as it never has a good ending. After these words, Alex exits the bar disappointed.[7]
Relationship with Alex
A few days later Maggie came into the alien bar and asked Alex how she was doing. Alex pretended not to be offended by what happened during their last encounter and says that everything is fine and agreed to be friends.
Alex tells Maggie they can't be just friends.
The next day, Maggie gained a warrant for the arrest of the vigilante Guardian and reported it in the news. Later, Alex approaches Maggie and asked her to stop the hunt for the vigilante, telling her that they are targeting the wrong person without revealing any further details. Maggie asks for confidential details because "we're friends," but Alex tells her that they are not friends because she was hurt that Maggie does not want to date her.
That evening, Maggie reached Alex at Kara's apartment and tells her that she hopes that they will be able to become friends because she did not want to imagine her life without her. Alex agrees to be friends with Maggie and meet her the next night and play pool.[8]
A few days later, after she found out that to spread the Medusa virus on National City Cadmus needs a substance produced by L-Corp, Alex calls Maggie and asks her to send all their available troops to the company headquarters. As Maggie and other police agents arrived there, they see Supergirl fighting Cyborg Superman and opened fire on him. Suddenly, a breach opened above them distracting the cyborg and allowing Kara to knock him down, however, he managed to shoot Maggie in the shoulder with his cybernetic laser eyes.
Maggie confesses her feelings to Alex and kisses her.
Maggie is delivered to the D.E.O. where Alex, who has a medical background, stitched up her wound and then informed her that she had spoken with her mother, and thanked Maggie for having opened her eyes. Alex now feels more herself than ever and accepts that being a lesbian is her 'new normal.'
The next evening, Maggie visited Alex at her home, confessing that she has feelings for her, and the two shared a kiss.[9]
Maggie and Alex the morning after they slept together for the first time.
Maggie began to spend more time with Alex as they explored their new relationship. Finally, Maggie spent the night at Alex's and they woke up happy to be in this new relationship. Later that same day Kara went missing and was eventually tracked to a planet Maaldoria where she didn't have her powers. Alex became hysterical and blamed herself because she was distracted by her new relationship with Maggie and didn't protect her sister. When Maggie arrived at the D.E.O., Alex told her that she couldn't see her anymore because Supergirl had gone missing and that it was her fault. Maggie was confused by how she was acting but Alex told her that she had to focus on getting Supergirl back and Maggie couldn't help her.
After Alex rescued her sister and returned to Earth, Maggie and Alex visited and Maggie revealed that she knew that her sister Kara was Supergirl because Kara was the only one that Alex could worry about as much as she did. Maggie also told Alex that she wasn't going anywhere and that she deserved to be happy.[10]
After Livewire is broken out of prison, she and Alex helped Supergirl in her investigations to track her down strengthening both their professional and personal relationship.[11]
When Kara was getting ready to spend her Earth-birthday with Alex, Alex told her that she and Maggie had plans to see a concert. Maggie had scored tickets to their favorite joint band, The Barenaked Ladies, and they were going together. However, Maggie didn't know that Alex had been replaced with a White Martian that was working with Armek to try and eliminate M'gann. When Alex was saved, she quickly called Maggie to tell her of the deception.[12]
When Lillian Luthor and John Corben had escaped from police custody, Maggie checked with the prison logs and saw that Lillian had been the prisons only visitor the night before, to see John Corben. She checked with L-Corp security and found footage of Lena Luthor taking Kryptonite from a safe that was used to give Corben back his power as Metallo. Maggie then went to Lena's office and arrested her in front of Kara.[13]
When it was Valentine's Day, Maggie criticized the holiday and thought that all of the traditions and romantic gestures people do were lame to which Alex pretended to agree. However, Alex went and surprised Maggie with a romantic gesture when she invited her back to the apartment to which Maggie reacted with great anger. She then told Alex that the reason she hated Valentine's Day so much was because when she was 14 years old she declared her lesbian feels to her best friend, Eliza Wilke, and gave her a Valentine inviting her to a dance, but Eliza told her parents who went and called Maggie's parents, who then kicked Maggie out of the house and Maggie went to live with an aunt for three years.
Later on Valentine's Day. Maggie was then told by Kara that Alex never meant to hurt her but that she was excited to have someone to actually celebrate Valentine's Day with. Maggie then went and made a romantic gesture of her own to Alex and told her that, with her, she could actually have a reason to like and look forwards to Valentine's Day again.[3]
When Jeremiah Danvers was found by the D.E.O. after being missing for over 10 years, Maggie went over to Kara's apartment to meet him and celebrate with the rest of the family. Jeremiah was surprised to find out that she was Alex's girlfriend but was still happy to meet her. When Maggie went to visit Alex later on, she found that she was crying due to Jeremiah's eventual betrayal. Maggie hugged Alex for comfort as Alex broke down.[14]
When Alex was suspended from the D.E.O. for her erratic behavior, she told Maggie that she couldn't just stand back and do nothing. She was resolved to find and protect her father and Maggie agreed to help her. They laid in wait with a registered alien and when Cadmus arrived to kidnap him the two of them came out and foiled their attempt. Maggie used Alex's alien gun and smiled as she easily took out two of Cadmus' men and said that she would have to borrow it more often though Alex amusingly told her no. Alex tracked Cadmus' hideout from the transport and Maggie offered to go with her but Alex told her that she would go alone. They shared a kiss goodbye before they went off.[15]
Personality
Maggie is one of the few humans who does not have an anti-view on aliens in general; as she treats both humans and aliens alike with the same equal rights, while not as scientifically specializing as her ex-fiancée, Maggie has proven capable of keeping up with the extraterrestrial at her own pace, having discovered the existence of an alien bar before the D.E.O. did. Maggie also has a tough personality, but once you crack down her walls, she's a cinnamon roll, being very supportive of Alex Danvers as the latter gradually came to terms with being a lesbian. She once cheated on her ex-girlfriend Emily, but expressed extreme guilt over it, knowing that it was wrong and proving that she has a moral compass.
After Maggie's parents rejected her after she came out as homosexual, Maggie became closed off to those around her. She doesn't trust easily and doesn't like to talk about herself and her problems, mainly out of fear of being rejected for who she is. After she started dating Alex Danvers, the latter started to help her heal and overcome this fear of being rejected, and help her to be not closed off to those closest to her. Maggie is calm and patient always maintaining her emotions. She is able to talk down bank robbers even after seventeen hours of negotiating. However, when her investigation was compromised by Kara Danvers's interference, she was seen losing her patience for the first time. Later on, when her girlfriend Alex is kidnapped and only has mere hours left before drowning, she compromises her beliefs and to help a criminal escape from prison in order to save Alex. When Kara intervenes, she expresses that she doesn't want to lose Alex, and was willing to do whatever it took to save her. In the end, Maggie returned Peter Thompson to prison.
According to Alex, Maggie likes guns and has a love for bonsai trees, as well as scotch.[3]
Abilities
- High-level intellect/Expert detective: As a police detective of the National City Police Department, Maggie has proven herself a highly skilled detective; as she was able to figure out that Alex Danvers was not an FBI agent but a member of the D.E.O.,[2] and that her adoptive sister Kara was actually Supergirl.[10] It is also likely that she's versed in forensic work.
- Expert combatant: As a police detective, Maggie is an expert in unarmed combat, and together with Alex, was able to hold her own against an alien brawler.
- Expert markswoman: Due to her police training, Maggie is an expert with firearms.
Equipment
- Guns: Maggie is very proficient in using guns.
Appearances
Supergirl
Season 2
Season 3
|
Arrow
Season 6
- "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 2" (mentioned)
The Flash
Season 4
- "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 3" (mentioned)
DC's Legends of Tomorrow
Season 3
- "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 4" (mentioned)
Trivia
- Maggie has a fondness for vegan ice cream[11] and tiramisu.[3]
- Like Alex, Maggie is a fan of the Barenaked Ladies.[12]
- She loves to drink scotch and black coffee.[3]
- Maggie likes bonsai trees.[3]
- As a teenager, Maggie smoked cigarettes and enjoyed horror movies.[3]
- She enjoys yoga.[4]
- Maggie doesn't want to have kids or be a mom. Instead, she wants to be the, "cool aunt".[16]
Behind the scenes
- In the DC comics, Maggie Sawyer is a police officer who has worked in both Gotham City and Metropolis, making her a supporting character in both Batman and Superman comic books. She was also a romantic interest to Kate Kane/Batwoman.
- Maggie has traditionally been depicted as a blonde Caucasian woman, in contrast to being a Latina on the show.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Far From the Tree"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Welcome to Earth"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "Mr. & Mrs. Mxyzptlk"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Distant Sun"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Survivors"
- ↑ "Crossfire"
- ↑ "Changing"
- ↑ "The Darkest Place"
- ↑ "Medusa"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Supergirl Lives"
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "We Can Be Heroes"
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "The Martian Chronicles"
- ↑ "Luthors"
- ↑ "Homecoming"
- ↑ "Exodus"
- ↑ "The Faithful"