Menagerie

For the titular character, see Pamela Ferrer.

"We protected the humans of this city by killing a monster. Not even Supergirl could do that."

—George Lockwood

"Menagerie"
Information
Season 4 » Episode 12
Episode number	77 of 126
Original airdate	February 17, 2019
Written by	Story by: Robert Rovner Teleplay by: Daniel Beaty Greg Baldwin
Directed by	Stefan Pleszczynski
Guest stars
Bruce Boxleitner as Phil Baker Jessica Meraz as Pamela Ferrer/Menagerie Sarah Smyth as Lydia Lockwood Graham Verchere as George Lockwood Donna Benedicto as Agent Reiff Roxy Wood as Yvette
Chronology
Preceded by	"Blood Memory"
Followed by	"What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?"

"Menagerie" is the twelfth episode of the fourth season of Supergirl, and the seventy-seventh episode overall. It aired on February 17, 2019.

Synopsis

With his P.I. shingle newly hung outside his office, J'onn welcomes new clients. Trying to take her mind off what happened at the D.E.O., Kara decides to team up with J'onn on his latest assignment, which unfortunately ends up tying directly into Alex's current investigation that involves the villain Menagerie. Meanwhile, Lena shares some news with James, but his reaction isn't what she expected. Nia invites Brainy to her Valentine's Day party.[src]

Trivia

• Menagerie is a name shared by two anti-heroines in the DC Universe, both members of The Elite. They are Pamela and Sonja, two Puerto Rican sisters who are linked with a symbiotic alien weapon crèche called symbeasts. Pamela first appears in Action Comics #775 (March 2001). She gained her powers through unknown means and is recruited by Manchester Black into the Elite. Sonja first appears in JLA #100 (August 2004).
  • Interestingly enough, the original version of Menagerie from DC Comics was inspired by Venom, but the character was meant to be a parody rather than an outright rip-off. First appearing in Superman #775 in March 2001, Menagerie was part of a new superhero team called the Elite who challenged Superman's morality by claiming that they were the better heroes because they would use lethal force if they had to. Superman tried to teach the Elite a better way, before ultimately facing the entire team in a duel where he proved that he could subdue them all without violating his ethics. Now considered to be one of the greatest Superman stories of all time, the issue was later adapted into an animated movie, Superman vs. the Elite.
    • This episode shares many similarities to the marvel villain and movie Venom. The episode also depicted Pamela referring to herself and the symbiote in the plural ("We... are... Menagerie!"), the symbiote communicating with Pamela as a raspy voice only she could hear, and the symbiote manifesting as a series of snake-like tentacles.
• As it had been stated before in Black Lightning, Brainy recommends Nia to seal a painful memory (her mother's death) in the mind box. However, Nia refuses, wanting to grieve at her own pace.
• In the scene where Ben Lockwood is released from prison, a supporter is seen holding a sign that reads, "Being human is not a crime." Ben's actor, Sam Witwer, previously starred in the American adaptation of the BBC series of the same name, Being Human.