- "I love you, Sam. I forgive you."
- —Patricia Arias' last words to her daughter[src]
Patricia Arias (died May 14, 2018) was the wife of a late unnamed man, the adoptive mother of Samantha Arias, and the adoptive grandmother of Ruby Arias.
Biography
Early life
Patricia Arias and her husband owned a farm outside National City. At some point, Patricia's husband passed away, much to her heartbreak. Unwilling to remarry, Patricia devoted herself to taking care of the farm, believing she would never have a family again.[1]
Finding and raising Samantha
One day in 1989,[2] Patricia discovered a crashed pod from space near her farm and found a baby girl inside. Moved by how helpless and scared the infant was, Patricia took the baby in and named her Samantha, raising her as her own daughter. Wanting Samantha to have a normal childhood, Patricia kept her alien heritage a secret, planning to reveal the truth once her adoptive daughter turned 18.[3]
As Samantha grew up, Patricia took her swimming on Mondays and Wednesdays.[4]
Unbeknownst to either of them, Samantha was a Kryptonian Worldkiller. From a young age, her other self's nature began manifesting, including repeatedly doodling an ominous symbol. Concerned and not wanting Samantha to be taken away, Patricia punished her daughter for exhibiting these urges in an attempt to suppress them, which often set the two at odds.
When Samantha was 16,[2] she became pregnant and informed Patricia. Furious, Patricia berated her daughter for being irresponsible and urged Samantha to terminate the pregnancy so their lives could go on. However, Samantha refused, wanting to keep the baby, so Patricia kicked her out. The two hadn't spoken since and Patricia never even knew the name of her adoptive granddaughter.[1][3]
Reconnecting with her daughter
12 years later, Samantha paid a surprise visit to Patricia, searching for answers to her past. Surprised but ultimately overjoyed to see Sam again, Patricia warmly invited her inside and brought them some tea. Things were tense between the two, which Patricia tried to defuse by asking why Sam didn't bring her daughter. However, she couldn't remember the girl's name and floundered for a moment. Aggravated by this, Sam revealed her daughter's name was Ruby. An argument between the two ensued, in which Sam was still bitter that her adoptive mother left her to fend for herself when she became pregnant with Ruby while Patricia claimed that she didn't want her daughter to leave, but Sam's choice to become a teen mother came with consequences. After the argument passed, Patricia wondered why Sam had even come. Sam vaguely explained that some strange things have been happening and asked if anything similarly out of the ordinary occurred in her childhood. Patricia quickly denied this and remained evasive when Sam asked for any information on her birth mother. However, when Sam revealed she wasn't hurt during a shooting at a press event because her skin had become bulletproof, a shocked Patricia relented and asked Sam to follow her.
Patricia reveals to Samantha the pod that brought her to Earth.
Patricia led Samantha outside to a shed, where a large object was covered with a tarp. When Sam pulled it back to reveal a space pod, Patricia explained that she'd lied about adopting her; in reality, she found an infant Sam in the pod and decided to take her in. Patricia reflected on her confusion of not knowing where Sam was from or who left her in the pod and why, but knew for certain the child needed a family. Patricia had promised to tell Sam the truth when she turned 18, but her daughter had already left by then. Sam examined the pod and caused it to turn on, much to both of their surprise. To further the surprise, a crystal beacon emerged from the pod, which Sam took.[3]
Death
Patricia dies with Supergirl at her side.
Patricia was stabbed by Reign after confronting her as she tried to reach out to Sam. She was then taken to D.E.O. headquarters where she asked Kara to tell Ruby that she loved her which she promised to do before she died of her injuries.
Legacy
When Sam returned to the Dark Valley to drink from the Fountain of Lillith in order to energize herself to battle Reign. Patricia told her which half of the fountain gave water that would strengthen her in order to right her wrongs as a mother, which allowed Sam to use powers similar to Reign's.[5]
Personality
Patricia was a loving mother and very protective. She only wants the best for her daughter, and was disappointed when her daughter became a teen mother.[3] She was a strict disciplinarian to Samantha and they never got along, punishing her a lot. Their relationship got worse when she was pregnant with Ruby and stopped speaking after that.
Appearances
Supergirl
Season 3
- "Damage" (mentioned)
- "Wake Up"
- "For Good" (mentioned)
- "In Search of Lost Time" (mentioned)
- "Shelter from the Storm"
- "Battles Lost and Won" (dream)