Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #3 (2021)

Following the trail of Krem of the Yellow Hills, Kara and Ruthye arrive on the planet Corunn, specifically in a picturesque town called Maypole. They speak with the mayor, who kindly assures them that if Krem was ever there, he has already left, insisting that there is no room for violence in his town. At first glance, the place seems idyllic, quiet, and deeply peaceful. The inhabitants—blue-skinned aliens—are polite and charming, but something feels off from the very beginning. While investigating, Kara and Ruthye check into an inn, where they notice an interesting detail. It has been a long time since the town last received purple visitors, with whom, until very recently, they shared the land. The moment Kara starts asking direct questions about the fate of the "Purples," the receptionist's kind facade completely crumbles, along with that of the rest of the townspeople. Polite answers quickly turn into evasiveness, hostility, and resentment. That night, Kara wakes Ruthye up, and before she can even fully open her eyes, Kara catches a bullet that was heading straight for her head. Kara uses her own body as a shield to protect Ruthye from the gunfire tearing through the room. Once the shooting stops, she hides Ruthye safely inside a closet and captures the shooter. Kara takes Ruthye to the mayor’s office, attempting to gather more information after the attack, but the mayor only offers evasive answers and openly doubts that the attack even happened. Sick and tired of the situation, Kara smashes the mayor’s desk to pieces and storms out of the office in a fury. Refusing to back down, they fly to the outskirts of the town, where Kara uncovers a mass grave filled with the corpses of the "Purples." She immediately returns to the mayor's office to confront him. The mayor panics and fires a shot directly into her face, only to watch the bullet stop dead against her skin, utterly useless. Terrified and awestruck, he confesses everything. The Barbond's brigands are men who live for the slaughter, traveling from planet to planet to indulge in mass murder. Because killing can be expensive due to the high cost of fuel and weaponry, they traditionally offer a way out: they accept a heavy tribute to bypass a city and move on to the next. However, the price of that mercy was far too high for the blue inhabitants of Maypole. Faced with an incredible terror, the authorities lamented their dilemma inside the local jail, where their cries reached the ears of Krem of the Yellow Hills, who was locked up at the time on a charge of misconduct. To the surprise of absolutely no one, Krem offered them a solution. He pressed them until they took him seriously, asking how much they could actually afford to pay and if they were willing to strike a deal. An agreement was reached to the satisfaction of both parties. Once the disgusting act of genocide was carried out against the Purples, Krem of the Yellow Hills was not only freed but celebrated as a hero. During the celebration, the brigands learned of Krem’s absolute depravity and were so deeply impressed that they offered him a berth on their ship and the honor of joining them in their future genocidal adventures. Leaving the mayor's office, a sorrowful and hopeless Ruthye stands overwhelmed and stunned, having learned the bitter truth of the universe. She cannot comprehend how these people can live their daily lives so kindly while carrying such a monstrous weight on their souls. Seeing her despair, Supergirl holds her tight in a warm hug.