- NOTE: This article is about the incarnation of Metallo from the Arrowverse. The mainstream version can be found here: Metallo (DC).
John Corben, later known as Metallo, is a major antagonist in the second season of Supergirl.
He is portrayed by Frederick Schmidt, who also played Zola Mitsopolis in the Mission: Impossible films.
History[]
Attempt to kill Lena Luthor[]
To kill Lena Luthor, Corben plans to destroy the Venture space craft on which Lena is supposed to be on its maiden voyage. He tampers with the oscillator, causing the space craft to go down during its maiden voyage. The craft is only saved when Superman and Supergirl come to the rescue. After his failure, Corben visits a black market dealer from whom he takes a futuristic drone. After learning how to fly the drone, Corben kills the dealer with it.
The DEO later learns that Lena Luthor was supposed to be on the flight. Although they believe her to be the culprit behind the sabotage, they find out soon that she is in truth the target.
With two of his drones, Corben attacks Lena during a helicopter fight. She is shielded from the bullets by Supergirl and Superman. However, Corben uses the drone's microphone to reveal to the heroes that he has more drones all over the city which are about to target civilians. Corben gives the two the choice of either saving Lena or the civilians. To save both, Superman and Supergirl split up and successfully destroy all drones. Although one of the drones manages to kill Lena's pilot, Supergirl catches the helicopter and brings it down safely.
Corben tries to kill Lena again, this time at the ceremony in which Lena is officially taking over her brother Lex' company and renaming it to provide a fresh start after her brother's crimes. By blowing up explosives all over the place, Corben creates chaos during the ceremony. The explosives also destroy an important column inside the building which now threatens to topple over. Disguised as a police officer, Corben then approaches Lena who is relieved to see a policeman. However, Corben then draws his gun on her but is disarmed by Alex Danvers. Corben attacks Alex and gains the upper hand by drawing a second gun. Taking Alex as hostage, Corben intends to blackmail his way out when Supergirl arrives. Before he can leave, Corben is shot three times by Lena with Corben's first gun. Despite being severely wounded, Corben lives and is brought to Project Cadmus where he is given the choice between the painless death and life. Corben chooses life and is reborn as Metallo.
It is revealed that Corben was hired by Lex Luthor to kill his sister Lena, who was about to destroy his legacy.
Metallo[]
Corben is saved from his injuries and, in addition, implanted a kryptonite core into his body. The Cadmus leader, Lillian Luthor, tells him that he will be pivotal in the effort to rid National City off the kryptonians.
At night, Metallo is sent out to eliminate Supergirl and Superman. He heads to a bridge and poses as a suicide jumper, gaining the attention of the media and the two heroes. When Supergirl and Superman show up to save him, Metallo reveals his true intentions. With his kryptonite heart, he shoots an energy blast at Superman and viciously attacks him. He even seems immune to Kara's punches and heat vision. Eventually, he manages to hit Kara with his energy beam as well but as he moves to finish her off, Superman engages him again and hits him off the bridge.
Back at Cadmus, Metallo asks for another chance to take both Superman and Supergirl out. Luthor, who is pleased that Metallo managed to wound Superman, tells him that he will have one once he has regenerated.
Metallo is later send out as a distraction. Both Superman and Supergirl head to the place Metallo is located, only to realize that Metallo was to lure them in to prevent them being in Metropolis where Cadmus' new cyborg is wreaking havoc. A day later, Metallo and the other cyborg engage Superman and Supergirl again but due to anti-kryptonite armor fabricated by the DEO, both heroes are not affected by their kryptonite beams. However, the cyborgs manage to smash both armors and overpower both Superman and Supergirl. Only with help from J'onn J'onzz and Alex Danvers can the battle be won. Together, Alex and Kara take down Metallo by impaling his kryptonite heart. Supergirl uses Metallo to address Cadmus, promising them revenge.
Breaking Out and Death[]
While at National City prison, Metallo recieves a bag of synthetic kryptonite from Hank Henshaw as a replacement. Now empowered once more, Metallo attacks the courtroom during his trial and breaks out Luthor. He then breaks Lena out of prison after dispatching Guardian and brings her to Lex's secret mountain vault, where Henshaw forces Lena to open the vault storing anti-alien technology. When Supergirl arrives to save Lena and battles Metallo with help from J'onn, the synthetic kryptonite is proven unstable and explodes, killing Metallo while everyone else managed to escape in time.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Corben is an adaption of the DC villain Metallo.
- This is the fourth live-action appearance of Metallo; he previously appeared in Superboy, in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Smallville.
