‘Krypton’: Who Are Sardath and Alanna?

One of the best parts about Syfy’s Krypton — aside from the series being a fresh, fascinating take on Superman’s home world — is how the show incorporates elements of comic book history into the episodes. While previously the show has brought Kryptonian gods and language into the story, tonight’s episode reaches into a different character’s history — Adam Strange‘s.

Spoilers for tonight’s episode of Krypton, “Savage Night”, below.

Tonight’s episode picks up two weeks prior, with the moment Adam (Shaun Sipos) first speaks to Seg (Cameron Cuffe) only to collapse. It turns out, when Adam disappeared he ended up far from Krypton in what appears to be a strange spaceship or lab where he is questioned by an unseen man about his Zeta beam device. The unseen man is soon identified as Sardath who isn’t happy with Adam, even when Adam explains why he needs the device. Later, in a second scene in this stark, futuristic white space, another voice joins Sardath. This time, the voice is female and is identified as Alanna.

For fans of DC Comics, these names have significant meaning, especially in Adam Strange’s history. In comics, both Sardath and Alanna are citizens of the planet Rann, a world in the Alpha Centauri star system. One of Rann’s greatest scientists, Sardath is the creator of the Zeta-Beam. The device was initially created to communicate with other worlds but ended up a teleportation device instead. That device is what brought Adam Strange to Rann from Earth which is how he met Sardath and his daughter, Alanna.

In comics, Adam stays with Sardath and Alanna instead of being sent directly back home and over time becomes a protector of Rann. Adam also becomes involved with Alanna and the pair eventually marry and have a daughter, Aleea.

On Krypton, things appear to be quite different. While the comics version of Adam Strange is more of a serious, square-jawed hero, Krypton’s version is a lot rougher around the edges, less sure, and possibly of questionable motives — so much so that Sipos told ComicBook.com that fans think he’s actually Booster Gold. These differences in Adam Strange is reflected in the seemingly strained relationship he has with the show’s versions of Sardath and Alanna. Neither of the unseen Rannians are particularly confident in his abilities. Sardath tells Adam at one point that if the risk to Krypton is as great as he says then someone else, someone more qualified needs to be involved. Alanna echoes that, saying that she doesn’t think he can save the day, but she is a little more forgiving. She notes that he has never cared about anything more than this and thinks he should be allowed to try.

Of course, that leads to another difference. When Adam tells her that he won’t let them down, Alanna tells her he already has. While the disappointment is not elaborated on, it hints that their relationship is quite different on Krypton than it is in comics — a story that hopefully Krypton reveals more of as the show goes on.

Krypton airs Wednesdays at 10/9pm central on SyFy.