‘Supergirl’: Who Are Mercy and Otis Graves?

Supergirl‘s fourth season debuted tonight, and its first episode gave a major twist on the DC Comics world.

Mild spoilers for tonight’s episode of Supergirl, “American Alien”, below!

The episode saw Kara Danvers/Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) helping save the day around the world, before ultimately being alerted of a crime in National City. She went to a testing facility that was being raided by a woman and a man, who ultimately proved to be Mercy (Rhona Mitra) and Otis (Robert Baker). As it turns out, Mercy and Otis are brother and sister, who used to work for Lex Luthor before being sucked into Lillian Luthor’s Cadmus operation.

In a way, the pair’s Supergirl introduction actually evokes their roles in the larger DC Comics mythos — but with a few updates. Mercy first debuted in Superman: The Animated Series, as a gang leader who became Lex’s bodyguard and chauffer after attempting to steal from him.

Mercy proved to be a memorable addition to the DC Animated Universe, eventually making her way into the comics during 1999’s “No Man’s Land” storyline. This version of Mercy was depicted as an Amazon, who proved to be increasingly loyal to Lex even after being his bodyguard. She then proceeded to join the Infinity, Inc. series, operating under the codename of “Vanilla” before leaving the team soon after.

Mercy was most recently seen in the comics during the New 52, where she was re-imagined into an Asian American woman who serves as Lex’s personal assistant. This characterization carried over into live-action during Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, in which Tao Okamoto portrayed the character. This version of Mercy was ultimately gone a little too soon, as she was killed in Lex’s bombing of Superman’s Congressional hearing.

Otis, on the other hand, has his own colorful DC Comics history — and isn’t actually Mercy’s brother in the established canon. Like Mercy, Otis also originated as one of Lex’s henchmen, who Ned Beatty portrayed in Superman: The Movie and Superman II. His appearances in the DC Comics world have been few and far between ever since, including single appearances in Superman Returns, Smallville, Young Justice, and the Forever Evil comic series.

Even with both Otis and Mercy having roots in the DC world, there’s no telling where their storylines could go next within the world of Supergirl.

Are you excited to see what’s next for Mercy and Otis Graves on Supergirl? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Supergirl airs Sundays at 8/7c on The CW.