Warning: Spoilers for Superman & Lois season 2, episode 12!
CW’s Superman & Lois has finally established Ally Allston as the supervillain Parasite, raising big questions for the last three episodes of the season. Returning from its latest COVID-caused delay, Superman & Lois season 2, episode 12, titled “Lies That Bind”, built from the big cliffhanger in its previous episode, “Truth and Consequences.” Not only does Lana Lang-Cushing (Emmanuelle Chriqui) know Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin) is Superman, but Ally Allston (Rya Kihlstedt) also remains at large.
Aware of her plot to merge the inhabitants of the Bizarro World with his own, Superman convinces his half-brother Tal-Rho (Adam Rayner) to destroy Ally’s pendant to stop her plot from happening. Despite their success in doing so, Ally later fatally drains the Bizarro Tal-Rho of all his power. After numerous hints throughout the season, this unambiguously confirms that Ally is indeed Parasite.
As a villainess with the power to absorb the energy of other people after combining with her alternate self from the Bizarro World, Ally’s Parasite is a challenging opponent for the Man of Steel to defeat. When factoring in Ally’s ruthlessness in her murder of Tal-Rho, she becomes even more menacing. With years of comic book history to draw from and shape for its story, here’s what Ally being confirmed as Parasite means for Superman & Lois season 2 as the finale nears.
Who Is Parasite? Ally Allston’s DC Villain Explained
There are numerous characters who have been Parasite in the pages of DC comics. Raymond Jensen was the original Parasite, with Rudy Jones becoming Parasite in the post-Crisis On Infinite Earths rebooted timeline, while the New 52 established Joshua Allen as Parasite. Alexandra Allston also became Parasite in the comics as part of an experiment by Dr. Emil Hamilton, who’d become the villain Ruin. Alexandra and Alex Allston were both of them adolescents at the time, with Alexandra becoming purple and Alex green as Parasite.
Various versions of Parasite have been used in different animated and live-action Superman shows over the years, with Rudy Jones (William Mapother) and Raymond Jensen (Anthony Konechny) both appearing on Supergirl. Superman & Lois does reinvent Alexandra a fair amount, shortening her name to Ally while making her into a cult leader and her Parasite origin the result of merging with her Bizarro self. In keeping Ally in the shadows, the show initially teased Doomsday as the villain of season 2 before pulling a bait and switch with Superman & Lois‘ Bizarro, with even himself ending up not a villain. With Ally firmly established as Parasite, her confirmed villainy sets up multiple likelihoods for the Superman & Lois season 2 finale.
Superman Has To Find A Way To Fight Ally (From A Distance)
As seen in the ending of “Lies That Bind,” Ally is in full control of her ability to drain the energy from other people, and this presents a big challenge for Superman. Knowing that Ally has to be stopped, the Man of Steel has to find a way to do so that will allow him to keep his distance from her as much as possible. Even still, he’ll need a good amount of distance indeed, with Ally’s Parasite powers fully operational from around a hundred feet away.
Superman does have some advantages with his powers of flight and super-speed. Allies like John Henry Irons (Wolé Parks) in his armor as the hero Steel could also be a big help to Kal-El. Indeed, John lent a hand at very critical moment right as Ally was starting to drain Superman’s powers in mid-air. The nature of Parasite as a villain calls upon Superman to channel his inner MacGuyver for strategies on how to avoid close-combat, as seen in various comic book and televised versions of Parasite. However, he’ll need to act quickly, as Ally at full power has raise another huge dilemma.
Anyone With Powers On Superman & Lois Is Now Ally’s Target
Parasite poses a particular risk to metahumans after her slaying of the Bizarro Tal-Rho. Tyler Hoechlin’s extremely powerful Superman is only the most obvious target Ally will have her sights on. It would hardly be surprising if Ally were to at least partially drain or temporarily decommission Superman. There are also multiple other candidates to end up on Ally’s radar, most notably the Kent boys.
Jordan (Alex Garfin), in particular, is likely to be an object of Ally’s energy-draining hunt as his Kryptonian powers have almost fully developed. Though Jonathan has only briefly awakened his own, he’s also potentially in Ally’s sights as Superman’s son. If Jonathan’s powers emerge before the end of Superman & Lois season 2, that would make him an even more enticing potential victim for Ally. Ally could also open the door for Superman & Lois to bring in other Arrowverse heroes, though the show has not typically indulged in cameos. Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) and The Flash (Grant Gustin) could possibly stop in to support Superman and be equally at risk of Parasite’s powers.
Why Ally Might Become Even More Murderous As Parasite
At the end of “Lies The Bind,” Ally’s plot to merge the inhabitants of the Bizarro world with the show’s main Earth lay in ruins after Superman and Tal-Rho destroy the pendant necessary to make that happen. Parasite’s killing of Bizarro Tal-Rho is likely just as much an act of rageful vengeance on her part as it was about leveling up her own powers. She undoubtedly holds the same anger for Kal-El. Recognizing him as Superman, she might decide that revenge is a dish best served cold.
While Ally and the Lana Lang of the Bizarro World seem to be forming some kind of backup plan, it could simply involve Ally unleashing her Parasite powers on the world purely to get even with Superman. With nothing left to lose and in possession of a terrifying ability, Ally could well transform into a kind of super-powered version of Heath Ledger’s Joker from The Dark Knight, attacking innocent people in order to force Superman into a direct showdown. With the Man of Steel’s aforementioned need to keep the fight as as great a distance as possible, the combination of her abilities and her rage at being defeated raise a big question mark for how the final three episodes of Superman & Lois season 2 will wrap up.
Compared to the villain roles seen on Smallville or the various shows of the Arrowverse, Superman & Lois really took its time building Ally up as a significant threat once she finally gained her Parasite powers. With three episodes remaining on the docket, Superman & Lois will surely make Ally’s energy-stealing powers as Parasite a major fixture of the finale. For the Man of Steel to defeat her, he and his allies will have to think outside the box more than ever as Superman & Lois season 2 reaches its final crescendo.
Superman & Lois airs on the CW on Tuesdays at 5 PM PST/8 PM EST.
