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HBO’s latest gritty DC series, The Penguin, got off to an explosive start last night. While most eyes will be on Colin Farrell’s incredible transformation as Oswald Cobb, Sofia Falcone is one of the key figures in this story.
This DC villain, played by Cristin Milioti, has a rich history and backstory. We’ve already gotten some teasers about how she fits into the world of The Penguin’s Gotham, while the source material may be a taste of what’s to come.
If you want to know more about the Hangman, we have what you need. We’ve seen all eight episodes of The Penguin – you can read our rave review here.
What has The Penguin revealed about Sofia Falcone so far?
The first episode shows that Sofia is a formidable opponent. She has an eye for details and knows how to put pressure on people. She also had a close relationship with her brother, Alberto Falcone.
She makes her debut on the show as a ghostly white figure, standing over Oz’s shoulder as he tries to stop a new drug trade. We find out that she made it out of Arkham, after being “rehabilitated”.
Macall Polay/HBO
Macall Polay/HBO
Macall Polay/HBO
She informs Oz of her brother’s whereabouts. The Penguin begins to spin a web of lies because, unbeknownst to Sofia, he shot and killed the new head of the Falcone family in a fit of rage and hid the body.
Despite his evasion, she sees a gunshot wound on the hood of his car and notices his nerves, but initially lets him slip by because of his alibi. She also notes that she is called “the Executioner” with some disbelief.
She eventually captures Oz, strips him naked, and tortures him to give him a taste of what she experienced in Arkham. Sofia regrets that Alberto visited her every week and helped her hold on to the last parts of herself.
To try to get Oz to confess to his crime, she shoots a teenage witness, claiming that this is what the Penguin wanted: that her “reputation would benefit her, even at the cost of someone’s life.”
Just as she is about to crack it, a car crashes outside – driven by Victor, who escapes before being discovered.
When she opens the trunk, her brother’s rotting corpse greets her, with a missing finger and the word “payback” scratched into the door, putting the blame on a rival gang: the Maronis (though the whole thing was orchestrated by Oz). Sofia lets out a bloodcurdling scream.
Macall Polay/HBO
Macall Polay/HBO
Macall Polay/HBO
Who were the Falcones in The Batman (2022)?
Sofia didn’t appear in the 2022 film The Batman, but her father did. Carmine Falcone (played by John Turturro) was a crime lord in Gotham who blackmailed countless politicians and businessmen. He also managed to arrest his biggest rival, Salvatore Maroni.
The Riddler discovers these connections and begins killing those involved in Falcone’s corruption ring, leaving cryptic messages to cause mass panic and recruit a group of loyal followers.
Ultimately, Bruce Wayne has Carmine arrested. As he is taken away, tensions run high between him and The Penguin. Then Carmine is shot by The Riddler, robbing someone else with a chance for revenge. That means he’s dead by the time we meet Sofia in The Penguin.
A big part of Carmine’s story in The Batman was that he had an affair with a waitress named Maria Kyle, who he later killed. Before she died, however, she had a daughter – Selina – who tried to kill him at one point during the film.
That is of course Catwoman, played by Zoë Kravitz. That makes her Sofia Falcone’s half-sister.
This hasn’t been revealed to Sofia yet on the show, and we can only keep watching to see if this will be a pivotal point in the story.
What is Sofia Falcone’s story in DC comics?
Sofia Falcone made her debut in the comics in 1996, in The Long Halloween arc. During that flight, she is released from prison by her father to help expose the Holiday killer. It is later discovered that this is her brother, Alberto. She then falls out of a window after being attacked by Catwoman.
The Dark Victory arc seems to have closer ties to The Penguin. In this, she is a serial killer who avoids suspicion by pretending to be paralyzed. Her murders earn her the nickname “the Hangman,” as she kills Gotham police officers with a noose.
We don’t yet know if this origin story is exactly the same as the HBO series, but we do know that Sofia did something to earn her that infamous nickname.
Macall Polay/HBO
Macall Polay/HBO
Macall Polay/HBO
The Penguin is available now on HBO and Max in the US and on Sky and Now in the UK. Episode 2 will be released on Sunday, September 29, 2024 and weekly thereafter.
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