Every single thing HBO's 'The Penguin' changes about Sofia Falcone from the DC comics
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Cristin Milioti's portrayal of Sofia Falcone in HBO's 'The Penguin' has left fans abuzz on social media. Sofia Falcone, also known as the infamous Hangman, has just been released from Arkham Asylum, posing as Oz's biggest threat to his mission of becoming Gotham's next kingpin.
Sofia's character is particularly intriguing as she isn't one of Batman's famous villains in the comics. She has been prominent in only two comics so far - 'Batman: The Long Halloween', and 'Batman: Dark Victory'. Both the comics treated Sofia differently, which ultimately left scope for HBO to reinvent the character once again. If you're already hooked on the HBO series, take a look at the history of Sofia in the comics.
Sofia Falcone made a debut in 'Batman: The Long Halloween'
Sofia was first introduced by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale in their 1996-97 limited comic book series 'Batman: The Long Halloween'. The comic book revolves around a serial killer who targets his victims only on the corresponding holiday of every month. Carmine Falcone gets his daughter out of asylum early and asks her to join his mission of uncovering the serial killer's identity who was infamously known as 'Holiday Killer'.
The Holiday Killer then kills Sofia's brother, Alberto Falcone. However, it later turns out that Alberto had faked his death and in fact, he is the Holiday Killer. Alberto goes to asylum, Carmine is killed by Two-Face and Sofia finds herself in a battle with Selina Kyle aka Catwoman.
Sofia Falcone revealed as The Hangman in 'Batman: Dark Victory'
In 'Batman: Dark Victory', Sofia becomes the new head of the Falcone family. Gotham City has a new serial killer known as 'The Hangman' who targets members of the Police Department, mostly those associated with Harvey Dent aka Two-Face.
It later turns out that Sofia is the killer, hiding her crimes behind her fake paralysis. She also kills Alberto and then attempts to kill Harvey Dent. While Batman tries to stop her, Harvey shoots her to death.
Sofia Falcone's character undergoes major changes in 'The Penguin'
In HBO's 'The Penguin', Sofia's release from the asylum faces massive backlash from the public. However, she remains unbothered focusing on the mission to avenge Alberto. She accuses Oz (Colin Farrell) of selling her out as 'The Hangman' to her father who sent her to Arkham State Hospital.
In 'The Penguin' Episode 3, Oz admits that he had no idea Carmine would put his own daughter into the asylum but also adds that he doesn't regret his decision considering how it changed his life for good.
In the HBO series, Sofia is left all alone after Carmine and Alberto’s death. Her uncle Luca aspires to take Carmine's place in the underworld but Sofia can't let it happen. She therefore joins forces with Oz, even though she can't trust him. Unlike 'Dark Victory', she cared deeply for her brother. Another significant shift is positioning Sofia as a threat to Oz, while in the comic, she was after Harvey Dent.
Three episodes of 'The Penguin' are available to stream on Max.