How The Penguin changes Sofia Falcone’s story as the hangman in the comics? Explained

The Penguin introduces Sofia Falcone to Gotham City in Matt Reeves' dark and gritty DC Universe. The series, directed by Craig Zobel and written by Lauren LeFranc, picks up where The Batman had left off in 2022 and goes deeper into Gotham's criminal underworld. Colin Farrell plays the Penguin, Oswald Oz Cobblepot, in the show.

The Penguin is now competing for power as Sofia Falcone comes back after being in Arkham State Hospital for a while. Her dark past is still very much present. The fact that Sofia is the daughter of crime boss Carmine Falcone makes the already tense atmosphere in Gotham even more so.

The story is primarily about Oswald's rise to power after his old boss Carmine Falcone died. He's now fighting to take over the Falcone crime empire. However, Sofia Falcone's return makes his plans uncertain. She has her own goals for Gotham and is set on reclaiming what she thinks is rightfully hers.

The fourth episode of season 1 adds a glimpse of Sofia Falcone. Her dark past brings in her identity as The Hangman. Her return to Gotham following years in Arkham shakes Oswald's rise to power. Sofia is portrayed as a more calculated and dangerous character in this series, differing from her comic counterpart.

In the comics, Sofia Falcone was introduced as the Hangman, targeting Gotham City Police Department officers in revenge for her father's death. In the show, though, her victims were seven women, and her motivations appear more personal.

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The Penguin brings changes to Sofia Falcone's story as The Hangman in the Comics

The Penguin changes Sofia Falcone's story a lot from how it starts in the comic books. In DC Comics, Sofia first shows up in The Long Halloween as a mean and angry character. After surviving a family murder her brother had planned, she turns into a serial killer known as The Hangman.

She leaves clues for GCPD officers who are linked to Two-Face, like the game Hangman. In Dark Victory, her story is one of cold revenge that ends with her being killed by Two-Face.

The HBO series, meanwhile, shows Sofia's personality more realistically and psychologically. She mostly goes after police officers in the comics, but the series depicts that she strangled seven women. This change from law enforcement to personal victims gives her character a new edge. She's portrayed not just as a cruel killer but may still be dealing with problems from her time in Arkham.

In the comics, Sofia tricks her family and enemies, but in the show, she seems much more dangerous and manipulative, even though she seems to have changed.

Alberto Falcone, Sofia's brother, is no longer in the series. As shown in the comics, her rivalry with her brother greatly affects how she acts.

In the show, though, Alberto is already dead, and Oswald is secretly to blame for his death. This change takes away an important factor but strengthens Sofia's claim to power, making her the only heir to the Falcone empire.

With this new turn of events, Sofia's story is no longer about getting revenge on her brother but about reclaiming her throne and figuring out how to get along with the Penguin.

The show also changes Sofia's place in the criminal hierarchy of Gotham. In the comics, her quest for revenge backfires and ends badly.

However, Sofia's goals in the series seem bigger and more planned out. She wants to run the criminal underworld in Gotham, which makes her a direct rival of Oswald Cobblepot. With this change in focus, she goes from being a vengeful daughter to a smart power player.

Bulgarian actress Cristin Milioti plays the character of Sofia, bringing depth and emotion. Although the comic version of Sofia was often one-dimensional, the Sofia in the show seems vulnerable but determined.

Depending on how she acts around Oswald, the two could either become reluctant allies or deadly enemies. Sofia's true intentions are kept secret, which makes her part in the series much more interesting.

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The Penguin is currently streaming on HBO Max.