Netflix’s 'The Old Guard 2' Ruined The Comic Book's Ending

It seems like the second part of Netflix’s The Old Guard not only deviated from the original comic books but also doomed the franchise beyond repair. [Spoiler Alert] To begin with, in the graphic novels, Andy didn’t lose her immortality, at least not in the first and second parts of the series. Secondly, Noriko, whose name has been changed to Quynh in the Netflix adaptation, wasn’t locked in an iron maiden. Instead, she drowned in the ocean, thereby disappearing for centuries. Andy, who had been her lover for the past two millennia, did everything in her power to find Noriko but couldn’t locate her. The ocean keeps her dead. And then one day, Noriko suddenly returned. She just came out of nowhere filled with hatred against those who had abandoned her and left her to die over and over again. 

So basically, there was no one named Discord in the graphic novels, and Andy was still the first immortal known to mankind. The comic book, as per my knowledge of the second book, didn’t bring up the old legend Tuah talked about in Netflix’s The Old Guard 2. To be precise, the books make no mention of Nile being the last immortal, and she doesn’t have any scar on her left arm. She cannot take away the gift of immortality from other immortals, and there’s no concept of transferring one’s power to another in the book. So all these additions have been solely written for Netflix’s film, maybe to make the movie trilogy more interesting. Though I don’t think it is going to be received well by the viewers, especially the comic book readers, because the concept of transferring one’s immortality is heavily flawed, at least in the second film, and it also complicates the narrative for no apparent reason.

Speaking of the difference between the ending of The Old Guard’s second graphic novel, Force Multiplied, and Netflix’s adaptation, the latter ends with a mortal Quynh, aka Noriko, teaming up with her past lover, Andy, now an immortal, to strike the antagonist, Discord, who has abducted Nile, along with all the other immortals. However, in Force Multiplied, Noriko, after her return from the ocean bed, arranges a meeting with Andy, where she tries to bring Andy to the dark side. Her suffering has given her quite a dim view of humanity. She considers herself a devil sent to earth to make humans suffer and kill them like vermin. Their true purpose is not to protect them but to make them suffer. However, Andy refuses to be a part of Noriko’s hate crusade and therefore peacefully declines her offer. The thing is, Noriko, especially the new Noriko, isn’t someone who will take “no” for an answer, and therefore she devises an elaborate plan to separate Andy from the rest of the team.

You see, Noriko’s return in Andy’s life brings about a change in her overall demeanor. Everyone on the Old Guard can notice that Andy has been acting strange. On the mission to rescue Booker, who has been previously kidnapped by Noriko, Andy loses her cool and, in a fit of anger, ends up slaughtering Noriko’s men like a butcher. She paints the whole boat red with blood, and Nile fails to fathom what demon has taken over Andy. She never really liked taking away unnecessary life and therefore wanted answers. Before Booker’s rescue mission, Noriko paid a secret visit to Nile, as she knew she was the weakest link on the team. She asked Nile to ask Andy about “two hundred and eighty-two,” which Nile eventually brings up. So the truth is, back in the day, mostly before meeting Noriko, Andy was a Babylonian warrior who used to sell prisoners of war as slaves. In Andy’s own words, “These prisoners were sold as animals, and they are worth less than their horses.” In short, Andy has a pretty dark past, and she isn’t exactly a hero Nile or others believed her to be. She has done some unspeakable crimes, but she cannot do anything to change her past. In today’s perspective, Andy was a human trafficker, the very same she swore to catch and put behind bars. During the confrontation, Andy once again loses control of herself, and in order to defend her past, she ends up repeating the same words Noriko told her in their previous conversation. She ends up calling humans vermin, and that’s it. Andy’s words create a rift between her and her team. Nile tells Andy that she’s not sure why someone has made them immortal, but she will not use her power to bring upon humanity. They need to do good, or else they won’t be able to face themselves and never find the peace they deserve. But Andy tells her she doesn’t want to fight anymore. She’s done fighting for anyone, but she doesn’t want her friends to leave her. She has spent a huge chunk of her life alone, and she knows what loneliness feels like. It is the only thing the immortals are most afraid of, but neither Nile nor anyone listens to her cries and walks out of the door. This is when Noriko walks in and extends her hand of friendship. Basically this was Noriko’s plan from the very beginning. She knew that Andy wouldn’t come with her easily, and hence she decided to break her spirit and separate her from her friends, reminding Andy of her worst fear. And now Andy hates her team for abandoning her, just like Andy once abandoned Noriko. Through her manipulative mind game, Noriko has finally brought Andy to her side and filled her with hatred against humanity. The question here is: will Andy clash with her own friends?  Or will Nile and others be able to understand Andy’s dilemma and give the second chance she deserves?

Force Multiplied ends with Noriko telling Andy that they are going to “meet the others,” which can either mean that there are other immortals on Noriko’s team, or she’s referring to the crime syndicate she runs, and together they are planning something really sinister. The Old Guard will return for one last time for the third comic book issue, Fade Away. The title was announced in 2020, and since then there has been confirmation on its release date.