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Supergirl
Kara Zor-El.jpg
The pre-New 52 Supergirl, Kara Zor-El.
Variant cover to Superman/Batman #13.
Art by Michael Turner.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance Action Comics #252 (May 1959)
Created by Otto Binder
Al Plastino
In-story information
Alter ego Kara Zor-El
Species Kryptonian
Team affiliations Teen Titans
Legion of Super-Heroes
Justice League
Red Lantern Corps[1]
Supermen of America
Notable aliases Flamebird, Linda Lee Danvers, Claire Connors, Kara Kent, Linda Lang
Abilities
  • Superhuman strength, speed, hearing, endurance & stamina
  • Various extra sensory and vision powers
  • Flight
  • Invulnerability
  • Hand to hand-combat (Advanced)
  • Genius-level intellect
  • Multilingualism
  • Artistry
  • Klurkor

Supergirl is a fictional superheroine appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and related media. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino. Going by the real name Kara Zor-El, Supergirl is the biological cousin and female counterpart to DC Comic's iconic superhero Superman, created by writer Jerome Siegel and designed by artist Joseph Shuster.

The Supergirl character first appeared in a story published in Action Comics #252 (May 1959) titled "The Supergirl from Krypton". Since the character's comic book debut, Kara Zor-El's Supergirl has been adapted into various media relating to the Superman franchise, including merchandise, television, and feature film. However, during the 1980s and the revolution of the Modern Age of Comics, Superman editors believed the character’s history had become too convoluted, and desired to re-establish Superman as "The Last Son of Krypton". Supergirl was thus killed during the 1985 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths and retconned out of existence. In the decades following Crisis, several characters unrelated to Superman used the alias "Supergirl".

Kara Zor-El re-entered mainstream continuity in 2004 when DC Comics Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Dan DiDio, along with editor Eddie Berganza and comic book writer Jeph Loeb, reintroduced the character in the Superman/Batman storyline "The Supergirl from Krypton". The title paid homage to the original character’s 1959 debut. As the current Supergirl, Kara Zor-El stars in her own monthly comic book series. With DC's 2011 relaunch, Kara, like most of the DC Universe, was revamped. Until early 2015, when the title was cancelled, she featured in her own series Supergirl, as well as related comics like Superman.

Publication history[edit]

Creation[edit]

Although Kara Zor-El was the first character to use the name "Supergirl," DC Comics tested three different female versions of Superman prior to her debut.

Supergirl's first appearance in Action Comics.

The first story to feature a female counterpart to Superman was "Lois Lane – Superwoman," which was published in Action Comics #60 (May 1943). In the story, a hospitalized Lois Lane dreams she has gained superpowers thanks to a blood transfusion from the Man of Steel. She begins her own career as "Superwoman", complete with a version of Superman's costume.[2]

In the Superboy #78 story entitled "Claire Kent, Alias Super-Sister", Superboy saves the life of an alien woman named Shar-La, who turns Superboy into a girl, in retaliation for his disparaging thoughts about women drivers which she picked up telepathically. In Smallville, Clark claims to be Claire Kent, an out-of-town relative who is staying with the Kents. When in costume, he appears as Superboy's sister, Super-Sister, and claims the two have exchanged places. Once Superboy has learned his lesson about feeling more respect for women, Shar-La reveals the episode to be a dream which she projected into Superboy's mind.[3] This incident could be a reflection of the gender discrimination present against women at the time and the resentment by women of the period.

In Superman #123 (August 1958), Jimmy Olsen uses a magic totem to wish a "Super-Girl" into existence as a companion and aid to Superman; however, the two frequently get in each other's way until she is fatally injured protecting Superman from a Kryptonite meteor. At her insistence, Jimmy wishes the dying girl out of existence. DC used this story to gauge public response to the concept of a completely new super-powered female counterpart to Superman.[4]

Otto Binder wrote, and Al Plastino illustrated, her debut story in Action Comics #252 (May 1959), in which the definite Kara Zor-El is sent to Earth by her parents Zor-El and Alura to be raised by her cousin Kal-El, known as Superman.[5]

Reaction at the DC Comics offices to Supergirl's first appearance was tremendous, with thousands of positive letters-of-comment pouring in.

Following this debut appearance, Supergirl adopted the secret identity of an orphan "Linda Lee", made Midvale Orphanage her base of operations, and like her cousin, as a teenager joined the Legion of Super-Heroes.[6] Linda was adopted by Fred and Edna Danvers in 1961, becoming "Linda Lee Danvers".[7] Supergirl acted for three years as Superman's "secret weapon," until she was at last introduced by her super-powered cousin to an unsuspecting world in Action Comics #285 in 1962.[8] Supergirl shared Action Comics with Superman until transferring to the lead in Adventure Comics at the end of the 1960s. During this period, "Linda" moved to Stanhope College, and then to San Francisco. In 1972, she was finally moved to her own eponymous magazine, but the move, which involved a change in creative staff, was not successful and the magazine was canceled. Supergirl, along with Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, whose magazines were canceled at about the same time, was moved to Superman Family, of which she soon became the lead, before her magazine was relaunched some years later.

Death during Crisis on Infinite Earths[edit]

Main article: Crisis on Infinite Earths
The death of Supergirl, featured on the cover for Crisis On Infinite Earths#7. Art by George Pérez.

In 1985, the maxi-series Crisis on Infinite Earths was conceived as a way to reduce DC Comic continuity to a single universe in which all characters maintained a single history. Despite Supergirl’s continued popularity and status as a central member of the "Superman Family", the editors at DC Comics and the creators of the maxi-series decided to kill Supergirl off during the Crisis. According to Marv Wolfman, writer of Crisis on Infinite Earths:

Before Crisis it seemed that half of Krypton had survived the explosion. We had Superman, Supergirl, Krypto, the Phantom Zone criminals, the bottle city of Kandor, and many others. Our goal was to make Superman unique. We went back to his origin and made Kal-El the only survivor of Krypton. That, sadly, was why Supergirl had to die. However, we were thrilled by all the letters we received saying Supergirl’s death in Crisis was the best Supergirl story they ever read. Thank you. By the way, I miss Kara, too.[9]

The idea of killing Supergirl was first conceived by DC's vice president/executive editor Dick Giordano, who lobbied for the death to DC's publishers. He later said he has never had any regrets about this, explaining, "Supergirl was created initially to take advantage of the high Superman sales and not much thought was put into her creation. She was created essentially as a female Superman. With time, writers and artists improved upon her execution, but she never did really add anything to the Superman mythos—at least not for me.".[10] The poor initial reception of the 1984 Supergirl (film) was also blamed by some sources.[11]

The Supergirl film however gained popularity on VHS, eventually becoming a near cult classic.

In 1989, in the tale "Christmas with the Super-Heroes" the soul of Kara appears to Boston "Deadman" Brand, cheers him up, and then disappears from continuity until 2001 (see below).

The character of Supergirl proved impossible to suppress: several characters unrelated to Superman soon took on the Supergirl persona, including the Matrix, Linda Danvers, and Cir-El.

A hero resembling the Pre-Crisis Kara would later appear in Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #5, along with an entire army of Legionnaires gathered from alternate worlds, times, and realities, to battle the Time Trapper.

Two Supergirls meet[edit]

Prior to the post-Crisis introduction of Kara Zor-El into mainstream continuity, the pre-Crisis Kara Zor-El made an appearance in Peter David’s Supergirl: Many Happy Returns. The then-current Supergirl series, at the time starring Linda Danvers, was in danger of cancellation and Peter David thought a story arc involving Kara Zor-El would be enough to revitalize the series. In an interview with Cliff Biggers of Newsarama, David states:

Cover art to the debut issue of the 2005 Supergirl series by Michael Turner. The first story arc was written by Jeph Loeb.

In the Linda Danvers' Supergirl series issues 48 and 49 in 2001, the original dead Kara appears as Linda's "guardian angel". Then in issues 75 to 81, "Many Happy Returns", a young Kara appears from an earlier time long before the Crisis. The paradox becomes a moral crisis for Linda who tries to take her place as the Crisis sacrifice, living for years in a Silver Age universe where "no one swears, the villains are always easy to defeat, and everything’s very, very clean."[13] This run was illustrated by Ed Benes who had also illustrated Gail Simone's Birds of Prey (comics) which had a similar whimsical camaraderie between its female leads.

Linda's inability to ultimately save Kara is so devastating that it ends her own career as Supergirl. This story arc is usually cited as one of the best Supergirl stories ever written.[14] The series ended with issue 81.

Revival[edit]

After the launch of the Superman/Batman comic book series, Executive Editor Dan DiDio had been looking for a way to simplify the Supergirl character from her convoluted post-crisis history; the simplest version of course, was Superman’s cousin. Jeph Loeb and editor Eddie Berganza found an opening to reintroduce the character following the conclusion of the first story arc of Superman/Batman. Loeb states:

The modern version of Kara Zor-El made her debut in Superman/Batman #8 (2004). Kara takes the mantle of Supergirl at the conclusion of the storyline. The Supergirl comic book series would later be relaunched, now starring Kara Zor-El as "The Girl of Steel". The first arc of the new series was written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by Ian Churchill. Loeb would later describe the appeal of writing for Supergirl:

As the character continued to be reinvented, steps towards regarbing the iconic character were some of the most prominent changes.[17] Artist Jamal Igle and editor Matt Idleson moved to transition the character away from red panties under her skirt to biker shorts, feeling such a change was a logical progression and "more respectable."[18][19]

Fictional character biography[edit]

Silver Age[edit]

In her debut story, Kara Zor-El is the last survivor of Argo City of the planet Krypton. Although Argo, which had survived the explosion of the planet, drifted through space as a self-sustaining environment, the soil of the colony eventually turned into Kryptonite; and though Kara's father Zor-El placed lead sheeting above the ground to protect the citizens from radiation, meteorites pierced the sheeting, and the Kryptonians died of radiation poisoning instead of replacing the metal.[20]

In Supergirl's subsequent backup feature in Action Comics drawn by her quintessential artist Jim Mooney for ten years until 1968, Supergirl adopts the identity of Linda Lee, an orphan at Midvale Orphanage presided over by headmistress Miss Hart. She disguises herself by hiding her blonde hair beneath a brunette wig; Supergirl interacts with humans on a person-to-person basis performing good deeds and saving the world by helping one person at a time, and she also devises clever schemes as "Superman's Secret Weapon," saving him many times and avoiding adoption before Superman can introduce her publicly.[21]

While temporarily powerless due to the scheming of Kandorian scientist Lesla-Lar, who is out to supplant her on Earth, Linda allows herself to be adopted by engineer and rocket scientist Fred Danvers and his wife, Edna. In time, she reveals her secret identity to her adoptive parents on the same day her cousin Superman finally introduces her to the world in the finale of then-DC's longest playing series ever (eight chapters) aptly called "The World's Greatest Heroine".[22]

When frequent dreams about her parents being alive turn out to be real, she builds a machine aided by her engineer father's talent, and brings them both back alive from the "Survival Zone" where they had both teleported during Argo City's final moments. Zor-El and Allura eventually end up living in Kandor, and when the city in the bottle is enlarged, they both go on to live in Rokyn/New Krypton, where they have the sad duty of receiving her mortal remains after "Crisis" for burial.

Graduating from high school in 1965, Linda Lee goes to college on a scholarship and stays in Stanhope College until she graduates in 1971. During this era, she is helped by her pet cat Streaky, her Super-Horse pet Comet, and befriends Lena Thorul, who had first appeared in the Lois Lane series. Kara is also a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, where she becomes close to Brainiac 5. In addition, Linda has boyfriends from the orphanage (Richard "Dick" Malverne) and from Atlantis (Jerro the merboy).

In 1967, Supergirl meets Batgirl for the first time in World's Finest Comics.[23] Developing a strong friendship, the two characters teamed up many times again, as in Superman Family #171, or Adventure #381. In 1969, Supergirl left Action Comics and became a featured character in Adventure Comics beginning with issue #381 (June 1969).[24]

During the 1970s, Supergirl's costume changed frequently, as did her career in her civilian life. During this era, her most remembered outfit included a "V" necked blouse with a "S" in her heart, and red hot-pants. In her secret identity as Linda Lee Danvers, Kara Zor-El took a variety of jobs including graduate student in acting, television reporter, and student counselor, and finally became an actress on the TV soap Secret Hearts.

Bronze Age[edit]

After long-time Superman family editor Mort Weisinger retired in 1971, the character underwent revitalization under editor Joe Orlando and artist Mike Sekowsky. Wearing a series of new outfits, leaving her adopted foster home with the Danvers family, Linda goes on to San Francisco where she works for KSF-TV as a camera operator and develops a crush on her boss, Geoffrey Anderson. These stories introduced Supergirl's most memorable villain from this period: Lex Luthor's niece Nasthalthia, or Nasty. Nasty had made two appearances towards the end of Linda's college years, then pursued her to KSF-TV, trying to secure proof of her dual identity.

Supergirl starred in her first solo eponymous monthly series beginning in 1972 until October 1974,[25] when her monthly title merged with Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane, and Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen to produce a new title: then-highest DC selling series called The Superman Family, where she eventually became the steady lead story. Linda worked as a student advisor at New Athens Experimental School, before leaving for New York to follow a career in acting with daytime soap Secret Hearts.

In 1982 Supergirl received a second monthly solo series titled The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl, relocating the character to Chicago as Linda became a mature student of Psychology. Industry legend, and former DC Publisher, Carmine Infantino provided the pencilled art (Bob Oksner inked). With issue 13 the title was revamped, with a new costume design (sporting a red headband) and the title shortened to just Supergirl. The series ran until sudden cancellation in 1984, only two months before the character's debut in a big-budget Hollywood film starring Helen Slater.[26]

In the Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985) the greatest heroes from Earth-One, Earth-Two, Earth-Four, Earth-S, and Earth-X join forces in order to defeat the Anti-Monitor. When Superman comes face to face with the Anti-Monitor and is knocked unconscious, Supergirl rushes to save him before he is killed. She is able to fight him off long enough for Dr. Light to carry her cousin to a safe distance, but is killed by the Anti-Monitor.[27] A public memorial service for Supergirl takes place in Chicago, where Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) delivers the eulogy. In her remarks she states "Kara is a hero. She will not be forgotten."[28] Superman then gives his late cousin burial by taking her corpse to Rokyn/New Krypton to Zor-El and Allura. A Superman issue the next month reveals that Kara had experienced a premonition about her own passing. However, when the universe is rebooted, the timeline is altered. Kara Zor-El and all memory of her is erased from existence.

Echoes[edit]

After these events, the soul of Kara Zor-El made another appearance in continuity three years later in a story titled "Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot" in Christmas with the Super-Heroes #2 (1989). Within the story, Boston "Deadman" Brand tries to feel the warmth of Christmas by possessing revelers' bodies. Feeling guilty upon the realization that he has been stealing others' Christmases, he flies off feeling sorry for himself for being denied a reward after a year of helping people. A warmly-dressed blonde woman approaches Brand, startling him. Somehow seeing the normally invisible Brand, she converses with him, reminding him,

She reminds Brand that even though he is dead, he is still human, and he should rejoice because it means his spirit is still alive. As the woman leaves, Brand asks her who she is, to which she replies, "My name is Kara. Though I doubt that will mean anything to you." The story, written by Alan Brennert and penciled by Dick Giordano, is dedicated to Otto Binder and Jim Mooney, adding: "We still remember."[29]

Finally, the soul of Kara Zor-El appeared twice during Peter David's run, specifically in issues #48 and #49 when she appears before a defeated and imprisoned then-Supergirl, Linda Danvers from Earth, and comforts her. Linda acknowledges she has been helped three times by her phantom-friend, and when she asks her name she is told by the smiling figure: "I have gone by many names, but the one I am most fond of is: Kara!"

Modern Age[edit]

In 2004, Jeph Loeb reintroduced Kara Zor-El into post-Zero Hour continuity during a storyline in the series Superman/Batman.[30] She is the biological cousin of Superman, and although chronologically older than him, the ship in which she traveled to Earth was caught in a large green Kryptonite meteorite which held her in a state of suspended animation for much of the journey. DC Comics relaunched the Supergirl, the first story arc of which was written by Loeb.[31] showcases Supergirl on a journey of self-discovery. Along her journey, she encounters Power Girl (Kara Zor-El's counterpart from another universe), the Teen Titans, the Outsiders, the Justice League of America, and arch-villain Lex Luthor.

During the company wide crossover series Infinite Crisis (2005),[32] a sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths, Supergirl is transported to the 31st century, where she is revered as a member of the Superman family and joins the Legion of Super-Heroes. DC Comics renamed the monthly series Legion of Super-Heroes to Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes. Beginning with issue #16.[33] In the limited series 52, which chronicles the events that took place during the missing year after the end of Infinite Crisis, Donna Troy recalls the original Kara Zor-El and her sacrifice to save the universe. Supergirl returns to the 21st century during the course of 52. After briefly filling in for a temporarily depowered Superman as guardian of Metropolis,[34] she assumes the identity of Flamebird to fight crime in the bottle city of Kandor with Power Girl as Nightwing in Greg Rucka's arc Supergirl: Kandor.

Kara Zor-El as Flamebird during the events of Supergirl: Kandor written by Greg Rucka; art by Ed Benes.

In 2007, Supergirl appeared in the miniseries Amazons Attack! That same year, she joined the Teen Titans[35] for five issues.[36]

Conversations with other heroes who maintain secret identities lead Kara to the conclusion that she needs to make a deeper connection with human beings. She accepts Lana Lang's proposal to present her to the Daily Planet staff as "Linda Lang", Lana's teenaged niece.[37]

In the 2008 -2009 "New Krypton" story arc, in which Superman discovers and frees the real Kandor and a large number of its citizens, Supergirl is reunited with her father, Zor-El and mother, Allura, though Zor-Rel is killed by the villain Reactron.[38] When a planet is formed that the Kryptonians call New Krypton, Kara is torn between her life on Earth, and her obligation to her mother,[39] eventually joining the New Krypton Science Guild.[40]

Supergirl subsequently appears in the 2009 miniseries Justice League: Cry for Justice, and the 2009–2010 storyline "Blackest Night". The New Krypton storyline would later be resolved in the "World of New Krypton", "Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton", "War of the Supermen" storylines, resulting in the destruction of New Krypton and seeing Supergirl mourn her people.

Supergirl subsequently appears in the 2010 "Brightest Day" storyline, the follow up to "Blackest Night".[41]

The New 52[edit]

The New 52's Supergirl. Art by Yildiray Cinar.

In September 2011, DC Comics began The New 52, in which it cancelled all of its monthly superhero titles and relaunched 52 new ones, wiping out most of its past continuity in the process. One of the new titles was a Supergirl series that featured a new origin for Kara. In this continuity, Kara's ship lands in Smallville, Kansas but hurtles through the Earth and emerges in Siberia. Kara has no memory of the destruction of Krypton, and believes it is only three days since her spacecraft was launched. She learns the truth about Krypton's destruction from Superman, and later journeys through a wormhole to Argo City, which she finds in orbit around a blue sun. She finds the city in ruins, with no explanation of how it met that fate, and is attacked by a female Worldkiller named Reign before the city plummets into the sun. When Reign and her fellow Worldkiller plan to enslave the Earth, Supergirl returns there to defeat them, and thus adopts Earth as her new home.[42]

Powers and abilities[edit]

Main article: Powers and abilities of Superman

Like all Kryptonians under a yellow sun, the current version of Kara Zor-El possesses vast superhuman strength, speed, and stamina; invulnerability; flight; super breath; x-ray vision; telescopic and microscopic vision; freeze breath; heat vision; and super hearing.[43]

Continued exposure to a yellow sun will slowly increase abilities. Many characters in the DC Universe have noted that Supergirl appears at times to be even more powerful than Superman himself; however, as Superman explains, she may appear so because he has spent a lifetime subconsciously suppressing his powers to avoid harming others while Kara, without such experience, recklessly uses her powers to the fullest.[44]

Other versions[edit]

Main article: Alternate versions of Supergirl

There are numerous alternate versions of Supergirl. The most notable is Power Girl (real name Kara Zor-L, also known as Karen Starr) who first appeared in All Star Comics #58 (January/February 1976).[45]

Power Girl is the Earth-Two counterpart of Supergirl and the first cousin of Kal-L, Superman of the pre-Crisis Earth-Two. The infant Power Girl's parents enabled her to escape the destruction of Krypton. Although she left the planet at the same time that Superman did, her ship took much longer to reach Earth-Two.

She has superhuman strength and the ability to fly and is the first chairwoman of the Justice Society of America. She sports a bob of blond hair; wears a distinctive white, red, and blue costume; and has an aggressive fighting style. Throughout her early appearances in All Star Comics, she is often at odds with Wildcat because his penchant for talking to her as if she were an ordinary human female rather than a superpowered Kryptonian annoys her.

The 1985 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths eliminated Earth-Two, causing her origin to change; she became the granddaughter of the Atlantean sorcerer Arion. However, story events culminating in the 2005-2006 Infinite Crisis limited series restored her status as a refugee from the Krypton of the destroyed pre-Crisis Earth-Two universe.

Like the original Kara's Streaky, Power Girl has a cat, featured in a story by Amanda Conner in Wonder Woman #600.

Reception[edit]

This version of Supergirl is ranked as the 153rd greatest comic book character of all time by Wizard magazine.[46]

IGN also ranked this version of Supergirl as the 94th greatest comic book hero, stating "for a character born of the Silver Age that saw everything from a Super Baby to a Super Monkey, Kara Zor-El grew into something much more than simply another marketing ploy to slap an 'S' on."[47]

Appearances[edit]

Pre-Crisis[edit]

  • 1959 to 1969: Action Comics #252 to #376.
  • 1969 to 1972: Adventure Comics #381 to #424.
  • 1972 to 1974: Supergirl (Vol. 1) #1 to #10.
  • 1974 to 1982: Her comic merges with Jimmy Olsen's and Lois Lane's to become Superman Family #164 to #222.
  • 1982 to 1984: The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl #1 to #13, Supergirl (Vol. 2) #14 to #23.

Kara Zor-El appeared in over 750 stories published by DC from 1959 to 1985.

Post-Crisis[edit]

  • 2004 to 2005: Superman/Batman #8 to #13 and #19
  • 2005 to 2011: Supergirl, Vol. 5 #0 to #67
  • 2006 to 2008: Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes (Legion of Super-Heroes, Vol. 5) #16 to #37
  • 2007: Action Comics #850
  • 2008: Final Crisis
  • 2011 to Present: New 52: Supergirl, Vol. 6 #1 to (ongoing)

Kara Zor-El also appears as a supporting character in several issues of other DC Comics, including Superman, Action Comics, Teen Titans, Amazons Attack, World War III, and Wonder Girl. She has also appeared in many issues of Superman, Action Comics, and Superman New Krypton starting with the World Without Superman event in 2009, and continuing with the World Against Superman event going into 2010.

Collected editions[edit]

Listed in chronological order. All ages titles are not in continuity with the original or modern Kara.

Title Material collected
Original
Supergirl Archives Vol. 1 Superman #123, Action Comics #252-268
Supergirl Archives Vol. 2 Action Comics #269-285
Showcase Presents: Supergirl Vol. 1 Action Comics #252-282,
Adventure Comics #278,
Superboy #80,
Superman #123, 139, 140, 144,
Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #14,
Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #40, 46, 51
Showcase Presents: Supergirl Vol. 2 Action Comics #283-321
Modern
Superman/Batman Vol. 2: Supergirl Superman/Batman #8-13
Supergirl Vol. 1: Power Supergirl Vol. 5 #1-5
Superman/Batman #19
Supergirl and the Legion of Super-heroes Vol. 3: Strange Visitor from Another Century Legion of Super-Heroes #14-15, Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #16-19
Supergirl and the Legion of Super-heroes Vol. 4: Adult Education Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #20-25
Supergirl and the Legion of Super-heroes Vol. 5: The Dominator War Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #26-30
Supergirl and the Legion of Super-heroes Vol. 6: The Quest for Cosmic Boy Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #31-36
Supergirl Vol. 2: Candor Supergirl Vol. 5 #6-9
Superman/Batman #27
Superman #223
JLA #122-123
Supergirl Vol. 3: Identity Supergirl Vol. 5 #10-19
Infinite Holiday Special #1
Supergirl Vol. 4: Beyond Good and Evil Supergirl Vol. 5 #23-27
Action Comics #850
Supergirl Vol. 5: Way of the World Supergirl Vol. 5 #28-33
Superman/Supergirl: Maelstrom Superman/Supergirl: Maelstrom #1-5
Supergirl Vol. 6: Who is Superwoman?[48] Supergirl Vol. 5 #34, 37-42
Superman: New Krypton Vol. 2[49] Supergirl Vol. 5 #35-36
Superman: Codename Patriot[50] Supergirl Vol. 5 #44
Action Comics' #880
 Superman #691
 Superman:World of New Krypton #6
Supergirl Vol. 7: Friends and Fugitives[51] Supergirl Vo. 5 #43, #45-47
Action Comics #881-882
Supergirl Vol. 8: Death and the Family[52] Supergirl Vol. 5 #48-50
Supergirl Annual Vol. 5 #1
Supergirl Vol. 9: Bizarrogirl Supergirl Vol. #51-57
Supergirl Vol. 10: Good Looking Corpse Supergirl Vol. 5 #58-67
Supergirl Annual Vol. 5 #2
New 52
Supergirl Vol. 1: Last Daughter of Krypton Supergirl Vol. 6 #1-6
Supergirl Vol. 2: Girl in the World Supergirl Vol. 6 #0, #8-12
Supergirl Vol. 3: Sanctuary Supergirl Vol. 6 #13–20
Supergirl Vol. 4: Out of the Past Supergirl Vol. 6 #21–25
Supergirl Vol. 5: Red Daughter of Krypton Supergirl Vol. 6 #25–33
All Ages
Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade[53] Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade #1-6

In other media[edit]

Main article: Supergirl in other media

Television[edit]

  • Supergirl appears in Superman: The Animated Series voiced by Nicholle Tom. This version is based on the original Silver Age concept of Supergirl according to writer Paul Dini ' We wanted to do the original version, which is Superman’s cousin from Krypton; [however], we ran into a wall with DC because they insisted that Superman be the last Kryptonian. So we did a compromise: she’s from a small planet in the neighboring system that was colonized by Kryptonians, but they’ve evolved slightly differently.'[54] She is depicted as Kara In-Ze, not Superman's cousin as in the comic book but rather a near-Kryptonian from Krypton's sister planet of Argo. She lives with the Kent family in Smallville, who tell others that she is Clark's cousin.
  • Supergirl appears in the New Batman Adventures episode "Girl's Night Out", again voiced by Nicholle Tom. She heads to Gotham when Livewire escapes from a prison truck taking her to GothCorp for a series of experiments that might return her to normal. Supergirl teams with Batgirl to take on Livewire, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn while Superman and Batman are away. During the episode, Kara and Barbara develop a close friendship in contrast to the uneasy partnership between their respective male counterparts.
  • Nicholle Tom reprises her role of Supergirl in Justice League Unlimited. As continued in this show, she and Superman have grown very close, almost like siblings. She joins the Justice League in "Initiation" and assists Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and Captain Atom in fighting a robot based on Brimstone which is attacking an Asian country. In "Far From Home," Supergirl talks about how she wanted to be seen as more than just 'Superman's cousin'. She departs his company when she falls in love with Brainiac 5 of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the distant future, thus explaining her disappearance from the 21st century continuity in a new way.
Laura Vandervoort as Kara in Smallville.
  • Prior to the seventh season (2007-2008) of the CW's hit show Smallville where she is introduced into the cast and is portrayed by Laura Vandervoort, a woman claiming to be Kara (portrayed by Adrianne Palicki) is briefly introduced in the season 3 finale. It is later revealed her real name is Lindsey Harrison, and had been given false memories and powers by the artificial intelligence of Clark Kent's (Tom Welling) father Jor-El as part of a series of tests. Vandervoort portrays the real Kara, Clark's cousin whose spaceship had been trapped in stasis until the events of the season 6 finale. Much of season 7 is concerned with Kara's attempts to adjust to life on Earth, especially after learning of Krypton's destruction. Her storyline sees her simultaneously become the object of Lex Luthor's (Michael Rosenbaum) obsessions and Jimmy Olsen's (Aaron Ashmore) affections, suffer a bout of amnesia, discover her father's (Christopher Heyerdahl) sinister motives and become a target of evil android Brainiac (James Marsters). The season finale sees Kara become trapped in the Phantom Zone. Starting with season 8, Vandervoort ceases to feature as a series regular, but reprises the role three more times. In her first guest appearance, "Bloodline," Kara is freed from the Phantom Zone and later departs Clark's hometown of Smallville to search for Kandor, her birthplace, as it is rumored to have survived their home planet's destruction. She appears again in the season 10 episode "Supergirl", in which she formally adopts her superhero moniker. Her off-screen adventures are alluded to thereafter. Vandervoort makes a final appears in the show's penultimate episode, "Prophecy", in which she helps Green Arrow (Justin Hartley) locate the "Bow of Orion" to use against Darkseid. She is then called to the Fortress of Solitude, where she learns from Jor-El that her job on Earth is done. Using a Legion of Super-Heroes flight ring, she travels to the future to seek her own destiny. The Season Eleven comic book continuation of the show later depicts Kara's continued story in the 31st century, subsequent return to the present and joining the Justice League.
  • Supergirl does not appear in Legion of Super Heroes despite the storyline in Justice League Unlimited that placed her in the 30th century due to the fact that the show is not in continuity with the DCAU.
  • Supergirl appears in Super Best Friends Forever, voiced by Nicole Sullivan.
Melissa Benoist as Kara in Supergirl.
  • In September 2014, CBS announced that they had given a series commitment to Supergirl. The series depicts 24-year-old Kara Zor-El embracing her powers after previously hiding them. It is written by Greg Berlanti and Ali Adler, who are also executive producers with Sarah Schechter. The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions.[55] In January 2015, Melissa Benoist was cast as the character.[56] It debuted on October 26, 2015.[57]

Film[edit]

  • A live action depiction of Supergirl first appears in the eponymous 1984 film starring Helen Slater as Supergirl.[58] The film is a spin-off from the Superman film series starring Christopher Reeve, to which it is connected by Marc McClure's character of Jimmy Olsen. The film was poorly received, and it was not a box-office success. However, it has since gained a cult following. Its plot concerns Supergirl, Superman's cousin, leaving her isolated Kryptonian community of Argo City for Earth in an effort to retrieve the unique "Omegahedron." The item has fallen into the hands of evil witch Selena (Faye Dunaway) after its disappearance from Argo City, and havoc ensues.
  • Summer Glau voices the post-Crisis version of Kara Zor-El in Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, which is based on the Superman/Batman storyline "The Supergirl from Krypton." Despite this, it was confirmed by director Lauren Montgomery that Supergirl's name was removed from the title due to the much slower sales of the previous Wonder Woman animated movie, and the character was not permitted to appear on the cover in her trademark outfit.[59] In the movie, Kara arrives on Earth in a rocket and is discovered by Batman and Superman. After living amongst the human race and receiving training from the Amazons, Kara is kidnapped by Darkseid and brainwashed into becoming one of his Female Furies. She is ultimately rescued by her cousin, and returns to Earth. After arriving back at the Kent home, Kara and Clark are attacked by Darkseid, and a massive battle ensues. Kara ultimately saves the day by using a Boom Tube to teleport Darkseid into an unknown area of space, where he is shown to be frozen and floating aimlessly. At the film's conclusion, Kara adopts the Supergirl identity and vows to fight injustice alongside her cousin.
  • Molly Quinn voices Supergirl in Superman: Unbound.
  • A reference to Kara appears in Man of Steel when Clark sees a space pod open in the Fortress.[citation needed] A prequel tie-in comic[citation needed] revealed Kara's connection to the ship found on Ellesmere Island, and detailed her life prior to its discovery.

Video games[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Supergirl Vol. 6 28
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source: https://web.archive.org/web/20151105132201/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supergirl_(Kara_Zor-El)

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