Supergirl (Kara Zor-El): Difference between revisions

Superhero appearing in DC Comics publications and related media

Comics character

Kara Zor-El (Supergirl) also known by her adoptive names of Linda Lee Danvers, Kara Kent, Linda Lang, and Kara Danvers, is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Otto Binder and designed by Al Plastino. Danvers first appeared on the story “The Supergirl from Krypton” in Action Comics #252 (May 1959). Kara is the biological cousin of Kal-El, who went on to adopt the name of Clark Kent and the superhero identity Superman. Her father, Zor-El, is the brother of Superman’s father, Jor-El. During the 1980s and the revolution of the Modern Age of Comics, Superman editors believed the character’s history had become too convoluted, thus killing Supergirl during the 1985 Crisis on Infinite Earths event and retconning her out of existence.

DC Comics Senior Vice President Dan DiDio re-introduced the character in 2004 along with editor Eddie Berganza and writer Jeph Loeb, with the Superman/Batman storyline “The Supergirl from Krypton”. As the current Supergirl, Kara stars in her own monthly comic book series. With DC’s The New 52 relaunch, Kara, like most of the DC Universe, was revamped. DC relaunched the Supergirl comic in August 2016 as part of their DC Rebirth initiative.^[1][2][3]

In live-action, Supergirl first appeared in the film Supergirl (1984), played by Helen Slater. She later appeared in the television series Smallville, played by Laura Vandervoort, and the Arrowverse series Supergirl, played by Melissa Benoist on the show and also appearing on other Arrowverse series. Sasha Calle appeared as Supergirl in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film The Flash (2023), in which Slater also reprises her 1984 role in a cameo appearance. An upcoming standalone film featuring the character titled Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, is in development as an installment of the rebooted DC Universe (DCU) media franchise.

Publication history[edit]

Early life[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.

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.^[4]

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.^[5]

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.^[6]

The Kara Zor-El version of Supergirl finally appeared in Action Comics #252 (May 1959). Otto Binder wrote and Al Plastino illustrated her début story, in which Kara was born and raised in Argo City (unnamed until later issues), a fragment of Krypton that survived destruction. When the city is doomed by a meteor shower, Kara is sent to Earth by her parents, Zor-El and Alura In-Ze (the latter unnamed until later issues), to be raised by her cousin Kal-El, known as Superman. Supergirl adopted the secret identity of an orphan “Linda Lee”, and made Midvale Orphanage her home. Supergirl promised Superman that she would keep her existence on Earth a secret, so that he may use her as a “secret weapon”, but that didn’t stop Supergirl from exploring her new powers covertly.^[7] Action Comics #255 published reader’s letters-of-comment to Supergirl’s first appearance; she had allegedly generated a sizeable and mostly positive reaction.^[8]

Supergirl, from her debut onwards, became a regular backup strip in Action Comics. She joined the Legion of Super-Heroes, like her cousin had done as a teenager,^[9] and in Action Comics #279 (July 1961) she was adopted by Fred and Edna Danvers, becoming “Linda Lee Danvers”.^[10] Supergirl acted for three years as Superman’s secret weapon, and her…