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Precursors Many comics published after the first appearance of Superman feature stories with the notion of a female Superman. Superwoman The first comic to feature a female counterpart to Superman is "Lois Lane - Superwoman," a story published in Action Comics The Superwoman idea, or ones just like it, periodically appear later, although perhaps as homages to the original Lois Lane incarnation, rather than with the intention of creating a new, permanently superpowered character. One such story appears in Action Comics Claire Kent In the Superboy The First Supergirl In Superman Kara Zor-El Silver Age
Modern age Issues of the Superman/Batman series originally published in 2004 re-introduced Kara Zor-El into DC continuity. Like the pre-Crisis version, this Kara claims to be the daughter of Superman's uncle Zor-El and and aunt Alura. Unlike the traditional Supergirl origin, Kara is actually older than Kal-El (Superman); she was a teenager when he was a baby. She had been sent in a rocket in suspended animation to look after the infant Kal-El; however, her rocket was caught in the explosion of Krypton, became encased in a kryptonite asteroid, and she arrived on Earth years after her cousin had. At the end of "The Supergirl from Krypton" arc, Kara officially introduces herself to many of the heroes of the , adopts a Supergirl costume, and accepts the name. A new Supergirl series, written by Jeph Loeb, began in August 2005. The storyline in the first arc of Supergirl depicts a darker, evil version of Kara emerging when Lex Luthor exposes her to Black Kryptonite. This evil version's appearance in Supergirl suggests that Kara's family sent her to kill Kal-el as revenge for a family grudge, although Kara herself refuses to believe this. One Year Later Supergirl becomes good friends with the new Captain Boomerang. When Kara decided to get a secret idenity as Claire Conners and go to high school "Boomer" gave her some advise that in the end involved oatmeal being poured on her. Also in OYL Supergirl also appears in issues of Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes published in 2006. In the series, re-titled from Legion of Super-Heroes, Supergirl is transported to the 31st century, and as a result of her disorientation, she believes she is dreaming. The Matrix/Linda Danvers era After the post-Crisis reboot of Superman continuity in the late 1980s, Supergirl's origin was completely rewritten. No longer is she Superman's cousin, or even Kryptonian. In Superman (2nd series) When she appears on Superman's Earth, Matrix takes on a permanent form that resembles the pre-Crisis Supergirl. She lives in Smallville with the Kents, who treat "Mae" like their own daughter. She dons her original costume and re-assumes the identity of Supergirl. In this guise, she begins a romance with the DC Universe's Lex Luthor until she recognizes Luthor's evil nature. She leaves him to find her own way in the world, serving for a time as a member of the Teen Titans. Supergirl (1996-2003) Beginning in September 1996, DC published a Supergirl title written by Peter David. Matrix sacrifices herself to save a dying Leesburg, Virginia woman named Linda Danvers (not to be confused with the original Supergirl), and their bodies, minds, and souls merge to become an "Earth-Born Angel". As the angel, Supergirl loses some of her powers but gains others, including firy angel wings. The angelic aspect of Supergirl eventually falls from grace , and Linda and Matrix are separated once more into two beings. Linda retains some of Supergirl's super-strength and invulnerability, and although she can no longer fly, she can leap 1/8th of a mile. Linda acts as Supergirl for a while, attempting to locate her angelic aspect. Matrix merges with a woman named Twilight and becomes a new Earth-born angel. Twilight uses her healing powers to increase Linda's strength to Supergirl's levels and restores her powers of flight and telekinesis. In Supergirl Upon returning to the post-Crisis DC universe, Linda abandons the role of Supergirl. Peter David's creator owned series Fallen Angel, published by DC Comics, was to be a continuation of Linda's story; however, DC cancelled the series before the revelation was made explicit in the story. According to an interview with Newsarama, *, Matrix Supergirl is wiped from existence by the events depicted in the 2005 limited series Infinite Crisis, although Infinite Crisis writer Geoff Johns has stated that Danvers is not. Cir-El Another Supergirl named Cir-El appears in 2003's Superman: The 10 Cent Adventure "The Supergirls" "The Supergirls" is a three-part storyline in Action Comics "With a Vengeance" In Superman/Batman Elseworlds Supergirls Supergirl features in several Elseworlds titles. In Frank Miller's , Superman and Wonder Woman hide their daughter Lara from the world her entire life, but she later becomes important to the defeat of Lex Luthor and Brainiac, the story's antagonists. Lara possesses some of Wonder Woman's powers, benefiting from both Kryptonian and Amazonian heritage. In Kurt Busiek's miniseries, which depicts a Clark Kent who lives in the real world, Lois gives birth to two girls who grow up to manifest their father's powers and adopt variations on his costume. Batgirl/Supergirl: Elseworld's Finest depicts a Barbara Gordon/Kara Zor-El team in a world without their male counterparts. Supergirl: Wings reworks the Earth-born angel storyline; in it, Linda's guardian angel is Matrix, whose cynical view of her charge may lead to her fall. In the Superman/Aliens crossover limited series, published in 1995 by DC Comics and Dark Horse Comics, Superman discovers a domed city on an asteroid, not unlike the Argo City of pre-Crisis Supergirl's origins, that is infested with the xenomorphs. Superman befriends the sole survivor, a plucky 16-year-old girl named Kara. The story reveals that Kara is not Superman's cousin, and that the colony is not Kryptonian, but is instead part of a world whose culture and religion were strongly influenced by Krypton. Film
Animation Supergirl first appears, voiced by Nicholle Tom, in the two-part episode Little Girl Lost as Kara In-Ze from Krypton's "sister world" of Argo. The character is depicted as a headstrong and independent teenage girl who was placed in suspended animation before Argo became uninhabitably cold and is later found by Superman. Clark arranges for the Kents to take Kara in while she adjusts to life on Earth, and upon visiting Clark in Metropolis, she wears glasses and a brunette wig with a ponytail to pose as Clark's cousin Kara Kent. This Supergirl shares Superman's vulnerability to kryptonite; she also suffers from cheimatophobia (fear of cold), due to her experiences prior to her time in suspended animation. Kara is written as eager to take up a position at the right hand of Superman, but Superman thinks she is too young and unready. Kara becomes friends with Batgirl in The New Batman Adventures episode "Girls' Nite Out". The costume worn by the animated Supergirl is used by Linda Danvers in the 1996 Supergirl comic book series. In Justice League Unlimiteds fifth season, Supergirl appears in a new outfit that resembles Kara Zor-El's post-Crisis costume. In the Justice League Unlimited episode "Far From Home", Supergirl, along with Green Lantern and Green Arrow, encounter Legion of Super-Heroes members Brainiac 5 and Bouncing Boy. They have brought the three modern heroes to the 30th century to aid them in defeating the Fatal Five, who had brainwashed all of the other members of the Legion. However, Brainiac tells Green Lantern and Green Arrow that 30th century history says that Supergirl never returned to her own time, and Brainiac assumes that means she died helping the Legion. As Kara experiences the techonology and society of the 30th century, she becomes more and more conflicted about returning to the past, where she has never felt that she fit in. Finally, she and Brainiac 5 begin to develop romantic feelings for each other, and as Green Lantern and Green Arrow prepare to return to the past, she tells them that 30th century history will be fulfilled since she is staying in the future as a member of the Legion, a reference to the character's comic book roots. Smallville A girl named Kara (played by Adrianne Palicki) appears in the Smallville television series episode "Covenant". claiming to be from Krypton, although she does not call herself Supergirl or Kara Zor-El or claim to be Kal-El's cousin. Like her comic book counterpart was depicted at times, the Kara on Smallville appears to be sexually attracted to Clark Kent. The series reveals that Kara is not actually Kryptonian, but she is an innocent girl named Lindsey Harrison who had been kidnapped, brainwashed, and given superpowers by an artificial intelligence that claims to be based on the mind of Clark's birth father Jor-El to force Clark Kent to confront his Kryptonian heritage and to persuade him to follow his destiny. In the end, Kara vanishes, and "Jor-El" says that she had "served her purpose". Music See also | |||||||||||||
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