Supergirl in other media

"The Supergirl from Krypton!" debuted in Action Comics #252 (May 1959). Kara Zor-El was created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino.

The Supergirl movie was released in the United Kingdom on July 19, 1984, and in North America on November 21, 1984. The film was directed by Jeannot Szwarc and stars Helen Slater as Kara Zor-El. Kara is transported from Argo City to Earth in search of an Omegahedron. Kara enrolls in Midvale School and adopts the secret identity of Linda Lee, cousin of Clark Kent.

The movie was funded by Alexander and Ilya Salkind, producers of the Christopher Reeve Superman films. A Superman cameo was originally planned, but Reeve backed out before filming began. The feature earned $14.3 million in North America, far short of the $35 million budget. A one-shot Supergirl Movie Special comic adaptation was published, dated February 1985.

In 2007 and 2010, Helen Slater guest starred on Smallville as Lara-El, the biological mother of Clark Kent. From 2015–2021, Slater portrayed Eliza Danvers, the adopted mother of Kara Danvers on the Supergirl television series. Slater also provided the voice of Martha Kent in the animated series DC Super Hero Girls that aired 2015–2016. A computer generated model based on Helen Slater as Supergirl appeared in the 2023 DCEU film The Flash.

Smallville premiered on October 16, 2001, on The WB. The show starred Tom Welling as a young Kal-El in his adopted Kansas hometown. Adrianne Palicki guest starred as "Kara from Krypton" in the season 3 episode "Covenant." The character was revealed to be a human possessed by Jor-El.

Laura Vandervoort debuted as Kara Zor-El in the season 7 premiere "Bizarro" on September 27, 2007. Kara was trapped in suspended animation for 18 years before arriving in Kansas. She is adopted as Kara Kent and fights crime as "The Maiden of Might." The character is only referred to as "Supergirl" in the title of season 10, episode 3. In 2016, Laura Vandervoort guest starred as Indigo/Brainiac 8 in three episodes of the Supergirl television series.

Superman: The Animated Series aired on Kids' WB from September 6, 1996, to February 12, 2000. Kara In-Ze debuted in the two-part season finale "Little Girl Lost" on May 2, 1998. Kara In-Ze was created by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini. The character was voiced by Nicholle Tom.

Unlike the comic books, Kara In-Ze is the daughter of Zor In-Ze and Kala In-Ze. Kara is the sole survivor of Argo, the sister planet of Krypton. The explosion of Krypton pushed Argo out of orbit, causing the planet to freeze. Kara is rescued by Superman and brought to Earth. Kara takes the adopted name of Kara Kent, niece of Jonathan.

Supergirl later appeared in The New Batman Adventures episode "Girl's Night Out," followed by two brief cameos in the animated Justice League series. Nicholle Tom reprised the role in Justice League Unlimited episodes that originally aired July 31, 2004, to May 13, 2006.

Kara Zor-El appears in the animated movie Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, based on the Superman/Batman comic series. The movie was released to home video on September 28, 2010. Kara was voiced by actress Summer Glau.

Melissa Benoist starred as Kara Zor-El in the critically-acclaimed Supergirl television series. Supergirl premiered on CBS on October 26, 2015. Seasons 2–5 aired on The CW from October 10, 2016, to November 9, 2021. Set in the Arrowverse, Kara assumes the civilian identity of 24-year-old Kara Danvers, adopted sister of Alex Danvers. Season 2 introduced Tyler Hoechlin as Kal-El/Superman.