The Supergirl from Krypton!
"The Supergirl from Krypton!" debuted in Action Comics #252 (May 1959).
The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino. Kara
Zor-El is the paternal cousin of Kal-El from Argo City on Krypton. The city
survived the destruction of the planet, but became irradiated with
kryptonite.
Fifteen-year-old Kara was rocketed away to Earth by her parents Zor-El and
Alura In-Ze. Superman placed Kara in Midvale Orphanage to protect and mentor
her. Kara chose the secret identity of Linda Lee and disguises herself with a
pigtailed brunette wig.
Detective Comics produced a copyright ashcan for a Superwoman title in
late 1941, and a Supergirl ashcan in 1944. Both names have been used by
various DC characters over the years, beginning with Action Comics #60
(May 1943). In the story "Lois Lane -- Superwoman!" by
Jerry Siegel and
George Roussos,
Lois Lane dreams
of receiving superpowers after a blood transfusion from Superman. In
Action Comics #156 (May 1951), Lois dons a blonde wig as Superwoman,
"The Girl of Steel!"
In Superboy #5 (November–December 1949),
Superboy helps
Queen Lucy of Borgonia pretend to be "Supergirl." In Superman #123
(August 1958), Jimmy Olsen uses a magic gem to wish a "Super-Girl" into
existence.
Kara Zor-El first appeared in a DC house advertisement for
Action Comics. According to Al Plastino, the only discussion was,
"Should she be blonde?" The Supergirl logo was designed by Ira Schnapp based
on the Superman logo by
Joe Shuster.
Superman creator
Jerry Siegel
returned to DC Comics in 1959 and contributed Supergirl stories for
Action Comics throughout the 1960s. Streaky the Supercat, the first
Super-Pet companion of Supergirl, was created by Jerry Siegel and artist Jim
Mooney. In Action Comics
#261 (February, 1960), a stray cat is accidentally exposed to
X-Kryptonite
and given temporary superpowers.
Supergirl meets the Legion of Super-Heroes in Action Comics #267
(August 1960). Red kryptonite temporarily ages Supergirl into a "Superwoman"
and she is unable to join due to the 18-year-old age limit. Supergirl
encounters the Legion again in Action Comics #276 (May 1961). After
Brainiac 5 helps Supergirl pass the trials, both are chosen to become
Legionnaires. They develop feelings for each other, but Supergirl leaves the
30th century to continue assisting Superman.
Bizarro-Supergirl
appeared in Superman #140 (October 1960). After the imperfect copy of
Supergirl kidnaps the son of Bizarro No. 1, an army of Bizarros are sent to
destroy Earth. Superman uses the Duplicator Ray on
green kryptonite
to create blue kryptonite. Bizarro-Supergirl is accidentally killed by the
blue kryptonite radiation.
In Action Comics #273 (February 1961), editor Mort Weisinger asked
readers to "Pick a new hair style for Linda (Supergirl) Lee!" The hairstyles
were designed by Jim Mooney. The "Campus Cuddle-Bun" received 10,112 of the
20,477 votes, officially appearing in Action Comics #281 (October
1961).
Superman would not allow Supergirl to be adopted from the orphanage, fearing
that she would expose her identity. Since her arrival, Kara was forced to
operate as a "secret weapon" for Superman. The plots often limited her power
usage away from the public eye. In Action Comics #279 (July 1961),
16-year-old Kara is adopted from Midvale by Fred and Edna Danvers. She takes
their surname, becoming Linda Lee Danvers. After proving herself to Superman,
Supergirl is formally introduced to the world in Action Comics #285
(February 1962).
Comet the Super-Horse was created by
Jerry Siegel and
artist
Curt Swan. The
Super-Pet first appeared in Adventure Comics #293 (October 1962). Known
as Biron, Comet was an ancient centaur transformed into an immortal horse.
Comet and Supergirl first meet in Action Comics #293 (September 1962).
A new Supergirl uniform was revealed in Adventure Comics #397
(September 1970). The outfit was assembled by Wonder Woman based on designs
submitted by readers Louise Ann Kelley and Jean Bray.
Different costumes were featured over the next two years including a swimsuit
designed by Margret Berg in Adventure Comics #409 (August 1971). The
most recognizable Supergirl uniform of the era is the balloon sleeve blouse
and hotpants design by John Sposato, first appearing in
Adventure Comics #410 (September 1971).
A solo Supergirl title was published for ten issues (November 1972–October 1974). After quitting her job at KSF-TV in San Francisco, Linda Danvers enrolls in the School of Drama at Vandyre University.
Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen, Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane,
and Supergirl were combined into The Superman Family beginning
with Jimmy Olsen issue #164 (April–May 1974).
The Superman Family was published for 59 issues until September 1982.
The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl debuted in November 1982. The
original series logo was designed by Todd Klein. Linda Danvers moved to
Chicago and studied psychology at Lake Shore University. A new uniform was
introduced in issue #13, retitled Supergirl for the remainder of the
series.
In Supergirl #17 (March 1984), Supergirl added a headband as a "symbol
of citizenship on Krypton!" The updated look was used in screen tests for the
1984 film
Supergirl starring
Helen Slater.
In the Silver Age DC multiverse, Earth-Two included characters from the Golden
Age of DC Comics. Power Girl first appeared in All-Star Comics #58 (February
1976). Kara Zor-L is the cousin of Kal-L, Superman of Earth-Two. Kara Zor-L
was rocketed from Krypton as an infant and remained in stasis before arriving
on Earth as a woman in her twenties.
Power Girl was created by Gerry Conway, Ric Estrada, and Wally
Wood. According to Conway, "Obviously on Earth-Two, Superman has kept
Power Girl's existence a secret longer than he did on Earth-One. Honest -- no
lie." Power Girl survived the destruction of Earth-Two during the "Crisis on
Infinite Earths" event and her origin would be retconned over the years.
Supergirl of Earth-One was killed battling the Anti-Monitor in
Crisis On Infinite Earths #7 (October 1985). Her body is brought to the
Fortress of Solitude before being placed in orbit on the opposite side of the
Moon. Superman later delivers Kara to her Kryptonian parents in
Superman #414 (December 1985). After the defeat of the Anti-Monitor,
the multiverse worlds were merged into New Earth.
The "Crisis on Infinite Earths" led to continuity problems for Legion of
Super-Heroes stories in the 30th and 31st centuries. DC Comics established that Kal-El was the last survivor of Krypton. On New Earth, Superman
never became
Superboy and
Supergirl never existed. Kal-El remembers Superboy-Prime and elements of the
Crisis, but Kara is seemingly forgotten.
The Time Trapper created a Pocket
Universe containing a copy of Krypton and Earth-One. The Superboy of the
Pocket Universe died saving the Legion, leaving Earth unprotected from the
Phantom Zone criminals.
The Pocket Universe Lex Luthor created a protoplasmic being named Matrix. Matrix has super-strength and the power of flight, telekinesis, invisibility, and shapeshifting abilities. The character was created by writer Roger Stern, first appearing in Superman vol. 2, #16 (April 1988). Matrix is first referred to as "Supergirl" in The Adventures of Superman #441 (June 1988).
Matrix is adopted by the Kents and nicknamed "Mae." Matrix was romantically
involved with Alexander Luthor II, the clone disguise of Lex Luthor on New
Earth. A one-shot
Supergirl and Team Luthor (April 1993) was released during the
"Funeral for a Friend"
storyline following the death of Superman. Matrix appeared as Supergirl in the
four-issue Supergirl miniseries dated February–May 1994.
Superman: The Animated Series
aired on Kids' WB from September 6, 1996, to February 12, 2000. The DCAU
Supergirl 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. Kara In-Ze features from the
Superman Adventures comic book adaptation are collected in
Supergirl Adventures: Girl of Steel (2021)
Writer Peter David rebooted the character, introducing Linda Danvers of New
Earth in Supergirl vol. 4, #1 (September 1996). Linda lives in
Leesburg, a reference to Linda Lee Danvers. Linda and Matrix merge to create a
new Supergirl. In issue #51 (December 2000), Linda assembles a new costume
based on the 1998 design of
Kara In-Ze
in
Superman: The Animated Series.
The Pre-Crisis Kara Zor-El returned in the six-part series finale "Supergirl:
Many Happy Returns" in Supergirl #75–80 (December 2002–May 2003). In
order to prevent the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, Linda travels
backwards in time to replace Kara on Earth-One. Linda marries the Superman of
Earth-One and they have a daughter named Ariella Kent.
Kara Zor-El of New Earth first appeared in Superman/Batman #8 (May
2004). Kara is the paternal cousin of Superman, sent from Argo City to escape
an attack from
Brainiac. Kara
takes the secret identity of Linda Lang, the foster niece of Lana Lang. The
character was featured in 67 issues of Supergirl vol. 5 (October
2005–October 2011). The origin was adapted in the animated movie
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, released to home video on September 28,
2010. Kara was voiced by actress Summer Glau.
Following the events of "Infinite Crisis," Kara became a Legionnaire in the
31st century. Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 5 was renamed
Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes for issues #16–36 (May
2006–January 2008).
Kara Zor-El of Prime Earth first appeared in Flashpoint vol. 2, #5
(October 2011). "The New 52" Supergirl is the sole survivor of Argo City.
Supergirl vol. 6 was published for 43 issues (November 2011–May
2015). Kara lives as a high school student adopted by the Danvers, taking
the name Linda Danvers. Kara became a Red Lantern during the "Red Daughter
of Krypton" storyline in issue #28 (April 2014).
The series was relaunched after the one-shot Supergirl: Rebirth #1
(October 2016). In Supergirl vol. 7 (November, 2016–August,
2020), Kara Zor-El is adopted by employees of the Department of Extranormal
Operations (D.E.O.). Supergirl assumes the identity of Kara Danvers. The
Rebirth-era series incorporated various elements of the
Supergirl
television show that aired from 2015–2021.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is a limited eight-part series dated
August 2021–April 2022. The plot features classic elements from the Silver
Age including Krypto, Comet, and
red kryptonite. The story was written by Tom King, penciled and inked by Bilquis Evely,
and colored by Matheus Lopes.
Milly Alcock stars as Kara Zor-El in the DC Universe (DCU) film
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. The film was written by Ana Nogueira and directed by Craig Gillespie.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is scheduled for release in theaters
on June 26, 2026.
In the Dawn of DC initiative, Kara wore a jacket similar to
Kon-El in the
new Superman Family. The updated designs debuted in Superman vol. 6,
#1 (April 2023).
The Supergirl comic series was rebooted again for the
DC All-In and
"Summer of Superman" events of 2025. Supergirl vol. 8 #1 (July 2025)
is written and illustrated by Sophie Campbell. Kara Zor-El and Krypto return
to Midvale and discover another Supergirl living as Linda Danvers.
On July 20, 2006, the United States Postal Service issued a series of
DC Comics Super Heroes
postage stamps and postcards. The collection contains the first
appearances of Supergirl on an official postage stamp. The Silver Age
image was penciled by
Curt Swan
and inked by Stan Kaye. The cover of
The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl #1 (November 1982) was
penciled by Rich Buckler and inked by Dick Giordano. The stamps are
collected in the Smithsonian Institution National Postal Museum.
On September 17, 2021, Royal Mail issued the
DC Collection
of postage stamps in the UK. The Justice League sheet was illustrated by
Jim Cheung and colored by Laura Martin. The "Supergirl and Shazam!"
stamp contains ink highlights that fluoresce under UV light.
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The first two Supergirl trading cards appear in the 1966
Comic Book Foldees
set from Topps. The "Adventurous Supergirl" and "High Flying Supergirl"
cards were also distributed in Canada by O-Pee-Chee, and in the UK by
A&BC Gum.