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'''Supergirl''' is a comic book superheroine, created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino in 1959 as a Distaff Counterpart of [[Superman]]. She has been a member of different incarnations of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]], the [[Justice League]], the [[Teen Titans]] and the [[Green Lantern|Red Lantern Corps]]
Although there have been different Supergirls, the best known version is Superman's cousin Kara Zor-El who arrived on Earth several years later than Clark Kent. In contrast to her adult and more mature cousin, Kara is a teenager who struggles to fit in her new home and control her new and immense powers as she grows up and matures.
Then somebody decided, in order to expand their product line, why not add in a [[Distaff Counterpart|young, female version]] of Superman? Hey, it worked for [[Shazam|Captain Marvel]]. [[Poorly-Disguised Pilot|As a test]], they released ''Superman'' #123 (August, 1958), a [[Jimmy Olsen]] story where he got three wishes. One wish was for a woman to keep Superman company, but though meaning well, this magical Super-Girl kept messing up her super-feats. Jimmy sadly wished her away when she sacrificed herself to save Superman from kryptonite, and was about to die anyway. (Note that in most later reprintings of this story, Super-Girl was intentionally miscolored to look different from Supergirl; originally, and as seen in DC Archives, she looks identical to Supergirl except that the skirt of her [[Mini-Dress of Power]] is red.)▼
The original Supergirl was killed off during the ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]'' mega-crossover when DC decided that Superman had to be the sole survivor from Krypton. [https://maidofmight.wordpress.com An extensive analysis of her character and history can be read here]. Several different characters took up the Supergirl mantle until Kara Zor-El returned in 2003.
DC's first character named Supergirl was possibly Lucy of Borgonia who made her only appearance in "Superboy" #5 (1949). She had no powers and performed heroic feats helped by Superboy, whom she befriended.
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The issue sold well and the DC powers that be decided that Supergirl's time had come. Thus was born Supergirl - a.k.a. [[Law of Alien Names|Kara]] Zor-El, Kal-El's cousin. She first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #252 (May, 1959). At first, she was "Superman's secret weapon". As Linda Lee, an orphan at the Midvale Orphanage, she hid the existence of Supergirl from the world, secretly doing good and helping those in trouble.
Eventually, as the audience for good female characters increased, Superman judged her ready, and Supergirl was unleashed on the world. She was adopted and became Linda Lee Danvers; she gained her own Smallville-esque supporting cast, becoming an occasional member of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]] and love interest to popular LSH member Brainiac 5. Again in contrast to her cousin and most of DC Silver Age characters -whose different status quos were firmly established and fixed-, Kara was allowed to grow up. She graduated from the high school and college, moved several times and worked as a photographer, student advisor and soap opera actress among other jobs.
Kara Zor-El's adventures were serialized in ''Action Comics'' and ''Adventure Comics'' before being given her own self-named book in 1972. Her adventures got decent sales, but by the mid Seventies, DC decided to merge the "Supergirl", "Jimmy Olsen" and "Lois Lane" books in an anthology series called "Superman Family" as part of a strategy to support its super-heroes.
In the [[The Seventies|1970s]], a fateful decision was made: If Superman had a cousin on Earth-1, where Supergirl had long been established to live, why not one for the original Superman, Kal-L of Earth-2? Thus was [[Power Girl]], aka Kara Zor-L of Earth-2, introduced, with an origin much like Supergirl's, except for some [[Scotch Tape]] to the effect that her capsule had taken much longer to reach Earth. Power Girl used a very different costume, an all-white costume, which highlighted [[Most Common Superpower|her breasts, large even by comicbook standards]].<ref>This has given rise to the urban myth that her original artist, Wally Wood, increased her bust size with every issue. [http://ragnell.blogspot.com/2006/05/power-girl-you-be-judge.html It's a funny story, but it's not true].</ref> She was instantly inducted into the Justice Society of America and soon became a fan favorite.▼
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In the early Eighties "Superman Family" was cancelled. However, Supergirl got a new solo book -"The Daring Adventures of Supergirl" or simply "Supergirl"-, which lasted twenty-three issues until DC decided to cancel it with the intention of launching a new magazine, "DC Double Comics", [http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com.es/2012/04/fate-of-dick-malverne.html featuring Supergirl and a revamped Superboy].
Then came the ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]''. The powers that be decided that Supergirl was a symptom of the longstanding decline in the Superman franchise, which had made the books a poor seller for DC Comics. In order to try and bring back Superman's uniqueness, it was decided that Superman should be the only surviving Kryptonian. So in issue #7 of the Crisis (October, 1985), Supergirl made a [[Heroic Sacrifice]] to help stop the villain's plan. But then DC decided to do a full-on reboot of the Superman franchise, resulting in the now dead Supergirl [[Ret-Gone|being declared to have never existed]]. In a bit of major irony though, the copycat Power Girl survived and was given a new origin story, as the granddaughter of an Atlantean sorcerer sent through time to the present day.▼
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Eventually, [[John Byrne]] decided to [[Writer Revolt|"cheat"]] his way around the "Superman: Last Son of Krypton For Real" edict to bring Supergirl back, in the form of "Matrix", a shape-shifting purple creature who just so happens to take Supergirl's form. The new version first appeared in ''Superman'' vol. 2 #16 (April, 1988). Hailing from a pocket universe where [[Superboy]] existed (in order to keep the Legion of Super-Heroes universe from collapsing from the removal of Superboy from canon) and all life was destroyed by escaped Phantom Zone villains, Supergirl followed Superman into the mainstream DC Universe and for a time, things were good even as Supergirl began dating the Post-Crisis [[Lex Luthor]] (who was pretending to be his own son, grant you).
However, this Supergirl
Eventually, the "angel" aspect and the "Linda" aspect separated, with Linda having the powers on her own. This came at the same time that Supergirl was introduced in ''[[Superman: The Animated Series]]'', so in a bit of media property alignment, Linda was given the cartoon Supergirl's costume. She operated as Supergirl until the "Many Happy Returns" storyline in where the ''original'' [[Pre Crisis]] Supergirl showed up, her rocket somehow having detoured to the [[Post-Crisis]] universe. Linda, learning Kara was destined to die, traveled to the [[Pre Crisis]] universe in her place, marrying Superman and having a daughter. Eventually, Kara was restored to her place in the history of the multiverse, and Linda retired from superheroing.
Shortly after, a new character showed up; the [[Darker and Edgier]] Cir-El, who claimed to be Clark and [[Lois Lane]]'s daughter from the future. She first appeared in ''Superman the 10 Cent Adventure'' #1 (March, 2003). However, she was a very unpopular character, and in short order her claims were debunked and she [[Put on a Bus|vanished into the timestream]].
A couple of years passed and Dan DiDio rose to power at DC Comics. As urban legends goes, DiDio freaked out when he accidentally discovered the current Supergirl's convoluted origin of pocket universes and "earth angels" and made one of his first edicts upon taking over DC Comics to be DC bringing back the real Supergirl. So Matrix and Linda Danvers were [[Put on a Bus]] (at first DiDio declared them erased from canon thanks to ''[[Infinite Crisis]]'', though this was later rescinded, as the characters have been mentioned in the "Reign in Hell" mini-series and in a later arc in Superman/Batman) and a new Kara Zor-El was introduced, having crash-landed onto Earth just in time to be (re)introduced into DC Universe canon
Meanwhile, Power Girl had gone through some changes as they tried to figure out what to do with her. Recruited for the Justice League Europe branch, Kara had her powers decreased (due to a [[Deus Ex Machina]] lifesaving operation). She developed a new edgy, ultra-feminist attitude to let her serve as the resident shit-disturber on the JLE team (which was briefly retconned as being the result of allergies caused by diet sodas). She was made a businesswoman with her own computer company, mystically pregnant caused by her Atlantean grandpa, and most humiliatingly, was given a short-lived [[Weaksauce Weakness|vulnerability to "natural, unprocessed materials"]] by Chris Claremont, that was so silly and stupid that it was quickly dropped as soon as it was established.
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In the run-up to ''Infinite Crisis'', the surprisingly simple answer was revealed: she was... Kara Zor-L, the cousin of the Superman of Earth-2. As the Earths were being merged, she had somehow fallen through a crack in time, emerging in the [[Post-Crisis]] universe unchanged, and the inconsistencies in her powers and origins since then had been side effects of the universe trying to fit her in. (Note: She is specifically from the Earth-2 that existed prior to ''Crisis of the Infinite Earths.'' A new Earth-2 thats like the old one appeared after [[Infinite Crisis]] but it has its own Power Girl. Much to the original's dismay.)
Since then Supergirl's basic identity in the [[DC]] universe has held steady as Kara Zor-el. Confusion didn't end there though as her own named title was prone to retconning Kara's personal backstory on Krypton every few issues under a string of writers until Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle took over writing and art duties respectively. Their run -Supergirl (Volume 5) #34-59- is widely regarded as one of the best eras of the character, [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/superhero-comic-books-100-best-934371/item/supergirl-by-sterling-gates-jamal-934858 clocking in at#69 on The Hollywood Reporter's 100 Best Super-Heroes Comic-Books List]. This roughly coincided with being brought into the extended [[Bat Family Crossover|New Krypton]] storyline with her cousin, dealing with the bottled city of Kandor being unshrunk releasing several hundred Kryptonians on planet Earth, led confusingly enough by Supergirl's parents. The book finally managed to become well regarded and is now a stable part of the Superman Family of comics. Supergirl also appeared in ''Supergirl and the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]]'', in which she was stuck a thousand years in the future with the LSH (having apparently made the [[Time Travel]] trip during a [[Time Skip]] in her own book, and then getting [[Laser-Guided Amnesia]] before she returned).
In 2016 Supergirl's book was revamped as part of the "DC Rebirth" relaunch which revealed New Earth (Post-Crisis continuity) and Earth 0 (Post-Flashpoint universe) are one and the same. At the end of the year, "Supergirl: Being Super" -a mini-series written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Joelle Jones- started publication, narrating an Elseworlds origin tale.
In other media 2007 had Supergirl becoming a regular character on ''[[Smallville]]'' as Clark's cousin Kara from Krypton, using a variation of the origin where she is older than him and, as is typical in that series, [[Not Wearing Tights]] or using a code name. (There had earlier been a fake "Kara from Krypton" who turned out to be neither. {{spoiler|1=It was a plan by an AI made in Jor-El's image}}, and from the way she was hitting on him, she wasn't supposed to be Clark's cousin [[Incest Is Relative|unless Kryptonian social mores are]] <s> very different from</s> [[Incest Is Relative|pretty much the same as modern human ones]].)
Supergirl was a main character in the "Superman: The Animated Series" and [[Justice League (animation)|Justice League]] Unlimited cartoons, and a lead character in "Super Best Friends Forever" and "DC Super Hero Girls". She also turns up in "Justice League Action" and was meant to join the cast of "Legion of Super-Heroes" and "Young Justice" cartoons. She also starred in two animated movies: Superman/Batman: Apocalypse" and "Superman: Unbound".
In fall 2015, a new [[Supergirl (television)|''Supergirl'' series]] starring Melissa Benoist in the title role premiered on [[CBS]]. Six months earlier, a trailer had been released, with the entire pilot episode leaked to the internet almost immediately afterward. The unwatermarked HD print fueled rumors that it was an ''intentional'' leak by CBS to drum up interest in the series. It apparently worked -- as of this writing the series is doing well.▼
▲In fall 2015, a new [[Supergirl (television)|''Supergirl'' series]] starring Melissa Benoist in the title role premiered on [[CBS]]. Six months earlier, a trailer had been released, with the entire pilot episode leaked to the internet almost immediately afterward. The unwatermarked HD print fueled rumors that it was an ''intentional'' leak by CBS to drum up interest in the series. It
Supergirl has also been a playable character in several video games such like "Injustice 2".
{{tropelist}}
* [[Action Girl]]: Kara is possibly the world's most powerful woman and heroine. She has fought and beaten countless thugs, super-villains, wizards, aliens, monsters and eldritch abominations during her long career.
* [[All Girls Like Ponies]]: Kara's pony Comet could ''fly!'' He was secretly a [[Baleful Polymorph|cursed]] [[Our Centaurs Are Different|centaur]].
* [[Bare Your Midriff]]: The ''[[Justice League]],'' [[Peter David]], and modern versions.
* [[Bash Brothers
* [[Between My Legs]]: The first post-Crisis
** Also seen in [http://maidofmight.net/gallery/102-3/supergirl21.jpg Supergirl issue 21]{{Dead link}}.
* [[Canon Immigrant]]: The Kryptonian headband Supergirl was wearing when she died in ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]''. It was added at the request of the producers of the 1984 ''[[Supergirl (film)|Supergirl]]'' movie... who then decided to ditch the headband themselves. The headband was explained in the comic as honoring her Kryptonian heritage, but in fact only male Kryptonians wore headbands before that.
* [[Cape Wings]]
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* [[Doomed Hometown]]: ditto
* [[Enemy Without]]: Thanks to black kryptonite. She managed to pull herself back together.
* [[Fan Service Pack]]: She started out in a modest [[Mini-Dress of Power]]. She eventually had costume changes with varying levels of fanservice, with the one from ''Adventure Comics'' #409 being particularly [[Stripperiffic]]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120504113022/http://girl-wonder.org/supergirl/pop/costumes2.htm Here's a look at the different costumes she had over the years.]
* [[Flying Brick]]
* [[Gendered Outfit]]: Quite possibly the [[Trope Codifier]]. ''Every'' outfit Supergirl has worn has, in some way, been tailored to her femininity. While the [[Mini-Dress of Power]] is the most frequent (and obvious) change, she's also had a [[Impossibly Low Neckline|low neckline]], [[Who Wears Short Shorts?|short shorts]], [[Bare Your Midriff|an exposed midriff]], [[Leotard of Power|a leotard]], [[Combat Stilettos|high heels]] and various combinations thereof.
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* [[Kindhearted Cat Lover]]: Streaky the Super-Cat, in fact. He got powers in a lab accident. Yes, he was a cat who could shove the planet out of orbit if he liked; just repeat the [[MST3K Mantra]] and enjoy it for the [[Silver Age]] fun it was.
* [[Legion of Super-Heroes]]
* [[Leotard of Power]]: Post the [[Flashpoint (comics)|Flashpoint]] reboot for the DC Universe. Although other versions of
* [[Long Runners]]: Supergirl first appeared in May 1959, and has been an important part of the [[DC]] universe since. The character has starred in solo books and anthologies, and shows up in movies, TV shows, and cartoons.
* [[Magic Skirt]]: [[Depending on the Artist|Some artists]] draw it so short, but ''so short'' that you will need a massive [[Willing Suspension of Disbelief]] to accept something so short not allowing [[Panty Shot
* [[Mini-Dress of Power]]
* [[Modesty Shorts]]: Used more recently as an alternative to her Skirt.
* [[Most Common Superpower]]: Although smaller than a lot of heroines, she would still be above average in real life.
* [[
▲* [[Pieta Plagiarism]]: The famous cover image of ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]'' when she dies.
* [[Pink Product Ploy]]: A clothing line.
* [[Plot-Relevant Age-Up]]: Along with [[Nightwing|Dick Grayson]], the [[Pre Crisis|original]] Kara was allowed to grow up, even if it [[Comic Book Time|took thirty years]]. She started out as a cute little teenybopper, and became a beautiful young woman. {{spoiler|There's a huge [[Tear Jerker]] in "[[Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?]],'' when time-travelling young Kara asks Superman if she grows up to be pretty. This is after Kara's own death, and Supes can't tell her that; but he does tell her, as they pass a statue of her adult self in the Fortress, "You grew up beautiful, Kara."}}
* [[Positive Discrimination]]:
*
** In the lengthy 1959 story arc about Supergirl's secret apprenticeship and training, Kara had a power outage. Then she briefly got everything
* [[Print Long Runners]]: DC has published Supergirl's adventures intermittently since 1959.
* [[Retcon]]: Just look at the description above!
* [[Ret-Gone]]: For a long while, Kara Zor-El was retconned out of existence by the [[Crisis on Infinite Earths]] - until a storyline with the Linda Danvers Supergirl had [[Pre Crisis]] Kara entering the [[Post-Crisis]] timestream by accident. Later, a [[Post-Crisis]] Kara was reintroduced, replacing Linda.
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{{reflist}}
{{IGN Top 100 Heroes}}
[[Category:Super GIRL]]▼
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:DC Comics Characters]]
[[Category:Pages needing more categories]]
▲[[Category:Supergirl]]
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