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8 Things You Didn't Know About Supergirl

Here are eight things you probably did not know about Superman's cousin, Supergirl.

By Matthew BaileyPublished 6 years ago 4 min read
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If you've ever read a comic book; heck if you've ever heard the words comic book or superhero then you probably know about Superman. He's been the proverbial talking point for decades as one of the most powerful beings in both Marvel and DC's respective universes. Superman is from the distant, now destroyed, planet known as Krypton and he was sent to Earth as a child in order to escape the destruction of the planet. He survived the trip and was found by a farming couple in Kansas - the Kent family. He was raised by the Kents as their son, Clark, and eventually learned of his heritage and the incredible powers that he possessed. We all know the rest of the story, but what you may not know is that he has a cousin who also traveled through space to reach Earth.

Superman's cousin, Kara Zor-El, has become an established hero in the DC Universe, proving herself time and time again to be equally important as her cousin. Kara has similar powers to Clark but she has a few things that set her apart from the Man of Steel. With the upcoming channel change for her solo show this fall, I thought it would be worthwhile to take a look into her history and check out the eight things you probably didn't know about Supergirl.

1. She came to Earth much later than Superman

Kara Zor-El, as she was known on Krypton came to Earth just as her cousin to escape the destruction of the planet. Kal El (Clark Kent) came to Earth as a baby, whereas Kara arrived on Earth much later and even though she was Kal's older cousin on Krypton, she appears to be younger than the Man of Steel on Earth.

2. She died to save the Superman - and the universe

So, DC Comics has been known to have gone through several reboots and resets over the years. One of the most well known continuity resets was in the mid '80s with Crisis on Infinite Earths. During this story arc, we found the entire DC Universe facing off against a universe-killing being known as the Anti-Monitor. Superman believes that he has met an opponent that he cannot defeat, but then Supergirl arrives and turns the tide of the battle - but losing her life in the process.

3. She was replaced by a clone

For over a decade, Supergirl was absent from comic books. This was in part because of the events of "Crisis on Infinite Earths" but in the early '00s a new Supergirl was created - yes I said created. In an alternate reality Lex Luthor, as a good guy, created Supergirl after witnessing Superman's power through a dimensional gateway. In this reality Clark Kent had died as a child, so Lex created Matrix Supergirl - with all the powers you would imagine, but also telekinesis, invisibility and shape-shifting powers.

4. She wore a power ring

We all know that the Lantern Corps are a major part of the DC Universe, and for a time Kara joined the Corps - the Red Lantern Corps. Kara has always had trouble managing her emotions, so donning the Red Ring of Anger makes perfect sense. Kara had just failed in her quest to bring Krypton back when she was attacked by Lobo. With all her rage she unleashed her full power and killed the galactic assassin. Her rage drew a red ring to her, which then consumed her and she was transformed into a rage monster that flew through the galaxy killing anyone in her way.

5. She was 'wished' in & out of existence

Before she was officially introduced as the cousin to Superman, the name Super-Girl was used in 1958 after Jimmy Olsen discovered a magic totem. Naturally his first wish was for a female version of Superman so that his pal could have someone that could match his 'passion'. At the time Superman was kind of a dick, and wasn't ready to work with another hero so he was fairly emotionless when Super-Girl sacrificed herself to protect him from a Kryptonite meteor. The lethal dose of Kryptonite forced Jimmy to un-wish her.

6. She's more powerful than Superman

The two Kryptonian powerhouses have come to blows a handful of times over the years, and regardless of what Superman fans may say - he has been bested on many of these instances. Fans argue about why Supergirl is stronger; whether it's her anger issues, her extra time growing up on Krypton or simply an unknown reason. Regardless of why, the fact remains that Supergirl has bested Superman several times.

7. She dated a horse

Now if the '60s are known for anything, it's the idea that the storytelling of the era was trenched in a specific form of campy goodness. Around this time, the family of Superman comics had introduced animals including Comet the Super-Horse. Comet debuted in Superboy's comic series in 1962 before transitioning into Supergirl's bonus stories in Action Comics. During his move - he also made a move on Supergirl, and wound up dating the heroine without the other knowing the secret they each carried.

8. She's already been introduced to the DCEU - sort of

Before Man of Steel was released in 2013, there was a prequel comic that was written by Zach Snyder, David Goyer and Geoff Johns. Kara Zor-El was introduced as a Kryptonian in this tale, but was born thousands of years before Superman and joined the Explorer Guild. The Explorer Guild was sent from Krypton to terraform other planets to be habitable. In the comics, Kara captained a ship that wound up crash-landing in the ice on Earth (not where she was supposed to go). The comic hints that she survived, but no definitive answer about what happened was ever given. Her crashed ship became Superman's Fortress of Solitude in Man of Steel.

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About the Creator

Matthew Bailey

Husband. Father. Gamer. Cinema Lover. Mix it all together, and there I am. I love all things pop-culture and coffee; but coffee is the best.

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