Supergirl, the Girl of Steel, the Maiden of Might, is most well known for being Superman’s cousin, one of the only other survivors of the planet Krypton. However, the first ever Super-Girl was actually a magical duplicate made by Jimmy Olsen when he stumbled upon a wish-granting staff in Superman #123. After the concept was introduced, the real Supergirl premiered less than a year later, and fans have loved the character and title ever since. There have been a fair few people who have taken up the mantle, from friends, to foes, to total strangers. Of course, among all of these mighty ladies, one has to stand as the best Supergirl there’s ever been.
Let’s take a look at all of the Supergirls in the mainline DC Universe, and rank them to find the best one.
6) Lesla-Lar
Coming in last place by a very wide margin is Lesla-Lar. Originally debuting in Action Comics #279, Lesla is a Kryptonian from the Bottle City of Kandor who had an obsession with Supergirl. Driven by jealousy over how much everyone loved Supergirl, Lesla tried time and again to replace Supergirl and impersonate her. If she were just an impersonator she wouldn’t have earned a spot on this list, but in her first appearance since 1981, Lesla has emerged in Supergirl (Vol. 8) #1 as the new Supergirl of Midvale. She earns last place because even now she only dons the S for attention and an unhealthy obsession, and she turned villain the second the crowds mildly turned against her. She’s far from what a Supergirl should be, and is lucky to even be counted.
5) Matrix
After the Crisis on Infinite Earths reboot, DC wanted to keep Superman as the Last Son of Krypton, and thus its only survivor. Still, the people love Supergirl, so that led to a whole host of non-Kryptonian Supergirls, the first of which being Matrix. Debuting in Superman (Vol. 2) #16, Matrix was a protoplasmic artificial lifeform created by a pocket-dimension version of Lex Luthor, designed to mimic Superman’s abilities and fight three escaped Kryptonian Phantom Zone prisoners. After that adventure, she was adopted by the Kents and fell in love with Lex Luthor, who was posing as his own son at the time, and became his bodyguard. She took the name of Supergirl and fought crime in the name of justice, even teaching the new Superboy the serious nature of their job, but would later join in the creation of another Supergirl, who we will get to in a little bit.
4) Cir-El
This incarnation of Supergirl first premiered in Superman: The 10¢ Adventure. She came from a possible future, and thought herself to be the daughter of Superman and Lois Lane. However, these memories were a ruse, planted by Brainiac 12, a future incarnation of one of Superman’s greatest enemies, designed by Lex Luthor. Keeping in line with the post-Crisis philosophy of having no Kryptonians besides Clark, she was actually a clone of a human girl designed with the genetic template of Superman, gifting her all of his powers. The idea of a woman from a desolate future who believes herself to be Superman’s daughter is rife with potential stories and awesome plot points, but unfortunately Cir died fairly soon after her introduction, sacrificing herself to take down Brainiac 12 and the Futuresmiths. She was very interesting, but unfortunately underutilized as a character.
3) Linda Danvers
The last non-Kryptonian on this list, Linda Danvers debuted in Supergirl (Vol. 4) #1. She started out as a troubled human girl who was lured into a cult that meant to sacrifice her, but her life was saved when Matrix bonded with her, creating someone who was both of them and something more. In addition to everything Matrix brought to their fusion, Linda gained additional powers from being the Earth-Born Angel of Fire. She served as Supergirl for several years, until the arrival of Kara Zor-El from Earth-One, who was supposed to die in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Linda attempted to take her place, going to that Earth and posing as Kara for years, even marrying Superman, but the Spectre told her Kara had to follow her destiny or everything would cease to be. In exchange for her daughter being able to survive, Linda sent Kara to her destiny, and feeling that she failed to live up to the name Supergirl, she retired.
2) Kara Zor-L
Better known as Power Girl, this version of the character first premiered in All-Star Comics #58. Kara’s history is definitely one of the more confusing and fluctuating origins in the DC Universe, but she is Kara Zor-El’s counterpart from Earth-Two, and one of its only survivors. In some origins she always went by Power Girl, but in some she was the Supergirl of her world before coming to live on the main Earth of DC, so she earns her spot here. What sets this Kara apart from the others is that she always stood as an outsider. Not only did she lose her homeworld, she lost her entire universe not terribly long after. She has faced more loss than possibly any other character in DC, but she still chooses to be a hero, even if she never truly feels like she belongs anywhere. Power Girl is constantly struggling with her survivor’s guilt and trying to make a place for herself, all while being terrified she’ll lose everything again. She’s a fantastic character and definitely lives up to the Supergirl title, even if she rejects the crest that all the others wear.
1) Kara Zor-El
Who else could sit at the top but the original Supergirl? Kara debuted in Action Comics #252, actually in the same issue that Metallo first appeared. The original Supergirl set the standard that all others would have to live up to, being the first true other survivor of Krypton and first person to join the Superman Family. Even today she works as one of Earth’s strongest defenders, and it’s incredibly easy to see why people fell in love with the character all those decades ago. She is every bit the hero Superman is, and feels the pain of Krypton’s destruction even more deeply, having been old enough to remember her home. Still, she uses that pain and loss to push her forward, and she never stops striving to improve the world she’s made her new home. She is the Girl of Steel, and nobody else ever could stand in her shoes.
So there we have the six different people who have worn the Supergirl cape over the years. Which of the Supergirls is your favorite, and what other super-powered ladies would you like to see step into this role every now and then? Let us know in the comments below!
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