Supergirl’s Introduction to DC Comics Was Completely Bonkers

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Most people familiar with Superman are also acquainted with his powerful relative, Supergirl. While different individuals have assumed the role, the Supergirl that everyone recognizes is Kara Zor-El, Superman’s cousin. The current narrative explaining how the younger girl arrived on Earth years after Clark Kent is that their rockets were launched simultaneously, but an interference during travel delayed hers. In a suspended state, Kara didn’t age until she landed on Earth much later, when her cousin was already an adult and had begun his Superman career. However, this isn’t how it initially was. Supergirl first appeared in 1959, in Action Comics #252, and her original origin story is far more outlandish and extraordinary than anything they create now.

The Supergirl From Krypton

In the solitary confines of the Daily Planet’s office, Clark Kent found himself gazing out the window as a speeding rocket made its way towards earth. He bolted outside to try and halt its descent, but arrived too late to prevent the impact. To his astonishment, a young girl stepped from the debris. Miraculously, she seemed untouched by the crash and her outfit bore a striking resemblance to Clark’s own attire. Naturally, Superman felt compelled to learn more about this situation, and the girl introduced herself as Kara Zor-El – another inhabitant of the doomed planet Krypton. Superman was skeptical, given his background launching from Krypton as a baby, but Kara provided her account. However, I must caution you: This tale originated during the early days of the Silver Age, so brace yourself for an unlikely story.

As Superman’s rocket blasted off from exploding Krypton, a substantial piece of the planet also detached intact, carrying its inhabitants unscathed. Remarkably, an air bubble accompanied this fragment, offering them an endless supply of breathable air – a phenomenon we can attribute to air’s peculiar ability to replicate and cling to small rocky fragments. Equipped with Zor-El’s advanced food production machine, the fortunate Kryptonians were well-prepared for long-term survival. However, their journey through space was marred by radiation from the planetary explosion that transformed the ground beneath them into Kryptonite. Fortunately, Zor-El had a sufficient amount of lead to shield everyone from this harmful substance.

For many years, the Kryptonians lived a relatively ordinary life on their planet until Kara was born and raised amidst irradiated rocks. Unfortunately, disaster struck once more when meteors pierced the protective lead layer of Krypton, releasing lethal amounts of Kryptonite gas. With only a month left before their world perished, Kara’s parents frantically sought a habitable planet for her to survive on. Utilizing the Super-Space Telescope, her mother spotted Earth and witnessed Superman saving people. After tuning into Earth’s radio broadcasts, they discovered that Superman was also a Kryptonian and decided it was an ideal location to send Kara. She learned Earth’s languages and donned a suit similar to Superman’s. With time running out, Kara said her farewells, was launched to Earth, leaving behind her family and loved ones just as Clark had been orphaned.

A Super Life on Earth

In the exciting revelation, Superman learned that Kara hailed from Krypton, and their joy doubled when they found out their fathers were brothers, making them cousins. Eager to be with her kin, Kara requested to stay with Superman. Given his compassionate nature, it’s understandable that the most benevolent superhero might be inclined to welcome his long-lost relative, who appeared deeply troubled, into his life, right? However, Superman expressed concerns about revealing Kara, as doing so could potentially expose his secret identity. Consequently, he suggested Kara remain concealed until she mastered her powers. To provide her with a covert existence of her own, Superman decided that Kara should assume a disguise and live at an orphanage in Midvale until it was time for her to emerge from the shadows. Remarkably, Kara accepted this plan as reasonable.

After Superman leaves Kara near the orphanage to get her a wig and some Earth clothes, Kara listens to some girls chatting and chooses a name for herself as her civilian identity. She decides to be known as Linda Lee. Superman then hands Linda over to the orphanage staff, telling them that she lost her family in a tragic accident, which isn’t entirely untrue. Kara uses her newfound superpowers to tidy up her room and secretly slips out at night to watch a movie about her cousin’s adventures as Superboy. This concludes the first issue of Supergirl. So, how long did it take for Supergirl to keep her existence hidden from the world? It was a full two years!

A Weird Origin That Still Has a Lot of Influence

Despite being part of the Silver Age, this superhero origin story is undeniably one of the most peculiar ones. For instance, leaving Kara at an orphanage after dropping her off from the sky seems absolutely bizarre, even for Superman! I can’t help but think he could have devised a more convincing cover story. However, regardless of its unusual origin, this tale has left lasting impacts within DC Comics, with elements persisting for decades. For example, Supergirl’s original backstory includes the survival of Kandor City after Krypton’s initial explosion. Furthermore, her debut issue introduced us to one of the most iconic superheroes – the first appearance of Metallo occurred earlier in the same issue. This only emphasizes how significant and popular Action Comics #252 is, given its remarkable characters. Lastly, Supergirl may have originated from unusual roots, but she has grown to be an extraordinary character nonetheless.

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2025-07-23 00:12