Supergirl’s Weirdest Villain is Back (With a Twist)

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In a similar vein to many long-lasting superheroes, Supergirl encounters some rather unusual adversaries. Ranging from old favorites like Reactron to newer icons such as Princess Shark, the Steel Maiden has squared off against her share of nefarious ne’er-do-wells. However, even compared to her most outlandish foes, Satan Girl stands out as one of the strangest and formidable villains Supergirl has ever encountered. Throughout history, various individuals have assumed the title of Satan Girl, including Puritan witch Dolores Pratchet and alien deity S’tanicule Gyrstress; yet, the original Satan Girl has resurfaced in comics after more than six decades. In issue #3 of Supergirl (2025), Black Kryptonite was used to bring Satan Girl back into continuity, making her one of Supergirl’s most challenging adversaries due to the fact that she is essentially Supergirl herself, and battling one’s own inner demons can be incredibly tough.

The Original Satan Girl

In the Silver Age of comics, the initial manifestation of Satan Girl took place in Adventure Comics issue 313. At that time, Supergirl was with the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century. Following exposure to Red Kryptonite, Supergirl fell unconscious and a wicked version of herself, calling herself Satan Girl, emerged. With all Supergirl’s memories and powers, Satan Girl understood that she had only forty-eight hours before the Red Kryptonite lost its effect, causing her to vanish. To guarantee her own survival, she created unique bracelets capable of transferring some of her Red K radiation to others. She used these bracelets to contaminate female Legion members, inflicting them with a disease known as the Crimson Plague. Leveraging this mysterious illness, Satan Girl blackmailed the Legion, threatening to kill anyone she infected unless they allowed her to join their ranks and aid her in staying alive.

In the realm of cinematic critique, I found myself utterly captivated by a character who outshone even the Legionnaires with her prodigious intellect and formidable might. Desperate to curb this enigmatic force, they summoned Supergirl, but the Maiden of Might was no match for her evil alter ego. As the battle seemed lost, the Legion of Super-Pets swooped in to restrain Satan Girl, successfully keeping her at bay until the influence of Red Kryptonite dissipated. The character then merged back with Supergirl, leaving no trace of her malevolent self within that narrative’s continuity.

Satan Girl Returns

In a twist of events, Lesla-Lar – a Kryptonian inhabitant of the City of Kandor who harbored an intense envy towards Supergirl – unintentionally summoned Satan Girl during their confrontation with Supergirl. When Lesla’s scheme to mimic Supergirl failed, she retaliated by exposing Kara (Supergirl) to Black Kryptonite, which amplifies one’s deepest, hidden emotions. This transformation turned Kara into Satan Girl, who proceeded to wreak havoc alongside her new evil companion, Krypto the Satan Dog, across Midvale.

Satan Girl reveled in her freedom from societal expectations and Superman’s shadow, causing chaos by mooning citizens and littering streets while laughing maniacally. Lesla believed that revealing Supergirl’s dark side would make the people of Midvale embrace her more affectionately; however, they instead blamed her for all her misdeeds. In the end, Lesla attempted to challenge Satan Girl but was quickly overpowered as the Black Kryptonite began corrupting Supergirl’s body. Fortunately, Lena Luthor intervened and used a miniaturized Titano named Tinitano to expel the Black Kryptonite from her system, ultimately saving the day.

In this latest portrayal of Satan Girl, while she shares some resemblance with the original, there are significant differences. For instance, instead of Red K, she was crafted with Black K. Unlike the original who reveled in pure evil, the new Satan Girl appears more focused on chaos rather than outright villainy. Though she attempted to harm Kara’s parents, her actions were more akin to causing trouble as a superpowered annoyance rather than a full-blown monster. The original Satan Girl was truly wicked, but this version is directly shaped by Zora’s darkest emotions, albeit at a less monstrous level. It can be debated that the Red K version emerged from an intensification of Kara’s deepest, dark thoughts due to Red Kryptonite, while the new Satan Girl is a manifestation of her worst feelings. Despite this reduced intensity, both versions of Satan Girl have a limited lifespan. This newer interpretation seems more playful and reminiscent of Silver Age comics, making me hopeful for future appearances. Long live Satan Girl!

Supergirl #3 is on sale now!

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2025-07-13 16:40