Supergirl is a fictional comic book superheroine that is depicted as a female counterpart to the DC Comics iconic superhero Superman. Created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino in 1959 and appearing in Action Comics. The character first appeared in comic books and later appeared children's cartoon animation, film, and television.
As Supergirl, the Kara Zor-El character plays a supporting role in various DC Comics publications, including Action Comics, Superman, and several other comic book series unrelated to Superman. In 1969 Supergirl became lead feature in Adventure Comics and later starred in an eponymous comic book series which debuted in 1972 and ran until 1974, followed by a second monthly comic book series entitled The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl, which ran from 1982 to 1984.
An editorial mandate, the 1985 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths depicts the death of Supergirl and DC Comics subsequently reboots the fictional continuity of the DC Comics Universe, reestablishing Superman's character as the sole survivor of Krypton's destruction. Following the conclusion of Crisis on Infinite Earths, several different characters written as having no familial relationship to Superman have assumed the role of Supergirl, including Matrix, Linda Danvers, and Cir-El. Following the cancellation of the third Supergirl comic book series starring the Linda Danvers version of the character, a modern version of Kara Zor-El is reintroduced into DC Comics continuity in issue #8 of the Superman/Batman comic book series entitled "The Supergirl from Krypton" (2004). The modern Kara Zor-El stars as Supergirl in an eponymous comic book series, in addition to playing a supporting role in various DC Comics publications. A pop culture icon, the Supergirl character has been adapted into all media relating to the Superman franchise including merchandise, television, animation, and feature film. |
