Who's Who in the Superman Comics
The Legend of Supergirl
Throughout Superman's existence, several heroines have operated under the alias of Supergirl. A cosmic archetype, the typical elements of each are that she possesses powers and abilities similar to those of Superman. Also, many of the Supergirls share intimate links to The Man of Tomorrow - whether they are a cousin and fellow survivor of Krypton, or possibly his daughter. Another common trait of Supergirl is blonde hair and a costume with colors and designs similar to those of Superman.
The first recorded Supergirl was conjured up by Jimmy Olsen, during one of his most bizarre adventures. This Supergirl had brown hair, and an orange and green costume, with the S-shield resembling that of Superman's.
The second Supergirl was an actual being: Kara Zor-El. Arriving on Earth as a teenager, this Supergirl was groomed by Superman to become a major super-hero of Earth and the Universe. She took on the identity of Linda Lee Danvers, and operated throughout the United States of America - whether in the small town of Midvale or the big cities of San Francisco and Chicago. She was a valiant member of both The Legion of Super-Heroes and The Justice League of America. This Supergirl died at the hands of the reality-conquering Anti-Monitor. When reality was saved, her existence was stricken from all records. To date, only a few individuals throughout the known cosmos recall this Supergirl.
The third Supergirl was an entity named Matrix, which could assume the genetic construct of any known organism. Ultimately, this individual assumed the classic form and abilities of Supergirl and paved the way for a new legend of Supergirl to emerge.
This third Supergirl was transformed into an earth-born angel after saving the body and identity (Linda Danvers) of a recently deceased teenage girl. This Supergirl, using angelic powers and operating on a spiritual belief of righteousness, became a close confidant of Superman.
A fourth Supergirl - an update of the legendary Kara Zor-El, appeared in our reality, and assisted her fellow Supergirl, Superman, and Superboy through many adventures. With the emotional turmoil involved in getting this Supergirl back to her own reality, Linda Danvers/Matrix Supergirl to retire from being a superhero.
A fifth Supergirl came into being... one claiming to be the daughter of Superman and Lois Lane. Brought into modern reality by mysterious beings called The Futuresmiths, this Supergirl... also called Cir-El, was a true enigma. Unlike the previous incarnations, this Supergirl had short, black hair, and wore a black costume with a completely different S insignia. She was soon discovered to be an engineered creation and not truly a descendant of Superman's.
There is yet another interpretation of the Supergirl archetype... the heroine known as Power Girl. In a preceding reality, Power Girl was the twentysomething cousin of Superman. Proving herself as a brave, powerful hero, Power Girl became a member of the fabled Justice Society of America, and briefly served in two splinter groups of the JSA: The Super Squad, which included herself, a grown Robin, and the original Star-Spangled Kid; and Infinity Inc., which included several sons, daughters, and protege of the Justice Society members.
Surviving the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Power Girl's origins were apparently altered. But recent times have shown her original, actual origin may still be valid, and Power Girl has displayed powers similar to those of Superman, and likewise, a weakness from exposure to Kryptonite. Still a vibrant, twentysomething super-heroine, Power Girl has carved her own legend, and has served as a member of both, The Justice League of America and The Justice Society of America.
The one-true Supergirl was (re)introduced to the DC Universe. Kara Zor-El, Superman's Kryptonian cousin, came to earth as a teenager, inside a rocket which was embedded within a Kryptonite meteor. Sent by her father to follow Kal-El's rocket, Supergirl's ship was delayed and she remained in suspended animation until finally arriving on earth.
Who's Who in the Superman Comics
Introduction
This is a listing of many of the notable characters and a few places that have appeared in the Superman comics from the 1986 revamp up until around 2008.
NOTE: A new, and more current version of the Who's Who is currently being worked on and can be accessed by clicking here.
Although Superman often appears in other DC Comics, this text's information is limited mainly to what has occurred in the regular Superman comics.
Many thanks to Scotty V, Derrick Lyle Coleman, Dean Vanek, Genevieve Clemens and Benjamin Grose who all helped out at one time or another with writing and updating these Who's Who descriptions.
The listings are displayed as follows: - Surname, Firstname - Text describing the character, place, object, etc...
Relevant issues of the Superman comics are listed as such:
- SUP = Superman
- MOS = Man of Steel
- AOS = Adventures of Superman
- ACT = Action Comics
- MOT = Man of Tomorrow
The Issue Number for each of these titles is written in this manner: “#000”. (e.g. SUP #123)
“First Appearance” refers to the issue since 1986 unless otherwise noted.
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