Not Your Cousin's Supergirl: Variants, Rage, and the Road to Woman of Tomorrow

Kara Zor-El isn't the only version of Supergirl to grace the pages of DC Comics — and today we're diving into some of the more popular alternate versions ones. In this episode of Xpanded Universe, Michael Allen Lake and Mairead Blue explore the rich and often surprising world of Supergirl variants — this includes versions and characters that emerged when DC Comics said their can be only one Kryptonian (Superman) so what did that mean for the Maid of Might? The answers range from genuinely inventive to occasionally problematic to absolutely, undeniably excellent. On the agenda: The 1990s Peter David written Matrix Supergirl, a protoplasmic shape-shifter with telekinetic powers and a genuinely strange origin story as she navigates issues of identity and choice. The ongoing conversation around Power Girl — originally Kara Zor-L of Earth-2 — who may have started life as a Supergirl analogue but has long since become something entirely her own (including a legendary run by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti that remains one of the most purely enjoyable superhero comics runs of its era) and now has her own complicated legacy. The complicated legacy of how comic creators have handled Power Girl's appearance. The New 52's reimagining of Kara as an isolated, rage-filled survivor leading to a storyline that Mairead makes a compelling case for as one of the most emotionally honest things DC has ever done with the character: Red Daughter of Krypton. A story in which Kara's rage and trauma find a terrifyingly literal expression through a Red Lantern ring. DC Rebirth's softer reset and the surprising influence of the CW television series All of this turns out to be surprisingly good preparation for the upcoming Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. More on that too. And feel free to tease Michael in the comments when he clearly misstates the name of a key Supergirl New 52 storyline. He means "Red Daughter of Krypton," but says "Rage of the Red Lanterns." :-) 00:00 Introduction 00:57 Matrix Supergirl 08:24 Power Girl 11:03 Hypersexualization of Power Girl 13:12 The Conner and Palmiotti Run 16:45 Kara Returns 18:46 Red Daughter of Krypton 24:03 DC Rebirth 27:37 Wrap Up