Besides Superman growing up, many would remember another figure who would seldom steal the spotlight, and that’s Supergirl. Although not as popular as Superman, she too has her own legion of fans. Why shouldn’t she? Like Superman, she is also a Kryptonian and is one hell of a fighter. Her popularity in comics later brought her into many mediums to entertain fans, including various DC and DCAU shows. But one, in particular, changed up her identity a bit, more specifically her origin, but why?
Who is Supergirl?
Supergirl, also known as Kara Zor-El, is somewhat one of the lesser-known characters in the DC Comics universe, compared to the DC usuals. Although she isn’t as popular as Batman or Superman, her name is still familiar to many.
Starting off as a female counterpart of the Man of Steel, she slowly gained recognition in the comics world. And yes, she is related to Superman, who is her cousin.
Till now, Supergirl has been featured in various shows and media adaptations, including popular animated series like Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League Unlimited, as well as most recently a live-action TV show called Supergirl, on The CW network.
In the comics, Supergirl’s one of the most popular storylines typically shows her adjusting to life on Earth after her home planet, Krypton, was destroyed. Although she is portrayed in different ways in different mediums, she is often depicted as a young and powerful hero.
As a Kryptonian, she possesses many of the same powers as Superman, including super strength, flight, heat vision, and freeze breath, among many others. She is also a great warrior, and fans thus believe it’s high time for this superhero to receive the recognition it deserves in commercial media. They are confident she will become a prominent figure in the DCU in no time, now that she is finally being introduced to James Gunn’s new and improved universe.
Why Was Supergirl’s Origin Changed for Superman: The Animated Series?
Despite having such an impressive resume, why is it that Supergirl was stripped away of her Kryptonian identity? Makers of Superman: The Animated Series faced a dilemma when introducing the character to the animated series since Superman was established as The Last Kryptonian. Thus, keeping Supergirl’s original origin didn’t make sense in this context.
One of the makers of the show, Bruce Timm, revealed once in an interview as reported via Looper,
“Supergirl was something we wanted to do from very early on–She’s a big part of the mythos from the comics. We figured we’d have to get around to her eventually someday.”
Given the eagerness of the makers and the character’s popularity, she was eventually introduced to the show but her origin was tweaked a bit, as she was depicted to have originated from Argo, Krypton’s sister planet. Although the network also desired distinct powers for Supergirl, the show’s creators largely made her abilities similar to Superman’s.
Superman: The Animated Series available to stream on Max
