(Previously) :
98-581: Linda Danvers , also known as Supergirl , is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics . Created by writer Peter David and artist Gary Frank , she debuted in Supergirl (vol. 4) #1 (September 1996). She is not to be confused with Linda Lee Danvers, the secret identity used by the Kara Zor-El incarnation of Supergirl prior to the events of 1985's Crisis on Infinite Earths . Peter David adapted Linda Danvers as
196-536: A Sandman issue (reprinted in Fables and Reflections ) in which Cain, Abel, and Eve tell a story to Daniel Hall (grandson of Carter Hall ) about their past and Abel says, "Oh, this whu-wasn't on Earth, thuh thu--" before being hushed. According to the series Lucifer , the Presence has vacated his creation, and his granddaughter Elaine Belloc has taken his place. The series does not address his relationship to
294-516: A Kryptonian and unable to remove the power ring without killing her, he brings her to Guy Gardner , the leader of one of the two Red Lantern factions, who manages to restore her sanity. After some time under Gardner's tutelage and protecting the galaxy as a Red Lantern, she is discharged from the Red Lantern Corps, as Guy did not want her to die needlessly fighting against Atrocitus ' splinter group. On her way back to Earth, Kara encounters
392-562: A being with a pathological hatred of Supergirl. Not surprisingly, the young Kara Zor-El did not tamely accept that she was destined to die at a young age, and tearfully begged Linda to find some way to save her. Linda lied to her, in order to calm her down and send her away; only after she had departed did Kara Zor-El realize Linda's intent—Linda secretly took Kara's place, and was sent to the Pre- Crisis era, posing as Kara and expecting to die in her place, in order to provide Kara Zor-El with
490-473: A chance at life. The Pre- Crisis Superman uncovered her ruse (upon her arrival in his universe, she tried to repeat Kara Zor-El's origin story, but his superhuman abilities allowed him to notice details that made it clear she was lying, such as the fact that her costume was made of Earth materials) and admitted he was in love with her. The two married and had a daughter, Ariella . Linda even changed her costume to cover more skin. Linda's very presence had altered
588-479: A character owned by DC was the same as the character he owned, he stated, "Can I say this is Linda Danvers? Of course I can't. However, it's pretty freaking obvious that it is." According to an interview with Newsarama, the Matrix Supergirl is wiped from existence by the events depicted in the 2005 limited series Infinite Crisis , although Infinite Crisis writer Geoff Johns later stated that Danvers
686-472: A church with Supergirl as its lead centerpiece. The Silver Age character of Dick Malverne returned and started a relationship with Linda. However, Supergirl later found Dick dead in his apartment, as he had foregone proper treatment in favor of appealing to the Church of Supergirl. Enraged, she attacked the church. Linda met an angelic ally, the equine Comet, who was revealed to be her friend, Andrea Jones, and
784-488: A family grudge. At the time, Kara herself refuses to believe this, but later flashbacks indicate that not only is this partly true, but Kara had been physically altered by her father as a child before being involved in several murders on Krypton. However, these matters were later revealed to be delusions as a result of Kryptonite poisoning. Upon being cured, she presents a personality more like that of her Silver Age persona. Kara Zor-El (so named because on Krypton, women take
882-642: A human life, but he accepted the change. Further complicating the situation was the revelation that Matrix's sacrifice in attempting to save Linda transformed her and Linda into the Earth-born Angel of Fire. When Linda became an Earth-born Angel (one of three, the others are Blithe and Comet ), she developed wings of flame and flame vision. She discovered that she could teleport in an S-shaped burst of flame. She used her powers to fight demons and dark gods, and even her fellow Earth-born Angel Blithe. Linda eventually learnt that an evangelical preacher had begun
980-413: A little boy that she would save him. She tries to make good on her promise, following different avenues searching for a cure for his cancer. After he died, she tracks down a villain with the ability to jump through time, but decides not to use that solution, as she would just be doing the same thing as the villain. She accepts that sometimes she cannot save everyone. As part of The New 52 , Kara's origin
1078-519: A metaphor for the creator or the mystery that exists at the moment of universal creation; however, the identity of the being whom the hand belongs to varied over time. It was first seen in Green Lantern (vol. 2) #40. In Ganthet's Tale , it was revealed to be an illusion created by the Guardians to prevent investigation into the beginning of the universe. In Crisis on Infinite Earths #10,
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#17327865941141176-632: A new Supergirl debuted as a man-made lifeform made of synthetic protoplasm created by a heroic Lex Luthor of a " pocket continuum ". Lex implants her with Lana Lang 's memories and she can shapeshift to resemble Lana. Known as Matrix , she even believes herself to be Lana for a time. She wears a miniskirted version of Superman's costume, but does not have Superman's exact powers. While she can fly and possesses super-strength (like Superman), she also has psychokinetic , shapeshifting, and cloaking/ invisibility powers (the last makes her undetectable, even to Superman). The Matrix's Supergirl form resembles
1274-477: A new Supergirl. Armed with newfound superhuman abilities and the power to change from the Linda Danvers form to the taller Supergirl form, "Linda" (who was actually a merged Matrix and Linda) began to fight crime and demonic activity, on her road to redemption for all the crimes she's committed. She was hesitant to reveal her situation to her adoptive "brother" Superman , fearing his reaction to her co-opting
1372-516: A normal life as she discovers her astonishing super-human abilities, which she keeps a secret even from her closest friends. Because of changing editorial policy at DC, Supergirl was initially killed off in the year 1985 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths . DC Comics subsequently rebooted the continuity of the DC Comics Universe , re-establishing Superman's character as the sole survivor of Krypton 's destruction. Following
1470-555: A planet under attack by monsters and she intervenes to save them, unaware that the entire planet is a trap by Brainiac . She is captured and restrained by the Cyborg Superman , but after a struggle, she manages to escape. Returning to Earth, she is sent into the past by the Oracle alongside Superman and Superboy, where she ensures that a resurrected H'el cannot save Krypton. She sacrifices the planet and her family in order to save
1568-482: A secret identity of Linda Danvers, in a small town (called “Leesburg”, in deference to Linda Lee), and a boyfriend named Dick Malverne, and put Stanhope College nearby. Some fans thought I was being 'in-jokey.' Nah. I just wanted to make the old readers feel at home as best I could." Linda's Supergirl title (vol. 4) ran between 1997 and 2003, when DC decided to bring Kara Zor-El back as Supergirl. Starting from issue #51, Linda changes her traditional Supergirl costume to
1666-448: A separate character based on that of Kara Zor-El, who had been wiped out of continuity by DC Comics to enhance Superman's status as the sole survivor of Krypton. According to David himself, he was aware that many readers would still want Kara Zor-El back as Supergirl, so Linda was created for the fans to feel "more at home. So I gave her as many of the exterior accoutrements of Kara's former life as I possibly could. I gave her parents, and
1764-494: A spell to show Linda who she really is, and she flies away in horror. Original powers : Linda was originally a normal human, with no superhuman abilities. Upon fusing with the Matrix Supergirl, Linda gained her psychokinetic abilities. This granted her an incredible level of superhuman strength and speed, near invulnerability to harm, and the power to fly at high speeds. Linda was also able to produce concussive blasts of telekinetic energy, typically referred to as "psi blasts." Linda
1862-454: A storytelling device that allows writers to introduce alternative versions of fictional characters, hypothesize "what if?" scenarios, revisit popular Elseworlds stories and allow these characters to interact with the mainstream continuity. Producer Ilya Salkind originally wrote a treatment for the third installment from the Superman film series starring Christopher Reeve that expanded
1960-510: A superhuman artificial life-form . The 2016 miniseries Supergirl: Being Super written by Mariko Tamaki and penciled by Joelle Jones is a coming-of-age take on Supergirl's origins. It depicts Kara as a seemingly ordinary teenager living in the rural Midvale with the Danvers, since the couple found her inside a pod in the middle of a field. Kara grows up aware of the pod and her unknown origins (which are glimpsed in dreams) and struggles to live
2058-477: A superhuman named Twilight , whose dark powers were almost strong enough to overpower Linda's angelic abilities. Her greatest challenge came when Linda was captured by a strangely Wally-like man, who was the Carnivore, the first vampire . She defeated him, with the help of an angelic figure, simply called "Kara." In her defeat of Carnivore, her Matrix side was ripped away, leaving Linda alone once again. After
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#17327865941142156-524: A supporting role in various DC Comics publications, including Action Comics , Superman , and several comic book series unrelated to Superman. In 1969, Supergirl's adventures became the lead feature in Adventure Comics , and she later starred in an eponymous comic book series which debuted in 1972 and ran until 1974, followed by a second monthly comic book series, The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl , which ran from 1982 to 1984. Supergirl
2254-575: A time as a member of the Teen Titans and central hero in her own right, participating in events such as Panic in the Sky , and Death and Return of Superman . Beginning in September 1996, DC published Supergirl (vol. 4) written by Peter David . The 1996 Supergirl comic book revamped the previous Matrix Supergirl by merging her with a human being, resulting in a new Supergirl. Many elements of
2352-680: A uniform which was closely based on the one Superman wears. It later develops Zor-El and Alura survived the radiation poisoning that killed everyone else in Argo City by entering the Survival Zone, a parallel continuum akin to the Phantom Zone . They were eventually rescued by Supergirl and the couple decide to live in the bottle city of Kandor . Later, Kara is reunited with her parents, but that reunion becomes bittersweet, as Reactron kills her father and her mother dies when New Krypton
2450-557: A young, vibrant Kara Zor-El from the Pre- Crisis reality. After a rocky start, the two became close, with Linda mentoring Kara on how to be a hero. Kara's presence in the Post- Crisis era was going to destabilize time. The Spectre ( Hal Jordan incarnation) appeared and said that Kara was destined to die. Apparently, a cosmic entity called the Fatalist had altered the timeline for his own amusement and to vex his master, Xenon,
2548-565: Is Supergirl's equine companion. One way DC demonstrated the epic nature of its 12-issue limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths (April 1985 – March 1986) was through the deaths of important characters. In issue #7 (October 1985), Supergirl sacrifices her life to save her cousin and the DC Multiverse from destruction. When the Superman continuity was rebooted after Crisis on Infinite Earths , DC editors felt that Superman should be
2646-490: Is also a Superman Family member, with her own set of supporting characters. Several different versions of Supergirl have appeared in continuity. In the final issue of DC Comics' 2006-07 year-long weekly series, 52 #52, it was revealed that a Multiverse system of 52 parallel universes , with each Earth being a different take on established DC Comics characters as featured in the mainstream continuity (designated as "New Earth") had come into existence. The Multiverse acts as
2744-546: Is beyond such concepts and transcends all things. In volume 2 of the Lucifer series, He was temporarily killed or severely damaged by one of His fallen archangels, wielding a sword of His own creation. Though it should also be noted this was an aspect of His infinite being as He even says Himself in Lucifer #75. Due to the Lucifer series being set in the Vertigo Universe, which may or may not sit apart from
2842-533: Is destroyed by a trap in Reactron left by Lex Luthor, her own cousin Superman's greatest enemy on Earth and now her greatest enemy on Earth as well. On Earth, Kara acquires powers identical to Superman's and adopts the secret identity of Linda Lee, a resident of Midvale Orphanage. She conceals her blonde hair beneath a brunette wig and functions as Supergirl only in secret, at Superman's request, until she can gain, in his opinion, sufficient control of her powers — and
2940-497: Is never permissible". Later revisions of the Code are phrased in terms of respecting religious beliefs and religious institutions, which may account for the comics' hesitancy when dealing with God. The lack of a central doctrine means that multiple "aspects" of God have been introduced by different writers. Significant examples of God surrogates include: The disembodied "Voice of the Presence" that spoke to and empowered Jim Corrigan as
3038-558: Is not. The debate was finally settled in the 2008 miniseries Reign in Hell , where the Shadowpact is shown trying to apprehend Linda Danvers before Linda is "recalled" to Hell. A Supergirl named Cir-El appeared in 2003's Superman: The 10 Cent Adventure #1, claiming to be the future daughter of Superman and Lois Lane. Although she has super-strength, speed and hearing like Superman, she can only leap great distances. She also possesses
Supergirl (Linda Danvers) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3136-522: Is stripped of his angelic powers and condemned to Hell by the Presence to burn for eternity for his treachery. In Hellblazer #64 ( Vertigo Comics ), it is said that Jesus was conceived from the archangel Gabriel 's rape of a woman named Mary ("He'd committed rape behind a carpenter's in Nazareth, and a cycle of agony began that ended on a hill above Jerusalem..."). In Neil Gaiman 's The Sandman mythos (Vertigo Comics, later DC Black Label ),
3234-596: Is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics . The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El , the cousin of superhero Superman . The character made her first appearance in Action Comics #252 (May 1959) and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino . Created as a female counterpart to Superman, Kara Zor-El shares his superpowers and vulnerability to Kryptonite . Supergirl plays
3332-585: The DC Comics Universe . She adopts the Supergirl costume and accepts the name. A new Supergirl series, written by Jeph Loeb , began publication in August 2005. The storyline in the first arc of Supergirl depicts a darker, evil version of Kara emerging when Lex Luthor exposes her to Black Kryptonite . The evil Supergirl implies that Kara's family sent her to Earth to kill Kal-El as revenge for
3430-613: The Doctor Occult backstory. She appears as a fallen angel summoned by Lilith but mysteriously released. In Reign in Hell #7, Linda uses her flame vision to kill some injured demons who were huddled around a tiny campfire, Dr. Occult is horrified by her willingness to kill innocents. Linda believes that no one in Hell is innocent, and then accuses Dr. Occult of being a damned soul. Linda says she does not deserve to be trapped in Hell, and that she would see everybody burned to char before she accepted being kept in there. Dr. Occult casts
3528-708: The Endless . It is not always clear how the Abrahamic God fits into this—for example, one particular Wonder Woman storyline by Eric Luke featured the Greek Titans fighting Abrahamic angels and Hindu gods . According to writer Greg Rucka in an interview about his Final Crisis: Revelations miniseries: "The sort of unspoken rule in the DCU is that God sits above all others". DC's superhero comics have always drawn upon Abrahamic religions for plot elements –
3626-582: The Legion of Super-Heroes , of which she is a member for a time. Like all Kryptonians, Supergirl is vulnerable to kryptonite. Streaky the Supercat , her orange cat, acquires temporary superpowers as a result of its exposure to "X-kryptonite," a form of kryptonite Supergirl accidentally created in an unsuccessful attempt to neutralize the effects of green kryptonite. Comet the Superhorse , a former centaur ,
3724-429: The " Infinite Crisis " storyline, editor-in-chief Dan DiDio stated that the Matrix Supergirl was wiped from existence. However, Infinite Crisis writer Geoff Johns later stated, "As for this…huh? Linda Danvers hasn't been retconned out at all." Linda Danvers (daughter of policeman Fred Danvers and his wife Sylvia) began her life in a less-than-heroic fashion. Lured into a world of darkness by her boyfriend Buzz, Linda
3822-518: The Abrahamic supreme deity, but they are sometimes revealed to be other entities in the DC Universe. Some events from Abrahamic mythology are assumed to be a part of the fictional timeline of the DC Universe, but they often involve significant artistic license. For example, it was Eclipso (the original agent of God's wrath) who caused the mythological Great Flood , and it was his replacement,
3920-655: The Angel of Love, born in an accident in an ice cavern. Stranger still, Linda began to encounter a young boy named Wally, who claimed to be what is known in the DC Universe as the Presence (his name, he explained, was a variation on "Yahweh", the Hebrew name for the Almighty God). Wally helped Linda through her strange transformations, especially when her wings changed from angelic to bat-like. Linda also found herself fighting
4018-574: The DC romance comic of the same name ). She also attends college in Chicago . Kara has many boyfriends, including Richard (Dick) Malverne, Jerro the Merboy from Atlantis , and Brainiac 5 , a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes . However, she has shunned serious commitments, placing her super-career first. Supergirl's secret identity is a closely held secret known only to Superman, her foster parents, and
Supergirl (Linda Danvers) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4116-571: The DC Comics continuity in "The Supergirl from Krypton" story within Superman/Batman #8 (February 2004). This modern Kara Zor-El stars as Supergirl in an eponymous comic book series and additionally in a supporting role in various other DC Comics publications. Since her initial comic book appearances, the character later branched out into animation, film, television, and merchandising . In May 2011, Supergirl placed 94th on IGN 's list of
4214-428: The DC Comics offices. Issue #8 of the Superman/Batman series originally published in 2004 re-introduced Kara Zor-El into the DC continuity. Like the pre- Crisis version, this Kara claims to be the daughter of Superman's uncle Zor-El and aunt Alura In-Ze. Unlike the traditional Supergirl, Kara is born before Superman; she is a teenager when he is a baby. She is sent in a rocket in suspended animation to look after
4312-559: The Hand was turned into a predestination paradox as the hand of the villainous Anti-Monitor , who tried to rearrange all existence at its starting point but failed. The Hand was later seen reaching down from Heaven to embrace the invading Great Evil Beast, and stated to be the Hand of God by Etrigan . This idea was visually called back to in DC Rebirth when a hand was seen reaching through time to change history. The true identity of
4410-811: The Matrix are separated into two beings. Linda retains some of Supergirl's super-strength and durability and, although she can no longer fly, she can leap one-eighth of a mile. Linda acts as Supergirl for a while, attempting to locate her angelic aspect. After she is found in the Garden of Eden and freed from the Demon Mother, the Matrix merges with a woman named Twilight and becomes the new Earth-Born Angel of Fire. Twilight uses her healing powers to increase Linda's strength to Supergirl's level and restores her powers of flight and telekinesis. In Supergirl (vol. 4) #75 (December 2002), detoured on her way to Earth, Kara Zor-El,
4508-612: The Phantom Zone. The Zone dwellers are released when Jor-El creates the Phantom Zone Projector and exploits the Zone as a prison. Kara's father, believing that Kal-El is a lure to the Zone denizens, instructs Kara to destroy him. More recent comics have cast this plotline as the result of kryptonite poisoning from the kryptonite asteroid in which she was trapped. A recently completed storyline focused on her promise to
4606-592: The Pre- Crisis Supergirl and new to Earth, Matrix begins a romance with the DC Universe's Lex Luthor (known as Lex Luthor II), until she realizes Luthor's villainous nature in replicating her for an army. She leaves him to find her own way in the world aiding Superman more and more and even living in Smallville with the Kents, who treated " Mae " like their own daughter. Supergirl then began serving for
4704-429: The Pre- Crisis Supergirl were incorporated in new ways. The woman that the Matrix merges with has the same name as the Pre- Crisis Supergirl's secret identity, Linda Danvers. The series is set in the town of Leesburg, named after Danvers' pre-adoption surname. Linda's father is named Fred Danvers, the same as the Pre- Crisis Supergirl's adopted father. Furthermore, new versions of Dick Malverne and Comet appear as part of
4802-524: The Pre- Crisis Supergirl, arrives in Post- Crisis Leesburg. After learning that Kara is destined to die, Linda travels to the Pre- Crisis universe in her place, where she marries Superman and gives birth to a daughter named Ariella . With the stipulation that her daughter be the exception in the eradication of her alternate "life", Linda ultimately allows history to unfold as it should have, with Kara assuming her rightful but tragic place in
4900-634: The Presence's angelic servants are shown as residents of the Silver City, a place that is styled upon "Paradise" or "Heaven"; it was initially referred to as a separate place, but has since been equated with Heaven. Within the city there are two towers. At the top of the tallest tower, the Tower of Unendingly High, is the Primum Mobile, the Throne of Light, where God resides. Angels can only approach
4998-501: The Spectre (Linda informed the Spectre if he did not save Ariella, she would let the universe die), but Linda was heartbroken over her actions. She learned that her parents had just had a second child, ironically named "Wally". Linda reunited with her parents for one last time before leaving everyone and hanging up her cape. She left a note for Clark and Lois explaining her decision, saying she felt she had let her loved ones down and so she
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#17327865941145096-561: The Spectre in More Fun Comics #52. This is the most "active" version of God seen in the comic books. At one point, it even answers the Spectre's prayers by resurrecting the murdered Justice Society of America . When the Voice uttered the first word, it created "The Word", and it was already being tracked by Destiny in his book. An image of a hand appearing out of a nebula has been referenced numerous times in different DC Comics as
5194-527: The Spectre, who unleashed the ten plagues on Egypt and later parted the Red Sea for Moses . The DC Universe is repeatedly shown to have been created via a variation of the Big Bang and human evolution through natural selection , yet paradoxically it also has a Garden of Eden and a version of Lilith , Adam 's first wife (e.g., Peter David 's Supergirl series). A hint to reconcile this occurs in
5292-412: The Supergirl concept, introducing several more non-Kryptonian Supergirls. Eventually, the rule that Superman should be the only Kryptonian survivor was relaxed, allowing for a return of Kara Zor-El as his cousin. After the Post- Crisis reboot in the late 1980s, Supergirl's origin was completely rewritten and no longer was she Superman's cousin or even Kryptonian. In Superman (vol. 2) #16 (April 1988),
5390-513: The Throne if they are summoned there. The second, shorter tower contains an audience chamber where the voice of God, the Logos, can be heard. Sandman's God is, again, never explicitly referred to by name, and is in fact rarely mentioned at all, save an exchange between Anubis and an angel in Season of Mists : "On whose authority?"; "Whose do you think?" The Sandman series weaves an explanation for
5488-635: The Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time. In November 2013, the character placed 17th on IGN's list of the Top 25 Heroes of DC Comics. After positive fan reaction to Super-Girl, the first recurring and most familiar version of Supergirl debuted in the year 1959. Kara Zor-El first appeared in Action Comics #252 (May 1959). The story that introduced the character was drawn by Al Plastino and written by Otto Binder, who had also created Mary Marvel , Captain Marvel 's sister and female spinoff. Like Supergirl, Mary Marvel
5586-575: The Worldkillers, superweapons of Kryptonian design, she accepts Krypton's destruction, but continues to grapple with her grief. Her desire to restore Krypton results in her being manipulated into nearly destroying Earth by another Kryptonian whom she falls in love with. Upon realizing his manipulation, she kills him by driving kryptonite through his heart and succumbs to kryptonite poisoning. Following her poisoning, Supergirl departs Earth to die alone. While adrift in interstellar space, she encounters
5684-423: The ability to fire blasts of red solar energy. Her alter ego is a street person named Mia. She is later found to be a human girl who was altered by Brainiac on a genetic level to appear Kryptonian; she dies thwarting a plot involving Brainiac 13. Superman (vol. 2) #200 implies that when the timeline realigned itself, Cir-El was erased from existence. Even though Supergirl is a Superman supporting character, she
5782-711: The ability to produce bursts of fire from her eyes (called Flame Vision), form angelic wings composed of flames, and could use her wings to create a flaming portal that allowed her to "shunt" (teleport) long distances. Though Linda originally lost her angelic powers after being separated from Matrix, she later seemed to have regained them during the "Reign in Hell" mini-series. Reduced powers : After being separated from Matrix, Linda found herself with reduced powers. She could no longer shapeshift into her "Supergirl" form, and all of her angelic powers were lost. In addition, Linda's strength and durability were reduced by half, she lost her ability to fly and produce psionic blasts, and instead
5880-489: 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 (1996–2003), which starred the Matrix/Linda Danvers version of the character, a modern version of Kara Zor-El was reintroduced into
5978-448: The dead. When the fallen angel Asmodel invaded the Silver City in an attempt to destroy the Presence, it was stated that the Presence is everywhere and cannot be destroyed. Although the Presence has stated in Lucifer that He is infinite and eternal, He also said that He was shaped by external forces. It is safe to note though, that He just speaks in reference to the "Collective Unconscious" giving Him shape. He at his utmost highest form
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#17327865941146076-525: The film's scope to a cosmic scale, introducing the villains Brainiac and Mister Mxyzptlk , as well as Supergirl. The original outline featured a father–daughter relationship between Brainiac and Supergirl and a romance between Superman and Supergirl, even though the two are cousins in the comics. Warner Bros. rejected the outline. Presence (DC Comics) The Presence is a fictional character in comic books published by DC Comics . The character debuted in More Fun Comics #52 (February 1940), and
6174-502: The first appearance of "The Voice" was in the 1940 origin of the Spectre – but they have traditionally used surrogate concepts and names rather than refer to the Abrahamic deity directly. The comics are published under the Comics Code , a set of ethical guidelines drawn up in the 1950s in reaction to anti-comic book hysteria. The Code does not explicitly refer to God, but does say that "ridicule or attack on any religious or racial group
6272-436: The full name of their fathers) is the last survivor of Argo City , which had survived the explosion of the planet Krypton and drifted through space. The city had been covered by a plastic dome for weather moderation, devised by Zor-El , the younger brother of Jor-El , a climatologist and engineer, the father of Superman ( Kal-El ). The dome held together a large chunk of land mass under the city as it drifted through space in
6370-411: The general direction of our Solar System. However, the bottom-most layers of bedrock were affected by the explosion of the great planet's fissionable core and underwent a slow but steady chain reaction , turning into green kryptonite. Using raw deposits and refined materials at hand, the residents of Argo City laid down a ground shield of lead foil to protect them from the developing kryptonite. Zor-El
6468-563: The hopes and fears of shrimp. Since the end of the series, the Presence has vacated his creation and his granddaughter Elaine Belloc has taken his place. How this affects other aspects of the Presence has yet to be seen. The Presence is the incarnation of the Abrahamic God in the DC Universe. The Presence has the ability to empower various angels, including the Spectre , Eclipso , and Michael Demiurgos . The Presence could resurrect
6566-401: The infant Kal-El; however, her rocket is caught in the explosion of Krypton and becomes encased in a Kryptonite asteroid . She arrives on Earth years after Kal-El, who has grown and become known as Superman. Owing to this extended period of suspended animation, she is "younger" than her cousin. At the end of "The Supergirl from Krypton" arc, Superman officially introduces her to all the heroes of
6664-462: The leader of the Worldkillers, who are revealed to be parasitic suits of armor. He attempts to assimilate Kara as his host, but she voluntarily subjects herself to kryptonite poisoning in order to stop him and eventually flies into the Sun and removes her power ring, killing her and removing him from her body. However, Kara is revealed to be immortal while in the Sun's core and she is restored to life without
6762-623: The many mythical deities apart from the Presence in the DC Universe. They are described as originating in Dream 's realm, born out of people's wishes and fears. They take their power from prayers sent to them and die when they are no longer revered and ultimately forgotten. A significant character in the Sandman series is the fallen angel Lucifer Morningstar , who rules in Hell . In Season of Mists , he renounces his throne and leaves Hell. His story, and
6860-399: The new Angel of Fire in the process, using her powers to heal Mary and Linda, thus giving Linda all the powers she had had when she was merged with Matrix. At this point, Matrix passed the Supergirl mantle on to Linda. Linda was the new Supergirl for only six issues of the 1996 series. With her powers back to Matrix's original (non-angelic) levels, Linda encountered a rocketship that contained
6958-478: The one conceived for the DC Animated Universe , donned by Kara In-Ze. According to Peter David , if his run on Supergirl had not ended, he would have had the series being a sort of Birds of Prey type comic, featuring the trio of Linda Danvers as Superwoman , Pre-Crisis Kara Zor-El as the current Supergirl, and Power Girl . According to an interview with Newsarama , following the events of
7056-537: The one manipulating this timeline was later revealed to be Doctor Manhattan . The Source is a universal spirit from Jack Kirby 's Fourth World cosmology. The Presence is an unseen Abrahamic deity from Grant Morrison 's fictional angel mythology. A being claiming to be a manifestation of God who appears in the form of a young boy wearing a baseball hat. He first appears in Peter David 's Linda Danvers /Supergirl series. A similar character later appears in
7154-511: The original Kara Zor-El and her sacrifice. A Post- Crisis Supergirl appears in Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes , in which she is transported to the 31st century and, as a result of her disorientation, for a time believes she is dreaming her surroundings into existence until finally convinced otherwise. Although her memories of her time with the Legion are erased before she returns to
7252-535: The other aspects, and its events have largely been ignored by subsequent authors. In another story, the fallen archangel Asmodel invades the Silver City with an army of Bull-Host angels and Neron 's demons to claim the Throne of God, only to be told by Zauriel that the Presence was not, in actuality, truly sitting upon a throne in the highest Heaven—he was part of everything and everyone, part of Heaven and Earth and perhaps even Hell itself, and thus could never be dethroned by any rebel, be they mortal or angel. Asmodel
7350-471: The power ring or any kryptonite poisoning, immediately destroying the Worldkiller. She later helps Gardner against Atrocitus and his Red Lantern splinter group. DC Editorial wanted Superman to be the only surviving Kryptonian following DC's Post- Crisis reboot of the Superman continuity. As a result, when DC reintroduced Supergirl, she needed a non-Kryptonian origin. Afterward, DC Comics tried to revamp
7448-438: The present, the mental blocks break down upon encountering the Pre- Crisis versions of Legionnaires Karate Kid and Triplicate Girl (Una). Supergirl exhibits new powers, manifesting sunstone crystals from her body; so far, she only does so while under great stress (for example, when Cassandra Cain tries to kill her). Supergirl's father implants the crystals within his daughter's body to protect her from malevolent beings from
7546-535: The quasi-Biblical references surrounding him, is expanded upon in Mike Carey 's Lucifer series. God, the Presence, in that series is referred to by name as Yahweh . He is the father of Lucifer and Michael Demiurgos . The Lucifer series depicts gods from religions other than the three monotheistic Abrahamic religions , including formless gods dreamt up by the earliest humans before the advent of language, and even tiny, short-lived crustacean gods originating from
7644-523: The same author's Fallen Angel series. In Doomsday Clock #10, Doctor Manhattan deduced the DC Universe acts as "Metaverse" in constant change, and when Manhattan created the New 52 timeline, the Metaverse decided to fight back through Wally West . Whether this Metaverse is another form of the Presence himself remains to be confirmed. Many references to similar beings appear to be obvious references to
7742-418: The same themes as his Supergirl series. Prior to Fallen Angel moving to another company, Lee was written in a manner such that she could have been Linda, though David remained coy as to whether the two characters were one and the same during the DC run of the title. After it moved to IDW, David revealed Lee's origin, which clearly showed that Lee was not Danvers. However, Fallen Angel #14 introduced "Lin," who
7840-647: The sole survivor of Krypton, resulting in Kara being removed. Unlike a number of other characters who are shown dying in the Crisis, no one remembers Kara dying or even ever having existed. After the events of Infinite Crisis , the sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths , many historical events from the Multiverse are now being remembered. Donna Troy , after her rebirth and inheritance of the Harbinger 's Orb, recalls
7938-592: The split, Linda retained half of the super-strength and invulnerability she had when fused with Matrix/Supergirl and could only leap 1/8 of a mile. Using some items from a costume shop, Linda created a white, blue, and red Supergirl costume (the same costume used by the animated version of Supergirl in Superman: The Animated Series ) and acted as Supergirl, while searching for Matrix, with the help of her demonic ex-boyfriend Buzz and fellow superhero Mary Marvel . Even with diminished abilities, she
8036-546: The supporting cast. As the series begins, the Matrix sacrifices herself to save a dying Linda Danvers and their bodies, minds and souls merge to become an "Earth-Born Angel ", a being created when one being selflessly sacrifices him or herself to save another who is beyond saving. As the angel, Supergirl loses some of her powers, but gains others, including fiery angel wings and a "shunt" ability that allows her to teleport to any place she has been before. The angelic aspect of Supergirl eventually falls from grace, and Linda and
8134-463: The timeline, so the Spectre made her return home, not only to restore the timestream but to save Kara from Xenon, who had captured the young Supergirl and planned to kill her. Linda defeated Xenon, and had to send frightened young Kara back to her universe, knowing Kara, as an adult, would eventually die in the Crisis on Infinite Earths . Linda's daughter was spared from being erased from the timeline by
8232-421: The timestream. However, finding no assurance that Ariella survived the restoration of Post- Crisis history, a dejected Linda relinquishes the role of Supergirl, sends a farewell note to Superman, and leaves for points unknown. Peter David's creator-owned series Fallen Angel , published by DC Comics, is set in a fictional city named Bete Noire, and features a character, Lee, who is similar to Linda and explores
8330-468: The universe. Back on Earth, she is attacked by the assassin Lobo and, in the ensuing battle, kills him while unleashing her rage. A Red Lantern power ring finds her and attaches itself to her, transforming her into a Red Lantern. Driven insane by rage, Kara wanders through outer space, attacking everyone in her way, until captured by several Green Lanterns and brought to Hal Jordan . Immediately recognizing
8428-428: The wisdom to properly use them. Her debut was delayed by her powers being stolen by a Kandorian villainess; during this period, she is adopted by Fred and Edna Danvers. She attends Midvale High School as Linda Lee Danvers. In later years, after graduating from Stanhope College, she changes careers several times, holding jobs in student counseling, news reporting, and acting in a TV soap opera , Secret Hearts (a play on
8526-489: Was a teen-age female version of an adult male superhero, wearing a costume that was identical to the older character's other than substituting a short skirt for tight trousers. (Binder also created Marvel Comics ' Miss America , a superhero who shared little other than the name with her sometime co-star Captain America .) Reaction to Supergirl's first appearance was tremendous, with thousands of positive letters pouring into
8624-471: Was also able to change from her normal, Linda Danvers persona into her "Supergirl" form which was taller, had blonde hair, and a larger bust. The transformation was purely cosmetic, as Linda retained her powers in either form. Earth-Born Angel powers : After being merged with Matrix for some time, Linda became the Earth-Born Angel of Fire. While she retained her original abilities, she also gained
8722-461: Was also able to fashion a makeshift propulsion system to try to accelerate the city's approach to the Solar System. During the roughly 30 years Argo City traveled through space, Zor-El met and married Alura, daughter of In-Ze, who in turn bore their daughter, Kara—blond like her parents. But before the propulsion system was able to steer the city toward Earth, a deranged citizen named Jer-Em, who
8820-551: Was created by Jerry Siegel and Bernard Baily . The Presence first appears in More Fun Comics #52 as The Voice, the disembodied "Voice of the Presence" who empowers Jim Corrigan as the Spectre . It was created in this story by Jerry Siegel and Bernard Baily. The religious cosmology of the DC Universe is complex with many pantheons of deities co-existing alongside each other. It involves elements from multiple religions , mythologies , and modern created concepts such as
8918-462: Was involved in many illicit and illegal activities (such as murder and torture). Little did she know that she was intended to be a sacrifice for a demonic cult for which Buzz worked. Buzz slashed her with a dagger to use her blood to release a demon into the world, but Matrix , the protoplasmic Supergirl , intervened. She used her shape-shifting powers to try plugging the gaping wounds on Linda, but instead became fused with her. Linda and Matrix became
9016-447: Was no longer worthy of wearing the S. In Reign in Hell #1, July 2008, the team of Shadowpact attacks Linda Danvers in her Gotham City apartment, which makes Linda fight back. She manifests the flaming wings she had while merged with Matrix, but still loses to the collective powers of Blue Devil and Enchantress . However she is teleported to Hell , as Hell is recalling all of its "debts". In Reign in Hell #6, Linda reappears in
9114-457: Was only able to leap around 1/8th of a mile in a single bound. Restored powers : After encountering Twilight as the new Earth-Born Angel of Fire, Linda regained all of the powers that she'd possessed while initially merged with Matrix, sans her ability to assume her "Supergirl" form. Her strength and durability returned to their original levels and she was able to fly and produce psionic blasts of force once more. Supergirl Supergirl
9212-507: Was originally introduced in Action Comics #252 as the cousin of the publisher's flagship superhero , Superman in the story The Supergirl from Krypton . In most depictions, she is an alien from the planet Krypton , possessing a multitude of superhuman abilities derived from the rays of a yellow sun. Other mainstream characters have taken the name Supergirl over the years, with decidedly non-extraterrestrial origins, such as that of
9310-449: Was rebooted once again. An amnesiac Kara awakens after her lifepod crashes to Earth in the midst of a meteor shower . Upon emerging, she encounters humans and the extent of her powers for the first time. When encountered by Superman, she attacks him, believing him to be an impostor as her cousin was only a baby when she last saw him and she believed it to only have been a few days since then. After several battles with supervillains, including
9408-553: Was said to be Lee's "predecessor" as the guardian of Bete Noire. Lin had recently escaped Limbo , an apparent metaphor for what happened to Danvers after the cancellation of Supergirl . David wrote in his December 13, 2006 blog entry, "Any fans of my run on Supergirl—particularly those who are torqued because Linda Danvers was consigned to oblivion in the DCU --must, must, MUST pick up "Fallen Angel" #14 and #15 when they come out next year." However, since David could not explicitly claim that
9506-541: Was still powerful enough to stop Bizarro , and even found herself fighting a Bizarro Supergirl. Linda's search led her to the Amazon, where Matrix was held prisoner by Lilith , the mother of all demons, who had sent Twilight after Supergirl, holding Twilight's sister hostage to keep her under her evil control. Lilith fatally injured Mary Marvel, Twilight, and Linda, but not before Matrix was freed from Lilith's prison. Linda asked Matrix to merge with Twilight, and Twilight became
9604-549: Was suffering from survival guilt, damaged the exhaust, veering Argo toward a swarm of meteors that crashed into the underside of the land mass on which it rested. As the inhabitants of the colony were being slain by the green kryptonite radiation released by meteorites shredding the lead barrier, the adolescent Kara was sent to Earth by Zor-El in a rocket, to be raised by her cousin Kal-El (a.k.a. Clark Kent). To ensure she would be recognized by Superman, Kara's parents provided her with
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