The Death Of Supergirl

Supergirl’s selfless sacrifice in the landmark Crisis On Infinite Earths was one of the greatest death scenes in the history of comics.

(Hawkeye should have been so fortunate …)

Marv Wolfman’s script, wordy as always, powerfully conveyed Kara’s devotion to her cousin and willingness to put aside her own concerns for the safety of others. Both traits were hallmarks of the character since the earliest days of Linda Lee, and it was refreshing to see such values portrayed in a powerful - rather than sappy - light.

Of course, no one beats George Perez when it comes to dramatic visuals.

Though tragic, the story provided a fitting end to a character who had been published for 30 years.

Yet, in what seemed like the blink of an eye, it was all for naught. John Byrne’s Man Of Steel “streamlined” the Superman mythos, stripping away decades of character development until the franchise was nothing more than a powerful guy in blue pajamas.

No longer was Krypton a scientific utopia. No longer was Superman a galactic, was well as Earth-bound champion. No longer did he have a cousin named Kara.

The Supergirl who eventually re-emerged in the series was not Kryptonian - or even human. She was a protoplasmic being from a “pocket universe” that believed itself to be Lana Lang.

After a Phantom Zone criminal pounded Matrix to jelly, the creature impersonated Clark for awhile until settling into a persona that vaguely resembled Kara Zor-El. It just wasn’t the same though, and for all her romantic struggles the original Girl of Steel never would have been stupid enough to fall for Lex Luthor.

Not even the red-haired, Australian clone version of Lex. (*Sigh* And people say the Silver and Bronze ages were stupid…)

Yet, although Kara Zor-El was forgotten she somehow refused to completely disappear. In Peter David’s excellent “Earth Angel” take on Supergirl, the heroine was occasionally guided by a heavenly voice that identified itself as “Kara.”

In Dan Jurgen’s surprisingly good Superman/Aliens crossover, readers were introduced to an Argo City that had been influenced by Kryptonian culture and subsequently gutted by the H.R. Giger monstrosities.

Trapped on the planet, Superman met the city’s sole survivor - a Ripley-like teenager named “Kara.” By the end of the story, Superman and Kara were separated and Kal-El was left wondering about the girl’s fate.

The readers, however, see her on a spaceship traveling to some unknown destination. Given public assertions at the time, it is almost certain that Jurgens was going to bring Kara to Earth and have her assume the mantle of Supergirl.

In all likelihood, this Kara probably would have made a more than adequate replacement. Yet nothing ever came of these plans, and for all we know she’s still out there wandering around the cosmos.

In the recent Superman cartoon, Bruce Timm and co. adopted a similar strategy by introducing Kara In-Ze from Krypton’s sister planet - Argo.

This iteration of the character was more assertive than the Silver Age Kara, to the point where she eventually adopted the “fists-first” approach of the Earth-2 Power Girl.

Although the animated Kara was never popular enough to warrant a spin-off, she did play a significant role in the Justice League Unlimited series and influenced both the David-Kirk (costume) and Loeb-Turner (attitude) incarnations of Supergirl.

Finally, the Silver Age Kara returned briefly in the final four issues of the Peter David Supergirl - a powerful tale that easily ranks as one of the most depressing conclusions to a comic-book series in history.

The greatest tribute to the Silver Age Supergirl, however, appeared in Christmas With The Super-Heroes #2 (1989). In a story written by Alan Brennert and illustrated by Dick Giordano, a despondent Boston (Deadman) Brand is consoled by a mysterious - yet somehow familiar - woman.

Although the story obviously isn’t canon - and it was even rumored that heads rolled at DC after the special hit the stands - the Fortress Keeper likes the notion that Kara is still out there somewhere, once again a secret weapon for good. It’s like she’s back in the Midvale Orphanage, looking out for everyone with no thought for personal glory.

The original Kara Zor-El may be gone forever, but she will always be remembered by the Fortress Keeper and scores of others who read and thrilled to the adventures of the Supergirl From Krypton.