Can you believe how far we are from the heyday of DC Comics’ New 52 experiment? It really only feels like yesterday that the publisher practically wiped the slate clean and started over with arguably the most contentious reboot in comic history. Now, don’t think I’m about to rag on the New 52 for a couple of paragraphs, there’s actually a lot I enjoyed with the initiative. From Jeff Lemire’s run on Animal Man to the incredible, weird, and fun Dial H series, this radical period of DC Comics history made a lot of big, bold swings with its characters.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Case in point, I don’t think DC Comics ever gave as much love to the Green Lantern corner as it did during the New 52. We got so many different Lantern-related series during this period, including titles focusing on the left side of the Emotional Spectrum. But unlike Larfleeze and Sinestro, Red Lanterns wasn’t just about the team’s leader, Atrocitus, but rather, the ways hatred and anger can change us from the inside out. And no one found that out better than one particular DC icon who swapped their usual costume to wear the colors of the Red Lantern Corps.
Supergirl Became a Red Lantern On This Day 12 Years Ago
Supergirl #28 by Tony Bedard, Vildiray Cinar, Ray McCarthy, Dan Brown, and Rob Leigh was part of a larger storyline appropriately called “The Red Daughter of Krypton”. Now, for those who don’t remember, things were a little different for Supergirl in the New 52. She was younger, more impulsive, and still dealing with a lot of powerful feelings following Krypton’s destruction. After fighting villains like H’El and Cyborg Superman (the latter of whom was her father, Zor-El), a run-in with Lobo pushes her over the edge right as she’s in proximity to a Red Lantern Ring.
So for the better part of a year, Kara was a member of the Red Lantern Corps. And thanks to the nature of the Red Lantern Ring, Supergirl was stuck as one, because removing it would have killed her. With no other option, Kara stays among the Red Lanterns to learn how to adjust to her new life. Fortunately, Guy Gardner was acting undercover as a Red Lantern at the same time, and he agreed to keep Kara safe (or at least, as safe as possible).
It was an intense time for Kara, but she found a connection among the Red Lanterns, many of whom had suffered great losses and pain like her. However, a civil war among the Red Lanterns forces Kara to leave. She also nearly finds herself weaponized by a parasitic conqueror called Worldkiller-1. But she manages to trick the parasite by removing her Red Lantern ring near a sun, causing her to die, but allowing the solar energy to restart her heart. Supergirl defeats her enemy and returns home, freed of all the rage she’s had pent up for months.
Supergirl’s Red Lantern Era was a Great and Meaningful Chapter for Her
I think it’s really easy to look at Supergirl and see her as just a spin on Superman. But the truth is, Kara’s grief and rage over losing her planet are a huge part of her character, but few stories have managed to use those feelings effectively. At a time when the Green Lantern franchise was extremely hot, DC Comics could have made anyone a Lantern. I certainly remember a lot of people championing Scarecrow becoming a full-time Sinestro Corps member after his brief exposure during the Blackest Night crossover.
But Supergirl as a Red Lantern worked because it acknowledged a deep truth about Kara. She’s not like her cousin, who doesn’t remember Krypton and doesn’t particularly have strong emotions for it. Supergirl saw her world die. Kara was pissed and didn’t know how to process those kinds of feelings. Supergirl becoming a Red Lantern wasn’t a gimmick; it was a chance for a young person who was crying out in pain to confront her feelings. Kara was never more relatable to readers everywhere than on this journey that allowed her to own her anger.
In Supergirl’s larger history, “The Red Daughter of Krypton” is a blip. But it stood out from the rest of her adventures because we saw her in a way we rarely do. Not suppressing her feelings, but accepting them, even when it’s messy and hurts. I love where Kara is now in the current Supergirl series, and I’m happy that she’s overcome much of the trauma she’s endured. But what really helped Kara find peace was facing her most intense feelings headfirst. So if you didn’t read this story 12 years ago, I highly recommend you check it out now.
What did you think about Supergirl as a Red Lantern Corps member? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Image Courtesy of Prime Video -
Image Courtesy of Netflix
