Supergirl may want to lighten up on Superman, because she just repeated the Man of Steel’s greatest mistake (and arguably screwed up way worse). The recent Supergirl series has been a real treat for fans of Kara Zor-El. It’s a fun, charming little series that does the impossible and makes the more unbelievable parts of her Silver Age history work in the modern day. Supergirl has returned to her old stomping grounds in Midvale, and the past is catching up to her in ways that she, nor her biggest fans, ever expected.
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One controversial choice the series has made was re-canonizing Supergirl’s origin from the Silver Age and thus, Superman’s perplexing treatment of his cousin. Instead of taking Kara in, Clark had his only living relative at the time sent to live at an orphanage to protect both of their identities. This element has popped up frequently in Supergirl, and the series has taken Superman to task over how much that hurt Kara. However, a new wrinkle is being added to the story as Supergirl has caused history to repeat, this time, with Kara abandoning someone who needed her.
Supergirl Abandoned A Sentient Duplicate for Years
In Supergirl #8 by Sophie Campbell and Haining, it’s Christmas in Midvale, and Supergirl’s new friend Lesla-Lar is learning about the holiday. But she picks up on Kara’s lack of excitement over Christmas and becomes determined to help her ally find some reason to celebrate the season. That’s easier said than done, though, as Supergirl just isn’t feeling like there’s much to celebrate with gloomy feelings hanging over her head. However, Supergirl can’t focus on that when her home is invaded by a mysterious stranger.
Supergirl and Lesla head out, following the trail of clues left behind by the strange visitor. The trail leads the duo to Supergirl’s old haunt, the Midvale Orphanage. Revisiting the home stirs up even more negative feelings in Kara. But it isn’t until she sees a familiar open window that she deduces her mysterious stalker. The two heroes head to a nearby forest where Supergirl finds a tree with a door, discovering her old robot duplicate, now in a state of disrepair.
The automaton attacks Supergirl, begging to understand why Kara abandoned her. Supergirl apologizes as the robot vents, letting it get its years of anger out. Eventually, the robot seizes up and collapses, finally shutting off years after it was supposed to. Before it shuts down completely, the Linda robot asks one more time why Supergirl abandoned her, and, sadly, she doesn’t have an answer for her mechanical duplicate. Supergirl uses the event as a teaching moment for Lesla, saying that no matter how good a hero you are, there’s always going to be those who slip through the cracks.
Neither Supergirl nor Superman is Perfect, and That’s OK
If there’s one thing this series does well, it’s that it uses elements of the Silver Age to broaden Supergirl and Superman’s characters. While it feels weird to have Superman canonically have Supergirl sent to an orphanage, it does make Superman more well-rounded, showing that even a seemingly perfect person can make mistakes. And I can seriously appreciate the creative team doing the same thing with Kara here. Not just having her forget about the sentient life that depended on Supergirl, but for utterly forgetting about its existence.
But this book doesn’t portray Superman or Supergirl as villains. They were doing what they thought was the best thing at the time, which turned out to be a massive mistake. Hurting family or those that depend on you is almost an inevitability, but it’s not a complete indictment of one’s character. Like Superman, Supergirl made a major mistake and abandoned someone who needed them. Is it tragic? Absolutely. But it’s fantastic pathos that makes Supergirl such a compelling person.
No one is perfect. Not even Kryptonians like Supergirl. We all make mistakes, and sometimes that ends up hurting people. Supergirl didn’t have to have Kara repeat what happened to her and abandon the Linda robot. But in doing so, this series acknowledges a truth many superhero comics don’t. Failure happens. And instead of pretending it doesn’t, acknowledging failure and the hurt it causes ends up creating a more complex, three-dimensional character. What Supergirl did wasn’t great, but it’s a great way of adding onto her character.
What do you think about Supergirl’s latest adventure? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
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