Supergirl’s Introduction to DC Comics Was Completely Bonkers

Most everyone who knows Superman knows about his superpowered cousin, Supergirl. Although there’s been a few people who’ve taken the name, the true Supergirl that everyone knows is Kara Zor-El, Superman’s cousin. The modern explanation as to how the much younger girl arrived on Earth so long after Clark is that her rocket was launched alongside his, but something interfered with it during travel. In stasis, Kara didn’t age until she landed on Earth many years later, after her cousin had grown up and started his career as Superman. However, this hasn’t always been the case. Supergirl originally debuted way back in 1959, in Action Comics #252, and her first origin is way more wild and insane than anything they could come up with today. 

The Supergirl From Krypton

Clark Kent was sitting alone in the office of the Daily Planet when he noticed a rocket rapidly descending to the ground. He rushed out to catch it, but arrived too late to prevent a crash. Much to his surprise, a teenage girl emerged from the wreckage. Not only was she unharmed, but she wore a costume reminiscent of his own, and even spoke English. Naturally, Superman was curious about everything that was going on, and the girl introduced herself as Kara Zor-El, another survivor of the planet Krypton. Superman insisted that’s impossible, especially because Kara was much too young, considering Clark was launched from the dying planet when he was just a baby. Kara gave her explanation, but I’m warning you, this did come out in the beginning boom of the Silver Age, so get ready.

When Krypton exploded, as Superman’s rocket was launched to Earth, simultaneously a decent-sized chunk of the planet was also blown off, completely intact. In fact, the people on it survived totally unharmed. Even better yet, a large bubble of air was somehow attached to the chunk of Krypton, providing the survivors with infinite air, because as we all know air spontaneously replicates and loves to hang around chunks of rock definitely way too small to have an atmosphere. Regardless, alongside Zor-El’s patented food machine, the lucky few Kryptonians had everything they needed for indefinite survival. Unfortunately, as they flew through space, the radiation from the planet’s explosion converted the ground beneath their feet into Kryptonite. Thankfully, Zor-El just so happened to have a large enough roll of lead to cover all of the ground, protecting everyone.

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The Kryptonians lost to space enjoyed a relatively normal existence for years with Kara eventually being born, growing up on the irradiated rock. One day tragedy struck the last Kryptonians again, however, with meteors ripping irreparable holes in the protective layer of lead, letting small but lethal amounts of Kryptonite gas leak out. Kara’s parents desperately searched for a habitable planet for their daughter in the short month they had left. Using the Super-Space Telescope, her mom located Earth and saw Superman performing heroic acts. After tapping into Earth’s radio signals, they learned of his Kryptonian origins, and realized this was the perfect place to send Kara. She studied Earth’s languages, and was fashioned a suit that looked like Superman’s own. As time ran out, Kara bid her parents and loved ones goodbye, then was launched to Earth, now an orphan as much as Clark was. 

A Super Life on Earth

Superman was ecstatic to learn she was from Krypton, and even happier when they discovered their fathers were brothers, making them cousins. Kara asked if she could stay with Superman, and you think that the kindest superhero of all would love to host his long-lost, clearly very traumatized cousin, especially considering how happy he was to meet her, right? No! Superman said that bringing Kara into his life like this could jeopardize his secret identity, and said that Supergirl had to stay hidden until she learned to control her powers. To that end, in order to give her a secret identity of her own, Superman decided that the best course of action was for Kara to disguise herself and live at an orphanage in Midvale until it was time to reveal herself. And Supergirl just goes along with this, like it makes sense. 

Superman leaves Kara by the orphanage to grab her a wig and Earth clothes, while Kara listens in on some girls talking and decides on a name for her civilian identity. She rechristens herself Linda Lee, which makes Superman turns Linda over to the orphanage staff, saying that she lost her family in a tragic disaster, which isn’t technically a lie. Supergirl cleans up her room by testing out her new superpowers, and at night, sneaks out to watch a movie about her cousin’s exploits as Superboy, and that’s where Supergirl’s debut issue ends. How long did Supergirl have to hide her existence from the world? Oh, just two entire years!

A Weird Origin That Still Has a Lot of Influence

Even for the Silver Age, this is definitely one of the wackiest superhero origins ever. Even looking past the miraculous city with infinite air, Superman just dropping Kara off at an orphanage is positively insane! I feel like he could have come up with a better cover story, is all I’m saying. Regardless of how it came about though, this story did leave elements that have been utilized within DC for decades. Supergirl’s origin story has changed numerous times, but there are elements from her original story that remain — including the survival of Kandor City after Krypton’s initial destruction. Supergirl’s origin issue also introduced us to one of the greatest superheroes of all time with the original Metallo first debuting earlier in the same issue, which just goes to show that Action Comics #252 is an absolute hit in terms of characters. And, of course Supergirl herself is an incredible character, even if she did start from some zany roots.

Do you like Supergirl’s original debut, or do you prefer more modern takes on her origin? Let us know in the comments below!