- Supergirl is Superman’s cousin from the planet of Krypton.
- Kal-El was sent to Earth as an infant, but Kara faced a lot of trauma since she witnessed Krypton fall apart and all her loved ones die.
- While Superman holds back and is a beacon of hope, Supergirl does not hold back as much and is a much fiercer combatant.
What Is the Origin of Supergirl aka Kara Zor-El?
Image Credit: DC Comics
Superman, as a hero, has become a synonym of hope and a compilation of everything good in the world. However, when we talk about Supergirl, even though born with the same ideals, she was forged with a different kind of metal. Introduced in Action Comics #252, released in May 1959 , Supergirl was introduced as Superman’s long-lost cousin. When Krypton was being destroyed, and Kal-El was sent to Earth, a teenage Kara was launched into space at almost the same time to act as a guardian to the infant on their new home.
However, her ship was struck by the shockwave arising from Krypton’s destruction, pushing it into the Phantom Zone. While Kal-El grew up with loving parents and became Earth’s saviour, Kara was trapped within the Phantom Zone in a stasis for 24 years. Then, her ship’s engines were rebooted by Indigo, allowing Kara to escape and crash on Earth, where she was discovered by Superman.
How Is Supergirl Related to Superman?
Canonically, Superman and Supergirl share the same set of powers as they are cousins, but Kara proves to be much stronger than Clark simply because she refuses to hold back as much as Clark does. Another massive difference between the siblings stems from their ideology and past. When Clark left Krypton, he was a mere infant. Growing up, he didn’t even remember Krypton, but on the other hand, Kara was involved in the fight for Krypton. Even though a teenager, she faced combat and was battle-hardened, witnessing her loved ones die in front of her eyes.
This emotional and mental scar molded Kara’s character into a rather fierce combatant who does not believe in holding back as much as Superman does. However, over time, with Superman’s guidance, Supergirl became softer and learned to put her faith in Superman’s values.
With Supergirl coming to DCU next year, the polar opposite dynamic between the siblings would be a treat to witness on the big screen. So, all we have to do is wait and see if James Gunn manages another bullseye in 2026 or not.
Shashank Shakya is an entertainment writer at Beebom. He has completed his Bachelors (Honors) in English Literature and is a published author. Shashank boasts incomparable knowledge about the Marvel and DC universe, along with other branches of entertainment with substantial experience in the field of writing.
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When James Gunn confirmed that Man of Tomorrow will see Superman and Lex Luthor working together against a larger threat, the fandom collectively raised an eyebrow. After all, Superman and Lex are usually the last two people you’d expect to fight on the same side. But with Gunn also hinting that the movie is “as much a Lex story as a Superman story,” and Brainiac heavily rumored to be making his DCU debut, it’s worth diving into DC comics to see what blueprints might inspire this new chapter. So, here are five DC comics storylines that Man of Tomorrow could adapt.
1.Superman: Brainiac (2008)
Image Credit: DC Comics (via Amazon)
If Brainiac is truly the villain Gunn is saving for DCU’s future , Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s Superman: Brainiac is the most obvious starting point. It redefined Brainiac for the modern era, showing him not just as a collector of bottled cities but as a terrifying invader with godlike intellect.
Superman is pushed to his emotional and physical limits, and Lex Luthor’s presence in a Brainiac story almost writes itself simply because when Earth is on the line, even Lex’s self-preservation instinct forces him to work with Superman. For Gunn, this gives him a blockbuster spectacle with a deeply personal hook of Kal-El facing the villain who embodies his worst fears about alien power.
2.Superman: For All Seasons (1998)
Image Credit: DC Comics (via Amazon)
On paper, Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s For All Seasons is a Superman comic that isn’t about Brainiac at all. But what it does brilliantly is explore Clark Kent and Lex Luthor as two men shaped by Smallville and Metropolis in very different ways. If Gunn truly wants this film to be “as much about Lex as it is about Superman,” he’ll need this kind of emotional grounding. For All Seasons provides the character-driven core where Superman embodies hope, and Lex embodies ambition, forced to set aside their rivalry when the universe demands it.
3.Superman: Up, Up and Away! (2006)
Image Credit: DC Comics (via Amazon)
If Brainiac is attacking Earth with overwhelming force, Superman might need Lex’s intellect and ruthlessness in ways he never wanted to admit. That uneasy alliance could be the beating heart of Man of Tomorrow.
4.Superman: The Black Ring (2010–2011)
Image Credit: DC Comics (via Amazon)
Paul Cornell’s The Black Ring is one of the best modern Lex Luthor stories, where we see him on a cosmic journey to obtain ultimate power. Along the way, Lex faces threats bigger than even he can manipulate, forcing him into unlikely alliances. For Gunn, adapting elements of The Black Ring would put Lex front and center, not just as a foil to Superman, but as a co-protagonist with his own arc.
5.Superman vs. Brainiac / Injustice League Arcs (2007–2014)
Image Credit: DC Comics (via Amazon)
From Justice League: Injustice League to Forever Evil, we’ve seen versions of Lex Luthor stepping up as Earth’s defender when bigger villains threaten annihilation. These arcs aren’t strictly Superman stories, but they capture the essence of what Gunn has teased, a reluctant partnership forged by necessity. If Man of Tomorrow borrows this DNA, we could see Lex and Superman clashing as much as cooperating, in some of the finest ways imaginable.
Shashank Shakya is an entertainment writer at Beebom. He has completed his Bachelors (Honors) in English Literature and is a published author. Shashank boasts incomparable knowledge about the Marvel and DC universe, along with other branches of entertainment with substantial experience in the field of writing.
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