Fred Danvers was the adoptive father of Kara Zor-El, also known as Supergirl.
History
Fred and his wife Edna were two locals of Midvale, a town located near from Metropolis. Their only son Jan was killed on active duty with the US Army.[1] Needing to fill their emotional void, they decided to adopt one of the orphaned kids living in Midvale Orphanage. There they met a sixteen-year-old girl named Linda Lee who seemed just as lonely and sad as them,[2] so they adopted her.[3]
Several days later, Fred was driving his family down a road when his car fell off a bridge. Linda saved her parents' lives, grabbing the falling vehicle and flying them to safety. Then she -and a newcomer Superman- revealed the truth (which they were about to tell the Danvers anyway): her real name was Kara Zor-El, Superman's cousin from Krypton, and she was about to start out her public hero career. Edna and Fred vowed to keep Linda and her cousin identities' a secret.[4]
Several months later Linda discovered her birth parents were still alive, trapped in a pocket dimension called the "Survival Zone". Linda managed to get them out with Fred's help. Nonetheless, neither he nor Edna were happy with the idea of losing her adopted daughter; still they were willing to give her up if it made Linda happy. Both sets of parents agreed that Zor-El and Allura would live in Kandor, and Linda could stay over at any time.[5]
Several years later Linda graduated from Stanhope College. Fred and Edna attended their daughter's graduation ceremony and said goodbye to Linda when she moved away,[6] although she visited her adoptive parents often.
Several years later, while working on a secret mission for S.T.A.R. Labs, Fred was kidnapped by Colonel Sulphur, who wanted to steal confidential secrets from him. Sulphur was eventually stopped by the combined efforts of Supergirl and Batman and Danvers was saved from a certain death.[7]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- ESP: (Formerly) Danvers once spontaneously developed telepathy-like abilities which opened him up to manipulation by residents of the Phantom Zone. He lost these powers after a blow to the head.[8]
Abilities
Science: Fred Danvers is a scientist specialized in developing new kinds of rocket fuel.
Notes
- This version of Fred Danvers, including all history and corresponding appearances, was erased from existence following the collapse of the original Multiverse in the 1985–86 Crisis on Infinite Earths event and later restored following the rebirth of the infinite Multiverse during the Dark Crisis of 2022-2023. Even though other versions of the character may have appeared, this information does not apply to those versions.
- In their first appearance, Fred and Edna were said to be a childless couple. Action Comics #303 retconned this, revealing their only son Jan had just been killed.
- He is erroneously called "Robert" in Action Comics #288.
Recommended Reading
Main article: Supergirl Recommended Reading
- Supergirl Recommended Reading
- Action Comics (Volume 1)
- Adventure Comics (Volume 1)
- All-Star Comics (Volume 1)
- Supergirl (Volume 1)
- Superman Family (Volume 1)
- Supergirl (Volume 2)
- Infinity Inc. (Volume 1)
- Power Girl (Volume 1)
- Supergirl (Volume 3)
- Supergirl (Volume 4)
- Supergirl (Volume 5)
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 1)
- Power Girl (Volume 2)
- Supergirl (Volume 6)
- Worlds' Finest (Volume 1)
- Supergirl (Volume 7)
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (Volume 1)
Related
- 68 Appearances of Frederick Danvers (Earth-One)
- 2 Images featuring Frederick Danvers (Earth-One)
- Quotations by or about Frederick Danvers (Earth-One)
- Character Gallery: Frederick Danvers (Earth-One)
Footnotes
  Superman Family member |