Lana Lang and this sssymbol are connected. If I took her... I knew I could get a Kryptonian. You or your cousin. I know what power your race hasss. I want to grow super-powered drones to help me overtake thisss world. For that... I need your D.N.A. 
- — Insect Queen src
The Insect Queen was an alien ruler, seeking to take over Earth and expand her people's hive empire throughout the universe.[1]
History
She forms an alliance with Lex Luthor, providing him with drones to aid in his search for Kryptonite in exchange for his general assistance in conquering Earth and the use of his moonbase workers, whom she transforms into insect-like beings under her command.[2]
She then finds Lana Lang, now the chairwoman and CEO of LexCorp, and abducts her. Taking her to the moon, she then uses Lana's genetic template to assume a form similar to her, albeit with some insectoid features (e.g. wings and a pair of extra limbs). When Superman arrives to rescue Lana, she captures the Man of Steel and gains telepathic control over him. However, Lana is able to rescue Superman, who then frees himself of the Queen's mind control, and defeats her by knocking her into an amber-like substance that traps her in suspended animation.
The Insect Queen resurfaces later on when Lana comes down with a mysterious illness whose symptoms puzzle all of Metropolis's doctors; in addition, she had kept it a secret from Supergirl. By the time Kara finds out and gets to the hospital, Lana is seemingly dead.
Later, however, as Supergirl mourns her loss, she remembers a detail that Lana had given her about "things" in her body that the doctors were unable to identify. Deciding to inspect Lana's body one last time, she hears the nurse watching over the body scream from far away, and enters the room to find Lana enveloped in a cocoon made of insects, which has just cracked open.
Suddenly, the entire hospital is engulfed in a massive cocoon, from which an army of humanoid insects emerge. When Supergirl, Gangbuster, and Kimiyo Hoshi infiltrate the cocoon, the trio is ambushed, and Supergirl awakens bound and gagged at the feet of Lana, who has become the new Insect Queen. She informs Supergirl that a piece of her DNA was embeded within Lana during their last encounter, and has been slowly taking her over for most of the past year. Now completely in control, she intends to use Kryptonian DNA to create a powerful and vast insect army.[3]
The two women engage in a drawn out battle, with Kara eventually expelling the Queen from Lana's body through the use of an advanced machine created by Dr. Jacob Finlay.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Flight
- Telepathy
- Metamorphosis - Thanks to her races Ambrosia she is able to sculpt and change her form and those under her sway.[2] Examples include turning humans into gigantic insects and turning herself almost completely human.
- Possession
- Webbing: she is able to spin her own silk webs like a spider.
Abilities
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Ambrosia - a multipurpose solution known to be used for status and for mutigenic changes.
Transportation
- Interstellar spaceship
Recommended Reading
- Superman: The Insect Queen
Related
- 4 Appearances of Insect Queen (New Earth)
- 4 Images featuring Insect Queen (New Earth)
- 1 Quotations by or about Insect Queen (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Insect Queen (New Earth)
Footnotes
  This character has been primarily an enemy of Superman in any of his various incarnations, or members of the Superman Family. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Superman Villains category." |
 This character, team, or organization, is or was primarily an enemy of Supergirl. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Supergirl Villains category." |