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| As a result of the New 52 in 2011, the entire line of DC characters was relaunched, incorporating properties belonging to the company's imprints: Wildstorm, Milestone, and Vertigo. As such, elements of this character's history have been altered in some way from the previous incarnation. For a complete list of all versions of this character, see our disambiguation page. |
History
Kara Zor-El as Supergirl
Kara Zor-El was the Supergirl of Earth 2 and the cousin to Superman, who was raised by Kal and his wife Lois Lane as if she was their own daughter. She was also best friends with Helena Wayne, the Earth 2 Robin, and Batman's daughter. Prior to her arrival on Earth, she was friends with Val-Zod when they were raised together on Krypton.
The Apokoliptian Invasion
When Supergirl arrived on Earth, Darkseid's invading forces had not yet publicly made their presence known. However, in order to protect her from the invaders and have a sercet weapon in reserves, Kal-El kept Kara hidden on a Micronesian island, raising and training her there. As a further precaution, Kal forbade her from leaving the island, even if it was to help someone. However, teenage rebellion drove Kara to periodically sneak off the island when she knew her cousin would be too busy to notice. Using her super-speed, she was able to perform good deeds without anyone seeing that she was not Superman. It was during one such outing that she would meet her best friend, Helena, Earth 2's Robin.
During another outing, rather than simply helping others, she snuck out solely to test her flirting abilities. Sneaking into a club, she experienced both alcohol and romance when she decided to test herself on a young man at the bar. After leaving, the two hit it off, allowing Kara to experience her first kiss, only for her new crush to reveal that he is the son of a world leader and would be returning to his country soon. Moved by his honesty, Kara contemplated telling him the truth when the World government building exploded. Her date gets Kara to safety, then runs to find his father in the wreckage. Once he is gone, she immediately moved to save the building without being spotted. Though she stabilizes the building, the young man returns to the spot he hid Kara in, unaware she was already clear of the building. Before Kara can reach him, he is crushed to death in the rubble. Kara would later discover the one responsible for the bombing, and attempt to capture her. Her failed attempt led her to meet Wonder Woman's and learn that her target was her daughter, Fury.
After the war with Apokolips escalated, Kara began serving publicly as a Wonder of the World. Her efforts helped keep the war at a stalemate. When Batman discovered a way to end the war, Kara was kept out of the mission and ordered to guard the nuclear devices that the world's governments had decided to keep to the very last. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were killed, but they managed to destroy Darkseid's towers, disabling the Parademons and saving the Earth. As Supergirl caught up with Robin, and without any time to grieve their lost mentors and family, their attention was caught by a Boom Tube portal with a lone figure appearing within it. The Earth's last two remaining heroes plunged into the portal.[2]
A New World
The portal led them to another universe with many similarities and differences from the one they know. After getting their bearings, Helena used money stolen from Wayne Enterprises to establish new identities to blend in. After disagreeing over their course of action, the two decided to take different approaches to life on a new Earth. Helena went on to use series of fake identities to travel the world and fight crime, constantly moving around with her friend's help. Kara used her powers quietly, gathering rare minerals and metals selling them for profit. Using the money, she gathered the world's best scientists and bought or "borrowed" as much advanced technology as possible to create build a major research and development company. Over the five years she spent on Prime Earth, she became a popular public figure (under the name Karen Starr), and quite wealthy. As Helena took up the new identity of Huntress (Robin was taken), Kara decided to assume the identity of Power Girl during her superheroic exploits[3]
During her stay on this Earth she was involved in a relationship with Michael Holt. Their relationship started when Michael invited her as Karen Starr to a fundraiser for Senator Gonzalez's presidential campaign. However, while they were dating, Karen was secretly stealing Michael's dimensional tunneling technology in hopes of using it to return home.
Forever Evil
During the invasion of the Crime Syndicate Kara was tricked by the Thinker, who was using a hologram Amanda Waller to convince her, Steel, Warrant and Unknown Soldier to form a new Suicide Squad team. The team was assembled to retrieve Omac in the Rocky Mountains.[4] Inside the base they were confronted by the remaining members of the real Suicide Squad who were sent by the real Amanda Waller.
World's End
Kara and Helena eventually found their way back to Earth 2, where she and Helena encountered a fake Superman who leading an arming from Apokolips. It was during this encounter that she was reunited with her old childhood friend Val-Zod, who was now going under the name of Superman. While fighting the impostor the truth would be revealed that the fake Superman they were fighting against was clone named Brutal.
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Trapped between Worlds
After Convergence, Kara was trapped between worlds. Tanya tried to save her, but ended up being trapped as well.
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Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Kara possesses the same potential powers as an average Kryptonian. These include:
- Solar Energy Absorption: Under optimal conditions, this is the main source of Kara's super powers as they are contingent upon exposure to solar radiation from a yellow sun star system. Her biological make up includes a number of organs which lack analogues in humans and whose functions are unknown. It is believed that between one or more of these and her bio-cellular matrix, "yellow" solar energy is stored for later use. This allows for the use of these powers to fade when yellow solar radiation is not available instead of immediate failure.
- Heat Vision: Kara can, as a conscious act, fire beams of intense heat at a target by looking at it. She can vary the heat and area affected.
- Super-Hearing: Kara's hearing is sensitive enough to hear any sound at any volume or pitch. With skill and concentration, she can block out ambient sounds to focus on a specific source or frequency.
- Enhanced Vision: Kara's vision processes the entire electromagnetic spectrum as well as allowing vast control over selective perception and focus.
This umbrella ability includes the following:- Electromagnetic Spectrum Vision: Kara can see well into most of the electromagnetic spectrum. She can see and identify radio and television signals as well as all other broadcast or transmitted frequencies. Using this ability, she can avoid detection by radar or satellite monitoring methods. This also allows her to see the aura generated by living thing.
- Telescopic Vision: This is the ability to see something at a great distance, without violating the laws of physics. Though limited, the exact extent of the ability is undetermined. In function, it is similar to the zoom lens on a camera.
- X-Ray Vision: This is the ability to see through any volume of matter except lead. Karas can see things behind a solid, opaque object as if it were not there. She can focus this ability to "peel back" layers of an object, allowing hidden image or inner workings to be observed. The exact type of energy perceived—such as x-rays, cosmic rays, or some other energy invisible to normal humans—is unclear. This ability perceives an ambient energy source though, it does not involve the eye projecting a concentrated, possibly toxic, beam to be reflected back from objects.
- Microscopic Vision: This is the ability to see extremely small objects and images down to the atomic level.
- Infrared Vision: Kara can see with better acuity in darkness, and to a degree in total darkness.
- Flight: Kara is able to manipulate graviton particles to defy the forces of gravity and achieve flight. This ranges from hovering to moving in any posture, in any direction.
- Invulnerability: Due to the interaction of her dense molecular structure and supercharged bio-electric aura, Kara is nigh-invulnerable to extreme energy forces. In addition, her extends this protection against toxins and diseases.
- Superhuman Stamina: Kara is able to maintain continuous strenuous physical action for an indefinite period of time. This based on her body converting yellow solar radiation directly to energy, but is limited by physiological and psychological needs to eat, drink, and sleep.
- Superhuman Strength: Kara's strength is augmented by yellow solar radiation interacting with the greater than human density, resilience and biological efficiency of her musculature. Her strength is more an act of conscious will on energy fields than actual physical strength. It is this act of conscious will that enables her to perform physical feats that are beyond the mere application force, such as moving a mountain top without said rock crumbling under its own mass.
- Superhuman Speed: Kara is able to move at incredible speed by sheer force of will. This extends to her perceptions and allows for feats such as catching bullets in mid flight as well as covering vast distances in little or no time.
This also confers: - Super-Breath: Kara is able to create hurricane force winds by exhaling air from her lungs. She can chill the air as it leaves her lungs to freeze targets. She can also reverse the process to pull large volumes of air or vapor into her lungs.
- Longevity: Kara can live longer than regular humans, remaining at her prime as long as she was under the exposure of the "yellow" sun.
Abilities
Weaknesses
- Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Kara possesses the same potential weaknesses as an average Kryptonian. These include:
- Vulnerability to Kryptonite
- Vulnerability to Magic
Notes
Kara is based on the original Kara Zor-L/Power Girl, created by Gerry Conway, Ric Estrada and Wally Wood in All-Star Comics #58.
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
- 139 Appearances of Kara Zor-El (Earth 2)
- 91 Images featuring Kara Zor-El (Earth 2)
- 17 Quotations by or about Kara Zor-El (Earth 2)
- Character Gallery: Kara Zor-El (Earth 2)
External Links
Template:Supergirl Links
Footnotes
- ↑ Harley Quinn Vol 2 11
- ↑ Earth 2 #1
- ↑ Worlds' Finest #1
- ↑ Suicide Squad vol 4 #25
- ↑ Supergirl (Volume 6) #19
  Superman Family member |
 Justice Society of America member |