Lesla-Lar (Prime Earth)

Lesla-Lar was considered unremarkable in Kandor, ignored by her scientist parents while her own applications for research grants were continuously rejected. She was obsessed with Supergirl, who she saw as perfect and angelic.^[1] Lesla met Supergirl in person when Supergirl saved her from being crushed by a piece of falling rail bridge when the Kryptonian werewolf Lar-On caused a train derailment. Lesla excitedly told Supergirl that she thought she was amazing and better than Superman. Supergirl simply replied that it was not a contest and flew away with Lar-On in tow.^[2] Although Supergirl was simply trying to get Lar-On back into custody before he could hurt anyone, Lesla took this to mean that Supergirl thought she wasn't worth talking to, while in her fantasies about meeting Supergirl her idol had always made her feel special. She became increasingly jealous of Supergirl and how she seemed to be flawless and beloved without even trying, believing that Supergirl did not appreciate everything she had.^[1]

Through machines of her own design Lesla was able to see outside Kandor and quickly learn that Supergirl's secret identity was Linda Danvers and that her adopted parents Eliza and Jeremiah Danvers lived in Midvale. She built a portal that transported her and her pet rabbit Kandy to Midvale while also reversing Brainiac's miniaturization process. The yellow sunlight granted them both superpowers and, to Lesla's delight, enhanced her scrawny physique by greatly increasing the size of her muscles, breasts and hips; Lesla declared her new body to be more beautiful than Supergirl. She then went to the Danvers home and hypnotised Eliza and Jeremiah to see her as their daughter so she would finally have loving and attentive parents.

Lesla used "Programmable Matter" to change her hair and eye colour and skin tone to match Supergirl's. As "Supergirl" she performed simple acts of kindness like saving cats from trees and helping old ladies with their groceries to ingratiate herself to the townspeople. However she also secretly put people in danger so she could "rescue" them, and planned to eventually release a real crisis on the town so she could save Midvale and be loved for it.^[1] The people of Midvale, excited to have a superhero of their own, went crazy for "Supergirl"; putting her on the sign into town, eagerly buying Supergirl merchandise and even naming a sandwich after her in the town deli. Lesla happily soaked up the adoration but also knew that the real Supergirl could eventually come back, so she told the people of Midvale that there was an "impostor" pretending to be her.

When Supergirl did return to Midvale Lesla confronted her outside the Danvers house and denounced her as a fake. She threw a vial of Programmable Matter at Supergirl which changed the colours of her costume and altered the sigil on her chest into a "P" for "Phonygirl". She then blasted Supergirl with her Discombobulation Generator that caused her to collapse with feelings of intense vertigo. Lesla flew away to the cheers of bystanders, warning "Phonygirl" to get out of town. Supergirl recovered and slipped away to change into her Linda Danvers disguise, but Lesla also doubled back to the house and changed into her own Linda guise. When Supergirl entered the house the brainwashed Jeremiah and Eliza did not recognise her, and Lesla came downstairs claiming that she was Linda Danvers.^[2]

Lesla had been carrying a minaiturised Titano around with her in a containment unit and released him. Titano grew to full size, destroying the house, while Lesla and Supergirl carried the Danvers out. Lesla planned to defeat Titano so the entire town would love her, but her inexperience at fighting such a monster meant she took no precautions to prevent any onlookers being hurt. Supergirl broke off the fight to try to get people to run to safety, much to Lesla's annoyance as she wanted an audience and for her "heroics" to be broadcast online. When the crowd fled Lesla simply put Titano down with the Discombobulation Generator, which she could have done at any time. However, the beast woke up quickly and Supergirl angled his Kryptonite radiation eyebeams to hit Lesla.

Lesla fell out of the sky, the Programmable Matter melting off her, while Supergirl quickly blindfolded Titano with her cape and drilled him into the ground. Supergirl flew down to Lesla and recognised her, to Lesla's surprise. The people of Midvale, unaware that Lesla was responsible for Titano's attack, hailed her as a hero and said they were happy to have "two Supergirls". However, Lesla yelled that she should be the only Supergirl they needed, screamed at Supergirl that she had ruined everything and flew away in tears. She quickly rebuilt the Danvers house and went into hiding.

Lesla used a shard of Black Kryptonite to build a "Cerebral Alignment Transmogrifier" that could invert Supergirl's personality and intelligence, making her chaotic, antisocial and stupid. Lesla hoped that if Supergirl became evil then the people of Midvale would appreciate her, but then fell into a depression as she believed that even then people would like Supergirl more. She thought to herself that she could never measure up to Supergirl, calling herself loathsome and useless. Lesla decided that, if she could never be as good of a hero as Supergirl, she would be a villain instead.^[1]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Lesla-Lar possesses the same potential powers as an average Kryptonian. These include:
- Solar Energy Absorption: Under optimal conditions, this is the main source of Lesla-Lar'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: Lesla-Lar 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: Lesla-Lar'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: Lesla-Lar'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: Lesla-Lar 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. Lesla-Lars 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: Lesla-Lar can see with better acuity in darkness, and to a degree in total darkness.
- Flight: Lesla-Lar 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, Lesla-Lar is nigh-invulnerable to extreme energy forces. In addition, her extends this protection against toxins and diseases.
  - Enhanced Immunity
- Superhuman Stamina: Lesla-Lar 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: Lesla-Lar'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: Lesla-Lar 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:
  - Superhuman Agility
  - Superhuman Reflexes
- Super-Breath: Lesla-Lar 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: Lesla-Lar can live longer than regular humans, remaining at her prime as long as she was under the exposure of the "yellow" sun.

Abilities

Gadgetry: Lesla is adept at inventing devices to help her achieve her goals.
Science: Lesla's scientific expertise, although considered mediocre by Kandorian standards, is far more advanced than Earth's.

Weaknesses

Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Lesla-Lar possesses the same potential weaknesses as an average Kryptonian. These include:
- Vulnerability to Kryptonite
- Vulnerability to Magic

Solar Energy Dependency: Lesla-Lar's abilities will eventually weaken without replenishing her energy reserves with normal (yellow) sun radiation. When exposed to the same red solar radiation as Krypton's red sun Rao, it causes Lesla-Lar to lose her powers within a large amount of exposure until exposure to yellow sunlight reverses this effect.

Other Characteristics

Obsession

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Cerebral Alignment Transmogrifier
Hypnotech Manipulator
Programmable Matter

Weapons

Discombobulation Generator

Notes

Lesla-Lar was created by Jerry Siegel and Jim Mooney, first appearing in Action Comics #279. However, Lesla-Lar first appeared as part of Prime Earth continuity in Supergirl (Volume 8) #1 by Sophie Campbell.

Trivia

Lesla-Lar simultaneously hates and is bitterly jealous of Supergirl, desperately wants to be her, and is also intensely attracted to her.^[2]^[1]