Supergirl (Volume 7) #9 is an issue of the series Supergirl (Volume 7) with a cover date of July, 2017. It was published on May 10, 2017.
Synopsis for "Escape from the Phantom Zone, Part One"
Barbara Gordon has arrived in National City to attend TychoTech's new energy exposition. She runs into Ben Rubel by chance. At the same time, Kara Danvers leaves her school, changes clothes and flies to the Expo.
There she meets Barbara and Ben. Upon seeing her, Rubel wonders if something is about to blow up. Barbara introduces herself and says she is not sure of having ever met Supergirl. Supergirl stares at Barbara for several seconds and tells: "Who knows? The Gotham crowds do seem to prefer masks". Both girls keep talking. When Barbara wonders about Supergirl hearing everything all the time, Supergirl replies she is not listening in always, but she notices when something big happens... the way Barbara would notice when something big happens in Burnside.
The unveiling is about to begin, and Supergirl has to go. Katarina Bissel, new C.E.O. of TychoTech after the disappearance of Simon Tycho[1], unveils the Tycho Eidolon, a device which generates Phantom Energy, the same thing that powered Kryptonian rockets. Unsurprisingly, Katarina omits that technology got stolen from the D.E.O.
Suddenly someone throws a spear at Supergirl. Supergirl catches the weapon, but the tip pokes the Eidolon. The device activates and generates a vortex that proceeds to pull people in. Supergirl manages to save several spectators, but Ben Rubel falls into the vortex. Then Magog turns up, declaring he will kill Supergirl while she is still young. Meanwhile, Barbara puts on her costume.
Supergirl and Magog battle as Batgirl makes sure that no more people gets pulled in the portal. Magog blames Supergirl for the future destruction of his family, shouting that her "Hope, Help and Compassion for all" motto will mean the end of his bloodline. This is the second time in few days Supergirl is attacked by a stranger and blamed for things she has not done.[2] Since Magog refuses to explain himself, she decks him.
Supergirl sees Batgirl getting sucked in the portal. Supergirl gets the Gotham's hero, and notices the rupture is closing. Which is unfortunate because Ben fell into the vortex, and since the Eidolon siphons phantom energy, he could be trapped in the Phantom Zone. Batgirl leaps into the vortex. Just then Cameron Chase comes along, accompanied by a D.E.O. response team. She tries to talk Supergirl out of going after Batgirl, but Supergirl flies into the portal.
Director Chase turns to Magog, intending to get him arrested, but Magog warns the Fatal Five will destroy Supergirl and all of her allies before teleporting away.
In the meantime, Supergirl, Batgirl and Ben Rubel find themselves into a dark, chilly, bizarre dimension. Supergirl explains that place is the Phantom Zone, the pocket dimension where the worst Kryptonian criminals were banished to.
Far from there, in a little citadel called Aethyropolis, Xa-Du, the Phantom King, observes the trio and recognizes Supergirl's family crest. Xa-Du plans to destroy the Aethyr Switch and escape from the Zone. To that end he powers his ecto-armor with the souls of Kryptonian criminals. Still their cells' residual solar charge is not strong enough to fully power his armor up.
So he is happy that a fully empowered Kryptonian from the House of El is wandering around his domain.
Appearing in "Escape from the Phantom Zone, Part One"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Fatal Five (Behind the scenes)
- TychoTech (First appearance)
- Katarina Bissel (First appearance)
- Xa-Du the Phantom King
- Shyla Kor-Onn (First appearance)
- Tra-Gob (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- CatCo staff
- Sirkians (First appearance) (Cameo)
- Aethyr (Mentioned only)
- Aethyr Switch (Mentioned only)
- David Reid's parents (Unnamed) (Deceased) (Mentioned only)
- Emerald Empress (Pre-Zero Hour) (Mentioned only)
- Contessa Erika Alessandra del Portenza (Mentioned only)
- Justice League (Mentioned only)
- Kryptonians (Mentioned only)
- House of El (Mentioned only)
- Lar-On (Mentioned only)
- Old Gods (Mentioned only)
- Simon Tycho (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Post-Flashpoint Multiverse
- Earth 0
- Earth
- United States of America
- National City
- The Blade (Cameo)
- National City Technical High School
- Shimada Square
- Gotham City (Mentioned only)
- Burnside (Mentioned only)
- Keystone City
- Iron Heights (Mentioned only)
- National City
- United States of America
- Earth
- Sphere of the Gods
- Underworld
- Phantom Zone
- Aethyropolis (First appearance)
- Phantom Zone
- Underworld
- Earth 0
- Pre-Crisis Multiverse
- Pre-Zero Hour (Mentioned only)
Items:
- Batarangs
- Batsuit
- Ecto-Mail
- Kara's Glasses
- Lancing Spear
- Tycho Eidolon (First appearance)
Vehicles:
- Kara Zor-El's Spaceship (Mentioned only)
Concepts:
- Magic
- Sirkian Travel Beam
Notes
- This story happens after the first Supergirl/Batgirl team-up in Batgirl Annual (Volume 5) #1.
- Supergirl learns Batgirl's secret identity in this issue.
Trivia
- The "Hope, Compassion and Help for all" Supergirl motto was conceived by Sterling Gates for Adventures of Supergirl (Volume 1). Since then it has been adopted by the Supergirl TV show and the comics.
- Shyla is named after Shyla Kor-Onn, a Earth-One Phantom Zone inmate and Supergirl's enemy.
See Also
Recommended Reading
Main article: Supergirl Recommended Reading