Why was the "Linda" alias abandoned for Supergirl

[LordMikel]

This seems to be having your cake and eating it--as DC does with some of their characters. I think you have to take a stand and not try to have it both ways. Either it's an all-new Supergirl, completely her own thing, not beholden to the traditional Supergirl, or she's the traditional Supergirl albeit with some retcons.

When it suits them Kara Zor-El is an all new character but, when they want to ride the coattails of the old comic books or the Helen Slater movie, then she's good ol' Supergirl.

Could you provide an example. I'm not following. (I'm not disagreeing, just not sure what you are referencing.)

[Osiris-Rex]

This seems to be having your cake and eating it--as DC does with some of their characters. I think you have to take a stand and not try to have it both ways. Either it's an all-new Supergirl, completely her own thing, not beholden to the traditional Supergirl, or she's the traditional Supergirl albeit with some retcons.

When it suits them Kara Zor-El is an all new character but, when they want to ride the coattails of the old comic books or the Helen Slater movie, then she's good ol' Supergirl.

While I thought Matrix Supergirl was horribly messed up and terribly confusing, at least it was clear she was a new Supergirl and not a revival of the Kara Zor-El we knew and loved.

Sort of like how Batman and Catwoman were debating whether they first met on a boat or out on the street. (Batman #1 vs Batman: Year One)

[KurtW95]

It was Car-uh in the movie and it's also how the girls I've known over the years with the name have pronounced it.

So totally fine with it being pronounced properly.

A movie that came out 25 years after the character was created doesn't establish pronunciation. And I've found the other pronunciation far more prevalent. I also tend to agree that it's Lu-thor rather than Lu-ther.

(You probably prefer Denny O'Neil's (mis) pronunciation of Ra's name, too )

Dude created the character. Therefore, his pronunciation is correct.

[Carabas]

Dude created the character. Therefore, his pronunciation is correct.

Nope. He created a title in the Arab language, did not know how it was actually supposed to be pronounced, and asked somebody who misinformed him.

It's as if Claremont mistakenly would have believed Germans pronounce "Kurt" as Kart and had run with that for Nightcrawler.

[Zero Hunter]

Kara is a much more normal name these days than it was back in the old days. Linda made sense because it was a pretty normal middle of the road name back in the day, but today a name like Kara is just as normal sounding. Plus if she could keep her real first name without it sounding odd why wouldn't she. Add in the fact that unlike Kal she grew up with Kara being used in her daily life by her friends and family for many years before even coming to Earth. It is not like her kryptonian name is general knowledge any way.

[Uncanny Mutie]

In the Archives foreword, Diana Schutz mentioned how cool she found the name Kara, in a sea of Cathys and Debbies.

This is what I was going to say. Kara is a much more popular and modern sounding name than "Linda" and especially "Linda Lee," which sounds EXTRA dated. One of my friends actually named the daughter he had a couple of years ago "Kara." When was the last time you heard someone name a baby girl "Linda"?

[Uncanny Mutie]

There is no reason why she would have any other name than Kara.

It's different for Kal because he wasn't raised as Kal and never even knew his real name until he was older.

True.

10 char

[Uncanny Mutie]

I think going by the name Kara in her civilian identity makes it more obvious that she's Supergirl.

It's no worse than writers allowing a pair of glasses to throw people off from her true identity. It's just the sort of thing that you have to suspend disbelief for and just enjoy the stories.

[Osiris-Rex]

The only people that have even heard of the name Kara Zor-El are Kryptonians and some of the other Fort Rozz prisoners, and it seemed they all know Kara Zor-El is Supergirl anyway.
Plus a few friends that Supergirl has herself told them her real name is Kara Zor-El.

So of the Earthlings out there who has even heard of Kara Zor-El? Let alone are then going to make the connection that some blonde woman named Kara Danvers has the same first name as Kara Zor-El.

[KurtW95]

Nope. He created a title in the Arab language, did not know how it was actually supposed to be pronounced, and asked somebody who misinformed him.

It's as if Claremont mistakenly would have believed Germans pronounce "Kurt" as Kart and had run with that for Nightcrawler.

A) Claremont didn’t create Nightcrawler.
B) If he did and intended Kart to be the pronunciation, that would be it.

[Last Son]

The only people that have even heard of the name Kara Zor-El are Kryptonians and some of the other Fort Rozz prisoners, and it seemed they all know Kara Zor-El is Supergirl anyway.
Plus a few friends that Supergirl has herself told them her real name is Kara Zor-El.

So of the Earthlings out there who has even heard of Kara Zor-El? Let alone are then going to make the connection that some blonde woman named Kara Danvers has the same first name as Kara Zor-El.

Right, and if any of these Kryptonians were to come across Kara Danvers, wouldn't that first name be an unnecessary hint? I'm just saying that she had a perfectly good civilian name for all those years and that changing it to these other names was unnecessary. But it goes with the territory when a character's status quo never really takes root in the public consciousness. The average Joe doesn't know anything about Supergirl except for the obvious, so every time there's a reboot, pretty much everything except her Kryptonian name and the fact that she's Superman's cousin is altered.

[Carabas]

A) Claremont didn’t create Nightcrawler.

Fine... it's as if Claremont mistakenly would have believed Americans pronounce "Gambit" as Gombat and had run with that for Gambit.

B) If he did and intended Kart to be the pronunciation, that would be it.

Eh, no. That is not how language works.

[Carabas]

Right, and if any of these Kryptonians were to come across Kara Danvers, wouldn't that first name be an unnecessary hint?

I think her looking exactly like Supergirl would be a way bigger hint.

[Jim Kelly]

Just to clear up a point, Lee was her chosen family name. Supergirl used her super-hearing to listen in on many Earth girl names and chose the name "Linda Lee" for herself when she registered at the Midvale Orphanage. This followed the LL naming convention in Superman mythology. When she was adopted by the Danvers, then her full name was Linda Lee Danvers, but she was usually just called Linda Danvers.

Maybe Supergirl was being coy and keeping her house name--El--in her name, in a round about way. And I imagine Otto Binder was thinking of the young singer Brenda Lee who was rising in popularity at the time.

It's probably not right to develop a crush on a paper character in two-dimensions, but I think I had a crush on Linda Danvers when I discovered her at the age of 8, in the back pages of ACTION COMICS. I had blonde hair, but I guess the brown hair and the headband did something for me. She looked just like a lot of older girls that would hang around with my sisters. And I've posted before that she reminded me of Shelley Fabares on THE DONNA REED SHOW.

There was a distinct difference between Linda and Supergirl--so hers seemed an effective disguise.

The interesting thing with the TV Supergirl is that up until recently, Melissa Benoist's hair always looks a bit browner as Kara Danvers than as Supergirl, where her blonde highlights seem more prominent. It could be a trick of the light or I might be seeing something that isn't there.

However, in the last few episodes before the break, Benoist's hair looked much blonder in both identities.

[Osiris-Rex]

Right, and if any of these Kryptonians were to come across Kara Danvers, wouldn't that first name be an unnecessary hint? I'm just saying that she had a perfectly good civilian name for all those years and that changing it to these other names was unnecessary. But it goes with the territory when a character's status quo never really takes root in the public consciousness. The average Joe doesn't know anything about Supergirl except for the obvious, so every time there's a reboot, pretty much everything except her Kryptonian name and the fact that she's Superman's cousin is altered.

I don't think Non looked in the phonebook for all the women named Kara to find her apartment.