Challenge: Integrate original Supergirl into the original Teen Titans

[Tzigone]

We all know that Kara aged faster than some of her fellow young heroes. But let's presume she did not. So, she is similarly aged to the others. Dick is at least 15 when Kara arrives on earth, aged 15 (we saw him driving as Dick Grayson with Bruce as a passenger in 1953 in World's Finest #66). Kara showed up in 1959, and Wally in January of 1960 as a 9th grader. So all would have been similar ages if they aged at similar rates until the Teen Titans formed. Dick is apparently a year older than Wally, so Kara could be same grade with either of them, which year she is in would factor in regards to college and whether or not she goes or that impacts her staying or leaving the team.

So, if Kara is their age and interested in the TT, how does that play out? Are she and Wonder Girl close or does she have another particular buddy? Wonder Girl was just a little boy crazy at the start. And when Speedy did come around, he was definitely a smooth operator. Would he have flirted with Kara first? Or even second, after he and Donna weren't a thing in the '60s? I mean, they went out once then, but nothing came of it until years later, and he was definitely (appropriately) chatting up other women in between. Even hit on Donna's prospective roommate.

How long does it last? Garth left the team and Dick left (though he'd come back) and would Kara leave? If so, when? Prior to 1970 and college and the new characters added or later?

[caj]

Well, Kara was a member of the Legion of Super Heroes for a period of time so they probably didn't want her to be a member of both teams.

Plus, there would've been a chance that Kara would overshadow Robin. I think the main point of the early Teen Titans was to feature Robin and have him lead a team of young heroes. Kara probably would've cramped his style.

However, it would've been fun to see Kara make friends with those guys. She probably would've left when Mr. Jupiter and Lilith came into the picture at TT #25.

[king81992]

We all know that Kara aged faster than some of her fellow young heroes. But let's presume she did not. So, she is similarly aged to the others. Dick is at least 15 when Kara arrives on earth, aged 15 (we saw him driving as Dick Grayson with Bruce as a passenger in 1953 in World's Finest #66). Kara showed up in 1959, and Wally in January of 1960 as a 9th grader. So all would have been similar ages if they aged at similar rates until the Teen Titans formed. Dick is apparently a year older than Wally, so Kara could be same grade with either of them, which year she is in would factor in in regards to college and whether or not she goes or that impacts her staying or leaving the team.

So, if Kara is their age and interested in the TT, how does that play out? Are she and Wonder Girl close or does she have another particular buddy? Wonder Girl was just a little boy crazy at the start. And when Speedy did come around, he was definitely a smooth operator. Would he have flirted with Kara first? Or even second, after he and Donna weren't a thing in the '60s? I mean, they went out once then, but nothing came of it until years later, and he was definitely (appropriately) chatting up other women in between. Even hit on Donna's prospective roommate.

How long does it last? Garth left the team and Dick left (though he'd come back) and would Kara leave? If so, when? Prior to 1970 and college and the new characters added or later?

So many possibilities: Either Donna and Kara wind up in a love triangle with one of the boys or Kara and Dick would be a couple until Starfire joins in NTT which leads to another love triangle. Honestly, a lot of NTT would play out differently if Kara was on the team.

[Frontier]

I like Supergirl as, like, an honorary member of the team who maybe occasionally involved herself in the bigger adventures but wasn't a permanent member.

Or maybe she's the 6th Ranger equivalent to Titans East.

[Tzigone]

So many possibilities: Either Donna and Kara wind up in a love triangle with one of the boys or Kara and Dick would be a couple until Starfire joins in NTT which leads to another love triangle. Honestly, a lot of NTT would play out differently if Kara was on the team.

Oh, I hate love triangles. Don't think they are very likely for '60s Titans, but certainly possible for '70s.

I like Supergirl as, like, an honorary member of the team who maybe occasionally involved herself in the bigger adventures but wasn't a permanent member.

That could work. Would you give her any particular reason for not wanting to be on the team - I mean, a personality conflict or busy prepping for college or thinks she doesn't need them or they don't need her or doesn't want to spend that much time away from her city? Or just not really interested in doing a team thing? Certainly, Speedy was only an occasional visitor at first (retconned to founding member) and then later Garth and Dick were in that position.

[Frontier]

That could work. Would you give her any particular reason for not wanting to be on the team - I mean, a personality conflict or busy prepping for college or thinks she doesn't need them or they don't need her or doesn't want to spend that much time away from her city? Or just not really interested in doing a team thing? Certainly, Speedy was only an occasional visitor at first (retconned to founding member) and then later Garth and Dick were in that position.

I could see college or just feeling redundant somewhat with Wonder Girl, maybe.

[king81992]

Oh, I hate love triangles. Don't think they are very likely for '60s Titans, but certainly possible for '70s.

That could work. Would you give her any particular reason for not wanting to be on the team - I mean, a personality conflict or busy prepping for college or thinks she doesn't need them or they don't need her or doesn't want to spend that much time away from her city? Or just not really interested in doing a team thing? Certainly, Speedy was only an occasional visitor at first (retconned to founding member) and then later Garth and Dick were in that position.

I hate love triangles too, always derail everyone involved.

[Badou]

It is fun to think about how different things would be if Kara was included in the beginning. It is odd how Dick's generation never had a Superman character. Obviously Supergirl was the equivalent but like others said she was paired with the Legion team and that prevented her from being a Titan, but there were also a lot of weird things with her character too with her place in continuity. Then decades later she gets reshuffled into different generations and never quite fits in anywhere.

If they had put her with the Titans I would bet they would have paired her and Dick to go along with the World's Finest theme of Batman/Superman. Maybe it would turn romantic or maybe not, I would guess not, but it would have been very likely that the Titans franchise back then would have elevated the two of them pretty far above the rest. Robin was ahead of the rest of the team back then, but the two of them would have probably overshadowed the team more than a singular one of them would have. They would have been the two leaders that a lot of the things revolved around.

I don't know if a ton changes until the NTT days where she might have become something drastically different. She would have aged and grown up like the rest of the Titans, but you wonder if like with Dick's character being taken from the Batman office would the Titans office have taken control over Kara the same way? So you wonder if they would have had her move on from the Supergirl identity and become something else like Dick did with Nightwing. Maybe she becomes Flamebird since they used Nightwing with Dick. Then you wonder if Dick and Donna would be as close if Kara was there. Would Starfire's character be different as she is also a super powered alien from space. How different does Crisis play out, and so many other things.

[caj]

I remember - at least in the 1970s - there was a push for the friendship/partnership of Batgirl and Supergirl. I think Supergirl was considered older than Dick/Robin and closer to Barbara's age. Maybe that's why she was never in the Teen Titans.

[Tzigone]

I remember - at least in the 1970s - there was a push for the friendship/partnership of Batgirl and Supergirl. I think Supergirl was considered older than Dick/Robin and closer to Barbara's age. Maybe that's why she was never in the Teen Titans.

Oh, she was definitely older than them, even though she started at a similar age. She started college in 1966 and graduated college in 1971 - Dick had started his first year in 1970 and Wally graduated high school 1978, I think. I've seen reference to Batgirl and Supergirl being buds, but I have read (I think) every pre-COIE issue that Barbara appeared in, and they didn't interact very much at all. Like maybe 6 times ever (I can think of three, but could well be forgetting some).

[king81992]

Oh, she was definitely older than them, even though she started at a similar age. She started college in 1966 and graduated college in 1971 - Dick had started his first year in 1970 and Wally graduated high school 1978, I think. I've seen reference to Batgirl and Supergirl being buds, but I have read (I think) every pre-COIE issue that Barbara appeared in, and they didn't interact very much at all. Like maybe 6 times ever (I can think of three, but could well be forgetting some).

Super Girl and Batgirl being buddies comes from the cartoons, despite them being in different generations in the comics.

[LordUltimus]

Super Girl and Batgirl being buddies comes from the cartoons, despite them being in different generations in the comics.

They had some sign of this in the comics, like in Crisis on Infinte Earths. I'm pretty sure Supergirl had graduated college or had nearly graduated by the time Batgirl showed up.

[Digifiend]

Yeah, that doesn't come from the cartoons, Barbara was even the one who read the eulogy at Supergirl's funeral during Crisis.

Bear in mind how the Teen Titans started. They were meant to be all the sidekicks together. That's probably why Supergirl wasn't a member - regardless of her being with the Legion, the fact is, she isn't Superman's sidekick. Though had they remembered that Wonder Girl wasn't one either - she was actually a young Wonder Woman, similar to how Superboy back then was teenage Clark Kent - then they might have had no choice but to use Kara as the team would've been all male otherwise. Donna's entire existence was an accident.