FANTASY DRAFT: Which Supergirl Is Ready For Prime Time?

[CBR News]

CBR explores which versions of Supergirl we'd like to see serve as inspiration for Greg Berlanti's in-development TV series.


Full article here.

[Vanguard-01]

I obviously prefer Kara Zor-El, but I would be open to Smallville Kara or Linda Danvers. It will all depend on the story and the execution thereof.

[confusiongrows]

They're all good in different ways. So how about all of the above? Just pick and choose the good themes, characterisations and story arcs. That's the beauty of adaptation. What they should NOT do is what that Birds of Prey series did and screw up a formula that already works by messing with it. If they change things, then that's their decision, but they should add to or strengthen the mythos in some way, not subtract from or convolute it.

[DochaDocha]

I'm not a huge Supergirl fan or anything, but if she does get her on TV show, it would have to be Kara Zor-El for me to care. I also like the Loeb origin: she remembers (sort of) Krypton and baby Kal-El.

[Mr. Mastermind]

They should probably just no have Superman in it. Having to constantly refer to him but never see him would get annoying very fast. Just have Kara Zor-El be Kara Zor-El.

[AirDave]

I would like to see the Supergirl from Smallville. I'd like to see a Supergirl that was more closely tied to Clark and Martha than shunted off like Silver and Modern Age Linda Danvers was. That was super-dickery. I'd also like to see more of a Superman Family approach rather than the missed opportunity the Supergirl film was...

[daBronzeBomma]

I'd say mix and match the various versions of Supergirl so that there isn't a major attribute or premise that entirely breaks away from the Superverse. It sounds like BIRDS OF PREY went too far off the rails from the Batverse (and was questionable enough on its own merits), and I believe this potential tv show (which apparently will have neither the word "Super" nor the word "Girl" and definitely not the word "Supergirl" in the title ... is that already a red flag?) would do well to respect its roots.

And yes, that definitely means, accounting for Kal-El. He doesn't have to be a central character, but if they outright ignore him and make like he doesn't exist at all, then I will outright ignore this show. How to keep Kara (or whatever her name would be here) out of Kal's shadow?

One, since WB has a known problem with multiple live-action versions of superheroes at the same time but not with civilian supporting cast (see 2014's GOTHAM's Alfred and 2016's BATMAN V SUPERMAN's Alfred, potentially co-existing at the same time), simply never show Kal in costume and keep him as more of a support-giving civilian Clark Kent, who pops in once in a blue moon (definitely need him in the pilot episode) just to offer support and advice to Kara. We'd never see him in his caped uniform and he'd always have to "get back to it", with "it" being his double life, Metropolis, the League, fighting Luthor or Darkseid, whatever.

Two, keep Kara's adventures somewhat local and not global. Maybe she visits Metropolis once. But the rest of the time, she's in her own place, handling her own problems, dealing with her own supporting cast and rogues. I'd say Jonathan and Martha Kent are fair game, tho.

I'd love it if this Kara graduates from Supergirl to Power Gal (deliberately mispelled) as a rite of passage and takes on some of Karen Starr's personality (boob window optional).

[victorsage]

If your asking for my personal favorite it's Power Girl hands down. I also enjoyed Matrix/Linda Danvers and I always thought she would end up taking the name "Supewoman" before everything changed again.... then I thought they created Karsta Wor-Ul to create a Superwoman... then everything changed again lol.

But I'm rambling. Yeah if it's just what I like most it's Power Girl and by a lot.

[mathew101281]

I'm always surprised by Powergirl's relative popularity. For a character who really hasn't gotten much of a push outside of comics(and even within comics really) she is relatively popular, possibly the most popular alternate version of a character ever.

[Vanguard-01]

I'm always surprised by Powergirl's relative popularity. For a character who really hasn't gotten much of a push outside of comics(and even within comics really) she is relatively popular, possibly the most popular alternate version of a character ever.

She's a lot like Wonder Woman's popularity. No, a lot of people don't buy and read her comics, but she's been on T-shirts and underwear and lunchboxes forever. Girls love her, even if they've never read one of her books. She's an icon of "girl power" and every little girl LOVES to hear that there's a "Supergirl" out there. So, while her books aren't generally hot sellers, her merchandise sells very well, and that merchandise has kept her in the public consciousness for all this time.

Plus? She wears one of the single most recognizable symbols in human history. People KNOW that symbol, and they know what it means.

[WonderBoy]

She's a lot like Wonder Woman's popularity. No, a lot of people don't buy and read her comics, but she's been on T-shirts and underwear and lunchboxes forever. Girls love her, even if they've never read one of her books. She's an icon of "girl power" and every little girl LOVES to hear that there's a "Supergirl" out there. So, while her books aren't generally hot sellers, her merchandise sells very well, and that merchandise has kept her in the public consciousness for all this time.

Plus? She wears one of the single most recognizable symbols in human history. People KNOW that symbol, and they know what it means.

I think he was talking about Power Girl's popularity...not Supergirls. But I agree with you're saying anyway, it would be great if her titles to sell a bit better, maybe some day Supergirl won't be in her cousins shadow as much, and can become as independent a character as Supeman. Not that she isn't, it's just that sometimes people can just over look her y'know.

[victorsage]

I'm always surprised by Powergirl's relative popularity. For a character who really hasn't gotten much of a push outside of comics(and even within comics really) she is relatively popular, possibly the most popular alternate version of a character ever.

I think it's as simple as this, Power Girl is a better character. Especially when looking back. Supergirl started out as Superman's backup, her existences amounted to how much Superman desired to allow her to do things at first. Power Girl on the other hand even was named differently on purpose in an attempt to be different from her cousin/adoptive father Kal-L, even taking a different name.

It is always hinted at that Supergirl is their because their is a Superman. Her symbol isn't really hers it's Clark's that she uses. Power Girl on the other hand is really her own person in that regard, she isn't just "Superman's adopted daughter/cousin". The large shadow of Superman will always shine over Supergirl, a shadow Power Girl left the minute she came to be. I really think it is as simple as that.

[Brian from Canada]

Power Girl on the other hand is really her own person in that regard, she isn't just "Superman's adopted daughter/cousin". The large shadow of Superman will always shine over Supergirl, a shadow Power Girl left the minute she came to be. I really think it is as simple as that.

Power Girl began as Superman's younger cousin too — the Earth-2 one. And reading The Daring New Adventures Of Supergirl (as the 80s series was called), it was difficult to see the shadow of Superman because she wasn't living in Smallville, she wasn't at his beck and call, she wasn't battling his villains or relatives of his villains… while Power Girl was doing the same over in Justice League flirting with Firestorm.

Supergirl's issue is really that she got killed off; any one that comes after had to have her connection to the DCU reset. Matrix and Luthor, Linda and Clark, Kara and Kal, etc.

Power Girl, in the meantime, appears as a background character until Robinson & Johns makes her prominent again in JSA, a book that rode decently in popularity until the resent reset.

Personally — for me — the best Supergirl for television is the Kara/Linda version of the 80s, trying to make it in college while being Supergirl at the same time. That way, she knows her powers and Clark already, and it's really about personal identity. She goes to school, she has a job to balance, and so on.

[Kerwin42]

I'm all in for Power Girl

[Supergirl's Pal]

I would not have a problem if the show is about Power Girl as long as she is the grown up version of Supergirl. The show could flashback to her "Supergirl" days as she battles her own unique villains from her 55 year history. The clincher is that there is no "Superman" in her world, that is until the season finale cliffhanger when she discovers that she is in an alternative universe.