50 Greatest Super Heroes In Comic Book History

22. Supergirl

(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)

Sometimes as comic book fans we simply get too caught up in the details, things like which parts of continuity are in effect and which stories are canon and which aren’t. It’s possible for a character to be both viable and successful even if those typically comic book things are a mess, and Supergirl is proof.

I say that because there’s not even one definitive version of this hero, yet she’s still held in high regard. For some people, the “real” Supergirl is Superman’s Silver Age cousin Kara Zor-El, who gave her life (while rocking a very 80s headband, no less) saving both Kal-El and pretty much all of reality from the Anti-Monitor in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Younger readers might consider Peter David’s Linda Danvers version to be the genuine article, while my kids know only the white-shirted Kara In-Ze from Justice League Unlimited. Naturally, there’s a New 52 Supergirl too, different from all the ones who came before.

Usually, this is the type of thing that drives fans crazy, but it hasn’t hurt Supergirl all that much. There’s something enduring about a female with powers like Superman who also sees our world from a younger and even more optimistic perspective. Those qualities don’t apply to every Supergirl since there have been so many of them, but one thing they all have provided Superman with is a sense of family, whether it be real or just because they both wear the red ‘S.’ And since the Man of Steel is in many ways the ultimate loner, that’s important.

Supergirl has already made it to film, TV and animation, so she’s demonstrated staying power. No matter how many changes DC makes to her, there’s always going to be a place for a Girl of Steel.

Next: No. 21: With one magic word ...