Summary
In Supergirl Special #1, Kara Zor-El faces doubts and fears as she feels redundant in the Super-Family after Power Girl’s reappearance. Supergirl always felt like she was lagging behind others, especially because she missed out on her most important duty of protecting her baby cousin, Superman. Supergirl’s origin story adds a depressing element as she realizes she has always felt like she was never good enough and constantly fell behind.
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Warning! Spoilers ahead for Supergirl Special #1!Fans may think they know how tragic Supergirl’s origin is, but they don’t know the half of it. Amid a switch-up to the Super-Family, Kara Zor-El is facing her biggest doubts and fears. A glimpse into Supergirl’s past reveals a new layer of tragedy to her already somber origin story.
In Supergirl Special #1 by Mariko Tamaki and Skylar Patridge, Kara is finding herself redundant in the Super-Family after the recent reappearance of Power Girl. As the world speculates on a rivalry between the two, Supergirl starts thinking back to her days on Krypton and the insecurities she developed in her youth.
Lois Lane stops by to check on Supergirl, who reveals that she’s always felt like she was running behind others. Even when she came to Earth, she still felt like she was lagging behind because she had missed out on the most important duty of her life: Protecting her baby cousin, Superman.
Supergirl’s Origin Embodies Her Fear of Falling Behind
While most superhero origins are tragic, Supergirl has always had a notably gloomy one. Like Superman, Kara is a survivor of Krypton’s destruction (though as a teenager when it occurred, Kara has a much more vivid recollection of the awful tragedy). Supergirl survived with a handful of Kryptonians in the isolated Argo City, but she was forced to abandon the last remnant of her home. Kara was sent to Earth to look over her infant cousin Kal-El, but due to an incident that trapped her in stasis, by the time she arrived, her cousin was already a full-grown man.
This new look at her origin story adds a depressing element to her already tragic start. Kara feels that she’s lagged behind much in her life. From sports to academics, Supergirl felt that she was never good enough. And after suffering the loss of Krypton, Kara was charged with the biggest duty of her life: safeguarding her last blood relative. But her biggest chance to prove that she could rise to the occasion was dashed the moment she saw Kal-El was an adult who didn’t need her. Despite Supergirl and Superman’s positive relationship, the Man of Steel only serves to remind Kara of her inability to stay ahead of things.
Superman Accidentally Reminds Supergirl of Her Failures
Supergirl and Superman may have developed a close bond, but the entire time, her cousin unintentionally reminded Kara of her worst fear. The moment she stepped out of her pod and discovered that Kal-El was grown up, Supergirl undoubtedly felt worse knowing she had missed out on the most important duty she’d ever been assigned. Supergirl has overcome a lot since Krypton exploded and she’s still working through many of her issues. Unfortunately, it seems like Supergirl’s fear of falling behind is always going to be in her face until she finally processes the worst part of her classic origin story.
Supergirl Special #1 is now on sale from DC Comics.