The other El woman – Action Comics #252

Cover Date: May 1959

Release Date: March 31, 1959

Before we go into the first solo(ish) Power Girl story let’s take a moment to look at the story of her Earth-1 counterpart that started it all!

Back in the ’50 Action Comics was still an anthology comic so we get three stories in the issues, the first is the origin of the original Metallo, the second Congorilla and finally the reason we’re here the origins of Supergirl. It’s weird to think this was third on the billing for what is probably the most important character of the story, even a decade later she’d probably get an issue all of her own.

Not normally one to talk about the covers, but how can I not mention this iconic cover? I for one have a soft spot for text boxes on covers, but it so perfectly sums up the story that you don’t really need them.

The story starts by very insistently insisting that yes this is a real thing that is really happening. Your classic Not a dream! Not an imaginary story! type of event. This probably because about a year earlier there was a trial of a Supergirl in Superman #123, wished into existence by Jimmy Olsen of all people. Ironically, this proto-Supergirl has the now-classic colour scheme of the blue top and red skirt, whilst the real deal here has is all blue.

The story proper starts with Clark chilling in his office generally unconcerned with the rocket about to crash. It says he’s concerned but he looks pretty relaxed changing and by the time he gets there the rocket is already scattered across a pretty wide area. He seems pretty unconcerned with the crash expecting no survivors as he recaps his origins, which is a handy coincidence as Super Girl turns up and explain that she’s from Krypton as well!

We then get her origin story with Argo City (not named) blasted from Krypton and the scientist Zor-El just happened to have massive sheets of lead to protect the populous from the deadly Kryptonite of the planet. He then marries Allura (not named) and they have little Kara. Kara grows to a teenager until in a tragedy a meteor shower punchers the lead sheets. Knowing the city is doom Zor-El builds a craft for his daughter, whilst her mom looks for a planet for her to travel from. Finding Earth and Superman they decided to send her there and even made her the costume. Why they couldn’t make the rocket big enough for all three is never however explained.

Flashback over we establish that Jor-El and Zor-El were brothers, making them cousins and causing so many weird and awkward events down the line (like Power Girls flirting in the last JLA/JSA crossover). He’s pleased enough to have found lost family, but not enough to let Kara stay with him or anything (guess the Clark can’t have any cousins come to stay or anything). 

So instead he takes her away to Midvale orphanage to be her home for a while, whilst he’s getting her a civilian disguised (guessing clothes sizes but also be a power he has) she picked the name, Linda Lee, leading to an infamous and possibly telling thought bubble from Supes about all the LL in his love life. At least you can now tell people that think it’s funny to point it out that they were very much aware of the connection even in ’59. before he leaves he tells Kara that she needs to keep her identity and powers a secret for the time being, which she says she understands. She then uses her powers to fix and clean her room and changes into costume to fly around Midvale and generally getting good vibes despite being abandoned here and her whole family (as far as she knows) dying only a month before…

I know technically it’s a mixed bag, the first half being fairly strong and worthy of an issue of its own whilst the second half is a rather cack-handed way to set up her status quo. But I have to admit that despite its flaws I rather enjoy the story, all its 50s weirdness and all.

It’s alas no longer running but there’s an excellent podcast call the Supergirl Power Hour! that covers this era with a humorous tone and is really worth a listen.