Supergirl Chronology

Ancient Greece: A centaur named Biron falls in love with the sorceress Circe, who concocts a potion to transform Biron into a human. Circe's enemy, Maldor, sabotages her and Biron becomes a full horse instead. Circe bestows Biron with super-powers — and immortality. Maldor then catapults Biron into space, where he is stranded for centuries.

Action Comics #293 (Oct. 1962)

Prior to the planet Krypton's destruction, Superman's uncle Zor-El invents an experimental dome to protect Argo City and eradicate all disease. When Krypton explodes, the dome keeps Argo intact and the city is propelled into space. Zor-El and his wife Alura survive.

Action Comics #252 (May 1959)

The ground under Argo City turns to Kryptonite and is covered with lead. The El's daughter, Kara, is born in space. (She is named for the ancient Kryptonian goddess of beauty, per Action #314.)

Action Comics #309 (Feb. 1964)

Kara's cousin Kal-El (Superman) is living on Earth and establishes a career as Superboy. During a space mission, he is knocked unconscious by a vessel from Argo City. He loses his memory and meets Zor-El. When aliens threaten Argo, Kal-El volunteers to sacrifice himself to save the city but has to escape them and return to Earth.

Action Comics #358 (Jan. 1968)

Argo City passes by the asteroid Saggitarius, which disrupts the spell binding Biron (aka the "Super-Horse") there. He follows Kara's ship to Earth.

Action Comics #293 (Oct. 1962)

When Kara is a teenager, Argo is bombarded by meteors that destroy its leaden shield. Zor-El and Alura send 15-year-old Kara to Earth. Unknown to her, Zor-El projects himself and Alura into a dimension called the Survival Zone. They are stranded and have no way to contact anyone.

Action Comics #309 (Feb. 1964)

Supergirl flies back to Superboy's time and meets Ma and Pa Kent. They call her Linda Kent and introduce her as Clark's cousin, but he never learn who she really is.

Adventure Comics #278 (Nov. 1960)

18 May 1959: Superman is greeted by Kara Zor-El — an actual living relative — who arrives on Earth. He consigns her to an orphanage in the small town of Midvale under the alias of Linda Lee, ostensibly so she could serve as his "secret emergency weapon." In public, she would later be known as Supergirl. Note: Supergirl's arrival date was established in Action Comics #305 (Oct. 1963).

Action Comics #252 (May 1959)

Supergirl travels to the 21st century and meets young Tommy Tomorrow in an interplanetary orphanage. He grows up to be a famous space explorer. Note: This was the character from whom Supergirl took over in Action Comics.

Action Comics #255 (Aug. 1959)

Linda's friend from the orphanage, Dick Wilson, suspected her secret. Note: Dick was adopted by the Malverne family, in Action #282.

Action Comics #256 (Sept. 1959)

Supergirl meets Superman's pet dog, Krypto (who first appeared in Adventure Comics #210, Mar. 1955).

Action Comics #258 (Nov. 1959)

Superman enlists Supergirl to play the role of "Mighty Maid," where she dresses up as a super-woman from the "Fourth Dimension" in order divert alien attackers.

Action Comics #260 (Jan. 1960)

Supergirl discards a failed antidote to Kryptonite (later dubbed "X-Kryptonite.") A cat named Streaky gains super-powers from it, but they wear off the same day.

Action Comics #261 (Feb. 1960)

Supergirl helps Valzorr, the Prince of the planet Korvia, repair his spaceship.

Action Comics #263 (April 1960)

Supergirl is invited to join the Legion of Super-Heroes, a group of super-powered teens from the future. She travels to the 30th century and participates in their membership trials. She was disqualified when Red Kryptonite temporarily transforms her into an adult (Legionnaires must be under 18). She meets members Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy and Invisible Kid. Note: When originally published, the Legionnaires (Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad) were said to be the children of the original Legionnaires and it was ten years after Superboy's first encounter with them (Adventure Comics #247). This detail was ignored after this It is presumed that Supergirl always travels 990 years in the future (because Superboy traveled 1,000 years).

Action Comics #267 (Aug. 1960)

Rescuing a ship at sea, Supergirl is summoned telepathically to Atlantis by a mermaid named Lori Lemaris (Superman's former sweetheart). There she meets a mer-boy named Jerro and helps his people avert an explosive situation. They develop crushes on each other.

Action Comics #269 (Oct. 1960)

Linda Lee gets the idea that there must be a "double" of herself somewhere in the universe. Superman locates such a girl on the planet Terra. Supergirl goes to meet her doppelganger, Marvel Maid, in their city of Macropolis. Her father was Jaal-Korand her powers came from cosmic rays in the atmosphere. Marvel Maid's cousin, Marvel Man, arrived after her. (#272) Supergirl sympathized with him recommended that he be introduced to society. (#273)

Action Comics #272–273 (Jan.–Feb. 1961)

A year after her first encounter, Supergirl is given another chance to join the Legion. She meets new super-girlfriends, Phantom Girl and Triplicate Girl. She is admitted along with Brainiac 5 and the two of are instantly enamored of one another.

Action Comics #276 (May 1961)

Just as Superman plans to introduce Supergirl to the public, the evil Kandorian Lesla-Lar steals her powers.

Action Comics #278 (July 1961)

Linda Lee accepts Fred and Edna Danvers as her adoptive parents. Her new father suggested that she was too "grown-up" for pigtails. When Linda goes to sleep, Lesla-Lar temporarily swaps places with her and allies with Lex Luthor. Note: This change of hairstyle was voted upon by readers. Many female fans hated the pigtails.

Action Comics #279 (Aug. 1961)

Lesla-Lar changed places with Supergirl again and helped Luthor begin work on a new Kryptonite ray.

Action Comics #280 (Sept. 1961)

Superman continues to try to restore Supergirl's powers. On Kandor Lesla-Lar is arrested by the authorities for using forbidden technology.

Action Comics #282 (Nov. 1961)

Supergirl's powers return and Superman resolves to introduce her to the public at last! Jerro of Atlantis nearly proposes to Supergirl, but he senses her attraction to Dick Malverne and abandons the plan. (#284) Later, he even considers a risky surgery to give him legs so he can live on land. But again, he senses that his feelings would be unrequited. (Action Comics #325)

Action Comics #284 (Jan. 1962)

In Supergirl's first public outing, she stops an alien monster and is fêted at the White House. Superman creates an annex for her in his Fortress of Solitude. Note: This is Supergirl's first book-length tale.

Action Comics #285 (Feb. 1962)

Streaky and Super-Horse (later named "Comet") are drafted by the Legion of Super-Heroes (along with Krypto and Beppo the super-monkey) to become the Legion of Super-Pets.

Adventure Comics #293 (Feb. 1962)

In the 30th century, Supergirl meets Whizzy, a telepathic super-cat descended from Streaky.

Action Comics #287 (April 1962)

?? Biron, aka the "Super-Horse" reaches out telepathically to Linda in her dreams. (#292) But just before Supergirl could convince her parents to buy Comet, another man snatched him up. Note: She had dreamt of Comet in anticipation of visit to a horse ranch the the prior issue. (#293)

Action Comics #292–293 (Nov.–Oct. 1962)

Supergirl befriends Lex Luthor's long-lost sister, Lena Thorul ("Luthor" reversed ). Years before, her family changed their name. Also, Lena gained mental powers during one of Lex's experiments.

Action Comics #295 (Dec. 1962)

Lesla-Lar returns to Earth and switches places with Lena Thorul. Lesla is killed by her Phantom Zone 'allies,' Zod, Jax-Ur and Kru-El.

Action Comics #297 (Feb. 1963)

While with the Legion, Supergirl is exposed to Red Kryptonite is split in two and her doppelganger becomes Satan Girl.

Adventure Comics #313 (Oct. 1963)

Lesla Lar's close friend Zora Vi-Lar becomes the Black Flame and takes up a campaign of vengeance in Lesla's memory.

Action Comics #304 (Sept. 1963)

UsingSuperman's chronoscope, Kara sees the past and discovers that her parents, Zor-El and Alura, had not died on Argo City! They survived inside the so-called "Survival Zone." "Cosmic winds" enable Zor-El to reach out to his daughter in her dreams.

Action Comics #309 (Feb. 1964)

The Kandorians help to communicate with Zor-El, and ultimately free him and Alura. They plan to live in the Fortress of Solitude but settle in Kandor instead, among their people.

Action Comics #310 (March 1964)

Alura becomes distraught about her separation from Kara, so the Els and the Danverses agree to swap places for a while.

Action Comics #314–316 (July–Sept. 1964)

Lena Thorul interviews Lex Luthor in prison and her mental powers reveal their familial connection. Lex and Supergirl conspire to make Lena forget this fact.

Action Comics #313 (June 1964)

Lena Thorul marries Jeff Colby — the FBI agent who had arrested her brother, Lex!

Action Comics #317 (Oct. 1964)

When Queen Azura of the planet Femnaz hypnotized the girl Legionnaires into attacking their male comrades, Supergirl invents Cancellite gas that nullifies Chameleon Boy's powers.

Adventure Comics #326 (Nov. 1964)

Linda graduates from Midvale High and earns a scholarship to Stanhope College.

Action Comics #318 (Nov. 1964)

On planet Faminax, Ravenne forms the Sisterhood of Evil, who set about destroying Supergirl. She sends three members to Earth: Plant Girl (Ran-Kor of Drob), Time Girl (Tempra of Simor) and Music Maid (Lattora). Note: Supergirl and the Legion met Queen Azura of the planet Femnaz in Adventure Comics #326 (Nov. 1964).

Action Comics #322 (March 1965)

The Sisterhood tricks Supergirl into restoring three notorious women from Earth's past: Mata Hari, Lucretia Borgia and Lady Macbeth.

Action Comics #323 (April 1965)

In LInda's second year of college, (#349) she has her first adventure with the Justice League of America. (#350) While Supergirl wished she were a member of the Justice League, she was never invited to be a member. Note: She assisted them several times: Justice League of America #132–134, 157, 231 and 232.

Action Comics #349–350 (April–May 1967)

Supergirl meets Batgirl. (They team up again in issue #176.)

World's Finest Comics #169 (Sept. 1967)

Lena Colby's son, Val, inherits her psychokinetic super-powers (#387) and his uncle Lex tries to kidnap the boy. (#388)

Adventure Comics #387 (Dec. 1969–Jan. 1970)

Supergirl' scostume is damaged in battle with a magician named Zond. Wonder Woman helps her by summoning the sorceress Morgana, then Diana gives Supergirl a new uniform. Supergirl faces Luthor's niece, Nasthaltia (aka "Nasty"), who tried to expose Linda's secret identity. Note: The letter column explains that the Luthors had an older sister who was estranged from their family.

Adventure Comics #397 (Sept. 1970)

Batgirl helps Supergirl foil a ring of women cat burglars. The thieves turn out to be Linda's classmates from Stanhope, who were recruited by a "Sleuth School."

Adventure Comics #381 (June 1969)

Kara falls for Prince Raynor of the Inner-World. They are engaged to marry but he calls it off when when she becomes vulnerable to his planet's atmosphere.

Adventure Comics #385 (Oct. 1969)

The Black Flame returns with allies, the Inventor, L. Finn and the Toymaster. Supergirl foils the villaness' plans to strike with Gold Kryptonite (which permanently removes Kryptonian powers). Note: This story significantly goofs up details about Gold K, Kandor and the Phantom Zone. The the editor acknowledges this in the letter column of issue #405.

Adventure Comics #400 (Dec. 1970)

Linda graduates from Stanhope College and her cousin Clark Kent finds her a job as a camera operator in San Francisco with Galaxy Broadcasting. At station KSF-TV, Linda meets a new love interest, colleague Johnny Drew. Nasty Luthor follows her to the west coast — and is assigned to work with her!

Adventure Comics #406 (May 1971)

Supergirl teams up with private detective Jonny Double on a case in Chinatown, where Dr. Tzin Tzin has taken over a west coast gang.

Adventure Comics #418 (April 1972)

Nightflame terrorizes San Francisco before taking Supergirl to her home planet — a microscopic world insider her own brain! (#421) The villainess takes control of both Supergirl and Superman but she's halted by the Justice League. (#423)

Adventure Comics #421–423 (July–Sept. 1972)

Linda leaves San Francisco after causing the death of one of her story informants.

Adventure Comics #424 (Oct. 1972)

Linda Danvers enrolls at Vandyre University (10 miles from San Francisco) as a graduate student in drama. Her roommate Wanda Five has some "ESP" abilities. She stops a killing spree by her own professor, Basil Rasloff.

Supergirl vol. 1 #1 (Nov. 1972)

Supergirl and Zatanna team up — only to chase after the same man on a wild goose chase through the Himalayas; they discover that he has a fiance.

Supergirl vol. 1 #7 (Oct. 1973)

Supergirl swears off men and goes to Paradise Island and meets the Amazons Nubia and Hippolyta. The queen invites her to become an Amazon. After undertaking a mission to save Nubia's life, she decides that "man's world" needs her after all.

Supergirl vol. 1 #9 (Dec. 1973/Jan. 1974)

Evil Dr. Forte uses Supergirl's DNA to make a clone called Superlad. When forced to choose between killing his creator or Supergirl, he obliterates himself instead. Note: Last issue of Supergirl.

Supergirl vol. 1 #10 (Sept./Oct. 1974)

Linda completes her drama course at Vandyre and moves to Florida to begin a job as student advisor at the New Athens Experimental School. She is challenged by Tlaca, Princess of the Golden Sun.

Superman Family #165 (June/July 1974)

Lena Colby becomes a teacher at the New Athens school. Linda helps one of Lena's students whose telepathic powers were problematic.

Superman Family #168 (Dec. 1974/Jan. 1975)

Congresswoman Barbara Gordon visits New Athens but Supergirl does not know her secret identity. In costume, they save the Justice League from a woman weilding the 'sceptre of Queen Cleopatra.'

Superman Family #171 (June/July 1975)

Kara Zor-L of a parallel universe lands on Earth-Two , full grown. Here, the Superman of Earth-Two has been active for forty years but Kara is only about 20 years old.

Showcase #97–98 (Feb./Mar. 1978)

As Power Girl, Kara Zor-L becomes a member of the Justice Society of America.

All-Star Comics #58 (Feb. 1976)

Superman finds a way to enlarge the city of Kandor and relocate it to a planet renamed Rokyn, meaning "god's gift." Kara decides to remain on Earth. Notes: Rokyn was presaged by an earlier mention in the Legion story from Adventure Comics #356.

Superman #338 (Aug. 1979)

Psi attacks Supergirl. From The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl #1 (Nov. 1982); by Paul Kupperberg, Carmine Infantino and Bob Oksner.

Posthumous Appearances