6 Times Supergirl Improved DC Mythology (& 4 Times It Failed)

1. Has Made Kara Just As Important As Her Cousin

Supergirl Season 5 Kara Danvers Melissa Benoist
The CW

Regardless of how big of a comic book Supergirl fan you are, there’s no getting away from the fact that she’s so often been in the shadow of her more famous cousin. After all, the Man of Steel is the greatest hero in the history of comics – meaning it’s always going to be a tough ask for any Super-sort to live up to the legacy and legend of Superman.

Arguably the greatest thing that The CW’s Supergirl has done for its titular heroine, is that the show has made Kara Zor-El feel just as big a deal as Kal-El.

While audiences saw an unsure Supergirl in the series’ first season – with Kara still a rookie who was learning on the superhero job at that point in time – the Girl of Steel soon began to step up to the plate and become as important a hero as her more illustrious cousin. To the point that, not only has Kara saved the entire world on numerous occasions, but Supergirl has even toppled Superman when the two have butted heads.

Across its five seasons, Supergirl has made its star feel just as powerful and heroic, if not more so, than the famed Big Blue Boy Scout. And for that, the series should be commended for just how much it has gotten viewers to care about Supergirl on all fronts – whether that’s as Kara Danvers or as Kara Zor-El.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.