Supergirl Archives, Volumes One and Two covers Action Comics #252-285 (1959-1961)
The Silver Age Supergirl covers Action Comics #286-376 (1962-1969)
Both the archives and the omnibuses focus on Supergirl's solo feature in Action Comics, but Supergirl made guest appearances in other DC comics across the "Superman" family of titles between 1959 and 1961. The "DC Finest" edition roughly equates to the Supergirl solo stories published in the two archive editions (through #288) plus the guest appearances.
- Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #40 (October 1959)
- Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #14 (January 1960)
- Superboy #80 (April 1960)
- Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #46 (July 1960)
- Superman #140 (October 1960)
- Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #20 (October 1960)
- Action Comics #270 (November 1960)
- Adventure Comics #278 (November 1960)
- Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #51 (March 1961)
- Superman #144 (April 1961)
- Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #57 (December 1961)
Replies
Just as an example, I searched for "Blackstarr", a name that I know would be in that thread, but I get zero repljies.
Here ya go.
(It's The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl.)
Thank you.
ADVENTURE COMICS #278 - "Supergirl in Smallville!"
"Not till he grows up into Superman is Superboy destined to know he has a super-cousin, Linda (Supergirl) Lee, who lives in the Midvale Orphanage! Yet unknown to the Boy of Steel, he first meets the Girl of Steel in Smallville! And, even more amazing, Linda Lee becomes the Kents' 'new daughter.' It all happens in the thrilling adventure of... Supergirl in Smallville!"
This story reminds me of how formulaic the ones in Supergirl's own feature in Action Comics could be... also of how fickle the prospective adoptive parents of Midvale are. Supergirl stories often begin with her using her powers in secret somehow to do a good deed or avert a minor disaster. In this story, the electricity at the orphanage goes out just prior to Linda's fellow orphan Nancy's meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Jones, a set of prospective parents. Nancy is unable to iron her dress beforehand and is concerned that, if she doesn't look her best, it might negatively impact the Jones' impression of her (and being familiar with the prospective parents of Midvale, I think she might be right). Linda secretly uses her heat vision to warm up the iron so that Nancy can iron her dress. And, sure enough! Mrs. Jones says, "Your frock looks so neat and lovely, my dear! A daughter who takes care of her clothes is just what we want! We'll adopt you!"
Linda Lee cannot be adopted, however, because Superman feels that she is too inexperienced in keeping her identity secret (despite the fact that she's done an exemplary job so far). Nancy's adoption prompts Supergirl to prove to Superman that she can, in fact, keep her identity secret, so she concocts a scheme to travel to the past, secretly stay with Ma & Pa Kent for a week, and tell Superman about it when she returns to the present. The first thing she does when she arrives in the Smallville of the past is to confide in the Kents, who agree to pass her off as Pa's niece. I honestly don't see how this is a fair test, because Superman's concern is that she keep her identity secret from her prospective parents, but this is the test she's set for herself.
As you can imagine, she goes through several trials and finds a way out of every one. The one which causes me to raise an eyebrow, however, is when Krypto returns from space to visit Superboy. "That Superdog met me in the future! If he recognizes me now, he might give me away to his master, Superboy!" Wha-? Does she not understand how time works? For that matter, she's met Clark Kent in the future, too, and he didn't "recognize" her. Wasn't that the whole point of coming to the past in the first place? And what does she think Krypto is going to do to "give her away" in the first place? I'm so confused.
Anyway, things are going swimmingly until the very end of the story, when she forgets to use the secret entrance to the Kents' house and mistakenly flies in the window. She concludes that Superman was right after all, and returns to the present. But young Clark Kent never did figure out her identity, and the Kents have agreed not to say anything about it to Superboy, so technically she could remind Superman (who is unaware of the "wndow incident") of his "cousin's" visit to Smallville, but I guess she's too honest for that.
Shockingly, no one FORGETS that this takes place! A rarity in Superman Time Travel stories!
So, when he meets her in 1959 he should remember her from his teen years,
Not necessarily. Superboy knew her only as his cousin, "Linda Kent." At one point (before the "window incident," when things were going well), she thinks, "Wait'll I tell Superman all about this when i return to the future!" so didn't expect him to remember her (at least not without being reminded). He wouldn't have recognized her as blonde girl who flew out of her crashed spaceship.
Superboy/man has photographic memory and total recall. He doesn't forget anything!
It's like Back To the Future, why doesn't George and Lorraine McFly realize that their youngest son, Marty, looks exactly like the man responsible for their relationship, "Calvin Klein"?
SUPERMAN'S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #51 - "The Girl with Green Hair!"
"Jimmy Olsen's romance with hard-to-get Lucy Lane has its ups and downs... mostly downs, as glamorous boyfriends win dates with the cute airline hostess! But the situation is unexpectedly reversed one day, when a glamorous lass goes for the cub reporter in a big way! Amazing indeed is Jimmy's new girl-friend with her strange green hair and unearthly beauty... The Girl with Green Hair!"
Seeing as how this story appears in a Supergirl collection, it's not to difficult to figure out that the titular "girl with the green hair" is, in fact, Supergirl... which means we've hit the trifecta! "The Old Man of Metropolis" (Action Comics #270) was a dream; "Lois Lane's Super-Daughter" (Lois Lane #20) was an imaginary tale; and "The Girl with Green Hair" is a hoax. For some reason (boredom, perhaps), Supergirl sets about making Lucy Lane jealous. She even uses a variation of her Kryptonian name ("Ka-Ra") to masquerade as an alien beauty with green hair who shows a romantic interest in Jimmy. And her plan almost works, until Lucy discovers a robot version of Ka-Ra in his closet. (Don't ask.) "Poor Jimmy!" intones the narrator. "What will Supergirl do to help him now? See a future issue!"
To this day, if you asked me if the Silver Age Supergirl was attracted to the Silver Age Jimmy Olsen, I couldn't give you a definitive answer. I'd like to say "no" but then there are scenes that make one wonder.
It's different in the Bronze Age where Supergirl has little contact with her cousin's friends.
Still, Our Kara is quite the would-be matchmaker! Because y'know, girls are into romance! Good thing that she didn't hang out with the Teen Titans or Justice League! Who knows what couples she would have tried to throw together!
And if Jimmy was smart, he'd have given up on Lucy Lane by now. And if Jimmy was 21, how old was Lucy?
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