I found out just yesterday (along with the rest of you) that Peter David died. When prominent comic book creators pass away, I like to pay tribute to them by reading their works. Not that I'm looking to make a "discusussion" of this, but "Supergirl" threads are usually popular on this board. This one follows...
- Supergirl Archives, Volumes One and Two
- The Silver Age Supergirl
- DC Finest - Supergirl, The Girl of Steel
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
I think that's all so far. I don't know how long this will last, but through the first storyarc, certainly. After that, we'll see. It could potentially last 80 issues.
"WELCOME TO LEESBURG, USA. When a far-off world was dying, it's scientists created a Supergirl to ward off the planet's destruction. This valiant heroine, fighting alongside Superman, could not save her home, but she survived to come to Earth as the last daughter of a dead world. A powerful artificial being composed of a wonderous, shape-shifting protomatter, she has found a new home on Earth thanks to Superman, his adoptive parents, and the planet's heroes. Betrayed by the cunning Lex Luthor, the man she loved, she wandered the globe, seeking solace... a home... a life. Now she's landed in an odd town called Leesburg. Things are about to change for her. A lot."
This is the post-Crisis Supergirl (formerly "Matrix," then "Mae") from the "Pocket Universe."
She bopped around the DCU for awhile, at one point landing a four-issue mini-series.
Her most recent appearance was a two-parter in Showcase '96 #8, written by Peter David and released just a week prior to the new Supergirl #1 and leading directly into it.
ISSUE #1:
"The powerful being once called Matrix has long gone by the name Supergirl, and in her years on Earth she has been superman's ally, an unwitting pawn of Lex Luthor, and a member of the titans. But something was missing -- she lacked something so essential she couldn't even describe it.
"Now she has what she wanted. In saving the life of a young woman, Supergirl merged her protoplasmic form with Linda Danvers' dying body, and the two have become one. At last, Supergirl has a family, a life, a soul -- but they're all someone else's. And as she strives to solve the riddle of Linda Danver's murder, Supergirl may not like what she's become."
Supergirl/Linda comes to her senses, partially amnesiac and bleeding in the shower. Linda Danvers had been kidnapped and presumably murdered. In this issue we meet Mattie Harcourt, her best friend; her "boyfriend" Buzz; her estranged mother and abusive father; and Cutter Sharp, a reporter for the Leesburg Tribune investigating Linda's disappearance. Linda was apparently involved in some pretty shady activities before she was killed.
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ISSUE #2:
The two-part origin of this new iteration of Supergirl concludes as she takes on the demon Chakat as more thoroughly unpleasant and distasteful details of her former life with Buzz are revealed.
ISSUE #3:
This issue is the "Final Night" crossover. While Supergirl tries to deal with the mounting panic, in an unrelated emergency, the people of Leesburg are turning beastial because Buzz, the sicko behind Leesburg's many supernatural problems and Linda's death, has invited megalomaniacal psionic Grodd from Gorilla City to wreak havok. Grodd is using an amulat powered by the eclipsed sun to turn the town's population into savage reflections of themselves. We learn that Linda's father is a cop, her mother is a holy roller, and Mattie is a residebt physician at the local hospital. Also, Mattie's brother P.J., while seeking shelter from the rioters in a local shop, was shot and killed as a looter by the shop's owner. Supergirl's powers are changing, apparently due to her merger with Linda Danvers, because she chose to be human when she took on Linda's life. She can no longer turn invisibly and and lost her ability to shapeshift. By the end of the issue, she has succumbed to Grodd's talisman.
ISSUE #4:
Supergirl is forced by Grodd to kill Linda's mother, but she summons enough willpower to resist. Mattie confronts the store manager who killed her brother. Both are in their beastial forms, but the shopowner has a shotgun. As the struggle over the weapon, it discharges and the man is shot. Meanwhile, Fred Danversconfronts on of the rioters, a similar struggle ensues, and Danvers is shot. An oddly dressed little boy is on hand throughout these proceedings, and is apparently responsible for Supergirl receiving a mental image of Danvers being shot, which gives her the will to shake off Grodd's mental control completely. After a scuffle, Grodd is killed by a falling icicle. In the morining, the sun arises, having been reignited by Parallax. At the hospital, Fred Danvers is in serious but stable condition, and the shopowner who killed Mattie's brother is brought in for her to treat. The strange little boy looks on.
Oh yes, the boy.
I will avoid spoilers, but his character concept would be used in a variant form in later Peter David works of a significantly different genre.
ISSUE #5:
Supergirl's merger with Linda Danvers has sparked questions of whether or not she's actually "alive" or whether or not she has a "soul." She returns to Smallville to seek the counsel of Ma and Pa Kent, who raised her. While there she has an encounter with a crooked evangeical preacher (redundant, I know). In Leesburg, Chemo (see Action Comics #590) returns to "life." Other members of the cast deal with the ramifications of the past two issues. Cutter introduces Linda to Dick Malverne. they share a look.
DICK: Have we... met, Miss Danvers?
LINDA: I don't think so.
DICK: Well, you k now what they say. Sometimes you recognize people's souls from previous incarnations.
ISSUE #6:
The story begins in medias res with Rampage chasing a woman named Christine Bruckner and Supergirl chasing her. Earlier, Kitty Faulkner and her assistant Christine were checking into the Leesburg Hotel for the Bio-engineering Convention. [I am assuming we all know that Kitty Faulkner is Rampage (from Superman #7).] The news breaks that Faulkner is being charged with misappropriation of funds, and fiqures out that Bruckner is to blame. In Metropolis, Clark Kent hears the news and flies off to Leesburg as superman to offer his assistance. Meanwhile, back in Leesburg, Linda has an encounter with the strange little kid in the hat in the park. After the kid leaves, Dick Malverne arrives. Superman arrives in the midst of Supergirl's battle with Rampage, and we're all caught up to the beginning of the story. After the matter has been resolved, Linda reluctantly allows her mother to set her up on a blind date. Elsewhere, Dick Malverne is having painful convulsions, and Buzz is somehow involved.
ISSUE #7:
This issue's story is plotted and co-scripted by series artist Gary Frank and reveals the backstory of Linda Danvers and how she came to fall ynder the influence of Buzz (whose last name is "Aldrin," apparently).
ISSUE #8:
It's finally the night of the blind date Linda's mother set up, and her date is... Buzz! this issue is narratively and structrually layered, and it even ties the DCU proper in with Vertigo's Sandman. (Later issue will tie in with Preacher.) Tension hangs in the air as Linda and Buzz verbally spar. This issue really stands out in my mind.
ISSUE #9:
The aftermath of Linda's "date"; the origin of Buzz; more information on Wally (the kid with the hat)... he "moves in mysterious ways." Supergirl/Linda is apparently a "Fallen Angel" (foreshadowing things quite a way off at this point). Buzz was trying to manipulate her into killing Tempus, his agent (in reality Dick Malverne), but Supergirl resists. theme: Faith. Gary Frank's last issue as penciler.
ISSUE #10:
Leonard Kirk's first issue as penciler. The killer of Mattie's brother is sentenced to a year's worth of psychological observation. The sentence was not more severe becaose he wasn't in his right mind when he did it, but Mattie's still not happy about it. Cutter is the courtroom with her. He asks her out on a date and she accepts, but only if it's a double with Linda. Linda asks Dick Malverne and the four of them go to a comedy club where Cutter's ex-wife is performing under a pseudonym. (Her name is Andrea Martinez but her stage name is Andy Jones.) She and Linda hit it off, and Linda agrees to show her around tomorrow. Meanwhile, Linda's mother considers studying for the ministry. All issue long PAD has been dropping hints about some mysterious cave on the edge of town, and on the last two pages Supergirl goes there, where she meets next issue's guest villain.
ISSUE #11:
A "Chaos Flow" is running beneath Leesburg. Supergirl has unwittingly stumbled upon where Silver Banshee was imprisoned by Lord Satanus and accidentally released her. Satanus refers to supergirl as "Blue Angel" and also tells he that she is "one of the three Chosen." Silver Banshee is not in her right mind, and sees herself as Siobhan McDougal. As she wanders about, her body will deteriorate but her mind will return. Supergirl pursues her, but when McDougal's body dies, the "Silver Banshee" side of her personality takes over Mattie Harcourt. Sub-plots involving cutter and Andy, the Danvers and Wally progress.
ISSUE #12:
Silver Banshee's power is that she can kill anyone by speaking his or her name, but it doesn't work on Supergirl, proving that she really is Linda Danvers now. Cutter and Andy have a bet about whther or not she and Linda will become friends. If they don't, Andy will stop doing jokes about Cutter in her routine; if they do, Cutter will write a rave review of her act. Wally beats up some teenage thugs with his bat. Silver Banshee/Mattie seeks revenge upon the man who killed her brother. Supergirl makes herself vulnerable by revealinig that she is actually Linda. This act of trust wins Mattie over, and silver Bamshee dissipates. The theme of this two-parter is redemption.
ISSUE #13:
This issue is written by guest writer Darren Vincenzo. It concerns an incubus demon (of Linda's acquaintance) that is terrorizing three girl's in her mother's congregation. They came to Mrs. Danvers for help, and Supergirl gets involved. I don't know who plotted this story but, be it PAD, the guest writer or the editor, it fits right in with the general direction of the series.
ISSUE #14:
This issue is Supergirl's "Genesis" crossover, but it wasn't overly obstusive. More importantly, this isuue introduces the post-Crisis Comet. Dick Malverne has told his (rich) parents about Linda. Supergirl tells Ma and Pa Kent about merging with Linda, and asks to be called by that name instead of Mae. They are very accepting and comply, and also urge her to tell the Danvers. Dick Malverne has a horse named Byron he keeps in the stables near the park. when an emergency arises, Mattie pitches in, but Dick disappears. Then some super-powered being puts out the fires and Dick returns. then Cutter shows up, then Andy. In a nod to Silver Age Lana Lang, Matties considers each by turn to be the mystery being, but then stops herself when she looks at Byron. Later, Linda "comes out" to her parents, and they totally freak and kick her out of the house. The metaphor here is pretty obvious.
ISSUE #15:
The Extremists (JLA villains) return with a new leader, Twilight. Linda tries to reconcile with her parents but it doesn't go well. Wally's grandparents are concerned about him. Dick invites Linda to visit his parents in Charlotte and she accepts. Andy is bi (which I hadn't realized, or had forgotten) and is interested in her as well. Mattie comes to terms with her brother's death. Mrs. Danvers has a crisis of faith. Dick's parents are attacked by the Extremists. Linda gets away from Dick and flies off to confront them, but is defeated. When she awakens, she is met by next issue's guest star.
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