One DC Comics hero who has become one of the most beloved and powerful heroes in recent years has to be Supergirl. While her superhero cousin Superman has been the namesake of not only the Kryptonian heritage they both share but superheroes in general, Supergirl has taken the spotlight as Earth’s greatest protector, especially recently thanks to the wonderful performance of Melissa Benoist in the CW’s Arrowverse.
Over the years, Supergirl has had many adventures that have tested her heroically and morally, but there are a handful which stand out on their own. Here are the ten best Supergirl stories.
10 Red Daughter Of Krypton
One of Supergirl’s most defining New 52 storylines has to be Red Daughter of Krypton. One of Supergirl’s major storylines in 2014, the story focused a lot on the young Kryptonian hero’s struggles with anger and rage. Feeling the massive pain, loss, and anger that came with her battles with Cyborg Superman and H’el, her rage led a rogue red lantern ring to seek her out.
Consumed by the power of the red lantern ring, she joins the Red Lantern Corps under the leadership of Guy Gardner. The event deals with villains like Lobo, Atrocitus, and the powerful, evil Worldkiller.
9 Supergirl: Crucible
Following her time amongst the Red Lantern Corps, Kara returns to Earth and tries to make an effort to adopt it as her home. As she and her cousin struggle to connect with one another, she works as a barista and adjusts to her Earth life. Then in an unexpected turn, she is transported suddenly to a mysterious alien world.
On this world, she joins the Crucible Academy where she is asked to join and train to reach her full potential as a hero. The school is more than it seems, however, and the story explores Superboy and cloning projects.
8 Supergirl: Many Happy Returns
This net storyline explores Supergirl’s deep connection to the multiverse as a whole. The story involves a Pre-Crisis Supergirl (Kara Zor-El), crash landing on New Earth where that world’s Supergirl is named Linda Danvers. After the two women meet, they learn that Kara’s fate is tied into the multiverse.
If Kara doesn’t return to her own Earth, the Crisis will end the multiverse, but if she does return, her life will end. Linda tries taking her place but ends up falling in love with Superman, having a child, and then learning only Kara can make the sacrifice needed.
7 Day Of The Dollmaker
This next storyline is unique in that it incorporates both one of Superman’s oldest enemies and a brand new villain that is terrifying and disturbing who challenges Supergirl in a whole new way. After some galactic battles that took her away from Earth, Supergirl returns to find missing children throughout Metropolis and clues that point to the villain Toyman.
Her investigation leads to the revelation that Toyman had a son, Anton Schott, who became the villainous Dollmaker. Wanting revenge on his father, he orchestrates elaborate crimes, kidnaps Cat Grant, and turns missing children into his soldiers and elaborate minions.
6 Bizarrogirl
One of the most unique aspects of any storyline involving the “Super” family has to be the inevitable return of Bizarro. That happens again in this next storyline, which features the appearance of Bizarrogirl. This storyline takes place six weeks after the destruction of New Krypton and the War of the Supermen.
In this storyline, Kara first battles the recently appeared Bizarrogirl, but soon after she learns of the attack on Bizarro World, and takes off with her Bizarro self to save the planet, recognizing the pain and loss in Bizarrogirl’s eyes as the same Kara felt losing New Krypton.
5 Escape From The Phantom Zone
One storyline that stood out as one that strengthened Supergirl’s bond with the other heroes of the DC Universe has to be Escape from the Phantom Zone. In this storyline, Supergirl meets Batgirl for the first time, establishing a friendship and partnership when Supergirl asks Batgirl for her help with an investigation.
The investigation leads to a woman who has been sending Kara telepathic messages from her imprisonment inside of a Cadmus Black Site lab. This woman holds the key to the Phantom Zone, and the investigation leads to the two heroines fighting their way out of the powerful prison.
4 The Girl Of No Tomorrow
There is a large amount of storyline and characters that make this next Supergirl storyline so epic. In The Girl of No Tomorrow, Supergirl finds herself attacked and her powers amplified beyond her control. Readers also find Selina Kyle in Gotham City cloning Solomon Grundy, both of whom join the futuristic villain Emerald Empress alongside Indigo and Magog to form the present day Fatal Five.
The story also involves the world turning on Supergirl when they believe her responsible for allowing a powerful villain to escape, when that villain is revealed to be her long lost Kryptonian father, Zor-El.
3 Reign Of The Cyborg Supermen
One of the more personal stories during the new Rebirth storylines for Supergirl has to be Reign of the Cyborg Supermen. During this storyline, Kara is trying to adjust to her life on Earth after the loss of her cousin Superman. Attending school, working for the D.E.O. out of National City and living with her foster parents, Supergirl feels overwhelmed and goes to her cousin’s Fortress.
There, she finds a Cyborg Superman who claims to be her lost father Zor-El. She learns he hopes to save Argo City after rebelling against Brainiac, who made him this way.
2 The Hunt For Reactron
One storyline that saw Supergirl’s world turned upside down has to be The Hunt for Reactron. The story begins during a time when the world has turned against the people of New Krypton after General Lane turned the Earth against them due.
Alongside Kara Zor-El is Flamebird and Nightwing, who are targeted to be framed for a crime. During this time the world has assumed that the character Mon-El is no longer living and the trio find themselves framed for his demise. The trio must navigate their relationship with each other and the public while fighting off Reactron.
1 The Last Daughter Of Krypton
The most compelling of all of Supergirl’s storylines has to be the New 52 storyline, The Last Daughter of Krypton. The story is a modern retelling of Supergirl’s origins, with her rocket crashing to Earth and her confusion as to what she is doing there. With no memory of her last days on Krypton, she is stunned to find an adult Kal-El living as a hero on Earth, and their planet destroyed.
The storyline involves a villain named Simon Tycho who captures Supergirl using Kryptonite and hopes to reverse engineer her indestructible armor to sell to the military forces.