Supergirl and The Raconteurs: Difference between pages

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Revision as of 15:23, 22 July 2007

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{{Infobox musical artist

{{Superherobox| <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->

| Name = The Raconteurs

image=[[Image:SG02mt.jpg|250px]]

| Img = JackWhitebySteveHopson.jpg

|caption=The current Supergirl. Cover to ''Supergirl'' #2 (October 2005). Art by Michael Turner.

| Img_capt = Jack White in concert with The Raconteurs at the [[Austin City Limits Music Festival]], 2006

|comic_color=background:#8080ff

| Background = group_or_band

|character_name=Supergirl

| Origin = {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States]]

|real_name=Kara Zor-El

| Genre = [[Indie rock]]<br>[[Alternative rock]]<br>[[Blues Rock]]<br>[[Hard Rock]]

|publisher=[[DC Comics]]

| Years_active = [[2005]]&ndash;present

|debut=''[[Superman]]'' #123 (1958, trial)<br>''[[Action Comics]]'' #252 (1959, proper historical)<br>''Superman/Batman'' #8 (2004, [[canon (fiction)|canon]])

| Label = [[Third Man Records]]<br />{{flagicon|UK}} [[XL Recordings]]<br />{{flagicon|USA}} [[V2 Records]]

|creators= [[Otto Binder]]<br>[[Al Plastino]]

| URL = [http://www.theraconteurs.com/ www.theraconteurs.com]

|alliance_color=background:#ffc0c0

| Current_members = [[Brendan Benson]]<br />[[Patrick Keeler]]<br />[[Jack Lawrence (bassist)|Jack Lawrence]]<br />[[Jack White (musician)|Jack White]]

|status=Active

| Past_members =

|alliances=

}}

|previous_alliances=[[Legion of Super-Heroes]] (historical continuity)

|aliases=The Girl of Steel

|relatives=Zor-El (father, deceased), Alura In-Ze (mother, deceased), [[Jor-El]] (uncle, deceased), [[Lara Lor-Van]] (aunt, deceased), Kal-El/Clark Kent ([[Superman]], cousin), [[Kon-El]] (Superboy, half cousin), Kara Zor-L ([[Power Girl]], alternate universe version)

|powers=flight, invulnerability, super-strength, super-speed, super-breath, vision powers including x-ray vision, heat vision, telescopic vision

|}}

'''The Raconteurs''', also known as '''The Saboteurs''' in [[Australia]], are a [[Grammy Award|Grammy]]-nominated [[rock music|rock]] band, featuring four members previously known for other musical projects.

'''Supergirl''' is a [[DC Comics]] [[superhero]], generally considered the female counterpart to [[Superman]]. Created by [[Otto Binder]] (the creator of [[Captain Marvel (DC Comics)|Captain Marvel]]'s female counterpart [[Mary Marvel]]) and [[Al Plastino]], she first appeared in ''Superman'' #123 (1958).

According to the current definition, The Raconteurs qualify as a rock-and-roll [[Supergroup (bands)|supergroup]], featuring the songwriting of [[Jack White (musician)|Jack White]] of [[The White Stripes]] and [[Brendan Benson]], who are both from [[Detroit, Michigan]]. In the band's own words, however, they are not a [[supergroup]], asserting that the term implies something pre-planned, whereas they are actually "a new band made up of old friends."<ref name=MTV2>JH (2006). [http://www.mtv.co.uk/mtv2/music/article.jhtml?articleId=75132981 "Jack White and chums drop an album"] MTV2.co.uk (accessed May 18, 2006)</ref>

Due to a somewhat disjointed [[Continuity (fiction)|continuity]], several variations of Supergirl have appeared in [[comic books]]. However, in her most well-known incarnation, Supergirl is '''Kara Zor-El''', Superman’s Kryptonian cousin, also sent to [[Earth]] when Krypton was destroyed. Also like her cousin, Supergirl can fly and possesses superhuman strength and endurance, and has a civilian identity kept to allow her to live amongst humans (that of '''Linda Lee'''). In the mid-1980s, after the [[Crisis on Infinite Earths]], in which Kara Zor-El died, the character started a 20-year stint where she went through several incarnations unrelated to Kara Zor-El, and characterized by having something to do with more complex [[science fiction]]. The most famous of these versions were '''Matrix''' (also known as '''Linda Danvers''' or the '''Earth Angel Of Fire''') and '''Cir-El'''. The Kara Zor-El incarnation has returned in recent years (although not using the alias of Linda Lee, as it would clash with former Supergirl Matrix's civilian identity).

The Raconteurs are one of the few non-Irish bands to star in the popular web-cartoons of ''[[Eyebrowy.com]]''.[http://www.eyebrowy.com/animations/jackwhite1.htm]

In 1984, [[Helen Slater]] starred as Supergirl in an unsuccessful eponymous [[film]], which was part of the [[Superman (movie)|Superman film franchise]]. A version of Supergirl, based on Kara Zor-El, named '''Kara In-Ze''' (In-Ze being Kara Zor-El's mother's maiden name in the comics), and using the alias of '''Kara Kent''' has appeared in recent animated shows such as ''[[Superman: The Animated Series]]'' and ''[[Justice League Unlimited]]''.

==A trial runMembers==

*[[Jack White (musician)|Jack White]] (of [[White Stripes]]) – [[vocals]], [[guitar]], [[keyboards]]

*[[Brendan Benson]] – [[vocals]], [[guitar]], [[keyboards]]

*[[Jack Lawrence (bassist)|Jack Lawrence]] (of [[The Greenhornes]] and [[Blanche (band)|Blanche]]) – [[bass guitar]]

*[[Patrick Keeler]] (of [[The Greenhornes]]) – [[drumkit|drums]], [[percussion]]

*[[Dean Fertita]] (of [[The Waxwings]] and currently [[Queens of the Stone Age]]) as a live touring member only – [[guitar]], [[keyboards]], [[percussion]]

==Biography==

In the years following the first appearance of Superman there had been numerous one-off stories dabbling with the notion of a female [[Superman]]. The first likely being ''Lois Lane - Superwoman'', a story published in ''Action Comics'' #60 (May 1943), in which a hospitalized Lois Lane dreams she had gained superpowers thanks to a blood transfusion from the Man of Steel, and begins her own career as [[Superwoman]] complete with copycat costume.

===Formation===

According to the official website, "The seed was sown in an attic in the middle of a hot summer when friends Jack White and Brendan Benson got together and wrote a song that truly inspired them. This song was "[[Steady, As She Goes]]" and the inspiration led to the creation of a full band with the addition of Lawrence and Keeler."

The band came together in Detroit during 2005 and recorded when time allowed for the remainder of the year.

==="Steady, As She Goes"===

[[Superwoman]] was reborn in ''Action Comics'' #156 (May 1951) when Lois accidentally gains superpowers thanks to an invention of arch Superman foe, [[Lex Luthor]]. This time, Lois employs a short blond wig in her crime fighting identity, thereby giving [[Superwoman]] an almost identical look to the later Kara Zor-El version of the Supergirl. (Interestingly, Superman suggested the same idea to Kara for her brunette Linda Lee alter-ego.)

"[[Steady, As She Goes|Steady, As She Goes/Store Bought Bones]]" was released as a limited-edition 7-inch, 45 rpm vinyl record in Europe on [[January 30]], [[2006]],<ref name="NMEfirstsingle">[http://www.nme.com/news/white-stripes/22043 The Raconteurs confirm first single], ''[[NME]]'', [[2006-01-24]]</ref> and in North America on [[March 7]], [[2006]]. A CD version of "Steady, as She Goes" was released on [[April 24]], [[2006]], with the B-side "Bane Rendition."

The video for "Steady As She Goes," directed by [[Jim Jarmusch]], premiered on [[MTV2 Europe|MTV2]] on [[March 10]], [[2006]]. It was also available for streaming on the band's website. An alternate video, featuring the band racing each other in a soap box derby, with a rare appearance from [[Paul Reubens]] as the bad guy out to sabotage the race, premiered exclusively on [[Yahoo! Music]] [[June 19]], [[2006]].

In the years that followed both [[Lois Lane]] and [[Lana Lang]] would continue to infrequently don cape and boots for one-off gimmick stories, although no longer such obvious clones of Superman, nor sporting a 'super' nom de plume. But none of these throw-away characters would model themselves so directly on the Man of Steel himself (for example, adopting his costume) until the arrival of the first 'Super-Girl'.

''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' ran an article discussing how the song has the exact same bassline as [[Joe Jackson (musician)|Joe Jackson]]'s "[[Is She Really Going Out With Him?]]".<ref name="Copy">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/0,6115,1204700_4_0_,00.html|title=Do You Copy?|accessdate=2006-09-24|year=2006}}</ref>

In ''Superman'' #123 (August 1958), [[Jimmy Olsen]] used a magic totem to wish a "Super-Girl" into existence as a companion and aid to Superman. However, the two frequently got in each other's way until she was fatally injured protecting Superman from a Kryptonite meteor; Jimmy wished the dying girl out of existence. DC used the story to gauge public response to the concept of a super-powered female counterpart to Superman.

The closing seconds of the track have been used to close "Saturday Live" on BBC Radio 4, generating a lot of interest as to what the song is.

[[Image:action252.jpg|thumb|''Action Comics'' #252 (May 1959), Supergirl's proper debut. Art by [[Curt Swan]] and [[Stan Kaye]].]]

===''Broken Boy Soldiers''===

==Superman's cousin==

The Raconteurs' full-length debut, titled ''[[Broken Boy Soldiers]]'', was released on [[May 15]], [[2006]] in the UK on Third Man Recordings/XL Recordings and May 16 in the US on Third Man Recordings/V2 Records. It entered the UK charts at #2 and the US charts at #7. The album was recorded at Brendan Benson's in-home studio located in Detroit.

After positive fan reaction to Super-Girl, the first&mdash;and still most familiar&mdash;version of Supergirl debuted in 1959.

On [[November 3]], [[2006]], the Raconteurs performed 'Broken Boy Soldier' and 'Store Bought Bones' on [[Later with Jools Holland]]. According to reporters from ''[[Planet Sound]]'' who attended the show taping, during 'Store Bought Bones' Jack White's guitar broke down and they had to re-play the song. This eventually happened four times, with the band breaking up in laughter by the 4th take. The TV airing used edited pieces from all four performances and cut out any laughter.

===Superman's secret weapon===

The character of Supergirl was introduced in ''[[Action Comics]]'' #252 [http://superman.ws/supergirl/introducing/] (May 1959) as Kara Zor-El, the last survivor of Argo City of the planet [[Krypton (planet)|Krypton]], which had survived the explosion of the planet and had drifted through space. When the inhabitants of the colony were slain by [[Kryptonite]], Kara was sent to Earth to be raised by her cousin Kal-El, known as Superman. Fearing that she might not be recognized by Superman, Kara's parents provided a costume based closely on the Man of Steel's own. This uniform served as her crime-fighting attire for the first decade of her adventures in print.

[[Image:Action285.jpg|160px|thumb|left|''Action Comics'' #285 (February 1962), Supergirl is introduced to the world. Art by [[Curt Swan]].]]

Upon meeting Kara&mdash;who on Earth now had superpowers identical to her cousin's&mdash;Superman decided she would become his secret weapon, and explained that her presence on [[Earth]] must be kept confidential while he trained Kara in the use of her new powers. Kara adopted the identity of Linda Lee, an orphan at Midvale Orphanage, hiding her short blonde locks beneath a brunette wig. Her adventures often accompanied the main Superman story in issues of ''Action Comics''. They typically revolved around secretly helping fellow orphans, although occasionally she was allowed to play a small role alongside her famous cousin. She also became a member of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]] alongside [[Superboy]], the teenage incarnation of her cousin.

In December 2006, Broken Boy Soldiers was awarded the title Album of the Year by Britain's Mojo magazine.[http://www.albumofthemonth.com/mojo2006.html]

Superman permitted Supergirl to reveal her existence to the world in ''Action Comics'' #285 (February 1962). In the same story, Linda was adopted by Fred and Edna Danvers, to whom she revealed her secret identity. Changing her name to Linda Lee Danvers (later known as just Linda Danvers), she became a student of Midvale High School.

Recently, The Raconteurs have been nominated for two [[Grammy Awards]]: One for [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Album|Best Rock Album]] (for ''Broken Boy Soldiers''), and another for [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal|Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal]] (for "Steady as She Goes").<ref> GRAMMY.COM - 49th Annual Grammy Awards Nominee List, http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/49th_Show/list.aspx</ref>

Besides her heroic feats, Kara juggled several beaus, including Jerro, a merman, [[Brainiac 5]], and Dick Malverne, a former fellow orphan, and gained [[Streaky]], a pet cat that also possessed superpowers.

===OnFuture her ownPlans===

The band is currently recording songs for their next album at Blackbird Studios in [[Nashville, Tennessee]]. They have twelve songs written, and plan on releasing the album in 2008.<ref> Billboard.com "Raconteurs In The Thick Of Recording New Album",http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003575716</ref>

Graduating high school in 1964, Linda left home to attend [[Stanhope College]] on a scholarship. Supergirl won the lead slot in ''[[Adventure Comics]]'' #381 (June 1969), trading ''Action Comics'' with the Legion. During her ''Adventure'' run, Supergirl&mdash;mirroring the fashions of the times&mdash;began to experiment with a wide variety of costume and hairstyle changes; her best-known outfit from this era remained through much of the 1970s and into the 1980s. Although Superman became only an infrequent visitor in her adventures, Kara maintained close ties with her cousin while pursuing her own career as a [[superhero]]. Her term at ''Adventure'' ended when Kara received her own title in November 1972, which ran for only ten issues before being rolled into ''[[Superman Family]]'', alongside other Superman-related supporting characters' titles.

The Raconteurs have also recorded a new song called "Footsteps" with [[The Hives]], probably slated to be on the new album. "5 on the 5," a song the band played live, is likely to be on the album.

Throughout the 1970s twists and turns in Kara's career as Supergirl ran parallel to changes in her civilian life. As Linda, she moved from student, to television reporter, to student counselor, to actress on the TV soap ''Secret Hearts''.

[[image:crisis7.jpg|The death of Supergirl. Cover to '''Crisis on Infinite Earths #7'''. Art by [[George Perez]].|thumb]]

Along with those tracks, it's possible one of the many covers the band played live (or an entirely different one) will be on the album.

===Back to school===

Other possibilities would be one of the leaked Brendan Benson demos. One reason for this was that both "Call It A Day" and "Together" were supposed to be on a solo album of his, as well as "Store Bought Bones" which was supposed to be a [[Get Behind Me Satan]] song. If a demo of his appeared on the new album, it would be likely to be "Feel Like Taking You Home Now" since critics have pointed out a Raconteurs influence.

In November 1982 Supergirl again received her own title, ''The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl'' (later simply ''Supergirl''). DC intended to return the character to her roots, and by implicitly ignoring the previous 18 years of stories, Linda again became an 18-year-old student, this time at Lake Shore University in [[Chicago, Illinois]]. During its 23 issue run, Supergirl adopted her final costume (originally designed, but not used, for the ''Supergirl'' movie) and finally discarded the brunette wig, in favor of a special comb which changed her hair color and style.

Also, the title "Monkeys Have It Easy" was placed on the White Stripes site in the press release for [[Icky Thump]] with "discarded" after it. It's unlikely, but the song could be a new Raconteurs song now.

When DC canceled ''Supergirl'' in 1984, the company intended to start a new title starring both Supergirl and Superboy. However, fate took a different path.

The band recorded for a three week period before they prepared for individual releases with their other bands, though Jack said they might not finish by then.

===A heroic death===

One of the ways DC intended to demonstrate the epic nature of its 12-issue [[miniseries]] ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]'' (April 1985 - March 1986) was the deaths of important characters. In #7 (October 1985), Supergirl&mdash;in one of the most memorable moments of the series&mdash;bravely sacrificed her life to save her cousin, and the [[multiverse]], from destruction. This story, titled "Beyond the Silent Night", won the ''[[Comic Buyer's Guide]]'' annual readers' poll as the best comic book story of 1985. Ironically, this sacrifice would be remembered by no one within the DC Comics universe, as Supergirl's post-Crisis history would be indirectly rewritten in John Byrne's [[The Man of Steel]] series. Supergirl, as readers knew her for almost 30 years, now had never existed.

[[Image:superman21.jpg|145px|thumb|left|Cover to ''Superman'' v2 #21. Art by [[John Byrne]].]]

==Discography==

==Post-Crisis history==

=== Albums ===

<gallery>

Image: Broken Boy Soldiers.jpg|<center>'''''[[Broken Boy Soldiers]]'''''<br><center> [[May 15]], [[2006]]<br>[[V2 Records]]<br>US #7, UK #2<br><br><center>

</gallery>

They have also released live performance albums in limited quantities at their respective concerts.

After the [[reboot (continuity)|reboot]] of Superman in the late 1980s, Supergirl's origin was completely rewritten. No longer would she be Superman's cousin, or even Kryptonian.

===Singles===

===No longer anyone's cousin===

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!align="center" valign="top" width="40"|Year

!align="left" valign="top"|Song

!align="center" valign="top" width="40"|<small>[[Billboard Hot 100|U.S. Hot 100]]<small>

!align="center" valign="top" width="40"|<small>[[Modern Rock Tracks chart|U.S. Modern Rock]]<small>

!align="center" valign="top" width="40"|<small>[[UK singles chart]]<small>

!align="center" valign="top" width="40"|<small>[[UK Download Chart]]<small>

!align="center" valign="top" width="40"|<small>[[UK singles chart|UK Indie Singles]]<small>

!align="left" valign="top"|Album

|-

|align="center" valign="top"|2006

|align="left" valign="top"|"[[Steady, As She Goes]]"

|align="center" valign="top"|55

|align="center" valign="top"|'''1'''

|align="center" valign="top"|4

|align="center" valign="top"|5

|align="center" valign="top"|1

|align="left" valign="top"|''[[Broken Boy Soldiers]]''

|-

|align="center" valign="top"|2006

|align="left" valign="top"|"[[Hands (Raconteurs song)|Hands]]"

|align="center" valign="top"|-

|align="center" valign="top"|-

|align="center" valign="top"|29

|align="center" valign="top"|-

|align="center" valign="top"|2

|align="left" valign="top"|''[[Broken Boy Soldiers]]''

|-

|align="center" valign="top"|2006

|align="left" valign="top"|"[[Broken Boy Soldier (Raconteurs song)|Broken Boy Soldier]]"

|align="center" valign="top"|-

|align="center" valign="top"|-

|align="center" valign="top"|22

|align="center" valign="top"|39

|align="center" valign="top"|2

|align="left" valign="top"|''[[Broken Boy Soldiers]]''

|-

|align="center" valign="top"|2007

|align="left" valign="top"|"[[Level (Raconteurs song)|Level]]"

|align="center" valign="top"|-

|align="center" valign="top"|7

|align="center" valign="top"|-

|align="center" valign="top"|-

|align="center" valign="top"|-

|align="left" valign="top"|''[[Broken Boy Soldiers]]''

|-

|}

==Live performances==

Debuting in ''Superman'' v2 #16 (April 1988), Supergirl was now an artificial life form made from a [[protoplasm]] matrix created by a [[parallel world|parallel]] Earth's [[Lex Luthor]], and sent to recruit Superman to return to her world and save it from destruction at the hands of three escaped criminals from the planet Krypton. When the mission failed and the world was destroyed, Superman returned home with the injured artificial creature.

The Raconteurs first performed live at the Academy in [[Liverpool]], [[United Kingdom|U.K.]], on [[March 20]], [[2006]], launching a short British tour. Their first American date was the next month, on [[April 20]] at [[New York City|New York]]'s [[Irving Plaza]]. Nearly nonstop touring followed, bringing the band to audiences around North America and Europe. The high profile of [[Jack White]] meant that even though the band was new, they were able to sell out mid-size venues — a rarity for a band's first tour.

The band has played a number of music festivals in Europe, Asia, and North America (including Lollapalooza in Chicago, IL and [[Austin City Limits Music Festival]] in [[Austin, Texas]]), headlining many.

For a while the life form developed amnesia and thought it was Superman, coincidentally helping to preserve Superman's secret identity during a lengthy absence from Earth. Later, it again took on a female form, and the identity of Supergirl, under the name "Mae" (short for "Matrix"). In this guise, she began a romance with the mainstream DC universe's Lex Luthor. When Mae realized Luthor's evil nature, she left him to find her own way in the world, serving for a time as a member of the [[Titans (comics)|Teen Titans]].

[[image:Supergirl50.jpg|175px|Cover to ''Supergirl'' #50. Art by Leonard Kirk.|thumb]]

In November [[2006]], the Raconteurs played eight dates as the opening act for [[Bob Dylan]] on the northeastern leg of his U.S. tour.

===Earth angel===

A new ''Supergirl'' title appeared in September 1996. Writer [[Peter David]] merged the protoplasmic Supergirl with a troubled young Virginia woman named Linda Danvers, together becoming an "Earth-Born [[Angel]]". There were three of these Earth-Born Angels: the Angel of Fire, Supergirl; The Angel of Love, a super-being named Comet based in Linda's hometown of Leesburg; and the Angel of Light, a super-being named Blithe. All three earth-angels were created under very specific circumstances in which one being selflessly sacrificed him or herself to save the life of another who was, in every way, beyond hope. This selfless sacrifice resulted in the two beings merging and becoming earth-born angels.

The band has performed a number of covers during live shows. For instance, the set list usually includes renditions of "[[Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)]]" (a song written by [[Sonny Bono]] and popularized by both [[Cher]] and [[Nancy Sinatra]]) and "Headin' For the Texas Border" by [[The Flamin Groovies]]. Other songs the band has covered include [[Gnarls Barkley]]'s "[[Crazy (Gnarls Barkley song)|Crazy]]", [[Bo Diddley]]'s "Who Do You Love?", [[The Undertones]]' "[[Teenage Kicks]]," [[David Bowie]]'s "[[It Ain't Easy (song)|It Ain´t Easy]]", and [[Love (band)|Love]]'s "A House Is Not A Motel".

As an earth-born angel, Supergirl faced the Carnivore, the first vampire, a supremely evil being who was determined to create hell on earth by taking control of all three of the earth-borns. Following the death of Linda's romantic interest, [[Dick Malverne]], Supergirl succumbed to the Carnivore, resulting in the balance of good and evil shifting in evil's favor. With the help of the other two earth-borns, she defeated the Carnivore, but the only way to do so was by taking his life. Linda fell from grace and was separated from the angelic part of herself.

== The Saboteurs ==

Linda acted as Supergirl for a while, attempting to locate her angelic aspect with the help of a former demon, Buzz. The angel was being held by the Demon Mother, Lilith, mother of the Carnivore, who wanted to use Supergirl to free her son from perdition. By forcing Supergirl to follow the chaos stream, a tributary of the river Styx, to find her earth-born aspect, she caused Supergirl to absorb enough chaos energy to warp reality and open the gates to perdition. Buzz and Linda managed to stop the Demon Mother, and Linda's powers were returned to their former level, minus the earth-born angel powers. Her earth-born angel aspect merged with the super-being Twilight, who became the new earth-born angel of fire.

The Raconteurs were forced to rename themselves as "The Saboteurs" for the Australian market when it was discovered that a [[Queensland]] band was already using the name "Raconteurs". The Queensland band refused to give up their name for the amount they were offered, and instead tried to extract a higher price from the Raconteurs' record company.<ref name="HeraldSunNameChange">[http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,18734967%255E28957,00.html Double-up forces switch], ''[[Herald Sun]]'', [[2006-04-07]]</ref>

A member of the Queensland band has said that they hadn't been informed of who was trying to buy their name and asked for the larger sum of money to see what would happen.<ref name="TripleJNameChange">[http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/musicnews/s1613948.htm Saboteurs of Raconteurs], ''[[Triple J|Triple J Music News]]'', [[2006-04-11]]</ref>

==Audio sample==

The themes and plotlines of David's ''Supergirl'' were often sophisticated and aimed at a slightly more mature audience than most mainstream comics. Due to the earth-born angel storyline, religion was often a topic of the stories, and Supergirl even met and conversed with a young boy who she believed was [[God]]. Supergirl's earth-born aspect was being held in the [[Garden of Eden]], revealed by this series to exist somewhere in South America, hidden from mortals. The Demon Mother was also said to be [[Lilith]], who is believed by some to be the first wife of the biblical Adam, the first man.

{{Listen|filename=Steady_as_she_goes.ogg|title="Steady, As She Goes"|description=25-second clip of the chorus of [[Steady, As She Goes]] by The Raconteurs|format=[[Ogg]]}}

==References==

===The return of the original Supergirl===

{{reflist}}

In ''Supergirl'' #75 (December 2002), David introduced the original Supergirl&mdash;who had apparently been detoured into the post-Crisis universe on her way to the pre-Crisis Earth&mdash;into the current Supergirl's life. Learning Kara was destined to die, Linda traveled to the pre-Crisis universe in her place, where she married Superman and had a daughter, Ariella. However, in the end Linda had to allow history to unfold as it should have, with Kara assuming her rightful place, including dying during the Crisis in order to ensure one universe would survive.

[[Image:Cir-el.png|Cir-El. Cover to ''Action Comics'' #808. Art by Pascual Ferry.|thumb|left|110px]]

Upon returning to the contemporary DC universe, Linda abandoned the role of Supergirl. Her current whereabouts within the DC universe proper are unknown, although fans have speculated that she may, at least in creative spirit, be the unsympathetic lead "Lee" of David's creator-owned series, ''[[Fallen Angel (comics)|Fallen Angel]]''.

===Cir-El=External links==

*[http://www.theraconteurs.com/ TheRaconteurs.com], Official website ([[Adobe Flash|Flash]] required)

Following this, another Supergirl appeared, claiming to be the daughter of Superman and [[Lois Lane]] from the future. Her name was, apparently, Cir-El, though her alter ego, which seemed to be more of a personality change than a simple change of costume, was that of a street person named Mia. She was later found to be a human girl, altered on a genetic level to seem Kryptonian [or partly Kryptonian]; she died to thwart a plot involving [[Brainiac (comics)|Brainiac]] 13.

*[http://www.candycanechildren.com/ CandyCaneChildren.com] news, message board, chat room

*[http://www.billboard.com/bb/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000944462 "White, Benson Make A Racket With Greenhornes"], from Billboard.com

*[http://www.brokenboysoldiers.net/"BrokenBoySoldiers.net"], Raconteurs tablatures and lyrics

*[http://stream.qtv.apple.com/qtv/v2music/steady_ref.mov "Steady as She Goes" video (.MOV)]

*[http://www.avclub.com/content/node/52559 The Onion A.V. Club's interview with The Raconteurs], September 7th, 2006

*[http://www.theraconteursfans.com/ theRaconteursFans.com] - the Raconteurs fan site

* [http://www.videology-tv.com/viewclip.php?id=38#info Music Video for 'Broken Boy Soldier' + interview with director Floria Sigismondi]

* [http://www.albumofthemonth.com/magazineindex.html British music magazine album of the year lists]

*[http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/07/20/weekend-rock-list-best-live-bands-playing-today/ One of Rolling Stones Best Bands to See Live]

===The Post-Crisis Kara Zor-El===

{{spoiler}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raconteurs, The}}

In 2004, Kara Zor-El was reintroduced into DC continuity in the ''Superman/Batman'' series. Like the pre-Crisis version, this Kara claims to be the daughter of Superman's uncle Zor-El and his wife Alura. In a twist from the traditional Supergirl origin, Kara is actually older than Kal-El (Superman) and was a teenager when he was a baby. When Krypton exploded, she was sent in a rocket (in suspended animation) to look after Superman. However, her rocket got caught in a Kryptonian asteroid and she has just now arrived on Earth. Writer [[Jeph Loeb]] explains, "She came to Earth essentially to look after this baby who was sent at the same time. But her rocket got wedged into a huge chunk of the planet and it has taken years to get here. When she arrives, the baby isn't a baby, he's Superman -- the greatest hero the universe has ever known. And as a teenager who has lost everything in her past, this is quite the monkey wrench. It may be part of the reason why, at least at first, she'll be hesitant to spend too much time with Superman. She was supposed to take care of him, not the other way around."

Following the end of "The Supergirl from Krypton" arc, Kara officially introduces herself to many of the heroes of the DCU, and adopts a Supergirl costume and name. Jeph Loeb commenced a new Supergirl series in August 2005. In the first issue of the new series, the new Kara acknowledged that she is not even the first Supergirl, and that the other Supergirls prior to her are gone now, which troubles her. This was the new series' first acknowledgment of the Matrix/Linda Danvers incarnation of Supergirl, (confirmed as the first, original Supergirl in post-Crisis continuity) and of Cir-El as well.

Kara's proficiency in battle is enhanced by Amazon combat training, and the study of [[Oracle (comics)|Oracle]]'s files on [[superhero]]es and [[supervillain]]s. She's even able to use her powers for first aid, as evidenced when she broke Superboy's jaw and then reset it using her X-ray vision and simple hand gestures. Being a fast learner, she's able to learn new techniques by simple observation, like learning how to use effectively her super-speed by studying [[Wally West|Flash]].

As it stands, she is essentially a female version of Superboy: a superpowered girl with all the issues of being a teenager. She may sometimes be chirpy and cheerful, but is still given to adolescent crushes and mood swings, as well as a sense of isolation. As a consequence of her traumatic arrival, Kara suffers from [[claustrophobia]], and overreacts when bound or cornered.

Recent events in the series include Supergirl being covertly watched by [[Lex Luthor]], the discovery that she is somehow resistant to synthetic [[Kryptonite]], and various characters implying that she may be stronger than the Man of Steel himself. The most recent plot twist had Lex Luthor beating and exposing Supergirl to Black Kryptonite. As on [[Smallville (TV series)|Smallville]], this particular [[isotope]] of the meteor element "frees" a ruthless, evil persona, leaving behind an unconscious "normal" version. Solicits imply there will be a battle between the two opposing natures.

==Power Girl==

{{main|Power Girl}}

[[Power Girl]] was a superheroine created in 1976; her first appearance was in ''[[All-Star Comics]]'' #58. Power Girl was originally intended to be the [[Earth-Two]] counterpart of the pre-Crisis Supergirl, and thus Power Girl was the cousin of her world's version of Superman. However, Power Girl was noted for behaving in a much more agressive manner than Supergirl, including adapting a costume that wouldn't let anyone confuse her with her cousin. Since ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'', Power Girl's backstory and origin have undergone various revisions --the most prominent of which was her being the grand-daughter of the Atlantean sorceror, [[Arion]]-- and her connection to Superman was mostly eliminated.

{{spoiler}}

''Supergirl #1'' revealed that, for reasons as yet not fully explained, physical contact and close proximity to Supergirl causes [[Power Girl]] to lose control of her abilities. It is suggested that the effect is similar to what might occur if two copies of the same object try to occupy the same point in space. The implications of this for both Supergirl and Power Girl have yet to be fully explored. It has been recently revealed in ''[[Justice Society of America|JSA]] Classified'', as well as ''[[Infinite Crisis]]'' #2 that Power Girl is indeed the [[Earth-Two]] Supergirl, who, like the recently-returned [[Donna Troy]], somehow survived the multiversal compression of the first Crisis.

==Other media==

[[Image:Helen_Slater_as_Supergirl.png|thumb|125px|left|[[Helen Slater]] as Supergirl in the 1984 movie.]]

===Movie===

{{main|Supergirl (film)}}

A movie adaptation of [[Supergirl (film)|Supergirl]] was released in 1984, starring [[Helen Slater]] in her first motion picture role. It was a spin-off from the popular 1978 movie ''[[Superman: The Movie|Superman]]'', with [[Marc McClure]] reprising his role as Jimmy Olsen. The movie performed poorly at the box office, and failed to impress critics or audiences. In fact, [[Peter O'Toole]] received a [[1984 Golden Raspberry Awards|Golden Raspberry Award]] nomination for Worst Actor for his performance. Prior to release, ''Supergirl'' was expected to be the first film of a series, but its failure at the box office canceled plans for a ''Supergirl II''.

===Animation===

[[Image:The_animated_Supergirl.jpg|thumb|right|The animated Supergirl, as drawn by [[Bruce Timm]].]]

In ''[[Superman: The Animated Series]]'', Supergirl was introduced as Kara In-Ze, from Krypton's "sister world" of Argo. A headstrong and independent teenage girl, she was placed in [[suspended animation]] before Argo became uninhabitably cold due to the aftershocks of Krypton's destruction, and later found by Superman. The Kents&mdash;Clark Kent's adoptive parents&mdash;took Kara in, with her posing as Clark's cousin Kara Kent. This Supergirl shares Superman's vulnerability to [[Kryptonite]]; she also suffers from [[Phobia|Cheimatophobia]], or a fear of cold, due to the events leading up to her time in suspended animation.

This Supergirl currently appears in the USA on [[Cartoon Network]]'s ''[[Justice League Unlimited]]'' [[animated]] [[television series]]. On that show, [[Cadmus]] created a clone of Supergirl named [[Galatea (Justice League Unlimited)|Galatea]] for nefarious purposes. Grown into a slightly more mature physical state, the clone resembles [[Power Girl]]. Both Supergirl and Galatea were voiced by [[Nicholle Tom]]. With the start of Justice League Unlimited's third season, Supergirl undergoes a costume change to one that more closely resembles the new comics Kara Zor-El. In the series, she has a rivalry with [[Stargirl]]; this is an odd contrast to the Supergirl comic book series, where Stargirl and Supergirl are friends.

===Live-action television===

A girl named Kara appeared in an episode of the ''[[Smallville (television series)|Smallville]]'' TV series claiming to be from Krypton. This Kara did not claim to be Kal-El's cousin, though, and she seemed to be interested in him in a sexual way. She was not, however, an actual Kryptonian, but an innocent girl kidnapped, brainwashed, and given superpowers by the artificial intelligence that claims to be based on the mind of Jor-El. She was recruited by the A.I. to bring the teenage Clark Kent face to face with his Kryptonian heritage and to persuade him to follow his destiny, which is as yet not disclosed. She took Kal-El to an ancient Indian cave which contained Kryptonian technology. In the end she vanished, "Jor-El" saying she'd "served her purpose". It is not known whether she survived this or whether she will ever return in the series. The summary of this episode can be obtained from here.

[http://www.supermanhomepage.com/tv/tv.php?topic=episode-guides/t-smallville-eps3#22|title= Superman Home Page]

* The human name that Kara had in Smallville was not Linda Lee Danvers, but Lindsey Harrison, who was reported missing after the 1988 [[meteor showers]] of Smallville. The car that she and her mother (who was driving) was found on Route 8, which was near the [[Kawatche]] Caves. According to [[Jonathan Kent]], [[Jor-El]] kidnapped her body, and kept Harrison in status, for 16 years.

===Music===

The song ''"That's Really Super, Supergirl",'' appears on the alt rock/[[psychedelic]] band [[XTC]]'s , '''Skylarking''' - Geffen Records (1986)

'''Sample lyrics:'''

''That’s really super, supergirl''

''How you’re changing the world’s weather''

''But you couldn't put us back together''

''Now I'm here in my fortress of solitude''

''Don't mean to be rude''

''But, I don't feel super''

''Supergirl''

Pop Singer Krystal Harris also has a song called "Supergirl" that appears on the soundtrack of the Disney movie "The Princess Diaries"

[CHORUS:]

I'm supergirl

And I'm here

To save the world

And I wanna know

Who's gonna save me?

I'm supergirl

And I'm here to

Save the world

And I wanna know

Why I feel so alone

Pop Singer Jessica Simpson sung a song "With You".

With the line, "I wish I could save the world, like I was SuperGirl!"

==External links==

*{{imdb title|id=0088206|title=Supergirl: The Movie}}

*[http://supergirl.741.com Spirit of Supergirl] - dedicated to the celebration of Supergirl as a cultural icon; includes links to Supergirl products, an original fan-written prose series, and other information

*[http://www.supergirlthemovie.com/ Supergirlthemovie.com]

*[http://supermanica.info/wiki/index.php/Supergirl Supermanica: Supergirl]-Supermanica entry on the Pre-Crisis Supergirl

*[http://darkmark6.tripod.com/sgirlind.htm Index of the Earth-1 Supergirl's adventures]

*[http://superman.ws/supergirl/introducing/ ''Action Comics'' #252 online]

*[http://supergirl.astraldream.net/updates.html The Maid of Might]

*[http://www.monitorduty.com/mdarchives/2005/10/alan_kistlers_g.shtml Alan Kistler's Guide To THE CRISIS] - A in-depth three part retrospective by comic book historian Alan Kistler on the Crisis, including a comprehensive issue-by-issue summary, map of the multiple universes, a discussion on why the Crisis had to happen and how effective it was, various cover and interior art scans, and a discussion on Marv Wolfman's novelization. Includes a detailed retelling of the Kara Zor-El's role in the Crisis and the circumstances of her death, as well as her appearances since then.

*[http://www.karalives.com/ New website about The Post-Crisis Kara Zor El]

*[http://dccomics.com/features/supergirl/ DC Comics Features-Supergirl]

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