DC’s Supergirl introduces a brand-new team of Kryptonian superheroes, each with a unique superpower not related to Superman’s traditional abilities. DC’s Kryptonian race displays a remarkable diversity of characters, with each individual’s heroic identity shaped by their entirely unique origin and relationship to their lost heritage. While Superman is a human-raised Kryptonian, Supergirl had to endure the slow demise of Argo City. Meanwhile, Power Girl comes from an entirely different universe, Jon Kent has lived his whole life on Earth, and the alternate-timeline Father of Tomorrow escaped to Earth as a grown adult.

Beyond the remnants of Krypton, the DC Universe teems with a wide array of extraterrestrial civilizations. The tragic history of Mars birthed the Green and White Martians, and at the opposite end of the behavioral spectrum are the Czarnians, a highly advanced species whose rapid healing factors ultimately led to their total extinction at the hands of Lobo. The DC cosmos also houses horrors like Apokoliptians, as well as an unlimited number of rare species that swear loyalty to the different Lantern Corps, from the Ryutian Red Lantern Atrocitus to the Bolovaxian Green Lantern Kilowog.

Even though multiple extraterrestrial civilizations are commonly considered extinct, new survivors are periodically discovered, even in familiar places.

The Bottle City Of Kandor Gets Its Own Superhero Team

Supergirl #14; Written And Illustrated By Sophie Campbell

Kara Zor-El’s story takes a turn as she and Lena Luthor find themselves protecting the Bottle City of Kandor from Black Flame, the Kandorian Kryptonian Zora Vi-Lar. What starts as a fun time between young Kryptonians ends in a race against time to save a whole city, with Kara and Lena separated and trying to find a way to stop Zora. Fortunately, they aren’t alone, as Lena is helped by a group of young Kandorians who call themselves the “Super-Substance Science Scouts.”

As their team name suggests, the Super-Substance Science Scouts have material-themed abilities. Rust is made of fibrous metaplasm he can multiply in great quantities, which he uses to cushion Lena Luthor’s fall. Melt seems to be made of purple goo, and the olive-green Grab a.k.a. Limb Lass, who’s in possession of Kandy the Super-Bunny, has four arms. There’s also a fourth member of the Science Scouts, half-blue, with glass-like spikes on their head and their shoulders.

The Bottle City Of Kandor Deserves A Movie Of Its Own

Kandor Is A Key Part Of Superman And Supergirl Lore That Has Gone Overlooked For Too Long

As the former capital city of Krypton shrunken and preserved inside a glass jar by Brainiac, Kandor is the living museum of Krypton, trapped in miniature stasis. A Supergirl or Superman sequel could lean heavily into a high-concept sci-fi survival or political thriller plot, tracking the claustrophobic tension of millions of highly advanced citizens who are fully aware that they are being watched like specimens by a cosmic captor. This unique setting offers a brilliant subversion of traditional superhero spectacles, as instead of waging grand, city-level battles, the Kryptonian heroes would strive to save a literal bottle.

Despite its immense storytelling potential, the Bottle City of Kandor is a vital piece of Superman and Supergirl lore that live-action DC adaptations have overlooked for far too long. From Superman: The Movie to Man of Steel, standalone Superman and Supergirl titles have missed out on the bittersweet reality that Krypton didn’t die entirely. Fortunately, Superman: Man of Tomorrow is introducing Brainiac, meaning that Kandor might become relevant to James Gunn’s DCU sooner rather than later.

Supergirl‘s focus on the hard sci-fi corners of Kara Zor-El’s mythos is a sign that the DCU is moving in the right direction. The DCU’s Supergirl starts off her journey far away from Earth and on a vibrant quest alongside Krypto, Lobo, and a variety of characters as colorful and fantastic as the Super-Substance Science Scouts. If not in Supergirl or Superman: Woman of Tomorrow, then a future DCU sequel could dive deep into Kandor’s history and alien population.

What’s your favorite part of Kandor lore?

Supergirl #14 is available June 10 from DC Comics

Alias

Kara Zor-El

Created By

John Byrne, Peter David, Wally Wood, Otto Binder, Gary Frank, Al Plastino

Age

May 1959