History YMMV / Supergirl

* CompleteMonster: The Post-Crisis version of [[SociopathicSoldier Benjamin Martin Krull]], aka [[NuclearNasty Reactron]], is Supergirl's ArchEnemy. Having been rebuilt by Lex Luthor into a cyborg with a Gold Kryptonite heart, Reactron invades New Krypton alongside Metallo, depowering and killing numerous Kryptonians, threatening to rape Supergirl, and then murdering her father, Zor-El, in front of her by giving him radiation sickness. Tasked by General Lane with eliminating Supergirl, Flamebird, and Nightwing, Reactron murdered all the soldiers assigned to help him when they expressed doubts about the mission, and did his best to slowly torture Supergirl and Flamebird to death. Captured and tortured by Supergirl's mother, Alura, Reactron waited until Supergirl came to free him from the torture chamber to reveal that his capture had been a set up and that Luthor had transformed him into a living bomb. [[DyingSmirk Detonating himself with a smile]], Reactron gives a serene look as he incinerates Alura, the city of Kandor, and [[EarthShatteringKaboom the entire planet]] of New Krypton, killing over ninety percent of the population in a single fell swoop.

* FanPreferredCouple: [=KaraDox=] (Supergirl/Brainiac 5) is her most popular ship.

** ''Comicbook/ManyHappyReturns'' almost saved the Supergirl series by Peter David. Long chided for its WriterOnBoard use of Christianity and religious themes, the series introduced the Pre-Crisis Supergirl to her Earth Angel Post-Crisis incarnation and did a ContinuityNod-filled hilarious romp which ended on a tear-jerking note. It also established a reason for why Linda Danvers is a member of the Superman family other than wearing the "S" crest. [[spoiler: She's the wife of the Pre-Crisis Superman and mother of the ComicBook/DCOneMillion Supergirl]].
** Tony Bedard's ''Comicbook/RedDaughterOfKrypton'' was a redemption story that fixed Supergirl after a series of stories where she was depicted as a childish, angry brat.

** The aforementioned Action Comics #289 and all of its creeptacular implications verges between this and NarmCharm.

** Most fans tend to pretend the first 19 issues of the fifth volume -- Loeb and Kelly's runs -- never happened. Loeb's run is tolerated, but Kelly's one is reviled.

* AudienceAlienatingEra:
** Supergirl had a ''very'' tumultuous publication run in the aftermath of ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths''. As a major part of the ''ComicBook/TheManOfSteel'' relaunch was to push Superman's status as the Last Son of Krypton, the character of Kara Zor-El was effectively ExiledFromContinuity, and in her place was "Matrix", a shapeshifter organism from a pocket-universe who took the form of Supergirl, and was eventually taken into the Kent's as "Mae Kent". The character's odd origin and personality however led to her spending years being tossed around the DCU with little clear direction, until Peter David's ''ComicBook/Supergirl1996'' overhauled the character by merging her with a human girl named Linda Danvers who'd been manipulated into joining a cult, becoming an earthborn angel in the process. While the book itself maintained a loyal fanbase, it proved poorly selling due to being almost InNameOnly, and was eventually cancelled with the ''ComicBook/ManyHappyReturns'' storyline, writing out both Matrix and Linda entirely. ''Then'' DC attempted to reintroduce the idea in the form of Cir-El, Clark and Lois' (supposed) KidFromTheFuture, who proved even less popular, and was mostly ignored by writers during the short period she was around. It wouldn't have been until 2004 when Creator/DanDidio would push to have the Pre-Crisis Kara Zor-El reinstated in ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton2004'', and Kara has persisted as a member of the Superman Family ever since.
** Joe Kelly's run, where they tried to make Post-Crisis Kara an overly angsty and jerkish AntiHero, with wild, constantly {{Retcon}}ned plot swings as different writers tried to come up with something that worked, and notoriously ultra-sexualized artwork.
** While not strictly Supergirl, Power Girl's Post-Crisis self had no origin since she was an alternate reality version of said character from a reality which never existed (nor had Supergirl). Her origin was retconned to being the daughter of Atlantean wizard Arion who used her as a baby-maker for the ''real'' Chosen One before being swiftly discarded (with good reason). Now she's back to being Supergirl's double from Earth-2.

* FirstInstallmentWins: Ask someone on the street who Supergirl is and they will describe a blond girl wearing a feminine version of Superman's costume and who happens to be Kal-El/Clark Kent's cousin. Ask them about her name and "Kara" is the only one you will get. No one will mention or describe Matrix, Linda Danvers, or Mia/Cir-El. Supergirl Creator/PeterDavid even states that his book featuring the human Linda Danvers hardly sold anything because most fans only cared for/knew of the original Kara Zor-El, who was Superman's Kryptonian cousin. Of course, appearances in animated shows and movies, as well as videogames, ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' and [[Series/Supergirl2015 her own live-action show]] have solidified this. And it helps that, unlike the other characters to take up the alias, Kara has a much more straightforward backstory and flaws that can help her to be relatable to people who are from different countries such as that she was a teenager when Krypton blew up and therefore unlike Superman, who was a baby when it happened, she had her own life on Krypton before its destruction, therefore, people can relate to her even more because of the fact they had their own lives in the countries they used to live at before something awful happened which forced them to never come back for a long time or again so some people might find her a lot more relatable than Superman himself at times.

* AlternateSelfShipping: There are a non-insignificant number of fanfiction pairing Supergirl with her alternate self Power Girl.

* FirstInstallmentWins: Ask someone on the street who Supergirl is and they will describe a blond girl wearing a feminine version of Superman's costume and who happens to be Clark Kent's cousin. Ask them about her name and "Kara" is the only one you will get. No one will mention or describe Matrix or human Linda Danvers. Supergirl's writer Creator/PeterDavid tells that his book featuring human Linda Danvers hardly sold anything because most fans only cared for the original Kara Zor-El, who was Superman's Kryptonian cousin. Of course, appearances in animated shows and movies, as well as videogames, ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' and ''[[Series/Supergirl2015 her own live-action show]]'' have solidified this. And it helps that, unlike the other characters to take up the alias, Kara has flaws that can help her to be relatable to people who are from different countries such as that she was a teenager when Krypton blew up and therefore unlike Superman, who was a baby when it happened, she had her own life on Krypton before its destruction, therefore, people can relate to her even more because of the fact they had their own lives in the countries they used to live at before something awful happened which forced them to never come back for a long time or again so some people might find her a lot more relatable than Superman himself at times.

** Supergirl flying out of her space rocket in the cover of ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton'' has been paid tribute to, referenced and parodied countless times.

** Since 1988 the fanbase has become polarized between fans of Kara Zor-El and fans of the other Supergirls that DC spent eighteen years attempting to replace Kara with. Fans of the other characters to take up the mantle like Matrix, Linda Danvers, and Cir-El believe they were more interesting characters and resent Kara's increased popularity and exposure since her return in 2004. Kara's fans argue back she was an interesting and well-developed character in her own right, as well as the only Supergirl who actually makes sense, worked fine for twenty-six years until she was killed off, and her death and failed attempts to replace her with short-lived substitutes led to a gigantic ContinuitySnarl and a lengthy AudienceAlienatingEra. History has sided with the second group, though, and over time the other Supergirl's fanbases have dwindled down to some few supporters online.
** Kara becoming a Red Lantern in the New 52 ''Comicbook/RedDaughterOfKrypton'' storyline. While being HotBlooded is a long established character trait, and she has plenty of reasons to be angry, many feel it's just out of character to make her so DarkerAndEdgier by making her a member of a group known for being the most volatile of the Lantern groups. However, Tony Bedard and Charles Soule's handling of the story in the ''Supergirl'' and ''ComicBook/RedLanterns'' books have been mostly well received, and many feel they made the story actually work.

** The miniskirt costume. Some find it demeaning and stupid, considering the obvious implications of flying in a skirt and how regularly it's used for fanservice. Others, however (not including the ones who just like it for the fanservice) like the skirt because it's so synonymous with her character, like Superman's trunks; it's a stupid design choice, but something so iconic to her design at this point. The ''New 52'' outfit is generally given a similarly mixed reception since it doesn't do anything to reduce the fanservice while also doesn't resemble her classic outfit at all.

** The miniskirt costume. Some find it demeaning and stupid, considering the obvious implications [[PantyShot of flying in a skirt]] and how regularly it's used for fanservice. Others, however (not including the ones who just like it for the fanservice) like the skirt because it's so synonymous with her character, like Superman's trunks; it's a stupid design choice, but something so iconic to her design at this point. The ''New 52'' outfit is generally given a similarly mixed reception since it doesn't do anything to reduce the fanservice while also doesn't resemble her classic outfit at all.

* FirstInstallmentWins: Ask someone on the street who Supergirl is and they will describe a blond girl wearing a female version of Superman's costume and who happens to be Clark Kent's cousin. Ask them about her name and "Kara" is the only one you will get. No one will mention or describe Matrix or human Linda Danvers. Supergirl's writer Creator/PeterDavid tells that his book featuring human Linda Danvers hardly sold anything because most fans only cared for the original Kara Zor-El, who was Superman's Kryptonian cousin. Of course, appearances in animated shows and movies, as well as videogames, ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' and ''[[Series/{{Supergirl 2015}} her own live-action show]]'' have solidified this. And it helps that, unlike the other characters to take up the alias, Kara has flaws that can help her to be relatable to people who are from different countries such as that she was a teenager when Krypton blew up and therefore unlike Superman who was a baby when it happened she had her own life on Krypton when it happened, therefore, people can relate to her even more because of the fact they had their own lives in the countries they used to live at before something awful happened which forced them to never come back for a long time or again so some people might find her a lot more relatable than Superman himself at times.

** Supergirl had a ''very'' tumultuous publication run in the aftermath of ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths''. As a major part of the ''ComicBook/TheManOfSteel'' relaunch was to push Superman's status as the Last Son of Krypton, the character of Kara-Zor-El was effectively ExiledFromContinuity, and in her place was "Matrix", a shapeshifter organism from a pocket-universe who took the form of Supergirl, and was eventually taken into the Kent's as "Mae Kent". The characters odd origin and character however lead to her spending years being tossed around the DCU with little clear direction, until Peter David's ''ComicBook/Supergirl1996'' overhauled the character by merging her with a human girl named Linda Danvers who'd been manipulated into joining a cult, becoming an earthborn angel in the process. While the book itself maintained a loyal fanbase, it proved poorly selling due to being almost InNameOnly, and was eventually cancelled with the ''ComicBook/ManyHappyReturns'' storyline, writing out both Matrix and Linda entirely. ''Then'' DC attempted to reintroduce the idea in the form of Cir-El, Clark and Lois' KidFromTheFuture, who proved even less popular, and was mostly ignored by writers during the short period she was around. It wouldn't have been until 2004 when Creator/DanDidio would push to have the Pre-Crisis Kara-Zor-El reinstated in ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton2004'', and Kara has persisted as a member of the Superman-Family ever since.

* CommonKnowledge: Everyone thinks Supergirl's a squeaky-clean, weaker Superman with skirt who never had a recurring villain and dated to her horse... Except not: she has a different personality (more impulsive, more short-tempered, more flawed), has always been established to be as powerful as her cousin, has her own Rogue's Gallery and didn't date her horse. Comet was a centaur-turned-into-horse. For a short time he got his human shape back and romanced Supergirl, who ignored that handsome rodeo star was Comet.

* NeverLiveItDown: Pre-Crisis Kara is never going to live down [[BestialityIsDepraved dating her horse, Comet.]] Whether the constant ignorance of the fact that he was actually a sentient centaur-magically-turned-horse and he had become ''human'' when they ''actually'' dated is ignorance or just RuleOfFunny is unknown.

* DorkAge:
** The 'Matrix Era' of Supergirl where Supergirl was a protoplasmic being from a pocket-universe resembling the Silver Age where Lex Luthor was a good guy. Later, she would date Lex Luthor's supposed son who was actually the original with his brain transferred into a clone body.
** The Linda Danvers era, since it was all so contrived to avoid having a Kryptonian Supergirl. Angels?
** Joe Kelly's run, where they tried to make Post-Crisis Kara an overly angsty and jerkish AntiHero, with wild, constantly {{Retcon}}ned plot swings as different writers tried to come up with something that worked, and notoriously ultra-sexualized artwork.
** While not strictly Supergirl, Power Girl's Post-Crisis self had no origin since she was an alternate reality version of said character from a reality which never existed (nor had Supergirl). Her origin was retconned to being the daughter of Atlantean wizard Arion who used her as a baby-maker for the ''real'' Chosen One before being swiftly discarded (with good reason). Now she's back to being Supergirl's double from Earth-2.
** The infamous Action Comics #289 where Superman falls in love with a woman identical to an adult version of his cousin. The really crazy part? ''Supergirl set the two up.'' [[http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2011/08/01/i-love-ya-but-youre-strange-kissing-cousins/ Discussed here]] and [[http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com.es/2008/09/it-came-from-back-issue-box-action.html here]].
** ''Superman Vol 1 #415: Supergirl: Bride Of -- X?'' was published right after Kara's death and was an extra middle finger aimed at Supergirl fans. So she had a canon, never-before-or-after mentioned husband she completely forgot about? [[http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com.es/2008/07/it-came-from-back-issue-box-superman.html All Supergirl fans hate that story]] and no one thinks it is canon anyway (it was a time of way out stories as writers were cut loose to write any story they wanted before the reboot). "Superman's Super-Courtship!" was so ridiculous it was arguably funny at least.

** Kara stopping a missile launched by Comicbook/{{Brainiac}} and aimed at the Sun in ''Superman: Brainiac''.
** The cover of ''[[Comicbook/{{Supergirl 2005}} Supergirl Vol 5]]''# 53 in which Supergirl rips off her shirt as she runs towards several thugs while they shoot at her.

** Since 1988 the fanbase has become polarized between fans of Kara Zor-El and fans of the other Supergirls that DC spent eighteen years attempting to replace Kara with. Fans of the other characters to take up the mantle like Matrix, Linda Danvers, Cir-El... believe they were better characters and resent Kara's increased popularity and exposure since her return in 2004. Kara's fans argue back she was an interesting and well-developed character, as well as the only Supergirl who actually makes sense, worked fine for twenty-six years until she was killed off, and her death and failed attempts to replace her with short-lived substitutes led to a gigantic ContinuitySnarl and a lengthy
AudienceAlienatingEra. History has sided with the second group, though, and over time the other Supergirl's fanbases have dwindled down to some few supporters online.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: In ''Action Comics #270'', Superman dreams he travels to the future and his cousin is now Superwoman, the world's greatest heroine. Fast-forward twenty-five years and she is killed by the Anti-Monitor, never becoming Superwoman or taking over her cousin. On the other hand, Superwoman ''is'' one of her worst enemies in the Post-Crisis universe.
* HarsherInHindsight:

** The fanbase is polarized between fans of Kara Zor-El and fans of the other Supergirls that DC spent eighteen years attempting to replace Kara with. Kara's fans feel she's the only Supergirl who actually makes sense, worked fine for twenty-six years until DC killed her off in ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'', and her death and failed attempts to replace her with short-lived substitutes led to a gigantic ContinuitySnarl and DorkAge. Fans of the other characters to take up the mantle like Matrix, Linda Danvers, and Cir-El believe they were better and more interesting characters and resent Kara's increased popularity and exposure since her return in 2004.

* FandomEnragingMisconception: Suggesting that Supergirl is nothing but a "Superman with skirt/boobs" with no distinguishing traits who added nothing to the Superman mythos and had no good stories prior to ''Comicbook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' or Creator/PeterDavid was the first who wrote the character right will get everyone who actually know Supergirl's character and history laughing their asses off or groaning in exasperation.

** The original Supergirl [[http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com.es/2015/07/30th-anniversary-crisis-on-infinite_25.html was mistreated and dissed by a number of vocal fans]] after her death. Matrix fans claimed that Mae had more personality than Kara ever had. Linda Danvers fans told that Kara only did what Superman didn't and "the only ones who miss her are a small but very vocal group of fans." And still Creator/PeterDavid said people missed Kara's Silver Age self, not any other later version, and that sales of his Supergirl book were almost non-existent (improving during the ''Comicbook/ManyHappyReturns'' arc). Fast-forward to 2016. Supergirl is again Kara Zor-El. She stars in her own book and live-action series and shows up in other characters' books, cartoons, live-action shows and video-games. Silver Age Kara Zor-El has made several appearances and [[Comicbook/{{Convergence}} her death has been undone]]. And Matrix and Linda Danvers have disappeared.

** Creator/PeterDavid's run with the Linda Danvers Supergirl in which she was treated as someone with interesting stories to tell about.

** The Creator/PeterDavid version of Supergirl had detractors due to the angel angle, which was rather outside the norm for Supergirl (or even Superman). There are plenty though who greatly appreciated the series and wish the character wasn't PutOnABus (as she got RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap). Her later popularity was ironic, as Peter David noted, leading to many incarnations of Kara Zor-El getting unfavorably compared to Linda Danvers the Earth Angel.
** Cir-El was loved by nobody, in large part due to being a ReplacementScrappy for the Peter David version of the character. So, she was a ReplacementScrappy for a ReplacementScrappy. The fact she came in the heels of the wildly popular ''Comicbook/ManyHappyReturns'' arc didn't help. The backlash over it was so fierce, they ended up {{Retgone}}-ing the character. Though she did get ''some'' fans.

** Those fans who hated the Earth-Angel version of the character during the Linda Danvers years came to like the character a ''great deal'' more in ''Comicbook/ManyHappyReturns.''
** For as much as Cir-El was initially hated for being a ReplacementScrappy to Linda Danvers ''and'' Kara Zor-El, she's developed a noticeable fanbase of people who liked the idea of her being a daughter figure to Superman because of how much she wanted to be a hero in order to earn her father's approval, to the degree she willingly retconned herself out of existence to save his life. They tend to focus more on her bubbly, plucky personality instead of her convoluted backstory and the "split personality" aspect of her character. Seriously, go on Tumblr and you'll have a harder time finding people who ''don't'' like her.

** Sterling Gates for post-Crisis Kara. He gave her a personality that was palatable to the fans. Artist Jamal Igle moved her away from MsFanservice, drawing her more like human being than a stick, and lengthening her skirt and [[SkirtOverSlacks putting shorts under it]]. Their run is [[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/superhero-comic-books-100-best-934371/item/supergirl-by-sterling-gates-jamal-934858 incredibly well-regarded]].

*** The push of "Kara Danvers" has led to some [[HilariousInHindsight hilarity in hindsight,]] as by then ''[[ComicBook/CarolDanvers Carol]]'' Danvers over at Creator/MarvelComics, also a blonde FlyingBrick woman whose most prominent superhero alias was derivative of a male superhero - ComicBook/MsMarvel to ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel|MarvelComics}} - had since been raised to A-list status as their current Captain Marvel with a more Superman-like costume and even got [[Film/CaptainMarvel2019 a solo movie]] announced around the time the ''Supergirl'' series started. And Carol's creator Roy Thomas has said that he'd have named her differently if he'd remembered at the time that Supergirl was "Linda Danvers".

*** The push of "Kara Danvers" has led to some [[HilariousInHindsight hilarity in hindsight,]] as by then ''[[ComicBook/CarolDanvers Carol]]'' Danvers over at Creator/MarvelComics had since been raised to A-list status as their ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel|MarvelComics}} and even got [[Film/CaptainMarvel2019 a solo movie]] announced around the time the ''Supergirl'' series started. And Carol's creator Roy Thomas has said that he'd have named her differently if he'd remembered at the time that Supergirl was "Linda Danvers".

* HardToAdaptWork: For Supergirl, it's been difficult (outside of the [[Film/{{Supergirl}} 1984 movie]] and [[Series/Supergirl2015 2015 series]]) for Kara to make ''any'' stand-alone appearances in other mediums. The fact her character varies DependingOnTheWriter and the fact that her AlternateSelf Power Girl still exists contribute to this.

** In the last page of Supergirl vol. 2, this paragraph was inserted: "It is at this dramatic moment that we reluctantly suspend publication of Supergirl. In the near future we hope to announce the reappearance of the Maid of Steel in a new magazine! Meanwhile, you can look forward in July to seeing ''Film/{{Supergirl}}'' at your local movie theater -- as well as in DC's magazine adaptation! IT'S A DATE!" Shortly after the movie bombed, DC killed the character because they didn't care about her at all, and Kara Zor-El didn't reappear for nearly twenty years.

* BadassDecay: Pre-Crisis Supergirl was one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy, as well as mature, experienced and self-assured hero because she was allowed to grow up. Then DC [[ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths killed her off]], and when [[ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton she was reinstated in the main continuity]], [[ComicBook/Supergirl2005 Kara was an insecure teenager girl]] who was definitely less powerful than her previous, godlike incarnation.

* TheissTitillationTheory: Kara has fallen victim to ridiculously skimpy suits from time to time. [[https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/File:Adventure_Comics_Vol_1_409.jpg Her one-time suit]] in ''ComicBook/AdventureComics #409'' was completely backless and displayed her {{Sideboob}} prominently. In ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton'', Darkseid got her brainwashed and dumped into a cape, skintight trousers and an impossible bra. At the beginning of her Post-Crisis book, her midriff shirt was so tiny it almost displayed her underboobs. Finally, her alternate universe counterpart Power Girl is infamous by her [[CleavageWindow boob window]].

* [[AwesomeMusic/{{Film}} Awesome Music]]: Say what you want about what the film ended up being, but the score by Music/JerryGoldsmith isn't half bad and matches Music/JohnWilliams' heroic compositions for ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' quite well while being its own thing. The majestic [[https://youtu.be/SczeTgWkGMw main theme]] especially.
* FairForItsDay: The movie doesn't play Supergirl's heroism, or her rescuing Ethan, for laughs. The audience is never expected to feel that a woman rescuing a man is ridiculous or even awkward.
* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: The film received a lot more positive buzz in the UK.
* IdiotPlot: Okay, Kara. So you're personally responsible for losing the Omegahedron and decide to man up and go after it yourself. You heard less than 5 feet from you that without the Omegahedron Argo City has only a few days to live. So you spend the first day learning to fly, go to sleep in a park, then spend the second day making up your alter ego and going to school. Even when you get a solid lead on the Omegahedron and get up to go after it you sit down and complete the day, play soccer and shower because...the teacher and Lucy Lane said so?
* JustHereForGodzilla: Some people just watch the movie to see Creator/HelenSlater in the very flattering Supergirl suit.
* LesYay:
** While Selena and Nigel are lovers and she takes an interest in Ethan, she and Bianca are very close, living together, and generally being on good terms even when they bicker.
** An early draft is dripping in accidental subtext between Supergirl and Selena after the latter's HeelFaceTurn, as since there's no place for her on Earth Kara invites her to live with her in Argo City. The draft ends with Supergirl comforting her over stealing the Omegahedron and assuring her that Argo City is home.
* {{Narm}}:
** Ethan can't pronounce the name 'Selena'. It's not as if it's an obscure name.
** Zaltar decides to forgo a RousingSpeech with Kara. When she says "I can't", he just replies "you ''can''" and that works. It gets a MeaningfulEcho too.
** The fact that Kara's home is so easily damaged by a little toy butterfly popping the wall. Is a sheet of plastic all that's protecting it from the forces of space?
* RetroactiveRecognition:
** A pre-''Series/MaxHeadroom'' Creator/MattFrewer is one of the would-be rapists.
** Ethan is better known to DC fans as [[WesternAnimation/BatmanMaskOfThePhantasm Arthur Reeves]], and to everyone else as [[Film/DieHard Harry Ellis]].
* SpecialEffectFailure:
** Selena tries to choke Supergirl to death by having the demon pull on her, which due to the aspect ratio being changed looks like it's stretching the film as well as her.
** Kara uses SuperSpeed to type up a letter to get herself enrolled in the school. Except while she's speeding around the room, the leaves outside can be seen moving fast - to show that the film was just sped up.
** Probably the worst special effect in the movie is Supergirl's tornado to deal with Selena, Bianca, and the demon, which looks like a still image being moved around, especially when it heads toward the mirror.
** Zigzagged with the flying effects. Some look like very obvious blue screen, others still hold up reasonably well.
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter:
** Selena as a witch could have been quite a unique villain. Superman and Supergirl are actually vulnerable to magic - so Selena could have given Supergirl a run for her money. Instead she mostly uses her magic to cast a love spell on a man, and fights with Supergirl for his affections using more mundane tools, with her magic only being used offensively in the climax.
** Not much effort is made to give Kara an arc. She jeopardises the safety of her home and goes to Earth to make amends, but spends most of her time at school and falling in love instead of actively looking for the Omegahedron, only finding it after Selena misuses its powers.
* TookTheBadFilmSeriously: As incoherent as the film ended up being, Creator/HelenSlater really worked on her role, earning herself a Saturn Award nomination. Even the reviewers who hated the film tended not to criticize her performance. She also takes special care to give subtle differences between Supergirl and Linda Lee, making it very believable that they could be different people.
* TrappedByMountainLions: Kara enrolling in school under the alias Linda Lee. She completely forgets that she went to Earth to find the Omegahedron. She spends a good half hour just hanging around campus using her superpowers to humble some bullies.
* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: It's considered notable in the 1980s setting that a man has a tattoo. A group gathers around to stare at it.
* ValuesDissonance: Jimmy Olson is a professional news photographer, and therefore presumably a young man in his twenties, yet he's dating Lucy Lane, a high school student. While this might not have been seen as a big deal in the 1980s, in modern times this looks a lot more improper, bordering on sexual predator behavior.

*** The push of "Kara Danvers" has led to some [[HilariousInHindsight hilarity in hindsight,]] as by then ''[[ComicBook/CarolDanvers Carol]]'' Danvers over at Creator/MarvelComics had since been raised to A-list status as their CaptainMarvel and even got [[Film/CaptainMarvel2019 a solo movie]] announced around the time the ''Supergirl'' series started. And Carol's creator Roy Thomas has said that he'd have named her differently if he'd remembered at the time that Supergirl was "Linda Danvers".

** Supergirl flying out of her space rocket in the cover of ''ComicBook/ActionComicsNumber252'' has been paid tribute to, referenced and parodied countless times.

* EscapistCharacter: Supergirl was originally created in the Silver Age as a power fantasy for young female readers: a cute, kind-hearted fifteen-year-old girl who is powerful enough to make anything, including but not limited to move planets, outrace light, shrug bullets -and nukes- off, fly, breathe in space and travel to other planets and time periods under her own power to live all kind of adventures (such like taming and riding a dinosaur).
* FandomSpecificPlot: There're a lot of stories where baby Kal-El is found and adopted by another family, Supergirl and her cousin make it to Earth together, or Kara survives the ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths''.
* FirstInstallmentWins: Ask someone on the street who Supergirl is and they will describe a blond girl wearing a female version of Superman's costume and who happens to be Clark Kent's cousin. Ask them about her name and "Kara" is the only one you will get. No one will mention or describe Matrix or human Linda Danvers. Supergirl's writer Creator/PeterDavid tells that his book -featuring human Linda Danvers- hardly sold anything because most fans only cared for the original Kara Zor-El who was Superman's Kryptonian cousin. Of course, appearances in animated shows and movies, as well as videogames, ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' and ''[[Series/{{Supergirl 2015}} her own live-action show]]'' have solidified this. And it helps that unlike Superman she has flaws that can help her to be relatable to people who are from different countries such as that she was a teenager when Krypton blew up and therefore unlike Superman who was a baby when it happened she had her own life on Krypton when it happened therefore people can relate to her even more because of the fact they had their own lives in the countries they used to live at before something awful happened which forced them to never come back for a long time or again so some people might find her a lot more relatable than Superman himself at times.
* GirlShowGhetto: Supergirl had this problem for decades. Even though she is one of the most recognizable superheroines in the world, she has never been on the same level of sales as her cousin, and her character is often disregarded and put down by people who never read her stories due to their perception of her being a "Superman with a skirt and boobs", to the point that DC decided to kill her off in the ''Crisis On Infinite Earths'' (in spite of her books having decent, albeit not great, sales). This situation started changing gradually since her reintroduction in 2004. She has starred in several comic-book series, cartoons and TV shows -including [[Series/Supergirl2015 her own series]] - and she has become a kind of household name since then.
* HardToAdaptWork: For Supergirl, it's been difficult (outside of the [[Film/Supergirl1984 1984 movie]] and [[Series/Supergirl2015 2015 series]]) for Kara to make ''any'' stand-alone appearances in other mediums. The fact her character varies DependingOnTheWriter and the fact that her AlternateSelf Power Girl still exists contribute to this.

** The miniskirt costume. Some find it demeaning and stupid, considering the obvious implications [[PantyShot of flying in a skirt]] and how regularly its used for fanservice. Others however (not including the ones who just like it for the fanservice) like the skirt because its so synonymous with her character, like Superman's trunks; it's a stupid design choice, but something so iconic to her design at this point. The ''New 52'' outfit is generally given a similar mixed reception, since it doesn't do anything to reduce the fanservice while also doesn't resemble her classic outfit at all.

* GirlShowGhetto: Supergirl had this problem for decades. Even though she is one of the most recognizable superheroines in the world, she has never been on the same level of sales as her cousin, and her character is often disregarded and put down by people who never read her stories due to their perception of her being a "Superman with skirt/boobs", to the point that DC decided to kill her in the ''Crisis On Infinite Earths'' (in spite of her books having decent, albeit not great, sales). This situation started changing gradually since her reintroduction in 2004. She has starred in several comic-book series, cartoons and tv shows -including ''[[Series/{{Supergirl 2015}} her own series]]''- and she has become a kind of household name since then.
* HardToAdaptWork: For Supergirl, it's been difficult (outside of the [[{{Film/Supergirl}} 1984 movie]] and [[{{Series/Supergirl}} 2015 series]]), for Kara to make ''any'' stand-alone appearances in other mediums, and she hasn't even had a ''Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse'' movie made, unlike Batman, Superman and Franchise/TheFlash. The fact her character varies DependingOnTheWriter and the fact that AlternateSelf Power Girl version exists contribute to this.
* IncestYayShipping: A number of Franchise/{{Superman}} and Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} fans ship both characters together despite them being first cousins, either because they think there's no getting around the "Kryptonian of Steel, Human of Kleenex" problem or because they genuinely think Clark/Kal and Linda/Kara make a good couple. To be fair, Silver and Bronze stories provided plenty fuel, accidental innuendo and subtext if you know where look, with scenes like ([[http://www.orgamesmic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/superman-supergirl-kiss.jpg Action Comics #260]], [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/actioncomics270_page027.jpg Action Comics #270]], [[http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pScx8BN4h3s/SMkfbsSeQCI/AAAAAAAAA_c/_XIlCBhpesg/s1600-h/action+289+pan+5.jpg the infamous Action Comics #289]], [[https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-42hj4CP59UU/TW0EOjbIjyI/AAAAAAAALSk/MyJ0VPlDuGo/s1600/sm+309-04.jpg Superman #309]] during the ''Comicbook/KryptonNoMore'' story arc, and [[http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lvzhjklUch1r2ntbyo1_500.png this panel]] from ''Literature/TheSuperdictionary''). Fanfic writers such like [[https://archiveofourown.org/users/megamatt09/pseuds/megamatt09 Megamatt09]] have penned long tales featuring them together.

** Although Supergirl is an iconic and inextricable part of the Superman mythos, the best-known and most enduring version of the character (Superman's cousin Kara Zor-El) didn't make her first appearance until 1959, twenty-one years after the debut of Superman. In 1985 DC killed the character and attempted to replace her several times with little success, finally reintroducing a modern Kara Zor-El in 2004.
** Supergirl going by "Kara" in her civilian identity. It only started with ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' which went with "Kara Kent", and later the ''[[Series/{{Supergirl2015}} Supergirl]]'' series cemented it with "Kara Danvers", which the comics [[RetCanon subsequently used.]] Despite this, for much of her publication history Supergirl went by the civilian name "Linda Lee" and later "Linda Lee Danvers" or just "Linda Danvers" after her adoptive parents. There was also a different Linda Danvers under Peter David. Thus many DC fans will still often think of Supergirl as "Linda", regardless of incarnation. The shift seems to be because "Kara" is not an uncommon name now in the US compared to when she was created (as it can be taken as a variation of "Cara").
*** The push of "Kara Danvers" has led to some [[HilariousInHindsight hilarity in hindsight,]] as by then ''[[ComicBook/CarolDanvers Carol]]'' Danvers over at Creator/MarvelComics had since been raised to A-list status as their CaptainMarvel and even got [[Film/CaptainMarvel2019 a movie]] announced around the time the ''Supergirl'' series started. And Carol's creator Roy Thomas has said that he'd have named her differently if he'd remembered at the time that Supergirl was "Linda Danvers".
* OneTrueThreesome: In several fanworks, Supergirl is part of a threesome. The [[https://archiveofourown.org/series/32266Stranger "Stranger in a Strange Land"]] series does not waste time setting up a ComicBook/{{Nightwing}}/ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}/ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} triangle. When Kara sees Bruce boasting about his female companions during a party, she hugs both Dick and Babs and proudly proclaims "hers" are "prettier".