Kara Danvers | |
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Arrowverse character | |
![]() Melissa Benoist as Kara Danvers/Kara Zor-El in a promotional image from season one of the television series Supergirl | |
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In-universe information | |
Full name | Kara Zor-El |
Species | Kryptonian |
Gender | Female |
Title | Supergirl |
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Origin | Krypton |
Kara Danvers, also known as Kara Zor-El on her homeworld, is a fictional character in the Arrowverse franchise, mainly the television series Supergirl. Adapted for television by Greg Berlanti, Ali Adler and Andrew Kreisberg, the character is based on the DC Comics character Kara Zor-El (Supergirl), created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino. Kara is introduced in the pilot episode as the adopted younger sister of Alex Danvers. Kara Danvers is portrayed by Melissa Benoist as an adult, and Malina Weissman and Izabela Vidovic as a teenager.[1][2] After her planet, Krypton, was destroyed, Kara and her cousin Superman came to Earth. There she became the adopted sister of Alex Danvers and, later, after deciding to use her powers (equal to Superman's) to help others under the persona of Supergirl, she discovers that her sister is part of the Department of Extranormal Operations (DEO), a massive underground anti-alien organization secretly under the control of the Martian Manhunter. She is a friend and frequent ally of the superhero speedster the Flash and vigilante archer Green Arrow.
Kara's powers and abilities include super strength, superspeed, heat vision, freeze breath, flight and many other powers also achievable by the superhero Superman, who is Kara's cousin; however, like her cousin, she is weakened when she comes into contact with Kryptonite, fragments of her home planet Krypton that came to Earth after its destruction. Benoist has reprised her role in other series that take place in the same franchise, including The Flash, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow and Batwoman, via the crossover events "Invasion!", "Crisis on Earth-X", "Elseworlds" and "Crisis on Infinite Earths". The character's civilian identity, Kara Danvers, is an original creation for the series, and was later integrated into the mainstream DC Comics Supergirl comic book series to tie-in with the series in 2016's DC Rebirth.