DC's Next Supergirl Should Be One of Superman's Forgotten Daughters
DC Comics’ next version of Supergirl should utilize one of Superman’s forgotten daughters from the Elseworlds story, Superman: Secret Identity. The reimagined origin story introduces another version of Clark Kent who becomes a father to two girls and inherit his powers.
In the Elseworlds miniseries written by Kurt Busiek with art by Stuart Immonen, a real world boy named “Clark Kent” who ironically lives in Kansas is teased for his similarities to the DC Comics superhero. As he grows up, he begins to appreciate his comic book counterpart, leaning into such similarities and coincidently becoming a writer. When he suddenly learns he has powers that are also comparable to the Man of Steel, he uses them to become a hero, donning a readily available Superman costume. Upon going to Manhattan and meeting Lois Chaudhari, the two of them get married and have a family. Clark’s life story is told across the four issues, concluding with his retirement in the last installment.
As the real world Superman begins to wind down his career in Superman: Secret Identity, his twin daughters, Carol and Jane, are revealed to have powers. Although Clark stays true to his comic book persona, matching his uniform to the fictional hero, the girls make their superhero identities their own. Their costumes match each other, but don’t resemble any particular version of Supergirl in the DC Universe. While the mainstream Superman has had Jon as a son and super successor, DC Comics should consider incorporating the alternate family life of Superman in new stories.
While Jon is in the process of taking on his father’s mantle in Superman: Son of Kal-El, it has yet to be considered what Superman’s legacy would be like if he was succeeded by multiple children at once. The dynamic is briefly explored in Secret Identity, as Carol and Jane wear the same suit and seemingly fight crime as a duo. Their heroics symbolize that their father’s legacy goes beyond any one person, which is a fascinating distinction from Jon’s ongoing journey in the DC Universe.
It’s possible that Lois Lane and Clark Kent’s future as parents to twin girls has been referenced since the Elseworlds story. During Crisis on Infinite Earths, Smallville’s Tom Welling appeared in a cameo with Erica Durance, who references their “girls.” This isn’t the first time that a version of Clark and Lois have been parents to twins, as The CW’s Superman & Lois follows the couple through parenthood to twin teenage boys, Jordan and Jon. Unlike the Elseworlds tale, only Jordan has showcased his powers, which echoes the Son of Kal-El premise. However, it would be a fresh take on the source material for Superman to not only have one successor, but two in the form of twin Supergirls.