Top 5 Supergirl Villains

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here, and I’m getting excited for the upcoming Supergirl film. How about you? Let’s get ready for the DCU’s next entry at the end of the month, shall we? We know Lobo will feature in the movie. Supergirl and Lobo cross paths often enough, but I wouldn’t consider Lobo a Supergirl villain. Who are Supergirl’s top villains? Kara Zor-El and Kal-El share a lot of enemies. We’ll do our best to avoid a Top 5 Supergirl Villain list that looks too much like a Top 5 Superman Villain list. Besides, Geekly already did a list for Superman.So, who made the list of Top 5 Supergirl Villains?

Honorable Mention: Anti-Monitor

Anti-Monitor made his debut during the DC Comics Crossover Event, “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” Famously, Superman held a deceased Supergirl in his arms. DC Comics made it clear that no character was safe. Heck, Supergirl would stay dead and buried for a couple of decades. No one ever stays dead for long in comics, but Supergirl was one of the ones that stuck around longer than fans expected. And yet, Anti-Monitor doesn’t quite make this list. We’re using the same logic as the Top 5 Superman Villains list. Darkseid took a lower spot on Supes’s list because he’s more of a universal threat. Anti-Monitor is that and then some. And while Doomsday went on to become a thorn in Superman’s side decades after Superman’s death, Supergirl has seldom encountered Anti-Monitor. He still gets a mention. How could he not? Even though he seldom graces the pages of Supergirl comics, Anti-Monitor was at the heart of one of DC Comics’–and Supergirl’s–iconic moments.

5: Reign

Reign only knows her name, the fact that she’s a Worldkiller, has incredible combat skills (especially swords), and Krypton has something to do with her past. This is a good set-up. Reign holds Kryptonians–and Supergirl in particular–in contempt. Reign may be one of the newer villains on this list, but she plays well against Kara Zor-El. The two have clashed a handful of times over the past decade and a half after Reign’s introduction. Reign made such an impression that she featured on the Supergirl CW show. Is it a matter of time before we see Reign on the big screen?

4: Bizarro Girl

Bizarro didn’t quite make our Superman’s Top 5 Villain List, but that was largely because he was the opposite of Superman. Supergirl has a Bizarro version, too. But Bizarro Girl differs from the original Bizarro. Bizarro Girl is a reflection of Kara Zor-El. I hope to see Bizarro Girl in the upcoming Supergirl movie–she works well in stories about self-acceptance–but I’m also okay waiting. Supergirl suffers from the loss of Krypton. Unlike her cousin, Supergirl witnessed Krypton’s downfall. Similarly, Bizarro Girl wasn’t present when the Godship (insectoid world-eaters) attacked Bizarro World. With her people believing she abandoned them, Bizarro Girl went into isolation. Her journey mirrors Supergirl’s. And it’s always fun to have some Bizarro comedy thrown in for good measure.

3: Silver Banshee

I knew Silver Banshee would make this list but had no idea where she fits. Three. The middle? Does that sound good? Silver Banshee has a couple of things going against her on this list: she started as a Superman villain, and she often flips sides and fights alongside Supergirl. Despite beginning as a Superman villain, Silver Banshee quickly became an iconic Supergirl villain. And even though she may be picking up Kara Zor-El’s laundry at the moment (Is Silver Banshee still a friendly?), she’s had several iconic fights against Supergirl in the past. One can’t tell Supergirl’s story without Silver Banshee, but she just misses out on the top two spots because she goes the way of Catwoman. Is she friend or foe? Who knows. But Silver Banshee is a classic Supergirl character.

2: H’el

While H’el could work–and occasionally serves–as a Superman villain, he works best as a Supergirl villain. This Kryptonian clone wants to reconstitute Krypton at Earth’s expense. We’ve seen this storyline work with Superman and General Zod, but H’el’s relationship with Kara Zor-El works even better. Superman views Earth as home. Supergirl still views Krypton as home. H’el’s pitch of a New Krypton tempts Supergirl into betraying her adoptive homeland. It also doesn’t hurt that Supergirl’s first encounter with H’el was him rescuing her. The two have a bond, and Supergirl can’t fully see him as a villain, which makes H’el that much more of an effective Supergirl villain. H’el’s like a toxic boyfriend. Supergirl defends him while he’s ripping the Superman family a new one. Eventually, H’el finds that one line Supergirl can’t ignore, and she springs into action.

1: Reactron

Reactron controls radiation. That makes him a formidable foe. But Reactron can manipulate radiation in any form, including kryptonite. That makes Reactron deadly to Supergirl. In fact, when Supergirl got hit with Scarecrow’s fear toxin, Reactron was who she saw. I don’t think we need more of a case for Reactron being atop a top Supergirl villains list than that, but let’s continue. Unlike some other villains on this list, Reactron was created to be a Supergirl villain. He destroyed New Krypton and kidnapped Kara Zor-El’s mother. Oh, and he killed Kara’s father, Zor-El. No wonder Reactron haunts Supergirl’s nightmares.

I can’t wait to see who the DCU casts as Reactron and how the film series plans to use him. Looking through this list of villains, Supergirl’s rogues are varied. The DCU has a blank canvas for this character. Supergirl has plenty of source material. I can’t wait to see some engaging Supergirl stories. If I had to guess, Supergirl won’t include Reactron. Maybe, he’ll get a mention. Reactron demands plenty of screen time.

That’s our list for the Top 5 Supergirl Villains. Who would you add or take away? Would you shuffle the order? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Getting Into Comics: Green Lantern (Guy Gardner) Starter Stories

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. I’m continuing to write far in advance. Who knows if Lanterns is still releasing new episodes? I’m writing so far in advance that Lanterns’ schedule hasn’t yet been released. Even though we don’t know Lanterns’ schedule, let alone which stories the show pulls from, that doesn’t prevent us from discussing Guy Gardner starter stories.

Guy Gardner has a crazy history in the DC Comics universe. Gardner may be the one Lantern who’s represented more shades of the emotional spectrum than any other Lantern. Gardner’s varied past means we’ll have plenty of single-issue comics and longer storylines from multiple eras of comic book history. Guy Gardner’s past is not for the faint of heart. Buckle up.

Single Issues

“Earth’s Other Green Lantern!” (Green Lantern Vol 2 #59; written by John Broome/art by Gil Kane; March 1968)

Hal Jordan was one of several people Abin Sur’s ring could’ve bestowed its power. The power ring chose Hal because he was geographically the closest to Abin Sur. In “Earth’s Other Green Lantern!” Hal Jordan uses a machine named the Memory Machine to watch one of these alternate worlds. In this world, a man named Guy Gardner became Earth’s Green Lantern.

We gain some insight into why Guy Gardner is typically angry. A few issues later, Guy suffered a head trauma that led to a drastic change in demeanor fans saw after he woke up. In his prime, Guy’s a friendly teacher and occasionally worked as a prison counselor. This story shows how much the Green Lanterns and the Guardians torpedoed Guy’s life. They stole his future to make him a backup for one of the Lantern Corps’ least reliable members.

“4” (Green Lantern Vol 2 #195; written by Steve Englehart/art by Joe Staton; December 1985)

The events of Crisis on Infinite Earths made John Stewart disposed, fighting alongside the Monitor across the universe. Guy Gardner is selected as John’s replacement on Earth. During this event, in “4,” Guy is selected to join the Guardians’ newer, smaller Green Lantern Corps. “4” elevates Guy to official Green Lantern status, bringing the number of official Sector 2814 (which includes Earth) Green Lanterns up to three.

“Red Badge of Rage” (Green Lantern Corps Vol 2 #43; written by Peter Tomasi/art by Patrick Gleason; February 2010)

At least one issue of the massive Blackest Night crossover made each of the Green Lantern starter story lists. Long-dead superheroes sprang from their graves, powered by Black Lantern rings. Heroes from every color in DC’s emotional spectrum united to push back the dead. “Red Badge of Rage” was the first time Guy dabbled with another color in the emotional spectrum. He became pure rage.

After Kyle Rayner fell to the Black Lanterns, Guy tapped into his anger. Instead of expressing grief, Guy’s bravado transformed his sadness into rage, making him a potent Red Lantern. Guy punched his way through dozens of Black Lanterns, smashing them into bits, and then he vomited energy-blood over the rest. Guy became a one-man army. He finished the Black Lantern Corps, teasing Guy’s tenure with the Red Lantern Corps.

“Blood Debts” (Red Lanterns: Futures End Vol 1 #1; written by Charles Soule/art by Jim Calafiore; November 2014)

“Blood Debts” does a great job of showing Guy Gardner’s heroic journey. Red Lanterns gives Guy a new purpose as Earth’s primary Red Lantern, but Red Lanterns: Futures End shows a far future Guy who turned his rage into a Blue Lantern for Hope. Guy kept a huge secret from his ally, Bleez. As the pair dispatch the last Red Lantern from the universe, Bleez asks how Guy’s blue ring can be so powerful, as blue rings need proximity to green rings to create constructs. Guy reveals a string of rings around his neck. He had mastered the entire emotional spectrum.

“High Noon” (Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps Vol 1 #16; written by Robert Venditti/art by Rafa Sandoval; May 2017)

“High Noon” is a window into an odd era of Green Lantern history. After Hal Jordan seemingly sacrificed himself to stop Sinestro, the Sinestro Corps fell under the leadership of Sinestro’s daughter, Soranik Natu. Soranik took the Sinestro Corps in a different direction. She turned away from fear and proposed a Sinestro Corps alliance with the Green Lanterns. Many people on both sides weren’t happy with the alliance, especially Guy Gardner.

Guy Gardner challenges the massive alien Yellow Lantern Arkillo to a fistfight with no power rings. Guy holds his own, and after the fight, Arkillo and Guy become the closest allies between the two Corps of Lanterns.

Storylines

“Justice League International” (Justice League Vol 1 #1-6) written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis; art by Kevin Maguire; 1987)

Whenever I think of Guy Gardner, I think of the iconic punch Batman gives Guy in the kisser. Justice League Vol 1 #5 holds that iconic scene (turned meme).

Guy isn’t always a great teammate, which makes him the perfect addition for the Justice League International (subsequent series after the Justice League mini-series), led by Maxwell Lord and sometimes Batman. Justice League International showcases how annoying and powerful Guy Gardner can be. Batman’s iconic punch earned a smile from Martian Manhunter and cheers from Blue Beetle and Black Canary, but what folks tend to forget is how wildly Guy’s mood swung after getting punched.

Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner borrows the most from the Guy Gardner we see in Justice League International. The team (The Justice Gang in Superman) is even funded by Maxwell Lord. I’d love to see a live-action version of this iconic moment.

“Guy Gardner Reborn” (Guy Gardner Reborn Vol 1 #1-3) written by Gerard Jones; art by Joe Staton; June 1992)

Guy Gardner Reborn occurs immediately after Hal Jordan fought Guy for his ring. Guy contemplates his choice to honorably resolve his dispute with Hal for two days before he decides to escape toward Qward and steal Sinestro’s yellow ring. The resulting space opera shows how mean Guy Gardner can get. Add in the Main Man (Lobo), and Guy Gardner Reborn becomes a buddy-cop story fueled by mutual disrespect and vengeance. Guy Gardner Reborn heralded one of Guy Gardner’s best eras.

“Guy Gardner: Year One” (Guy Gardner Vol 1 #11-14; written by Chuck Dixon; art by Joe Staton; 1993)

Through the power of an odd suction-cup creature named the Xanoglpyh, Guy Gardner is forced to relive his traumatic past. Guy always had a deep-seated need for approval. This same need drove him to find a yellow power ring. Ringless Green Lanterns treat Guy like a brute. By the end of this arc, the other Lanterns offer to help Guy retrieve his yellow ring, despite knowing Guy shouldn’t have the ring. The short-lived series gives a lot of Guy Gardner’s heroic past some much-needed context.

“Guy Gardner: Warrior” (Guy Gardner: Warrior #17-44; written by Chuck Dixon and Beau Smith/art by Mitch Byrd, Brad Gorby, Phil Jimenez, Howard Porter, Mike Parobeck, Jackson Guice, J.H. Williams III, Rick Mays, Dan Jurgens, Joyce Chin, Mike Wieringo, Marc Campos, Tom Grindberg, Aaron Lopresti, and Joe Staton; February 1994-July 1996)

Who needs a power ring? Everyone’s least favorite Green Lantern goes through another space odyssey in the wild ride that is Guy Gardner: Warrior. Guy used a yellow Qwardian power ring until Hal Jordan became Parallax and destroyed it. Ordinarily, this would mean Guy Gardner wouldn’t have powers. But Guy Gardner: Warrior reveals Guy’s Vuldarian heritage. His new alien powers allow him to construct weapons and armor from his body, no power ring required.

Guy turns into his wackiest best self with powers similar to but distinctly different from the Lanterns. During this series, Guy battles a clone of himself, goes to hell, and learns his importance to the War of Light.

Those are the Guy Gardner Green Lantern stories that made our list. We covered Hal Jordan and John Stewart starter stories the past two months. Are there any Guy Gardner Green Lantern stories you would add to this list? Let us know in the comments, Geekly Gang. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.