What’s A Supergirl And Who’s Kara Zor-El? Your Guide To The Characters Of ‘Supergirl’

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Supergirl

A new hero is about to soar onto television. Supergirl makes its long-awaited debut tonight on CBS at 8:30/7:30 C and we have a feeling that you’re going to fall in love with the sweet superhero. She’s faster than a speeding bullet and has a heart of gold.

Since Supergirl is playing with some of the lesser known characters in the DC Universe — for instance, Lucy Lane, Lois Lane’s little sister is set for a guest role in a future episode — we can understand if you feel a little lost or confused. With that in mind, here’s a guide to Who’s Who on the new superhero drama.

Kara Danvers (aka Kara Zor-El)(aka Supergirl), played by Melissa Benoist

Kara Danvers was born Kara Zor-El on the planet of Krypton. When she was 13 years old, her family put her and her infant cousin, Kal-El, into separate escape pods to help them flee the dying world. The plan was for both pods to make it all the way to Earth. There, the young teen girl would be responsible for taking care of her baby cousin. However, things didn’t go according to plan. When Krypton exploded it sent shockwaves that put Kara’s pod off course, landing her in a dimension where time had no meaning. 24 years later, she finally landed on Earth, where her little cousin was already the full-grown Superman.

With the tables turned, now Kara had to be protected by Superman and a family of allies called the Danvers. Kara grew up in obscurity, thinking the best way to help people was to stay safe and work her way up the corporate ladder in media, where she could help inform and inspire people. Unfortunately, life in media isn’t what she dreamed it would be. Kara is stuck being a put-upon personal assistant while her cousin — who has the same powers as her — gets all the glory.

Cat Grant, played by Calista Flockhart

Who’s Kara’s ungrateful boss? Cat Grant. The media tycoon built her own empire, CatCo, and rules over it like a diva. CatCo’s prospects are plummeting and so Cat thinks the key to boosting sales is to find their own Superman. Little does she know that her mousy assistant has something up her sleeve…

Alex Danvers, played by Chyler Leigh

Alex Danvers is Kara’s older adopted sister — but there’s more to her than meets the eye. No, she’s not a superhero, but she is an expert on alien cultures and a fierce agent of the DEO, a government agency launched to protect Earth from super powered alien threats. She frets over Kara’s safety and worries the only reason she got her gig was because she was related to Kara.

James “Jimmy” Olsen, played by Mehcad Brooks

James Olsen is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photo journalist who has relocated to National City to start a new job at CatCo. James is the guy who snapped the first official photo of Superman and is instantly friendly with Kara. He’s part mentor and part love interest. Yes, this is the Jimmy Olsen of Superman lore, but it’s James, if you don’t mind. As he explains in the pilot, “Jimmy” is just for his mom and the big guy.

Winslow “Winn” Schott, played by Jeremy Jordan

Winn is Kara’s co-worker and best pal. There’s an obvious flirtation between the two of them, though it seems right now he’s sweeter on her (and she’s mildly oblivious to this?). Once Kara realizes that she needs help being a hero, she opens up to Winn, who in turn gives her advice on her costume.

Hank Henshaw, played by David Harewood

Hank Henshaw is Alex’s boss at the DEO. He’s skeptical that Kara can indeed “save the day” and be a hero. He sees her as more of a liability than an asset. You could also see him as a metaphoric stand in for misogynists who believe that women can’t be heroes.

Alura Zor-El, played by Laura Benanti

Alura Zor-El is Kara’s mother and Superman’s aunt. She does all she can to save her daughter before the destruction of Krypton, but as we soon discover, Alura’s own actions might wreck havoc on Kara’s life. Obviously, Alura died when Krypton exploded, but don’t be surprised if we see Laura Benati pop up again. Supergirl is going to try its best to flesh out Superman’s family tree without ever showing the hero himself.