It Came from the Back Issue Box: DC Comics Presents 86

In anticipation of Supergirl's major part in Final Crisis #3, which is a mere 3 weeks away, I am continuing my review of her role and apperances in Crisis on Infinite Earths.

This week’s review is Crisis Cross-over DC Comics Presents #86. Paul Kupperberg, who wrote The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl in the early 80's, wrote this issue. It features one of the villains he created in that run Blackstarr. The issue is drawn by Rick Hoberg.

The issue starts off with a near word-for word replay of the Batgirl/Supergirl conversation from Crisis on Infinite Earths #4. It is a conversation that deserved to be repeated. It is an especially wonderful exchange for Kara fans as it so succinctly shows why we love her. It shows the heroism and dedication of that incarnation of Supergirl.

Here, Batgirl is having a crisis of conscience and confidence. She feels that the world *is* going to end, that she is going to die. She’s scared and wonders if she was ever meant to be a hero.

Kara reminds her that powers don’t make a hero, that helping people is the definition of heroism. After all, police, firemen, soldiers are ordinary people and heroes. Here are similar panels … first from Crisis (with gorgeous George Perez art), and then from DCCP.

Then Kara notices a plane about to crash. She takes off to save the pilot. Batgirl comments "She doesn’t give a moment’s thought to herself or her safety … she’s a hero through and through."

The pilot asks Supergirl why she saved him since everyone is going to die anyways. Kara responds and she tells him "We fight to live as long as we can. That’s the only way to live … and to be able to live with yourself." Again, here are similar words and panels … first from Crisis and then DCCP.

What a great scene that simply shows what a great character that Supergirl was. She was heroic, humble, optimistic, and strong. And that is why I was not upset to read it again.

Realizing she will need some help to figure out what is happening in the universe, Supergirl flies to meet Superman only to find that he was looking for her. She reiterates that feeling of dread and foreboding we learned she had around the time of the Crisis.


Together they spot something in a distant galaxy that could be the cause of the crisis, 2 black holes in proximity to each other. Suddenly from that chaos, a figure forms … Blackstarr!


Blackstarr is an odd character. She was a child genius who cracked Einstein’s ‘Unified Theory’ giving her control over time and space. She also is eternally young, the child of a concentration camp survivor, and a Neo-nazi fascist! Confusing I know, but the bottom line is she was very powerful and gave Kara a run for her money in the Daring New Adventures title.

Superman immediately believes that Blackstarr is behind the chaos and attacks. Blackstarr fights him off briefly but then senses that the universe is tearing itself apart. Supergirl realizes that Blackstarr is not the cause of the Crisis and instead might be able to help. They call an uneasy truce until the madness ends.


Unfortunately, despite all Supergirl says to Superman about how Blackstarr is not the villain and instead perhaps a savior, Superman doesn’t listen to her and goes after Blackstarr again. This leads to Superman and Supergirl fighting each other for a couple of pages.

This is perhaps my least favorite part of the issue. At this stage of her career, it just seemed strange for Superman to be questioning Kara's experience and judgment. I mean, in what was known to be the last appearance of Supergirl before her death in Crisis on Infinite Earths #7, did we really need to see the cousins fighting?

Luckily, everyone seems to calm down. Blackstarr convinces Superman she is not behind the collapsing universe. She asks Supergirl and Superman to fly to ‘the boundaries of the universe’ and she will use her powers to re-expand the universe to those boundaries. The strain to temporarily re-set the universe somehow makes Blackstarr vanish.

Superman and Supergirl realize that this is a momentary respite for the Crisis and that much more work needs to happen to save the universe. Still, Kara can’t shake that ominous feeling she has.


This feels like one last goodbye to the Supergirl character. Crisis #7 came out later that month. She is clearly the hero of this issue, surpassing even the star of the title Superman. Kupperberg clearly has a love of the character and a grasp of her personality. The more cartoony art of Rick Hoberg is reminiscent of Kurt Schaffenberger’s art from some Supergirl issues of the early 1970’s. Outside of that one hiccup of making her fight Superman, I think this is a very nice issue.

It should be in a Supergirl based collection.