'Who Is Superwoman?' Poll, Part 2

Okay, we have now digested several issues with Superwoman and we are two months away from a reveal. Is it time for another poll?

It is apparent that my earlier poll included some choices that just don't fit anymore. Both Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle have said that the woman under the mask is someone we have seen in the comic and not a surprising newcomer from out of left field. Here is Jamal talking about Superwoman on Newsarama (http://www.newsarama.com/comics/020918-Igle-Supergirl.html). With that caveat, guesses like Lesla Lar and Luma Lynai seem unlikely now.

Judging by recent discussions on line, Thara Ak-Var and Alura have suddenly become a vogue picks. But the 'is she Kryptonian?' question from Supergirl #38 has made Lucy Lane, Cat Grant, and Lana Lang suddenly be back in the mix. Of course, how they would know Kryptonese, be on Kandor, and have powers is beyond me. And Maxima, Power Girl, Daxamites, robots, and Amazons ... all as non-Kryptonians (or non-Earth-0 Kryptonians) ... are new dark horse candidates (although perhaps violating the creator decree above).

All along I have said that Superwoman is a Kara clone of some sort.

Now I have changed my mind. I think Superwoman is an Alura clone, probably brought on by exposure to Black K radiation when purging the poison from Kara.

If I have changed my mind then maybe it is time to review some of the key panels and clues and start up a new poll.

The guesses are Alura (in any form - real or Black K clone), Kara (in any form - clone, Black K, etc), Thara Ak-Var, android/robot, Lucy Lane, Lana Lang, or other.

As I review the issues, I will put in some of my thoughts on specific clues .... whether they be real or red herrings is up to the reader. I will put down who I think specific panels point to as well, even if I contradict myself.

No matter what you think of my ramblings, I hope you vote. And as always, I would love to hear why people think what they think, especially if you pick 'other'.

And since this is a big review of panels and clues, this is a very very long post. So bear with me.

We got our first glimpse of Superwoman at the end of Supergirl #35. It is clear that she is in Kandor.

I looks like she has long hair that is either brown or blond. I find it interesting that her transmission here includes some shorts with the 'kzzzt' noises. Why would that be? Is she a robot of some sort herself with faulty technology?

When someone speaking Kryptonese cries out for help, she is off.

Nice flying style gripping the cape like that. Reminds me of someone else.

Look ... Alura flies like Superwoman (here a panel from Supergirl #37)! Maybe that doesn't mean anything. Or maybe it is a visual clue.

Our next long look at Superwoman is in Supergirl #36 which is smack dab in the middle of the New Krypton arc and includes the crisis of Zor-El's death.

I include this panel to show that Thara was a pretty big presence in the battle even semi-saving Superman at one point. This comes into play later.

After Zor-El gets killed, Alura becomes more and more despondent and militant. Remember, she was struck by a bolt of K-poisoning in Supergirl #35 which some of us have used to rationalize her change in mentality.

Here we see her grieving.

I said I have changed my pick from 'Kara clone' to 'Alura clone'. So I wonder if she was literally beside herself with grief and anger. Maybe the Black K in the bolt split her? Maybe one Alura is depressed, one militant?

But this is a Superwoman post. So let's move on to panels involving her. In Supergirl #36 she approaches Supergirl and is almost overly friendly.

She speaks fluent Kryptonese and states she is just learning English. Kryptonian powers can be emulated with technology. But speaking an alien language fluently? Does that eliminate the humans from the top of the suspect list? Certainly it makes Thara, Alura, Lyla Kam-Par (Alura's secretary), and a Kara clone better suspects. The powers, the language, the location ... it all says Kryptonian.

And then this little piece of propaganda. Superman and Supergirl were the inspiration to put on the uniform and fight for what is right? I don't know who could state that truthfully. Thara makes some sense. Maybe seeing what the cousins have done on Earth would make her want to become a hero. Remember, Thara stated that titles should be 'earned'. Maybe she resents Kara becoming a hero more by a whim than true training.

But who else could say that and mean it? Or is that just a bunch of lies to get close to Supergirl?

As she flies off after that conversation, she says she hopes to see Kara again back home. Look at how home is highlighted. Does that mean her current Earth home - is Superwoman Lana? Her Kryptonian home with Alura? Or just home as in New Krypton?

Right now I think I means 'home with Alura'. Or at least one of the Aluras.

Our next sighting is in the last chapter of New Krypton, Action Comics #873, where she dispatches Agent Liberty with a heat vision lobotomy. This is the first time we see that Superwoman is working with General Lane.

Look at how icily she states 'intruder alert' after killing Liberty. These two words made the idea of 'robot' or 'android' plausible. The red eyes do give her an inhuman feel.

After that brief appearance, we see a lot of Superwoman in Supergirl #37, the Faces of Evil issue.

The issue opens up with Superwoman padding around a dusty room I am assuming is on New Krypton given the decor.

Why a dusty room? My guess is it means that Superwoman is in hiding even amongst 'her people'. Who would need to be in hiding? What about a copy of someone who is very visible on New Krypton like Alura? Or Kara?

She says she wants to help her people but it seems disingenuous given events that unfold. But she may be sincere and deluded.

She runs her fingers over the House of El sigil and calls it her family. If she is speaking the truth, that eliminates everyone other than some form of Kara and Alura. (You could speak wildly about it being Superman's mother or another unseen Kryptonian ... but I am playing with the rules that Superwoman is someone we have seen before.)

But maybe the Els are her symbolic family, like someone who is very close to them. It could still be Thara. Thara would have a hideout to change into her uniform so she could remain undiscovered. You probably can't be the head of security on New Krypton and be a masked vigilante.

Despite her intention of helping her people, somehow Superwoman has become a pawn of General Lane who seems to be blackmailing her with his knowledge of her identity. Who would be so worried about that reveal to basically become a traitor to her people and a killer? Well someone who would be killed or otherwise erased if she is found out (like a clone or a copy). I don't think Thara would be so concerned over this reveal to help Lane in his murderous plans.

But how does Lane know who she is? I have no idea.

Of all the clues, this seems to eliminate Lucy Lane for me. Lucy seems eager to obey General Lane's every order. Why would her father need to blackmail her?

I include this panel of Supergirl and Superwoman soaking in the sun because Kara describes this activity as 'running into an old friend' just as Superwoman arrives. Is that a sly hint that Superwoman is in fact Kara's old friend Thara? Maybe Lana? That is a nice literary device.

This panel shows that Gates has made a point of telling us that Superwoman possesses unbelievable speed.

Super-speed is the great equalizer. If I say 'Superwoman can't be Thara because Supergirl runs into Thara right after this conversation with Superwoman ends', you can counter 'Thara changed at super-speed.' If I say 'she can't be Alura because she would need to be 2 places at once' you can counter the same way. Of course, like the best mysteries, this could be a complete lie, placed there just to let people rationalize their guesses.

Of course, she can't be the Alura unless she has a true split personality. Here Superwoman states that she was against Alura's decision to move off Earth. Throughout the story, Thara has been somewhat critical of Alura's decisions. So Superwoman has similar sentiments to Thara.

After Supergirl gets sent to Earth to bring in Reactron, Superwoman tries to stop her. But it seems to be more out of concern for Kara than anything else. Thara had disagreed with this mission from the start. As a member of the military, she would have the fighting skills to square off with and defeat Supergirl.

But an Alura clone who has a different mindset compared to 'Alura-Prime' might also want to stop Kara. Reactron killed Zor-El; maybe Superwoman is trying to save Kara from a similar fate?

After reading Supergirl #37, most clues seemed to fit Thara more than anyone else.

Supergirl #38 also seemed to point to Thara.

During their fight, Superwoman speaks as though she took part in prior conversations on New Krypton with Kara. She speaks just as Thara spoke. Heck, even Supergirl thinks Superwoman is Thara.

Regardless of her motivation for stopping Kara, Superwoman remains obedient to General Lane. There are some intriguing elements to the above panels.

First off, we continue to see the 'kzzzt' shorts of Superwoman's technology. Why continue to add those unless they were somehow meaningful? There aren't any lines to suggest these bubbles are emanating from a speaker on this communicator. If this is how Superwoman hears, it suggests she is in fact a robot/android.

I also like how her face quickly changes from raw emotional concern in the first panel to flat, almost entranced, stoicism in panel two. Does that suggest a lack of humanity? Or resignation to her role as puppet for Lane?

During her battle with Reactron, there are two big reveals.

First off, Reactron tells us that it was Superwoman who evacuated Metallo and him from the New Krypton battle scene in Supergirl #36. It would be hard for Thara (as seen above) to be such an active part of that fight, side by side with Kal, and still fly the villains away. I also think it would be hard for Alura, also enmeshed in the fight and cradling Zor-El's body, to disappear with the bad guys. Nor do I think Thara or Alura would help Zor-El's murderer escape.

Of course, super-super-speed could be used to apparently be in 2 places as once. And we know Superwoman claims to be really fast. Ack ... that's why these mysteries are fun and frustrating at the same time.

And then the big statement questioning her Kryptonian heritage. I, for one, think she is Kryptonian and was somehow protected from Reactron's gold Kryptonite. But if she is telling the truth than Alura, Kara, and Thara are eliminated (unless clones and duplicates aren't really Kryptonian). Then we are back to looking at Lana, Lucy, and other long shots.

So where are we in all this? I think some form of Kara (clone, Black K, future) can explain most things but not all.

I think Thara fits many clues but seems too obvious. That is a pretty lousy reason to write her off as a prime suspect.

I think some form of Alura (for me Black K created) but not THE Alura makes sense too. I am guessing this.

But a robot/android of Kryptonian design could explain everything - language, powers, location, and immunity to Kryptonite.

And many of the other guesses - Maxima, Artemis, Lesla Lar, Matrix, Linda Danvers - all still sort of fit but seem less likely given the creative team's statement that the character has been seen before.

If you are still reading ... thanks so much for dealing with my run-on thoughts. I hope you will vote.