DC Confirms Its Version Of The Winter Soldier By Rewriting 13 Years Of Comics Lore

My Adventures with Superman has recently introduced Superman’s cousin, Kara Zor-El/Supergirl, and its revised interpretation has given DC its own version of the MCU’s Winter Soldier story. The new animated series is in its second season and has already incurred several drastic deviations from its comic-book counterparts. While My Adventures With Superman‘s Lex Luthor is perhaps the greatest move away from the traditional lore thus far, Supergirl’s own story alters much of the traditional approach when it comes to her origins, crafting a distinct and different arc for the character.

The Kara of My Adventures with Superman offers a far more somber iteration that indicates a key direction of where the show will go, due to her connection to the season 2 antagonist, Brainiac. This and her subsequent personal journey – expected to be expanded upon in future episodes and possible into the newly confirmed My Adventures With Superman season 3 – already appear to reflect the timeline of the Winter Soldier in the MCU.

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Supergirl’s DC Lore Change Makes Her Story Totally Different

Even In Its More Recent Iterations, Supergirl’s Origins Have Followed A More Traditional Route

Supergirl has conventionally been portrayed as having an origin very similar to Superman’s, with the main alteration being that she appeared on Earth later. This is something that both adaptations and DC comics themselves tend to hold to, with even newer reboots keeping the same core elements. Animated and live-action iterations alike have generally held to this depiction, with some tweaks to best suit the story at hand – an approach that may well carry through to the DCU version of Supergirl. All of this serves to make My Adventures With Superman‘s depiction of Kara’s story all the more surprising.

When Kara was initially introduced in My Adventures With Superman season 2, episode 5, it seemed the show was setting up the usual format for her story thus far. However, the series then brought in a shocking twist, which revealed that Supergirl was looking for Clark in the name of the “Kryptonian Empire” – revealed to seemingly be now composed of her and Brainiac, who is using Kara to carry out his genocidal plans.

This entirely different variation gives Supergirl her own identity that doesn’t simply mimic Superman’s journey, but gives her a more complicated overall narrative. In fact, the tumultuous story of a largely well-intentioned character discovering their own brainwashing shares more parallels with one of Marvel’s own heroes, as the similarities to the Winter Soldier story are already certainly present.

My Adventures With Superman Makes Supergirl DC’s Winter Soldier

The Show’s Season 2 Has Revealed A Far More Tragic Iteration That Is Variably Familiar To DC’s Main Rival

My Adventures With Superman season 2, episode 6 showcased how Kara has been brainwashed by Brainiac into a killer pawn for his Kryptonian empire. This is an almost direct equivalent to the story of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, wherein Bucky is also brainwashed into villainy by HYDRA. There are even further parallels between the villains here, as Arnim Zola’s digital form and Brainiac’s AI origins share notable similarities. Toward the end of the episode, Kara recalls her memories of wiping out several civilizations and is left horrified, much like Bucky’s reactions to his own crimes.

Now that the series has replicated Bucky’s villain origin, it seems it’s also set to copy his redemption arc, as Kara’s horror at her discovery suggests she may soon break free of Brainiac’s control entirely. It would be a fascinating character study to see how Kara deals with her guilt, and if there are any oncoming consequences to her actions. It’s also possible future episodes will introduce characters related to the civilizations Kara helped slaughter – like Tony Stark was to one of Bucky’s victims – since a Green Lantern and Thanagarian were shown among the Empire’s victims.

Furthermore, it will be interesting to see how Clark and Kara’s relationship develops, given she is now his polar opposite. While the two have only just met, they nevertheless share a similar connection as Bucky did with Steve Rogers – though this time with a familial bond being the focus instead of a decades-old friendship. Hopefully, My Adventures With Superman will continue to explore Supergirl’s story and its fascinating Winter Soldier paralells as the rest of season 2 unfolds.

My Adventures With Superman

My Adventures with Superman is an animated action-adventure superhero series that follows the Man of Steel in an all-new origin story. Focusing on the light-hearted side of DC’s hero, the series follows Clark Kent’s journey of self-discovery of what it means to be a hero while trying to blend in with society. With his best friend and his crush, Lois Lane, the trio will strike out to cover the most significant stories – all while trying to keep the city of Metropolis safe from giant robots and super-powered villains.

Cast

Jack Quaid , Alice Lee , Ishmel Sahid , Kari Wahlgren

Release Date

July 6, 2023

Network

Adult Swim

Streaming Service(s)

Max