DC Permanently Depowers Original Supergirl Today, Crowns Her Official Replacement

Published Oct 14, 2026, 10:21 AM EDT

Robert Wood is a writer and editor based out of Cheshire, England. He is the author of 'The False Elephant: and 99 Other Unreasonably Short Stories' - 100 stories, each told in exactly 100 words.

Rob got into comics via Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man and the UK anthology 'The Mighty World of Marvel,' which was running Frank Miller's Daredevil, Classic Hulk and Contest of Champions II.

Prior to journalism, he worked in copywriting and copyedited for Oxford University Press. He is on X as @PinchTwigs and Instagram as roobwoodjourno.

DC just permanently stripped original Supergirl Kara Zor-El of her powers, while also crowning her successor as DC's new non-Kryptonian 'Supergirl.' Here's everything you need to know.

Recently, DC announced it would depower Kara Zor-El, handing the 'Supergirl' name to a new hero. While fans believed the selection process would be a contest between numerous heroes, Kara actually names her successor right before losing her powers.

Here's how Kara lost her Kryptonian abilities, who will take the Supergirl name, and what comes next...

How Kara Zor-El's Supergirl Just Lost Her Powers

Kara loses her powers in today's Supergirl #18, from Sophie Campbell and Tamra Bonvillain. In a shock twist, Kara is attacked by mercenary villain 'Reactron,' who shoves Gold Kryptonite in her face, stripping her of her powers.

In Superman lore, Gold Kryptonite doesn't just depower Kryptonians - it robs them of their ability to absorb yellow sunlight, meaning they can never regain their powers. This effect is known to DC's heroes, meaning that as the comic ends, Kara knows she'll never be superhuman again.

This being superhero comics, fans assume that Kara will eventually regain her abilities (indeed, Supergirl probably already introduced the solution in the Yellow Ring Of Nor-Kann, which synthesizes yellow sunlight to empower Kryptonians.) However, it's clear that for a matter of months or perhaps years, Kara will be human while another Supergirl will fly through the skies.

New Supergirl Officially Crowned by Kara

DC had teased that three heroes would compete for the Supergirl role, with Thundergirl, Nightflame and Matrix all rivaled for the honor. However, Supergirl #18 specifically shows Kara giving Matrix permission to use the name, stating, "There's room for more than one Supergirl." While the other heroes might want to use the codename too, it's unlikely Kara's appointed successor will drop it anytime soon.

The issue clarifies that in current DC lore, Matrix is a synthetic being who previously used the Supergirl identity. Degrading due to her programmed lifespan, she was frozen by Superman, who promised to reanimate her when a cure had been found. Now, Kara has freed Matrix just in time to take her place.

While Supergirl uses Kara's appearance in this issue, the cover for the next shows her with her own design, including pink skin and purple hair, as well as her own Supergirl costume. It's likely this is the design Matrix will use as the new Supergirl - potentially joined with Thundergirl and Nightflame also using the codename.

What's Next For Kara Zor-El?

While Kara isn't Supergirl anymore, she'll still be a character in the comic, with issue #19 teasing she'll re-entroll at Stanhope College and potentially continue to clash with Reactron, whose motives are still mostly a mystery.

Meanwhile, it's likely Matrix (and potentially other Supergirls) will continue to operate out of Kara's new 'Fortress of Solidarity' - a base so newly introduced, it's pretty clear that it's meant to be part of the new Supergirl's status quo.

Kara Zor-El just lost her powers in DC lore, with Matrix crowned as the new Supergirl in DC's ongoing stories.

Supergirl #18 is available now from DC Comics.