How old is Supergirl? Comics, TV, and movies age explored

Supergirl's (Kara Zor-El) age in comics has been the subject of much discourse. Some comics have painted her as younger than her cousin Kal-El, aka Superman, while others have portrayed her as older. The Kryptonian shares the same genes as her cousin, which gives her the benefits of an extended life, but fans still debate about the character's age to this day.What's interesting is that the comics have showcased two different ages for Supergirl: one that was created by Otto Binder in 1959, with the revised origins debuting in Jeph Loeb's Batman/Superman series. Both paint the character at different ages. However, going by Loeb's writing, we do get a definitive answer as it is the origin that has been made canon in the comics.Supergirl is 15 years old when she lands on earthNow, if you're going by the Otto Binder origins, Supergirl is 15 when she lands on Earth. When Krypton is destroyed, a part of it, called Argo City, survives. One of the main surviving scientists in Argo City is Zor-El, the brother of Jor-El (Kal El's father), and his daughter is Kara Zor-El.However, when Argo City is impacted by a meteor shower, causing it to slowly die as Kryptonite radiation takes over the land, in a last-ditch effort, Zor learns that Jor-El had sent his son to Earth. This prompts him to send Kara off to the planet so that she can survive.Kara is discovered by Superman when she lands on Earth, and both of them bond over their shared Kryptonian heritage. In Action Comics #270, it's revealed that Kara is set to celebrate her 16th birthday, which promptly confirms the fact that she was 15 when she landed on Earth. However, going by Jeph Loeb's revision, the history is quite different.Jeph Loeb's revised origins for Supergirl sees the Kryptonian older than SupermanIn Jeph Loeb's Batman/Superman series, it's revealed that Kara is supposed to be Kal El's older cousin. This is because, in this continuity, she was born before Superman and leaves for Earth at the same time as him. When Krypton is being destroyed, both the cousins are put into separate ships. However, while Kal has a safe journey to Earth, Kara's journey is interrupted when her ship gets hit by a meteor, and she is trapped in suspended animation for 30 years.Originally, Kara was 16 when Krypton was destroyed. When she finally makes it to Earth 30 years later, she finds out that Clark is a fully grown adult and one of the planet's mightiest heroes. However, since she has been stuck in suspended animation for so long, technically, she is almost 46 years old.How old is Kara in films and shows?Jeph Loeb's revised origin for Kara went on to become the main basis for any modern adaptation of the character. The CW show Supergirl, starring Melissa Benoist as the titular character, sees her land on Earth when she is in her early teens and then adopts her superhero identity when she is about 24. The origins stick close to how it is presented in modern comics.However, in films, the case is a bit different. None of the film adaptations of Kara have ever addressed her age. The Supergirl film from the 1980s had Helen Slater play the character, who at the time was 18 years old. Even for Sasha Calle's version of Kara in The Flash, the origins were similar to that of Superman from the Flashpoint comics, but it is never outright stated what her age was.Fortunately, for the upcoming Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow film starring Milly Alcock, we might finally have an answer. Since the film is based on the comic of the same name by Tom King and Bilquis Evely, Kara is expected to be 21 years old in the story.Going by the comics, it's pretty clear that Supergirl remains closer to the age of 15 to 16 in almost every adaptation when she arrives on Earth.

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