Thanks to folks who feed me Supergirl information that I would otherwise be oblivious to.
I admit that if there is a hole in my standard Supergirl perusals, it is DC Superhero Girls. I think my focus is so drawn to comics and the show that the ancillary stuff sometimes falls to the wayside.
So thanks to all those who told me I should seek out DC Superhero Girls Episode 521, 'Fortress of Solidarity'.
You can see the two part episode over on Youtube here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
It is as close to a holiday episode as you can get with the usual fun look at the DCU. One thing that has grabbed my attention in the few episodes that I have seen this season is that there has been something of a running thread about Supergirl and her feelings of loneliness.
That started in 'For the Girl who has Everything', a story where she is missing her family and is looking for some control, some world where she is more preeminent.
At the Superhero High lighting of the Christmas tree, we see Kara reminiscing about the Winter Feast on Krypton, a time where families hung crystals on plants and exchanged gifts under the nighttime rainbow sky.
Batgirl asks if the rainbow sky is similar to the Aurora Borealis, a phenomenon that Kara doesn't seem to know about.
She not only misses her Kryptonian family, she is missing her Earth family. Once again, as we saw them do in 'For the Girl ...', the Kents are missing. Here they are attending a farming convention rather than heading to the high school for the end of year festivities.
If that wasn't bad, we see families and friendships all around Supergirl. There is even a funny bit where Trigon shows up and some shenanigans ensue.
But this is a Supergirl who feels very alone.
She heads to the Aurora.
Luckily, Batgirl sees her friend streak by in the night sky.
Heads to aurora
She is amazed at the Northern Lights.
But unfortunately, she lands near Captain Cold who is also hanging out there. He spies her Kryptonian Crystal necklace. He knows those crystals react with water. He could use it to start a new ice age!
Okay, I shouldn't be thinking too hard about a DCSHG short. But she happened to land right near Cold? He knows about Kryptonian Crystals? And he packs a Kryptonite setting on his ice gun??
Showing that she is not alone, Supergirl's closest friends show up to talk to her and now help her. Mera, Batgirl, Wonder Woman, and Killer Frost are all there.
Somehow, Cold puts up a decent fight! It takes everyone working together to stop him.
And then the lesson. Batgirl tells Supergirl that she knows how hard the holidays can be when you miss people you love. But Supergirl has her friends.
Oh yeah ... the Kents also decided to skip the convention and are waiting for her back at the school.
She also knows that her mother would never give her something so dangerous. She puts the crystal into the snow which grows a crystalline structure.
Batgirl says that even now her parents' love is the gift that keeps giving.
It is interesting how this is so very Donner. Crystals growing land masses and Arctic fortresses. Amazing.
What I really love is the ending.
Her friends think that this place will be Kara's Fortress of Solitude, where she goes when she needs alone time to think about Krypton.
But if we have learned anything these episodes it is that Kara doesn't want to be alone. She doesn't need a fortress of solitude. She needs a fortress of solidarity, a place to be with friends. Because the best gifts are ones you share.
Okay, the animation is pretty rough. And Captain Cold shouldn't be able to hold off a mini-JLA. But the sentiment of the story is spot on. And I love how they are addressing Kara and her thoughts on her home.
Not a bad mini holiday special.
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