Supergirl: The 5 Most (& 5 Least) Realistic Storylines

The CW’s Supergirl is quickly approaching its final season. Over the years the show has developed into quite the phenomenon. Contributing a huge amount to the Arrowverse, Kara Danvers and the Supergirl team have developed and evolved greatly throughout the timeline of the series. As the end approaches it’s important to revisit some of the classic stories that were explored in the DC project.

The idea of realism in a comic book property can sometimes lead a franchise down a dark and gritty path, or perhaps will be ignored completely in favor of over the top moments inspired by the source material. Supergirl managed to create an interesting balance though, combining personal and deeply emotional stories with less realistic superhero sequences.

10 Least Realistic: The Legion

The concept of the Legion of Superheroes dates back to the comics. This is a show based on graphic novels, after all, so not everything is going to be scientifically accurate; sometimes elements of Supergirl require the audience to simply suspend their disbelief. The arrival of this heroic, time-traveling team was definitely one of those occasions.

The Legion is made up of a group of super-powered individuals from the future. Featuring Mon-El, an ex-partner whose relationship with Kara was cut off too soon, the team also boasted the alien Brainiac 5, the powerful Saturn Girl alongside Computer Lad/Toyman Whin Schott who left his own time for the 31st Century.

9 Most Realistic: Virtual Reality

Supergirl has also tried to combine real-world problems and developments, linking them into the villain of the week’s masterful plot. For Alex Danvers, she was sucked into an investigation involving brand new virtual reality technology.

The tech on the show is a variation of where VR could be taken in the future, in the real world. Alex transformed into a version of Supergirl in the virtual world but was unable to escape. Her investigation demonstrated the negative effects of living in the digital age, although admittedly some criminal tampering also endangered the lives of users of this tech.

8 Least Realistic: Reign

The main villains of season 3 of the show were the World Killers. Ancient alien beings who wanted to raise hell on Earth, the group was primarily led by Reign. The criminally underrated Samantha Arias didn’t realize she was actually living a double life.

Sam would change between being one of Kara’s closest friends and her arch-nemesis, Reign. The story was far from realistic, yet it was still incredibly compelling to see Supergirl face off against foes of equal power to her; alongside learning a little more about Krypton’s history.

7 Most Realistic: Alex’s Personal Journey

Out of all of the characters in the show, Alex Danvers has been on the most emotionally challenging journey. Her own personal arc has seen her promoted and demoted, struggle with her desire to start a family, and come to understand her own sexuality.

In one of the most powerful episodes of Supergirl, Alex came out to her sister Kara, after starting to question who she really was. The scene was praised by many for its authentic portrayal of the moment; this overall story is perhaps one of the most realistic and moving of the show.

6 Least Realistic: Crisis On Infinite Earths

The Arrowverse had been building up to a much larger crossover event for quite some time. The comics have made a habit of bringing together the heroes of the DC Universe and the cinematic equivalent has begun to follow suit. Crisis On Infinite Earths is far from realistic.

Involving the Multiverse, time travel, alien threats, and superpowers galore, this tale of the end of reality and the beginning of a new chapter on Earth-Prime is certainly an unbelievable one. Nonetheless, audiences loved the opportunity to see these iconic characters come together on screen once more.

5 Most Realistic: J’onn J’onzz Parental Role

Alex and Kara grew up in a relatively traditional household until their father disappeared. This was something they struggled with for some time, with his return to the show only complicating their feelings on the matter. There’s been one narrative throughout that has demonstrated the importance of family though.

Over time J’onn J’onzz has become the father figure to Alex and Kara that they needed. This is a deeply touching story and one that the show has capitalized on, as the Kryptonian, the Martian and the Human continue to work on their makeshift family, with J’onn providing a lot of love and guidance.

4 Least Realistic: Mxy

Mr. Mxyzptlk is an iconic villain from the pages of DC Comics. Known as an Imp, much like Bat-Mite from Bruce Wayne’s corner of the universe, Mxy actually uses 5th-dimensional energy to impact the reality found on Earth.

The character has appeared a couple of times, sporting different appearances. Previously falling in love with Supergirl, he returns to atone for his mistakes by helping her identify how she could change her life for the better. Needless to say, all of this reality-bending isn’t exactly something that could happen in the real world.

3 Most Realistic: Agent Liberty

The best fights of Supergirl occur when the girl of steel is paired up against someone with an equally powerful set of abilities. Having said this, the most compelling conflicts take place when there are personal stakes attached to them.

The attacks of Agent Liberty demonstrates what might happen in the real world if aliens really were living amongst the human population. Prejudice, hatred and propaganda combine to create a dangerous political situation; one based upon legitimate events from across history.

2 Least Realistic: Music Meister

The appearance of the Music Meister created one of the most imaginative crossovers of the show. The combination of Supergirl and the Flash, coupled up with this musical reality, meant audiences got to see these characters in a completely different light.

The Music Meister certainly deserved more screen time across the Arrowverse, although his appearance sparked renditions of classic songs like Moon River and original creations such as Super Friends. The cast’s Glee background certainly came into good use here in this fantastical episode.

1 Most Realistic: Kara’s Journalism

Throughout Supergirl the show has made it very clear that not only is Kara a highly respected superhero but she is also a talented and well-experienced journalist. The series has gone to great lengths to focus on the success of her career and her many investigations.

Oftentimes these happen to coincide with the much larger plots of the villains, although it is important for Kara’s character development to see her thriving at work. This also creates a real duality between her life as the Kryptonian warrior and her more human day to day existence.

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