Why We Need "Supergirl" To Succeed

Boys are from Krypton and girls are from Krypton.

"What do you think is so bad about girl? I'm a girl and your boss and powerful and rich and hot and smart. So if you perceive Supergirl as anything less than excellent isn't the real problem you?" - Cat Grant, keeping it real.

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Flying onto our screens this Fall is Superman's young cousin Supergirl, Kara Zor-el. She has all the same powers as Superman: strength, flight, heat vision, and charm. Throw some glasses as a pseudo disguise and you have a blonde version of Clark Kent.

"Supergirl" takes a similar premise that of "Smallville," a young adult struggling to balance her powers and humanity all while keeping it a secret from the world. Despite the similar premise and powers, people have taken to the internet calling "Supergirl" a "chick flick" rather than a superhero show.

The complaints come from that the preview trailer showing Supergirl trying on several outfits until she found the right one, several romantic interests, interaction with her sister, and whining that she'll never fit it. This formula is common and found within every single male superhero TV show and film that has ever been created. However because it is a young woman these tropes are frowned upon and it's chalked up to a "rom-com."

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Superheroines, with exception of 1979's "Wonder Woman," 1995's "Xena: Warrior Princess," and 1997's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," have not found much success among TV audiences. 2014's "Agent Carter" from the Marvel Universe was a success and secured a second season.

Others were not so lucky, 2002's "Birds of Prey" was shot down before it soared and 2013's "Wonder Woman" was lassoed before its first episode even aired. Superheroines have found success by making cameos in their male counterparts shows, such as "Arrow" and "Smallville."

Even in the Hollywood scene DC and Marvel ladies have yet to make their mark in the silver screen. The first major heroine was Storm, played by Halle Berry. Comic enthusiasts who have read her back story know that it's rich and detailed, worthy of its own origin story. But what did Marvel deliver instead: 7 X-Men films led by Wolverine or exploring Wolverine's origins.

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Black Widow was another fully fleshed out heroine to have caught the major public's attention and have a potential solo film. However when Marvel released their impressive list of future films the assassin was nowhere to be found. Even the first lady of heroines, Wonder Woman, is just making a comeback after a 36 year hiatus in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and her own film, set to come out in 2017.

With hundreds of female heroes and villains spanning across DC, Marvel and everywhere in between one would think there would be more films and shows dedicated to them. Many have decades of character development under their belt and dedicated fans, both male and female. So why the lack of super ladies?

Some believe it has to do with the lack of interest from the public in female heroes, which makes it difficult to create a show or film around one with no guarantee of a viewership. It could be that the majority of writers are male, with a good chunk incapable of writing a well rounded female character. This may be due to the fact they don't see women as people. Since the women in comic book worlds also live in a patriarchal society, they deal with the same stigmas and prejudices women in the real world do.

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She could a lift train, stop bullets, shoot lasers from her eyes, and fly. This won't stop people from commenting on the length of her skirt or what diet she's on. Being a woman or superwoman is a hard, they have to work harder with no guarantee of success. Let's see if Supergirl will be able to soar to new heights and break down the glass ceiling or if she's grounded before her cape comes back from the cleaners.