Supergirl: A New Heroine Enters the Fray

A highly anticipated new superhero TV series debuts next week, and when it does, the series' protagonist will enter a politically charged world where attention is sharply focused on the presentation of female comic-book characters.

The heroine of Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of Kryptonian refugee Kal-El, who is better known as Superman. Unlike her cousin, Kara, played by Melissa Benoist, is not in firm control of her superpowers, having kept them hidden throughout her childhood. Her struggle to master her abilities and use them to make the world a better, safer place will be the central theme of the series. At the same time, Kara must deal with her prickly boss, played by Calista Flockhart, and her co-worker Jimmy Olsen.

Supergirl, as the star of her own series, is in a unique position as a female superhero who is not serving as a secondary character to male heroes. Although females superheroes are more prevalent now than ever before - consider The Avengers' Black Widow and Wonder Woman in the upcoming Superman vs. Batman film - they've not yet been allowed to have the spotlight by themselves. No matter how Supergirl handles herself, she'll at least have the advantage of being in control of her own destiny.

Supergirl premieres on CBS on October 26.