This page is a complete list of appearances by Matrix Supergirl prior to Supergirl vol. 4, broken down by storyarc or series title.
Key stories include “The Supergirl Saga”, “Panic in the Sky”, Action Comics #676 and #677, Supergirl & Team Luthor #1 (1993), Supergirl (1994), and Showcase ’96 #8 (prelude to the 1996 Supergirl series).
Pre-Introduction Teasers
- Superman (1987 series) #16 (Apr 1988) (appears on page 21 and page 22 as shown)
- Adventures of Superman #440 (May 1988) (appears page 18)
- Adventures of Superman #441 (June 1988) (appears page 16)
- Superman (1987 series) #19 (July 1988) (appears page 8)
- Adventures of Superman #442 (July 1988) (appears page 12)
- Doom Patrol #10 (July 1988) (appears on page 20 and page 21 disguised as Lana Lang; takes place between panels of Superman #20)
- Superman (1987 series) #20 (Aug 1998) (appears on pages 1-3, 7 [as Lana Lang], 15 and 22)
The Supergirl Saga
- Superman (1987 series) #21 (Sep 1988)
- Adventures of Superman #444 (Sep 1988)
- Superman (1987 series) #22 (Oct 1988)
Supergirl reverted to an androgynous form at the end of Superman #22 and continued to appear in this state for the next few issues.
- Adventures of Superman #448 (Dec 1988) (appears only on pages 17 – 18)
- Adventures of Superman #450 (Jan 1989) (appears only on pages 16-21)
Supergirl began calling herself “Matrix” in the Exile in Space storyline. She appears very briefly in her androgynous form for 5 issues, which evolve into a B-plot wherein she impersonates Clark Kent while Superman is off in space in the Superman on Earth” storyline. Matrix then leaves Earth at the end of Action Comics #644, just as Superman had previously done. It would be three years before DC brought her back in “Panic in the Sky”.
Exile in Space
- Adventures of Superman #451 (Feb 1989) (appears only on pages 15 – 16)
- Superman (1987 series) #30 (Apr 1989) (pages 5, 6, 7)
- Adventures of Superman #453 (Apr 1989) (pages 4 – 5)
- Adventures of Superman #454 (May 1989) (pages 9, 10, 11, 12)
- Superman (1987 series) #32 (June 1989) (pages 13, 14, 15)
- Adventures of Superman #455 (June 1989) (pages 8, 9, 10, 11)
- Superman (1987 series) #33 (July 1989) (pages 14 – 15)
- Adventures of Superman #456 (July 1989) (the Metropolis-based B-plot running thru the previous issues takes over the A-plot in this issue)
Superman on Earth
- Action Comics #643 (July 1989)
- Superman (1987 series) #34 (Aug 1989)
- Adventures of Superman #457 (Aug 1989)
- Action Comics #644 (Aug 1989)
Panic in the Sky
Matrix returned in the 8-issue “Panic in the Sky” storyline.
- Action Comics #674 (Feb 1992)
- Superman: The Man of Steel #9 (Mar 1992)
- Superman (1987 series) #65 (Mar 1992)
- Adventures of Superman #488 (Mar 1992)
- Action Comics #675 (Mar 1992)
- Superman: The Man of Steel #10 (Apr 1992)
- Superman (1987 series) #66 (Apr 1992)
- Adventures of Superman #489 (Apr 1992)
Supergirl and Lex Luthor Jr.
Following “Panic in the Sky”, DC Comics began an ill-conceived story running through the Superman titles in which Supergirl begins an alliance with Lex Luthor (in the guise of Lex Luthor Jr.) Over the next two years DC Comics portrayed Supergirl as Lex’s “kept woman” in her brief appearances.
- Action Comics #676 (April 1992) (appears only on pages 21 and 22)
- Superman (1987 series) #67 (May 1992) (one panel on page 8)
- Action Comics #677 (May 1992)
- Action Comics #678 (June 1992)
- Action Comics #679 (July 1992) (page 11)
- Action Comics #680 (Aug 1992) (pages 12-13, 20-21)
Blaze-Satanus War
- Superman: The Man of Steel #15 (Sep 1992) (appears only on page 5)
- Superman (1987 series) #71 (Sep 1992) (page 7 and page 21)
- Action Comics #681 (Sep 1992) (pages 3, 5-7)
Valor
Supergirl meets Valor, the post-Crisis version of Mon-El.
- Valor #1 (Nov 1992) (appears on last page)
- Valor #2 (Dec 1992) (guest-starring)
- Valor #3 (Jan 1993) (appears on page 15)
Doomsday
- Adventures of Superman #497 (Dec 1992) (page 17)
- Action Comics #684 (Dec 1992) (page 11)
- Superman: The Man of Steel #19 (Jan 1993) (pages 13-16)
- Story concludes in Superman (1987 series) #75 (Jan 1993) (Supergirl does not appear)
Funeral for a Friend
- Adventures of Superman #498 (Jan 1993) (pages 6-7, 13)
- Action Comics #685 (Jan 1993)
- Superman: The Man of Steel #20 (Feb 1993) (pages 2-3)
- Adventures of Superman #499 (Feb 1993)
- Action Comics #686 (Feb 1993)
- Superman (1987 series) #77 (Mar 1993)
- Supergirl & Team Luthor (May 1993) 64-page one-shot
Reign of the Supermen
- Action Comics #687 (June 1993) (pages 17-18)
- Superman: The Man of Steel #23 (July 1993) (page 22)
- Adventures of Superman #502 (July 1993) featured
The Return of Superman
- Action Comics #689 (July 1993) featured
- Superman: The Man of Steel #24 (Aug 1993) (pages 8, 22)
- Action Comics Annual #5 (Sep 1993) (page 32)
- Superman: The Man of Steel #25 (Sep 1993) (pages 11-18, 21)
- Superman (1987 series) #81 (Sep 1993) (pages 2, 18)
- Action Comics #691 (Sep 1993) (pages 16-19)
- Superman (1987 series) #82 (Oct 1993) – featured
- Adventures of Superman #505 (Oct 1993) (pages 8-9)
- Action Comics #692 (Oct 1993) (appears in 4 pages)
- Superman: The Man of Steel #27 (Nov 1993) (page 13)
- Superman (1987 series) #83 (Nov 1993)
- Superman: The Man of Steel #28 (Dec 1993) (page 7)
- New Titans #108 (Feb 1994) (cameo in two panels)
Supergirl vol. 3 (Limited Series)
In 1994 DC Comics published a “trial run” Supergirl miniseries to gauge support for an ongoing series. The story put an end to the unpopular Lex Luthor relationship, and two years later an ongoing Supergirl series was launched.
- Supergirl #1 (Feb 1994)
- Supergirl #2 (Mar 1994)
- Supergirl #3 (Apr 1994)
- Supergirl #4 (May 1994)
- Action Comics #700 (June 1994)
Zero Hour
- Superman (1987 series) #93 (Sep 1994) (pages 1-7)
- Zero Hour: Crisis In Time! #2 (Sep 1994) (page 13)
- Zero Hour: Crisis In Time! #1 (Sep 1994) (pages 1-5, 12)
Supergirl and the New Titans
Supergirl was a member of the New Titans from 1994-1995. Her appearances with the team are unremarkable.
- Guy Gardner: Warrior #24 (Sep 1994) (pages 13, 18-21)
- Action Comics #706 (Jan 1995)
- Showcase ’95 #1 (Jan 1995) – contains the Supergirl story “Perfect Form” which continues in Showcase #2
- Showcase ’95 #2 (Feb 1995) – continues in New Titans #120
- Guy Gardner: Warrior #29 (Mar 1995)
- New Titans #120 (Apr 1995)
- New Titans #121 (May 1995)
- Guy Gardner: Warrior #30 (April 1995)
- Guy Gardner: Warrior #31 (May 1995)
- Damage #13 (June 1995) (four panels, 2 lines)
- Deathstroke #48 (June 1995) (Supergirl appears as one of the New Titans on pages 17-24, cont. in New Titans #122)
- New Titans #122 (June 1995)
- New Titans Annual #11 (June 1995) (semi-featured, pages 31-57)
- Darkstars #32 (July 1995) – (pages 1-4)
- Deathstroke #49 (July 1995) (two tiny panel appearances, no lines)
- Deathstroke #50 (Aug 1995) (one panel, one line)
- New Titans #123 (July 1995) (appears in two panels, has one line)
- New Titans #124 (Aug 1995)
- Green Lantern (1990 series) #65 (Aug 1995)
- Darkstars #34 (Sep 1995)
- Damage #16 (Sep 1995) (pages 8-9, 22)
- New Titans #125 (Sep 1995)
- New Titans #126 (Oct 1995)
The Trial of Superman
- Adventures of Superman #529 – Nov 1995 (pages 11-12, 18)
- Outsiders #24 – Nov 1995 (cameo)
- Action Comics #716 (Dec 1995) – page 10
- Superman: The Man of Steel #51 – Dec 1995 (pages 5, 11, 14, 17)
- Superman (1987 series) #107 (Dec 1995)
- Steel #22 (Dec 1995)
- Superman: The Man of Steel #52 (Jan 1996)
- Superman (1987 series) #108 (Jan 1996)
- Adventures of Superman #531 (Jan 1996)
- Showcase ’95 #12 (Dec 1995) – Supergirl stars in one of three unrelated stories, the other two featuring Maitresse and The Shade
- Supergirl Annual #1 1996 (April 1996). Part of the Legends of the Dead Earth elseworlds annuals from 1996, published a few months before the 1996 Supergirl series debuted. Contains “The Surrogate”, “The Legend Lives On” and “Shootout at Ice Flats”. Fairly dark and depressing stories.
- Superboy #28 (June 1996)
- Superman: The Man of Steel #58 – July 1996
- Showcase ’96 #8 (Sep 1996) (10-page prelude to the Supergirl [1996] series which debuted the same month)
References
- Issue data courtesy of the Grand Comics Database under a Creative Commons Attribution license
- The Comic Book Database: Supergirl (Matrix) – Chronological Listing