Supergirl Nearly Destroyed DC's Trinity Just by Existing
As the linchpins of the Justice League, the friendship between DC Comics’ iconic Trinity - Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman - is one of the greatest team-ups in comics, so how could Supergirl damage it all by herself? Having saved the world a dozen times over both as individuals and as a team, the bond shared by the Trinity has been the difference between life and death for each of the trio on more than one occasion. But when Supergirl Kara Zor-El made her initial debut in post-Crisis continuity, her very existence pushed the Trinity to the limits of their friendship.
Wonder Woman and her counterparts Superman and Batman are all unique and strong-willed individuals. That’s a major part of why all three are effective both as solo heroes and as a group. But those strong wills are occasionally at odds with one another, and when Kara first came to Earth in the “Supergirl” story arc of Superman/Batman by Jeph Loeb and Michael Turner, their disagreements got more than a little personal.
When Supergirl first crashes to Earth in Superman/Batman #8, Batman is immediately suspicious of her supposed origin despite Superman’s immediate faith in his newfound cousin. These initial tensions only grow as Bruce goes behind Clark’s back to stage Kara’s kidnapping by Wonder Woman herself as a test. Superman is less than pleased with his friends’ methods, and though Kara herself seems happy to train with Diana on Paradise Island, the Trinity are so busy arguing among themselves as to what’s best for her that she hardly gets any say. Soon, matters are made worse when the young Supergirl is kidnapped by the forces of Darkseid. Clark strikes an especially low blow against his two closest friends by invoking their then-dead proteges when he says, “We wouldn’t even be having this conversation if we were saving Donna Troy or Jason Todd.” The Trinity manages to overcome their differences and rescue the Girl of Steel, but this whole ordeal truly highlights just how different they are.
Prior to Kara Zor-El’s arrival, Clark had experience with previous Supergirls like the Matrix or Cir-El, not to mention the clone Superboy, Conner Kent. But what made Kara different was her distinct ties to his past and his Kryptonian heritage - in a way, almost making her a living embodiment of Krypton in the mind of Kal-El. This borderline deification, combined with Superman’s already caring and familial nature, placed Kara on a pedestal in Clark’s mind, fueling his overprotective tendencies and placing him at odds with Batman and Wonder Woman.
While Clark immediately devoted himself to his cousin, it’s not like Batman to immediately trust the story of a girl who just happened to fall out of the sky, especially when she’s powerful enough to go toe-to-toe with the Man of Steel. Meanwhile, if anyone knows the responsibilities weighing on a young woman with incalculable strength, it’s Diana. Though she can frequently be as trusting as Clark, Wonder Woman’s more tactical sensibilities aligned her more closely with Batman regarding preparing Kara for all eventualities.
These differences in personality clearly cause their fair share of tension, especially if they were strong enough for Superman to bring up Jason Todd and Donna Troy in an argument, but ultimately, they’re what help make the Trinity team-up so dynamic. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are the greatest heroes in the DC Universe. Though they don’t always see eye to eye, their dedication to justice and to each other bring them closer together than any one disagreement could tear apart. And although the arrival of DC Comics’ Supergirl came close to tearing Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman apart, the Trinity are heroic enough to overcome their differences even when someone steps way over the line.