Summary

• Supergirl merges x-ray vision with supervision for DNA analysis, redefining Kryptonian powers.
• Kara's new power could lead to privacy breaches.
• Supergirl also reveals that Superman's x-ray vision isn't as subtle as fans once thought it to be.

Supergirl has pushed its invasiveness to astonishing new heights by merging it with another classic Kryptonian ability. However, this isn’t the only way Kara Zor-El has redefined the Man of Steel’s x-ray vision in recent times.

Kara's 'new' power could lead to uncomfortable conversations about parentage and reveal underlying conditions that individuals may be susceptible to or already have.

In Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #4, Tom King, Bilquis Evely, and Mat Lopes continue Kara and her companion Ruthye Marye Knoll’s journey across galaxies as they hunt down Krem of the Yellow Hills and his genocidal pirate companions, the Barbond’s Brigands.

As Supergirl and Ruthye track the trail of devastation left by Krem and the Brigands, they come across various planets and communities devastated by these villains. One such encounter involves an alien who has lost her daughter amid the attacks and doesn’t know where her body lies. Supergirl helps bring the grieving mother peace through an unconventional use of her x-ray and supervision.

Supergirl Can Combine Her X-Ray and Supervision in a Way That Makes Her an On-Demand DNA Test

Supergirl and Ruthye encounter the alien mother tirelessly digging countless graves to prevent the government from creating a mass grave for all the deceased. The alien explains that her daughter is among the dead and, though she doesn’t know where her body lies, she wants her daughter to have a separate grave. In true Supergirl fashion, Kara not only digs graves at inhuman speed but also uses her x-ray and supervision to analyze the alien mother’s DNA and compare it to the various fallen bodies, ultimately revealing the location of the alien’s daughter.

Kara’s ability to analyze and compare DNA using only her vision is a phenomenal feat, as she essentially combines her super and x-ray vision and possibly other sight-centric powers. DNA analysis is a power no other Kryptonian, including Superman, has demonstrated in comics, making this application of power uniquely Kara’s. Despite the alien’s gratitude for Kara’s help, this ability is undoubtedly one of the Super-Family’s most invasive powers. It could lead to uncomfortable conversations about parentage and reveal underlying conditions that individuals may be susceptible to or already have–AKA a huge breach of privacy.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #3 Rewrites What Fans Know About Superman’s X-Ray Vision

Kara’s ability to essentially turn into an on-demand DNA test isn’t the only revelation about her X-ray vision in King’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow run. In issue #3, Ruthye reveals that whenever Kara uses her X-ray vision on her, she can feel the “firm tingle that comes when someone’s x-raying you with their eyes.” This is a major revelation because, until this issue, it was assumed that Kryptonian x-ray vision had no outward signs, making it their most subtle ability. This new insight rewrites part of what fans have known about Superman and Supergirl’s iconic power, showing that X-ray vision isn’t as subtle as once believed.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #4 is available now from DC Comics!