Superman's X-ray vision is an iconic part of the Kryptonian power set, but hard to escape Superman's shadow. However, her creative use of her Kryptonian powers means that she has achieved some feats even the Man of Steel has never shown off.

In Batman/Superman: World's Finest #2, by Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Tamra Bonvillain, and Aditya Bidikar, Supergirl and Robin must travel through time to find a group of ancient warriors that can help them find and defeat the Devil Nezha, a villain that has been dormant for thousands of years. After breaking through the time barrier, Robin asks Supergirl if she has a way of getting to the right location in space and time. Supergirl tells him that, "Everything on Earth leaves a tachyon trail" and that using her X-ray vision, she can follow the path of the Devil Nezha's sword through time. Following the tachyon trail, Supergirl and Robin watch as the sword es from hand to hand through several eras of human history, before they finally settle on the correct moment in time when the sword came into with the warriors they are seeking.

Supergirl's X-Ray Vision Is the Key to Time Travel

supergirl powers x-ray vision through time

This adds immense value to the power of X-ray vision as used by Kryptonian heroes like Supergirl and Superman. A power once limited to simply seeing through walls (so long as no lead is present) is now the key to navigating through time. While Superman is presumably capable of this too, it's fitting that readers get to see Supergirl pull it off, as she's often been more willing to experiment with their powers, up to and including deliberately using Red Kryptonite to assume totally new forms.

Supergirl's Power Has Limitless Applications

supergirl fly through time with robin

While toying with time is a big decision, Supergirl's power opens up major possibilities. If this method can be used to track objects to their source, it will be easy for Kryptonian heroes to trace a weapon back to its maker, investigate a past crime, or hunt down a missing person. Supergirl is the perfect hero to follow up on this ability, as she's slightly more reckless than Clark Kent - someone who would surely travel back through time to stop a demon, but who would also bend the rules for a normal person in distress. It's also a moment that shows X-ray vision is more than it seems, returning to the classic idea of Kryptonians having true 'super-senses,' not just being able to see long distances or through walls.

Future Supergirl Stories Need to Bring Back Tachyon-Vision

Supergirl and Superman in DC Comics

Being able to track anything on Earth through time by its tachyon trail is a game-changer, and a concept that needs to return in future Supergirl stories. Kara Zor-El is a beloved character, and creators are always looking for ways to make her Kryptonian powers unique. Making Supergirl the Kryptonian who dares to voyage through time is the perfect way to do that, and Batman/Superman: World's Finest sets it up as the natural evolution of an iconic, household-name power.