Heartwarming / Supergirl

Action Comics vol 2 #52: "It means there's a huge responsibility I need you to consider taking over for me."

The books

• Supergirl (1972)
• Supergirl (1982)
• Supergirl (2005)
• Supergirl (2011)
• Supergirl (Rebirth)
• Power Girl

The storylines

• Bizarrogirl
• Demon Spawn
• Elseworld's Finest: Supergirl & Batgirl
• Many Happy Returns
• Red Daughter of Krypton
• Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade
• Young Love

TV series

• Supergirl (2015)

The Comics

Silver Age

• In The Supergirl From Krypton (1959), Supergirl and Superman hug each other after discovering they are cousins. They aren't alone anymore.
• A lot of Streaky the Supercat's adventures are just plain adorable. A splash panel in "Supergirl's Super Pet" showed him saving baby chicks from an eagle, and another outing had him rescue ordinary cats from a dog.
• Action Comics #270: In the first story, Superman dreams he is stuck in the future world, in which Supergirl - now Superwoman - is the world's greatest hero and he is a decrepit, powerless has-been. Although he feels frustrated about being forgotten or treated as a silly old glory, he is happy about his cousin having acclaim and praise. In the Supergirl chapter, Linda turns sixteen, and Superman, Batman, Robin and several more friends throw a surprise party◊. And her cousin bakes a giant birthday cake!
• In "The Unknown Supergirl", Superman finally reveals his cousin's existence to the world and announces that she's his partner from that day on. Kara is overjoyed. And to top it all off, her foster mother thinks of how much Linda means to her and her husband:
  Edna Danvers: (thinking) To others, she's the world's greatest heroine, but she's more than that to us! She's the daughter we dearly love!
• In Action Comics #308, Kara takes care of a missing little girl for a while she seeks her parents out. The little kid - named Candy - called her mommy, too.
  Candy: Nice lady give Candy horsie-ride just like my mommy! Me call you "Mommy", too!
• In "The Untold Story of Argo City", Zor-El and Alura In-Ze have returned and Kara fears she'll have to choose between her biological parents and her foster ones... and then Zor and Alura reveal that they don't want to force her to choose. They will be her Kandorian parents and the Danvers her Earth parents. Feeling moved, Kara hugs her mother.
• In Adventure Comics #388 Lex Luthor goes to great lengths to prevent his sister and nephew from learning about their kinship so they can be free from him. Supergirl remarks that is one of the few decent things Luthor has ever done:
  Supergirl: But it was a white lie! Luthor doesn't want Val to live with the stigma of having a master criminal for an uncle! This was his one decent act in a lifetime of crime!

Bronze Age

• In Superboy (1949) issue #204 Supergirl saves Brainy's life. Afterwards she tells him she can't stay in the team right now, but maybe in the future she and he will be able to pick up where they left off. And then they kiss.
• In Justice League of America (Volume 1) #134 the entire League plus Supergirl are searching for Superman, who disappeared without a trace during the latest battle. They find a possible lead when they come upon Despero, but he's teleported away before they can get anything out of him. Kara gets distraught, as Wonder Woman attempts to reassure her. When words fail, Diana hugs the younger heroine:
  Wonder Woman: Try to be calm, Supergirl! We'll find Superman... Somehow!
  Supergirl: How can I be calm? Kal-El has always been like a brother to me — guiding me, teaching me to use my super-abilities — loving me — And now, when he needs me most — when he could be in deadly danger, perhaps dying — I've failed him! Don't you see that, Wonder Woman?
• In "The Attack of the Annihilator", Supergirl and Batgirl team up as well as reveal to each other their secret identities. Although Barbara feels upset thinking her friend's powers make her irrelevant, Kara gushes about Babs the whole time. She thinks Batgirl is awesome and is glad to be her partner.
• Kara died during the Crisis and her existence was forgotten when the universe rebooted itself. Post-Crisis Superman didn't even know he had a cousin until a new Kara Zor-El was introduced in "The Supergirl from Krypton (2004)", almost twenty years later. However, after the events of Convergence, post-Crisis Superman knows of his pre-Crisis cousin and he helped to avert her death.
• In Convergence: Adventures of Superman #1, Earth-1 Superman goes on about how highly he thinks of his cousin and how much Kara means to him:
  Superman: It's why I'm always in awe of you.
  Supergirl: Me? You're joking.
  Superman: No. Really. I act as a deterrent to those who do bad. I react to events after they happen and try to fix them. But you don't wait. You're always thinking of ways to use your powers to help others before they even know they need help. And you bring caring and warmth everywhere you go. I've never quite said this before, but for most of my life, I thought I was alone in the universe. You came to Earth and your optimism and cheer helped me through the times when it looked like the bad guys could win. You've not only touched my life, but everyone else's. And we're all so much better because you're here.
  Supergirl: I don't know what to say —

Post-Crisis

• In Supergirl (2005) #22, Kara thinks her cousin is about to lecture her after her latest mess-up, and she interrupts him to remind him he isn't her father, she's trying to learn to be better, and she doesn't need his validation. And then Superman cuts her off to say "I know." He agrees that she doesn't need his approval, she isn't in his shadow and she's learning from her mistakes and becoming a better hero and person.
• In DCU Infinite Holiday Special issue #1, Supergirl gets to answer some of the Christmas letters that get sent to him. One of those letters is from a girl who wants to see her father. However her father is an asshole who doesn't want his daughter to know he is a screw-up. Supergirl manages to talk him into clearing things up with his ex-wife and daughter through... unorthodox means. Several months later in Supergirl (2005) #50, the little girl thanks Supergirl for bringing her dad back:
  Supergirl: You know the cliché, Fred. Everyone does. "When you're about to die, your life flashes in front of your eyes." But I've been there, and it's crap... isn't it? You see something, though. You see the holes... the missing bits. And all of the things that would have made your life complete, if you had one more year... a day... a second. I don't know what you saw, Fred, but considering you were in free fall for a solid minute, I bet it was an eyeful. Maybe you are a screw-up. A loser. A drunk. But maybe, the piece you're missing... can make you something better. But only if you go to her, and try. Merry Christmas, Fred. Hope it's a good one.
• In the DC Universe Holiday Special 2008: A Day Without Sirens, a "Day Without Sirens" is proposed right before Christmas. Commissioner Gordon believes such an initiative is doomed to failure. The criminals of Gotham would never heed such a calling. However, the day proceeds without police sirens. It turns out that Oracle and Supergirl handled covertly all emergency calls during that day◊.
  Oracle: Just rest easy knowing you did something special today.
  Supergirl: You really think so? Do you think this one day is going to make a difference?
  Oracle: I know so. Never discount the healing power of a little hope, Kara.
• In Action Comics #850, Supergirl has to take over her cousin's body to save his life. Before leaving, she uses her heat vision to write on the wall: "Hang in there, big guy. You're SO not in this alone."
• In Supergirl #22, the Teen Titans go to Kent Farm to get Supergirl join them. Ravager is curious as to why Kara could be located over there.
  Ravager: Do you always visit farms in the middle of nowhere?
  Supergirl: You're so wrong, Ravager. This is more like the center of the universe.
• In "The Coming of Atlas", before joining the action, Supergirl is playing with a pride of lions. She's sitting a stunned-looking cub on her lap and petting the angry mother (which tries to biting her and claw her uselessly). The moment is both tender (Kara is positively sunny) and hilarious (the cats look frozen is utter disbelief).
• In Superman: Brainiac, Kara glomps Clark◊ while she tells him she is terrified of Brainiac. He hugged her back to reassure her.
• In the beginning of New Krypton, Kara is reunited with her parents and the three of them embrace tightly as Superman stares smilingly. Combined with a tear-jerker when you realize that was their last happy family moment.
• In Teen Titans (Volume 3) #55 Cassie Sandsmark kicks Kara out of the team pretty unfairly◊. In issue #66, Cassie apologizes to Kara for pushing her away◊, and both girls make up◊:
  Wonder Girl: So... This we can be friends again?
  Supergirl: Tch. Cassie... When were we ever not friends?
• Showing just how far she's come and calling out her mother on her torture of Reactron at the end of New Krypton. Keep in mind that Reactron had killed her father and tried to rape and torture her and her friends, but Kara still stands up for the idea that torturing him is wrong.
• During "Reign of Doomsday", a computerized Dr. Fate tells Kara that she is suffering from survivor guilt after losing her parents and Krypton over again◊ and she shouldn't let guilt kill her◊ and she has to forgive herself◊.

Post-Flashpoint

• After the Downer Ending of issue 23, issue 24 ends on a happy note. Supergirl's body is restored, her kryptonite poisoning is removed, the entire collective of I'noxia is safe from Brainiac, and they escape Cyborg Superman's grasp. The collective thanks Supergirl for sharing her memories with them and remind her that her familiy's love is why she's alive. Before they part ways, they tell her to find happiness, because the search for it will truly lead her home.
• Issue 33 is a big one. After almost sacrificing herself to stop the World Killer (she's come a long way from the girl who thought Earth was just "a ball of sweat and mud") and finally getting off the Red Lantern ring, Kara's mind is finally clear of all the rage and angst that's plagued her since the New 52 started. She realizes that there may be a place for her on Earth after all, and she goes back to start over.
• Power Girl, her adult self from an Alternate Universe, saving her life and then bonding with her. Usually, when two superheroes meet, there's a slugfest, but Kara and Kara touch and are immediately assaulted with each others' memories. There's a bit of teasing ("You don't think that outfit is a little too revealing?"/"I got it out of your closet!"), but they end up liking and admiring each other so much. It's especially sweet because Power Girl was earlier shown going out of her way to avoid Supergirl, not wanting to cause some kind of paradoxical explosion.
• The relationship between Superman and Supergirl was rather strained and uneasy during The New 52 era. Then, in The Final Days of Superman, Clark seeks his cousin out to ask her to consider taking up his mantle. When Kara admits she's unsure of herself, Clark gives her a "You're better than you think you are" speech. Then he gives her the key to the Fortress and states even though he's gone he'll be always there for her:
  Supergirl: But I am not sure that I can deal with all their... expectations...
  Superman: It's not about us, Kara. It's about them. It's about paying it forward so people can see it. A tangible example of what's right and wrong. Be the stone, Kara, because it's the ripples that change the world. You can do this. You're so much stronger than you give yourself credit for. Sure, our family shield can be a target, but it's also a badge of honor that I know you wear proudly each and every day.

Rebirth

• At the end of "Escape from the Phantom Zone", Supergirl and Batgirl talk. Kara is impressed with Barbara, who makes it known the feeling is mutual:
  Supergirl: You dove into the Phantom Zone rift without a second thought. You were awesome. A hero.
  Batgirl: You dove into a psychic storm dragon's mouth.
  Supergirl: It is not a contest.

Others

• In Justice Kara casually derides Lois while under mind-control, stating she has no idea what her cousin sees in Miss Lane. Once removed the mind control, Kara watches Superman and Lois kissing... and smiles.
• In Injustice 2 issue #26, Damian thinks he's become nothing but a soldier following orders of his madman of a grandfather. Kara disagrees.
  Damian: Kara. I'm... not a good person.
  Kara: Nonsense.
  Damian: You don't know me. You don't know—
  Kara: Your grandfather wants to kill millions. Your father is the Batman— evil incarnate as I understand it. Your mother?
  Damian: She's an assassin.
  Kara: Of course she is. Damian. Your family sounds like pure evil. But I've known you for less than a day, and in that time I've already seen you willing to sacrifice your life for a stranger. You don't have to go back to them.
• In Gotham City Garage issue #9 Kara writes a long letter for her sister Barbara, because even though Barbara will probably never get to read it, Kara needs to let out how badly she misses her sister.
• In the aftermath of the battle against the Legion of Death -narrated in Justice League 3001 #12 and Blue Beetle (Vol 10) #13-, The Flash wonders how they may possibly triumph over Lady Styx. Supergirl hugs her and says:
  Flash: We may have won this battle— but there's still a helluva long war ahead.
  Supergirl: And we'll win the war, Teri. I know it— in the bottom of my soul.
  Flash: How can you know it?
  Supergirl: Because in the end, hope will always win out over despair. And simple human decency will always triumph over evil.

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