Supergirl # 4 (2005 Series), February 2006
Two Supergirls — one “light”, one “dark.” Lex Luthor in his “war-suit.” Appearances by Superman and the Justice League. Covers by the late Michael Turner. Darkseid. Big splashy fight scenes. And did I mention Luthor in his “war-suit?”
This fun —albeit brief — arc of Supergirl comes to us courtesy of Jeph Loeb, writer, and is rendered dynamically by Ian Churchill, penciller and Norm Rapmund, inker.
Black Kryptonite, making an early comic book appearance here (It was first introduced in the Smallville TV show) is responsible for Kara’s split personality, and her dark side has no problem taking the gloves off, quite literally. Here we see her get the upper hand on Luthor’s — (ahem)— upper hand, as she gleefully destroys the weapon of mass destruction built into his arm. Check out the amazing detail as it shatters into a million pieces. Also noteworthy is Luthor’s face, which expresses a rare combination of pain and shock.
It’s always fun to see Luthor in his super-suit post Crisis on Infinite Earths, and especially entertaining to see Supergirl shred it.
CBR has a fascinating look at the iconic suit’s history here.
The “B” cover of the issue is a Churchill homage to Curt Swan’s cover of Action # 346.