Ian Churchill & Norm Rapmund — Supergirl’s Schizophrenia
Supergirl # 4 (2005 Series), February 2006
This was one of my earliest blog posts (2019), but with the new Supergirl film arriving in a few days, it felt worth revisiting.
This Ian Churchill and Norm Rapmund splash is a personal favorite—and it comes with a good collecting story.
I had to pry it away from my pal Norm. He quoted me a price so high that I was sure he didn’t really want to sell it.
And he was sure I wouldn’t buy it.
Heh.
Years later, I still love the piece. And after seeing the movie trailers, I can easily imagine the current cinematic version of Supergirl doing exactly this to Lex Luthor—without having to split into two personalities first.
The setup is straightforward enough. Black Kryptonite—making one of its earliest comic-book appearances after debuting on Smallville—splits Kara into separate personalities. Her darker half has little interest in restraint. Here she gleefully tears apart the weaponized arm of Luthor’s war suit, sending shards flying in every direction.
Churchill and Rapmund really sell the moment. The exploding machinery is great, but Luthor’s expression may be the best part. It’s a wonderful mix of shock, panic, and the sudden realization that things are not going according to plan.
The new Supergirl movie opens wide in a few days. Whether it turns out to be a hit, who knows?
But I’ll happily wager this original art that it won’t age quite as badly as the 1984 version.
Sorry, Helen Slater. We adore you, but oof… that film.
