Kryptonians are some of the most powerful beings in the DC Universe. The likes of Superman, Supergirl, and General Zod are capable of leveling cities, flying through space, and even traveling through time (depending upon the continuity). However, the powers of both Superman and Supergirl have some interesting considerations when examining their powers through the lens of today’s privacy-conscious society. While the likes of X-ray vision and super hearing are well known, in Supergirl #26, the Girl of Steel demonstrated a new way in which Kryptonians are capable of violating an individual’s right to privacy.
Supergirl #26 by Tony Bedard, Yildiray Cinar, and Ray McCarthy is focused around the backdrop of an impending conflict against Lobo. The Main Man is on Earth, looking for Shay Veritas so that he can get some information concerning an imposter. However, Supergirl is with Shay Veritas, as Kara Zor-El is being examined by Dr. Veritas to make sure that her recent bout of kryptonite poisoning. The most memorable thing that occurs in this issue is that, after Supergirl and Lobo clash, she appears to kill Lobo with one punch. This was a surprising feat as Lobo has been shown to regenerate from a single drop of blood.
While her apparent murder of Lobo is obviously the most shocking element of this comic, one of the more underrated moments comes from an interaction between Supergirl and Dr. Ingrid Nelson. Supergirl arrives at Veritas’ facility seeking treatment for her kryptonite poisoning and, as the Kryptonian is descending, she calls out to the doctor, believing that she is Veritas. The doctor, however, claims that she is not actually Veritas and that she is Ingrid Nelson. Supergirl is shocked by this, claiming that she ‘saw her DNA’ and that it matched Veritas’ DNA.
While it may not be too big a deal that Supergirl is able to read someone’s DNA, it has some intriguing implications. For instance, if she is able to read DNA, is she able to interpret diseases in an individual’s future? If someone is predisposed to develop some form of cancer, will Supergirl be able to see this and warn the person?
It’s hardly surprising that Supergirl, and Kryptonians in general, are able to read people’s DNA considering their incredibly strong and varied power set. That being said, it is certainly surprising that Supergirl would use this power without warning, clearly violating the right of people to their own privacy in a very subtle manner.