Early Supergirl

[binarysunrise]

So I am still working on indexing and cataloguing all the old Superman daily newspaper strips.  And this storyline stood out and I thought I needed to share it.  Running from strips 5775-5876 (June 17, 1957 to October 12, 1957) is a storyline I've titled "Myrtle Pepper, Super-Girl."



It's a story about Clark Kent giving a blood transfusion to a girl in a hospital, granting her Super powers.  Granted, it seems similar to the "Lois Lane - Superwoman" storyline from 1943 in Action Comics #60.  However, what I find interesting is the length of the story (1/3 of the year, with Myrtle in her costume for much of it), and the fact that it is so close to Superman #123 (August 1958) which many consider to be the Supergirl "tryout" issue.  Kara Zor-el, as we all know, then made her first appearance in 1959.



So my question...did people know of this newspaper strip storyline before?  Have they looked at it as a proto-proto Supergirl story?  Or were there too many of these earlier storylines that involved superpowered women? (did Myrtle appear in the comics?)  Anyhow, thought I'd share. 

[Great Rao]

That's yet another incredible find you've made.  I've never heard of the story line before - and I'm certain that if it were known about, it would have been mentioned elsewhere.  This is obviously the pre-cursor to Super-Girl; plus I think it also ties in with the "Lois Lane, Superwoman" story concept from the early issues of Superman.  I know that Lois did receive a blood transfusion from Superman, but I don't know if her gaining Superpowers actually happened or was a dream.

In Will Murray's K-Metal article, he argues that Lois's blood transfusion from Superman (in Superman #6, 1940), along with Lois learning Clark's dual identity in K-Metal (which would have been published two issues later), the groundwork was being laid for Lois actually becoming a permanent Superwoman, the first member in Siegel's vision of a "Superman Family."

[binarysunrise]

Oh, and there's a great gag early on in the strip. Myrtle makes her costume to impress Superman, and then flies to help extinguish a roaring inferno.  Much to her embarassment, when Superman finally arrives, she has to flee, as she had forgotten to make her costume fireproof.  Naked, and hiding behind a rock, she quickly asks Superman if she flew out *really* quickly, if other people would be able to see her 

[Super Monkey]

Cool find, but here is the Original Supergirl from 1949!

http://superman.nu/wiki/index.php/Lucy_Regent

[binarysunrise]

Ah, the fifties..... 

[jamespup]

As I recall, there was much Marlboro product placement in Superman II

[Great Rao]

So how does the storyline end?

[binarysunrise]

Superman takes it upon himself to teach Myrtle how to be a proper superhero and lady (think My Fair Lady).  She falls for him, he doesn't notice, and she looks elsewhere. (Meanwhile, Superman realizes that Myrtle may be the perfect woman for him) So after giving up her crush on Superman, she goes and woes another eligible bachelor.  Myrtle flies into space to get a rare mineral to use to make a horse sculpture for the guy.  She then shows up to see Superman, and he realizes that the mineral is Kryptonite, and that he forgot to tell her about it. (oops!) The prolongued exposure negated all of her powers gained from the transfusion, and she was normal again.

Oh...and here's the requisite panel that seems out-of-place today: