Supergirl has always been one of my favorite superheroes. Maybe not #1. That spot is reserved for Jessica Drew - The Spider-Woman. In fact, several others, Isis, She-hulk, Power Girl and Ms. Marvel also hang on top, but I do love Supergirl, too, as well as many other female heroes, like Wonder Woman and Storm. I collect Supergirl comics currently.
The first comic book I'd ever gotten was a 1974 Superman Family. Actually, it was the Dec/Jan 1975 issue, so it would have been bought in the fall of 1974. Even though I was a little girl, I remember it well. I was in a store and saw it on the comic rack. The book was issue number 174 which sold for .50 cents. On the cover, Supergirl was using her cape to deflect the fire of a giant fire-breathing serpent. I'd always known who Superman was. I used to watch the George Reeves Superman show in reruns. But Supergirl? Wow! I loved the idea of a girl superhero! To this day, I still collect many of the female hero comics I mentioned above, including Supergirl.
My brother had a collection of male superhero dolls made by Mego in the 1970's. He had Superman, Batman, Robin, Aquaman and more. I played with a few of his, but I had two of my own. Wonder Woman and Supergirl. I don't have that Wonder Woman doll anymore, sadly, but I still have Supergirl. The one I didn't get but really wanted was the Mego ISIS doll, but now, she usually sells for over $70 and just hasn't been one I've nabbed for my collection. You can see her at the Mego Museum page: http://www.megomuseum.com/wgsh/isis.html
I absolutely fell in love with the more recent Tonner Dolls version, which I show below. Though I must say, I was disappointed with the Supergirl from Mattel in 2003, I have come to realize, they were just doing what DC was doing at the time. When Linda Danvers (not to be confused with Linda Lee Danvers, not to be confused with Linda Lang, not to be confused with Matrix (don't ask)), shares a body with Supergirl and the doll Mattel did was based on the outfit Supergirl wore in those comics at the time. I don't like the comics of that storyline much, but in fact, Mattel was being accurate. For more on the Supergirl identity issue, check out comicvine.com and search for Supergirl.
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The Mego version of supergirl pales next to the Tonner version also shown on this page, but to a kid in 1974, this Mego doll was GREAT! I played with her a lot and while she is structurally perfect, she is missing her cape and her logo fell off and is somewhere in my stuff. Her belt lost its elasticity and is tied on. She was meant to be a toy, not a collectible, but this doll is very desirable to collectors today. She is wearing my favorite version of the Supergirl costume top - the flouncy sleeved v-neck. The flip hairstyle is also one of my favorites.
I wasn't following comics much during this era of Supergirl. Mattel did do a good job considering the way SG is drawn during this period, but this will never be one of my favorite versions of the costume. I took this picture for a friend who is selling this doll, so I added it to the information page here. This doll is not in my personal collection.
The back of the box of the Mattel 2003 Supergirl doll.
Below is my new Supergirl doll from Mattel, 2009. Her costume reflects the way she looks in the current comic book.
Below is the back of the box of the Mattel 2009 Supergirl doll. Everything you read on this box refers to the current Supergirl comic title which as of this update, (March 2010), just passed it's 50th issue.
Below are a few shots of my Tonner Supergirl doll. She's one of my favorite Tonner dolls! Yes, she's suspended in the air (from the ceiling)
My new Supergirl doll by Tonner. I got her for my birthday in 2009. She is a stunning and beautiful doll. Her one shortcomming is that even with all her points of articulation, she can't easily bend her arms to have them on her hips without looking quite stiff. I keep the doll posed in action poses usually. My husband did this one day! I love it. One of our little Tonner dolls being rescued by Supergirl! This doll and a new deluxe Supergirl is available on the Tonner website: http://tonnerdirect.com along with two other versions of Kara Zor-el.