Women in STEM: Supergirl & Power Girl Unite as DC's Smartest Duo (Who Can Also Throw a Super-Punch)

Warning: Spoilers for Power Girl #7!

Summary Power Girl and Supergirl are among DC's smartest superheroes, not just the strongest.

Their shared attribute of intelligence shines in Power Girl #7 as they use science to defeat a villain.

The duo showcases a subversion of typical superhero action, emphasizing brains over brawn.

DC reminds readers why Power Girl and Supergirl rank among the smartest superheroes in the DC Universe. As prominent members of the Superman family, it should come as no surprise that Supergirl and Power Girl rank among DC's strongest female characters. It's even been confirmed that Supergirl herself is the strongest Kryptonian in her family.

However, strength isn't even their best shared attribute, as Power Girl #7 by Leah Williams and Marguerite Sauvage showcases just how smart the title character and her multiverse counterpart are. Both this and the last issue make a point to highlight what the "superwomen" are capable of when they're not punching holes into their enemies, including scenes of the two characters employing their scientific knowledge to defeat a villain.

Putting their brain power together, Power Girl and Supergirl prove to be DC's smartest duo. They may not be the World's Finest, but there's evidence for them to be the World's Smartest.

Related 10 Smartest DC Comics Characters Right Now The DC Universe has a huge roster of genius heroes and villains, but which of them are actually the smartest RIGHT NOW? We have the answer.

Power Girl and Supergirl Make DC's "World's Smartest" Duo

Panels from Power Girl #6-7 by Williams, Sauvage, and Becca Carey

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In the previous issue, citizens of Metropolis start going missing and while investigating, Supergirl and Power Girl discover that they've all been transported to an alternate fairy tale dimension called Ferimbia. The effort it takes them to come to that conclusion itself requires quite a bit of brain power, namely in the name of science. First, Supergirl uses her X-ray vision to search for chemical traces of evidence. Next, the duo start running tests on samples of the Avalon drug. They soon discover the drug to be an organic biomorph.

Eventually, their trail leads them to a portal taking them directly to the alternate universe where hundreds of civilians have been sent to. As they soon find the source of the drug, Supergirl and Power Girl are constantly formulating a game plan of some sort before springing into action. Both Kryptonians have the power to plow through any horde of villainy that stands in their way, but they take the smart approach instead, rather than over-relying on their super strength. Plus, it emphasizes both of their backgrounds outside of being superheroes, especially as they come to the same conclusion about "insect eusociality."

Power Girl and Supergirl Subvert Superhero Action Sensibilities

They work their "big science brains" more often than most superheroes.

When she's not being super, Power Girl's newest identity sees her become Dr. Paige Stetler, tech columnist for the Daily Planet. Meanwhile, with Power Girl being Supergirl from another universe, they should presumably be on the same level as far as intelligence goes. As a result, they work their "big science brains" more often than most superheroes. Their doing so as a duo in this series subverts the usual punch-first-think-later formula that superheroes often follow. Together, Supergirl and Power Girl prove to holster just as much brain as they do brawn.

Power Girl #7 is available now from DC Comics.