Stephen Robinson wrote: SER: These are good points. One thing I've noticed is that most of the creators at DC are apparently Silver Age junkies -- that's why we wind up with Kara Zor-El Supergirl and Kandor and the Fortress of Solitude and so on. I know there was some demand among fans for the restoration of the Barbara Gordon Batgirl but it paled to the demand for the Kara Zor-El Supergirl.

This is likely due to Kara getting killed off in Crisis #7 (instead of writers figuring out how to write her without being a Superman in drag) versus Barbara "merely" getting shot and crippled by the Joker.

Her new incarnation as Oracle is an interesting and empowered heroine despite her paraplegia, unlike Kara being turned into stellar worm-food.

There's an issue of Superman written by Joe Kelly (I believe) with a killer cover by Kevin Nowlan of the Shuster Superman hitting the current version.  Inside, a writer unwittingly has the power to bring his creations to life and an encounter with Superman leads him jot down a tale of a Superman who doesn't work from an office on the moon or expend his energies on cosmic conflicts and alien invasions, but rather one who fights for the common man, in terms the average joe can relate to.  His creation appears and begins to re-enact scenes from the early days of Superman beating up bullies and abusive husbands.  Since he's the issue's bad guy, he does so stupidly and people are badly hurt. The current Superman appears hovering over him, arms folded, and lectures him into non-existance, his alien eyes glowing red while he goes on about how heroes must be above the daily concerns of earthbound mortals, focusing only upon issues large enough to warrant their godlike intervention... And he never once touches the ground. Never. Touches. The. Ground.

The wrong Superman lost that fight.

I wonder sometimes if Stan Lee even HAD an original intent for some of his characters other than to simply be interesting.

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Stan let his characters evolve instead of sticking to an original intent. Peter Parker became less of a loser and more hip. Hank Pym retired as Ant-Man and later returned as Goliath, ect. It mirrors real life because people change, sometimes radically.