Within the Arrowverse are heroes with deep, rich comic book histories, and in Supergirl’s final season premiere, another hero is added to their ranks having earned a place alongside these icons. A fearless warrior, always ready to jump into action, Alex Danvers has at long last been bestowed with her own superhero name after J’onn J’onzz dubbed her the Sentinel, formally recognizing Alex’s rightful place among the Arrowverse’s greatest heroes.
One of the biggest highlights of Crisis on Infinite Earths was the Arrowverse introducing their version of the Justice League. The conclusion of the crossover saw the surviving heroes gather to pay tribute to the fallen Oliver Queen, meeting in the future Hall of Justice and sitting at a round table of heroes. Plans for future CW crossovers to focus on this newly formed Justice League were derailed by the COVID pandemic and the subsequent losses of Supergirl and Black Lightning when their respective shows announced final seasons. However, those exits opened the door for more heroes to be added to the CW Justice League roster, and who has done more to earn that honor than Supergirl’s Alex Danvers?
Prior to the Arrowverse’s Supergirl, the character of Alex Danvers did not exist in DC comic lore. She was a character created specifically for the television show to be Supergirl’s supportive sister, but she quickly demonstrated that she was much more than a sidekick. A scientist and secret DEO agent, Alex threw herself headfirst into danger time and again to protect Supergirl and the people of Earth, including aliens. Her tenacity, courage, wisdom, and her heart are all the qualities of a great superhero, making it a welcome development that, after five seasons, Alex now has her own superhero persona of Sentinel.
Fighting beside her sister, Alex Danvers has fearlessly faced intergalactic invasions, Kryptonian witches, alternate universe Nazis, the Anti-Monitor, and even government bureaucrats, her tenacity is unmatched. To protect others, she’s jumped off skyscrapers shooting at invaders mid-leap, flown an aged Kryptonian pod into space, leaped from rooftop to rooftop in pursuit of an attacker, gone head-to-head with powerful world-killers Reign, Purity, and Pestilence, and even faced off with her own Red Kryptonite affected superpowered sister without hesitation. She’s done all these heroic acts armed with nothing more than her training, her courage, and her mind. Like more established Justice League members White Canary and Batwoman, she doesn’t have superpowers to rely on, yet she is a fierce force to be reckoned with.
Alex further proved herself deserving of being a Justice League member by holding her own in multiple Arrowverse crossovers. In Crisis on Earth X, she was ready to take on the entire Nazi Army to find and rescue her sister who had been captured. She teamed up with and impressed Legends of Tomorrow’s assassin-turned-time ship captain Sara Lance, a dynamic partnership that, ever since, has had fans rooting for them to work together again. Alex was also an integral part of the team involved in the final takedown battle with the Anti-Monitor in Crisis.
In a milestone moment for her hero’s journey, Alex Danvers’ mentor, father figure, and now partner in protecting National City, J’onn J’onzz, gives Alex her official superhero name in the Supergirl season 6 premiere. J’onn has often declared Alex is every bit as much of a hero as her Kryptonian sister. When he placed her new symbol alongside the call buttons of the Arrowverse Justice League and its allies, he was rightfully recognizing her place among significant DC heroes. Not all heroes wear capes, and Alex Danvers is truly a superhero.
