Supergirl to introduce TV's first transgender superhero
During its panel at the San Diego Comic-Con this afternoon, Supergirl announced the addition of three new series regulars. But only one of them marks a milestone for transgender representation on TV: Nicole Maines, a transgender actress and activist who’s also the subject of the book Becoming Nicole, joins The CW series this fall as Nia Nal, a new character who seems to be loosely based on the character of Nura Nal, a.k.a. Dream Girl, from the DC comics universe. Described in a press release as “a soulful young transgender woman with a fierce drive to protect others,” Nia will begin Supergirl season four as a member of the CatCo reporting team, but “Nia’s journey this season means fulfilling her destiny as the superhero Dreamer.” She’ll mark the first transgender superhero in TV history (DC introduced its first transgender comic-book character in 2013, in a Gail Simone-penned issue of Batgirl).