Popverse's top stories

• Is Critical Role taking a break after Campaign 4, episode 31? Yes and no
• Star Wars, Superman, Scream stars and more headline the first wave of NYCC 2026 guest announcements
• Marvel said the Ultimate Universe was ending "forever" (including telling stores it'd be a lie if they didn't). Now, somehow, "The Ultimate Universe will return"

The hero on everybody's minds right now is certainly Supergirl, with a blockbuster DCU film directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Milly Alcock out in theaters now. Exciting things are happening for the character in the comic book world as well, though as it turns out, those exciting things aren't exactly as advertised. Although a beloved Supergirl character is indeed returning to her comic book adventures, as author Sophie Campbell tells it, her arrival won't be quite as soon as readers have been led to believe.

Let us explain. On June 10, writer/artist Campbell's Supergirl #14 hit comic shelves everywhere, featuring this image as the main cover:

As you can see, the bottom text on the image teases "MATRIX RETURNS," referencing a shape-shifting character introduced in a 1988 issue of Superman. Created by John Byrne, the shape-shifter actually took over the Supergirl identity for a stretch of time before eventually being revealed as someone else. Taking on the identity of Matrix, the character became a popular part of Supergirl's comic book legacy, so you can understand why DC might want to advertise her as coming back.

The only thing is, she wasn't back. Not in issue #14, anyway.

As Campbell posted on her Bluesky account, "The 'Matrix Returns' text was added without my knowledge. This is NOT Matrix, it's Kara with a new costume, and Matrix does not appear in this issue. Yes the image is an homage to Grummett's famous Matrix drawing, and it was intentional foreshadowing, but I'm sorry for the misleading way it was done."

Campbell is referencing an image drawn by DC artist Tom Grummett, as seen in 1993's Supergirl/Team Luthor Special. As she indicates here, the original image did feature shape-shifter Matrix in her Supergirl form, but its homage on the cover of issue #14 does not depict the same character. That said, Campbell did confirm in another post that Matrix was on her way, even if she was spoiled by this unfortunate mistake. 

Whether you're looking for truth or justice ahead of DC Studios' Supergirl movie, we have everything you need to know. Here are:

• Supergirl ending explained: Who dies, what happens to Krem, and more from the comic the Milly Alcock movie is based on
• Our Supergirl movie guide
• Why DC Comics blacklisted the original Supergirl for 20 years, in comics, TV, and more
• Everything you need to know about Jason Momoa's Lobo
• How to watch all of Supergirl's movies, TV series, and cartoons