Alex Danvers
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Alexandra "Alex" Danvers Ph.D.
M.D. A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of physician. This ge ...
, also known as Sentinel, is a
fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying character (arts), individuals, events, or setting (narrative), places that are imagination, imaginary or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent ...
al character from the
Arrowverse The Arrowverse is an American Superhero fiction, superhero media franchise and shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series ...
television series ''
Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Supergirl (Kara Zor-El), Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. Th ...
'', portrayed by actress
Chyler Leigh Chyler Leigh West (pronounced ; ''née'' Potts; born April 10, 1982), known professionally as Chyler Leigh, is an American actress, singer and model. She is best known for her roles as Janey Briggs in the comedy film '' Not Another Teen Movie' ...
. Created by executive producers
Greg Berlanti Gregory Berlanti (born May 24, 1972) is an American screenwriter, producer and director. He is known for his work on the television series ''Dawson's Creek'', ''Brothers & Sisters (2006 TV series), Brothers & Sisters'', ''Everwood'', ''Political ...
,
Ali Adler Allison Beth Adler (born May 30, 1967) is a Canadian-American television producer and writer. She is the co-creator of ''Supergirl'' and '' The New Normal'', and is also known for her work on ''Chuck'' and ''Family Guy.'' Early life Adler was b ...
, and
Andrew Kreisberg Andrew Kreisberg (born April 23, 1971) is an American former television writer, producer and comic book writer. He is best known as the co-creator of the television series ''The Flash'', ''Arrow'', ''Supergirl'' and ''Legends of Tomorrow''. Pers ...
, the character was introduced in the
pilot episode A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie) in United Kingdom and United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television netwo ...
as the elder adoptive sister of protagonist Kara Danvers / Supergirl. Alex is a bioengineer, physician, scientist and a field agent of the DEO, a secret government agency that works to protect the Earth from extraterrestrial threats. She later becomes the director of the organization at the end of season three, after having been J'onn's second-in-command for years, and remains so through season five. Alex is also featured in the show's digital tie-in comic book series, ''
Adventures of Supergirl ''Supergirl'' is an American superhero drama television series developed by Ali Adler, Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg that aired on CBS and later The CW from October 26, 2015, to November 9, 2021. Based on the DC Comics character created ...
'', as well as the 2017 four-part
Arrowverse The Arrowverse is an American Superhero fiction, superhero media franchise and shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series ...
crossover event "
Crisis on Earth-X "Crisis on Earth-X" is the fourth Arrowverse Crossover (fiction), crossover event, featuring episodes of ''Supergirl (TV series), Supergirl'', ''Arrow (TV series), Arrow'', ''The Flash (2014 TV series), The Flash'', and ''Legends of Tomorrow' ...
", with Leigh reprising her role across ''
The Flash The Flash is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date, cover-dated Jan ...
'', ''
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'', and ''
Legends of Tomorrow ''DC's Legends of Tomorrow'', or simply ''Legends of Tomorrow'', is an American Time travel in fiction, time travel superhero fiction, superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg, and Phil Klemmer, ...
''.


Background

Alex Danvers is the only biological child of scientists Eliza and Jeremiah Danvers. When Alex was a teenager, her parents adopted an orphaned Kara Zor-El and they grew up together in the town of Midvale. Although Alex was an exceptional student, particularly in science, she couldn't help but envy her
Kryptonian Kryptonians are a fictional extraterrestrial race within the DC Comics universe that originated on the planet Krypton. The term originated from the stories of DC Comics superhero, Superman. The stories also use "Kryptonian" as an adjective to ref ...
sister's alien abilities. Alex was relieved when Kara decided not to use her powers, but still felt embarrassed by her alien behavior. Nonetheless, as the older sister figure, Alex felt protective of Kara and sympathy for her losses and displacement. At some point, Kara took a reluctant Alex flying through the night and they were spotted by the
Department of Extranormal Operations Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military * Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
(DEO), a secret government agency tasked with monitoring alien presence on Earth. Unbeknownst to the young girls, Jeremiah agreed to work for the organization under Hank Henshaw instead of letting them take Kara away. In high school Alex had a best friend, Vicky Donahue. She enjoyed sleepovers with Vicky and developed feelings for her. Alex recognized her feelings; however, she got scared and was suddenly fighting with Vicky. This falling out was the reason why they never talked again. Suffering the loss of her father and her suppressed homosexuality, among other factors, caused Alex to excessively drink and party as a young adult. Nonetheless, she managed to earn dual doctoral degrees (Ph.D. and
M.D. A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of physician. This ge ...
) before being recruited into the DEO herself by Henshaw (later revealed to be J'onn J'onzz (who promised Jeremiah that he'd look after his daughters). In season three it is revealed that, at some point in the past, she was a practicing physician and worked at a hospital in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
.


Storylines


Season 1

At the start of the series, Kara is initially unaware of her sister's true occupation. Alex reveals herself to Kara as well as the existence of the DEO after Kara saves Alex from a near plane crash and decides to become a superhero like her cousin, Clark Kent / Superman. She is also Hank Henshaw's trusted right-hand operative. Alex is tasked with training Kara in combat and provides her with a
Fortress of Solitude The Fortress of Solitude is a fictional fortress appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Superman. It is the place where Superman first learned about his true identity, heritage, and purpose on Eart ...
-esque room with a projection of Kara's mother, Alura. Alex, J'onn, and the rest of the DEO work alongside Kara, dubbed "
Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Supergirl (Kara Zor-El), Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. Th ...
" by the press, to put away dangerous alien criminals who have escaped from the Fort Rozz prison spaceship, including Alura's identical twin and Kara's aunt, Astra. Alex puts on a suit with kryptonite lacing and fatally stabs Astra with a kryptonite sword. Jonn took the blame for Astra's death, because he didn't want Alex to lose her sister. However, Alex felt guilty and although she knew she could lose her sister with her confession, she told Kara, against Jonn's will, that she had killed Astra in self-defense, and not Jonn. She explained that she had no choice since Astra wanted to kill Jonn and apologized, crying bitterly to her. At first it looked like Kara was running away and couldn't forgive Alex, but she finally hugged and comforted her, showing that she had accepted her sister's apology."


Season 2

While continuing her work at the DEO, Alex crosses paths with National City
Science Police The Science Police is a fictional law enforcement agency in the , active in the 21st, 30th and 31st centuries. The organization has also appeared in the '' Legion of Super Heroes'' animated series, the ''DC Universe Online'' video game, and the ' ...
officer Detective Maggie Sawyer. The two initially come into conflict over work, but quickly form a flirtatious friendship and Alex begins to develop feelings for her. That forces Alex to again confront her homosexuality, and her true feelings that she suppressed since her youth. Again Alex denies that she is a lesbian, but after a long conversation with Maggie, she finally admits it to herself for the first time. Maggie therefore encourages her to stand by her sexual orientation and to tell her family. After a few days Alex finally gathers up all her courage and manages to come out to Kara. Her sister is at first a bit shocked about it, but has absolutely no problem with this and has been supporting her ever since, just like her mother and friends who were told about it after Kara. So Alex comes out as gay at the age of 28 and enters into a relationship with Maggie. During the episode "Alex", Kara and Maggie work together to locate a kidnapped Alex. At the episode's conclusion, Kara destroys the tank designed to drown Alex. Alex and Maggie profess their love for each other, and they become engaged in the season finale. Alex also learns of her father Jeremiah's mysterious survival and ambiguous partnership with the anti-alien organization
Project Cadmus This is a list of teams and organizations that appear in various DC Comics publications. Note: Please check :DC Comics superhero teams before adding any redundant entries for superhero teams to the page. 0-9 100 1,000 2000 Committee A ...
.


Season 3

As Alex and Maggie prepare to get married, Alex discovers that Maggie does not ever want kids. Alex, realizing that she does want kids someday, breaks up with Maggie and they reluctantly go their separate ways. In the aftermath of the breakup, Kara invites Alex to her friend
Barry Allen Bartholomew Henry "Barry" Allen is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the second character known as the Flash, following Flash (Jay Garrick), Jay Garrick. The character first appeared in ''Showcase (comic ...
's wedding on Earth-1, where she ends up having a one-night stand with Legends of Tomorrow's
Sara Lance Sara Lance, also known by her alter-ego White Canary, is a fictional character in The CW's Arrowverse franchise, first introduced in the 2012 pilot episode of the television series ''Arrow'', and later starring in '' Legends of Tomorrow''. The ...
(
Caity Lotz Caity Lotz (born December 30, 1986) is an American actress, dancer, and singer. She has portrayed Stephanie Horton in the AMC series ''Mad Men'', Officer Kirsten Landry in the MTV mockumentary series ''Death Valley'' (2011), Annie in '' The Pact ...
), both are soon forced to fight off an invasion of
Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
from a parallel Earth together. After the defeat of
Reign A reign is the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation (e.g., King of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia, List of Belgian monarchs, Belgium, Co-princes of Andorra, Andorra), of a people (e.g., List of Frankish kin ...
, J'onn steps down and promotes Alex to Director of the DEO.


Season 4

Following her promotion to director of the DEO, Alex struggles with her new role, and her organization deals with a new wave of anti-extraterrestrial bigotry within the country. United States Marine Corps colonel Lauren Haley is brought in by the president to supervise Alex, and is determined to discover Supergirl's civilian identity. To protect Kara from Haley, Alex has J'onn wipe her memory of her knowing that her sister is Supergirl. Alex continues to maintain a cordial relationship with Kara, but becomes hostile towards Supergirl, not knowing they are the same person. Alex remembers that Kara is Supergirl, and manages to revive her when she is nearly killed by Red Daughter. Following the defeat of
Lex Luthor Alexander "Lex" Joseph Luthor () is a supervillain in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the character first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (published on February 22, 1940, with a cover d ...
, who had been orchestrating all the anti-extraterrestrial bigotry, Alex develops a romantic relationship with Kelly Olsen.


Season 5

In season 5, Alex assists in the investigation of
Leviathan Leviathan ( ; ; ) is a sea serpent demon noted in theology and mythology. It is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, and the pseudepigraphical Book of Enoch. Leviathan is of ...
. Following the
Crisis A crisis (: crises; : critical) is any event or period that will lead to an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, or all of society. Crises are negative changes in the human or environmental affairs, especially when ...
which led to the creation of
Earth-Prime Earth Prime (or Earth-Prime) is a term sometimes used in works of speculative fiction, most notably in DC Comics, involving parallel universes or a multiverse, and refers either to the universe containing "our" Earth, or to a parallel world with ...
, Alex is now the director of the DEO, which is now owned by LuthorCorp. She was surprised at that when J'onn restored her memories. Alex later resigns from the DEO, unable to face her superior Luthor, resulting in Querl Dox succeeding her as director. After receiving news that her father died, Alex is reluctant to attend his funeral and uses the Obsidian lens to do a Supergirl fantasy that starts to affect her alongside the others that indulge in it. With help from Obsidian CEO Andrea Rojas, Kelly is able to get Alex out using a VR version of her younger self. Afterwards, Alex goes to Midvale to attend her father's funeral. When it comes to fighting
Rama Khan Rama Khan is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in ''JLA'' #62 and was created by Joe Kelly and Doug Mahnke. Fictional character biography Rama Khan's earliest appearance is 1,004 B ...
, Tezumak, and Sela, Alex starts wearing a new suit provided to her by J'onn to help fight Leviathan.


Season 6

In season six, Alex assists in the fight of Lex Luthor. While advised by Lena Luthor to inform Kelly about Supergirl's identity, Alex is persuaded by J'onn to take on the Sentinel alias. After the defeat of Lex and Nyxlygsptlnz, Alex and Kelly got married.


Other appearances

In ''The Flash'' episode "Armageddon, Part 2", Alex informs Team Flash that they have no information on
Despero Despero () is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''Justice League of America'' #1 (October 1960), and was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky. Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic ...
. Following Xotar's arrest and the attack on Flash who has no memory of Joe West's death, Alex receives the information they learned about Despero which is now in her files. She also mentions to the rest of Team Flash that Kara and J'onn cannot help them as they are "offworld".


Other versions

In season 4, John Deegan, a mad psychiatrist who works at Earth-1's
Arkham Asylum Arkham Asylum () is a fictional psychiatric hospital appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in stories featuring Batman. It first appeared in ''Batman'' #258 (October 1974), written by Dennis O'Neil with art by Irv N ...
, uses the Book of Destiny to rewrite reality on his Earth; in this new reality, Alex's Earth-1 counterpart is working for him. This Alex is intrigued to learn of her Earth-38 counterpart's life after Kara reveals herself as the adoptive sister of her Earth's Alex. She helps Kara escape from Deegan and this reality is undone by the combined efforts of Kara,
Oliver Queen Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' No. 73 on September 19, 1941 (cover dated November 1941), th ...
, Barry Allen, and Clark Kent. In season 8 of ''The Flash'', a
Reverse-Flashpoint "Flashpoint" is a 2011 comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011. The core miniseries was written by Geoff Johns and p ...
version of Alex Danvers appears. She was to be a guest at the wedding of
Eobard Thawne Eobard Thawne, also known as the Reverse-Flash and Professor Zoom, is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by John Broome (writer), John Broome and Carmine Infantino, the character first appeared in ''T ...
and
Iris West Iris Ann West-Allen is a fictional character, a supporting character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She has been the main love interest and later wife of Barry Allen, the alter ego of the Silver Age version of the supe ...
. Alex did talk to
Allegra Garcia G.I. Robot G'nort Walker Gabriel Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe Galactic Golem The Galactic Golem is a solar-powered creature created by Lex Luthor who is an enemy of Superman. Creator Len Wein said that he created the Golem "because I needed ...
and Chester P. Runk about their failed relationship which they noted after a disastrous fight with the
Legion of Doom The Legion of Doom is a group of supervillains who originated in '' Challenge of the Superfriends'', an animated series from Hanna-Barbera based on DC Comics' Justice League. The Legion of Doom has since been incorporated into the main DC Univers ...
. As Barry Allen works to undo the Reverse-Flashpoint at the cost of the Armageddon that Despero foresaw, Sentinel and Ryan Choi as Atom helped Frost and Chillblaine defeat Damien Darhk.


Concept and creation

In February 2015, actress
Chyler Leigh Chyler Leigh West (pronounced ; ''née'' Potts; born April 10, 1982), known professionally as Chyler Leigh, is an American actress, singer and model. She is best known for her roles as Janey Briggs in the comedy film '' Not Another Teen Movie' ...
was cast as Alexandra "Alex" Danvers, initially described as
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's "confident foster sister whose fascination with her sibling's powers inspired her to become a doctor." The character is an original creation for ''Supergirl'', not based on any existing character appearing in
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
. Jordan Mazarati portrayed the 2003 version of the character, and Olivia Nikkanen portrayed the 2007 version.


Skills and abilities

Alex Danvers has no inherent superhuman powers; rather, she is highly intelligent, trained in various forms of martial arts, and has been shown to capably wield any weapon. She is also an excellent physician and bio-engineer, and has furthermore extensive expertise in
marksman A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision shooting. In modern military usage this typically refers to the use of projectile weapons such as an accurized telescopic sight, scoped long gun such as designated marksman rifle (or a sniper ri ...
ship, hand-to-hand combat, and extraterrestrial physiology, besides being a far-reaching skilled scientist and military tactician. During season 3, Alex is given a new protective suit by Winn Schott. This one is more armor-like than her usual DEO suit and offers more protection for the body than the other one before. In addition to that, she has magnetic gloves now which allow her to retrieve any dropped weapon, and her Maaldorian laser pistol that she has taken away from a deceased alien during a rescue mission on Maaldoria was also upgraded and can shoot Kryptonite bullets now.


Reception

Both the character and Leigh's performance have been well received by critics and fans alike. The relationship between the Danvers sisters and Alex's
coming out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBTQ people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. This is often framed and debated as a privacy issue, ...
storyline in the second season have garnered particular praise. Kara and Alex were named as one of "The 10 Greatest Ride or Die TV Siblings" by
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's Keisha Hatchett, who stated: "These two might not come from the same species, but their unconditional love for each other proves that you don't need to share the same blood in order to be sisters. Both have helped each other through a difficult journey to self-acceptance ..in a fierce display of sisterhood that keeps us coming back each week." Estelle Tang of ''
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'' described Alex's coming-out journey as "nuanced, remarkably moving, and believable reckoning of an adult woman coming to terms with something she had never consciously known about herself." ''Supergirl'' received a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series at the 2017 GLAAD Awards, which recognizes
LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...
representation in the media.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Danvers, Alex American female characters in television Arrow (TV series) characters Characters created by Ali Adler Characters created by Andrew Kreisberg Characters created by Greg Berlanti DC Comics martial artists DC Comics scientists DC Comics superheroes DC Comics television characters Fictional American spies Superhero detectives Fictional female doctors Fictional female scientists Fictional lesbians Fictional LGBTQ characters in television Fictional marksmen and snipers The Flash (2014 TV series) characters Legends of Tomorrow characters Supergirl (TV series) characters Superhero television characters Television characters introduced in 2015