The secret is out on Sensor Girl’s real identity and on why she lied about it.
But like I did with Shrinking Violet’s impostor before, let’s go back and see have a look at the various clues dropped during the series.
Needless to say, if you don’t want spoiler you should read this AFTER you’ve read the review of issue 25.
Specifically I will be looking at three things:
1) whether it was a legit clue that a reader could theoretically use to solve the mystery
2) if the clue supported the popular Supergirl Theory
3) if the clue disproved the popular Supergirl Theory
4) if the clue supported the popular idea that Sensor Girl had telepathy
Additionally, the letters page of issue #26 includes a full list of what Levitz considered to be the clues. So I’ll check what he has to say about them.
So, without further ado:
Legion of Super-Heroes vol.3 #14
The very first story featuring Sensor Girl doesn’t give any clues on what her powers might be, only on the fact that Saturn Girl is sure she deserves to be in the Legion.
The explanation given in #26 is that Sensor Girl was already a Legionnaire. Not the best clue, but it WOULD have been possible to deduce it. But it could’ve been Supergirl, or a telepath like Saturn Girl herself (that was also a very popular theory early on).
Legit clue: 1
Supergirl yes: 1
Supergirl no: 0
Telepathy: 1
Legion of Super-Heroes vol.3 #15
In Sensor Girl’s first true mission, she’s defeated and captured by Dr. Regulus in a VERY disappointing outing. I’m counting this as a clue AGAINST the Supergirl Theory, because Regulus definitely wasn’t using Red Sun radiation: there is no way he would defeat Supergirl THAT easily.
Legit clue: 1
Supergirl yes: 1
Supergirl no: 1
Telepathy: 1
Sensor Girl’s first demonstration of a superpower could be interpreted as super-senses. But there is no way you could’ve guessed it was Projectra having a new power, so it wouldn’t have been a useful clue.
Legit clue: 1
Supergirl yes: 2
Supergirl no: 1
Telepathy: 1
Levitz mentions both in issue 26.
Legion of Super-Heroes vol.3 #16
Another scene that hints at Sensor Girl having some sort of enhanced senses. Again impossible to connect to Projectra without knowing her change in powers, but it could’ve been Supergirl’s senses or telepathy.
Legit clue: 1
Supergirl yes: 3
Supergirl no: 1
Telepathy: 2
This is a strange one. Projectra HAS been shown to use technology (that’ll come up later), but she’s hardly considered an expert. If anything, this would’ve been a Supergirl clue.
Even knowing the solution to the mystery… HOW are her new abilities helping her here? I think the Princess is talking out of her a##.
Legit clue: 1
Supergirl yes: 4
Supergirl no: 1
Telepathy: 2
Another case where the clue isn’t helpful with Projectra’s old powers. But it would’ve worked with Supergirl’s senses, and stretching it a bit it could’ve been telepathy.
Legit clue: 1
Supergirl yes: 5
Supergirl no: 1
Telepathy: 3
She does this twice!
Legit clue: 1
Supergirl yes: 6
Supergirl no: 1
Telepathy: 4
This scene has a point in all categories!
Sensor Girl being able to project an image is the FIRST legitimate clue for Projectra, but it could be telepathy. It’s a clue FOR Supergirl for her being able to see through the shadows, but AGAINST because she’s never had anything resembling illusion powers.
Legit clue: 2
Supergirl yes: 7
Supergirl no: 2
Telepathy: 5
Another scene that hints at Sensor Girl being able to either create illusions or be a telepath.
Legit clue: 3
Supergirl yes: 7
Supergirl no: 3
Telepathy: 6
A clue against Supergirl, thanks to Sensor Girl being knocked out by regular Science Police equipment.
Legit clue: 3
Supergirl yes: 7
Supergirl no: 4
Telepathy: 6
Here is Levitz’s breakdown of the clues from issue 26.
Legion of Super-Heroes vol.3 #17
This is one of the baffling ones: Sensor Girl being able to identify an element present in Invisible Kid’s serum that Brainiac 5 missed.
That’s a VERY strong Supergirl clue…
…but to remember that Projectra knows her way around technology you would’ve needed to remember Legion of Super Heroes #269. It would be WAY too much of a stretch to make the connection!!!
And it can’t be telepathy, because Brainiac 5 himself doesn’t know the answer.
Legit clue: 3
Supergirl yes: 8
Supergirl no: 4
Telepathy: 6
Or maybe it’s just me, because Levitz doesn’t comment on the technological aspect.
Legion of Super-Heroes vol.3 #19
In the scene the Legion is talking about rescuing the same Legionnaires that had already disappeared during the Orando mission. This is a neat detail in retrospect: Projectra had JUST left the team when that happened! But it wouldn’t have been an helpful clue; more fodder for both the Supergirl AND the telepath theories, since the team didn’t have either Supergirl or a telepath in its roster at the time.
Legit clue: 3
Supergirl yes: 9
Supergirl no: 4
Telepathy: 7
This could have been interpreted as Supergirl using her telescopic vision, which should have the same range of Mon-El’s, or as telepathy.
Legit clue: 3
Supergirl yes: 10
Supergirl no: 4
Telepathy: 8
This is stretching it, Levitz: super-vision does work like this sometimes!
Legion of Super-Heroes vol.3 #20
This COULD be Sensor Girl talking to herself, or she could be using super-hearing or telepathy to know Brainiac 5 was monologuing about her.
You couldn’t guess this was Projectra without also guessing her new powers.
Legit clue: 3
Supergirl yes: 11
Supergirl no: 4
Telepathy: 9
Although Levitz was considering this a red herring for x-ray vision instead.
Legion of Super-Heroes vol.3 #21
These are perhaps the biggest clues for Supergirl, with a hologram of her lost planet and most importantly with the idea that she doesn’t need her ring to fly.
It would’ve been to much of a stretch to think this was Orando, and why does Projectra even need a hologram of the place when she can cast illusions?
And the suggestion that she doesn’t need the ring is a cheap shot: it would’ve been IMPOSSIBLE to guess that what we see of Sensor Girl is SOMETIMES just an illusion! Of all the misleading clues, this is the one that irritates me because it’s not playing fair.
Legit clue: 3
Supergirl yes: 13
Supergirl no: 4
Telepathy: 9
But again maybe that’s just me, since apparently this was a big clue for several readers.
Sensor Girl being able to temporarily take away Brainiac 5’s vision is the first potential legitimate clue for Projectra we’ve seen in a while, but it could once again be telepathy.
I’m counting this as a clue against Supergirl because I can’t think of a way she could replicate this.
Legit clue: 4
Supergirl yes: 13
Supergirl no: 5
Telepathy: 10
This is just confusing. Casting an illusion of darkness is a Projectra clue, but… how the heck is she here? To give some context: this is a scene set on Labyrinth, set at the same time when we saw her flight ring was on Earth.
The suggestion is that this is Supergirl simply flying to another planet, but knowing the truth… how is she doing this? Is she actually on Earth and projecting a Sensor Girl illusion on Labyrinth? Or is she on Labyrinth and projecting an illusion on Earth? If she’s physically on Labyrinth, how is she flying without a ring? Or was the ring an illusion?
Legit clue: 5
Supergirl yes: 14
Supergirl no: 5
Telepathy: 10
The Emerald Eye being not only unable to mind control Sensor Girl but also FLEEING IN FEAR is a truly badass moment. Sheer force of will or Projectra’s magical origin? Either way, not a useful clue for any category.
Sensor Girl being knocked out by bumping into Hunter should’ve been the nail in the coffin of the Supergirl Theory, but it also makes the previous scenes even more confusing.
Because it means she’s physically on Labyrinth! Unless she’s projecting the illusion of being knocked out, but THAT doesn’t make sense because at this time she was trying to capture Emerald Empress.
Legit clue: 5
Supergirl yes: 14
Supergirl no: 6
Telepathy: 10
Legion of Super-Heroes vol.3 #22
Another unclear clue. Supposedly, this is to show that Sensor Girl simply wasn’t around when this technology was built… but Projectra wasn’t gone all that long. Unless we consider the honeymoon, which is a bit of a stretch.
At best, it’s a clue against Projectra’s powers including Supergirl-level senses? I guess?
Legit clue: 5
Supergirl yes: 14
Supergirl no: 7
Telepathy: 10
Levitz considers this a clue against Supergirl, but I disagree. If anything this makes more sense for her than for Projectra.
Yet another indication that Sensor Girl has some sort of unusual sense, but impossible to link to Projectra at the time.
Legit clue: 5
Supergirl yes: 15
Supergirl no: 7
Telepathy: 11
Legion of Super-Heroes vol.3 #23
Tellus puts an end to all the telepathy speculation.
But on the other side of the spectrum, Ultra Boy just adds more speculation.
Legion of Super-Heroes vol.3 #24
Sensor Girl having a close relationship with a deceased Legionnaire is a clear Projectra clue, and the final one.
So with that latter addition, where does that leave the total count?
Legit clue: 6
Supergirl yes: 15
Supergirl no: 7
Telepathy: 11
In retrospect, the series relied too heavily on the Supergirl clues. If you go back and read these issues knowing the answer, MOST of the Sensor Girl scenes make sense. And it’s fun to think how she managed various tricks.
But as a mystery it’s a bit underwhelming; to guess that Sensor Girl was Projectra, you really should’ve guessed that her powers skyrocketed since her last appearance.
I do, however, appreciate Levitz listing all the clues he was expecting to be catched by yhe readers.
Fascinating breakdown of the clues. Some comments:
1. From a real-world perspective, Brainy could have scanned the flight ring for DNA evidence. Perhaps Kryptionians and/or Orandoans don’t leave DNA evidence (or fingerprints), but it would have been nice to see him try some kind of scientific method.
2. The clues rely on the reader making certain connections from past Legion stories and to assume a consistent depiction of certain abilities. For example, in the scene with Mon-El, he is shown using the telescopic vision effect while SG is not. Are we to deduce that she is not using telescopic vision? This would be fine except that this power has not always been shown with a consistent effect.
3. Levitz’s statement that SG already has a flight ring is wonderful clue, but it assumes that ex-Legionnaires are allowed to keep their flight rings. I don’t recall if this has ever been mentioned before, but, if so, it’s as obscure as Projectra’s knowledge of technology. (I do know that Reservists such as Bouncing Boy and Duo Damsel keep their rings, but this does not apply to Jeckie). Delving back even further, when Brainy temporarily resigned from the Legion in Superboy #204, he made a point of tossing Star Boy his ring!
4. How did Sarya deduce that SG was a “peer” before the Legionnaires did?
5. You make several valid points that some clues make sense only if the reader has an indication that Projectra’s powers have changed. The same could be said of Supergirl. If she somehow survived Crisis, perhaps she was de-powered and no longer invulnerable. In any case, these clues rely on the reader possessing knowledge they cannot possibly have.
6. Likewise, could Tellus detect a telepath who is so powerful she could block him?
7. I’m not sure how Brainy deduced that SG went to Shanghalla to visit Karate Kid’s monument. Other Legionnaires “buried” there are Triplicate Girl’s third body, Invisible Kid, and Chemical King. I suppose Brainy might have deduced this from several other clues: IK and CK were not known to have close relationships with women, SG’s haughty demeanor and possession of another flight ring, etc. It would have been nice to see some of these factors mentioned.
So, although the resolution was indeed underwhelming, I appreciate the thought and effort that went into this mystery. This breakdown pretty much lays to rest the theory that SG was originally intended to be Supergirl and was swapped with Projectra at the last minute to keep fans guessing. The red herrings are marvelous, and Brainy’s obsession with Sensor Girl heightens the tension.
So this was my first exposure to post-Crisis LSH and I really did suspect Projectra! But I couldn’t figure out the how. I figured any powers Sensor Girl displayed might be illusions but that it would be *wildly* irresponsible to go into battle with teammates who believe you have powers you don’t.
I would buy the “two flight rings” theory of her flying without her Sensor Girl flight ring, illusions aside. Even if it’s standard practice to return one’s ring when leaving, they’re the *way* she left. Not sure what Legionnaire would have been up to the conversation: “Um, I know your husband’s still on his funeral pyre, but could you give us back…?”
Also…thanks for this amazing project!