"You're stuck as Supergirl?" Silverhawk asked, holding the Staff of Ra. The instrument used by Gerda the daughter of Baroness Paula Von Gunter just moments ago to strike Linda Danvers twice; the first time had reverted her to Supergirl.

"Yeah." Supergirl tried to revert to Linda form again, but was unable to. Frowning, she tried again.

She shook her head and looked at Silverhawk, "It's no use. I'm stuck like this."

"Well Green Lantern knows who you really are."

"But Fury doesn't." Supergirl replied, "And there is an entire castle full of Nazis that might tell stories of Supergirl. It could endanger the future."

"Fury can keep a secret. And most of those Nazis are going to end up in prison. It's not like they are going to spend a lot of time gabbing about a mystery woman they've never seen before and that they'll never see again." Silverhawk replied, "I'm sure it will be fine."

"I hope so." Supergirl replied. She and Silverhawk went into the castle, Silverhawk holding the Staff of Ra.

Supergirl walked up to the first barred door.

A grotesque tentacle reached out, attempting to grab her.

Supergirl screamed and stumbled backward, barely escaping the tentacle.

Silverhawk rushed up beside her.

"Great Zeus what is that?" Silverhawk grimaced, looking at the monstrosity behind the bars, thrashing tentacles through the bars trying to get either Supergirl or Silverhawk.

"I don't think Zeus had anything to do with that." Supergirl whispered, "I think it used to be a man… or maybe a woman."

Supergirl and Silverhawk began making their way down the hallway, heading to an archway at it's end.

Behind each set of bars they saw more terrors, more human beings twisted and mutated into awful horrible things. Several of which made Supergirl's stomach lurch; all of which called to them through the bars, screaming in pain, lashing out at them with limbs that could be barely recognized as such.

"What monster is in charge of this place?" Supergirl asked.

"Our sources are unsure." Silverhawk replied, "We only know this is the last stronghold the Nazis have here in Bialya."

"There have been fewer soldiers and guards than I would have expected." Supergirl replied, glancing over her shoulder at the hideous creatures just before they crossed through the archway.

"Most of the high ranking command have deserted Bialya. Our victory at the fortress on the coast sent most of them packing. Not to mention that Allied forces have been pushing them back further and further. Once this fortress falls, we will have liberated Bialya and paved the way for King Espinoza II to reclaim the throne and join the Allies." Silverhawk commented.

Through the archway they found a massive laboratory.

"What's that smell?" Silverhawk gagged on the thick sour smell filling the room.

"Oh my God." Supergirl gasped.

At the center of the room were four operating tables. All four of them had people strapped down, their eyes opened and lifeless. Their chests were opened and organs sat in bowls on small trays beside the operating tables. Flies buzzed about the organs and the bodies.

"It looks like someone was in the middle of dissection when they fled this place." Supergirl said to Silverhawk, "Stay here."

She walked over to the four bodies, holding her hand over her nose. The closer she got the stronger the stench of death and rot was.

Her eyes blazed with the angel fire and all four bodies were incinerated by the blasts from her eyes. It took only a few minutes before the bodies were nothing more than ash.

"Don't you think that was a bit extreme? How are we going to identify them?" Silverhawk asked, looking at the ashen remains

Supergirl went to the clipboards at the end of the operating tables.

"They'll be able to identify these people with these. Their names and prisoner numbers are both on here. " Supergirl's expression was unreadable, "No one needs to see their family like this. It's brutal. Their ashes can get a proper burial."

A door to the far end of the lab opened and Fury and Green Lantern came in.

"Who are you?" Fury asked Supergirl.

"My name is Supergirl." She said, looking at Green Lantern who flashed her a concerned look. "I thought I would help here."

"Where's Glory?" Green Lantern asked.

"She went off in pursuit of a bunch of soldiers who were escaping in a Jeep." Silverhawk said, "Supergirl helped us liberate this from Gerda Von Gunter." He showed them the Staff of Ra.

"This castle is full of creatures." Fury said, clenching her fists.

"I think they used to be humans that someone here mutated into something else." Supergirl said, "In fact I'm pretty sure they are. Some of the ones in the direction we came from were still vaguely human."

"Do we know who is in charge of this horror show?" Green Lantern asked.

"Gerda." Silverhawk said.

"Gerda is only a teenager. Hitler is not going to put her in charge of this operation. Her mother is known for doing very despicable things, but she tends to stick to black magic and occult rituals." Fury said, "I can't see that Gerda is behind this."

"This seems to be a perversion of medicine and science." Supergirl said, "Who fits that profile?"

"Dr. Poison… although she tends to stick to the Pacific-since it has her closer to her home base of Japan." Fury said.

"We still have to find the throne room and the communications center. Perhaps one of those places will have the answers we're looking for." Silverhawk said.

The four heroes headed for a third door in the lab and exited the room.

They found themselves in another hallway lined with cages. Within the cages were people.

<"Please help us!">*(translated from Bialyan)

Supergirl went over to the bars; four young children were inside the cage with a woman in her mid-twenties.

<"We are here to help you."> Supergirl told them. <"What is this place?">

<"It is called the Castle of Blood."> The woman said. She was dressed in dirty rags. <"A madman and a witch control this place. He does terrible things and makes awful monsters. He has killed my entire family.">

<"What is your name?"> Supergirl asked.

<"My name is Bea Stanislopolous. Please get us out of here."> The woman's dirty face showed tear tracks on her cheeks.

"She speaks Bialyan?" Fury asked with a raised eyebrow. "She doesn't look like a local."

"I didn't know that she spoke it." Silverhawk shrugged. "I have no idea what they're saying."

<"We will get you out of here. You must tell me the names of the people who are responsible for this so we can punish them."> Supergirl said, prying the bars open.

<"His true name is unknown, but he is a German. We all call him Dr. Murder. And we do not know her real name either, but the witch is called Blackstarr."> Bea said, ushering the children out into the hallway.

<"Blackstarr?!"> Supergirl exclaimed.

<"Yes. She is a witch."> Bea looked around the grimy hallway, her eyes going to the other cells lining the hallway.

"We need to get all of these people out of here." Supergirl said turning to Green Lantern, Fury, and Silverhawk. "According to this girl, some one named Dr. Murder is in charge of this place… as well as Blackstarr."

"Maybe Power Girl is here somewhere!" Fury exclaimed.

"My thoughts exactly." Supergirl said.

Silverhawk went to a cell and used the claws on his gauntlet to tear through the bars. Fury began ripping cell doors off and Green Lantern used a giant hand to tear the barred doors away. Soon the hallway was filled with freed prisoners and all the cells were demolished.

<"Are there any other cell blocks in this place?"> Supergirl asked Bea.

<"There are three more on this floor."> Bea replied.

Supergirl turned to the others, "She says that there are three more cell blocks here. Surely they are filled with prisoners."

"What if she means the creatures?" Fury asked ruefully.

"We still need to check it out." Silverhawk said.

"Green Lantern, do you think you could get these people to safety? If Blackstarr and this Dr. Murder are lurking around the castle still, I don't want anyone getting in the way of the battle." Supergirl glowered, "I'm going to beat Kara's location out of Blackstarr if I have to."

"Watch that temper Supergirl." Green Lantern said quietly.

Supergirl did not respond, instead, she watched Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern, make a green construct into which all of the prisoners scrambled.

"I'll be back soon." Green Lantern told them, "I'm going to fly them over to the Allied camp down in the village below. They should be safe there."

Green Lantern departed with the thirty-seven liberated men, women, and children in a giant green bubble.

"Let's find those other cellblocks." Supergirl said to Silverhawk and Fury.

"Why does she get to bark orders? Who put her in charge?" Fury asked, trailing beside Silverhawk, behind Supergirl.

"Because she knows what she's doing." Silverhawk replied.

Fury led them through a doorway at the end of the hallway and they found themselves in another cellblock. They began liberating more people.

Supergirl had sent the second group of prisoners out into the courtyard of the castle to wait for Green Lantern to return so he could take them to safety. When they came to the next cellblock, they found the people within dead.

"What happened to these people?" Fury asked.

Supergirl looked through the bars at dead children being held by a man who could have been their father, but could have just as easily been some random man thrown into a cell with them and comforting them in their final moments.

"Gas of some sort." Silverhawk said, "My helmet is picking up light traces in the air. I would recommend we get out of here quick, whatever it is lingering and if it did that to them… it could do that to us."

As they made their way to the end of the hallway, a massive brick slab slid down, blocking the doorway that would have taken them out. Behind them, the way they came, another slab slid into place blocking their entrance.

From vents in the walls, a thick green smoke began pouring out.

"I think we're about to find out what it was!" Fury exclaimed as the room began to fill with the pungent smoke.

"The stone there should be no trouble for us." Supergirl said, "We all three have super-strength."

Supergirl swung her fist into the stone slab, fully expecting the slab to explode beneath the pressure showering stone chunks in every direction. However, all that happened was a bright lance of pain shot through her hand.

"OUCH! My hand!" Supergirl cradled her hand, watching incredulously as the red flesh began to darken with bruises.

"Let me try!" Fury rushed forward, slamming her own fist into the stone slab blocking their exit. She was unable to dent it and cried out in pain as her flesh made contact with the stone.

"I'm not going to try." Silverhawk said, "My strength is nothing compared to Supergirl's."

"You bragged once that you were as strong as Hercules." Fury told him, watching the smoke fill the room. She was already beginning to have a hard time breathing.

"Yeah, but Supergirl is stronger than Hercules. If she can't do it, and you can't do it, then I'm not going to be able to do it."

"That's right heroes!" The voice filled the room, so loud that it hurt their ears. "The stone making up that door is a special combination of stone I've retrieved from deep space, reinforced with magic. It' s actual properties are unlike anything found on Earth, which is why you find it quite difficult to destroy. I am sure that Supergirl could have destroyed the stone it's self, however the magic reinforcement courtesy of my good friend Dark Angel makes it Supergirl-proof."

"That's Blackstarr's voice!" Supergirl would have recognized that voice anywhere.

"Right you are Supergirl. It's a pity that it ends for you here. I would have liked to face you again in your future. But, alas it was not meant to be. You will die here, in the past. And I shall be your killer." Blackstarr's voice purred, "I have expanded my mind and become one with the cosmos. I can see into the past, present, and future. And I can tell you that I do not see you beyond the point Chyseis sent you back here."

"I wouldn't count on that. The past may be set in stone Blackstarr, but the future is fluid. Besides, I have a destiny to fulfill. And while the slabs blocking the entrance and exit to this hallway may be space rock and magically enforced-"

Supergirl swung her fist toward the wall, punching a huge hole in it that revealed a chunk of blue sky.

--"But, the walls are quite normal!"

Supergirl flew out the hole, followed by Silverhawk and Fury.

She punched a hole just beyond where the exit had been and flew in.

"Dumb moves like that always lead to failure." Supergirl said, "Seems like that would be taught in Super-Villain 101."

The three heroes found themselves in a massive throne room.

Sitting on the throne was Blackstarr. Nazi soldiers flanked her on either side, and nearby stood an old wrinkled man with wild hair and eyes wearing a white lab coat.

"Dr. Murder I presume?" Supergirl asked the old man.

"In the flesh." Dr. Murder cackled.

"You may be smart Supergirl," Blackstarr said pointing toward the hole in the wall, "But not even you can withstand the power of Blackstarr." Blackstarr stood, stretching her arms out wide on either side, grinning widely.

The air around her began to stretch and quiver, sparkling with energy.

"Where is Power Girl?" Supergirl asked, keeping her eyes on Blackstarr.

"Ah… Kara of Argo City… she is long gone Supergirl. Long gone." Blackstarr cackled madly.

"You two make sure you get Dr. Murder." Supergirl said just loud enough for Silverhawk and Fury to hear. "I'm taking Blackstarr out."

Supergirl launched herself at Blackstarr, her fists pounding directly into Blackstarr's face.

"HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME YOU INSOLENT CHILD!!" Blackstarr roared.

"You are only a child yourself!" Supergirl smacked Blackstarr with all her might, knocking her through the ceiling. She flew after the woman.

"I have not been a child for a long time! My manipulations of cosmic energies has given me immortality and aged me beyond the miserable child you first met here a handful of months ago. For me, an entire lifetime has passed. And your Kara of Argo City has passed on to the Hell where one such as she belongs!" Blackstarr pulled herself to her feet, unleashing concentrated photons in Supergirl's direction.

The photons tore into Supergirl's form, biting her flesh through the material of her uniform.

"Ugh!" Supergirl bit back a scream of pain, her teeth sinking down into her lip.

She staggered backward, before unleashing flaming bolts of angel-fire from her eyes.

The angel-fire covered Blackstarr, causing the woman to shriek out.

"What manner of fire is this?!" Blackstarr tried to put the fire out, but it continued to burn brightly.

"It's angel-fire." Supergirl lunged through the air catching Blackstarr.

The two women smashed through the wall and out into the open air above the castle's courtyard. The freed prisoners looked up at the two women fighting, just as Green Lantern arrived to take them away to safety.

"Where is Kara?! Tell me!" Supergirl pounded her fist into Blackstarr's face.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Blackstarr increased gravity, pulling Supergirl to the ground with a loud BOOM.

"I'm going to knock her block off." Supergirl groaned, pulling herself up from the crater her landing created.

In the sky above her Blackstarr still beat at the angel-flames, but had no luck in putting them out.

"You OK?" Green Lantern asked, coming over to her. Several of the freed prisoners trailed behind him.

"I'm fine." Supergirl said, dusting dirt from her face and shoulders. "Just a little sore."

"Where are Fury and Silverhawk?"

"They're inside fighting Nazis and Dr. Murder." Supergirl said looking up at Blackstarr, "She's powerful."

"Maybe we should call in reinforcements." Green Lantern suggested.

"I can handle her." Supergirl said.

Supergirl lifted off, flying up at super-speed, grabbing a hold of Blackstarr and dragging the woman out into space. The trip took only five minutes, and Supergirl did not stop until they were safely past the moon and out of the Earth's gravitational pull.

"You are a fool!" Blackstarr said, "Out here my powers are even stronger!"

"If being a blow-hard is one of your powers, then definitely you're stronger!" Supergirl punched the woman, knocking her farther into space. Sending her toward the red surface of Mars.

Supergirl flew after her, streaking through space in pursuit.

"Where is Kara of Argo City?" Supergirl asked.

"You want to know so bad where Kara of Argo City is?" Blackstarr's eyes sparkled like the stars surrounding them on all sides.

The earth was a distant orb of blue, barely the size of a pea. Mars loomed large and red behind them.

"Then," Blackstarr continued, "YOU WILL JOIN HER!!"

On either side of Supergirl, Blackstarr opened two black holes.

Supergirl felt the tremendous power pulling at her, trying to tear her apart.

Blackstarr cackled madly, "YOU DIE NOW SUPERGIRL!"

Supergirl could feel herself losing her struggle to keep the black holes from tearing her apart. It couldn't end this way. It just couldn't. Wally and the Spectre had both told her she had a great destiny ahead of her. Had those been lies? Just something they said to her so she would not suspect that she was going to die here in the past? Was that why she couldn't return to the future? Because she died here?

Silverhawk and Fury tore through the German soldiers easily, although during the battle Dr. Murder managed to slip away through a hidden passage.

Silverhawk and Fury rushed from the castle to where Green Lantern waited with the freed prisoners.

"Where's Supergirl?" Silverhawk asked, looking at the crater in the ground.

"She took off with Blackstarr." Green Lantern frowned, looking up at the spot in the sky where she'd been only a few minutes before.

Silverhawk and Fury followed his gaze.

"I don't think we're going to see her again." Green Lantern said quietly.

"At least not during World War II." Silverhawk replied, although he did not elaborate. However, he realized that his memory of Supergirl and their meeting in the future suddenly felt very hazy and almost like a dream he'd once had. He frowned, wondering if this meant bad things for Supergirl.

Supergirl was about to lose. She knew it. She could feel it. It was nearly over for her.

I can't let her win. Even if I die, I can't let her win, Supergirl thought.

With her last bit of strength Supergirl pulled back her fist and released it.

At the precise moment that her fist smashed into Blackstarr's face, Supergirl let loose a deadly double blast of angel-fire from her eyes. The combined impact knocked Blackstarr unconscious and sent her spinning out of control-hurtling through space.

Blackstarr shot through three galaxies until she crashed into a moon not far from the colony of Argo City. There she would wait for several decades, unconscious until she finally awakened. Once she finally regained consciousness, she would go to Argo City and kill everyone there, save a young girl named Kara, who would escape to Earth.

The black holes continued pulling at Supergirl. With her having used her last bit of strength to defeat Blackstarr, she knew it was inevitable. Supergirl did not want to be pulled apart by the black holes. With what little strength that remained, she pushed herself to the black hole on her right and let it pull her away.

Everything went dark.

Epilogue:

From the darkness, Supergirl could hear voices. They were distant and sounded weird as they chattered in a different language that she did not immediately recognize although she was able to understand a few odd words here and there.

She opened her eyes, and the world around her slowly came into focus.

There were several people stooped around her.

A blonde woman looked down at her, her blue eyes twinkling full of concern. The woman asked something that Supergirl didn't quite catch, although it sounded like a question.

"Kara?"

Of course, Supergirl immediately realized that while there was a slight resemblance between this woman and Kara of Argo City, they were not the same.

"Oh my head hurts so bad." Supergirl said, slowly sitting up and taking in her surroundings.

She appeared to be in the middle of a massive city, filled with tall skyscrapers of a distinctly non-Earth design. It's architecture was familiar to her, as was the language.

When she had been just plain Matrix, hanging out with the Kents after nearly being killed by those Kryptonians from the Pocket Universe, she had learned every language she possibly could. One of the ones that had been hardest for her, and one of the ones she had never quite mastered-much to her chagrin, was the language being spoken to her right now.

<"Where am I?"> Supergirl asked, even though she knew the answer.

<"You are in Argo City, Kara."> The woman said.

<"What planet is this?"> Supergirl asked, knowing that this could not be the same Argo City that Kara of Argo City came from.

<"I knew that she fell from the sky!"> One of the men said, pointing to the greenish hued sky with a blazing red sun.

<"Like an angel!"> An old man said.

Supergirl looked at their clothes they were wearing, recognizing them as well. Although she had only seen them in simulations and on statues back on Earth.

<"Did you truly fall from the sky, Kara?"> The woman asked, giving Supergirl a reassuring smile.

<"I suppose so."> Supergirl frowned, <"My name is not-">

<"You speak our language with a slight accent and as though it's unfamiliar."> The woman said.

<"Look at the strange clothing she wears."> A boy said.

<"What is that symbol upon her chest?"> An elderly woman asked.

<"I've never really spoken it before today."> Supergirl rubbed her aching head.

<"You are a stranger to our planet?"> The woman said.

<"Unfortunately so. I'm not even certain what planet this is."> Supergirl looked around at the city sprawled out before her. At the people in their strange clothing. At the green sky and red sun.

<"Well, let me introduce myself then and welcome you to our world."> The woman smiled brightly, <"My name is Alura Zor-El. And you are on Krypton.">

Next Issue: Alongside Kryptonian heroes Nightwing and Flamebird, Supergirl defends Argo City from the machinations of Black Flame and her gang--while standing for truth, justice, and the Kryptonian way. Part One in the Four Part "Supergirl of Krypton" which helps Supergirl further define herself, as well as discover her dark and deadly destiny.