Thara Ak-Var is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, created by Geoff Johns and James Robinson. The character first appeared during the Superman: New Krypton storyline in Superman #681 (October 2008). She is the latest character to take on the role of Flamebird. Along with the new Nightwing, Thara is the feature character in Action Comics beginning with issue #875 (May 2009). Thara Ak-Var's name is a reference to Ak-Var, who was the second pre-Crisis Flamebird, and his wife, Thara.
This character was portrayed by Esmé Bianco in the third season of Supergirl.
Fictional character biography
Silver Age
In the Silver Age, Thara was the wife of Ak-Var, lab assistant to the Kandorian scientist Van-Zee, who was also Thara's uncle. At one point, Van-Zee donned the Nightwing costume to rescue a captured Superman. After Superman and Jimmy's departure from Kandor, Van-Zee took up the role of Nightwing full-time. Ak-Var later assumed the mantle of Flamebird. The two shared several distinct adventures, once teaming up with Superman and Jimmy.
Modern Age
Thara Ak-Var lived in Argo City and was a childhood friend of Kara Zor-El. While Kara's parents were members of the Science Guild, Thara's parents were both of the Military Guild and had served under General Zod.
Thara was among the few survivors of Krypton’s destruction. Zor-El created a force field around all of Argo City to protect it using technology found after Brainiac’s capture of Kandor. Sensing his own technology being used, Brainiac tracked down Argo City and began to integrate it with Kandor, and killing those who tried to stop him, including Thara's parents. While Zor-El and Alura managed to assist their daughter in escaping, everyone else in Argo City was captured by Brainiac, including Thara.
Life in the shrunken city continued, though at a slower rate than the rest of the universe. Despite her young age and inexperience in actual combat, Thara was made chief of security for Kandor. She was adamant that no one think she did not earn her position.
Shortly afterward, Thara was approached by Kandor's religious guild, who conducted a ceremony that granted Thara a vision of the Flamebird, a mythical Kryptonian creature. The religious guild, believing Thara to be the living avatar of the Flamebird, took her into their ranks. One day Thara felt her mind connect with that of Chris Kent's, who himself seemed to have some kind of connection to the Nightwing, the Flamebird's partner deity. Reclaiming her position as chief of Security, Thara used a protective suit invented by Zor-El to enter the Phantom Zone, free Chris, and bring him to Kandor in secret.
When Superman discovered Kandor in Brainiac's ship, the imprisoned Kryptonians were all freed. Thara was reunited with her friend, Kara.
New Krypton
When the Kryptonians agreed to meet with the President of the United States in Metropolis, it was Thara who trained Zor-El and Alura's escorts. She also organized the evacuation of the area when Doomsday attacked the Kryptonian delegation. After Kara's father, Zor-El, was murdered by Reactron in Kandor, Alura came to blame Thara for her husband's death, as security within the city was her responsibility.
Thara Ak-Var began operating on Earth as the superhero Flamebird, aided by Chris as Nightwing. Both heroes work from the Fortress of Solitude where they initially stood guard over the Phantom Zone projector to stop Kryptonian soldiers from releasing Zod.
A World Without Superman
After all Kryptonians except for Superman are restricted from coming to Earth, Thara and Chris Kent remained behind in their guises of Flamebird and Nightwing. To further hide their Kryptonian origins, the duo began wearing powersuit versions of their costumes. The young heroes are tracking down Kryptonian sleeper agents operating on Earth by order of General Zod. Chris discovered the identities of these agents while his parents kept him prisoner in the Phantom Zone.