Laurel Gand

Laurel Gand
Laurel Gand as Andromeda, by Lee Moder
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Original: Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 4) #5 (March, 1990) Post-Zero Hour: Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 4) #66 (March, 1995)
Created by	Tom and Mary Bierbaum Keith Giffen Al Gordon (based upon Supergirl by Otto Binder and Al Plastino)
In-story information
Alter ego	Laurel Gand
Species	Daxamite
Place of origin	Daxam (31st century)
Team affiliations	Legion of Super-Heroes White Triangle
Notable aliases	Andromeda, Sister Andromeda
Abilities	Superhuman strength, speed and endurance, Heat Vision, Telescopic Vision, X-Ray Vision, Enhanced senses, Invulnerability, Flight

Laurel Gand, a.k.a. codename Andromeda, is a fictional superheroine in the 30th/31st-century DC Comics universe, and a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. She was created as a replacement for Supergirl in post-Crisis on Infinite Earths Legion continuity. She was also inspired by elements of Superman's supposed descendant Laurel Kent (who, in post-Crisis, pre-Zero Hour continuity, was revealed to be a Manhunter android).

Following her death in the Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series, Supergirl was removed from mainstream DC continuity, endangering the status of every Legion story featuring the Girl of Steel. Following the events of Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 4) #4-5 (February–March 1990), the sorceress Glorith supplants the Time Trapper as reality's master of time manipulation, resulting in several alterations in Legion continuity. In the new timeline, the 30th century native Laurel Gand replaces 20th century native Supergirl in Legion history; all of Kara Zor-El's appearances are said to have been appearances by Laurel.

The pre-Zero Hour Laurel was similar to the pre-Crisis Supergirl in that she was a distant relative of the Glorithverse's Superboy analogue, Valor, and was born on an asteroid called Ricklef II (as opposed to the Krypton remnant Argo City). Also, upon arriving on Earth she had posed as a shy, bookish young woman with glasses. As a child, Laurel fought off a Khundian attack force threatening to invade Daxam (the planet of her ancestry), but not before the Khunds slaughtered her parents and other inhabitants of the Ricklef II research station. Living in exile on Earth and fearing further vengeance from the Khunds, Laurel jumped at the chance to join the Legion of Super-Heroes.