As I have noted, when I started reading Superman comics, his Kryptonian parents were Jor-El and Lara, and a few years later we were introduced to his cousin Kara, daughter of Jor-El’s brother, Zor-El.

I was immersed enough in science-fiction that I saw this as representing women on Krypton having a different naming tradition. Marriage did not mean surrendering part of their identity to their husbands, and daughters were independent from their fathers.

I thought that was pretty cool.

But fast-forward a few years and suddenly Lara was Lara Jor-El and Kara was Kara Zor-El. Not Lara-El and Kara-El, mind you! A full surrendering to the male tradition.

I have long thought it was not entirely coincidence that this change roughly coincided with the rise of the “Women’s Liberation” movement. My sense was of a bunch of staid, middle aged writers and editors rebelling (perhaps unconsciously) against this “threat” to male dominance.

Made me sad.