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— Written by Sydney Bucksbaum (@SydneyBucksbaum), thanks for allowing me to share your story!

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(Season four returns Sunday, Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. on The CW)

Supergirl is introducing TV’s first transgender superhero.

The CW superhero series announced at Comic-Con that transgender activist Nicole Maines is joining season four as TV’s first transgender superhero. Maines (Royal Pains, The Trans List) will be playing the series regular role of Nia Nal, aka Dreamer, and she joined the cast onstage halfway through the panel. The newest addition to the CatCo reporting team who worked under Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart) in Washington, D.C., Nia is described as a soulful young transgender woman with a fierce drive to protect others. Her journey over the course of this season means fulfilling her destiny as the superhero Dreamer, as Kara takes her under her wing. Not only is this a huge step for inclusion onscreen, it’s also a win for the trans community as Supergirl is going the extra mile stepping up its representation by casting a trans actress to play the trans role, avoiding the controversy surrounding other projects that cast cis actors as trans characters. “It seems only fitting that we have a trans superhero for trans kids to look up to,” Maines says.

Two other cast additions were announced during the panel. April Parker Jones (Jericho, The Last Ship) is joining the show in the series regular role of Colonel Haley, a hardline career military woman. Colonel Haley lives and dies by the orders of her commanding officers. Dedicated to her country, she always acts in its best interest — even if it’s not her own.

David Ajala (Dr. Who, Nightflyers, The Dark Knight) will also join the cast in season four as the recurring role of Manchester Black, based on the iconic DC Comics character. Described as the type of guy who brings a knife to a gunfight and still walks away the winner, Manchester Black has a dark past but easily deflects the brutality of his mission with his charm and sense of humor. Maines, Jones and Ajala join the previously announced new series regulars Jesse Rath who plays the Legion of Superheroes’ Brainiac-5 and Smallville alum Sam Witwer who will play Agent Liberty.

Fans got their first glimpse of Witwer’s villain as he voiced an ominous voiceover in a sneak peek at season two. Agent Liberty is going to spearhead an anti-alien movement that goes directly against Kara’s (Melissa Benoist) symbol of hope. And was that a new suit for Supergirl? A flash of a woman wearing a light-up “S” on her chest with a futuristic helmet covering her face looked epic and heroic, but since her face was hidden there’s no telling if this was really Kara or someone else, like her evil doppelganger seen in the very last scene of the finale.

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About the blogger: Michael Curry is the author of the Brave & Bold: From Silent Knight to Dark Knight, The Day John F Kennedy Met the Beatles and the award-winning Abby’s Road, the Long and Winding Road to Adoption and How Facebook, Aquaman and Theodore Roosevelt Helped.  Check his website for more releases! Thanks for reading!