Why the world does not need a SuperGirl.

This statement, printed in bold type on the front of the latest issue of "Supergirl, No. 34" -- which was released in October -- is the catalyst for a new story of an old hero.

It asks the question, if we already have a Superman, why would we need a Supergirl?

Cleveland County resident Sterling Gates, author of "Supergirl," co-author of "Superman: New Krypton Special" and author of January's comic, "Faces of Evil: Prometheus," begins to answer this question in his comics.

"I think it's an important question to answer," he said, "why the world needs a hero."

Gates was quick to address it.

"Superheroes are there for you to latch on to and for you to be inspired by," he said.

Gates -- who graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in art and film studies -- worked at Norman's Speeding Bullet's Comics while attending school. He said he has been surrounded by capes and tights most of his life.?

"My parents owned a comic book store when I was a kid," he said.

He said he would walk into his family's garage, grab a stack of comic books, return to his room and read for hours.

So when Gates moved to California after graduation to pursue his love of movies and writing, he was surprised by a job offer from comic book writer Geoff Johns.

"He [Geoff Johns] has been really instrumental in my work," Gates said. "He taught me what comic book storytelling is."

It is this type of storytelling that Gates has incorporated into his writing of "Supergirl."

But why Supergirl? Why should the public latch onto this superhero? In Gates' words, "What makes Supergirl special?"

Well, she is an alien for one.