Forthcoming CBS series “Supergirl” will be the first to fly into the spotlight at San Diego’s Comic-Con, premiering its debut episode this evening as the first show screened at the pop culture fest’s preview night.

By leading off the fervent fan fest, the Warner Bros. Television series is seeking to win positive advance buzz from thousands of attendees spreading the word on social media to justify its hype as one of the anticipated highlights of the upcoming fall TV season.

Starring “Glee” alum Melissa Benoist as the Man of Steel’s super-powered cousin from Krypton, the show also has links with the past by casting former “Lois and Clark” Superman Dean Cain and one time movie Supergirl Helen Slater as the title character’s adoptive Earth parents.

Former “Ally McBeal” star Calista Flockhart plays the up-tight boss at the media company where the superheroine, Kara, works.

The show has special powers behind the scenes too as it is made by Los Angeles producer Greg Berlanti’s Berlanti Productions, the same company behind current superhero TV hits, “Arrow” and “The Flash,” both on the CW network.

Also being screened on preview night – a curtain raiser followed by four days of panels, previews and parties for 130,000 influential attendees – are three other TV series hoping to be embraced by the Comic-Con crowd: “Blindspot,” “Containment” and “Lucifer.”

With mega-shows such as AMC’s “The Walking Dead” and HBO’s “Game of Thrones” as popular as tent-pole movie franchises, TV premieres have become as much a part of the San Diego spectacular as flashy film launches.