I now believe American World War II propaganda was written specifically with the Danvers sisters in mind.

Golden Age Superman always could walk into any unknown feeling as if he could survive it without question. He was less powerful, but he had zero established vulnerabilities. His inexorability was what made him terrifying to his enemies— they'd try everything they had and he just. kept. coming.

They must have brought them in from outside 1982 Moscow.

According to the historical documents, the proper method for acquiring contraceptives was a road trip en masse to the nearest gas station with a condom machine, or an awkward conversation with a pharmacist who would turn out to be the young woman's father.

"I'm a '91 baby,"

I think there was also an element of "I can't keep up this juggling act forever." Gabriel's probably right that in the long run, there's not much that maximizes the bond and its secrecy while minimizing questions in the same way.

One imagines that her papers will have a different name on them.

No one assigned to a Western post is going to waste her time wearing Soviet jewelry when she can go shopping here. She may have shipped a few dozen pairs of earrings home before Nina's travails scared her into stopping.

That would be my general expectation. On the other hand, given that they're keeping Nina on the show and probably don't want to run a parallel plot in the basement of Lubyanka forever, I expect that somehow she'll wind up getting reinserted into the location of the main action. Possibly relating to Stan and Oleg's…

When they show up in standard superhero continuities, they're cautionary tales about what happens when the heroes stop being right or good. Superman imposes his own lines that Ultraman ignores (because he's evil) and Justice Lord Superman crosses (because he's lost sight of what's right).

Yes, I think bringing pointy needles and some thin rope will make murder less likely.

Not necessarily third-stringers in-universe, or among fans. (Some of them are second-string!) I mean in terms of who anyone not a comics geek has ever heard of.

Though I still think Helen Slater could have carried a good Supergirl movie, if anyone had cared to write and direct one for her.

Nothing's above reproach. But what you call formulaic, I call the longest sequence of decent-to-good superhero storytelling in live action cinematic history. It's a genre I like, and it's a lot harder to pull off than it looks— as a random issue off the comics racks will more than likely demonstrate.

I don't mind that Bruce doesn't get to choose to retire. I do mind that we're never given the slightest sign that his lifework did any good. No redeemed Harvey, no Kirk Langstrom returned to humanity, and certainly no sign that Gotham could ever be other than a crime-ridden hellhole.