On TV and in movies, right now is a good time to be a superhero. The powerful and often innovative characters are on some of the most popular TV shows, building followings of loyal fans. Monday night CBS made a splash with their new show Supergirl.

CBS aggressively advertised the fall action series and it paid off big time. According to Variety, the show averaged a 3.2 rating with adults 18-49 and 12.9 million viewers for the time slot. Supergirl aired after CBS’s always solid comedy, The Big Bang Theory, earning the No. 2 ranking in views for Monday night. The nerd-centric comedy has proven to be helpful for launching new shows as last year Scorpion debuted after the sitcom to 3.2 ratings.

Supergirl is now No. 1 in the ratings for shows that debuted this fall, surpassing Blindspot on NBC, which kicked off with 3.1. Both are produced by the highly bankable Greg Berlanti, who also produced Everwood, Brothers & Sisters, and fellow comic based hits Arrow and The Flash.

In total viewers it also topped the fall season over Life in Pieces (11.3 million) and Blindspot (10.6 million).

For shows that premiered in all of 2015, it ranked fourth behind The Walking Dead spinoff Fear the Walking Dead (4.9), Empire (3.8), and Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul (3.4).

The key now will be sustaining the momentum. Critic reviews for the superheroine show have been largely favorable. The premiere episode managed a tone similar to The Flash, mixing action with comedy and drama, presenting a lead who is likeable, with unassuming charm, yet the ability to turn in a good fight scene.

Next week Supergirl will be challenged by not following TV’s No. 1 comedy, which will move back to Thursday nights. But, with online buzz leaning heavily toward the positive, the show should do fine.

On the show, Melissa Benoist stars as Supergirl/Kara Danvers, with Mehcad Brooks, Chyler Leigh, David Harewood, Calista Flockhart, and Jeremy Jordan rounding out the main cast.