Psycho Killer - JSA Classified #4

Power Trip, Part IV

JSA Classified #4

Cover Date: December 2005

Released: 26th October 2005

⋅ Writers: Geoff Johns ⋅ Pencilers: Amanda Conner ⋅  

⋅ Inkers: Jimmy Palmiotti ⋅ Colourists: Paul Mounts ⋅

⋅ Letterers: Rob Leigh ⋅ Editors: Harvey Richards / Stephen Wacker ⋅ 

Continued from part 3

After all the weirdness of the previous few issues, we settled in to find out just what this was all about.

Stop me if you've heard this one before, there was a multiverse including a second Earth, an Earth-2 if you will, and there was a bunch of heroes called the Justice Society of  America. When Krypton-2 exploded not only was Kal-L sent to Earth, his cousin sent his only daughter to Earth, who grew up to be Power Girl! Yes her classic origin is now back.

We also learn Psycho Pirates (II it seems) background. His father was a psychologist and also the first Psycho Pirate who used a series of masks called the Medusa Masks, which did a single emotion each, and forged them into the single mask he now wears.

After the speedrun, through the backstories we get to the meat of the story, Psycho Pirate wants to know just why Power Girl survived. Not believing that she doesn't consider herself special he summons up the memories of Helena Wayne Huntress and Dick's Robin, the Earth-2 two version in long pants. Whilst still not knowing the answer to the question, and still not remembering everything about what he's claiming, she eventually beats him down using her own bioship as a blunt weapon. At that point, Psycho Pirate evaporates, apparently not having been there at all.

Going back to the JSA headquarters Pee Gee has a bit of a sob, which is fair it's been a bit of a day, as she explains what happened to Ma Hunkel. The scene's pretty light, it's just to show that Power Girl is still alone and doesn't know her place in the world, but I can't help but gush about Ma, even if she's just a caretaker of the JSA place right now. For she was the Golden Age Red Tornado and was one of, if not the first, female hero to appear in the DC Univer. She first appeared in 1939, whilst Wonder Woman wouldn't come around until 1942! Cyclone is the daughter of  Ma, so maybe it's right and proper that she'll be the first JSA member we'll see in the upcoming Black Adam movie.

In an epilogue, we see the mysterious person guiding Psycho Pirate is a Lex Luthor, who is apparently preparing Pee Gee for the idea of the multiverse. This is all leading to Infinite Crisis, which we'll get to in the near future.

This might sound a little slight, but a lot of this is about the psychological strains of Pee Gee not knowing who she really is, or her fighting her literal and metaphorical ghosts. Both of which are something that I don't think I can do justice with my words here. One thing that I think differs it from the Power Girl mini I was so down on is that after being broken down after three issues, and it is over the three issues not a sudden turn in a single issue, and spends the final issues beating the problem with her own smarts and fists, it's her own efforts, not an outside, it cute, force that helps her win the day.

Look I'm never going to be down on this issue, and I feel that it perfectly tells the story that is trying to tell, self-contained whilst still setting up the upcoming Crisis.