Symbol Pending - A Power Girl Blog

  All-Star Comics #71 The Deadliest Game in Town! April 1978 In a rare moment of synergy between the main comic and Pee Gee's mini, we have this one panel that shows us that it's going on whilst she's dealing with the Symbioship. Not much else here, but it's telling of a time when everyone was very careful to make sure that everything lined up timeline-wise as much as they could.

Brainwave Blows Up!  All-Star Comics #59 Cover Date: April 1976 Released: 16th December 1976 ⋅ Writers:  Gerry Conway  ⋅   ⋅ Pencilers:  Ric Estrada  ⋅  ⋅ Inker:  Wally Wood  ⋅  ⋅ Editors:  Paul Levitz  ⋅ Continued from  All-Star Comics #58 . October 9th is the publication date for the original publication date for All-Star #58, hence the birthday for Power Girl. So what better time (more or less) to look back at the original comics. Obviously is not an excuse to improve on my terrible early post, really don't look, no really! When I started this I really didn't know anything about these comics and it's amazing how different looking at this comic with all the many comics between now and them. We start with Brainwave, looks remarkable like how his son will later look (without the googly eyes alas) taking down the Justice Society. Or so it seems as they begin to fade away as Brainwave celebrates his victory whilst talking ...

All-Star Super Squad All-Star Comics #58 Cover Date:  January / February 1976 Released:  9th October 1975 It's been a long three years, and quite challenging for many. In that time this blog has gone from an occasional thing to a (mostly) regular thing. I've even hit fifty views on a post, though I'm not sure why which might not seem much but is a big thing to me! More importantly, today, or the 9th of October for those in the future, is the birthday of the first appearance of Power Girl! Now, forty-six isn't much of a momentous occasion but I can't guarantee I'll make it to 2025 and her fiftieth. If I do I'm sure I'll figure something out! One thing I do like to think is that I've improved in my style and I looked back at my early attempts and wish I could have done better. So this birthday is a chance to show how I've improved, if it's popular I may look at redoing the other earlier posts. So imagine it's 1975 and you run across All-Sta...

World on the Edge of Ending All-Star Comics #74 Cover Dated:  September / October 1978 Released:  27th June 1978 More page, more action! is an ironic cover image considering this would be the last issue of the (70s) All-Star Comics. For the few that don't know the story, DC had been increasing their titles from 1977 to 1978 to try and compete with Marvel's success at the time. But a year or poor sales meant they had to suddenly cut a number of their issues, often called the Implosion as a counterpoint to the explosion that DC was flogging all the new titles at the time.  All-Stars was one of those that fell victim to the cut, though it wouldn't be the end of the team as they'd be folded into Adventure Comics for six issues. As aside from the advantage of forty-ish years it seems crazy that they were going to cancel Detective Comics and it was only saved in the eleventh hour by a merge with Batman Family. The issue starts with a splash page showing Hawkman and Dr Fate in...

  Be It Ever So Deadly... All-Star Comics #73 Cover Dated:  July / August 1978 Released:  18th April 1978 We open the issue with the story that goes through the entire issue, the two Huntresses fighting each other. As is traditional the heroic Huntress starts out on the back foot, falling for some of the traps evil Huntress has laid down, but after tricking her by setting off a beartrap Helena manages to grapple her evil counterpart into submission. Only for the evil huntress to trick her and throw Helena into a glass cage. I've got to say for how silly the tiger-striped huntress costume is her fringe game is on point! Luckily for Helena Alan is signed up for Power Ring TV and decides to check up on her, right after that point and not a second before, and rushes off to help her out. Garrick and Power Girl apparently bored of waiting for Wildcat to get better rush off, somewhere, to do something that they'll figure out soon enough! We then get more setup for later with Dr ...

A Thorn by Any Other Name All-Star Comics #72 Cover Dated:  May/June 1978 Released:  21st February 1978 No messing around as we get right into the action as the splash page show the JSA at a murder scene filled with exposition. And whilst it might be my imagination but Power Girl seems a lot calmer than we've seen her before, just working alongside everyone peacefully like. It's a little weird as Garrick treats her with kid gloves like she still the old feistier Power Girl when he was there at the event that mellowed her out a little. Doubly weird when they take the time to cover the, obvious, fact that Huntress is now officially part of the team.  It seems that Throne is building a criminal empire in Keystone City and the JSA have been called in to bust it all up, starting with an assault on the Courthouse, a journey that lasts just long enough for us to see the new Hawkman costume before the shadow subplot rumbles along.  The fight with Thorne does not go well what...

 The Deadliest Game in Town All-Star Comics #71 Cover Dated:  March / April 1978 Released:  27th December 1977 This whole story involves one scene of Power Girl, in her symbiotship having another Kryptonian life in Showcase #98. If you somehow missed it you can read it here . This isn't really an issue about the JSA it's a way to introduce Helena Wayne, aka Huntress of Earth-2. It would be easy to skip this one and see how long the new Karen Star lasts, but Huntress is important to Power Girl and they become besties that lasted to the early 21st century. (Not always the other Huntress, but things will get complicated before she shows up.) So it's worth looking at this introduction, and we get some Wildcat as well so a bonus! So we get the three, oh yeah Star-Spangled Kid is here as well, trapped in a baseball stadium surrounded by the bad guy's, Strike Force. They're in a standoff when bold as you like Huntress pulls out her mini crossbow and starts fighting the vil...

A Parting of the Ways All-Star Comics #70 Cover Dated: January / February 1978 Released: 18th October 1977 The problem with following a single character in a team book is occasionally they just don't (or hardly) appear in the book at all. Such is the case with this issue, after three pages Power Girl flies off not to be seen again in this issue. This is from a time when they tried to keep something resembling a continuity so she's off to have a solo adventure, more on this next blog post.  But then again I'm a completest so here we go... Whilst I don't normally comment on the covers I've got to say the text boxes of speech from Huntress are both incredibly goofy and amazing at the same time! We start with all the old and new JSAers finishing a meeting now all as good friends, with Bruce and Power Girl hanging together in the background. Bruce then says goodbye to everyone, making extra sure to tell Power Girl to be patient with the old 'uns. Wonder Woman is out...

United We Fall All-Star Comics #69 Cover Dated:  November / December 1977 Released: 23rd August 1977 After three teams of the previous JLA issues, we have almost all of the All-Stars and the original JSA come together - only ten characters this time around!  As you might have seen I've expanded things a little and as such, I need to explain a few plot points that I've skipped over. One was Alan generally giving up on his business, to the point that he went bankrupt and had it all closed down on him. At the same time, Commissioner Bruce Wayne has become convinced that our team has lost its way and is doing more dubious action and causing chaos and destruction. Indeed we open with Alan bemoaning all that he has lost and wondering what he'll do next, with Garrick assuring him that he'll help him find something. That is before Power Girl calls him out for not opening a door into their base, because obviously flying isn't a viable option. Inside they find Commissioner Wa...

Divided We Stand All Star Comics #68 Cover Dated:  September / October 1977  Released:  28th June 1977 Power Girl step up! They return to their headquarters to see Dr Fate meditating, Flash takes this badly about cosmic calamities before Kara stay how they should now work as a team after the events of the previous issues. It seems that like is a tradition, the Green Lantern has gone bad and wants a Million Dollars or he won't let aircraft land at Gotham International Airport. He seems to have major beef with the Concord, which is very on-brand for the US view of Concord back in the 70s. Whilst the others try and help the planes, crashed and otherwise, mostly Dr Fate but also Power Girl fighting Green Lantern. We also see that Psycho-Pirate turn up to explain how he's controlling GL, before they fly away to cause more drama. We learn that Bruce has figured something was up about the JSA, but thinks all of them as bad as each other. We then get the confirmation that the Fla...

  Attack of the Underlord All-Star Comics #67 Cover Dated:  July / August 1977  Released:  26th April 1977 Holy retcon Power Girl! Instead of just f alling into a pit it seems the three, Power girl, Starman and Wildcat, get dragged down the pit though Power Girl says it was her idea before using one of those cool cloak clasps to call for help. We get some classic bickering between Kara and Wildcat before she just goes all-in and starts beating up the little green aliens, even having a good go at the big bad before the to men get in the way and getting them all knockout. Fate has a quick aside to chastise Bruce for giving up the hero business to be the Commissioner. Its also laying the groundwork that some of the JSA have been acting out of characters, more plot for the future. Whilst the Flash and Hawkman just get themselves almost instantly captured. Power Girl, rightly really, get all pissed that everyone gets upset that she bought everyone down the pit and getting...

  Injustice Strikes Twice! All-Star Comics #66 Cover Dated:  May / June 1977  Released:  22nd February 1977 Start with action I guess so we have the JSA getting their butts kicked by the Injustice Society, the more Silver Age versions of those in the Stargirl. One day I shall see my Kara in a live-action somewhere, because obviously, Geoff reads my little corner of the internet :D. We then flashback to find them arrive back in the 20th Century, so Power Girl can make a comment that there better off to be a man short (she's a feminist you know) and Superman to bounce away to not be in the beatdown. The Injustice League is just the other side of the door yet his superhearing hears nothing! As is standard the team split up with Power Girl going to Alaska with Starman, who decides to sweep up Kara in his arm, her face showing she is far from happy, missing the image of Power Girl showing up in Suadi Arabia. Everyone else bundles down to rescue Hawkman, joined by Doctor F...

The Master Plan of Vandal Savage All-Star Comics #65 Cover Dated:  March / April 1977  Released:  30th December 1976 It all starts so well Kara and her cousin explore what looks like future Earth. They work as a team and begin to figure out whats is going on as they try to track down Vandal Savage in this futuristic city. She even suspects the weird bald man, because Supes doesn't deal with enough of those, of being suspect before they're trapped by Kryptonian draining device #52. Luckily Savage is intelligence but not experience so like any good superhero our two heroes just crash through the wall. Though the spheres are of Anti-matter from another dimension, something that won't be relevant until another ten years or so... More or less straight after that Kara is zapped by the giant floating head of Vandal Savage and strapped to life draining machines part of his plan to regain his immortality. And that's more or less it for Power Girl in this issue so that all everyo...

Yesterday Begins Today! All-Star Comics #64 Cover Dated:  January / February 1977 Released:  21st October 1976 So now is the time we talk about the boob story! As the story goes the artist Wally Wood increased the size of Power Girls breasts seeing how long it was before DC told him to stop it. A good basic summary can be found  here  and here , and its a good Youtube channel in general. And as they spend a good page pointing out she's closed off her boob window its probably a sign that something was said about them about her costume. It's also probably the first time it's bought up about her not having a symbol, in that classic grumpy Kara way. It's also Star Spangled Kid so I can claim a synergy with the new Star Girl series, maybe we'll eventually get Power Girl in the series! (yeah I know but I can dream) Its also a point were it seems that even Kara figures she's gone to far when after dissing Starey Supers of all people just says proved herself and just le...

The Death of Doctor Fate All-Star Comics #63 Cover Dated:  November / December 1976 Released:  24th August 1976 A lot happening here in our little All Star Soap, and very little of it is about Power Girl, but lets try and give a little summary. Fiddler has Wildcat beat up Hawkman, its looks like Ted was an early adopter of MMA as he thinks he's in the ring and I'm pretty sure a choke hold isn't allowed in boxing. When the fight over he regains some of senses he has to fight Grundy who's in full Grundy smash mode. Until in a Deus ex Kryptonian we get the first appearance of Kara, and Clark, who literally pick up Grundy and throw him into a handy nearby volcano. Guess the sun was to far to throw him today! Meanwhile Dr Fate apparently breathes his last whist the rest of the team try to find a way to help him. Until the big bad does a things, that causes something to happen and he wakes up - because Magic! Then this unbeatable big bad goes back into storage, becaus...

When Fall the Mighty All-Star Comics #62 Cover Dated:  September / October 1976 Released:  24th June 1976 Bickering, oh so much bickering! This is one of those middle stories with all the various plots being juggled and the ball all still being in the air. Doctor Fate is lying dying, whilst Zanadu has awoken from amber and is holding Shiera whilst draining all of Tokyo of life. Oh and an 11th-hour appearance, possibly, of an Injustice Society Wildcat. Power Girl spends most of the issue bickering with people, either Wildcat or Superman, oh yeah Superman is in this one, basically the same old tune about being underappreciated. Look I'm obviously a big Kara fan but even I at this point have to admit it's getting a bit too much. With all this is a general malaise among the older heroes, Hourman turning up just for reason, about how it's just not the same being a superhero as it was back in the (Goldern) old days. And with the general soupiness of the whole thing ...

Hellfire and Holocaust All-Star Comics #61 Cover Dated : July / August 1976 Released : 15th April 1976 The issue starts with Christopher Pike as the villain Vulcan, yes really, fighting Green Lantern and Doctor Fate. Doctor fate is injured and Vulcan gets away. But we don't have time for that as we set up not one but two sub plots, the most important for us is Power Girl end up fighting a rather squat alien. Weirdly at this point the comic feels the need to point out that Kara talks about her calling Earth home, as a rather klunky mention that she's a Kryptonian. Along with pointing out that she's not quite as tough as Earth-1's Supergirl. During the battle there's a series of lovely Kirby like panels as she gains knowledge connecting this to the main story. Beep-beep Seems the alien made Vulcan with on fatal flaw, a vulnerability to sunlight, despite the whole thing happening as NASA astronaught was orbiting the Sun, you know that source of sunlig...

Vulcan: Son of Fire All-Star Comics #60 Cover Dated : May / June 1976 Released : 17th Februrary1976 The issues starts with Power Girl and Flash have a race, with Kara pointing out that the Flash is the Fastest Man Alive in a rather cringy scene, even if Power Girl is winning right now. Apparently she's been going stir crazy, has have them all, and wants to be treated as a adult. Seems being kept as a secret by Superman has given her some issues.Wishing for some action has the normal effect as Vulcan, Son of Fire, turns up to fight the group. Meanwhile Green Lantern is having a moment of being part of his secret identity, before Doctor Fate turns up to drag him back to the action. Vulcan meanwhile fights the rest of the group, whilst doing that thing of calling Power Girl a "female", whilst she's kicking his ass for a little balance. He set the place on fire before bailing, though it's unsure why he turned up to just to fight them before bailing. Meanwhi...

Brainwave Blows Up All-Star Comics #59 Cover Dated : March / April 1976 Released : 16th December 1975 Previously: Whilst dealing with standard end of the world shenanigans the JSA come across three heroes who are helping out. Including, importantly to this blog, the new character of Power Girl. The plot whittled three groups down to two and then one as all the heroes new and old join up in space to defeat Brainwaves plan to help an old friend regain his former powers... and oh blow up the Earth. Really half the book is the heroes trying and failing to fight Brainwave, until Power Girl follows that Kryptonian tradition of throwing thing into the sun. Or at least pretending to. As any armchair expert will tell you, and I guess that includes me now, balancing a super team so everyone is difficult. So this issue they don't try and instead focus on the new character, Robin gets to do some detectering, Star Spangled Kid is again pretty dull, but the main focus is, thankfully f...

Beginnings are always a difficult thing, where do you start? Maybe you start with the place in history or its location in the fictional world. So I might say that All-Star Comics #58 was released in October 1975, but cover-dated Jan/Feb 1976 (and obviously thank Mikes Amazing World of Comics). Or mention that the comic isn't set in DC main universe, it's Earth-1 if you will, but Earth-2 where its Golden Age heroes still fought in the Silver Age. I may even make a joke about how the editors thought that this is too confusing, even though it's clearly explained on the splash page. Then mention how this leads to one of the greatest even of the '80s, maybe a faint hint of event fatigue, and how I'll get to it eventually... Or maybe the character herself, the thing is she's not in two-thirds of the comics. First, we have an older Robin, which proves that an adult really shouldn't wear the Robin Costume. And he's very Dick Grayson in nature. Actually, he...