Symbol Pending - A Power Girl Blog

T his was originally an introduction to the classic All-Star Comic #58, but it grew to the point that it seemed better as a post of its very own! On the 24th May 1940 the first issue of All Star Comics (All-Star came later), it was an anthology comic in which stories of Hawkman (Carter Hall), Sandman (Wesley Dobbs), The Flash (Jay Garrick), The Spectre (Jim Corrigan) and Hourman (Rex Tyler), alongside Red, White & Blue and Ultra-Man (no not that one, but a standard Future Cop story). Issue second added the Green Lantern (Alan Scott) and Johnny Thunder, though the third though still not abandoning the anthology format added a new twist making them part of the first team the Justice Society of America! Oh and the Atom (Al Pratt) making the classic JSA lineup, and also technically the first female superhero in the form of Red Tornado (Ma Hunkel) though it's hardly the shining hour for anyone... Through the issues, and the addition of Batman and Superman (issue sev...

Nevermind Superman/Batman #27 Cover Date: August 2006 Released: 21st June 2006 Even though I'd thought I'd finished all the Pre-Crisis comics Randy Khoo on Twitter kindly pointed out a comic I didn't know about from 2006 that is ostensively set in the Pre-Crisis era. Almost immediately I tracked it down to find a rather pleasant surprise. Now technically Power Girl doesn't appear in the majority of the comic, at least in spirit, but it will become clearer as well get into the story and explain why I'm more than glad to cover the story. This is not a complicated story, not that that's a bad thing, the Ultra-Humanite has kidnapped Batman and Superman and put their mind in Huntress (Helena Wayne) and Power Girl. Our two heroes need to track their bodies down before they're forced to choose between their own minds or the dormant (but waking up) minds of our two female heroes. Whilst the comic had just come off of a long story of multiversal shenanigans, the da...

Alley-Kat-Abra is the best btw Crisis on Earth-C-Minus Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew #15 Cover Date:  May 1983 Released:  24th February 1983 Power Girl is in one panel, and she refuses to take place in a crossover with funny animal heroes. Next!

Aftermath -- and Prologue Infinity Inc #11 Cover Date: February 1985 Released: 15th November 1984 So you've spent almost a year setting up your team, all the new backstories and the building threat of the one big bad. Now he's defeated what do you add now? More backstory! Yes, this issue tells the tale of how the Star-spangled Kid has reconnected with his partner Stipesy, just a few weeks ago, to help defeat a plot of some gangsters. It involves armoured automobiles and seems pretty solid, but it's totally out of the blue and brings all the momentum of the tales to a screeching halt. It's a shame as the issue has start's really good, and with a Power Girl moment to boot, with the now recovered Superman wondering if the Metropolis could ever forgive him for what he's just done. He even claims that it means that he's never really been at home on Earth, which works better for the juggle planet Supes compared to the more "down to Earth" modern Supes w...

A Dark and Deadly Place Infinity Inc #10 Cover Date:  January 1985 Released:  18 th October1984 We start with a glorious splash page with a fourth world break, with Ultra-Humanite apparently addressing the reader. Instead, he's addressing our water affected JSAers and offers them more of the water so that the effects won't wear off again (maybe permanently, though it's not made clear). And whilst they consider whether to fight him of not the Infinity Inc began to gather around the mountain in ones and two's. As they do they share information to get all of them, and the reader, up to speed on what has happened over the last few issues. And all together and up to speed, they decide to just crash into the place to finally, finally, face the Ultra-Humanite. This genius of a plan is obviously come to by our one and only Power Girl, who's never been one to give up on a frontal assault! She does however get take out straight away by Superman melting her lead scroll tube, m...

How Green Was My Victory Infinity Inc #9 Cover Date:  December 1984 Released: 20 th September 1984 We open by finding out what happened to the Star-Spangled Kid and Brainwave, Jr, no they weren't crushed by the avalanched caused in #7 but were instead transported to Limbo where they meet the original Brainwave. Old Brainwave is in his Golden Age Doctor Sivana look, which avoids confusion as he's also taken on exactly the look Junior is wearing here. After a quick round of explaining how he was a bad dad, and that Junior's mom is Merry and the sister of Star-Spangled Kid, Senior explains whilst he could transport them to Limbo none of them can leave. Obsidian and Jade are watched leaving the JSA headquarters by Harlequin, an old foe of the Alan Scott Green Lantern. But enough continuity references for this issue it's time for the main point of the story fighting Green Lantern in spaaaccceee..... First Starman has a go at defeating the Lantern but is caught by an illusion...

Atomic Dreams - - Nuclear Nightmares! Infinity Inc #8 Cover Date:  November 1984 Released: 16th August 1984 We start with a bit of a double-dip as we get a (nice) full-page splash of the group of the heroes over the, apparently, unconscious form of Steve Trevor. We then go through how Diana wanted to gift him with immortality as she was watching him get older whilst she aged much, much slower. They then have a spat about whether to take him to a nearby hospital or to Paradise Island, Wonder Woman still being under the influence and all. After a quick scuffle, she flees in her invisible jet with Steve to get him looked after. Then talking of hospitals we visit Jay Garrick (Flash) recovering in hospital and talking with the Mayor from earlier in the story. Dr Mid-nite and Shiera rock up to find out what's happening, which helpfully means we can get an update in the story so far and Infinity Inc's involvement in the whole thing. The Alan Scott (Green Lantern) hijacks the signal, ...

Past Glories -- Future Tears Infinity Inc #7 Cover Date:  October 1984 Released: 19st July 1984 I don't normally comment on covers, even if they're very pretty I'm more bothered by the story inside, but I've really got to mention this issue's cover and not for the best of reasons. Maybe it's my 21st-century brain but the signs of violence, and Power Girl's position, are too accurate for a comic that includes a talking ape. It's also hard not to assume things being that only Power Girl, and Huntress last issue, have been shown taking such a visceral beating. To be honest, I think it's just an artefact of Bronze Age ideas about accuracy, but it's not something I'm comfortable not mentioning. We open with a rather smug Ultra-Humanite giving us a couple page roundup of the plot so far before we get to the story proper. And boy what a first half of an issue as Power Girl and magic water influenced Superman battle it out. Fight scenes are difficult...

Day's of future what? Divide -- and Be Conquered Infinity Inc #6 Cover Date:  September 1984 Released:  21st June 1984 As if my month-long break from the future year of 2022 has somehow settled down a comic from... oh so long ago, Infinity Inc settles down in the style of storytelling I've grown so used to from the All-Star's Comic days. As I pointed out before it's actually not that much different from the Teen Titan stuff I've been covering through February, from the... wow that long ago now! Though the Teen Titans is more in the subplot bubbling under mode rather than the split the team we've gotten here. And to be fair the last few issues have also been doing this, though I sort of missed it due to being swamped with multiple backstories! We open with Nuklon being in danger from a Green Lantern constructed vice squashing him down and threatening to impale him on its very green spikes. The teamwork together and between Obsidian and Jade's lantern inherite...

  Dead Men's Bluff! Infinity Inc #5 Cover Date:  August  1984 Released:  24 th May 1984 First let me be clear I really like this comic, it's really well told and pretty to look at! That and it probably has some of the strongest Helena panels we've had in a long time. I've never seen the deal with deconstructed comics before, but this patience trying. But hey we get Ultra-Humanite at the end, you know the whole reason this comic started in the first place! We start with a little play fighting as Lyta takes out her frustration with her mothers (Wonder Woman) apparent death with Silver Scarab. This end with a little playful flirting after Lyta thinks she's knocked him out with a massive rock. I know where this goes, though I didn't pick up on the name at the time, as I've mentioned elsewhere I'm a Vertigo kid so it's a neat link but I won't spoil the surprise until the time comes. The main body is in various offices dealing with various men, men bei...

Origins and Outcasts Infinity Inc #4 Cover Date:  July  1984 Released:   19th April 1984 This is still set up, this time Jade, Obsidian and Northwind, so apart from the cover Kara only get's one panel near the end. Oh, and out of interest I checked and Generations basically lasts a full year (12 issues) so I'll stop babbling on about how everything is just set up. That's 1/4 of the run of the comic, which is an impressive show of confidence from Roy. It's also most of the appearances Kara, so we're be leaving the book more or less when Kara does. The others are around Crisis which is a different kettle of fish that we'll get to when we get to it! So enough stalling onto the story! We start with Jade, Obsidian and Northwind taking Solomon Grundy somewhere in the protective bubble Jade formed the last issue. To pass the time they basically start to tell each other their backstories. Jade start off with her being a regular kid growing up in suburbia, apart from the...

Solomon Grundy Goes Hollywood Infinity Inc #3 Cover Date:  June  1984 Released: 22nd March 1984 We start we the Power Girl waking up, and for the first few pages, she really takes the lead waking up the other two (Huntress and Star-Spangled Kid), though waking them up by flying in the fresh air is a little dubious at best. As the three recover from the last issues mind whammy we get a quick summary of what happened previously. They then tell us about all the adventures in 1942, in a couple of pages, fighting the wonderfully named Lady Ultra-Humanite.   As a quick aside I find it fascinating that the original Ultra-Humanite brain transplant was into Dolores, I know it's a pulp thing but from my (limited) reading it's never made a big deal that he choose a female host. Of cause being comics no big deal is made about him choosing an ape next, but I can't help reading it with my progressive 21st-century brain. With a quick Central Park aside to show, pretty subtly for comics...

A Gauntlet Hurled Infinity Inc #2  Cover Date: May 1984 Released:   16th February 1984 Even in the second edition, we're still setting up the status quo. So our young heroes decide to get lunch at the not!McDonald's McTavish's (though weirdly Burger King gets a call out). I'm a little sad we're quite a... while from Bat Burger but you can't really blame a forty-year-old comic for missing that trick! As is natural a brawl breaks outs, after what I think are some unfortunate stereotypes try to start trouble with our heroes. It's really a chance to show off what they can do whilst they have the advantage, compared to the fights they've had, and will have before Power Girl and Huntress turn up to offer them their help.  We then cut back to the JSA where the Brainwave goes from his classic Doctor  Sivana look to the younger look he had when we first saw him in All-Stars. Turns out it's actually his son who wants to help the JSA against a potential foe, t...

Generations Infinity Inc #1  Cover Date:  March 1984 Released:   22nd December 1983 New Year, new team! Welcome to 2022 to those who are reading along live. And in my perfect timing, the book starts on Christmas Eve with a meeting of the old JSA. Not just the one I've been following in All-Star's but the classic JSAers as well, which makes sense as the point is about handing the torch over between generations. Talking of we start with the JSA having a meeting on Christmas Eve (and yes I appreciate the irony of being just a week or so out), far from the lean team from the end of All-Stars or the now gone team-up this is the full team of Gold, Silver and Bronze age characters. This will be important soon enough. It seems that some threat has bought the team together on the 24th to plan a way to stop the person involved. Into this meeting burst four new heroes, teenagers if Alan Scott's comments are anything to go with, offering to help the JSA with the current threat. Righ...