Symbol Pending - A Power Girl Blog

Let Old Acquaintances Be Forgot... Justice League of America #209 Cover Date:   December 1982 Released:   2nd September 1982 Normally I don't comment on the covers, but I've got to say I love the shock faces on all the floating heads on the cover, except Robotman (and you know maybe Dr Fate) who seems particularly chill about the whole situation. Anyway, for those that skipped All-Star, we get a summary of the events of that comic in about two pages, including a handle chalkboard of who we've got and who's still to be stopped. then we get a quick recap of the whole plan. That's about five pages before we get the story proper.  Then we cut to Geneva Switzerland where Commander Steel, Firestar and our Power Girl, the whole reason I'm here at least, are after the next bunch of missiles. After the local Burgomeister try to stop our heroes, and I'm proud to say I knew it would be a Burgomeister without the text before the baddies just open up on our heroes with a

  Master of Worlds and Time All-Star Squadron #15 Cover Date:   November 1982 Released:   26th August 1982 The first few pages, obviously working on the idea readers of All-Star Squadron don't read the JLA, sum up the story so far as told by the big bad of the story Per Degaton. It does start with a lovely splash page of the three teams, though they're not standing quite with how the captions explain the two teams. As usual, it seems Firestorm is hitting on Kara again, alas we don't hear the pitty putdown it looks like she's about to deliver. The explanation cuts to the heroes as the JSA explains how they went from the future 1986 back to 1942 and how the nuclear explosion threw them about and needed reusing in the last issue. We then get the President explaining that unless the heroes can find all the nuclear missiles they'll have to surrender to stop the millions of casualties that the attack would cause. And after all that we're now off and onto the plot. As

  The Bomb-Blast Heard 'round the World Justice League of America #208 Cover Date:   November 1982 Released:   5th August 1982 We open with the best of all team up cliche's, the misunderstanding fight between the two groups of heroes. The JLA ( Aquaman,  Firestorm,  Hawkman,  Superman,  Zatanna ) newly arrived in 1942 deck it out with the All-Star Squadron ( Commander Steel,  Liberty Belle,  Johnny Quick,  Firebrand,  Robotman) from the era, who want to know what happened to the JSA. Supes eventually gets fed up enough to literally shout for everyone to stop acting like bickering kids, with Robotman agreeing with the sentiment. I know it's mostly my biases, but being used to the Doom Patrol (TV version) this reasonable version of Robotman is weird . Apparently, all it takes is for supes to mention he's from the future to make everyone cool allies, they even had a little get together to celebrate. Though I could have done without Firebrand serving drink, to be fair I gu

Crisis Times Three Justice League of America #207 Cover Date:   October 1982 Released:   1st July 1982 This is the twentieth crossover between the JSA and JLA, though I've only done the last four, so we get an epic three-part series! We're still a good four years from the idea of the sprawling multi-part epic, so four issues will have to do for now. Being an anniversary issue we start with all the usual beats with the two teams being excited about the annual team-up. We quickly cover that Zatana is the chairman of the JLA, Firestorm has a thing for Power Girl and a reminder that Helena is Bruce's daughter even if Batman isn't in this one. And as seems just as traditional the beam is intercepted and they're whisked away somewhere else. We then get a lovely splash page as the JLA face the Crime Syndicate of Earth-3! Apart from the silly-looking costume of Owlman, and the obvious reason Batman and Green Lantern are elsewhere, we get a fairly good fight where the Syndic

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

Darkseid Rising Justice League of America #185 Cover Date:  December 1980 Released:  11th September 1980 We start with both a full and two-page splash of Metron summing up the last issue, the Boom Tube apparently allowing them to see current events going on throughout Apokolips. We then get Darkseid himself shows up in the Fortress that Batman, Huntress and Mr Miracle were learning his plans. Apparently being stranded in the astral plane has hardened Darkseid to weakness in life, though not family as he locks the Injustice League in the dread Chamber 13 for harming his son Orion. Though he doesn't care enough to thaw him out, Icicle having frozen them in a giant block of ice. Firestar flame being out in the block of ice is a nice touch as well. We then get the three active heroes attacking the guards dragging the ice block away before we cut to the next scene.  We then get Dr Fate, Hal Lantern, High Father and Oberon in a brief fight with Parademons. Mostly its for High Father to t

Apokolips Now Justice League of America #184 Cover Date:  November 1980 Released:  14th August 1980 A very pop art opening splash page reminds us that we're on Apokolips where Darkseid is being raised from his trapping in the Source Wall. We then get another splash page of Darkseid before we're right into the action with Power Girl, Firestorm and Orion attacking the Injustice Society. For once the fight goes pretty well for our heroes, with most of the bad guys getting taken down pretty quickly. And for once Kara gets some great moments, including to frame of both her and Orion attacking Icicle from different angels as he says "Oh no!" at both, only for them both to go "Oh yes!". We also get a frame of her flirting? or just bantering with Firestorm that's he's being "cute". Alas, the Fiddler plays a tune and the heroes see their worst fears, which for Power Girl is being tickled by lasers of something. Meanwhile, Superman, Wonder Woman and

Where Have All the New Gods Gone? Justice League of America #183 Cover Date:  October 1980 Released:  10th July 1980 Welcome to the 80s! It's been almost a year since the last time Power Girl appeared, it won't be the longest gap between appearances (by a long shot) but it is the first break that happened. Though to be fair, both All-Star Comics and Adventure was both bi-monthly so it wasn't a constant thing month to month. Still, Kara will now have an almost constant run right the way through the eighties. After our one page summary of Earth-1 and Earth-2, we get a glorious two-page splash of the two teams arriving on what happens to be New Genesis. We then get this weird page where Supes explains to Power Girl how he feels a misfit on Earth, but here on New Genesis, he feels among equals. The bit I do get is that he stays on Earth because it's his responsibility to help protect humanity. Obviously feeling left out, Wonder Woman goes on a mini-rant about the only god s

The Defeat of the Justice Society Adventure Comics #466 Cover Dated: November / December 1979 Released: 23rd August 1979 If there's any need to how well Kara and Helena work well this is the last appearance of the JSA, apart from crossovers, they're the only members of the modern JSA to appear in this issue. Even then it's only a few pages to connect the flashback story of the 1950s JSA. The issue starts with Kara bemusing that the full team only seems to come together for funerals and Helena comments how alien Power Girl is by pointing out how the JSA is basically a found family, though obviously, the actual term wasn't in common use yet. She then challenges Kara to a race down the stair who accepts even though she expects to win with superspeed, she even runs down at half speed she's so confident. But Helena is a Wayne and hence already has a plan, jumping down the stairway and allowing gravity to speed her to victory! At the bottom of the stair, where for the tw

  I Accuse... Justice League of America #172 Cover Dated: November 1979 Released: 9th August 1979 We start with an amazing splash page that basically sums up the murder mystery aspects, someone on the JSA or JLA murdered Mister Terrific! A few pages later we get a fuller summary of the last issue, but Huntress no less, hammering home the tragedy of the whole thing. Helena is definitely showing she inherited her dad's detective chops here. Fate and the Lanterns lock the station down with magic and we're away with the mystery part of the story. Supes is obviously ahead of me as he puts Bruce and Helena on the case of working out who did the murder. And we get a real investigation here with the fact that Mr Terrific last words about someone being a traitor being fully examined, then an examination of the scene and evidence being recovered. I'm not sure you could work it all out from the clues but it's nice that they spend time going over the whole procedure of things. Hunt

The Murderer Among Us: Crisis Above Earth-One Justice League of America #171 Cover Dated: October 1979 Released: 5th July 1979   From the very splash page, we know what we're getting, a murder mystery in space! (I mean also the cover but you know what I mean). We then get to the classic one-page sum up of Earth-1 and Earth-2, with the two apparently having some kind of yearly meeting alongside saving the universe. It would explain how each other Earths knows about the other villains but they must be pretty tedious things. Luckily we miss the meeting and cut to the after-party and we have to talk about Zatana's outfit. When she joined ten issues ago in #161 she when from her classic suit to a catsuit and Dracula cape, along with her hair tied way up. It's one of those costumes that if I didn't know who it was I'd be perfectly fine, and to be honest I didn't recognize her until she was identified by Power Girl of all people. Oh, and it's not the costume of Ide

Countdown to Disaster Adventure Comics #465 Cover Dated:  September / October 1979 Released:  21st June 1979 A capsule containing a deadly poison has been stolen from Gotham Hospital, at 5pm the gas will release killing thousands if not millions. At noon the JSA begin to look for the missing capsule, this story happens in real-time... 12:00 pm Flash, Green Lantern and Hawkman search the city to no avail. 2:30pm They learn from Police Commissioner O'Hara that a ransom for three million will be paid, though they swear to continue their search for the deadly capsule. 3:00pm Green Lantern, Flash and Hawkman track down and subdue Gotham thugs looking for a clue as to the identity of the blackmailers. So far there enquiries are fruitless. 3:14pm At the hospital Huntress, with the assistance of Power Girl (yay!) search the records room for clues. Showing the skill inherited from her father, the World Greatest detective, determines a possible suspect. A cleaner from the hospital that shoul

To Everything There is a Season Adventure Comics #464 Cover Dated:  July / August 1979 Released:  12th April 1979 A quiet issue between two big stories, and very Bronze Age at that, it would be easy to bundle this with another issue. Especially as the main focus is on Wildcat and Kara only appearing in a few panels at the beginning and end. But this is it seems my only chance to talk about Charlie Bullock an African-American character that will go on to take up the mantle of Batman on Earth-2, even if he takes on the identity of Blackwing (it was apparently a 70s thing).  Kara, Helena and Dick, rocking a sweet medallion, are going out for a night on the town but Ted grant (Wildcat) refuses (politely), instead choosing to go check out the old neighbourhood where he used to hang out before joining the JSA.  Initially, he's a little despondent by how the neighbourhood has changed for the worse, wondering if he really should have closed his boxing gym he left the place to join the JSA.

The Night of the Soul Thief Adventure Comics #463 Cover Dated:  May / June 1979 Released:  8th February 1979 If there was any proof that I read week to week rather than reading ahead is that here we do get an issue that covers some of Helena dealing with her loss, though it does mostly involve punching people. We also get a return to the better team dynamics of Power Girl. Oh and the cover is a total lie nothing like that happens in the comic at all, Vaux is even a third act reveal not that he's important enough for that to be a big deal! We start with a cool group shot of the JSA running, with some major capeage before Dr Fate admits that he really doesn't know where he's going and takes off with Huntress to track down who gave Jensen his reality-warping powers. One neat little detail is that Helena and Dick are unmasked, but in costume, until the end of this issue. It's a subtle nod that this is closure for Helena Wayne rather than Huntress solving a murder. He then t