Symbol Pending - A Power Girl Blog

So I probably should have done this at the start but here are my rules as to what I'm going to cover. Kara has been in a lot of stuff and some of it is basically no more than a cameo, and I might be diligent but I have to y'know do all that pesky RL stuff now and again. So the rules of how I'll cover things is as follows: If it's a book she's in for a good portion then I'll cover it as its own post. If she's in a small portion of the book, but important, I'll combine issues into a single issue. This goes for Crisises, of which she is in many, which I'll cover in broad strokes with a focus on PG If it's a single panel, or just a few, I'll cover it in a post collecting several of these postings when I have enough to share. These are more guidelines than rules. So after Showcase I'll finish the next All-Star Comics, even though Power Girl is just one panel, as my understanding is that Helena and Kara are a major friendship going forwards. Af...

When the Symbioship Strikes Showcase #98 Cover Dated:  March 1978 Released:  15th December 1977 We start with another splash page of ugly Power Girl, one so bad she has a look of dull surprise at the attack by the reporters in the red Power Armour. It takes another few pages before we get the reveal that the armour is actually Power Girls Symbioship, something that I apparently missed any mention before this moments. The fight goes badly before Kara realises that she, and the cops that keep getting in trouble, can't beat the armour directing and instead uses a piece of metal to weigh down the armour to get the reporter out and shut the armour down. At this moment she actually says she learned it from Wildcat and thank him for such things, which is amazing seeing how often the two have ended up fighting in the past. She then leaves the Gotham taking the ship with her, and the reporter who grabs hold of her to get the whole story. It's also strange that in Showcase it shows...

Showcase #97 Cover Date: February 1978  Release Date: 15th November 1977 I don't generally comment on art in general, having no talent for it myself but the opening splash page for this image is terrible its meant to be dynamic and action pack but Power Girls position and face do not make for the best of images. Whilst it's been going back and forwards since All-Star #69 this is where I personally began to notice her scallop top with choker version of the costume. After Wally Wood departure the boob window went straight away, but the collar would fluctuate from the top to the bottom of her neck from panel to panel, which I guess is the reason for the new design. Whilst the boob window is the most iconic version of her costume, this costume is probably the one she wears for the longest, right the way to her new golden number in Justice League Europe #15 in 1990! The art somewhat settles down as Power Girl stops some goons who are stealing micro-transformers for their mysterious ...

Action Comics (1938-2011) #252 Cover Date: May 1959 Release Date: March 31, 1959 Before we go into the first solo(ish) Power Girl story let's take a moment to look at the story of her Earth-1 counterpart that started it all! Back in the '50 Action Comics was still an anthology comic so we get three stories in the issues, the first is the origin of the original Metallo, the second Congorilla and finally the reason we're here the origins of Supergirl. It's weird to think this was third on the billing for what is probably the most important character of the story, even a decade later she'd probably get an issue all of her own. Not normally one to talk about the covers, but how can I not mention this iconic cover? I for one have a soft spot for text boxes on covers, but it so perfectly sums up the story that you don't really need them. The story starts by very insistently insisting that yes this is a real thing that is really happening. Your classic Not a dream! N...

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...

Crisis in Triplicate Justice League of America #148 Cover Dated:  November 1977 Released:  4th August 1977 Just in case it isn't obvious there is a lot of fighting in this issue, and however hard you try describing people punching isn't as easy as just letting thing just wash over you. It doesn't help that with three teams pummeling each other it's difficult to keep a track of everyone. After the first few pages summing up the last issue (every issue being someones first etc, etc) we get the demons three just taking over. They have the Legion take Mordu, now excess to this story, back to its physical body. Didn't you know Mordu was in an Astral form the whole time? That's good neither did we! The demon then have a falling out over ideological reasons, no really, apparently, humanity in the 30th century is too pure now and whilst one want to just destroy it all another is after wealth. They try a quick standoff but their powers cancel each other out so they decid...