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  1. #1
    Astonishing Member mathew101281's Avatar
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    Default How much should Supergirl and Powergirl resemble each other?

    While some earth 1 and earth 2 counterparts are essentially slightly aged doppelgängers (Superman) others are completely different(Flash, Green Lantern). Where does Powergirl and Supergirl fit on the spectrum?

  2. #2
    Invincible Member Vordan's Avatar
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    Current Earth 2 Power Girl is Earth 0 Kara just older which was a plot point in the New 52 Supergirl series.

  3. #3
    Ultimate Member Phoenixx9's Avatar
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    I never thought either looked much alike in height, weight, face, hair style nor body. They certainly had different tastes and opinions, such as their costumes. Their personalities and temperament are also different.

    I guess, just keep the blonde hair the same

  4. #4
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    Their coexistence is problematic. I mean it's been fun, too. But problematic. Because there's always this push to actually sell Power Girl series. But Supergirl, now more than ever, but also, always, deserves to have a kick-ass popular run with the best talent.

    I've definitely always thought "In no universe is Prime Earth Kara Zor-El going to grow up and grow into that body."

    But wearing a cool all white costume and having a short grown-up bob haircut seems conceivable, in the sense that every hero changes their look as time goes by, to some degree. Although I've definitely always thought, and this is just coming to exist as formed thoughts and words now, "In no universe is Prime Earth Kara Zor-El ever going to have a boob window on her outfit."

    In that way ... I'll say Kara Zor-El ... is an interesting exercise in fictional characters. Because her simultaneous existence as both a youthful, honest and true and slightly virginal self is protected against ever growing up or being tarnished or made impure (or you know, a realistic human woman) by Cosmic Interference. But MEANWHILE she also exists over here ... where she can not only be grown up and more mature emotionally, but can be sexualized and fetishized freely.

    This isn't meant to be a negative critique. I'm a painter who works primarily in nudes, so like, sexualization, kink, objectification, subjectifying, can be in the intent of the artist, in the intent of the commissioner, in the intent of the viewer, or just expressed naturally and effortlessly by the subject in a way that just comes through. And sex is part of being a human, and is pretty fun, intrinsic, and not going anywhere. And children figure it out through adolescence, which is kind of the prime age for getting into comic books and graduating to more mature comic books and becoming intelligent readers and thinkers. Kara Zor-El is a fictional character so definitely the power is probably in the pencil, and a franchise player in a media meant for profit, so the power of the purchaser plays a part. That part feels a little more shameless.

    But it's interesting to think of Kara Zor-El as simultaneously existing as two Christian pedagogical archetypes, the virgin and the whore, essentially. These are obviously extremes. I don't imagine modern era Super-Kara is actually explicitly virginal or chaste. Nor has Power-Kara ever been especially portrayed as combination sexually promiscuous / morally dubious. But it's still interesting to ponder the relativity of the concept in the same Super-Universe where Superman is also an overt Judeo-Christian archetype.
    Last edited by K. Jones; 08-20-2019 at 12:29 PM.
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  5. #5
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    My own personal fan fiction is that the differences in their size and weight are due to the conditions on the rocket ships that brought them from Krypton to Earth--and how they've adjusted to life on Earth since then, because of those conditions. Otherwise, if all physical conditions had been the same then they would be twins.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Kelly View Post
    My own personal fan fiction is that the differences in their size and weight are due to the conditions on the rocket ships that brought them from Krypton to Earth--and how they've adjusted to life on Earth since then, because of those conditions. Otherwise, if all physical conditions had been the same then they would be twins.
    I always assumed that their diets had something to do with it,PG constantly are junk food during Palmotti 's run.

  7. #7
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    The first time I saw an image of Power Girl, it didn't enter my head she was a doppleganger of Supergirl.

  8. #8
    Is The Best Monk The Red Monk's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by king81992 View Post
    I always assumed that their diets had something to do with it,PG constantly are junk food during Palmotti 's run.
    I didn't know eating junk food gave you the figure of a supermodel.
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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Red Monk View Post
    I didn't know eating junk food gave you the figure of a supermodel.
    Of course you didn't - Big Vegetable always suppresses the research.

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    Quote Originally Posted by The Red Monk View Post
    I didn't know eating junk food gave you the figure of a supermodel.
    PG has a Kryptonian metabolism,extra calories are powerless against it.

  11. #11
    Black Belt in Bad Ideas Robanker's Avatar
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    I mean if DC Superhero Girls is concerned, you just split the difference by calling PG Supergirl and using the latter's costume.

    Most artists use similar faces (and often bodies) for everyone, but with both Karas it makes sense to give them very similar faces but different body types.

    I imagine their lifestyles and diets vary enough that most people can accept the difference in physique, be it curves or musculature. Maybe I'm being optimistic.

  12. #12
    Extraordinary Member superduperman's Avatar
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    Earth 1 and Earth 2 Kryptonians have different physiologies. For instance, Earth 2 Superman had physical abilities that aren't solar based. One could argue the differences are a result of that. PG's Earth 2 physiology combined with her solar powers is why she's built differently than Supergirl. Earth 2 Kryptonians had at least some powers on Krypton. So they would be more "built" than their Earth 1 counterparts. This explanation works as good as any.
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  13. #13
    Ultimate Member Ascended's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Claude View Post
    Of course you didn't - Big Vegetable always suppresses the research.
    Best thing I've seen all day.

    Quote Originally Posted by superduperman View Post
    Earth 1 and Earth 2 Kryptonians have different physiologies. For instance, Earth 2 Superman had physical abilities that aren't solar based. One could argue the differences are a result of that. PG's Earth 2 physiology combined with her solar powers is why she's built differently than Supergirl. Earth 2 Kryptonians had at least some powers on Krypton. So they would be more "built" than their Earth 1 counterparts. This explanation works as good as any.
    I've always just written it off as a combination of this; different biology from different realities, different living habits, different ages. And Power Girl might not process the energy of our yellow sun the same way Kara or Clark do; the suns could be slightly different between earths as well, which could impact Power Girl.

    As for the OP's question, I'd prefer Super and Power to have vaguely similar facial structure, be relatively close to the same height (with Power Girl having a few extra inches) and their similarities ending there. I think these two characters are a great chance to explore how different doppelgangers can be. Most of the time, as someone said, these situations result in minor changes (like Kal-L being a little older than Kal-El, but otherwise being identical) but with the Karas you've got a chance to show how the "same" person on a different earth can actually be a completely different person.
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  14. #14
    Black Belt in Bad Ideas Robanker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ascended View Post
    Best thing I've seen all day.



    I've always just written it off as a combination of this; different biology from different realities, different living habits, different ages. And Power Girl might not process the energy of our yellow sun the same way Kara or Clark do; the suns could be slightly different between earths as well, which could impact Power Girl.

    As for the OP's question, I'd prefer Super and Power to have vaguely similar facial structure, be relatively close to the same height (with Power Girl having a few extra inches) and their similarities ending there. I think these two characters are a great chance to explore how different doppelgangers can be. Most of the time, as someone said, these situations result in minor changes (like Kal-L being a little older than Kal-El, but otherwise being identical) but with the Karas you've got a chance to show how the "same" person on a different earth can actually be a completely different person.
    I think the Young Justice animated series does something with that. I will cosign insofar as they should vaguely resemble each other and that the biggest problem either faces is that while PG has a definite characterization and history to fall back on, DC is only now starting to solidify who they want Supergirl to be. Once SG is consistent for a few more years I think that we'll be able to start comparing and contrasting them with characteristics and so forth as opposed to something as superficial as looks. For reference, all the male Robins sans Damien are the same. Tall dark haired, blue eyed pretty white boys but you can very easily break them down and show just how different they are with respect to each other and their mentor (tall, dark-haired, blue-eyed pretty white man). SG changes every five years so there's not a lot to go on until that settles. Who even was she before? I've seen her be innocent, a party kid, confident, unsure of herself, a rage beast, thought to be stronger than Clark, weaker than him. For the longest time I had no idea who the damn character was, and nobody except Sterling Gates was able to make Supergirl work in my mind.

    It's weird to compare any characters to Power Girl (other than The Hawks or Legion) and say they have less of a mess to work with, but ever since she returned in the JSA and restored her pre-Crisis persona and history, she's been solid. I hope the prevalence of the show on TV and the comics following relative suit can help develop a consistent brand for her.
    Last edited by Robanker; 08-25-2019 at 12:48 AM.

  15. #15
    Ultimate Member marhawkman's Avatar
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    I loved the DCAU way of handling it. Kara is 16 or so and Cadmus makes a clone of her but force ages the clone to early 20s.

    The clone was called "Galatea" but dressed and looked like Power Girl. The name change is probably because she was a straight villain, despite having been created by Emil Hamilton who is usually a good guy. Also Galatea isn't a moniker, it's her given name.

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