Karen Starr: Power Girl Appreciation 2020

[Robanker]

Karen is putting a team of 3-5 heroes together that she will lead. Team roster, name and base of operations?

Hard mode: at least one veteran, one rookie and one contemporary.

I'm going to think on it a bit myself, but I'm definitely putting Atlee on the roster for the rookie position. If Karen were to ever have a sidekick, it's her.

[Agent Z]

Karen is putting a team of 3-5 heroes together that she will lead. Team roster, name and base of operations?

Hard mode: at least one veteran, one rookie and one contemporary.

I'm going to think on it a bit myself, but I'm definitely putting Atlee on the roster for the rookie position. If Karen were to ever have a sidekick, it's her.

Name: MPA (Multiversal Protection Agency)

Their base of operations is on Earth 31

Roster:

Power Girl

Huntress (Helena Wayne)

Obsidian

Harbinger

Ryan Choi

[achilles]

Karen is putting a team of 3-5 heroes together that she will lead. Team roster, name and base of operations?

Hard mode: at least one veteran, one rookie and one contemporary.

I'm going to think on it a bit myself, but I'm definitely putting Atlee on the roster for the rookie position. If Karen were to ever have a sidekick, it's her.

Hmmm...tough one. Let's see...I'd like an explorers theme, much like the Challengers of the Unknown or the Terrifics---these guys investigating the weird stuff that isn't obviously threatening enough to maybe need the JLA or JSA...but might be pretty dangerous. That would run the gamut from aliens to time travel and multiversal travel to magic, dark gods and the like.

I don't know, maybe call them Nightwatch?

Power Girl and Vril Dox from LEGION/REBELS as co-leaders and co science types, with PG also being the muscle. Dr. Fate would be the veteran. Nightwing as contemporary. Raven as the rookie.

[achilles]

How about giving PG a backstory having her as a Kryptonian astronaut and explorer, much like our astronauts who tend to be military often with advanced science degrees? At least it's SOMETHING...PG's really never had much said about her early life, in part because they can't seem to figure out how old she was when she left her Krypton. Baby, child, or whatever. I'd have her as simply early twenties or perhaps late teens, (supposing Kryptonians get going earlier than humans), and a rookie explorer. That gives her a reason to be off-world at the time, and also makes the Kryptonians look a bit less weird for having all that space faring tech and never using it. And...suppose you have her get caught near a black hole...you also have the reason why she's still that age when she eventually makes her Earth debut, time dilation. It has a sort of Silver Age vibe IMO. And if you really want to get comic booky, you can have her trapped inside the black hole and somehow emerge. Sure it laughs at physics...but you could even use that as a plus, suggesting something happens to her there that allows her to survive it and do the impossible by leaving the black hole, thus planting a seed that she's perhaps a bit different than the standard model Kryptonian in some as yet unknown way.

That could be her backstory, and it could be used or not used as desired.

[Agent Z]

I care more about where Karen is going than where she once was right now.

[achilles]

I care more about where Karen is going than where she once was right now.

Nowhere, that's where she's going. DC and WB don't seem interested in the character. At all.

[godisawesome]

Karen is putting a team of 3-5 heroes together that she will lead. Team roster, name and base of operations?

Hard mode: at least one veteran, one rookie and one contemporary.

I'm going to think on it a bit myself, but I'm definitely putting Atlee on the roster for the rookie position. If Karen were to ever have a sidekick, it's her.

Team Name: The Vagabonds (they get kidnapped and dropped onto a new War World by Mongul, and seek to overthrow him again, get refugees returned to their homeworlds, get back to Earth, and not turn on each other on the way.)

Team Roster: Power Girl, Hawkwoman (Veteran), Terra Atlee (Rookie), Red Hood (Contemporary), and the Eradicator.

Base of Operations: Warworld (as in, they have to ride this giant a red planetoids back home through hostile space the Green Lanterns have been forced to cede to the Red Lanterns/Sinestro Corps).

Group dynamic: Power Girl’s effectively the leader because of a combination of her power, her intelligence, and people skills, though she’s a reluctant one. Hawkwoman plays the elder stateswoman and advisor to her, as well as their closest information source on the Galaxy, Terra as her sidekick, and while Red Hood plays the spec-ops, stealth part and Eradicator the secondary muscle, the latter two have tension because of their different opinions from the rest of the group.

[Ascended]

Karen is putting a team of 3-5 heroes together that she will lead. Team roster, name and base of operations?

Hard mode: at least one veteran, one rookie and one contemporary.

I'm going to think on it a bit myself, but I'm definitely putting Atlee on the roster for the rookie position. If Karen were to ever have a sidekick, it's her.

Well my first thought was the multiverse thing that has been suggested by a few of us in the past, but Z beat me to suggesting it here. For the record my roster would've been Karen, Sideways (rookie), Wally West (contemporary), and Lady Quark (veteran, maybe renamed Queen Quark?).

My second thought was "Karen exploring space!" but that's been suggested too. For the record, my roster would've been Karen, Starfire (contemporary), Captain Comet (veteran), and Blue Beetle (rookie, if we can still count Jaime as a rookie?).

So my official suggestion will be......

RAO ("Rectifying Abundant Offenses" or something; I dunno, acronyms are dumb)

Roster: Karen, Nightwing (contemporary), Giganta (veteran), Anarchy (rookie), Major Disaster....probably a few other characters if I sat down and actually thought about this for a few minutes. Kate Spencer, maybe not as a member but as the team's official lawyer......

Base of Operations: Some cool sci-fi Bond-esque mansion-bunker in the Alps.

What's this, you ask? Power Girl and Nightwing leading a team of villains? Well, this here is sorta like the heroic community's version of a "get out" program. Villains who don't really want to be villains anymore but who are in too deep to just walk away work with Karen and Dick and learn how to live clean while getting assistance in escaping from the criminal fraternity with their skin intact (new identities, etc). You ever see those shows or documentaries about the gang member who wants out? This would be the superhero version.

Yeah I know, it's not really a great fit for Karen, but the good ideas were already posted.

[achilles]

Well my first thought was the multiverse thing that has been suggested by a few of us in the past, but Z beat me to suggesting it here. For the record my roster would've been Karen, Sideways (rookie), Wally West (contemporary), and Lady Quark (veteran, maybe renamed Queen Quark?).

My second thought was "Karen exploring space!" but that's been suggested too. For the record, my roster would've been Karen, Starfire (contemporary), Captain Comet (veteran), and Blue Beetle (rookie, if we can still count Jaime as a rookie?).

So my official suggestion will be......

RAO ("Rectifying Abundant Offenses" or something; I dunno, acronyms are dumb)

Roster: Karen, Nightwing (contemporary), Giganta (veteran), Anarchy (rookie), Major Disaster....probably a few other characters if I sat down and actually thought about this for a few minutes. Kate Spencer, maybe not as a member but as the team's official lawyer......

Base of Operations: Some cool sci-fi Bond-esque mansion-bunker in the Alps.

What's this, you ask? Power Girl and Nightwing leading a team of villains? Well, this here is sorta like the heroic community's version of a "get out" program. Villains who don't really want to be villains anymore but who are in too deep to just walk away work with Karen and Dick and learn how to live clean while getting assistance in escaping from the criminal fraternity with their skin intact (new identities, etc). You ever see those shows or documentaries about the gang member who wants out? This would be the superhero version.

Yeah I know, it's not really a great fit for Karen, but the good ideas were already posted.

Actually, I kind of like it; a different, maybe less grim spin on Suicide Squad.

[Robanker]

Yeah, I actually like Karen trying to do a more benevolent take on the Suicide Squad.

Karen is putting a team of 3-5 heroes together that she will lead. Team roster, name and base of operations?

Hard mode: at least one veteran, one rookie and one contemporary.

I'm going to think on it a bit myself, but I'm definitely putting Atlee on the roster for the rookie position. If Karen were to ever have a sidekick, it's her.

So I finally got a minute to follow up on my own prompt!

My roster would be:

Karen Starr
Atlee (Rookie)
Tanya Spears (Rookie)
Nightwing (Contemporary)
Black Lightning (Veteran)

Area of focus: The Weird. Essentially, they're the halfway mark between The Terrifics and Doom Patrol. I would not go multiversal too often, but nothing is really outside the realm of possibility with this team. Mad Scientists? Sentient colors invading our reality and changing our perceptions? Sky's the limit. Think silver age creativity in terms of how out there the plots can go, but with a strong focus on the team's interpersonal relationships and an adventurous tone.

Group dynamic: Power Girl is the lead and does so with equal parts sass and heroism. We all know what she's about so I won't go on too much. Nightwing provides the same level of enthusiasm and experience, but a different, more grounded viewpoint to help Karen make better decisions. He's a trusted peer with a lot of leadership experience, so he knows exactly the kind of input to give and how to step back and let her lead. Possible romantic tension, but not really required. Atlee is Karen's sidekick, essentially, and still learning how to be a hero in a group dynamic as she mostly just works with Karen. She would act as the audience surrogate, asking our questions and raising our concerns or observations regarding their adventures. Tanya is our resident genius and tech expert. While Karen has some experience with Kryptonian science and software development from Starrware (Dick as well from his experience with WayneTech and history as a crime fighter), Tanya is on another level. She has more experience than Atlee, but less than Karen and Dick. She too is there to learn, but she's more sure of herself in a group dynamic and has a lot to offer based on her skill set. She eventually grows out of the Power Girl identity and forges her own. Black Lightning is our resident veteran. Even compared to Karen and Nightwing, Jeff's seen it all, and not just as a costumed adventurer. Olympian. Educator. Former presidential cabinet member. Jeff has done everything he can, from every angle, to be the change he wants to see in the world. While the others are often having just a little too much fun and leading with their emotions, Jeff's learned to harness them better than most and helps temper the team and keep them focused. He is not, however, the stoic dad of the team. He has his limits and things that set him off, and he doesn't hold it against the others when they lose their cool, though he does do his best to remind everyone (including himself) that every mistake is one to learn from, if not verbally then by example. Admittedly this is at odds with him in BatO right now, but I'm thinking of Jeff more akin to Pre-Flashpoint or even on television. After Karen, he's the strongest member on the team and uses his experience in all walks of life to help them develop into better, more effective heroes.

I'm terrible at names so I'd probably riff on Kirby and go with Challengers of the Unknown or New Challengers.

[SpideyCeo]

Nobodys gonna read a team book about pg being leader and be expected to be taken seriously or worse be a subtly objecticfied for adult tastes like harely quinn.

[Agent Z]

Nobodys gonna read a team book about pg being leader and be expected to be taken seriously or worse be a subtly objecticfied for adult tastes like harely quinn.

Do you have anything to contribute to this thread other than trolling about how Karen is a sex object?

[The_Lurk]

Yeah, I actually like Karen trying to do a more benevolent take on the Suicide Squad.



So I finally got a minute to follow up on my own prompt!

My roster would be:

Karen Starr
Atlee (Rookie)
Tanya Spears (Rookie)
Nightwing (Contemporary)
Black Lightning (Veteran)

Area of focus: The Weird. Essentially, they're the halfway mark between The Terrifics and Doom Patrol. I would not go multiversal too often, but nothing is really outside the realm of possibility with this team. Mad Scientists? Sentient colors invading our reality and changing our perceptions? Sky's the limit. Think silver age creativity in terms of how out there the plots can go, but with a strong focus on the team's interpersonal relationships and an adventurous tone.

Group dynamic: Power Girl is the lead and does so with equal parts sass and heroism. We all know what she's about so I won't go on too much. Nightwing provides the same level of enthusiasm and experience, but a different, more grounded viewpoint to help Karen make better decisions. He's a trusted peer with a lot of leadership experience, so he knows exactly the kind of input to give and how to step back and let her lead. Possible romantic tension, but not really required. Atlee is Karen's sidekick, essentially, and still learning how to be a hero in a group dynamic as she mostly just works with Karen. She would act as the audience surrogate, asking our questions and raising our concerns or observations regarding their adventures. Tanya is our resident genius and tech expert. While Karen has some experience with Kryptonian science and software development from Starrware (Dick as well from his experience with WayneTech and history as a crime fighter), Tanya is on another level. She has more experience than Atlee, but less than Karen and Dick. She too is there to learn, but she's more sure of herself in a group dynamic and has a lot to offer based on her skill set. She eventually grows out of the Power Girl identity and forges her own. Black Lightning is our resident veteran. Even compared to Karen and Nightwing, Jeff's seen it all, and not just as a costumed adventurer. Olympian. Educator. Former presidential cabinet member. Jeff has done everything he can, from every angle, to be the change he wants to see in the world. While the others are often having just a little too much fun and leading with their emotions, Jeff's learned to harness them better than most and helps temper the team and keep them focused. He is not, however, the stoic dad of the team. He has his limits and things that set him off, and he doesn't hold it against the others when they lose their cool, though he does do his best to remind everyone (including himself) that every mistake is one to learn from, if not verbally then by example. Admittedly this is at odds with him in BatO right now, but I'm thinking of Jeff more akin to Pre-Flashpoint or even on television. After Karen, he's the strongest member on the team and uses his experience in all walks of life to help them develop into better, more effective heroes.

I'm terrible at names so I'd probably riff on Kirby and go with Challengers of the Unknown or New Challengers.

*looks for the pre-order button* :P

[achilles]

I want Tanya Spears to be forgotten, and at least stay well away from PG while getting a new code name. After all, she IS the character DC seems to have in mind to REPLACE the OG Power Girl. I really don't want to remind DC or WB about that.

Also, with classic PG at least, even Mr. Terrific was impressed by HER science ability, (Supergirl too; they both seemed to have an advanced enough understanding of Kryptonian science to instantly understand Mr. Terrific's most advanced stuff). PG has had that sort of thing for quite a while now, and it seems regressive to me to pretend that doesn't exist. And having PG be super intelligent not only makes sense in context, noting that her species is far beyond human in that respect as well as others, and also subverting the dumb blonde trope she's often saddled with, especially by those who don't know about or care about the character. Nor is there really any reason I can see to have any human be smarter than a member of a hyper-advanced alien race. Which BTW is a problem I've had with the Superman/Luthor dynamic, but that's neither here nor there at the moment.

Atlee? I'm neutral on that. Personally, I don't think there was any there there, so to speak. It wasn't a relationship that excited me or really interested me at all, but evidently others do like it, so I wouldn't mind all that much.

Jefferson is an interesting add. AFAIK, in comic continuity, they've really never met. Apart from the "all hands on deck group shot". But in the animated movie which is PG's ONLY appearance in WB's animated or live stuff, where she's unfortunately voiced by "Wall of Weird" Allison Mack, they DID meet, and were part of the same team. And the intro stuff where the two characters fight in Injustice 2 was interesting. I approve of putting him on such a team. He's a great character, and I'd love to see him work with her.

Just as an aside, I'd LOVE to see Raven team in a one on one setting with PG, or even as part of a team; they've never done that AFAIK, and have never even really met. I think their respective powers and personalities would present an interesting mix.

No problems with Nightwing.

Honestly, apart from Tanya Spears, for the reason I mentioned, (well, also, she was at least initially nearly a perfect example of a Mary Sue, don't know what she became in the Titans and Deathstroke books), I'd be fine with any team built around PG, as it would mean she was back. But Spears, being a real danger to the actual Power Girl character, isn't someone I really want to see again. It'd remind DC of their at least temporarily postponed plans to get probably kill off Kara.

[Robanker]

I totally understand and respect that concern. The goal was to highlight the difference between both while letting them both shine. Each member of the team reflects Karen in some way so as to provide a lot of development for each. With Tanya, that's intellect. Karen is always going to be PG the same way Terry will never out Batman Bruce, so the goal with Tanya is to let her develop and find her persona. She's got too good a design to disappear!

But she really is PG in name only and has no real connection to anything Karen did outside a pat on the back and endorsement from Karen who was abandoning it anyway so she could go get character assassinated on Earth-2.

I think Tanya could definitely work and their conflict would do well to highlight how intelligent both women are but how differently their minds work.

Nobodys gonna read a team book about pg being leader and be expected to be taken seriously or worse be a subtly objecticfied for adult tastes like harely quinn.

That will certainly be the case for some which is why I went for a more light hearted, high concept/adventure approach. Nothing to get taken too seriously. More Raiders of the Lost Ark, less Interstellar.