Karen Starr: Power Girl Appreciation 2020

[achilles]

Okay, so assume for a second the impossible, DC comes to its senses and gives Power Girl a solo with a top writer and artist. And commits to it. Who would you use as supporting cast? New characters created for that task? Older characters who were also created for that task, from any of her two basic runs? Others? A mix?

My thoughts would be the latter, a mix of all of those options. Given that, I'd probably lean much less heavily on the already existing supporting cast; none of them really caught on with me. I MIGHT give in to the inevitable enough to countenance one or two appearances by Harley, but not more than that.

And I need to explain a few I'd choose from existing hero relationships. I'd avoid the JSA on the theory that if she has a solo, a JSA title probably exists already. However, I'd go back to the second major era for PG, the Giffen/Dematteis Leagues. I would actually be in favor of using a few of those characters without titles of their own as supporting cast in a PG solo. Captain Atom, first and foremost; they just seem to work together as socially awkward powerhouses who sort of bond over that. Ted and Booster. They always worked as semi-comic friends who always acted exactly like you figure they would with her. Maybe Fire and Ice; they rarely got one on one scenes with her, but I think they could work very well if it was tried. Maybe Ralph and Sue. They had a lot of time with her, and it always worked. Bloodwynd....just because I thought he COULD have been a cool character and I'd love to see someone make him that way. Plus, a magical character who's powerful but without enough star power to get him into JL Dark or the like.

Who would you guys like to see and why?

[Agent Z]

https://www.deviantart.com/arion69/a...l-03-830030767

[Agent Z]

Okay, so assume for a second the impossible, DC comes to its senses and gives Power Girl a solo with a top writer and artist. And commits to it. Who would you use as supporting cast? New characters created for that task? Older characters who were also created for that task, from any of her two basic runs? Others? A mix?

My thoughts would be the latter, a mix of all of those options. Given that, I'd probably lean much less heavily on the already existing supporting cast; none of them really caught on with me. I MIGHT give in to the inevitable enough to countenance one or two appearances by Harley, but not more than that.

And I need to explain a few I'd choose from existing hero relationships. I'd avoid the JSA on the theory that if she has a solo, a JSA title probably exists already. However, I'd go back to the second major era for PG, the Giffen/Dematteis Leagues. I would actually be in favor of using a few of those characters without titles of their own as supporting cast in a PG solo. Captain Atom, first and foremost; they just seem to work together as socially awkward powerhouses who sort of bond over that. Ted and Booster. They always worked as semi-comic friends who always acted exactly like you figure they would with her. Maybe Fire and Ice; they rarely got one on one scenes with her, but I think they could work very well if it was tried. Maybe Ralph and Sue. They had a lot of time with her, and it always worked. Bloodwynd....just because I thought he COULD have been a cool character and I'd love to see someone make him that way. Plus, a magical character who's powerful but without enough star power to get him into JL Dark or the like.

Who would you guys like to see and why?

Supporting cast would be Nicco Cho, Atlee, Helena Wayne, Marcus Teman and Simon Peters. Karen would be in New York and her identity would be public.

[Frontier]

https://www.deviantart.com/arion69/a...l-03-830030767

Almost looks like she's in live action .

[achilles]

Supporting cast would be Nicco Cho, Atlee, Helena Wayne, Marcus Teman and Simon Peters. Karen would be in New York and her identity would be public.

So, a mix of the supporting cast from the modern solo series runs, Palmiotti and Gray plus Winick's run, with her Earth Two or 2 bestie. Interesting choice. Don't know how it's going to shake out at DC, so it's hard to say if Helena is a pipe dream or not. The others could simply resume where they left off if that's where it's going.

[Ascended]

ho would you guys like to see and why?

Well, having given this very little thought, if I got to write my own take on Karen I'd probably have her trot between earths.

Kind of hard to say what I'd do since we don't know what the continuity is like, but I'd probably build the hook of the book off Karen taking her company interdimensional; Starrware would be the business dedicated to developing dimensional travel. Starrware would be the first company to have holdings on different realities, sharing data in scientific R&D, opening up new markets for merchandise (selling earth-4 cars on earth-1 because earth-4 has a better engine with better gas mileage, that sorta thing) and I don't know what else.

So that'd give us some cool sci-fi exploration themes to toy with, as well as some interesting business/political stories, etc.

If I could say that earth-2 wasn't destroyed in COIE like Karen thought, then earth-2 becomes her Smallville (once she discovers it's still out there); the place she goes to visit home. There we'd have Kal-L, Lois, and Karen's besties Helena Wayne and Lyta Trevor. As Starrware sets up a more permanent place on that earth we'd have to bring in some people to work for her, and there's probably a few established earth-2 names to use there as well as original characters to be introduced. But Kal, Lois, Helena, and Lyta would be the main 4 supporting characters on earth-2.

On earth-1 we'd have Atlee, and I'd use Tanya as a new intern or researcher (how old is she?) at Starrware but have her retire from heroics. I'd probably pull a few scientists from the Super-verse that everyone has forgotten about, as well as characters from her solo who had potential (I'd have to read it again, I don't remember any of them). If nobody else is using him, I'd steal Vibe and use him as one of Starrware's major assets. If not him, then Sideways would work, or any character capable of breaking dimensional barriers that Starrware could base their technology off of.

If I got my way, obviously Dick would be her love interest and be a major supporting character. And we'd have her friends and peers from the JSA and JLI show up on a semi-regular basis as well. Karen's got friends all over, and they'd all show up occasionally. Even Harley (though very rarely).

I'd likely run a fairly small regular supporting cast, and have a fairly wide circle of recurring faces; people Karen sees a lot but doesn't really interact with much, similar to the old triangle era Superman books where even Perry White's assistant had a name and appeared fairly regularly but rarely had any impact on the story.

And keeping a small cast of regular supporting characters would allow me to have fun with the doppelgangers; earth-1 Dick Grayson is her boyfriend, but she'd also run into the older Dick Grayson of earth-2. Half the fun would be seeing Karen interacting with different versions of the same person.

[achilles]

Well, having given this very little thought, if I got to write my own take on Karen I'd probably have her trot between earths.

Kind of hard to say what I'd do since we don't know what the continuity is like, but I'd probably build the hook of the book off Karen taking her company interdimensional; Starrware would be the business dedicated to developing dimensional travel. Starrware would be the first company to have holdings on different realities, sharing data in scientific R&D, opening up new markets for merchandise (selling earth-4 cars on earth-1 because earth-4 has a better engine with better gas mileage, that sorta thing) and I don't know what else.

So that'd give us some cool sci-fi exploration themes to toy with, as well as some interesting business/political stories, etc.

If I could say that earth-2 wasn't destroyed in COIE like Karen thought, then earth-2 becomes her Smallville (once she discovers it's still out there); the place she goes to visit home. There we'd have Kal-L, Lois, and Karen's besties Helena Wayne and Lyta Trevor. As Starrware sets up a more permanent place on that earth we'd have to bring in some people to work for her, and there's probably a few established earth-2 names to use there as well as original characters to be introduced. But Kal, Lois, Helena, and Lyta would be the main 4 supporting characters on earth-2.

On earth-1 we'd have Atlee, and I'd use Tanya as a new intern or researcher (how old is she?) at Starrware but have her retire from heroics. I'd probably pull a few scientists from the Super-verse that everyone has forgotten about, as well as characters from her solo who had potential (I'd have to read it again, I don't remember any of them). If nobody else is using him, I'd steal Vibe and use him as one of Starrware's major assets. If not him, then Sideways would work, or any character capable of breaking dimensional barriers that Starrware could base their technology off of.

If I got my way, obviously Dick would be her love interest and be a major supporting character. And we'd have her friends and peers from the JSA and JLI show up on a semi-regular basis as well. Karen's got friends all over, and they'd all show up occasionally. Even Harley (though very rarely).

I'd likely run a fairly small regular supporting cast, and have a fairly wide circle of recurring faces; people Karen sees a lot but doesn't really interact with much, similar to the old triangle era Superman books where even Perry White's assistant had a name and appeared fairly regularly but rarely had any impact on the story.

And keeping a small cast of regular supporting characters would allow me to have fun with the doppelgangers; earth-1 Dick Grayson is her boyfriend, but she'd also run into the older Dick Grayson of earth-2. Half the fun would be seeing Karen interacting with different versions of the same person.

Heh, for something you gave very little thought to; it's pretty well thought out. I like the idea as a mission statement for PG...but isn't that pretty much the hook for The Terrifics? I ask because I haven't read that title, but from descriptions, it sounds pretty close....though in the Terrifics case maybe a bit more Lost in Space? With maybe your idea treating it as more of a business thing? It'd be interesting and in my point of view make more sense to have PG, the historically other universe character as the one with the dimensional travel thing.

[Ascended]

Ha, thanks. Years of last-minute panic in college has made me very good at stream-of-thought writing. Speaking of which, I should be working on a paper right now.....

As for the Terrifics...I've missed a bunch of issues regretfully (it's a fantastic book) and it did start out as a "explore the dark multiverse" title, but has since turned into a "all manner of weird ass science" title. Very, very Fantastic Four in nature. So it wouldn't rub against my pitch for Karen any more than, say, Superman's space adventures step on the toes of Green Lantern's.

And yeah, this is more of a "business" thing than what's happening in Terrifics. Simon Stagg is in that book, and of course everything with him is all about money, but for Holt and his team it's mostly just about the science and discovery. For Karen it'd be more about the business and alternative superheroism. Punching villains in the face is great, and Karen does that a lot, but she's also well positioned to help the world (worlds, really) in ways no one else can. No one else who jumps realities also has the business acumen to also improve lives at home on that business level.

[achilles]

Ha, thanks. Years of last-minute panic in college has made me very good at stream-of-thought writing. Speaking of which, I should be working on a paper right now.....

As for the Terrifics...I've missed a bunch of issues regretfully (it's a fantastic book) and it did start out as a "explore the dark multiverse" title, but has since turned into a "all manner of weird ass science" title. Very, very Fantastic Four in nature. So it wouldn't rub against my pitch for Karen any more than, say, Superman's space adventures step on the toes of Green Lantern's.

And yeah, this is more of a "business" thing than what's happening in Terrifics. Simon Stagg is in that book, and of course everything with him is all about money, but for Holt and his team it's mostly just about the science and discovery. For Karen it'd be more about the business and alternative superheroism. Punching villains in the face is great, and Karen does that a lot, but she's also well positioned to help the world (worlds, really) in ways no one else can. No one else who jumps realities also has the business acumen to also improve lives at home on that business level.

Weird science for the Terrifics, eh? Shame, that was Palmiotti and Gray's original pitch to DC for the PG solo title, at least if you go by an old Rama interview with them before the title launched. Would have been a great niche for PG in that series; I don't know why they didn't go with it. I wish they'd give your idea a try, but somehow I doubt they will. Our loss, I suppose.

[Agent Z]

If the solo series doesn't work out, another option could be Karen being part of a multiverse police organisation.

[achilles]

If the solo series doesn't work out, another option could be Karen being part of a multiverse police organisation.

Make that LEGION with a new multiverse mandate, and I'm in.

[Ascended]

Weird science for the Terrifics, eh? Shame, that was Palmiotti and Gray's original pitch to DC for the PG solo title, at least if you go by an old Rama interview with them before the title launched. Would have been a great niche for PG in that series; I don't know why they didn't go with it. I wish they'd give your idea a try, but somehow I doubt they will. Our loss, I suppose.

Eh, who knows why DC does anything?

But back when Karen had a solo, I think the FF were a struggling franchise (maybe Hickman was on the book by then, but generally that book had struggled to stay afloat for a while) and books like Black Science weren't around yet, so maybe DC felt there wasn't an audience for that kind of super science explorer narrative? The only reason The Terrifics exist is because the New Age line was trying to steal disgruntled Marvel fans who had seen all their classic heroes replaced by new characters.

So Palmiotti (spelling?) and Gray had the same idea as me, huh? I love it when that happens, makes my ideas look better when the pro's are saying the same things. Take note DC! I'm willing to work cheap in return for a lot of creative freedom! Give me Karen and Nightwing and Cyborg and I'll turn those into your new hot titles!

Oh, and a multiverse team....why not take Karen, Vibe, and Wally West and add them to Justice Incarnate? Those three along with President Superman and Morrison's other brilliant creations? I'd read it!

[achilles]

Eh, who knows why DC does anything?

But back when Karen had a solo, I think the FF were a struggling franchise (maybe Hickman was on the book by then, but generally that book had struggled to stay afloat for a while) and books like Black Science weren't around yet, so maybe DC felt there wasn't an audience for that kind of super science explorer narrative? The only reason The Terrifics exist is because the New Age line was trying to steal disgruntled Marvel fans who had seen all their classic heroes replaced by new characters.

So Palmiotti (spelling?) and Gray had the same idea as me, huh? I love it when that happens, makes my ideas look better when the pro's are saying the same things. Take note DC! I'm willing to work cheap in return for a lot of creative freedom! Give me Karen and Nightwing and Cyborg and I'll turn those into your new hot titles!

Oh, and a multiverse team....why not take Karen, Vibe, and Wally West and add them to Justice Incarnate? Those three along with President Superman and Morrison's other brilliant creations? I'd read it!

You know what would be nice? If DC truly took fan submissions to audition future talent. I don't mean that thing they have now, but a real thing where people with no or little previous pro writing gigs get a chance to audition, much like that thing Top Cow used to run, (maybe they still do, I don't know), their talent contest, wherein anyone could get a chance, if they won their talent contest. There seems to be a lot of enthusiasm and talent in the amateur ranks, and I'm sure writing for any comic book company would be a dream job for a lot of fans. Plus, in addition to developing talent, they would get a lot of goodwill, and perhaps could revive characters like Power Girl who are wanting things like backstory, supporting cast, a rogue's gallery, and of course good stories and a mission statement, i.e. what they do and what they're all about.

And fans turned writers might be the way to break those characters out----after all, fans often tend to be more passionate about certain characters like PG than the pro talent. Why not give them a chance if someone can come up with a compelling plan and demonstrates good writing skills?

[Agent Z]

Eh, who knows why DC does anything?

But back when Karen had a solo, I think the FF were a struggling franchise (maybe Hickman was on the book by then, but generally that book had struggled to stay afloat for a while) and books like Black Science weren't around yet, so maybe DC felt there wasn't an audience for that kind of super science explorer narrative? The only reason The Terrifics exist is because the New Age line was trying to steal disgruntled Marvel fans who had seen all their classic heroes replaced by new characters.

So Palmiotti (spelling?) and Gray had the same idea as me, huh? I love it when that happens, makes my ideas look better when the pro's are saying the same things. Take note DC! I'm willing to work cheap in return for a lot of creative freedom! Give me Karen and Nightwing and Cyborg and I'll turn those into your new hot titles!

Oh, and a multiverse team....why not take Karen, Vibe, and Wally West and add them to Justice Incarnate? Those three along with President Superman and Morrison's other brilliant creations? I'd read it!

I was thinking of leaving Vibe for a Department of Metahuman Affairs book.

So far I've only committed to Karen, Helena Wayne and a different version of Fury for my multiverse police idea.

[Agent Z]

You know what would be nice? If DC truly took fan submissions to audition future talent. I don't mean that thing they have now, but a real thing where people with no or little previous pro writing gigs get a chance to audition, much like that thing Top Cow used to run, (maybe they still do, I don't know), their talent contest, wherein anyone could get a chance, if they won their talent contest. There seems to be a lot of enthusiasm and talent in the amateur ranks, and I'm sure writing for any comic book company would be a dream job for a lot of fans. Plus, in addition to developing talent, they would get a lot of goodwill, and perhaps could revive characters like Power Girl who are wanting things like backstory, supporting cast, a rogue's gallery, and of course good stories and a mission statement, i.e. what they do and what they're all about.

And fans turned writers might be the way to break those characters out----after all, fans often tend to be more passionate about certain characters like PG than the pro talent. Why not give them a chance if someone can come up with a compelling plan and demonstrates good writing skills?

Fans becoming writers is a double-edged sword. While you can get someone who is lacking in experience and discipline. Even fans can hurt a character as seen in One More Day.