Karen Starr Power Girl Appreciation 2021

**achilles** · 10-01-2021, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by marhawkman

That's the funny thing..... This is a universe with Lex Luthor, and Teth Adam as authority figures. Sure, we can try to base the economy on the real world, but how many deviations are there? How many OTHER people are there who can ruin the real-world concept of economic value?

The diamond example in particular is something that... IRL isn't what it used to be. We have synthetic diamonds that are quite good actually nowadays. Which sorta tanked the value of natural diamonds.

A guy like Lex Luthor? he already has the ability to make as many as he wants.

It's roughly the same as finding all the sunken treasure she wants, or just finding an asteroid filled with gold, take as much as she wants, and sell it. Which, as an economic plan is somewhat better than the underwear gnomes' plan for stolen socks, you will note.

**marhawkman** · 10-01-2021, 10:38 PM

Originally Posted by Robanker

Both listed examples aren't heroes that readers are specifically supposed to find sympathetic. Even Adam, at times, is allowed to go full heel or be problematic. Karen is generally a hero and an ethical one at that. If she did anything that changed the market on a commodity-- and I'm not saying a few diamonds would or wouldn't since I don't have an expertise there-- but if it had an impact it would lead to cost cutting measures by your Luthors and Cales which always means cutting non essential employees. All in all, I think that shortcut does more harm than good in an era where wealth inequality is at the center of political discourse and the overall zeitgeist. It just makes the people who do it look kind of like assholes who could do a lot but choose not to and DC doesn't want that for their heroes. It's not healthy for them long-term as IP to say "she'll do this to make a lot of money for herself but when others are jobless and turning to crime to make ends meet, she knocks them around."

The same goes for Clark, Kara and every other Kryptonian. And from a storytelling perspective, it's more compelling watching her build her life rather than just shortcut to being established

Ok, but, that analysis assumes Kara is actually going to just keep the money as her personal fortune. I mean, sure, Superman and his Fortress of Solitude is worth millions.,.. if not more considering some of the super-tech he has... He doesn't really share his personal assets, but if Kara's going to be a corporate CEO, that changes the dynamic a lot. You alluded to "jobless" people.... well as a corporate CEO she has... options there.

**achilles** · 10-02-2021, 12:25 AM

Originally Posted by marhawkman

Ok, but, that analysis assumes Kara is actually going to just keep the money as her personal fortune. I mean, sure, Superman and his Fortress of Solitude is worth millions.,.. if not more considering some of the super-tech he has... He doesn't really share his personal assets, but if Kara's going to be a corporate CEO, that changes the dynamic a lot. You alluded to "jobless" people.... well as a corporate CEO she has... options there.

Actually, that's a very good point I hadn't thought of, good catch. In her own series, toward the end of its run, she was running all sorts of charities, and with her tech was on the way to solving some environmental problems, (with cell phones---it was a while ago before smart phones really took off), so she was using her money in a better way. She was partnering with Bruce Wayne on the charity stuff.

**OBrianTallent** · 10-02-2021, 09:29 AM

This was one of the things I really liked about the previous series (especially under Winnick), she was put on par with Bruce Wayne as far as wealth and community benefactor. There are no other female characters of financial worth that do things on a benefactor level. Wonder Woman has on a smaller scale at times with her foundations, but as a general ongoing character...all the other millionaire/billionaire characters are either male or evil (Veronica Cale being the only other female I can even think of at DC.)
I really wish that DC would invest more into Power Girl and what she brings to the table as a character. She's not just a version of Supergirl, she's her defined own character. She's not difficult to figure out and she's not that hard for readers to grasp. We need Power Girl in the DCU.

**Thor-Ul** · 10-02-2021, 05:54 PM

Originally Posted by OBrianTallent

I really wish that DC would invest more into Power Girl and what she brings to the table as a character. She's not just a version of Supergirl, she's her defined own character. She's not difficult to figure out and she's not that hard for readers to grasp. We need Power Girl in the DCU.

You are right, Power Girl is her own character but DC itself seems to have forgetting that, specially with New52, where they create a earth 2 Supergirl. That character was the opposite of everything Kara Zor-L always was. In fact in the new52 they ointerchanged the personalities of both heroines and gave to main Supergirl the more aggressive atitude and to Earth 2 Kara the more compliant personality.

In fact, her visual, setting herself apart by not using the S icon gave to her character a freedom than her analog doesn't have. The problem is than to make Supergirl stand out the media took several of the characteristics of Power girl for her. And I don't think they are that interchangeable.

**gwhh** · 10-03-2021, 10:34 AM

**Toxin45** · 10-03-2021, 11:11 AM

Supergirl is a teenager while power girl is a young adult

**gwhh** · 10-05-2021, 07:36 AM

https://www.cbr.com/superman-definit...-vs-supergirl/

**achilles** · 10-05-2021, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by gwhh

https://www.cbr.com/superman-definit...-vs-supergirl/

Interesting, I'd not seen one of those in one of the linked articles at that url, the one about her "feats of strength"; the one with the KC GL, or whatever he really was, don't even know where it's from. As for the others...er, typical CBR. Got the details wrong on at least one of those, it wasn't an alternate universe Superman and his allies, it was the regular SM and his allies under mind control. And one of those example was an alternate universe PG, the manga one where she essentially IS Superman. And most of the rest were taken out of context. True, she did those things in those stories, but there was usually more to it.

**achilles** · 10-05-2021, 10:16 AM

What about this one:

https://www.cbr.com/power-girl-marve...ains-win-lose/

I think it's mostly correct, if a bit unsurprising.

**marhawkman** · 10-05-2021, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by achilles

What about this one:

https://www.cbr.com/power-girl-marve...ains-win-lose/

I think it's mostly correct, if a bit unsurprising.

It's boring. Magic users win, people who use raw power lose. zzz.z....

**achilles** · 10-05-2021, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by marhawkman

It's boring. Magic users win, people who use raw power lose. zzz.z....

True, but...it's the way it's set up. It was always going to be those sorts, she's doesn't do subtle or small scale. so there's not much left.

**superduperman** · 10-05-2021, 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by achilles

What about this one:

https://www.cbr.com/power-girl-marve...ains-win-lose/

I think it's mostly correct, if a bit unsurprising.

I think she could beat both Dr. Doom and Loki.

**achilles** · 10-06-2021, 05:47 AM

Originally Posted by superduperman

I think she could beat both Dr. Doom and Loki.

Well, yes, and the best way would be for her to take them out before they know she even exists, from on high, or at superspeed. Wouldn't be much of a story though. But I could see it going the way.

**gwhh** · 10-12-2021, 06:54 PM

Power Girl Over the years in media.

https://youtu.be/hG5XUEW7ees

Thread: Karen Starr Power Girl Appreciation 2021

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