Power Girl Appreciation 2022

[Stanlos]

I'm torn on the idea of her being Supergirl.

It's not her actual history from the source material. It doesn't really fit who she is.

But it serves as a solid touchpoint for audiences and tells us a lot about her without having to tell us about her. It provides a sense of character growth without having to do anything at all.

We all know Karen is an independent woman who doesn't want to lean on anybody else's fame or success. She wants to carve out her own place in the world, her own way. But it doesn't seem unreasonable to me that she'd arrive on earth, at the tender age of....fifteen?....and become Supergirl. Really, why wouldn't she? It's her family crest, her family colors, her only remaining family at all, and the only thing she recognizes on a strange, barbaric alien world. Sure, I can believe she started out as Supergirl....until she got her feet under her.

It's not something I would want to last. I'd want her to have established the PG identity even before her universe dies in a Crisis. And this is about the only thing from the New52 that I'd even consider keeping, even in basic form. But I don't think it'd hurt her, and might even help people wrap their heads around her and how she fits into the wider DCU and Super family.

I get confused by the "it isn't who she is" statements. Post Johns and Post Infinite Crisis, haven't they leaned into the Earth 2 Supergirl origin? They even acknowledge that it was an older verse that got destroyed. So it seems like more than ever that is exactly who she is. Her being separate and apart seems the stuff of Pre-Johns JSA and no longer exists beyond the memories of those of us who preferred her that way.

[marhawkman]

I get confused by the "it isn't who she is" statements. Post Johns and Post Infinite Crisis, haven't they leaned into the Earth 2 Supergirl origin? They even acknowledge that it was an older verse that got destroyed. So it seems like more than ever that is exactly who she is. Her being separate and apart seems the stuff of Pre-Johns JSA and no longer exists beyond the memories of those of us who preferred her that way.

The main difference between the two is personality. It's kind of like the difference between Dick Grayson as Robin and Nightwing in some ways.

[achilles]

The main difference between the two is personality. It's kind of like the difference between Dick Grayson as Robin and Nightwing in some ways.

And intelligence. Nu52 Kara is a dunce. And she's also all about sex, until she sort of forgets that exists when the writers got tired or forgot about that. Classic PG was...actually fairly shy about her love life. Nu52 PG literally couldn't get enough.

[Ascended]

I get confused by the "it isn't who she is" statements. Post Johns and Post Infinite Crisis, haven't they leaned into the Earth 2 Supergirl origin? They even acknowledge that it was an older verse that got destroyed. So it seems like more than ever that is exactly who she is. Her being separate and apart seems the stuff of Pre-Johns JSA and no longer exists beyond the memories of those of us who preferred her that way.

She's a Kara variant in that her origin is the same; House of El, sent after her cousin but arrived decades late, etc.

But that's where the similarities end. In pre-Crisis, Karen was never Supergirl and never wanted to be. When Johns brought her Kryptonian origins back in Infinite Crisis, he also kept the fact that Karen had never been Supergirl. It was only with the New52 that the idea of Karen starting her career as Supergirl became a thing.

After Infinite Crisis when Karen had her own solo title, her ties to the multiverse and Kents got *some* attention, but neither were anywhere close to being a main focus for the character and her book.

If my memory is right, anyway. It's been years since I read some of these stories so maybe I'm remembering wrong.

Either way, the idea of Karen ever being called Supergirl is pretty anathema to her character. It's not something that ever fit, outside of the New52, which by any metric was not a good representation of PG. What I'm suggesting is something that any good PG fan would resist. Hell, I said all the same things Robanker is saying about the idea right now. But if that's what it takes to get Karen some page time? Assuming this was just some small background detail that doesn't actually matter beyond explaining things to whatever idiot exec who holds the keys to the character? I think the gains outweigh the cons. It hurts Karen because it's not true to her character, but as long as it's just some minor element that doesn't get any real attention I think it'll hurt her a lot less than the limbo she exists in now. Best case scenario would be for Karen to get attention and quality use without having to dumb things down like this, but I'm not holding my breathe on that one.

I don't really want DC to do this, it's not an idea I actually support. It's just a price I'd tentatively be willing to pay if it meant quality effort that didn't completely ruin her. And I don't think a minor element in her origin, one that wouldn't really amount to anything, is enough to ruin her.

[John Venus]

What do you think of her short lived romance with Firestorm during the Satellite era JLA?

[Primal Slayer]

I like her starting out as a Supergirl and going "you know what? Not me" and changes to Power Girl. She's the E2 version of Dick essentially.

[Robanker]

What do you think of her short lived romance with Firestorm during the Satellite era JLA?

Been a while since I read it so take this with a grain of salt, but I was cool with it. Ronnie was a bit of an idiot, but his heart was in the right place and I think Karen just looked at him more as someone she could have a good time with. I doubt she was looking for something really meaningful, but not everything has to start that way.

It's more a "college sweethearts" thing. I don't see them ever getting especially serious. I think she'd eventually (and in the contemporary setting likely has) outgrow Ronnie.

I think Ronnie would be all for it, of course, and probably bummed when she dumps him but they'd stay amicable.

[Stanlos]

I knew they were going to do this. Un-Atlanteaning her was a bad idea. I prefer the cheeky nod to her PreCrisis origins with assumptions people made ehen she first showed up. Supergirl was over there being Supergirl cousin to Superman whom people sometimes saw as a younger version of Peege (again, cheeky nods). Whole Peege herself had her own adventures and paths be it on S7, interacting with DP, Arion, or thd Skartaris peops, or simply being a prominent and powerhouse member of the League. Her origin made her almost as powerful as Superman when she fully healed her attitude and social commentary were refreshing. I miss Peege (been eBaying the crap out of the weekend going through every appearance listed in the DC index).

It was her best, most effective version though I could do without the pregnancy arc despite its prominance during Zero Hour

[Stanlos]

The one good thing that could possibly come out of their dropping the P.G. name is that it may motivate Marvel to do the same with Captain Marvel. Then everyone can join hands and skip happily about the grassy knoll.

Except fans of Peege. As usual.

Makes me wish PAD was writing a Young Justice style title so we could see Peege and Donna Troy commiserate together

[achilles]

The one good thing that could possibly come out of their dropping the P.G. name is that it may motivate Marvel to do the same with Captain Marvel. Then everyone can join hands and skip happily about the grassy knoll.

Except fans of Peege. As usual.

Makes me wish PAD was writing a Young Justice style title so we could see Peege and Donna Troy commiserate together

PG doesn't commiserate, miserate, or anything else implying that she looks back rather than forward. She's never self-pitying.

[Robanker]

PG doesn't commiserate, miserate, or anything else implying that she looks back rather than forward. She's never self-pitying.

She was for a moment, understandably, when she found out that her entire adopted planet was gone and she saw all her former loved ones' faces looking at her as a stranger. Again when the multiverse replaced her.

Barring cataclysmic events like that, though, you're correct. She's a tough cookie to crack.


One of the many things to love about her.

[Stanlos]

PG doesn't commiserate, miserate, or anything else implying that she looks back rather than forward. She's never self-pitying.

You might have missed her under Johns pen.

[achilles]

You might have missed her under Johns pen.

Well, I try to ignore his run writing her. He never got her right, not surprising considering his attitude towards her. Props to him for getting her an expanded role, though. He might have simply ignored the fans, but he didn't.

[Robanker]

For good or ill (and I liked her arc, though I wish there was more balance at the time) he's the reason she's as popular today as she is for reasons not related to her costume or figure. JSA was the most relevant she's been in years, since or prior.

[achilles]

For good or ill (and I liked her arc, though I wish there was more balance at the time) he's the reason she's as popular today as she is for reasons not related to her costume or figure. JSA was the most relevant she's been in years, since or prior.

Sad isn't it, that the biggest chance she's had yet came from a guy who admitted he neither liked her nor "got" her appeal.