Do you consider Power Girl a Superman, JSA or independent character first?

[Timothy Hunter]

But . . . even though there's that "Atlantis" this, I don't automatically associate Arion with Aquaman.

When I think Atlantis I think Aquaman. I know that the Atlantis that appeared in the original Arion series had little to no connection to Aquaman, but Peter David connected those two versions of Atlantis in his Atlantis Chronicles & later Aquaman run pretty seamlessly.

[MajorHoy]

NOTE: Thread / poll created in November 2022.

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With 59 people having voted so far,

* a JSA character = 39 votes
* a Superman character = 12 votes
* an independent DC character = 8 votes

[Hypestyle]

justice society.

[Ascended]

I consider her a JSA character first, but still a part of the Super franchise. Same way I think of Jay as a JSA character who is still a Flash and part of that (extended) franchise family.

Ideally, a character like Karen should be able to operate smoothly as any of the three; JSA, Super, or solo character, and bring something unique to the table in each instance.

[Double L]

Her first appearance was with the Justice Society of America, so she is a Justice Society character.

[bat22]

Power Girl is less a Superman character than a pre-COIE Earth-2 character. She's never really been attached to or particularly close with the main Supermen of the Silver, Bronze, or later eras; and, post-COIE, she was basically disavowed from anything Superman- or Kryptonian-related. This also distanced her from the Justice Society and Infinity, Inc. groups.

While some may roll their eyes at Power Girl's Atlantean background in this period, I see it as proof of her staying power when others like Helena Wayne or Kara Zor-El were utterly benched. In the decades that followed, PG proved herself a survivor with her tenure in Justice League Europe/International as well as appearances around the DCU (Warlord, Doom Patrol, Birds of Prey, Sovereign Seven, (Earth Angel) Supergirl, Aquaman, Wonder Woman...) before hooking back up with the newest JSA incarnation.

So I see Power Girl as an independent character who happens to have stronger ties to the JSA and JLI circles of heroes than she does with the Superman family.

[achilles]

Power Girl is less a Superman character than a pre-COIE Earth-2 character. She's never really been attached to or particularly close with the main Supermen of the Silver, Bronze, or later eras; and, post-COIE, she was basically disavowed from anything Superman- or Kryptonian-related. This also distanced her from the Justice Society and Infinity, Inc. groups.

While some may roll their eyes at Power Girl's Atlantean background in this period, I see it as proof of her staying power when others like Helena Wayne or Kara Zor-El were utterly benched. In the decades that followed, PG proved herself a survivor with her tenure in Justice League Europe/International as well as appearances around the DCU (Warlord, Doom Patrol, Birds of Prey, Sovereign Seven, (Earth Angel) Supergirl, Aquaman, Wonder Woman...) before hooking back up with the newest JSA incarnation.

So I see Power Girl as an independent character who happens to have stronger ties to the JSA and JLI circles of heroes than she does with the Superman family.

It kept her around when being Kryptonian wasn't favored in anyone but Superman. And they could have done something interesting with it, but never really tried.

[bat22]

It kept her around when being Kryptonian wasn't favored in anyone but Superman. And they could have done something interesting with it, but never really tried.

If I had to guess the reasons why...

1. Maybe Atlantis was considered more Aquaman's territory, and having a cast member as powerful as Kara around would've taken some spotlight off of him or made writing threats to him around her more challenging.

2. The sword and sorcery genre of Warlord and Arion was supposedly in decline.

3. Power Girl was already getting attention on land as part of the JLE/JLI (though that would've been the right avenue to make such content).

[MajorHoy]

Oh, the irony!

This thread was begun in the general "DC Comics" section of the Forum, but was suddenly segregated to the "Superman" sub-section today after I revived the thread this morning.

And yet, less than 1-in-5 of the people who have voted on the poll so far responded with "a Superman character" for how they view Power Girl.
Go figure!

[DABellWrites]

It kept her around when being Kryptonian wasn't favored in anyone but Superman. And they could have done something interesting with it, but never really tried.

You can keep her alien roots by having her be a descendants of a species that arrived on Earth thousands of years ago, who mated with Atlanteans (or some undersea humans, Power Girl's people are living Atlantis). After generations of breeding, you got someone like Power Girl, who is born with all these powers. Keep it limited to enhanced strength (stronger than Conner and Cassie, strong enough to stagger Superman and Wonder Woman), durability, eyes adapted to seeing in the dark, mental telepathy with sea creatures, she can leap a tall building in a single bound. No flight, heat vision or any other powers associated with Superman. Change her name from Kara Zor-El to whatever. Swipe one of those Krpytonian pastiche planet from the Weisinger era, change it to fit Power Girl. Now you have a workable concept for Power Girl's Atlantean origins.

[OBrianTallent]

Oh, the irony!

This thread was begun in the general "DC Comics" section of the Forum, but was suddenly segregated to the "Superman" sub-section today after I revived the thread this morning.

And yet, less than 1-in-5 of the people who have voted on the poll so far responded with "a Superman character" for how they view Power Girl.
Go figure!

I found that funny as well! lol. Guess we know where the moderators stand!

[MajorHoy]

I found that funny as well! lol. Guess we know where the moderators stand!

Well, with the move, we're up to 65 people having voted, and current results show

* a JSA character = 43 votes
* a Superman character = 13 votes
* an independent DC character = 9 votes

and the option "a Superman character" is at 20%, which is exactly 1-in-5.

[achilles]

You can keep her alien roots by having her be a descendants of a species that arrived on Earth thousands of years ago, who mated with Atlanteans (or some undersea humans, Power Girl's people are living Atlantis). After generations of breeding, you got someone like Power Girl, who is born with all these powers. Keep it limited to enhanced strength (stronger than Conner and Cassie, strong enough to stagger Superman and Wonder Woman), durability, eyes adapted to seeing in the dark, mental telepathy with sea creatures, she can leap a tall building in a single bound. No flight, heat vision or any other powers associated with Superman. Change her name from Kara Zor-El to whatever. Swipe one of those Krpytonian pastiche planet from the Weisinger era, change it to fit Power Girl. Now you have a workable concept for Power Girl's Atlantean origins.

Sure that's one way; there are many others. But they elected not to do any of that. Hopefully they'll use her Kryptonian origin a bit better...or indeed at all, this time.

[Stanlos]

The character I knew and came to love is no more. So I have to say I know her as a Superman character today, specifically a Supergirl analogue.

I can't say I am a fan of what she is today. She is a secondary of a spinoff character. I prefer her as the JL/JLE/JLI mystically powered hero with ties to ancient Atlantis, Echidna, Lords of Order, and S7. I was INTO her and followed her every move.

However, there isn't a lot to follow today although the door is open for her to be an alternate universe Supergirl again now that the multiverse is back. And today they have added telepathy to her powerset courtesy of the Lazarus Rains.

I am very interested in Tanya Spears but even less is being done with her.

I added my vote as independent character because that is what she was Post Crisis. I don't much care for the JSA stuff Johns did leading up to INFINITE CRISIS. And I abhorred what came after. So it is a weird state for me. I think the one good thing I can say is that the damage to her was not caused by Flashturd or New Poopy-2.

[Stanlos]

Maybe DC should bring all that back . . . except make it for a new character, not for Power Girl.

If they want to make those adventures and the Kingdom Come stuff all Tanya Spears as Power Grrl or Powerhaus or whatever I would be okay. Then Kara Zor-L, Earth 2 Supergirl analogue fans can have the Earth 2 JSA stuff.

I will take the JL/JLE/JLI Atlantean Lords of Order Power Girl and if that is a different character Im cool with that because that was the character I liked.