How much should Supergirl and Powergirl resemble each other?

[The_Lurk]

I think the Young Justice animated series does something with that. I will cosign insofar as they should vaguely resemble each other and that the biggest problem either faces is that while PG has a definite characterization and history to fall back on, DC is only now starting to solidify who they want Supergirl to be. Once SG is consistent for a few more years I think that we'll be able to start comparing and contrasting them with characteristics and so forth as opposed to something as superficial as looks. For reference, all the male Robins sans Damien are the same. Tall dark haired, blue eyed pretty white boys but you can very easily break them down and show just how different they are with respect to each other and their mentor (tall, dark-haired, blue-eyed pretty white man). SG changes every five years so there's not a lot to go on until that settles. Who even was she before? I've seen her be innocent, a party kid, confident, unsure of herself, a rage beast, thought to be stronger than Clark, weaker than him. For the longest time I had no idea who the damn character was, and nobody except Sterling Gates was able to make Supergirl work in my mind.

It's weird to compare any characters to Power Girl (other than The Hawks or Legion) and say they have less of a mess to work with, but ever since she returned in the JSA and restored her pre-Crisis persona and history, she's been solid. I hope the prevalence of the show on TV and the comics following relative suit can help develop a consistent brand for her.

PG always did felt more consistent though with even having the extremely inconsistent weirdness of her past being baked into her background. Its sad to not have more of her with some current series; loved her Palmiotti/Conner run.

Being dead for 2 very important decades of character development for a lot of characters surely did SG not do any favors. And that the very awesome SG run of that era was not Kara but Matrix/Linda which has been lost in time/space and the multiverse did not help either.

[Robanker]

PG always did felt more consistent though with even having the extremely inconsistent weirdness of her past being baked into her background. Its sad to not have more of her with some current series; loved her Palmiotti/Conner run.

Being dead for 2 very important decades of character development for a lot of characters surely did SG not do any favors. And that the very awesome SG run of that era was not Kara but Matrix/Linda which has been lost in time/space and the multiverse did not help either.

I agree with you for the just part but the 80s and early 90s were not great to PG either. That said, she found her stride in the early 2000s and it's been great ever since. One of my absolute favorite characters.

An interesting point of contrast: Karen's relationship with her pet seems a bit closer to a life companion while Kara seems to treat them closer to friends, there's a bit more earnest behavior there; youthful exuberance. It reminds of most adults with their pets contrasted with how kids and teens interact with them, or at least when portrayed in media. If you want to differentiate the two, play up that Karen's a little more cynical due to age and how people tend to treat her because of her appearance and Supergirl a bit more idealistic.

[Frontier]

I mean if DC Superhero Girls is concerned, you just split the difference by calling PG Supergirl and using the latter's costume.

Yeah, Kara on that show is basically Power Girl in all but name.

[Jim Kelly]

Amalgamate the two, put her in red booty shorts, give her a boob window, and call her Super-Power Girl. Probs solved.

[Jackalope89]

Always considered Power Girl to be, not only older, but a bit more, not necessarily pessimistic, but "harsher", I guess? If you know what I mean. Plus, wasn't PG raised by Clark on Earth 2, whereas SG raised by Clark's friends/Ma and Pa Kent?

[The Frozen Reptile]

Always look at the origins and the stories behind it.

Paul Levitz created her, as a way to have a super-powered character in the JSA as Clark as becoming semi-retired. Jeanette Khan did not like the original drawing for Power Girl (which was similar to the current one with the window and endowment) and made them draw her more modest. Now of course it was too late for the cover of All-Star 58 so that got through, but changes were made at first. The artists decided that she would "grow" bigger every issue and they pushed the envelope. Editorial rarely critiqued again, so Power Girl kept the enhancements. And that is how she became recognized, so they keep it. It is a good way for separation like Garrick and Allen or Scott and Jordan.

Unless the comics come right out an say why the difference, does it really matter? I like having them different as they currently are.

[Jim Kelly]

The origin I remember for Power Girl is that she was sent to Earth by rocket, but grew up in the ship, so she is older than Supergirl was when she first arrived on Earth (in the classic version of her origin story). PG's an independent woman and doesn't need somone to take care of her on Earth.

This was a lot like the origin given for Superman in the first episodes of the radio show. He's sent as a baby from Krypton, but by the time he gets to Earth, he's a full grown man. So all the stuff about him growing up on Earth was left out.

[gwhh]

Like sisters who look like each other but don’t.

[The_Lurk]

Always considered Power Girl to be, not only older, but a bit more, not necessarily pessimistic, but "harsher", I guess? If you know what I mean. Plus, wasn't PG raised by Clark on Earth 2, whereas SG raised by Clark's friends/Ma and Pa Kent?

She is really not the type one should pick for the evil "choose your friend or the city" scheme or similar shenanigans :P