Meet Power Girl, Superman's Other Cousin
The Supergirl From a Parallel Dimension is a Fanboy-Favorite Pinup
Sep 15, 2009
When DC Comics decided in 1976 to give the Justice Society of America its own book again, the company wanted some young characters to star alongside the aging heroes of comicdom's first super-team. One of the junior titans chosen was Superman's cousin, Power Girl.
That doesn't sound right, you say? The Man of Steel's cousin is called Supergirl? Well, yes and no; it just depends on which Superman we're talking about.
A Brief Explanation of the Parallel Earths
In the 1960s, DC Comics created a parallel universe and populated it with characters who had appeared in comics during the 30s and 40s (the so-called "Golden Age") but who had been swept aside in favor of new, "Silver Age" versions. This concept eventually expanded into a "Multiverse" of seemingly-infinite dimensions.
Meanwhile, the Justice League of America (JLA) on "Earth-One" (home of the Silver-Age Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and others) met and teamed up with the Justice Society of America (JSA) from "Earth-Two" (which housed the original Superman and company). This annual event proved so popular that DC resurrected the JSA's Golden-Age title, All-Star Comics.
But there were few young heroes available on Earth-Two to feature alongside the Golden-Age vets, so one was created to fill out the ranks. Because there had been a Supergirl on Earth-One since the 50s, the obvious answer was to introduce an Earth-Two counterpart, which writer Gerry Conway did in All-Star Comics #58 (February 1976).
Power Girl's (First) Origin
As the planet Krypton prepared to explode, the infant Kara Zor-L and her young cousin, Kal-L, were launched into space in separate ships. Kal's craft traveled directly to Earth but Kara's took a more circuitous route, arriving on Earth-Two 60 years later.
However, Kara's "symbioship" slowed her aging process and provided a virtual environment, complete with Kryptonian education, so that she landed on Earth a "fully-functional" young woman. Kara was welcomed into the home of cousin Kal, now Clark Kent (aka Superman), and his wife, Lois Lane.
Since she had powers like her cousin, Kara also took on a superhero identity. But, rather than call herself "Supergirl," Kara adopted the name Power Girl. Instead of donning a female version of Kal's famous costume, she wore a white leotard with an inexplicable "cleavage window," red cape, blue gloves and boots, and a belt that served no purpose since she wore no pants. This, combined with an aggressive, independent personality, made it clear that all PG had in common with her Earth-One double were blonde hair, the same birth name and planet, and similar familial relations. Why such a woman would call herself "Girl" was never explained.
PG assisted the JSA and later gained full membership. She assumed the secret identity of Karen Starr and became a computer programmer, eventually starting her own software company, StarrWare.
Power Girl's (Second) Origin
The events chronicled in the 1985-86 maxi-series Crisis on Infinite Earths removed Earth-Two -- and its Superman -- from reality and made the "New Earth" Superman the sole survivor of Krypton. Power Girl became a living irony: the counterpart to a character (Supergirl) who no longer existed. According to her revised backstory, Kara had been born millenia ago in Atlantis and had traveled in suspended animation to the present day.
When the JSA disbanded, PG associated with other groups, including Justice League Europe. She also endured various changes of costume, powers, and even physique. She went from voluptuous to slim to muscular before settling on her current figure, which is dominated by a chest so large that only someone with her super strength could keep from toppling over. This attribute has made PG comicdom's pinup queen.
With no connection to the New-Earth Superman, PG drifted around the DCU for years while her writers and artists tried to find her place in it. She had adventures that DC editorial later decided never happened. She gained an "allergy" to diet soda (it made her moody and/or insane). And she birthed a magically-conceived child who matured quickly and who has not been mentioned since.
Compounding matters, Karen still remembered being "Superman's cousin" and had vague memories of Earth-Two, even though people she'd known most of her life did not. It's no exaggeration to say that Power Girl experienced one of the most protracted identity crises in comics history.
Power Girl's (Third) Origin (or First Origin Redux)
In 2005, she got her past back. Karen learned that she was indeed a survivor of Krypton-Two and also that Kal-L and Lois Kent were alive in a "paradise" dimension. But their reunion was painfully short; Lois died of old age shortly after leaving the other dimension. Kal-L, the first and greatest superhero, died in battle doing what he did best: saving the world.
Sadder but wiser and with a new sense of identity, Power Girl returned to the re-formed JSA and was elected its first female chairperson.
Kara Zor-L in Motion and Looking to the Future
While Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is PG's first official feature-film appearance (with voice provided by Smallville's Allison Mack), she has starred in two live-action fan films, Power Girl: The Classifieds and I'm Power Girl, Dammit! Also, the animated series Justice League Unlimited featured Supergirl's villainous clone, Galatea, who wore PG's familiar white bodysuit .
Fandom is divided about PG's value as a character. To writer David Campbell, "she is a tabula rasa that comic book fans and creators alike can project their conscious and unconscious desires on to." But to comics historian Alan Kistler, "she's a formidable female hero in charge of her sexuality and secure in the knowledge that she's one of the toughest people on Earth."
Above all, Power Girl is a survivor. The massive hurdles so carelessly tossed at her over the past 20 years would have crushed a lesser character. But she held on, and the fans (figuratively) held on to her. So, don't disrespect her or, as Kistler put it, "she'll simply smile and punch you in the face."
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies hits video shelves on September 29, 2009.
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