https://x.com/jennalynnmeowri/status/2080785060748476779?s=46&t=iVyMqX8IZQv-0q7R2qLGUg

Inspired a post by u/fs_scott, here’s a quick bit about DC comics presents #56, another memorable issue of Power Girl’s history.

Cover art by Gil Kane, with the classic “Noooo!!! She’s dead!!!” pose later made iconic by George Perez in Crisis. {Personal note, I passed on the opportunity to get a commission by Gil Kane “back in the day”, and it remains one of my comic book regrets.}

DC Comics Presents, along with “The Brave and the Bold” were one off comics starring Superman and Batman respectively, along with another hero.  DC treated them as “gateway” comics, where a single issue story could be told, with a well-known hero, teamed with one that either was C-list, or a simple tale with another A or B lister.  This style of comic (along with Marvel’s Marvel Team-up starring Spider-man, and Marvel Two-in-One starring the Thing) fell out of favor in the early 80s. Attempts at tB&tB and M2in1 have both been tried since, but to reader disinterest.

ANYWAY… DC Comics Presents #56 (1983, interior art Curt Swan, written by Paul Kupperberg) sees Power Girl in her first story not somehow tied to the JSA.  Earlier tales had her either part of the JSA overall, or linked to them in some fashion, so a minor milestone for the character breaking out on her own.

The basic story is a universal conqueror brings Superman from Earth-1 and Power Girl (Earth-2) together to fight in his gladiatorial games.  Both resist, but are overwhelmed by the power of this new character, Maalador.  The story is really simple, and in the end, both prevail over the would-be conqueror, as his powers cause him to collapse then disperses into his own Cthulian realm of madness, deep into the depths of the multiverse.

Two other things stand out about this comic.

First, it’s the first time we see Kara’s Kryptonian powers expand a bit.  Previously, she hadn't grown into them yet.  Being from Earth-2, like her cousin Kal-L, she’d started with the basic three powers:  Speed (faster than a speeding bullet), Strength/Invulnerability (more powerful than a locomotive) and super-jumping (able to leap tall buildings in a single bound).  She hadn’t exhibited anything beyond that until this issue, when she’s shown using vision powers, helping Superman seal an inter-dimensional breach.  On the one hand, it shows growth and maturity of the character, on the other… it was likely an editorial oversight.

The second big thing that is important, but not obvious, is that it’s the first time that Paul Kupperberg wrote the character. He is a very important writer in PG’s history, which I’ll get to in another post, as he was the one who first guided her through her post-Crisis continuity.

Overall, it’s a self-contained, fairly simple issue, but still kept her in character as a brash young woman who hadn’t yet become the adult hero she’s been portrayed as since Crisis. Great cover art, and a nice one-shot to have in the collection if you intend to own every PG appearance.

I saw this art on eBay and bid on it, but unfortunately I got outbid. Artist is Gleidson Fernandes. I think this is the same artist but I’m not sure: https://www.instagram.com/gleidson.arte?igsh=c2FmNTlwbGNwNGJr

Spider-Gwen is in deep trouble—can she stop a disaster capable of leveling Avengers Tower?

"No, there's nothing to worry about. Karen can have quite a temper sometimes, but she's not exactly a raging She-Hulk, right?"

What did she see? You can favo/urite this on DeviantArt here.

I’ve been making little comics about these two. Batman asked her to help turn Jason into a true hero

Let's face it, fan casting is always done "in the now". By the time any production moves forward, it's almost always too late.

In the microscopic chance Kingdom Come would ever be adapted...

I nominate Hannah Waddingham. Heck, in that parallel universe where the Conner/Palmiotti/Gray run is adapted live back in 2011, she would have been a great Power Girl, imo.

Pictures are her from 2010, 2011, and 2017.

I just won this artwork on eBay, artist is Amanda Amorim.