I started reading Justice Society of America a while ago and have really been enjoying the very nostalgic tones of the comic mixed with the new, young approach brought on by Geoff Johns’ fresher additions to the team such as Citizen Steel and Damage. One character in particular I’ve really been enjoying is Power Girl. Sure, she’s had a pretty rough life so far in the DCU but at the end of the day, she’s a really interesting character that’s fun to read. She’s intelligent, cocky and has all the qualities she could possibly need to be a solid leader for the JSA.

When I mentioned earlier that she’s had a somewhat hard time fitting into the current DCU, I wasn’t kidding. Not even a little bit. Her complete origin has been rewritten several times and many out there still don’t know exactly what she’s all about and just how she came to be. She may currently be the last survivor of Earth-Two but that wasn’t always the story. Originally created by Gerry Conway back in 1975, Power Girl was supposed to be a fellow survivor of the catastrophe that took place on Krypton. While Superman was launched from the planet, Power Girl, who was a just a small baby the same age as Kal-El, was set out as well from a location on Krypton miles away from him. She then arrived on Earth many years after he did leaving him aged and her in her late teens because of the delayed aging of the pod she was transported in. This origin, which was good at the time, was phased out in the late 80s as DC merged the various universes that made up their multiverse into one single universe. Earth-Two ceased to exist and with it, went the entire story behind Power Girl’s arrival on Earth. Her origin was then reworked and cut her off from her old Kryptonian background. This time, her beginnings were linked to Arion, the king of Atlantis, who was then revealed to be her grandfather. In 2006, after Power Girl had become lost in a confusing twist of stories, she was reintroduced in issues of JSA and also played a key role in the company-wide crossover, Infinite Crisis. It turned out, after all was said and done, she was in fact the sole survivor of Earth-Two…again.

Currently, Power Girl is the chairperson of the Justice Society of America. While she might appear to be a cool and confident leader, she’s been struggling with her own demons. Since the death of Earth-Two Superman and Lois during Infinite Crisis, Power Girl has been trying to find someone that she can relate to and call family. While it’s been a tough road along the way, she’s recently connected with the Kingdom Come Superman, who appeared in the recent issues of Justice Society, and found what she believes to be a connection to her past and to her true family.

It’s hard to say just what’s in store for her in the future but with all the work that’s gone into cleaning up her background, I think it’s safe to say that she’ll be sticking around for a while. A couple notable titles that include some of the more important arcs in Power Girl’s history can be found through the issues of JSA, JSA Classified, which are collected in a handy Power Girl trade, as well as Infinite Crisis and the current run of Geoff Johns’ Justice Society of America.

A fan of Power Girl? Love her or hate her, leave us a comment and let us know!