Showcase #98

Power Girl is attacked by the Symbio-ship, the spacecraft that carried her to Earth.

Continued from last issue. Power Girl is under attack from Andrew Vinson, trapped in an armored suit. Power Girl recognizes the suit, and gives it a solid punch. However, instead of damaging the suit, Power Girl hurts Vinson. As the G.C.P.D. distracts the suit, Power Girl uses a trick learned by Wildcat, and pins the suit long enough to remove Vinson from it. Once Vinson is removed, the armor transforms into a spaceship.

Power Girl reveals that it is the spaceship that brought her from Krypton to Earth. We find out that while Power Girl was being carried from Krypton to Earth, the ship created a virtual environment for her to live in. The ship, called a “Symbioship,” taught Power Girl everything she needed to know to grow from toddler to twenty years of age. As she wonders why the Symbioship would reactivate now, tentacles from the ship extend and pull her into the ship, where he re-enters the ship’s virtual world.

Meanwhile, we find out that the brain behind the electronic thieves of last issue is a Justice Society villain named Brainwave. Brainwave is looking for the technology that Central Electronics created. He uses his mental powers to break into the G.C.P.D. stolen property vault, and steals the circuitry. He then sets his sights on revenge against Jay Garrick and Alan Scott.

Back in the Symbioship, Power Girl is now living a virtual life, where the ship provides her a romance, and even a child. A part of Power Girl’s mind realizes she is trapped, and fights back, just as Vinson tries to free her. Power Girl breaks free, but she finds that even outside the ship, she is living the dreams created by the ship. She brings Vinson with her to the Superman Museum, where Vinson tricks the ship’s programming into thinking it is back on Krypton. The machine cannot handle the erroneous data, and short-circuits.

Notes:

• This issue is notable for telling the first origin story of Power Girl.
• This issue contains the Hostess superhero ad "Batman and Sable Lady"