I mean characters which are far more obscure than she is are on TV, in animation, in movies, and have big roles in comic books, while PG has the occasional panel in one comic book.

She's a natural fit for the TV shows The Flash, Arrow, and especially Superigirl, or as the person from the empty pod in MoS----yet she never shows up, not even a hint or Easter Egg.

I get that they're pushing Supergirl now, but that doesn't preclude also pushing Power Girl. Superboy and Superman have coexisted for ages with no problems, and SG and PG share a similar dynamic, with PG as the more mature and experienced sort, and SG as the sweeter, more naive type who still learning the ropes.

Hell, unlike SG, Power Girl has never even had a serious origin story....and we don't know very much about how her Krypton was destroyed. Was it by Zod? Brainiac? Something else? We also have almost no information on her first year of two on Earth.

DC seems intent on at least refering to EVERY character they have, no matter how minor, in other media, EXCEPT Power Girl....and the excuse that she's too confusing is out the window now that The Flash TV show has introduced Earth-2...and probably every character who is supposed to be there except her, (noting the Supergirl sequence during the transition to Earth-2. Supergirl is taking over all the roles PG used to have....and DC seems to be phasing her out, thus spitting in the faces of Power Girl fans without realizing that fans can like BOTH Supergirl and Power Girl. But destroying Power Girl in favor of Supergirl because Johns doesn't like PG is a great way to get some Supergirl fans to dislike her.

Power Girl is kinda crappy IMHO. Kara is a solid character on her own. I wish they would just write Supergirl like Power Girl. (Maybe call her Superwoman, that might help, but we already have Wonder Woman).

DC in general and Geoff Johns in particular seem to agree with you. As for writing SG like PG.....that seems an odd wish if you think PG is crappy. And in any event, they already have written SG like PG, stealing many of the elements of PG's character, and even some from her costume, for various versions of SG.

Really though, considering PG was created for the dual purpose of giving the JSA some pizazz, and also because SG was at the time frankly....boring and bland, it's a bit puzzling that DC has simply almost abandoned her, and taken away almost everything that made PG what she was. Even Levitz, who ought to have known better, screwed her up.

And why can't they have BOTH characters around at the same time? If it's SO confusing to DC execs, simply make a few minor changes to PG that make no material difference, such as making her Superman's older sister instead of his cousin, in her later teens and sent away just before Krypton's destruction. That, plus the costume difference and name along with perhaps a blue version of the "S", should avoid any confusion. And give them different niches in the DCU. Not all the time, but don't have them fighting the same battles, or doing all the same kinds of things.

SG already has a rogues' gallery of her own, PG really does not. Give her one. She had a good fight with Darkseid, why not put him at the top of her list? Brainiac would be nice too. And since SG isn't too heavily involved with Zod and Faora, and Superman doesn't use them that often, why not them as well? And while they're at it, steal Harrison Wells and Chloe Sullivan from TV for some supporting characters.

PG is a remarkably easy character to get right, good for comedy, drama, straight superheroics, sci-fi, and even fantasy, so why has DC so rarely gotten her right? And why have they mostly abandoned her in favor of SG? It isn't the "S", since they both now wear it. And PG has been a linch-pin of both the Society and the League in sundry incarnations, along with Suicide Squad connections.

Why not run with that instead of focusing on something around ten or twelve characters? Hell, Cyborg and Vixen, two lower comic book profile and frankly more boring characters are getting movie or TV spots. Ditto Katanna and Enchantress.

@achilles100: what i meant was that if they wrote Supergirl a little more mature then we could have the best of both worlds. Only difference is the name.

But clearly you are a big PG fan and see her as her own character... but she is still Kara. Lol. It seems really redundant to have to rename her when she hits a certain age. She doesnt gain powers or change or anything really, right?

I dont know nearly as much as you about PG so I wont act like some kind of expert. Just interested in finding out why you believe Power Girl is different or better.

The following is speculative.

My guess is Power Girl lacks a "champion" within the company in recent years. She was building a fan base with her solo run and then my guess is they heard criticisms based on character design (specifically her large breasts and the fact they are partially exposed). They tried to redesign her look and personality in World's Finest which helped put off old fans and failed to attract new ones. They switched her back, but no one was there to give her another push. Instead she was pushed off to the side and given little oxygen in any medium.

I imagine the people that make decisions at DC feel uncomfortable with the character in today's climate. The "new Power Girl" is an example of this to me . The covering Power Girl with Superman's "S" is another.

Supergirl is used because for general audiences it is an easier sell. Supergirl, she's like Superman, but female. Power Girl requires an explanation, she's Superman's cousin from another dimension. Even at a glance someone can "get" Supergirl because Superman iconography is so ingrained in popular culture. Power Girl, again, at a glance doesn't have these short cuts so it becomes cycle issue of her needing a push to make that break through.

I think she could have her niche in the DC Universe, but clearly no one at DC can see that hence lack of effort to support her character.

She's just older Supergirl. So I guess DC would rather push SG.

Also, her large chest might translate poorly outside of comics.

I respectfully disagree that Power Girl is "just" Supergirl, but older. She has a distinct personality and outlook based on accumulation of her experiences. Perfectly possible to be a fan of one and not the other due to these differences.

I'll never understand why large breasts are an issue, but I don't disagree plenty of people do take issue with it. I would say finding an actress who can match Power Girl's weight lifter physique would be harder than breast size. I never expect perfect casting though, more about capturing spirit of the character than getting the dimensions perfect.

Well, with my first point, I'm thinking of what many mainstream people will think. That PG, whose name, and origins are similar to SG will think of her as just older SG, so, I guess DC is rationalizing it as, since SG is more well known, she should be the one to get the push.

And as for her boobs, I see one of two things happening. Some Faux feminist groups will get bent out of shape about it and say it's wrong, or DC will cast a smaller bust person, and comic fans will say it's inaccurate.

Big boobs + boob window shouldn't be her defining trait. IMO, it should be the cocky and brash attitude she had in pre-flashpoint + her inability to control her powers as well as Prime Earth Kryptonians + being a team player. That is what I like about her at least and I think that is what separates her from Supergirl. They should get rid of the boob window and focus on the character. Besides, there are tons of other characters that boobs drawn just as big but that's not their defining trait. (Looking at you Wonder Woman and She-Hulk)

Its not really surprising that Supergirl would get a TV show instead of Power Girl. As someone stated, Supergirl is a name that is immediately associated with Supes with PG requires an explanation. I'm hoping that she doesn't appear in Supergirls' TV show because I think they would make her antagonistic against Kara. I don't know why you guys think Johns hate her. He wrote her best origin in JSA Classified and had her leading JSA in beginning of one of its runs.

I'm more concerned with her comic presence then in movies or TV shows. World's Finests should have been her chance to shine but that seemed to surfer from bad characterization and bad writing which is something a lot of New 52 books had issues with. Who knows what will happen to her after Rebirth hits. Oh yeah, then there is the horrible and boring Tanya Spears that "replaced" Karen on Earth Prime...

DC isn't doing a good job with the Superman family characters in general tbh. Superman (arguable) and Supergirl are getting their moments but everyone else is getting screwed over. Superboy is supposedly a villain now after the horrible, PoS issue that is Teen Titans #12 - Rogue Targets Part IV. At this point, I'm just gonna do what I do with Superboy and enjoy her older comics (I still need to read a lot of JSA) and hope for something better one day in the future.

Because:

• Ragman is so far off the radar, Daredevil couldn't find him.
• The Question is MIA.
• Static is waiting to be shafted to Earth-M with the rest of the Milestone Club.
• Tim Drake is about to get shafted to...Savage knows where, after Damian takes over Teen Titans.
• Vibe is...yeah.
• Stargirl and Equinox are off in Canada somewhere.
• Jericho seems to have vanished from the face of the Earth.
• Superboy may as well be dead to the world at this point. Again.

But yes. Let's talk about where Power Girl is. Really, I think Power Girl is doing well as a member of the Earth-2 cast, which I actually enjoy for the most part. Does she have any other media giving her big time exposure? No, but then again, neither do a lot of characters but at least she's got something to do now. That's more than can be said for most of the people I mentioned. (Hey, how's that lineup for a new Challengers of the Unknown series?)

Not every character will be so lucky to get a shot at TV or the movies, but even Powergirl has a better chance than anyone here, outside of Drake and maybe Superboy.

Truthfully, I think there are more pressing matters for character representation than Powergirl to worry about, because she's not bad off.

I enjoyed Power Girls pre 52 series and she has her own personality and all that but there isn't anything special about her. She's like a joke character that stuck around.

Some real talk, she's a blue-eyed blond with a humongous rack in an industry dominated by young men. Supergirl might be not be as mature but that's why she does well. The audience gets to live though all these events with her and see how she handles them. There isn't much to learn from PG.

I don't really see DC fading her out, I just don't think she can be used in live action shows like the Flash given her nature.

I love Power Girl, she's one of my favorite DC characters and I even like her better than SG, even though I own more SG comics than PG. Sure she kinda turned into a joke character, but she developed( no pun intended) into a very unique character. I really love her Amanda Conner run.

The challenge over how someone dresses comes from agency. Showing or not showing skin can be liberating to oppressive based on circumstance. In super heroes female characters are put under far more scrutiny then male ones are. To me if Power Girl elects to show or not show skin and it feels in line with her characterization then it is fine. There is nothing wrong in my view with someone being confident and proud of their body. Obviously over the years I've grown to like her iconic costume much the same way have for other heroes.

I do agree character wins out and should always be primary focus. Power Girl should be bold and fun like many of us enjoyed in the pre-52 years. I just hope she gets another shot at some point.

@mraugen: Good points. I hope she gets another chance as well.

@theexile285 said:

Big boobs + boob window shouldn't be her defining trait. IMO, it should be the cocky and brash attitude she had in pre-flashpoint + her inability to control her powers as well as Prime Earth Kryptonians + being a team player. That is what I like about her at least and I think that is what separates her from Supergirl. They should get rid of the boob window and focus on the character. Besides, there are tons of other characters that boobs drawn just as big but that's not their defining trait. (Looking at you Wonder Woman and She-Hulk)

Its not really surprising that Supergirl would get a TV show instead of Power Girl. As someone stated, Supergirl is a name that is immediately associated with Supes with PG requires an explanation. I'm hoping that she doesn't appear in Supergirls' TV show because I think they would make her antagonistic against Kara. I don't know why you guys think Johns hate her. He wrote her best origin in JSA Classified and had her leading JSA in beginning of one of its runs.

I'm more concerned with her comic presence then in movies or TV shows. World's Finests should have been her chance to shine but that seemed to surfer from bad characterization and bad writing which is something a lot of New 52 books had issues with. Who knows what will happen to her after Rebirth hits. Oh yeah, then there is the horrible and boring Tanya Spears that "replaced" Karen on Earth Prime...

DC isn't doing a good job with the Superman family characters in general tbh. Superman (arguable) and Supergirl are getting their moments but everyone else is getting screwed over. Superboy is supposedly a villain now after the horrible, PoS issue that is Teen Titans #12 - Rogue Targets Part IV. At this point, I'm just gonna do what I do with Superboy and enjoy her older comics (I still need to read a lot of JSA) and hope for something better one day in the future.

Well, the basis for thinking Johns doesn't like PG is the simple fact that he said so, back in the day on the DC message boards. It was in response to a common question on the JSA forum on those boards at the time as to why PG wasn't included in the then newly rebooted JSA. He replied that he didn't like OR understand the character, and then proved the latter to be true on multiple occasions even though he did eventually cave to fan demand and include her again in JSA.

However, his "origin" story itself was a pretty good show that he didn't "get" her. Though he did reboot her as Kryptonian, which was a good thing IMO, her actual origin amounted to something on the order of three panels, leaving the rest of the comic to a whiny, self-pitying Power Girl, something the character never was previously.

It's true that between that and the Kingdom Come arc in JSA he did give her a better shot, but then in that arc he went right back to having her as a whiny, self-pitying character who NEEDS to be rescued by the other characters, something she also did under John's pen in Infinite Crisis, where she spent the majority of her time as a passive character with the sole point being that she was rescue fodder for other, better heroes. Even Wonder Girl came off better in that thing.

No, it's because she rarely appears in anything. She's only a joke if the writers write her as a joke. The point is to give her more exposure and better writing so that readers do like her. You can't blame the character for being written the wrong way and not being given appearances.

But, personality, blonde, big boobs, humor - are reasons to like the character, not dislike. PG is a great character and many comic readers love her.

She was featured in the Crisis series, had her own title and was in the JSA. I was never implying she wasn't liked and I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. Like I said, I really liked her series.

The OP was asking why she isn't used more and that question is the basis of my first post here. Power Girl is a ton of fun but the same reasons we like her are the same reasons it's tough to take her seriously. People have a hard time taking Wonder Woman seriously because she doesn't wear pants.

Harley Quinn has her own book and is a regular in Suicide Squad and features heavily in other titles. She's a joke character as well as a villain. PG guested in a recent Harley Quinn special series, making her even more of a joke than ever.

As for SG having an advantage because she is not mature, Melissa Benoist, who currently plays SG in the TV series, is aged 28. Wonder Woman is mature and is one of the big three.

Harley was a fan favorite from her first appearance, which was in a cartoon where she had a voice. She's unique and has evolved as a character. PG was never created to be the type of character you want her to be. Harley wasn't either. In a sense their stories serve the same purpose. They're fun.

I'm not talking about their age. Episode one of Supergirl we saw her use her powers for the first time. I mean really use them. She isn't mature in the sense that she hasn't found her balance in the world yet.

Wonder Woman is part of the Trinity. You can't fairly compare any character with any of those three. Plus, Wonder Woman's maturity is part of her character. Wisdom of Athena.

So Harley is a favorite because she first appeared in a cartoon but PG is not a favorite because she started as a "joke character". PG already is the type of character I want her to be and I don't see why, if Harley can be a "joke" and be a favorite, PG can't be a favorite also. If we can have fun with Harley, we can have fun with PG. Yet being fun - i.e. not being serious - is the reason people object to PG getting more panel space. Which is it people want? Fun comics or serious comics? I think we can have both and I think any one character can be both.

Whatever the reason for WW's maturity, the point is that maturity is not an obstacle to readers identifying with a character. The most popular characters are mature. Imagine Superman or Batman being teenagers who "haven't found their balance in the world yet". Exciting new episode: Batman learns how to fight crime and hold down a day job - and meets a girl!

I don't expect PG to be added to the Trinity. I would just like her to not be fighting crime among some wrecked spacecraft on an alien world in a parallel universe and not appearing in any other book, besides a Harley Quinn special set in a pre-52 DC universe. In the next special multiverse crossover series in the "no more alternate universes" new-52 DC universe, I'd like the Earth Two to be completely scrapped except for PG, the one character who doesn't belong there, thus freeing her to appear in all the other titles.

This, in every respect.

I might also add that Power Girl was never originally intended to be a joke, and not treated by DC as such for the first part of her print career. Or even as an especially "light" character. She was originally intended as a quite serious, improved and different version of SG set for the book All-Star Comics. At the time, SG herself was perceived to be a bland, dull, and fairly stale character, and All-Star, the Earth 2 book of the time, needed a younger character-----so DC decided that there be an Earth 2 version of SG.

She was supposed to be somewhat older than the regular SG, and have what (the DC writers of the time in any event) perceived to be a feminist spin on the character. You can argue about how successfully they depicted the feminist part, but the result was a physically bigger character, who was bold to the point of brashness, and who initially at least was smarter than her Justice Society counterparts, but at the same time somewhat awkward socially, not entirely sure of herself in that area.

It was only later that she even began to be considered as a lighter character.

I don't understand what you want from her exactly. Like I said she had her own great series, was in JSA, World's Finest and has guest starred in most of the major characters books. Now she's been teaming up with arguably the most popular DC character recently. She's had plenty of exposure. Are you just upset with what's been going on with her in the past year or so? I wouldn't blame you in the least bit. I dropped World's Finest when it quit featuring Huntress and PG. I really liked that team up.

I don't have to imagine. We have Smallville and Batman Year One haha.

How do you figure she doesn't belong on Earth 2 when she's from Earth 2? That doesn't make any sense. She does belong there.

Had her own series. I didn't think it was so great. But now she doesn't have one. If you mean teaming up with Harley Quinn, that was not her greatest moment.

Yes, I'm unhappy with what is being done with her now, i.e., not very much. PG isn't on Earth 2, Earth 2 has been destroyed and she is on an alien planet which has been colonized by the survivors. But she doesn't belong on Earth 2 (1) because in the new DCU there is not even supposed to be an Earth 2 and (2) Earth 2 is in an alternate universe to the main one, which stops her from appearing in other titles which aren't set on Earth 2, i.e. all of them.

Pre-52, PG was on Earth One, after Earth 2 was destroyed. In the new 52, they put her back on Earth 2 (which we were originally told wasn't supposed to even exist in the new 52) and made her E2 Supergirl. Then they moved her to Earth One and changed her to Power Girl. Then she went back to Earth 2 as Power Girl, Earth 2 was destroyed and now she's stranded on another planet with what's left over of the human species. Brilliant.

It is fair to say every character struggles to appease all fans and that we have preconceptions of characterization.

Personally, I don't mind a mix of lighter and darker issues. Sometimes I want a serious story line, and sometimes I like going back to one off little adventure. I don't see these as cheapening characters to have bit of levity now and then.

I would love Power Girl to get her own book again, but I do prefer seeing her as fleshed out with combination of being heroic and cool with certain flaws such as being rash because that is what makes her interesting. Honestly that is what I want for every character I enjoy. Compelling narrative that makes me think and can make me smile or laugh along the way as hero struggles against adversity.

I think had her solo series continued on she was finding her niche in the DC Universe, but poor handling has contributed to the perception of her being obscure or even a joke.

@ecstaticgrace: Not bad.

@achilles100:

I must stress that this is only a rumor, one that I place slightly less credence in than the chances that I will be elected President of the US. However, it is out there, and there does seem to be a slight possibility it might come to pass.

This pertains to the TV side of DC, specifically The Flash on the CW. The idea is that since the Flash/Supergirl episode of Supergirl proved to be so popular, the CW might want their own Supergirl---for The Flash. And some oblique hints indicate that instead of simply another character called "Supergirl", that character would be named something else, (supported by the fact that the CW DC world has no Superman----as of yet). And that the character would also be an alien, ruling out that horrid diversity mandated yet ultimately pointless Teen Titans character.

Hence the possibility that some version of Power Girl herself----the "real" Power Girl, would at least make an appearance on The Flash, and probably become something of a regular. At least so goes the thinking on Bleeding Cool and several other sites. I hope something like that happens, since in the comics and movies, Power Girl seems absolutely on the shelf, (unless the Earth 2 thing killed her off, I wouldn't know since I haven't been following it). There seems to be no mention at all of her in the Rebirth solicits, and no art featuring her that doesn't look back to the old Society, and even then I think that at best it is only one picture out of many.

And a classic Power Girl, even in the new/current Earth 2 Society costume for TV purposes, but with all the classic personality quirks, would play very well with The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and even Arrow on a limited basis, to say nothing of crossing her over with SG over on CBS. And, in the face of what seems to be a determined effort on the part of DC itself to exclude her from the comics, it might be her only chance to appear before fans, especially new fans.

@achilles100: Even if it's a sliver of hope I'm game. Hell it would be great if they made PG like she was in the comics and serve a bit of a "Power House" type role would be great. It would even give her a smooth transition into Legends. That way the CW would have a character that would be a better role model than SG was, whining and crying and whatnot.

@teliporter334: Well, as you can see that post was a long time ago, and since then a lot of things have happened with respect to the PG world. All of them bad. The guys over at the CW have since given interviews debunking the possibility of having a version of SG native to the main Arrowverse universe, in this case it might have been a flipping of the idea that PG was from "Earth 2" and SG from the main "Earth" universe, would ever happen. Their thinking being the same rationale Timm gave for leaving Power Girl out of Justice League Unlimited, that viewers would have been confused by her.

Which is odd since he didn't seem to have problems with multiple versions or other universe versions of something like half the main cast, and no one seems bothered by multiple GLs or Flashes. Or even Supermen. It's just when Supergirl has a version of her called Power Girl that they all seem bothered by it.

Bottom line is we very likely won't ever see Power Girl in the Arrowverse. And she doesn't seem the type to fit into Black Lightning. Nor does there seem to be any indication she'll ever be in the movies. Her only real chance is in animation, and WB Animation seems set on only making Batman, Superman, or League stuff there, plus a few adaptations of classic stories, which pretty much leaves her out, since she's never been in any. Or at least been important in any.

I mean look at Young Justice, a show which featured nearly every character DC has....except Power Girl.

@achilles100: To be fair PG did appear in the Justice League Unlimited comic book series, making her a part of their universe. Hell, she even has her own one shot.

Here are the links:

http://readcomiconline.to/Comic/Justice-League-Unlimited/Issue-3?id=44593

(Her one shot is near the end of the book.)

http://readcomiconline.to/Comic/Justice-League-Unlimited/Issue-13?id=44562

(Plays a moderately sized role in the story.)

http://readcomiconline.to/Comic/Justice-League-Unlimited/Issue-16?id=44568

(Once again playing a moderately sized role in the story.)

@teliporter334: That may be so, but she never appeared in the actual TV series, and that was by Timm's choice. Why she wasn't in Young Justice, or any of the other animated shows WB has done for DC, I can't say. But aside from the very slim chance that they ever choose to do a JSA animated show, I don't see her appearing in animated form ever again, (after her one appearance in Public Enemies). And appearing in other media is how you grow a character's fanbase these days.

She needs her own tv show and movie in my opinion

@oceanmaster21: Works for me.

@achilles100: thanks she just as good as the others but get's no respect

Yes, and I don't really know why, though I have theories.

It's more controversial these days to have a protagonist that is well endowed and comfortable with sex than one who is violent and commits torture or murder.

Too true, yet they have no problem with Wonder Woman, Starfire, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Harley....

@achilles100: people have problem with female charchaters and I think it's rite our ridiculous

Shes a slut, always has been always will be. In the design department tells you all you need on how much her appeal represents, shes shallow and a way to make the original kara sexier and more unhinged with nerd like fantasies. Hell in her fucking last comic, shes drawn like a concubine with fucking porn stache man, they know her fanbase love whacking off to anything hinting a sexually attractive with her and her being someone's arm candy is how to do it.

Everything that's popular about her can be displayed in porn art which shows shes really just a boring sex fantasy than a character.

I must note here that Power Girl does seem to be back, sort of. She's not doing much yet, but she is back in play. I don't think they've completely clarified which version is back, but it looks so far like she's the OG PG from prior to Flashpoint.