Power Packis asuperheroteam consisting of four young siblings appearing inAmerican comic bookspublished byMarvel Comics.Created by writerLouise Simonsonand artistJune Brigman,they first appeared in their ownseriesin 1984, which lasted 62 issues, and have since appeared in other books.[1]Power Pack is the first team of pre-teen superheroes in the Marvel Universe and the first team of heroes in comics to feature characters of that age operating without adult supervision. In 2005, the title was relaunched as a series aimed at younger readers—though this was eventually declared a separate continuity from that of the original series and the mainstream Marvel Universe.
| Power Pack | |
|---|---|
 The team as seen in the 2005 series | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Power Pack#1 (Aug. 1984) |
| Created by | Louise Simonson June Brigman |
| In-story information | |
| Base(s) | New York City (1984–1990); Bainbridge Island (2000) |
| Member(s) |
|
The team consists of four siblings: Alex Power, Julie Power, Jack Power, and Katie Power. The dying alien called Whitey, a scientist of the Kymellian race, transfers one of his four superpowers to each of the Power children so they can save their planet from the alien conquerors known as the Snarks. The children band together as the superhero team Power Pack. Along with fighting aliens and super-villains, the team's stories were known for focusing on morality debates and social issues such as child abuse, homelessness, drug abuse, bullying, and the ethics of using excessive or lethal force in combat.
Publication history
editOriginal series
editDuring the early 1980s, Marvel Comics had a policy that all their editors should also be writers.Louise Simonsonwas encouraged to think of a series she could write, and eventually she pitched a team of pre-teen siblings with superpowers called Power Pack. Simonson later explained:
I had resistedShooter's encouragement to write stuff or do freelance stuff because I thought he had writers whose livelihoods depended on their doing books and it didn't feel fair to take the work away from them. I had a job. But then Shooter hired a whole batch of new editors, and my workload was cut in half. I got bored and I thought I should create something rather than take one of the jobs that were already there, so I proposed the idea for "Power Pack" to Shooter. He eventually loved the idea, and so that was my taste of writing. I found it more challenging than editing, and way more fun, because I had been editing for a long time so I think it had gotten too easy for me.[2]
Simonson choseJune BrigmanasPower Pack's penciler because of her talent for drawing children.[2]ThePower Packseries premiered in May 1984 (cover date August 1984) in a double-sized issue inked byBob Wiacek.[3]The series continued into 1991, during which time Brigman and Wiacek were replaced byJon BogdanoveandHilary Bartaas principal artists. ThePower Packletters column, titled "Pick of the Pack", printed drawings and jokes about the characters submitted by readers, an unusual practice for a Marvel title.[citation needed]
In the first story of the series, the alien Kymellian known as Whitey is fatally injured by the alien villains known as Snarks. He gives the four Power children his powers before dying. His mass control power goes to Jack, his energy and disintegration power goes to Katie, his ability to fly goes to Julie, and his control over gravity goes to Alex. In issue #25, the team's powers are temporarily stolen, then returned but rearranged. Due to this "power switch", each Power Pack child now has an ability wielded by one of their siblings, leading to a change in codenames.[4]The Power Pack children finally switched their costumes to match their new powers in issue #47. In issue #52, another rearrangement of powers and codenames occurred.
Unlike superheroes such asSpider-ManorBatmanwho were orphaned, free agents, or teenagers often trusted to be on their own without supervision, Power Pack was made up of pre-adolescent siblings who had a close relationship with each other, as well as their supportive parents Jim and Maggie Power. Early in the series, the children decided to keep their powers and superhero activities concealed from their parents, believing it would cause them stress and worry. This decision led to several moral compromises and feelings of guilt for the Power Pack members whenever they had to lie to friends and family or allow harm to occur because helping could mean revealing their abilities.[5]The question of whether or not the powers should be revealed was also an ongoing source of debate among the children.Power Packreaders also argued the matter out in the series letter pages. During Jon Bogdanove's story "Revenge of the Bogeyman", which served as a tie-in for the crossoverInferno,the parents learn their children are superheroes.[6]In an epilogue to the story, writer Julianna Jones depicted Jim and Maggie Power as so overwhelmed by the situation that they increasingly suffer psychological breakdowns and become convinced that they are not fit parents for superheroes. To help the Power family, theNew Mutantsteam convinces Jim and Maggie Power that they were deceived and their children were never superheroes. This restored the secret identity status quo and led Power Pack to keep their heroic lives a secret again.[7]
Despite the characters ofPower Packbeing children, the series often dealt with mature issues.[8]Many of the social problems of the 1980s found their way into the book's storylines. Among the themes addressed were pollution,[9]drug abuse,[10]runaways,[11]kidnapping,[12]gun violence,[13]bullying,[5]orphanhood,[14]and homelessness.[11]Stories regularly depicted the Power children learning and debating how to use their potentially lethal powers responsibly, often on their own but sometimes with guidance from older heroes such as Spider-Man. In one early issue, Jack was wracked with remorse when he thought he had killed a man.[15]In a later story arc, Katie seriously injures a Snark prince named Jakal, which causes her immense guilt and leads her to call herself a "monster".[16]
As the series went on, the children were shown to slowly age and mature. In issue #1, Alex is 12 years old, Julie is 10, Jack is 8, and Katie is 5.[citation needed]In issue #45, Julie graduates from elementary school with honors in English, and the story says she will join Alex at school 44 (an actual middle school existing inNew York City).[citation needed]
The same year Power Pack debuted, the team appeared alongside Spider-Man in a special comic designed to discuss children targeted by sexual abuse. The one-shot issue, written by Louise Simonson, was distributed for free and reprinted in the comics sections of many major newspapers.[17]Marvel continued the campaign by featuring the characters in printpublic service announcements.[18]Later the same year, the writers used the Snark Wars storyline (wherein the children are kidnapped by the evil Snark alien race) to address the issue of child abduction. During the same storyline, photos of missing children were printed in lieu of the comic's regularletters column.[19]In 1989, the Power Pack teamed-up withCloak and Daggerin a special graphic novel addressing teen homelessness and runaways. Hotline telephone numbers forCovenant Housewere printed on the back cover.[11]
Along with Spider-Man and the duo of Cloak and Dagger, Power Pack frequently encountered members of theX-Menand New Mutants. In issue #16, they met Franklin Richards (son ofMr. FantasticandInvisible Womanof theFantastic Four), and in issue #17 Franklin became a part-time member of Power Pack himself.[citation needed]He joined on many other adventures, occasionally staying with the Power family for days at a time when his own family were off on adventures.
Starting with issue #34, thePower Packseries regularly rotated writers. Simonson wrote issues #35, #37, and #39–40, while John Bogdanove wrote issue #36, issues #42–43, and issues #47–52. Howard Mackie wrote issue #34, Julianna Jones wrote issues #38 and #44–45, Steven Heyer wrote #41, Terry Austin wrote issues #46 and #53, Judy Bogdanove wrote #54, andDwayne McDuffiewrote issue #55. During Jon Bogdanove's final issues, Franklin Richards returned as a regular member of the team.
Further changes involved Alex Power mutating into a Kymellian appearance without explanation, forcing him to hide from his girlfriend Allison (who soon dates someone else) as well as from public life.[citation needed]The series was cancelled with issue #62. The final issue, printed in the fourth quarter of 1990 (cover-dated February 1991), depicted the team and their parents journeying into space together.
One year after the original series' cancellation, creators Louise Simonson and June Brigman teamed up for the one-shot issuePower Pack Holiday Special(published in fourth quarter of 1991, with a cover date of February 1992). The one-shot comic resolved the cliffhanger the series had ended on, restored the Power Pack members' original powers, and undid some of the changes to the characters done during the run by Michael Higgins and Tom Morgan.Power Pack Holiday Specialalso included a short comedy story involving an art style that evokedCalvin and Hobbes,and a short story that showed an older, teenage Julie dealing with romance and self-esteem issues.
ThePower Packstories were reprinted byMarvel UKbeginning around 1986. It was Marvel UK's practice at the time to use a less well-known series as a secondary story in a comic devoted to more recognizable characters, andPower Packbecame the back-up "strip" in a run of Marvel's licensedStar WarsweeklyReturn of the Jedi.[20]During this period, it was printed partly in black and white and partly in color, as was the mainStar Warsstrip.Power Packsubsequently became the back-up strip for the UKThunderCatscomic, where it remained until its eventual replacement by theGalaxy Rangersseries.
2000 miniseries
editA four-partPower Packmini-series published in 2000 depicted the children as now being slightly older than when they had last been in the 1991Power Pack Holiday Special.Katie was now in the fifth grade (having skipped two grades due to her intelligence), Jack had joined Julie in middle school, and Alex was now a teenager in high school. James and Maggie, the children's parents, were now aware that their children were also the heroes of Power Pack and accepted it. The Power children now wore masks when in costume and their superhero activities were largely restricted to "practice sessions" in the forest around their new home inBainbridge Island,ten miles (16 km) fromSeattle.The series once again pitted the Pack against Queen Mauraud and the Snarks.
Return of Power Pack
editJoe Quesadaannounced in aNew Joe Fridayscolumn atNewsaramathat Power Pack would be returning to the Marvel Universe in late 2007, after the events ofCivil War.[21][22]However, due to the various delays within their release shipping schedules for Marvel Comics, these plans were put on hold. A new Power Pack story was commissioned for the 2007 Marvel Holiday Special,[23]which would have been the first original material featuring the full cast in the standard Marvel Universe since the 2000 mini-series. It was briefly summarized as "Power Pack relives holidays past" in official Marvel solicits, but the story was scrapped from the publication at the last minute, when it was decided to prioritize the recently canceled titleThe Loners,which featured Julie Power among its cast. ALonersstory written byCB Cebulskiran in place of the Power Pack story, though the official solicitation information still listed the Power Pack story and description.
Three of the Power siblings – Alex, Jack, and Katie – appear withinFantastic Four#574 (2010) as guests celebrating Franklin Richards' birthday. They were all depicted as only slightly older than they had been in the 2000 mini-series, with Alex still a teenager.[24]During the story, Alex was invited to join Reed Richards'Future Foundation.[25]He then made frequent appearances in theFantastic Fourseries.[26]
In 2020, a five-issue limited series written byRyan Northand illustrated by Nico Leon began publication as part of Marvel'sOutlawedevent.[27]
"Power Pack: Into The Storm," a monthly five-issue series written byLouise Simonsonand penciled byJune Brigman,will begin publication in January 2024.[28]
Fictional team history
editAt the beginning
editAlex (age 12),[29]Julie(10),[30]Jack(8),[31][32]andKatie Power(5)[33]were bright, normal American children living with their parents in a beachfront house inVirginia.Their father, Dr. James Power, was a brilliant physicist who discovered a process to generate energy fromantimatterwith the assistance of a converter, of which he made a prototype. The process was, however, known to several alien races to cause chain reactions and destroy planets, and Dr. Power's knowledge of the process was discovered by Aelfyre "Whitey" Whitemane, a member of theKymellianrace, who resemble humanoid horses. A similar accident destroyed the Kymellians' home planet.[34]
Whitey tried to stop the experiment by warning the Powers but was mortally wounded by his enemies, the reptilianSnarks,in the process. The Snarks kidnapped Dr. Power and his wife,Margaret,hoping to obtain the secret of antimatter. Whitey rescued the Power children and told them what was happening. Before dying, he passed his powers to them to complete his mission.[34]
The children, with the help of Whitey's "Smartship", asentientstarship called Friday, managed to stop the antimatter test by stealing and destroying the converter and rescued their parents from the Snarks. They decided to continue being superheroes and to hide their powers from their parents.[35]Alex took the codenameGee,Julie becameLightspeed,Jack becameMass Master,and Katie becameEnergizer.[34]They wore costumes made for them by Friday, which were actually Kymellian spacesuits. The costumes, which were constructed of unstable molecules and stored 'Elsewhere', could materialize and disappear on voice command.
After rescuing their parents, the entire family moves to New York City, where the team attempted to deal with normal "kid problems" such as bullies and loose teeth while battling some of the deadliest villains in the Marvel Universe. The Pack fought the villainKurseon two occasions duringSecret Wars II.[36]They were also heavily involved in the events of theFall of the Mutants[37]andInfernostorylines.[38]During theMutant Massacre,they descended into the sewers and foughtSabretooth.[39]
The Pack's two greatest enemies during the original series were the Snarks and Carmody/The Bogeyman. The Snarks generally attempted to kidnap the Power children and steal their powers.[40]Carmody, James Power's former employer, spotted the Power children when they stole the antimatter converter at the beginning of the series and became obsessed with revenge.[41]At first, he tried to work with government agencies to prove the Powers were mutants.[42]Later, he became a supervillain himself, assuming the identity of the Bogeyman.[43]After being thrown intoLimbobyMagikof the New Mutants, he returned in a demonic form and nearly killed the entire Power family before ultimately committing suicide.[38]
Power Pack joined forces withCloak & Dagger,[44]theX-Men[45]and the New Mutants[46]on numerous occasions.
The team took great pains to conceal their superhuman abilities from their family and "normal" friends. However, duringInferno,when confronted by the demonic Carmody, the children were forced to reveal their powers to save their parents.[47]The discovery led Jim and Maggie to have mental breakdowns. They were restored to normal through the combined efforts ofMirageandGosamyr,who convinced them that the superpowered children were clones created to protect them from Carmody and that the "real" Power children, who were powerless, had been taken away and guarded by the New Mutants until Carmody was defeated. This explanation placated their parents and, once they were reunited with their "normal" children, their minds healed themselves. The "clones", which had been generated by Mirage, were then removed, making the children's secret safe once again.[48]This "cover-up" proved to be unpopular with readers, and was highly criticized in the comic's letters column.
Another occasional member of the team wasFranklin Richards,the son ofMister Fantasticand theInvisible Woman,who went by the name Tattletale while adventuring. James and Margaret Power were introduced to Franklin after the events of the Snark Wars,[49]and befriended Reed and Sue Richards when Franklin was returned toAvengers Mansion.[50]Subsequently, Franklin was often invited to stay with the Power family while his parents were away on missions.[51]Although Franklin was a member of the group, theFantastic Fourhad no knowledge of Power Pack until the end of the series; instead, they thought of the Power children simply as "Franklin's friends".[52]
End of the series
editSometime later, Alex underwent a transformation into a Kymellian, and Margaret Power began losing her mind.[53]The Power family sought help for Margaret and Alex in various places, beginning with Reed Richards' lab, but their efforts were disrupted by theRed Ghostand his super apes.
The Power family traveled to the UK to try to find help for Margaret and Alex, but the institute was overrun byNightmareand they encountered Excalibur.[54]After that the Powers visited the Caribbean. The children planned to enjoy the sun and sand while their father consulted with colleagues but found themselves confronted with what seemed to be an alien attack on the beach where they were rela xing.[55]
The family decided to abandon New York and fly with Friday to New Kymellia to seek help for Alex and his mother.[56]
Both Alex and his parents had been replaced by "pseudoplasm" doubles by a renegade Kymellian Technocrat and his ally, the exiled Maraud (called Meraud in this storyline). The real Alex and his parents were being held captive in the Technocrat's hidden satellite orbiting New Kymellia. Eventually, the other Power siblings learned the truth and rescued their family, switching powers several times as needed, and barely escaping from the satellite before it was destroyed by Maraud.[57]
After recovering on New Kymellia, the Power family returned to New York with Friday. Each of the children was back in possession of his or her original power, and their parents remained unaware of their children's powers and of Power Pack's existence.[57]
Post-series
editAlex, New Warriors and the Future Foundation
editThe Kymellians had given Alex the ability to absorb the powers of his siblings into himself and thus use them all. With these powers, he joined theNew Warriorssuperhero group under the name Powerpax, later Powerhouse.[58]This caused some friction with Alex's brother and sisters; even their parents noticed the heightened levels of hostility and forced the children to see a psychologist. Alex eventually gave the others' powers back; the four reverted to their original names (except Alex, who named himselfZero-Gand Julie, who was now calledStarstreak,the name Katie had chosen when she had Julie's powers).[59]Speedballlater tried to recruit Alex back into the New Warriors. Alex politely refused, citing the conflicts his membership would cause among his siblings, though Katie offered her services, to Speedball's chagrin.[60]
At some point outside of any published story, their parents discovered that the children had superpowers and were active as superheroes. Why Power Pack's parents could now retain this information without suffering mental trauma and insanity – thanks to telepathic manipulation by Byrel Whitemane that had previously been established as impossible to circumvent – has not been explained.[48][56][61]
Following the events of the 2000 mini-series, Julie left the family home in unrevealed circumstances to try to become an actress in Los Angeles. Despite Julie's departure from Power Pack, the team defeatsBig Wheel.[62]Katie is later seen in costume having beaten severalA.I.M.agents unconscious, whenFlatmanandDoormanoffered her membership in theGreat Lakes Avengersbut she declined,[63]and Power Pack fightGrizzlyinNew Jersey,a sighting which is used as hisalibiagainst charges that he robbedMadison Square Garden.[64]
During Marvel'sCivil Warevent, Alex's codename Powerhouse was briefly mentioned byHindsight Lad,an ex-teammate responsible for outing the secret identities of many New Warriors.[65]Alex is one of the 142 registered superheroes who appear on the cover of the comic bookAvengers: The Initiative#1.[66]
He later joined Reed Richards' Future Foundation project, which allowed gifted children living within theBaxter Buildingto map out the outlook for their generation.[25]
Julie, Excelsior/Loners, Avengers Academy and Future Foundation
editSometime after the events of the 2000 mini-series, Julie Power concluded that adventuring had deprived her of a normal childhood. She dropped out of high school, left her family, and moved to Los Angeles to become an actress. She joinedExcelsior,a support group for "former" teenage superheroes, where she is once again known as Lightspeed. Excelsior's first mission was to return the members of theRunawaysto the foster care from which the children had absconded and ended with Excelsior battlingUltron.[67]Though they are not seen on-panel, it is then established that Excelsior spend several months attempting to recapture the child cast of the Runaways, but are constantly thwarted by being ineffectual, getting roped into cleaning up after the Runaways' crimefighting exploits, and on occasion simply by being outsmarted by the Runaways.[68]
The Loners are all registered under the Superhuman Registration Act, but consider themselves retired from super-heroics[69]when they are not battling superpowered menaces[70]or operating in public as superheroes attempting to capture runaway superpowered children.[71]However, Julie later tells the rest of the group that she is not registered.[72]While she is less intelligent and articulate than previously established, Julie reveals inLoners#4 that this is merely an affectation she adopts for the benefit of others – she pretends to be a "dumb blonde" to fit in with Los Angelenos.[73]It had previously been established that Julie is a redhead, her "blonde" hair the result of using light hues in the production of the comic's art to reflect the brighter climate of the west coast.
The Loners' support group has moved to New York City, where Julie is presumably seen, though not named, at recent meetings.[74]As with the cast's sudden relocation to Los Angeles from New York between the cancellation of their series and the beginning ofRunawaysvolume 2, the move is not explained.
Julie was seen among the other young superheroes to arrive on the new campus for theAvengers Academy,[75]where she is attending classes as a teacher assistant, underQuicksilver'stutelage.[76]
Sometime after Julie ended the relationship withKarolina Dean,[77]she was dealing with her depression and dropping out of college; when Alex &Dragon Manappeared in her apartment and recruited her on a rescue mission to help save the Foundation. Afterward, she joined the team as both teacher and Co-leader of the FF.[78]
Members
editThe Power siblings have changed powers on several occasions and are the core of the Pack.
| Real Name | Codename | Codename history (associated power) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Power | Zero-G | Gee (gravity), Destroyer (energy), Mass Master (density), Powerpax/Powerhouse (gravity, energy, density, acceleration), Zero-G (gravity) | Alex was briefly a member of theNew Warriors.Currently a member of theFuture Foundation.Rejoins his siblings again as Power Pack. |
| Julie Power | Lightspeed | Lightspeed (acceleration), Molecula (density), Starstreak (acceleration, teleportation) | Her flight trail is rainbow-like but features only thesubtractive primary colorsyellow,magenta,andcyan.Currently attending classes at theAvengers Academy.Recently joined the Future Foundation, and along with Alex and their other siblings has reformed Power Pack. |
| Jack Power | Mass Master | Mass Master (density), Counterweight[79](gravity), Destroyer (energy)[80] | |
| Katie Power | Energizer | Energizer (energy), Starstreak (acceleration), Counterweight (gravity) | |
| Franklin Richards (honorary member) |
Formerly Tattletale, later known as Powerhouse | Precognition, astral projection, limited telepathy | He officially joined Power Pack in #17 and has not been an active member since the end ofPower Packvolume 1. Currently a member of theFuture Foundation.Son of Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) and Susan Storm/Richards (Invisible Woman) of the Fantastic Four. |
| Kofi Whitemane | Teleportation, energy projection, gravity alteration, healing, force field projection, air manipulation. | Unofficial member. Kofi is a Kymellian youth and cousin of Whitey who made his most recent appearance in the 2000Power Packmini-series. | |
| Friday | Warp drive, flight, supercomputer, force field | The Smartship Friday is an intelligent starship. |
Other versions
editAge of Apocalypse
editDuring theAge of Apocalypse,the Power children had been captured and used byBeastin his gruesome experiments which ended with fusing the four siblings together.[81]They were later dissected,[82]and kept sealed in containing tubes at his secret laboratory in the Yucatán.[81]
All-ages miniseries
editA newPower Packminiseries debuted in 2005. Written byMarc Sumerakand penciled byGurihiru Studios,it mostly ignored previousPower Packcontinuity and was aimed toward young children. Marvel later noted that these stories take place on Earth-5631 as opposed to the established mainstream Marvel continuity of Earth-616.[83]Although the initial four-issue series was not released under the Marvel Age imprint because of editorial decisions, it was later reprinted in digest format under the Marvel Age banner. Each of these first four issues focussed on one of the Power children and their respective troubles in balancing the secret of their powers with the demands of their daily lives.
A secondPower Packminiseries by the same creative team,X-Men & Power Pack,debuted in October 2005. The series guest-starred various members and villains from theX-Mencomics, includingCyclops,Wolverine,Sabretooth,Beast,Mystique,Nightcrawler,andMister Sinisterand hisMarauders.TheCircus of Crimealso makes an appearance.
A thirdPower Packminiseries, titledAvengers & Power Pack: Assemble!debuted in April 2006. This series teamed the Pack with various members of theAvengers:Captain America,Iron Man,Spider-Man,andSpider-Woman.Issues #3 & #4 were a two-part adventure in which the Pack and the Avengers battledKang the Conqueror,although the latter's plot of conquest which culminates in these two volumes spans the whole miniseries.
A fourthPower Packminiseries, titledSpider-Man & Power Pack,debuted in November 2006. The series featured Spider-Man and some of his rogue's gallery, such as theVulture,Sandman,andVenom.The miniseries included two sub-plots: in one, Spider-Man was reduced in age and temporarily joined the Power siblings; the second involved the group teaming up with Spidey to capture Venom symbiote costumes that had been taking control of various women – includingMary-Jane Watson– during part one, and then Katie in part two.
A fifthPower Packminiseries,Hulk & Power Pack,debuted in March 2007, following the events of theSpider-Man and Power Packminiseries. The series involved theHulkand his enemies theAbsorbing Man,Abomination,andZzzax.The miniseries was drawn by David Williams (except for issue #3, which was drawn by Andy Kuhn).
A sixthPower Packminiseries,Fantastic Four & Power Pack,debuted in July 2007, co-starring the Fantastic Four, who made a previous appearance in issue #3 of the firstPower Packminiseries. Gurihiru Studios returned for the artwork; however,Fred Van Lentereplaced Mark Sumerak as writer. The series pitted the Pack against the Fantastic Four's enemies and also featured Franklin Richards, who, as Tattletale, was a member of Power Pack in the regular Marvel Universe.
A seventhPower Packminiseries,Iron Man & Power Pack,debuted in November 2007, co-starring Iron Man, who had previously appeared in theAvengers & Power Pack: Assemble!miniseries. The series was written by Marc Sumerak and the artwork was by Marcelo Diachara. Opponents include thePuppet Master,theGhost,Blizzard,Speed DemonandUltimo.James RhodesandPepper Pottsalso have guest appearances.
An eighthPower Packminiseries, titledPower Pack: Day Onedebuted in March 2008. The series, which featured the same creative team asFantastic Four & Power Pack(Fred Van Lente and Gurihiru), focused on the origins of the team and the incorporation of their new member, Franklin Richards. This series is credited as being "based on" the origin tale from the 1984 series by Louise Simonson and June Brigman, though it is lighter in tone, has a shorter page-count, and changes some plot elements. The series also included scientific back-up information about the physical aspects of the siblings' powers, with artwork by Colleen Coover.
A ninth series,Skrulls vs Power Pack,made its debut in July 2008. The storyline involved Power Pack encountering the alienSkrulls.This miniseries also introduced the Kymellian Kofi Whitemane to this continuity. The creative team was Fred Van Lente as writer and Cory Hamscher as artist. Gurihiru provided the covers and the colors.
A tenth miniseries,Wolverine and Power Pack,made its debut in November 2008. Wolverine had previously appeared in theX-Men and Power Packminiseries. The series reunited the original creative team of Marc Sumerak and Gurihiru. Logan and the four children confrontedSauron,faced theDanger Room,and defended the Xavier school againstSentinels,giant robots programmed for anti-mutant genocide. Since the Power siblings are not actually mutants, their intervention was decisive in the outcome of the latter battle. Logan and Power Pack have adventures together in 19th-century New York City and 20th-century Tokyo.
An eleventh Power Pack miniseries began in April 2010, withThorappearing and co-headlining, calledThor And The Warriors Four.The creative team is writer Alex Zalben and artwork once again by Gurihiru. Thor and the Power children confront an evil plot ofLoki's while trying to save the Powers' grandmother. High points include Alex wieldingMjolnir,Beta Ray Billand the otherAsgardiansturning into children, a guest appearance byLockjaw and the Pet Avengers,and Dr. Donald Blake making applesauce. The series also contains a back-up adventure ofHerculestellingthe story of his Twelve Laborswhile babysitting the Pack.
Mini Marvels
editIn aMini Marvelsshort,Spider-Manis hired to babysit the infant Power children.
House of M
editAlex and Julie appear inHouse of M:Avengers#3 as members of a superpowered gang called the Wolfpack, the House of M's version of theNew Warriors.
Marvel 2099
editIn the alternateMarvel 2099timeline, Julie, Jack, and Kate appear as adults, apparently having aged at a greatly reduced rate as a result of their powers.AlchemaxCEOJ. Jonah Jamesonhires them to take down Captain America 2099 andSpider-Man 2099.[84]Eventually, it is revealed that they are actuallySkrullswho have been brainwashed into believing they are Power Pack.[85]
Marvel Zombies
editThe zombified Power children appear inMarvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness#3. They come into conflict withNextwave,who have not been infected at that point but are ruthlessly dispatched off-panel moments later. An explosion violently kills all of them but Alex, who appears inMarvel Zombies Halloweenwith other zombies attacking Kitty Pryde and her son Peter.[86]
MC2
editKatie, going by Kate, appears in issues 2–5 ofA-Next.During a conversation withAmerican Dream,she indicates that something tragic happened to one of her brothers, but the details of the situation remain unclear.
Millennial Visions
editIn the "Power Pack: Starting Over" story within Marvel's 2001Millennial Visionsone-shot comic, the team is depicted as a group of adults ranging from 25 (Katie) to 32 (Alex). In this alternate universe, the siblings split up after their parents were killed by anti-mutant activists and led disparate lives until Julie reunites them to face a new Snark attack.[87]
New Mutants
editIn an issue ofThe New Mutants,Katie appears in a dystopian future ruled bySunspot.[88]She has all of her siblings' powers, explaining that this is because they were killed some time ago. She fights for the rights of downtrodden humans and helps the time-lost members of the New Mutants find their way home.
Renew Your Vows
editThe siblings appear in the miniseriesSpider-Man: Renew Your Vowsas schoolmates ofPeter Parker'sdaughter Annie. They are forced to go into hiding when it is discovered that they have superhuman abilities and are taken in byS.H.I.E.L.D.[89]
X-Force
editA young girl called Francine Power appears in an alternate future inX-ForceAnnual#1, operating under the name Powerpax. She has all of the powers of the various members of Power Pack and wears a costume similar to the one later worn by Alex Power in the pages ofNew Warriors.
Collected editions
edit| Title | Material collected | Format | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Pack Origin Album | Power Pack(1984) #1–4 | TPB | May 1988[90] | 978-0871353856 |
| Power Pack Classic volume 1 | Power Pack(1984) #1–10 | TPB | July 2009 | 978-0785137900 |
| Power Pack Classic volume 2 | Power Pack(1984) #11–17;Uncanny X-Men#195;Power Pack & Cloak and Dagger: Shelter from the Storm | TPB | May 2010 | 978-0785145929 |
| Power Pack Classic volume 3 | Power Pack(1984) #18–26;Thor#363 | TPB | March 2011 | 978-0785153054 |
| Power Pack Classic Omnibus | Power Pack(1984) #1–36;Uncanny X-Men#195, 205;Thor#363;X-FactorAnnual 2;Power Pack & Cloak and Dagger: Shelter from the Storm;material fromStrange Tales(1987) #13–14 | Oversized hardcover | March 2020 | 978-1302923679 |
| Power Pack Classic Omnibus volume 2 | Power Pack(1984) #37–62;Excalibur(1988) #29;Power Pack Holiday Special(1992) #1;Power Pack(2000) #1-4;Fantastic Four(1998) #574;FF(2011) #15;Power Pack(2017) #63;Power Pack: Grow Up(2019) #1; material fromMarvel Super Heroes(1990) #6;Marvel Fanfare(1982) #55 | Oversized hardcover | June 2021 | 978-1302930363 |
| Secret Wars II Omnibus | Power Pack(1984) #18;Secret Wars II#1–9;Uncanny X-Men#198, #202–203;The New Mutants#30, #36–37;Captain America#308;Iron Man#197;Fantastic Four#282, #285, #288, #316–319;Web of Spider-Man#6;Amazing Spider-Man#268, #273–274;Daredevil#223;Incredible Hulk#312;Avengers#260–261 and #265–266;Dazzler#40;Alpha Flight#28;Thing#30;Doctor Strange#74;Cloak and Dagger#4;Thor#363;Power Man and Iron Fist#121;Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man#111;Defenders#152;Quasar#8 | Oversized hardcover | May 2009 | 978-0785131113 |
| EssentialX-Menvolume 6 | Power Pack(1984) #27;X-Men#199–213,Annual#9;The New Mutants#46,Special Edition#1;X-Factor#9–11;Thor#373–374 | TPB | September 2005 | 0-7851-1727-X |
| EssentialX-Factorvolume 1 | Power Pack(1984) #27;Avengers#262;Fantastic Four#286; X-Factor#1–16,Annual#1;Thor#373–374 | TPB | November 2005 | 0-7851-1886-1 |
| X-Men: Mutant Massacre | Power Pack(1984) #27;Uncanny X-Men#210–214;The New Mutants#46;X-Factor#9–11;Thor#373–374;Daredevil#238 | TPB | January 2010 | 0-7851-3805-6 |
| X-Men: Fall of the Mutants Omnibus | Power Pack(1984) #35;Uncanny X-Men#220–227;The New Mutants(1983) #55–61;X-Factor(1986) #19–26;Captain America(1968) #339;Daredevil(1964) #252;Fantastic Four(1961) #312;Incredible Hulk(1968) #340 | Oversized hardcover | October 2011 | 978-0-7851-5822-6 |
| X-Men: Inferno Crossovers Omnibus | Power Pack(1984) #40, 42–44;Avengers#298–300;Fantastic Four#322–324;Amazing Spider-Man#311–313;Spectacular Spider-Man#146–148;Web of Spider-Man#47–48;Daredevil#262–263, 265;Excalibur#6–7; Cloak & Dagger #4 | Oversized hardcover | September 2010 | 978-0785146711 |
| Acts of Vengeance Crossovers Omnibus | Power Pack(1984) #53;Uncanny X-Men#256–258;Fantastic Four#334–336;Wolverine#19–20;Dr. Strange, Sorcerer Supreme#11–13;Incredible Hulk#363;Punisher#28–29;Punisher War Journal#12–13;Marc Spector: Moon Knight#8–10;Daredevil#275–276;Alpha Flight#79–80;The New Mutants#84–86;X-Factor#49–50;Damage Control#1–4; andWeb of Spider-Man#64–65 | Oversized hardcover | August 2011 | 978-0-7851-4488-5 |
| Power Pack: Pack Attack! | Power Pack(2005) #1–4 | Digest TPB | 2005 | 0-7851-1736-9 |
| X-Men/Power Pack | X-Men/Power Pack#1–4 | Digest TPB | 2006 | 0-7851-1955-8 |
| Avengers/Power Pack: Assemble! | Avengers/Power Pack: Assemble!#1–4 | Digest TPB | 2006 | 0-7851-2155-2 |
| Spider-Man/Power Pack: Big-City Superheroes | Spider-Man/Power Pack#1–4 | Digest TPB | 2007 | 0-7851-2357-1 |
| Hulk/Power Pack: Pack Smash | Hulk/Power Pack#1–4 | Digest TPB | 2007 | 0-7851-2490-X |
| Fantastic Four and Power Pack: Favorite Son | Fantastic Four and Power Pack#1–4 | Digest TPB | 2008 | 978-0-7851-2491-7 |
| Iron Man/Power Pack: Armored and Dangerous | Iron Man/Power Pack#1–4 | Digest TPB | 2008 | 978-0-7851-2830-4 |
| Power Pack: Day One | Power Pack: Day One#1–4 | Digest TPB | 2008 | 978-0-7851-3007-9 |
| Wolverine/Power Pack: The Wild Pack | Wolverine/Power Pack#1–4 | Digest TPB | 2009 | 978-0-7851-2831-1 |
| Skrulls Vs. Power Pack | Skrulls Vs. Power Pack#1–4 | Digest TPB | 2009 | 978-0-7851-3285-1 |
| Thor and the Warriors Four | Thor and the Warriors Four#1–4 | Digest TPB | 2010 | 978-0-7851-4120-4 |
| Power Pack: Powers That Be | Power Pack(2020) #1–5 | TPB | June 2021 | 978-1-3029-2436-2 |
Power Pack Classic volume 4(ISBN978-0785162629) was scheduled to be released in March 2013 but was cancelled.[91]It would have containedPower Pack(1984) #27–36 and material fromStrange Tales(1987) #13–14.
In other media
editTV pilot
edit| Power Pack | |
|---|---|
 Article image of the four Power siblings fromComics Scene#20 (Aug 1991) | |
| Genre | |
| Based on | Power Pack by
|
| Starring |
|
| Composer | Danny Elfman(archival) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Jon Slan |
| Running time | 27 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Fox |
| Release | September 28, 1991 |
Plot
editAs the Power siblings get ready for a new school year, they must deal with typical kid issues while also balancing their lives as superpowered children when they learn of Dr. Mobius, a phantom that haunts an abandoned house.
Cast
edit- Nathaniel Moreau as Alex Power
- Margot Finley as Julie Power
- Bradley Machry as Jack Power
- Jacelyn Holmes as Katie Power
- Jonathan Whittaker as Dr. James Power
- Cheryl Wilson as Margaret Power
- Daniel DeSantoas Eddie
- Christian Masten as Harlan
- Rachel Wilsonas Tina
- Charlene DiPardo as Rhonda
- Greg Swanson as Dr. Mobius
Production
editFollowing the cancellation of the original comic,Paragon Entertainment CorporationandNew World Televisiondeveloped Power Pack into a live-action show forNBC's Saturday Morning Kids block. While a pilot episode was made, the series was passed on and later picked up byFox,which chose to broadcast it as a Saturday morning special, on September 28, 1991, rather than ordering an entire series. The 27-minute pilot has subsequently been aired a few times onFox Kidsduring the off-season.[92]Minor alterations to the concept were made for the pilot, ranging from the children's parents being aware of their superhuman abilities, Julie's acceleration power being altered to her being able to move at superhuman speed, without the ability to fly, and the "cloud" aspect of Jack's density power being eliminated; he was only able to shrink in size. The children did not wear costumes.
Other television appearances
edit- The Power Pack make non-speaking cameo appearances in "Support Your Local Sky-Father!", an episode ofThe Super Hero Squad Show.
Film
editIn 2000,Marvel Entertainmententered into a joint venture agreement withArtisan Entertainmentto turn at least 15 Marvel superhero franchises into live-action films, television series, direct-to-video films, and internet projects. These 15 franchises included an adaptation of Power Pack.[93]
References
edit- ^Brevoort, Tom; DeFalco, Tom; Manning, Matthew K.; Sanderson, Peter; Wiacek, Win (2017).Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History.DK Publishing. p. 218.ISBN978-1465455505.
- ^ab(March 8, 2013).Women in Comics: Simonson, Nocenti Talk Marvel & Gender Roles in Comics,Comic Book Resources.
- ^Marvel Comics' original advertisement, indicating a May 1, 1984, release date
- ^Power PackVol. 1 #25 (Marvel Comics).
- ^abPower Pack#38
- ^Power PackVol. 1 #42–43 (Marvel Comics).
- ^Power PackVol. 1 #44 (Marvel Comics).
- ^Markstein, Don."Power Pack".Don Markstein's Toonopedia.RetrievedApril 2,2020.
- ^Power Pack#48–49
- ^Power Pack#7–8, #29–32
- ^abcPower Pack/Cloak and Dagger: Shelter from the Storm(1990)
- ^Power Pack#12, #14, #20, #22–26, #39–40;Uncanny X-Men195
- ^Power Pack#29, #30
- ^Power Pack18–20, 27
- ^Power Pack#8
- ^Power Pack#23–25
- ^Power Pack and Spider-Man
- ^Power Pack#23
- ^Power Pack#22–26
- ^"cover of UK Star Wars comic showing Power Pack as back up strip".Rebelscum.RetrievedMay 30,2013.
- ^NEWSARAMA.COM: NEW JOE FRIDAYS – WEEK 24, A WEEKLY Q&A WITH JOE QUESADAArchivedDecember 10, 2006, at theWayback Machine
- ^NEWSARAMA.COM: NEW JOE FRIDAYS – WEEK 35, A WEEKLY Q&A WITH JOE QUESADAArchivedFebruary 18, 2007, at theWayback Machine
- ^Marvel Holiday Special2007 – Piece of Cake; Merry Christmas; Secret Santa (Loners story); The Meaning of Christmas
- ^Fantastic Four#574
- ^abFantastic Four#579
- ^FF#15
- ^Marston, George (August 2020)."Inside the return of Power Pack (and tying into Outlawed) with writer Ryan North".GamesRadar+.Future US.RetrievedMay 4,2021.
- ^"Louise Simonson & June Brigman Revive Power Pack from Marvel Comics".September 13, 2023.
- ^Power Pack#6
- ^Power Pack#45
- ^Comment from editors in Power Pack #6 "Pick of the Pack" letters column: "Jack is almost nine"
- ^Comment from editors in Power Pack #9 "Pick of the Pack" letters column, regarding Alex's "my brother is almost 8" comment in issue #6: "Alex did screw up! Jack is almost nine! Alex was so flustered by meeting Spider-Man that he could hardly talk straight...and boy is Jack mad! He figures it's no wonder that Spider-Man treated them like babies! He thought Jack was a whole year younger than he is!"
- ^Power Pack#16
- ^abcPower Pack#1
- ^Power Pack#2–5
- ^Power Pack#18;Secret Wars II#6
- ^Power Pack#35;X-Factor#25
- ^abPower Pack#42–44
- ^Power Pack#27
- ^Power Pack#3–4, 16–17, 22–25, 50–52
- ^Power Pack#2
- ^Power Pack#5
- ^Power Pack#14–15, 37–40
- ^Power Pack#7–8, #19;Strange Tales#12–14
- ^Power Pack#12, 27, 35, 44;Uncanny X-Men#195, #205
- ^Power Pack#20, 33, 39–40, 44
- ^Power Pack#42
- ^abPower Pack#44
- ^Power Pack#26
- ^Power Pack#28
- ^Power Pack#36
- ^Power Pack#36, 52
- ^Power Pack#56–62
- ^Excalibur#29
- ^Marvel Super-Heroes Summer Special 1991
- ^abPower Pack#62
- ^abPower Pack Holiday Special#1
- ^New Warriors#48–51, 55–57
- ^BetweenNew Warriors#75,Power Pack(vol. 2) #1
- ^New Warriors(vol. 2) 1
- ^Power Pack#50
- ^Spider-Man UnlimitedVol.3 #12 (November 2005)
- ^GLA: Misassembled#2 (July 2005)
- ^She-Hulk(vol. 2) #6 (May 2006)
- ^She-Hulk(vol. 2) #8 (July 2006)
- ^"Avengers: The Initiative#1 Character Map ".Marvel. Archived fromthe originalon May 21, 2011.RetrievedMay 30,2013.
- ^Runaways(vol. 2) #1–6
- ^Runaways(vol. 2) #6–12
- ^Loners#3
- ^Runaways(vol. 2) #6
- ^Runaways(vol. 2) #7
- ^Loners#5
- ^Loners#4
- ^War of Kings: Darkhawk#1–2
- ^Avengers Academy#20
- ^Avengers Academy#21
- ^Runaways(Volume 5) #10
- ^Fantastic Four(Volume 6) #12
- ^Power Pack#32
- ^Power Pack#55
- ^abExiles#61
- ^X-Factor(vol. 3) #22 "X-Men: Endangered Species" Part 7 back-up story
- ^All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#10
- ^Spider-Manvol. 3, #14–15
- ^Spider-Man 2099vol. 3, #16
- ^Marvel Zombies: Halloween#1 (one-shot)
- ^Millennial Visions,Marvel, 2001
- ^The New Mutants#49
- ^Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vowsvol. 1 #2–4
- ^"The Marvel Database – Power Pack: Origin Album TPB".Mike's Amazing World of Marvel Comics.Archived fromthe originalon June 28, 2013.RetrievedMay 30,2013.
- ^"Diamond Distribution Cancellations for March 2013".ComicList. February 15, 2013.RetrievedJune 6,2013.
- ^Webber, Tim (December 19, 2016)."16 Forgotten Comic Book TV Specials".Comic Book Resources.RetrievedJuly 24,2018.
- ^Fleming, Michael (May 16, 2000)."Artisan deal a real Marvel".Variety.Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedMay 10,2016.
