Power Pack
Encyclopedia
Power Pack is a fictional team of comic book
superhero
es consisting of four young siblings who appear in books published by Marvel Comics
. They were created by writer Louise Simonson
and artist June Brigman
and first appeared in their own series
in 1984
. The series lasted 62 issues. The characters have since appeared in other books.
Power Pack is noteworthy for being the first team of preteen superheroes in the Marvel Universe and the first in comics to operate without adult supervision. The series was one of the first mainstream Marvel hits supplied through the then-developing direct market
, with regular sales estimated in the range of 90–97,000 per month – considered above average sales for the time. The title retains a cult following and in 2005 was relaunched as a title aimed at younger readers (see below) – though this was eventually declared a separate continuity from that of the original series.
The Power Pack series premiered in May 1984 (cover date August 1984) in a double issue written by Louise Simonson
, penciled by June Brigman
, and inked by Bob Wiacek
. The series continued through early 1991, during which time Brigman and Wiacek were replaced by Jon Bogdanove
and Hilary Barta
as principal artists, and Bogdanove eventually took over as writer.
Dramatic changes were made to the series' art and storylines in 1990
, when Michael Higgins and Tom Morgan were brought in to make the comic edgier and more adult beginning with issue #56. The changes were largely reviled by Power Pack readers, and the series was canceled six months later with issue #62. A year and a half after the cancellation of the series, creators Louise Simonson and June Brigman teamed up on the Power Pack Holiday Special, which undid all of the plotlines started by Michael Higgins.
The Power Pack strips were reprinted by Marvel UK
beginning around 1986
. It was Marvel UK's practice at the time to use a less well-known series as a second strip in a comic devoted to more recognizable characters, and Power Pack became the "back-up strip" in a run of Marvel's licenced Star Wars
weekly Return of the Jedi
. During this period it was printed partly in black and white and partly in colour, as was the main Star Wars strip. Power Pack subsequently became the back-up strip for the ThunderCats
comic, where it remained for the entirety of that comic's run.
, the Pack walked into a room of dead mutants.
Among the themes addressed were:
A major ongoing theme of the series was the relationship between Power Pack and their parents, Jim and Maggie. Unlike superheroes such as Spider-Man
or Batman
, the Power children were not "conveniently" orphaned and alone; instead, they were part of a loving and supportive family. In spite of this, they decided early in the series to keep their powers and superhero activities completely concealed from their parents. Keeping their powers secret sometimes led the members of Power Pack to deceive their family and friends and to feel guilty about doing so. For instance, in one incident, Julie was forced to allow her school friends to be beaten up by bullies instead of using her powers to defend them. The question of whether or not the powers should be revealed was also an ongoing source of debate among the children. Jack, for instance, found it "cool" to have a secret, while the older and more responsible Julie, who had originally suggested that the powers be concealed from their parents, quickly reversed her opinion and felt that they needed to be told sooner or later. Power Pack readers also argued the matter out in the letter pages.
The writers also emphasized that the Pack had to learn to deal with their powers — and their lethal potential — responsibly. In one early issue, Jack was wracked with remorse when he thought he had killed a man. In a later story arc, Katie dealt with immense guilt, called herself a "monster", and wanted to die after she saw how severely she had injured the Snark prince Jakal.
In 1986, Power Pack was featured with Spider-Man
in a special comic designed to fight sexual abuse. The one-shot issue, written by Louise Simonson, was distributed free and reprinted in the comics sections of many major newspapers. Marvel continued the campaign by featuring the characters in print public service announcement
s. Later the same year, when the Pack was kidnapped during the Snark Wars, the writers used the storyline to address the issue of child abduction
and printed photos of missing children in lieu of the comic's regular letters column
. In 1990, the team was featured with Cloak and Dagger
in a special graphic novel, which addressed the issues of teen homelessness and runaways. Hotline telephone numbers for Covenant House
were printed on the back cover for readers seeking help.
The Power Pack letters column, entitled "Pick of the Pack", printed drawings and jokes about the characters submitted by readers, an unusual practice for a Marvel title.
, ten miles (16 km) from Seattle. The series once again pitted the Pack against Queen Mauraud and the Snarks in outer space.
announced in a New Joe Fridays column at Newsarama
that Power Pack would be returning to the Marvel Universe in late 2007, after the events of Civil War. However, due to the various delays within their release shipping schedules for Marvel Comics, Power Pack's was delayed. A new Power Pack story was commissioned for the 2007 Marvel Holiday Special, 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 "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 recently-canceled title The Loners, which features Julie Power among its cast. A Loners story written by CB Cebulski ran in place of the Power Pack strip, though the official publicity release and solicit information still lists the Power Pack story and description.
Three of the Power siblings, Alex, Jack, and Katie, appear within Fantastic Four
#574 as guests celebrating their former teammate Franklin Richards' birthday. During the story, Alex was invited to join Reed Richard's Future Foundation
.
(age 12), Julie
(10), Jack
(7), and Katie Power
(5) were bright, normal American children living with their parents in a beachfront house in Virginia
. Their father, Dr. James Power, was a brilliant physicist who discovered a process to generate energy from antimatter
with the assistance of a converter, of which he made a prototype. An error in his formula, which could have caused a chain reaction and destroyed Earth, was discovered by Aelfyre "Whitey" Whitemane
, a member of the Kymellian
race, who resemble humanoid horses. A similar accident destroyed the Kymellians' home planet.
Whitey tried to stop the experiment by warning the Powers, but was mortally wounded by his enemies, the reptilian Snark
s, 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.
The children, with the help of Whitey's "smartship
", a sentient
starship
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. Alex took the codename Gee, Julie became Lightspeed, Jack became Mass Master, and Katie became Energizer. 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.
The team, based in New York, 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 villain Kurse
on two occasions during Secret Wars II
. They were also heavily involved in the events of the The Fall of the Mutants
and Inferno
storylines. During the Mutant Massacre
, they descended into the sewers and fought Sabretooth
.
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. 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. At first, he tried to work with government agencies to prove the Powers were mutants. Later, he became a supervillain himself, assuming the identity of the Bogeyman. After being thrown into Limbo
by Magik
of the New Mutants
, he returned in a demonic form and nearly killed the entire Power family before ultimately committing suicide.
Power Pack's closest allies were other young superheroes. They joined Cloak & Dagger
on several missions. They also teamed up with the X-Men
and New Mutants
on numerous occasions, providing support for them during the events of the Mutant Massacre, Inferno, and Fall of the Mutants storylines.
The team took great pains to conceal their superhuman abilities from their family and "normal" friends. However, during Inferno
, when confronted by the demonic Carmody, the children were forced to reveal their powers in order to save their parents. The discovery led Jim and Maggie to have mental breakdowns. They were restored to normal through the combined efforts of Mirage
and Gosamyr
, who convinced them that the super-powered 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. 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 was Franklin Richards
, the son of Mister Fantastic
and the Invisible Woman
, who went by the name Tattletale while adventuring. James and Margaret Power were introduced to Franklin after the events of the Snark Wars, and befriended Reed and Sue Richards when Franklin was returned to Avengers Mansion
. Subsequently, Franklin was often invited to stay with the Power family while his parents were away on missions. Although Franklin was a member of the group, the Fantastic Four
had no knowledge of Power Pack until the end of the series; instead, they thought of the Power children simply as "Franklin's friends".
and his super apes. At the conclusion of the series, the family decided to abandon New York and fly with Friday to New Kymellia to seek help for Alex and his mother.
However, 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.
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 the powers or of Power Pack's existence.
superhero group under the name Powerpax, later Powerhouse. 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 himself Zero-G and Julie, who was now called Starstreak, the name Katie had chosen when she had Julie's powers). Speedball later 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.
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.
Following the events of the 2000 mini-series, Julie left the family home in unrevealed circumstances in order to try to become an actress in Los Angeles. Despite Julie's departure from Power Pack, the team defeats Big Wheel
. Katie is later seen in costume having beaten several A.I.M.
agents unconscious, and Power Pack fight Grizzly
in New Jersey
, a sighting which is used as his alibi
against charges that he robbed Madison Square Garden
.
During Marvel's Civil War
event, Alex's codename Powerhouse was briefly mentioned by Hindsight Lad, an ex-teammate responsible for outing the secret identities of many New Warriors. Alex is one of the 142 registered superheroes who appear on the cover of the comic book Avengers: The Initiative
#1.
He is currently a part of Reed Richards' newest project, the Future Foundation, which allows gifted children living within the Baxter Building
to map out the outlook for their generation.
to the foster care from which the children had absconded and ended with Excelsior battling Ultron
. 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.
The Loners are all registered under the Superhuman Registration Act, but consider themselves retired from super-heroics when they are not battling super-powered menaces or operating in public as superheroes attempting to capture runaway super-powered children. However, Julie later tells the rest of the group that she is not registered. While she is clearly less intelligent and articulate than previously established, Julie reveals in Loners #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 Angelinos. (It had previously been clearly 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.)
Though California state law requires all minors to be housed in residence with a legal guardian and compulsory education to the age of 18, no mention is made of who Julie's legal guardian may be, nor what school she attends, or how she avoids Los Angeles' strictly-enforced curfews to curb underage gang activity. Julie's means of financial support are also left unclear, though she often splits the cost of meals by eating with Ricochet.
The Loners' support group has moved to New York City, where Julie is presumably seen, though not named, at recent meetings. As with the cast's sudden relocation to Los Angeles from New York between the cancellation of their own series and the beginning of Runaways volume 2, the move is not explained.
Julie was seen among the other young superheroes to arrive on the new campus for the Avengers Academy
, where she is attending classes as a teacher assistant, under Quicksilver's
tutelage.
’s experiments, and were later dissected.
A new Power Pack miniseries debuted in 2005. Written by Marc Sumerak
and penciled by Gurihiru Studios
, it mostly ignored previous Power Pack continuity and was aimed toward young children. 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.
A second Power Pack miniseries by the same creative team, X-Men & Power Pack, debuted in October 2005. The series guest-starred various members and villains from the X-Men
comics, including Cyclops
, Wolverine
, Sabretooth
, Beast
, Mystique
, Nightcrawler
, and Mister Sinister
.
A third Power Pack miniseries, titled Avengers & Power Pack: Assemble! debuted in April 2006. This series teamed the Pack with various members of the Avengers
: Captain America
, Iron Man
, Spider-Man
, and Spider-Woman
. Issues #3 & #4 were a two-part adventure in which the Pack and the Avengers battled Kang the Conqueror
.
A fourth Power Pack miniseries, titled Spider-Man & Power Pack, debuted in November 2006. The series featured Spider-Man and some of his rogue's gallery, such as the Vulture
, Sandman
, and Venom
. 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 costume that had been taking control of various women during part one, and then Katie in part two.
A fifth Power Pack miniseries, Hulk & Power Pack, debuted in March 2007, following the events of the Spider-Man and Power Pack miniseries. The series involved the Hulk
and his enemies the Absorbing Man
, Abomination
, and Zzzax
. The miniseries was drawn by David Williams (except for issue #3, which was drawn by Andy Kuhn).
A sixth Power Pack miniseries, Fantastic Four & Power Pack, debuted in July 2007, co-starring the Fantastic Four, who made a previous appearance in issue #3 of the first Power Pack miniseries. Gurihiru Studios returned for the artwork; however, Fred Van Lente
replaced 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 seventh Power Pack miniseries, Iron Man & Power Pack, debuted in November 2007, co-starring Iron Man, who had previously appeared in the Avengers & Power Pack: Assemble! miniseries. The series was written by Marc Sumerak and the artwork was by Marcelo Diachara.
An eighth Power Pack miniseries, titled Power Pack: Day One debuted in March 2008. The series, which featured the same creative team as Fantastic 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 back-up stories about each of the Power siblings with artwork by Colleen Coover.
A ninth series, Skrulls vs Power Pack, made its debut in July 2008. The storyline involved the Power Pack encountering the alien Skrull
s. 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 the X-Men and Power Pack miniseries. The series reunited the original creative team of Marc Sumerak and Gurihiru. Logan and the four children confronted Sauron
, faced the Danger Room
, and defended the Xavier school against Sentinels
, 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 April 2010, with the Mighty Thor
appearing and co-headlining, called Thor 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 of Loki
in order to save the Powers' grandmother. High points include Alex wielding Mjolnir and Dr. Donald Blake making applesauce. The series also contains a back-up adventure of Hercules
telling his Labors while babysitting the Pack.
: Avengers #3, in which they are members of a super-powered gang called the Wolfpack, the House of M's version of the New Warriors
.
#3. All four children have been changed into zombies. They come into conflict with Nextwave
, who have not been infected at that point but are ruthlessly dispatched off-panel moments later.
, calling herself Kate. During a conversation with American Dream
, she indicates that something tragic happened to one of her brothers, but the details of the situation remain unclear.
, the Power Pack is represented by an elderly Katie, who wields all the powers of the Pack. Katie explains that she has all the powers because her siblings 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.
's Saturday children's television lineup. While a pilot episode was made, the series was not picked up. The pilot has been aired several times during regular children's programming on Fox
as a Saturday Morning Special. Minor alterations to the concept were made for the pilot ranging from The children's parents are aware of their superhuman abilities, Julie's acceleration power was altered to movement at superhuman speed, without the ability to fly, while the "cloud" aspect of Jack's density power was eliminated -- he was only able to shrink in size. The children did not wear costumes.
All four members of the Power Pack (Alex, Julie, Jack and Katie) have cameo appearances alongside Franklin Richards
in the The Super Hero Squad Show
episode, "Support Your Local Sky-Father!".
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es consisting of four young siblings who appear in books published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. They were created by writer Louise Simonson
Louise Simonson
Louise Simonson, born Mary Louise Alexander , is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as Power Pack, X-Factor, New Mutants, Superman: The Man of Steel, and Steel...
and artist June Brigman
June Brigman
June Brigman is an American comic book artist and illustrator. She is best known for creating the pre-teen superhero characters Power Pack with writer Louise Simonson in 1984...
and first appeared in their own series
Ongoing series
The term "ongoing series" is used in contrast to limited series , a one shot , a graphic novel, or a trade paperback...
in 1984
1984 in comics
-Year overall:* The independent publishing boom continues, as Antarctic Press, Continuity Comics, Deluxe Comics, Matrix Graphic Series, and Renegade Press all enter the arena...
. The series lasted 62 issues. The characters have since appeared in other books.
Power Pack is noteworthy for being the first team of preteen superheroes in the Marvel Universe and the first in comics to operate without adult supervision. The series was one of the first mainstream Marvel hits supplied through the then-developing direct market
Direct market
The direct market is the dominant distribution and retail network for North American comic books. It consists of one dominant distributor and the majority of comics specialty stores, as well as other retailers of comic books and related merchandise...
, with regular sales estimated in the range of 90–97,000 per month – considered above average sales for the time. The title retains a cult following and in 2005 was relaunched as a title aimed at younger readers (see below) – though this was eventually declared a separate continuity from that of the original series.
Original series
Louise Simonson
Louise Simonson, born Mary Louise Alexander , is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as Power Pack, X-Factor, New Mutants, Superman: The Man of Steel, and Steel...
, penciled by June Brigman
June Brigman
June Brigman is an American comic book artist and illustrator. She is best known for creating the pre-teen superhero characters Power Pack with writer Louise Simonson in 1984...
, and inked by Bob Wiacek
Bob Wiacek
Bob Wiacek is an American comic book artist and writer, working primarily as an inker.-Career:Wiacek got his start in the mid-1970s as a member of the "Crusty Bunkers" inking collective. For a short time in 1975–1976 he inked backgrounds on Superman for DC Comics...
. The series continued through early 1991, during which time Brigman and Wiacek were replaced by Jon Bogdanove
Jon Bogdanove
Jon Bogdanove is an American comic book artist and writer. He is best known for his work on Power Pack, Superman: The Man of Steel, and for creating the character Steel with writer Louise Simonson in 1993.-Comics:...
and Hilary Barta
Hilary Barta
Hilary Barta is an American comic book writer and artist.-Biography:Barta was born on June 17, 1957. His first comics work came in June 1982, when he helped legendary Marvel inkers Al Milgrom, Joe Sinnott and Sal Trapani provide inks for the pencils of Don Perlin on The Defenders #108...
as principal artists, and Bogdanove eventually took over as writer.
Dramatic changes were made to the series' art and storylines in 1990
1990 in comics
-Year overall:Days of Future Present, the sequel to Days of Future Past, appeared in the annuals of Fantastic Four, New Mutants, X-Factor and X-Men.-January:* Dinosaurs for Hire is cancelled by Eternity Comics with issue #9....
, when Michael Higgins and Tom Morgan were brought in to make the comic edgier and more adult beginning with issue #56. The changes were largely reviled by Power Pack readers, and the series was canceled six months later with issue #62. A year and a half after the cancellation of the series, creators Louise Simonson and June Brigman teamed up on the Power Pack Holiday Special, which undid all of the plotlines started by Michael Higgins.
The Power Pack strips were reprinted by Marvel UK
Marvel UK
Marvel UK was an imprint of Marvel Comics formed in 1972 to reprint US produced stories for the British weekly comic market, though it later did produce original material by British creators such as Alan Moore, John Wagner, Dave Gibbons, Steve Dillon and Grant Morrison.Panini Comics obtained the...
beginning around 1986
1986 in comics
-Year overall:* Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, a four-issue limited series written and drawn by Frank Miller and published by DC Comics, debuts...
. It was Marvel UK's practice at the time to use a less well-known series as a second strip in a comic devoted to more recognizable characters, and Power Pack became the "back-up strip" in a run of Marvel's licenced Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
weekly Return of the Jedi
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. It is the third film released in the Star Wars saga, and the sixth in terms of the series' internal chronology...
. During this period it was printed partly in black and white and partly in colour, as was the main Star Wars strip. Power Pack subsequently became the back-up strip for the ThunderCats
ThunderCats (comics)
The ThunderCats comic book series was based on the original television series of the same name. It was originally published by Marvel Comics through its Star Comics imprint in 1985, lasting for 3 years and 24 issues...
comic, where it remained for the entirety of that comic's run.
Themes of the original series
While the characters of Power Pack were children, the series often dealt with mature issues. Many of the social problems of the eighties found their way into the book's storylines. These themes were often addressed in a grim tone; for instance, in a story arc about drug use, one of Alex's classmates died from a crack overdose, while another character was killed during an armed robbery he undertook to feed his habit. In an issue set during the Mutant MassacreMutant Massacre
"Mutant Massacre" was a major Marvel Comics crossover storyline, which took place during the fall of 1986. It primarily involved the superhero teams the X-Men, X-Factor and the New Mutants...
, the Pack walked into a room of dead mutants.
Among the themes addressed were:
- Environmental pollution
- Sexual abuse (special issue)
- Drug abuse
- Runaways
- Kidnapping
- Gun violenceGun violenceGun violence defined literally means the use of a firearm to threaten or inflict violence or harm. Gun violence may be broadly defined as a category of violence and crime committed with the use of a firearm; it may or may not include actions ruled as self-defense, actions for law enforcement, or...
- Bullies
- Murder
- Death of parents/guardians
- Missing children
- HomelessnessHomelessnessHomelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
A major ongoing theme of the series was the relationship between Power Pack and their parents, Jim and Maggie. Unlike superheroes such as Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
or Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, the Power children were not "conveniently" orphaned and alone; instead, they were part of a loving and supportive family. In spite of this, they decided early in the series to keep their powers and superhero activities completely concealed from their parents. Keeping their powers secret sometimes led the members of Power Pack to deceive their family and friends and to feel guilty about doing so. For instance, in one incident, Julie was forced to allow her school friends to be beaten up by bullies instead of using her powers to defend them. The question of whether or not the powers should be revealed was also an ongoing source of debate among the children. Jack, for instance, found it "cool" to have a secret, while the older and more responsible Julie, who had originally suggested that the powers be concealed from their parents, quickly reversed her opinion and felt that they needed to be told sooner or later. Power Pack readers also argued the matter out in the letter pages.
The writers also emphasized that the Pack had to learn to deal with their powers — and their lethal potential — responsibly. In one early issue, Jack was wracked with remorse when he thought he had killed a man. In a later story arc, Katie dealt with immense guilt, called herself a "monster", and wanted to die after she saw how severely she had injured the Snark prince Jakal.
In 1986, Power Pack was featured with Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
in a special comic designed to fight sexual abuse. The one-shot issue, written by Louise Simonson, was distributed free and reprinted in the comics sections of many major newspapers. Marvel continued the campaign by featuring the characters in print public service announcement
Public service announcement
A public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...
s. Later the same year, when the Pack was kidnapped during the Snark Wars, the writers used the storyline to address the issue of child abduction
Child abduction
Child abduction or Child theft is the unauthorized removal of a minor from the custody of the child's natural or legally appointed guardians....
and printed photos of missing children in lieu of the comic's regular letters column
Comic book letter column
A comic book letter column is a section of a comic book where readers' letters to the publisher appear. Comic book letter columns are also commonly referred to as letter columns , letter pages, letters of comment , or simply letters to the editor...
. In 1990, the team was featured with Cloak and Dagger
Cloak and Dagger (comics)
Cloak and Dagger are a fictional comic book superhero duo in the . They were created by writer William "Bill" Mantlo and designed by artist Edward Hannigan.-Publication history:...
in a special graphic novel, which addressed the issues of teen homelessness and runaways. Hotline telephone numbers for Covenant House
Covenant House
Covenant House is the largest privately funded agency in the Americas providing shelter, food, immediate crisis care, and an array of other services to homeless, and runaway youth. In addition to basic needs, Covenant House provides a continuum of care to homeless youth aged 16–21 designed to...
were printed on the back cover for readers seeking help.
The Power Pack letters column, entitled "Pick of the Pack", printed drawings and jokes about the characters submitted by readers, an unusual practice for a Marvel title.
2000 miniseries
In 2000, a four-part Power Pack mini-series was released. In this series, the kids' ages had advanced a few years: Katie was now in the fifth grade (due to her intelligence), Julie and Jack were in junior high, and Alex was in high school. James and Maggie, the children's parents, had learned about the Power Pack. The Powers now wore masks on their adventures, which, by and large, were restricted to "practice sessions" in the forests around their home in Bainbridge IslandBainbridge Island, Washington
Bainbridge Island is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States, and the name of the island in Puget Sound on which the city is situated...
, ten miles (16 km) from Seattle. The series once again pitted the Pack against Queen Mauraud and the Snarks in outer space.
Return of Power Pack
Joe QuesadaJoe Quesada
Joseph "Joe" Quesada is an American comic book editor, writer and artist. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books, such as Ninjak and Solar, Man of the Atom...
announced in a New Joe Fridays column at Newsarama
Newsarama
Newsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews and essays about the American comic book industry.-History:Newsarama began in Summer 1995 as a series of Internet forum postings on the Prodigy comic-book message boards by fan Mike Doran. In these short messages. Doran shared...
that Power Pack would be returning to the Marvel Universe in late 2007, after the events of Civil War. However, due to the various delays within their release shipping schedules for Marvel Comics, Power Pack's was delayed. A new Power Pack story was commissioned for the 2007 Marvel Holiday Special, 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 "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 recently-canceled title The Loners, which features Julie Power among its cast. A Loners story written by CB Cebulski ran in place of the Power Pack strip, though the official publicity release and solicit information still lists the Power Pack story and description.
Three of the Power siblings, Alex, Jack, and Katie, appear within Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
#574 as guests celebrating their former teammate Franklin Richards' birthday. During the story, Alex was invited to join Reed Richard's Future Foundation
Future Foundation
Future Foundation is a fictional organization appearing in comics published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Jonathan Hickman, the team first appeared in Fantastic Four #579 and stars in the series FF, written by Hickman and illustrated by Steve Epting...
.
At the beginning
AlexAlex Power
Alexander "Alex" Power is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He first appeared in Power Pack #1 and was created by Louise Simonson and June Brigman.-Publication history:...
(age 12), Julie
Julie Power
Julie Power is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in Power Pack #1 and was created by Louise Simonson and June Brigman.-Publication history:...
(10), Jack
Jack Power
Jonathan "Jack" Power, currently known as Mass Master, formerly Counterweight and Destroyer, is a fictional character in Marvel Comics' universe. He first appeared in Power Pack #1 and was created by Louise Simonson and June Brigman.-Publication history:Jack was a founding member of the superhero...
(7), and Katie Power
Katie Power
Energizer , is a fictional character in Marvel Comics' universe. She first appeared in Power Pack #1 and was created by Louise Simonson and June Brigman.-Publication history:...
(5) were bright, normal American children living with their parents in a beachfront house in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. Their father, Dr. James Power, was a brilliant physicist who discovered a process to generate energy from antimatter
Antimatter
In particle physics, antimatter is the extension of the concept of the antiparticle to matter, where antimatter is composed of antiparticles in the same way that normal matter is composed of particles...
with the assistance of a converter, of which he made a prototype. An error in his formula, which could have caused a chain reaction and destroyed Earth, was discovered by Aelfyre "Whitey" Whitemane
Aelfyre Whitemane
Aelfyre Whitemane was a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. His first and only appearance was in Power Pack #1 in 1984.Aelfyre Whitemane, commonly referred to as Whitey, was a Kymellian xenologist with a love of Earth culture and books...
, a member of the Kymellian
Kymellian
The Kymellians are a fictional extraterrestrial race that have appeared in many Marvel Comics. They were introduced in Power Pack #1 .-Fictional biography:...
race, who resemble humanoid horses. A similar accident destroyed the Kymellians' home planet.
Whitey tried to stop the experiment by warning the Powers, but was mortally wounded by his enemies, the reptilian Snark
Zn'rx
The Zn'rx are a fictional extraterrestrial race who have appeared in many Marvel Comics. Unpronounceable by human tongues, the Zn'rx are known better as "Snarks" among Earth's superheroes because they were nicknamed that way by a Kymellian called Whitey, who named them after the monster in Lewis...
s, in the process. The Snarks kidnapped Dr. Power and his wife, Margaret
Margaret Power
Margaret Power is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.She is the wife of Dr. James Power, and with him the mother of Alex, Julie, Jack, and Katie Power, members of Power Pack.-Publication history:...
, 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.
The children, with the help of Whitey's "smartship
Smartship Friday
Smartship Friday is a fictional starship in the Marvel Universe. It first appeared in Power Pack #1 and was created by Louise Simonson and June Brigman.-Fictional history:...
", a sentient
Sentience
Sentience is the ability to feel, perceive or be conscious, or to have subjective experiences. Eighteenth century philosophers used the concept to distinguish the ability to think from the ability to feel . In modern western philosophy, sentience is the ability to have sensations or experiences...
starship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
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. Alex took the codename Gee, Julie became Lightspeed, Jack became Mass Master, and Katie became Energizer. 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.
The team, based in New York, 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 villain Kurse
Kurse
Kurse is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears as the Dark Elf Algrim the Strong in Thor #347 , is transformed into Kurse in Secret Wars #4 Kurse (Algrim) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel...
on two occasions during Secret Wars II
Secret Wars II
Secret Wars II is a nine-issue comic book limited series and crossover published from 1985 to 1986 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Marvel's then Editor-in-chief Jim Shooter and primarily pencilled by Al Milgrom....
. They were also heavily involved in the events of the The Fall of the Mutants
Fall of the Mutants
"The Fall of the Mutants" was a comic book crossover event by Marvel Comics spanning January to March 1988. It spanned three issues each of The Uncanny X-Men , X-Factor , and The New Mutants ; unlike most crossovers however, the various titles' storylines did not intertwine, but were instead linked...
and Inferno
Inferno (Marvel Comics)
Inferno was a Marvel Comics company-wide crossover in 1989 that mainly involved the mutant titles, namely The Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, X-Terminators, Excalibur, and The New Mutants...
storylines. During the Mutant Massacre
Mutant Massacre
"Mutant Massacre" was a major Marvel Comics crossover storyline, which took place during the fall of 1986. It primarily involved the superhero teams the X-Men, X-Factor and the New Mutants...
, they descended into the sewers and fought Sabretooth
Sabretooth (comics)
Sabretooth is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne. The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14...
.
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. 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. At first, he tried to work with government agencies to prove the Powers were mutants. Later, he became a supervillain himself, assuming the identity of the Bogeyman. After being thrown into Limbo
Otherplace
Otherplace, is a fictional location in titles published by Marvel Comics. The concept debuted in Uncanny X-Men #160, and was created by Chris Claremont and Brent Anderson.-History:...
by Magik
Magik (comics)
Magik is a Marvel Comics character, associated with the X-Men. She is the younger sister of the Russian X-Man Colossus.-Publication history:...
of the New Mutants
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
, he returned in a demonic form and nearly killed the entire Power family before ultimately committing suicide.
Power Pack's closest allies were other young superheroes. They joined Cloak & Dagger
Cloak and Dagger (comics)
Cloak and Dagger are a fictional comic book superhero duo in the . They were created by writer William "Bill" Mantlo and designed by artist Edward Hannigan.-Publication history:...
on several missions. They also teamed up with the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
and New Mutants
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
on numerous occasions, providing support for them during the events of the Mutant Massacre, Inferno, and Fall of the Mutants storylines.
The team took great pains to conceal their superhuman abilities from their family and "normal" friends. However, during Inferno
Inferno (Marvel Comics)
Inferno was a Marvel Comics company-wide crossover in 1989 that mainly involved the mutant titles, namely The Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, X-Terminators, Excalibur, and The New Mutants...
, when confronted by the demonic Carmody, the children were forced to reveal their powers in order to save their parents. The discovery led Jim and Maggie to have mental breakdowns. They were restored to normal through the combined efforts of Mirage
Danielle Moonstar
Danielle "Dani" Moonstar, originally codenamed Psyche and later Mirage, is a fictional Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men....
and Gosamyr
Gosamyr
Gosamyr is a fictional character, a superhero from Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Gosamyr first appeared in New Mutants #66 , and was created by Louise Simonson and Bret Blevins....
, who convinced them that the super-powered 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. 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 was Franklin Richards
Franklin Richards
Franklin Richards is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually as a supporting character in Fantastic Four.Franklin is an Omega-Level mutant with vast psionic and reality-manipulating powers...
, the son of Mister Fantastic
Mister Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
and the Invisible Woman
Invisible Woman
Susan "Sue" Storm Richards is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 in November 1961, and was the first female superhero created by Marvel in the Silver Age of Comics...
, who went by the name Tattletale while adventuring. James and Margaret Power were introduced to Franklin after the events of the Snark Wars, and befriended Reed and Sue Richards when Franklin was returned to Avengers Mansion
Avengers Mansion
In the fictional Marvel Comics universe, Avengers Mansion has traditionally been the base of the Avengers. The enormous, city block-sized building is located at 890 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York City.-Creative origin:...
. Subsequently, Franklin was often invited to stay with the Power family while his parents were away on missions. Although Franklin was a member of the group, the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
had no knowledge of Power Pack until the end of the series; instead, they thought of the Power children simply as "Franklin's friends".
End of the series
Some time later, Alex underwent a transformation into a Kymellian, and Margaret Power began losing her mind. The Power family sought help for Margaret and Alex in various places, beginning with Reed Richards' lab, but their efforts were disrupted by the interference of the Red GhostRed Ghost
The Red Ghost and his Super-Apes are a group of Marvel Comics supervillains, who started their career fighting the Fantastic Four, before confronting other Marvel heroes like Iron Man and Spider-Man...
and his super apes. At the conclusion of the series, the family decided to abandon New York and fly with Friday to New Kymellia to seek help for Alex and his mother.
However, 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.
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 the powers or of Power Pack's existence.
Alex, New Warriors and the Future Foundation
The 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 the New WarriorsNew Warriors
The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 .-General publication history:...
superhero group under the name Powerpax, later Powerhouse. 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 himself Zero-G and Julie, who was now called Starstreak, the name Katie had chosen when she had Julie's powers). Speedball later 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.
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.
Following the events of the 2000 mini-series, Julie left the family home in unrevealed circumstances in order to try to become an actress in Los Angeles. Despite Julie's departure from Power Pack, the team defeats Big Wheel
Big Wheel (comics)
Big Wheel is a Marvel Comics supervillain created by Marv Wolfman, Ross Andru, and Mike Esposito. The character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #182 .-Fictional character biography:...
. Katie is later seen in costume having beaten several A.I.M.
Advanced Idea Mechanics
A.I.M. is a fictional terrorist organization in the . The organization first appeared in Strange Tales #146 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
agents unconscious, and Power Pack fight Grizzly
Grizzly (comics)
Grizzly is the name of four unrelated fictional characters from the Marvel Comics universe. One is a wild west villain, one is an A.I.M. Agent, one is a foe of Spider-Man, and the fourth is a mutant who was a member of Six Pack.-Grizzly :...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, a sighting which is used as his alibi
Alibi
Alibi is a 1929 American crime film directed by Roland West. The screenplay was written by West and C. Gardner Sullivan, who adapted the 1927 Broadway stage play, Nightstick, written by Elaine Sterne Carrington, J.C...
against charges that he robbed Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
.
During Marvel's Civil War
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
event, Alex's codename Powerhouse was briefly mentioned by Hindsight Lad, an ex-teammate responsible for outing the secret identities of many New Warriors. Alex is one of the 142 registered superheroes who appear on the cover of the comic book Avengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series from Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with artwork initially by Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and Harvey Tolibao, the series dealt with the aftermath of Marvel's Civil War crossover Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series...
#1.
He is currently a part of Reed Richards' newest project, the Future Foundation, which allows gifted children living within the Baxter Building
Baxter Building
The Baxter Building is a fictitious 35-story office building in Manhattan whose five upper floors house the Fantastic Four's headquarters in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
to map out the outlook for their generation.
Julie, Excelsior/Loners & Avengers Academy
Some time after the events of the 2000 mini-series, Julie Power came to the conclusion 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 – though this ambition was never previously mentioned either in Julie's dialogue or in internal narratives. She joined Excelsior, a support group for "former" teenage superheroes (Julie's age at this time was implied to be at least 16, though the timeline of the Runaways series takes place over two years, making 15 more likely), where she is once again known as Lightspeed. Excelsior's first mission was to return the members of the RunawaysRunaways (comics)
Runaways is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series features a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are part of an evil crime group called the Pride. Created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, the series debuted in April of 2003 as part of Marvel Comics'...
to the foster care from which the children had absconded and ended with Excelsior battling Ultron
Ultron
Ultron is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #54 , and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema...
. 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.
The Loners are all registered under the Superhuman Registration Act, but consider themselves retired from super-heroics when they are not battling super-powered menaces or operating in public as superheroes attempting to capture runaway super-powered children. However, Julie later tells the rest of the group that she is not registered. While she is clearly less intelligent and articulate than previously established, Julie reveals in Loners #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 Angelinos. (It had previously been clearly 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.)
Though California state law requires all minors to be housed in residence with a legal guardian and compulsory education to the age of 18, no mention is made of who Julie's legal guardian may be, nor what school she attends, or how she avoids Los Angeles' strictly-enforced curfews to curb underage gang activity. Julie's means of financial support are also left unclear, though she often splits the cost of meals by eating with Ricochet.
The Loners' support group has moved to New York City, where Julie is presumably seen, though not named, at recent meetings. As with the cast's sudden relocation to Los Angeles from New York between the cancellation of their own series and the beginning of Runaways volume 2, the move is not explained.
Julie was seen among the other young superheroes to arrive on the new campus for the Avengers Academy
Avengers Academy
Avengers Academy is a Marvel Comics comic book series that debuted in June 2010 as part of the "Heroic Age". The series is written by Christos Gage, with artwork by Mike McKone and tells the story of a group of young super-powered persons who were selected to join a training academy for the...
, where she is attending classes as a teacher assistant, under Quicksilver's
Quicksilver (comics)
Quicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
tutelage.
Members
The Power siblings have changed powers on more than one occasion and remain the core of the Pack.| Real Name | Codename | Codename history (associated power) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Power Alex Power Alexander "Alex" Power is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He first appeared in Power Pack #1 and was created by Louise Simonson and June Brigman.-Publication history:... |
Zero-G (gravity) | Gee (gravity), Destroyer (energy), Mass Master (density), Powerpax (gravity, energy, density, acceleration), Powerhouse (gravity, energy, density, acceleration), Zero-G (gravity) | Alex was briefly a member of the New Warriors New Warriors The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 .-General publication history:... . Currently a member of the Future Foundation Future Foundation Future Foundation is a fictional organization appearing in comics published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Jonathan Hickman, the team first appeared in Fantastic Four #579 and stars in the series FF, written by Hickman and illustrated by Steve Epting... |
| Julie Power Julie Power Julie Power is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in Power Pack #1 and was created by Louise Simonson and June Brigman.-Publication history:... |
Lightspeed (acceleration) | Lightspeed (acceleration), Molecula, Mistress of Density (density), Lightspeed (acceleration), Starstreak (acceleration, teleportation), Lightspeed (acceleration) | Her flight trail is rainbow-like but features only the subtractive primary colors Subtractive color A subtractive color model explains the mixing of paints, dyes, inks, and natural colorants to create a full range of colors, each caused by subtracting some wavelengths of light and reflecting the others... yellow Yellow Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green... , magenta Magenta Magenta is a color evoked by light stronger in blue and red wavelengths than in yellowish-green wavelengths . In light experiments, magenta can be produced by removing the lime-green wavelengths from white light... , and cyan Cyan Cyan from , transliterated: kýanos, meaning "dark blue substance") may be used as the name of any of a number of colors in the blue/green range of the spectrum. In reference to the visible spectrum cyan is used to refer to the color obtained by mixing equal amounts of green and blue light or the... . Currently attending classes at the Avengers Academy Avengers Academy Avengers Academy is a Marvel Comics comic book series that debuted in June 2010 as part of the "Heroic Age". The series is written by Christos Gage, with artwork by Mike McKone and tells the story of a group of young super-powered persons who were selected to join a training academy for the... |
| Jack Power Jack Power Jonathan "Jack" Power, currently known as Mass Master, formerly Counterweight and Destroyer, is a fictional character in Marvel Comics' universe. He first appeared in Power Pack #1 and was created by Louise Simonson and June Brigman.-Publication history:Jack was a founding member of the superhero... |
Mass Master (density) | Mass Master (density), Counterweight (gravity), Destroyer (energy) | |
| Katie Power Katie Power Energizer , is a fictional character in Marvel Comics' universe. She first appeared in Power Pack #1 and was created by Louise Simonson and June Brigman.-Publication history:... |
Energizer (energy) | Energizer (energy), Starstreak (acceleration), Counterweight (gravity) | |
| Franklin Richards Franklin Richards Franklin Richards is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually as a supporting character in Fantastic Four.Franklin is an Omega-Level mutant with vast psionic and reality-manipulating powers... |
Tattletale | Tattletale (Precognition, astral projection(dreamform/self), limited telepathy) | Son of Reed and Sue Richards of the Fantastic Four Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium... . He officially joined Power Pack in (vol. 1) #17 and has not been an active member since the end of Power Pack volume 1. Currently a member of the Future Foundation. |
| Kofi Whitemane Kofi Whitemane Lord Kofi Whitemane is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He first appeared in Power Pack vol. 1, #16 . While Kofi is not considered an "official" member of Power Pack, he has been a trusted ally and has worked with the team on several critical missions.-Fictional character... |
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 2000 Power Pack mini-series. | |
| Friday Smartship Friday Smartship Friday is a fictional starship in the Marvel Universe. It first appeared in Power Pack #1 and was created by Louise Simonson and June Brigman.-Fictional history:... |
Warp Drive, Flight, Supercomputer, Force field | The Smartship Friday is an intelligent starship. |
Age of Apocalypse
The Power children had been fused together as one of the Dark BeastDark Beast
Dark Beast , sometimes known as the Black Beast, is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an alternate reality evil version of the X-Men’s Beast...
’s experiments, and were later dissected.
All ages miniseries
Marc Sumerak
Marc Sumerak is a freelance comic book writer from Cleveland, Ohio.Mr. Sumerak is currently best known for his work on Marvel Comics' all-ages Power Pack series , as well as the Eisner Award & Harvey Award nominated Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius...
and penciled by Gurihiru Studios
Gurihiru Studios
Gurihiru, aka Illustrator Unit Gurihiru and Gurihiru Studios, is a Japanese illustration team, composed of artists Sasaki and Kawano...
, it mostly ignored previous Power Pack continuity and was aimed toward young children. 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.
A second Power Pack miniseries by the same creative team, X-Men & Power Pack, debuted in October 2005. The series guest-starred various members and villains from the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
comics, including Cyclops
Cyclops (comics)
Cyclops is a fictional character, the leader of the X-Men superhero team in the . A mutant, Cyclops emits a powerful energy beam from his eyes...
, Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
, Sabretooth
Sabretooth (comics)
Sabretooth is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne. The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14...
, Beast
Beast (comics)
Beast , Dr. Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy, is a comic book character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the mutant team of superheroes known as the X-Men...
, Mystique
Mystique (comics)
Mystique is a fictional character associated with the Marvel Comics' franchise X-Men. Originally created by artist David Cockrum and writer Chris Claremont, she first appeared in Ms...
, Nightcrawler
Nightcrawler (comics)
Nightcrawler is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe. He has been associated with both the X-Men and Excalibur, originally appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
, and Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #221 and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Marc Silvestri....
.
A third Power Pack miniseries, titled Avengers & Power Pack: Assemble! debuted in April 2006. This series teamed the Pack with various members of the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
: Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
, Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
, Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, and Spider-Woman
Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew)
Spider-Woman is a fictional character, a superheroine in the Marvel Comics Universe. The character first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #32 , and 50 issues of an ongoing series titled Spider-Woman followed...
. Issues #3 & #4 were a two-part adventure in which the Pack and the Avengers battled Kang the Conqueror
Kang the Conqueror
Kang the Conqueror is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Avengers #8 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
.
A fourth Power Pack miniseries, titled Spider-Man & Power Pack, debuted in November 2006. The series featured Spider-Man and some of his rogue's gallery, such as the Vulture
Vulture (comics)
The Vulture is the name of six comic book supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. The best known Vulture in the Marvel Universe is Adrian Toomes, an elderly enemy of Spider-Man created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in The Amazing Spider-Man #2 .-Golden Age Vulture:In Young Men #26, a scientist...
, Sandman
Sandman (Marvel Comics)
Sandman is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. A shapeshifter endowed through an accident with the ability to turn himself into sand, he eventually reformed, and became an ally of Spider-Man...
, and Venom
Venom (comics)
Eddie Brock is a fictional character created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane. A comic book supervillain, Brock's earliest appearance is a cameo in Web of Spider-Man #18 before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #299 as Venom...
. 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 costume that had been taking control of various women during part one, and then Katie in part two.
A fifth Power Pack miniseries, Hulk & Power Pack, debuted in March 2007, following the events of the Spider-Man and Power Pack miniseries. The series involved the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
and his enemies the Absorbing Man
Absorbing Man
The Absorbing Man is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery #114 The Absorbing Man (Carl "Crusher" Creel) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first...
, Abomination
Abomination (comics)
The Abomination is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics...
, and Zzzax
Zzzax
Zzzax is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in The Incredible Hulk #166 and was created by Steve Englehart and Herb Trimpe.-Fictional character biography:...
. The miniseries was drawn by David Williams (except for issue #3, which was drawn by Andy Kuhn).
A sixth Power Pack miniseries, Fantastic Four & Power Pack, debuted in July 2007, co-starring the Fantastic Four, who made a previous appearance in issue #3 of the first Power Pack miniseries. Gurihiru Studios returned for the artwork; however, Fred Van Lente
Fred Van Lente
Fred Van Lente is an American writer, primarily of comic books and graphic novels.-Career:Van Lente is the co-founder, along with artist Ryan Dunlavey, of Evil Twin Comics, which produces his and Dunlavey’s non-fiction comic books, the first and most famous of which is Action Philosophers.Recent...
replaced 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 seventh Power Pack miniseries, Iron Man & Power Pack, debuted in November 2007, co-starring Iron Man, who had previously appeared in the Avengers & Power Pack: Assemble! miniseries. The series was written by Marc Sumerak and the artwork was by Marcelo Diachara.
An eighth Power Pack miniseries, titled Power Pack: Day One debuted in March 2008. The series, which featured the same creative team as Fantastic 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 back-up stories about each of the Power siblings with artwork by Colleen Coover.
A ninth series, Skrulls vs Power Pack, made its debut in July 2008. The storyline involved the Power Pack encountering the alien Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
s. This miniseries also introduced the Kymellian Kofi Whitemane
Kofi Whitemane
Lord Kofi Whitemane is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He first appeared in Power Pack vol. 1, #16 . While Kofi is not considered an "official" member of Power Pack, he has been a trusted ally and has worked with the team on several critical missions.-Fictional character...
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 the X-Men and Power Pack miniseries. The series reunited the original creative team of Marc Sumerak and Gurihiru. Logan and the four children confronted Sauron
Sauron (comics)
Sauron is a comic book character, a supervillain in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. An enemy of the X-Men, the character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Neal Adams. He first fully appeared as Sauron in X-Men #60 ....
, faced the Danger Room
Danger Room
The Danger Room is a fictional training facility built for the X-Men of Marvel Comics as part of the various incarnations of the X-Mansion.-Early designs:...
, and defended the Xavier school against Sentinels
Sentinel (comics)
Sentinels are a fictional variety of mutant-hunting robots, appearing in the Marvel Comics Universe. They are usually portrayed as antagonists to the X-Men. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, they first appeared in The X-Men #14 .According to Marvel canon, Sentinels are programmed to locate...
, 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 April 2010, with the Mighty Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
appearing and co-headlining, called Thor 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 of Loki
Loki
In Norse mythology, Loki or Loke is a god or jötunn . Loki is the son of Fárbauti and Laufey, and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. By the jötunn Angrboða, Loki is the father of Hel, the wolf Fenrir, and the world serpent Jörmungandr. By his wife Sigyn, Loki is the father of Nari or Narfi...
in order to save the Powers' grandmother. High points include Alex wielding Mjolnir and Dr. Donald Blake making applesauce. The series also contains a back-up adventure of Hercules
Hercules (Marvel Comics)
Hercules is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery Annual #1 and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
telling his Labors while babysitting the Pack.
House of M
Alex and Julie both appear in House of MHouse of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...
: Avengers #3, in which they are members of a super-powered gang called the Wolfpack, the House of M's version of the New Warriors
New Warriors
The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 .-General publication history:...
.
Marvel Zombies
The Power children appear in Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of DarknessMarvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness is a five-issue 2007 comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in association with Dynamite Entertainment, an intercompany crossover in which Ash Williams, hero of the popular Evil Dead film and comic book, finds himself in the Marvel Zombies...
#3. All four children have been changed into zombies. They come into conflict with Nextwave
Nextwave
Nextwave is a comic book series by Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen, published by Marvel Comics between 2006 and 2007.-Concept:The series was written exclusively in two-issue story arcs, a choice deliberately bucking the trend in modern American comics toward decompression...
, who have not been infected at that point but are ruthlessly dispatched off-panel moments later.
MC2
Katie appears in issues 2–5 of A-NextA-Next
A-Next is the Marvel Comics' MC2 universe version of the Avengers. The team made its first appearance in What If? #105, the first comic featuring Spider-Girl, and the team's origin story was told in the A-Next #1, cover dated October 1998....
, calling herself Kate. During a conversation with American Dream
American Dream (comics)
American Dream is a fictional character featured in Marvel Comics MC2 series A-Next. Her costume is very similar to that of Captain America and like him she has an indestructible metal shield...
, she indicates that something tragic happened to one of her brothers, but the details of the situation remain unclear.
Millennial Visions
In the "Power Pack: Starting Over" story within Marvel's 2001 Millennial Visions one-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 are killed by anti-mutant activists and lead disparate lives, until they are reunited by Julie to face a new attack from the Snarks.New Mutants
In a dystopian future ruled by SunspotSunspot (comics)
Sunspot is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero most commonly associated with X-Men-related groups the New Mutants and X-Force....
, the Power Pack is represented by an elderly Katie, who wields all the powers of the Pack. Katie explains that she has all the powers because her siblings 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.
X-Force
A young girl called Francine Power appeared in the pages of X-Force Annual #1, operating under the name Powerpax. She had all of the powers of the various members of Power Pack and wore a costume similar to the one later worn by Alex Power in the pages of New Warriors; this story took place in an alternate future, but, as with all alternate future timelines and out-of-continuity series published by Marvel, the world in which the story is set is also an alternate reality somewhere in the larger Marvel multiverse.Television
In 1991, following the cancellation of the original comic, Marvel developed Power Pack into a live-action show for NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Saturday children's television lineup. While a pilot episode was made, the series was not picked up. The pilot has been aired several times during regular children's programming on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
as a Saturday Morning Special. Minor alterations to the concept were made for the pilot ranging from The children's parents are aware of their superhuman abilities, Julie's acceleration power was altered to movement at superhuman speed, without the ability to fly, while the "cloud" aspect of Jack's density power was eliminated -- he was only able to shrink in size. The children did not wear costumes.
All four members of the Power Pack (Alex, Julie, Jack and Katie) have cameo appearances alongside Franklin Richards
Franklin Richards
Franklin Richards is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually as a supporting character in Fantastic Four.Franklin is an Omega-Level mutant with vast psionic and reality-manipulating powers...
in the The Super Hero Squad Show
The Super Hero Squad Show
The Super Hero Squad Show is an American cartoon series by Marvel Animation. It is based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad action figure line from Hasbro, which portray the characters of the Marvel Universe in a cartoonish super-deformed-style...
episode, "Support Your Local Sky-Father!".