Power Girl key numbers:All Star Comics #58 (1976, first appearance), Showcase #97(1978, his first short solo series) and Power Girl #1(2009, his first continuous title — thirty-three years later). Special feature of the file: its origin was rewritten twice, which creates a category of numbers that the market does not value.
Power Girl poses to the collector a problem that is encountered almost nowhere else: it is not the character that has changed, it is the universe around her.
Born on a parallel Earth in 1976, she found herself without a coherent origin when that Earth was removed by a general redesign. Two rewrites followed. This instability structures his entire collection.
The three core numbers
All Star Comics #58 (1976)
Gerry Conway, Ric Estrada and Wally Wood— First appearance. The issue relaunches a title interrupted since the early 1950s returning to its original numbering, which produces careful printing and confusing referencing.
Three distinct demands support it: the character, Wally Wood's signature in the credits, and the historical team that the issue revives. This is the strongest configuration in the file.
Showcase #97 (1978)
The character gets a solo sequence in the publisher's trial magazine, where his origin is first expanded upon.
These trial magazines form a coherent collection segment: concepts were tested there before giving them a series. Several notable early appearances feature there, and the title is collectible in its own right.
Power Girl #1 (2009)
Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner— The first continuous title in his name,thirty-three years after its creation.
It is also the run which permanently fixed the way in which the character is written and drawn. Recent and abundant issue, therefore accessible.
The numbers of the rewrite
Here is the category specific to this file, and the one that the market ignores.
The cosmological overhaul of the mid-1980s
The editor removes the parallel Earths to unify its continuity. Power Girl, defined as coming from one of them, mechanically loses her origin.
The numbers for this event are being sought — but for the event itself, not for her. It is a consequence of it, not a subject.
The late 1980s rewrite
A new origin is attributed to it, unrelated to the previous one. The numbers which document it are perfectly identifiable and totally unvalued: they do not contain any first appearances.
The mid-2000s recovery
A second general overhaul returns the character to its initial origin. Again, clearly identifiable numbers, and again no valuation.
What the market is missing here
This file illustrates a systematic gap, and it is worth stating it.
The market lists the beginnings: first appearance of a character, a costume, a team. It does not identify the redefinitions.
But with Power Girl, most of the interest is there. A character whose origin has been written three times in thirty years documents, in itself, the way in which an editor manages his continuity - a subject much richer than a first appearance.
Practical and directly exploitable consequence: the rewriting numbers are at the price of anything, even though they constitute the real material of this character.
The modern period
JSA Classified #1 (2005)
Amanda Conner drawing— A story which directly addresses the confusion accumulated around its origin, and which prepares for its recovery.
Number often cited by readers, rarely identified as a key.
Worlds' Finest #1 (2012)
The character is associated with a partner in a series which is based on their common situation as exiles. Modern series, very abundant.
A character without a gallery, and what that implies
One feature of this file is worth asking because it sets it apart from almost all others.
Power Girl no personal adversary and no supporting role with a sought-after first appearance. This is not an oversight on the part of the authors: it is the direct consequence of the deletion of its original world.
A character creates his gallery in his own territory – a city, a series, a recurring setting. She never had a territory, only teams.
The practical consequences are twofold, and you need to know them before starting.
The file is simple. No hidden leads on the side of the supporting roles, no indirect keys to track down. Everything is based on its own numbers, which makes the collection readable and limited.
The file is narrow. Where other characters offer a dozen or so satellite first appearances at varying prices, this one offers none. The collector looking to diversify has nowhere to go.
This corpus considers that it is a clear advantage for those who are just starting out – we do not get carried away – and a limit for those who want to deepen their knowledge over years.
Pitfalls to be aware of
Numbering ambiguity. The main trap of this file. All Star Comics #58 from 1976 is easily confused with issues of the same title published in the 1940s-1950s.Always check the year, not just the number.
Cut coupons on issues from the 1970s. Frequent fault, rarely mentioned online, heavily sanctioned. Ask for photos of the interior pages.
Very popular modern issues. Everything from 2009 and later belongs to periods of abundant supply: only buy almost new, the only condition that retains value.
Alternative covers on recent series, numerous and with significant differences in both directions.
As always, condition and gradation determine value; relying on real recent sales is strongly recommended.
Where to start based on your budget
Tight budget— Power Girl #1 (2009) and subsequent issues of the same run. The character as we write it today, for almost nothing.
Intermediate budget— Add Showcase #97 (1978) and the rewrite issues, all accessible and all more interesting than their price suggests.
Comfortable budget— All Star Comics #58 (1976), always checking the year and the integrity of the interior pages.
To learn more, see ourcollection guideand ourtier list of key issues.
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