When kids go power!
Pre-teen superteam Power Pack turns 40 this year, and there is hope that it will get its time in the limelight once again.
FORTY years ago, I read a newspaper article with the same headline as the one above, and got immediately hooked on the Marvel Universe’s first pre-teen super team, aka Power Pack.
Being a pre-teen myself at the time, I loved Power Pack because I could resonate with the characters’ problems – from the pressures of school, parents and peers, to their problems with acne and crushes.
While they also faced bigger – much, much bigger– challenges along the way, including saving the world from aliens, it was their more “down-to-earth” feats that made this team of super siblings ideal role models for preteen comic fans.
Created in 1984 by Louise Simonson and illustrated by June Brigman, Power Pack comprises four Power siblings: Alex, Julie, Jack and Katie. Having Power as your family name certainly adds a punch to the team name, but they did not inherit their super abilities from their family.
Instead, their powers were “gifted” to them by a dying alien named Whitey, a scientist from the Kymellian race.
Armed with these superpowers, Power Pack was not only able to save Earth from being invaded by alien conquerors aka the Snarks, but also tackle social issues such as child abuse, homelessness, drug abuse and bullying.
Having grown up with the Pack, this comic book holds a special spot in my heart and collection.
This week, join me as I go down memory lane to commemorate 40 years of the Power Pack.
Powers that be
The creation of Power Pack was almost accidental – it was the result of an executive decision at Marvel Comics. During the early 1980s, the House Of Ideas introduced a policy that its editors should also be writers.
Hence, Simonson decided to pitch the idea of a team of preteen siblings with superpowers, which Jim Shooter (then Marvel’s editor-in-chief) greenlit.
Simonson roped in Brigman as the penciler due to her talent for drawing children (which till today still makes her the best Power Pack artist). Consequently, the first issue of Power Pack was released in May 1984.
Under Simonson’s pen, Power Pack was packed with family values, and in a nice tribute to its creator, the likenesses of the kids’ parents, Jim and Maggie Power, were modelled after Louise and her husband, the legendary Thor comics creator Walter Simonson.
Pick of the pack
The Power Pack is led by the eldest sibling – 12-year-old Alex, codenamed Gee, who has the power to control gravity. The second oldest in the team is Julie, 10, aka Lightspeed, who has the power of flight. The two youngest members are Jack, eight, aka Mass Master, who can control mass; and Katie, five, aka Energizer, who can fire energy balls.
What made this lineup interesting was the age of the members in relation to their powers. Them being pre-teens immediately raised the question of their maturity in handling their powers. Obviously, expecting kids to juggle between homework and preventing an alien invasion is beyond logic – but fortunately, the Power Pack aren’t your average kids.
Personally, seeing Alex, Julie, Jack and Katie mature throughout the first 62-issue run of the series was heartwarming and even gave me some future parental advice.
As for their powers composition, ironically, the most “powerful” member happens to be the youngest, Katie, which did provide many “stubborn moments” during battles. The team members had their powers “reshuffled” later, which gave them a better understanding of each other’s previous challenges.
Identity crisis
If you think the biggest challenge for heroes is keeping their identities secret from their loved ones, the Power Pack had it worse, as they were under strict parental supervision.
Initially, the kids did keep their powers and superhero activities concealed from their parents, not wanting to stress them out, even at the expense of constantly lying to them.
Inevitably, the parents found out and suffered psychological breakdowns to the extent that they felt they were not fit to be parents of superheroes. To resolve this, the New Mutants were called in to “mind wipe” Jim and Maggie, for a period of time.
Packing serious punches
Despite being children, Power Pack dealt with more mature issues than most mainstream superheroes do, even today. This included social problems such as sexual abuse, drug abuse, kidnapping, gun violence, bullying and homelessness. Having to face all these issues while learning how to master superpowers was a real test of character for the kids.
To highlight the seriousness of using Power Pack as role models to kids, Marvel even released free one-shot comics (featuring the Pack and Spidey) to address sexual abuse. Additionally, the team also tackled child abductions, runaways and teen homelessness, with photos of missing children printed in the comic’s letters column, and hotline telephone numbers published on the back covers.
Where are they now?
Since the ending of its first regular series in 1991, there have been countless attempts to resurrect the Power Pack, but most of them lacked the original’s “super pre-teen” essence that Simonson and Brigman introduced.
There have been attempts at transitioning the team members into the regular Marvel Universe, ie Alex joining the New Warriors and Future Foundation, and Julie running with the Loners, Avengers Academy and Future Foundation, but these only further alienated the siblings.
Fortunately, Simonson and Brigman misses the team as well, and have reunited for a five-part mini series titled Power Pack: Into The Storm, which was recently released in January 2024.
Judging by the reviews on the first issue, it is certainly seems to be a nostalgic trip for fans of the original, and hopefully will wow the younger audience today as well.