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adamantis β Power Girl and Captain Atom - 1989
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Published: 2017-11-14 18:49:59 +0000 UTC; Views: 9098; Favourites: 191; Downloads: 69
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I've drawn these two so much, but on the upside i've generally improved on drawing them, besides i like drawing them. This time their designs are based from the earliest period they encountered each other in 1989.So this is something of a trip back to a time, to when Karen Starr/Power Girl had a HUGE cape, was recently convinced by a Sorcerer she was from ancient Atlantis and not Kryptonian, and was physically stronger than the modern era Superman ( DC fixed that ). Meanwhile Captain Atom continued to try to free himself from the U.S. Governments influence as he took leadership of half of the Justice League International.
To be honest the Ancient Atlantean idea for Powergirl isn't that bad, but the implementation was a mess with no real conviction from any writer when it could have been something special. Still it all added colour to the character as she rediscovered herself to be Kryptonian.
This was pretty much inspired by a comment from on my last picture.
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Comments: 40
Love how how she more built than him here. Looks great on her. Β
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I always draw her looking fairly built, but It's that huge cape that does it
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It does add that much. Β You draw her very built here. Β The way she should be. Congrats.Β
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I like this look for her better.Β She has better symmetry here, and her current cape structure drives me nuts.Β Β
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I have to admit the current costumes cape being more or less wrapped around her neck does seem unwise for a character who tends to punch things a lot in combat. In spite of the sheer huge size of this cape, it does look easily detachable.
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And she would have to keep moving it consciously around.Β Superspeed or no.
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I wish they would give her back this particular bodysuit; but maybe shorten the cape a little!Β
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A slightly smaller cape wouldn't be a bad idea
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Right? Β It just seems like itβs too much. Β Plus one could argue that sheβs showing too much skin. Β I think she is showing just the right amount; and her kryptonian skin is invulnerable, so itβs not like she has to worry too much about protection!! Β Β Β
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It wasn't a bad look 
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It just felt like it had the best of both worlds. It still had the vibe of the boob window look, without the possibility of people going "BEWBS! HA!" like with the boob window look. A good compromise if you ask me. Doesn't change much and still keeps it iconic, that's how all costume redesigns should go unless it's trying for something RADICALLY different anyway.Β
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No problem, my friend. Just keep it up!
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1989... that would explain why, even though made of pure energy, Captain Atom appears to be sporting a mullet.
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Yep it does explain the style
The concept of him being pure energy was introduced much later and it tended to be pulled around by different writers as to how human he was or wasn't.
By the New 52 Reboot DC opted to make him pure energy, but as of the most recent story, 'The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom'Β he is back to being able to shift from flesh to metal at will ( although his shell is currently a dark red ) with his old incarnations powerset.
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They wouldn't be comic books if they didn't rewrite powers/personality/entire backstories at the drop of a hat...
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Thankyou, this one took some time
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Well, you did a very good job in that time.
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I believe not many people will love her outfit
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Loving the highlighting great job at this pic
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Ooooh a throwback. Awesome work here..... technically speaking isnβt Powergirl still stronger than Superman since sheβs from an alt reality? Or did they get rid of that kryptonite property?
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Thanks
The result was with Karen having a considerable drop in power, notably losing her flight, vision abilities, and going from being many times stronger than Superman, to being able leap large distances and of a comparable physical level to Captain Atom ( she wanted to see how she fared in combat, drawing fairly even against her team leader ).
Gradually her flight ability returned in the 1990's, and her powers went a bit all over the place, then as the 2000's confusion of Crisis events unfolded she went back to being Kryptonian but still classed as weaker than Superman.
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Yeesh well if anything sheβs gone through more developed that supergirl has... well vanilla supergirl anyway.
Last I checked alt reality versions of kryptonians were immune to different realities kryptonite that was a big point during infinite crisis when both supermen flew superboy to one of kryptons moons to try an weaken the little git. Sooo technically Powergirl is stronger than Superman... canβt have that now can we?
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It could have all been better threaded by later writers, but i agree everything the character went through made Power Girl interesting and developed. By contrast Supergirl has been more inconsistent in character and a bit bland.
I think that was possibly the reason DC reduced Power Girls powers.
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Well whatβs really annoying about supergirl is sheβs had some good ideas, Matrix was a shapeshifter Linda Danvers was a human who Matrix died saving and gave her superpowers and Cir El was a clone created by brainiac... Kara Zor el? .....zzzzzzz. I think no matter what dc doe to try to convince us about supergirl sheβs always going to be behind Powergirl in terms of back story or interesting developments... now if dc would just see that.
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Both Power Girl and Captain Atom look fantastic in this picture.
I've never seen any of the designs for either of them from back in those days, but I firmly believe you did a spectacular job here, adamantis.
I've also noticed how Power Girl's outfit is slightly different from its current design at chest level, so I take it that's how it looked back then.
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Thanks
I might have made a slight error with her costumes chest design, i think it curved rather than angled, i might redraw that shortly. Either way it was more a 'balcony' than a 'window' outfit and the actual chest level depended on the artist.
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Okay, no problem.
Any chance we might watch Power Girl coupled (romantically) by you with other heroes? 
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Thank you for the shoutout and for another nice classic pic!
Yeah Karen's backstory from those days is hard to keep track of. But it was nice to see her as a steady part of the Justice League.
Her story in the early pre-crisis stories might have been simple, but it workedβ sometimes overexplaining is not so great. But when I think of Matrix Supergirlβ it was that era!
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You're welcome, and thanks for giving me the idea
I've always felt she fitted in better with the JLI/E than she ever did with the JSA, it just suited her general character better and it gave us her cat 
It should have been easy by the 2000's to insert the sentence 'the Sorcerer Arion lied to the Karen Starr for his own goals' to explain the Atlantean arc, instead we got more random weaknesses, alternate realities, Superboy Prime, and no real explanation.
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Yup, it's never that easy, it seems!
Well, we always have those old comics.
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It looks great and definitely has that classic feel.I think that Karen's cape looks pretty stylish here but I have to agree that the atlantian idea could have been good if done properly and would have helped distinguish her as a separate person rather than an alternate Supergirl.
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When i think about it, If they had approached it with the same level of care as the Superman, Wonder Woman, and Captain Atom reboots of 1987 ( i included Cap because he was massively overhauled both visually and in personality to the point that he really was a DC creation rather than a Charlton Comics creation that DC had acquired, and it was done so confidently it didn't matter ) it could have worked to remake her into an ancient Atlantean. Thanks.
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