Power Boy (New Earth)

The third and newest version of Power Boy first appearance in 52 Week 21, and the same month his picture and name appears on a database of new Teen Titans in Teen Titans vol. 3 #38 September 2006. He was created by Geoff Johns and Tony Daniel. He has a major storyline in Supergirl vol 5. Issues 11-15. The issues in which he appears was collected together in a trade paperback called Supergirl: Identity, which was published on November 21st, 2007.^[1]

The third "Power Boy" is briefly a member of the Teen Titans during the one year gap after the Infinite Crisis. This Power Boy made his first full appearance in 52: Week 21. Power Boy refers to Darkseid ("By Darkseid's testicles") and uses a Father Box, both of which refer to Jack Kirby's "Fourth World" characters. He also has a dog named Kirby, an analogue to Supergirl's cat Streaky. And wears a male version of Power Girl's costume, with a chest window.

Teen Titans

After Superboy's tragic death during the Infinite Crisis, the Teen Titans looked to bolster their ranks, so asked the superpowered duo of Power Boy and Little Barda (who also came from Apokolips) to join the team. And both agree to join Beast Boy's rag-tag team of Titans, hoping it would be good training and exposure. However, in 52: Week 21, when the Teen Titans met Lex Luthor's new Infinity Inc. superhero team, their "team-up" resulted in the tragic death of Infinity team member, Eliza Harmon. At Eliza's funeral, Hotspot, Little Barda and Power Boy all quit the Teen Titans. Unknown to the heroes, Eliza's death was actually caused by Lex Luthor himself.

Saves Supergirl

In Supergirl vol. 5 issue #11 (December 2006), somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, during an undercover mission for the Outsiders, Powerboy appeared at the last minute defeating the evil Meta-human pirates and saving the lives of Grace and Supergirl. His first words to the critically wounded Supergirl was, "Mark your calendar, Miss... Today's the day your life changed forever. I'm here to help." Off panel he takes Outsider member Grace and Supergirl to S.T.A.R. Labs for their recovery. Had he not arrived when he had, both would have died. Kara receives extensive sun therapy treatment to recover and heal at an accelerated rate.^[1]

Being a Hero

Later in Supergirl vol. 5 issue #13, he visits her at S.T.A.R. Labs, and introduces himself as the guy that saved her life. The young hero asks her to go on routine patrols. When asked his name by Supergirl he replies "Call me Powerboy. No relation."

While on patrol, the duo fly to Mexico, where they save hundreds of men, women, and children's lives during a Hurricane. Power Boy shows that not only can he speak Apokoliptian, and English, but also Spanish by talking in the language of those he saved. The rescued citizens were grateful for being saved by Powerboy and Supergirl. Yet, they are criticized and threatened by soldiers who say meta-humans have no right to interfere in the internal affairs of Mexico. Power Boy jokingly asks if he needed a note from the Justice League or God. And when told to leave Mexican airspace in three seconds or be considered terrorists, sarcastically apologizes for saving lives, and offers to put the hurricane back. He inhales a great deal of air, revealing he has super-breath powers like Power Girl, and that causes the military official to quickly change his mind. All the while, Supergirl is just watching and finding the whole situation amusing.

First Date

In Supergirl vol. 5 #13, they have a first date in Earth's orbit watching a meteor shower. Powerboy asks if this is the part where they trade origin stories, but Supergirl wanted to talk about other things, like favorite colors. The Girl of Steel then mentions beating Superman in a race, and decides to have a friendly race with him, flying off at super speed not saying where she's going. While calling him a newbie, she then realizes that he somehow beat her to the Hollywood Sign in Hollywood, California. He jokingly teases her that Superman must have let her win. As they sat on top of the Hollywood Sign, their romantic date came to a sudden end, when both were attacked from behind by Japanese super-villains Gakidou and Sakki; who had been hired by the League of Assassins to kill Supergirl for the evil Dark Angel; a rogue Monitor that wanted to eliminate all anomalies from the new DC Universe.

Power Boy was given the option to leave, but needing to maintain his facade of caring for Kara while secretly planning to dominate her,chose to stay and try to help. While fighting Gakidou, she used her ghosting powers to jam her wooden staff through the back of Power Boy's head, coming out through his mouth. Power Boy was left hanging on the bottom front section of the H of the Hollywood Sign. However, when Supergirl returned after beating the two lethal members of the League of Assassins, she found Power Boy in the shadows. She asks if he's okay and he in a good natured way said save for it hurting pretty bad he was okay.

Super Boyfriend

Despite the terrible first date, he becomes Supergirl's boyfriend. Over the weeks, they become closer, and he spends more time with her. Fighting off weekly attacks from the League of Assassins, such as the DNAngels. And spending time at her apartment with Kara's female cat Streaky, which uncharacteristically liked Power Boy and allowed him to hug her, thereby demonstrating that animals are not always good judges of character.

In Supergirl vol. 5 #14, he is shown being appearing to be extremely worried about Kara's safety after all the attempts on her life, because of course he wants her to surrender herself to him. So being over-protective of the first girl he's ever tried to own, asks her not to seek out her killer. Or to at the least let him go with her to help. For a moment when he loses control of his emotional powers, his eyes turn red, and he grabs Kara by the wrist. Kara asks him if they're having a problem, but he quickly regains control of his emotions, maintains his caring facade, kisses her hand, gives her a hug, and says he just didn't want to see anything happen to her. She replies that she's invulnerable, so will be okay. Telling him to instead hang out with her cat Streaky for a few hours. Supergirl is almost killed by the evil Cassandra Cain (formerly Batgirl and currently a leader of the League of Assassins) who has been targeting Supergirl for months. At the end of Supergirl #14, Kara calls Power Boy, and asks him to help take her friend Captain Boomerang to the hospital in New York. Wishing to appear a supportive boyfriend while actually trying to control Supergirl's every move, he does so, and stands vigil along with her, waiting for her friend to awake.^[1]

Super Fight

Supergirl vol. 5 #15 begins with Powerboy and Supergirl flying outside the window of Bellevue Hospital, New York, where Owen is recovering from being nearly tortured to death by Batgirl.

He jealously insists on making out when she suggests he go back to her place and wait with Streaky yet again while she sees her friend Captain Boomerang II. Power Boy's empathic powers erupt, with his eyes turning red, and energy emanating from his entire body. Power Boy attacked Kara with his empathic powers while ordering her not to turn her back on him while he's talking to her, revealing himself as the archetype of the domineering abusive male, knocking her unconscious by throwing her through several buildings and grinding her face down the entire height of a high-rise, then places strength-blocking handcuffs on Kara and kidnaps her back to his place to explain himself.

Origin Story

Supergirl awakes on a pink heart shaped bed, surrounded by flowers, boxes of chocolates, strawberries, champagne on ice, and Power Boy's dog Kirby looking on. She sees a wall covered in pictures of her, which causes her to realize he's psycho, while in fact he was Apokoliptian, so never used an Earth camera to spy on her, instead having had his Father Box to create the photos from the moments he had spent with her, and was only meant to show that he wanted to take charge of her life and possess her.

Power Boy attempts to explain how he isn't from Earth, but was born on Apokolips. That as a child Darkseid had taken him from his family, and genetically experimented on him. That he was turned into a power enhanced boy with various superpowers, including empathic powers that caused him to feel everyone's love, hate, and rage. How Darkseid had intended on him learning the ways of Earth, so he could act like a Earth hero, but really be a spy. However, due to being present when Darkseid had kidnapped and brainwashed Kara, his empathic powers caused him to fall instantly in love with her to the point of obsession. So he turned his back on Darkseid's plans for him, and along with Little Barda escaped from Apokolips, using Father Box to teleport to Earth, where he began his search for Kara in order to rule her life and subjugate her into his little slave.

Powerboy blamed his violent actions on an embarrassing side effect of his rage channeling powers. And said he only wanted to love her, and make her a better person. And not be a monster, thereby revealing himself as a monster.

Break Up

She violently breaks up with him, by setting his glove on fire with heat vision.

Power Boy doesn't try to fight back, because he wants to pacify her before he starts whaling on her again, so she won't be able to struggle so much. Instead, attempting to talk his twisted psychotic brand of sense to her, and get her to calm down, as abusers do. But, seeing his true character, she beats him soundly, while saying "you don't hit someone you love." She then tries to defeat him by dropping his home on him. Then Power Boy was able to use his Father Box to escape into space. But using her super-speed, Kara catches up with Power Boy, giving him a well-deserved knee in his groin. She then threatens to break every bone in his body if he ever tries to look at her, talk to her, or write her again. She damages his Father Box, which Power Boy had a physical/mental link too. He begs her to toss it into the sun before it explodes, she does so, but before the sun could melt it down, it exploded creating a momentary tear in the fabric of space and time. When Supergirl looked around to ask Power Boy what happened, he was no where to be seen having been caught at a different point in the wake of the temporal explosion. So was left unclear how it affected him.^[1]

A Final Note

A few months after the breakup, in Supergirl vol. 5 #19, Supergirl returns to her home, to find her apartment stalkerishly covered in roses and a note saying "I forgive you! Let's work it out. Yours always, Power Boy." Obviously deluded, he had not yet given up hope of turning her into his slave.

Teen Titans East

He appeared in the Titans East Special #1, January 2007. And despite Cyborg knowing about his violent breakup with Supergirl. Due to Power Boy having Supergirl level superpowers; his willingness to change and learn from his past mistakes; and the potential to be a great superhero, if guided in the right direction; Cyborg selected Power Boy to be a new member of the Superhero team Teen Titans East.

The night before his first meeting with the new team, he is shown to have had a consensual one night stand with an older teenage girl named Hawk (Holly Granger). His only canonical sexual relationship. Yet still showed his obsessive love with Supergirl, by convincing Hawk into wear a Supergirl costume while they have sex. And still having pictures of Supergirl on his wall, though not as many as before.

However, whatever chance to make amends to Supergirl; and whatever future Powerboy might have had as a teenage superhero was unexpectedly ended. For during the teams first training session, all the new Teen Titans East members: Anima, Hawk & Dove, Lagoon Boy, Little Barda, Son of Vulcan, and Power Boy are found critically wounded or killed. Power Boy, is badly burned, and impaled through the chest by a large tree branch at the hands of an as yet unknown assailant.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Due to being born on Apokolips and enhanced by Darkseid, the third Power Boy has superhuman strength, speed, and durability that is sufficient to allow him to engage in physical combat with Supergirl. Power Boy also has the ability to fly and survive in space unaided.
In Supergirl #15, it is confirmed that the third Power Boy is an empath, as he can "feel everyone's love, pain, hate..." and this somehow fuels his energy manipulation powers. So far he's displayed the ability to generate energy constructs, such as shields and a gigantic hand, as well as the ability to unleash powerful bolts that seem like red electricity.
Weaknesses
A side-effect of the third Power Boy's empathic powers can cause him to absorb negative emotions and lose control becoming even more violent and psychotic.

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Father Box: (an Apokoliptan version of the Mother Box) that could communicate telepathically with him, heal his injuries, manipulate his life-force to sustain him past fatal wounds, create a hush-tube to teleport across great distances, and do many other things.

Links and References

None.

Footnotes

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Supergirl: Identity Trade Paperback November 2007

External Links

References

[identity-0] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Supergirl: Identity Trade Paperback November 2007

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