Marvel Comics has just announced their youngest superhero team Power Pack will be receiving a new five-issue miniseries scheduled for April 2020. The series, written by Squirrel Girl writer Ryan North and artist Nico Leon, will emerge out of Marvel’s Outlawed, banning teenage vigilantes.
While Power Pack members Alex and Julie have remained in the comic book spotlight through supporting roles in Runaways and Future Foundation, this miniseries will be the first time in years the entire Power family has reunited in the present-day Marvel Universe. The news is particularly exciting considering Marvel has been interested in a Power Pack movie since the start of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, Power Pack was one of the first MCU films planned, along with properties like Black Panther and Cloak & Dagger.
Now, with a new wave of Marvel Disney+ TV shows in the works – and a need for new MCU characters who appeal to all ages – renewed interest in Power Pack could finally make an MCU version of Marvel’s youngest superheroes a reality! Which means it’s time for fans to get to know the pack.
Who Are Marvel’s Power Pack?
Power Pack is the name given to a group of four siblings – Alex, Julie, Jack, and Katie Power – who starred in their own comic book back in the 1980s. While teenage superheroes were popular since Spider-Man debuted, Power Pack’s members were even younger – Katie, the youngest, had just started kindergarten. After an encounter with a dying alien gifts the kids with incredible powers, the family decides to use their abilities to save the world – first by repelling an alien invasion and later by dealing with more street-level threats.
While Power Pack emphasized the wonder of experiencing the Marvel Universe through the eyes of a child, creators Louise Simonson and June Brigman regularly challenged the kids by making them deal with social injustices – from kidnapping, to drug abuse, to homelessness. While the children’s powers allowed them to make an impact on these problems, the kids regularly argued with each other over the best way to use their gifts to help others. This family dynamic mirrored the Fantastic Four while the kids’ struggles with superhero responsibilities often resembled Spider-Man’s. However, their youth and sibling bond/rivalry gave the book a unique flavor that earned them a strong following.
Power Pack ran for 62 issues (plus one Holiday Special). Subsequently, some of the kids would guest star in other comic books, notably Alex Power in The New Warriors. During the 2000s, writer Marc Sumerak and artist team Gurihiru resurrected the team in several miniseries that saw the Power children team up with different Marvel superheroes, including Spider-Man, Thor, Wolverine, and even the Incredible Hulk. However, these stories were set in a separate continuity and did not follow the mainstream universe’s Power Pack.
Where Will The New Power Pack Comic Take The Team?
According to official solicitation information, the new Power Pack miniseries will take place within the mainstream Marvel continuity and in the aftermath of the Outlawed event after a new law bans teenage superheroes. As such, it should acknowledge several changes to the Power family – the biggest being that all of the kids have aged since their original series. Alex (originally 12) is now a young adult last seen teaching a class of super geniuses in Future Foundation. Julie (originally 10) recently dropped out of college after pursuing an acting career and joining The Loners, a group of ex-teen superheroes. She also came out as openly bi-sexual and has dated both Karolina Dean, the alien member of The Runaways and Rebecca “Rikki” Barnes, a female alternate universe Bucky.
The youngest Power Pack members have not been seen as much, although Katie (originally 5) reappeared in the one-shot Power Pack #63 as a middle schooler. Middle child Jack (originally 8) also briefly appeared as a teenager in a post-Secret Wars story with his sisters. As such, only Jack and Katie may fall under the anti-teen hero law, which may affect both the group dynamic and the plot of the new miniseries. Ryan North has said the story will focus on the siblings’ relationship along with “an examination of what being a superhero actually means,” suggesting the miniseries will retain the themes that earned the original Power Pack series a devoted following.
Could Renewed Interest in Power Pack Bring Them to The MCU?
With the large number of Marvel Disney+ TV shows and movies announced, the options for Power Pack to join the MCU have only increased. Marvel TV shows like Runaways (currently streaming its third season on Disney+) have already shown comics starring younger heroes can be translated onto the small screen. Moreover, rumors of an upcoming Young Avengers MCU movie hint that Marvel is interested in bringing younger heroes to its cinematic universe as well.
In fact, Power Pack was already once adapted into a TV show. In 1991, a single pilot episode of Power Pack was aired on Fox. The pilot involved the Power siblings getting ready for a new school year while also dealing with a phantom haunting an abandoned house. Although the pilot failed to launch a series, the time may finally be right for the MCU to create their own version of Power Pack – one more faithful to the original source material.
Regardless, the fact that Power Pack has managed to sustain interest for almost forty years shows its mix of youth, family dynamics, and super powers continues to strike a chord in fans. Whether the Power family finally makes their way into the MCU remains to be seen, but readers will be getting a brand-new adventure with this unique superhero team when Power Pack #1 comes out in April 2020.
- POWER PACK #1 (of 5) Written by: Ryan North Art by: Nico Leon Cover by: Ryan Stegman Variant Cover by: Nico Leon Variant Cover by Eduard Petrovich Power Pack is back! Katie, Julie, Jack and Alex Power have been super-heroing since they were learning to tie their own shoes. It’s been ages since they fought side by side as a family, but a special occasion — and an old grudge — is about to put the gang back together. There’s just one teeny tiny hiccup: a brand–new law restricting underage super heroes! But surely, if the fate of all New York City is at stake, the powers that be will make an exception? Keep your fingers crossed as the Power siblings fight for their right to save the world!
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