TITLE: Power Pack Vol. 1, Issue 1
YEAR: August 1984
COMPANY: Marvel Comics
Script-Creators-Penciller: Louise Simonson, June Brigman
Inker: Bob Wiacek
Colorist: Glynis Wein
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Editor: Carl Potts
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter
It was 1984 and I was a kid who picked up his first issue of writer Louise Simonson and artist June Brigman’s first issue of “Power Pack”.
A series that lasted for 62 issues and had a few returns with various mini-series, “Power Pack” was a beloved series for me as a child as it showcased a group of children granted special powers by an dying alien (sound familiar?) to save the world.
It was so fascinating to see Marvel released a superhero book showcasing young children (at the time, around my age) and for the young me, who wish he was a superhero, reading this was like the most awesome thing that gave us a creative look of children granted with powers, but how were they going to use their newfound powers? Considering the fact that they are just young kids.
No, this was nothing like “The New Mutants”, this was something different, new and entertaining.
Surprising to find out that this book was created because Marvel had a policy that all editors should write and for Louise Simonson, an editor at the time, with many new editors hired, she had less of a workload and thus, she proposed the idea to Jim Shooter and she and June Brigman created “Power Pack”.
The series revolved around the Power family, which consists of children Alex, Julie, Jack and Katie and their parents, their father being a scientist working on anti-matter conversion and his boss wanting it tested before its even ready.
Meanwhile, above Earth, Aelfyre “Whitey” Whitemane is from another planet. When he finds out that a test on the anti-matter project is going to be tested and destroy their world, Whitey tried to send a message to Earth to warn them. But an enemy alien race known as the Snarks have intercepted the message and now want that technology and that’s by obtaining Mr. Power.
When Whitey’s sentient ship “Friday” is shot down, Whitey lands the vehicle near the Power family home.
And because news reported people seeing U.F.O.’s, the kids are hoping to see it with a telescope.
And as the kids spend a night outside, young Katie spots the “Friday” in the water and the children go to check out the space craft.
Whitey reveals himself to the children and tells them his purpose of being on Earth, but when the Snarks come to get the Mr. Power and his wife, the kids try to save their parents, but find out how futile for them to fight against the Snarks.
Whitey uses his power to save the children but is shot while protecting them and the wound is fatal.
With only a short time of life, the only way to save the world is by splitting his power and giving them to the children.
Whitey passes away after transferring his power, but the children knowing they must save their parents learn of their new special abilities. Alex has the power to control gravity, Julie can fly at the speed of light, Jack has the power to control mass and Katie has the power of energy.
And now the children must do what they can to save their parents and defeat the Snark.
Overall, for a Marvel Comic series, some may find the series cheesy, considering the heroes are children, I found “Power Pack” to be refreshingly new compared to the established titles from Marvel at the time and one of the comic books that proved that targeting a child demographic for comic books can and will work and “Power Pack” would last for years as a series.
Unfortunately, my time reading the comic book would end within two years later as my comic book collecting would end with the urging of my parents. So, I never knew how “Power Pack” would go on years later. Hopefully, a release in omnibus?
Needless to say, “Power Pack” was no doubt one of my favorite comic books to read in the mid-80s.