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Power Girl and Superman Battle the villain Maaldor The Dark Lord in a comic I had recently picked up. The story, which I consider an early Power Girl comic, takes place in DC Comics Presents 56 from April of 1983. The title is “Death in a Dark Dimension” and worth reading cover to cover.
The plot is that Power Girl and Superman are kidnapped from different dimensions for the amusement of Maaldor. The problem is that he is significantly stronger than the both of them, creating a true challenge. Power Girl is defeated to the brink of death. Superman is so outraged that he opens a can of whoop-ass on Maaldor to teach him a lesson. The emotional intensity makes this a truly phenomenal story.
This comic, being from 1983, is when DC’s Power Girl had an outfit that was not totally sexist at the time. Unlike her current outfit which you commonly see illustrated by such artists as Adam Hughes or Amanda Connor, there is no cut-out to expose her cleavage. Do not get me wrong, super cleavage could be a great asset to any crime-fighter, however the eye-rolling it creates tends to distract from the storyline. On the same topic, Power Girl’s bust, cup size, bra size, however you want to phrase it, is noticeably more in proportion to her body.
Power Girl is hot, but Power girl and Superman working together is even hotter. Just seeing the two of them plummet Maaldor into oblivion creates enough excitement to get me through the day. DC Comics Presents 56 is Bronze Age glory (Affiliate Link) with its wonderful newsprint pages that you never see anymore. If you enjoy seeing Power Girl and Superman punching people in the spleen, add it to your collection and give it the reading it deserves.
Why the Power Girl Superman Team-Up in DC Comics Presents 56 Deserves More Hype
The Power Girl Superman team-up in DC Comics Presents 56 isn’t just a fun Bronze Age slugfest: it’s a rare moment where Power Girl gets to shine without being reduced to a punchline or a pin-up. And that alone makes it worth revisiting.
Power Girl has always had a complicated place in DC’s lineup. She’s strong, smart, and often written with more edge than her cousin Kal-El. But she’s also been saddled with some of the most objectified costume designs in comics. That’s why this issue stands out. In DC Comics Presents 56, she’s not just Superman’s sidekick or eye candy — she’s a co-lead in a high-stakes, dimension-hopping brawl against a cosmic-level threat.
Maaldor the Darklord might not be a household name, but he’s the kind of villain who exists purely to push heroes to their limits. And in this case, he nearly kills Power Girl. That moment, where Superman sees her broken and unleashes his full fury, is one of the more emotionally charged scenes from this era. It’s not subtle, but it’s effective.
What’s also refreshing is how the comic lets Power Girl be powerful without constantly undercutting her. She’s not cracking jokes about her chest or being sidelined for Superman to save the day. She fights, she bleeds, and she earns her place in the story.
So if you’re tired of modern portrayals that lean too hard into cheesecake or turn Power Girl into a walking meme, this issue is a reminder of what she can be when given the space to actually be a character. It’s not perfect, but it’s a solid entry in the short list of stories that treat her with some actual respect, and let her punch a god in the face while doing it.