| Publisher: | DC Comics |
| Debut: | JLA #61 (February 2002) |
| Creators: | Kurt Busiek (writer) Tom Grummett (artist) |
| Base: | San Francisco |
| Members: | Bork Firestorm Josiah Power Manhunter Sapphire Skyrocket Striker Z Witchfire |
| Subcat: | DC Comics |
| Hero: | y |
The Power Company is a team of superheroes-for-hire in the DC Comics universe. The team, created by Kurt Busiek and Tom Grummett, first appeared in JLA #61 (February 2002).[1] They subsequently starred in an eponymous series that ran for eighteen issues, from April 2002 to September 2003, also written by Busiek.
Josiah Power was one of America's best lawyers until his meta-gene was triggered during the alien invasion by the activation of the Gene Bomb.[2]
Following the untimely public activation of his metagene in the courtroom, attorney Josiah Power is dismissed from his law firm. Power had little interest in becoming a traditional costumed hero, but it became readily apparent that he could not continue to practice law without any undue public attention. He capitalizes on his professional experience to organize a for-hire team of heroes much along the lines of a law firm. Their very first mission as a team is against the East Asian criminal organization known as the Black Dragon Society. They successfully defuse a hostage situation initiated by the Society and returned to their base of operations.
The Power Company make a brief one panel appearance in a later Justice League of America story arc, "Syndicate Rules" in JLA #107-114 (2004-2005). The Crime Syndicate of America had attacked a S.T.A.R. Labs facility in San Francisco and the Power Company is shown and described to have been defeated.
Skyrocket is seen much later, in Action Comics #832-833 as one of the dozens of superpowered beings. She is part of a small grouping of escaped beings who save the rest and the world from the attentions of marauding aliens. A communications error beams the adventures of Skyrocket and her allies to every single TV on earth.
Sapphire was abducted and became a combatant in Dark Side Club. After being rescued by Miss Martian and brought to Titans Tower with the other survivors, she leaves, preferring to stay loyal to the "forgotten, but not gone" Power Company.
Recently, the team appeared in the pages of James Robinson's Justice League of America title. They were hired to defend a S.T.A.R. Labs facility, only to be brutally defeated by Doctor Impossible and his new gang of villains. In a conversation at the JLA Watchtower, the Guardian mentions that all of the Power Company members are currently hospitalized, and that Josiah would've died had Mon-El not forced open his rib cage in order to help treat his heart.
Power Surge was a DC Comics event in 2002 intended to promote the start of The Power Company, a new comic book series by writer Kurt Busiek, who also wrote all seven issues of Power Surge. The event was composed of seven eponymous one-shot issues (although each story had its own title), each highlighting one of the seven primary members of the Power Company. Each story prominently featured the involvement of a classic, already-famous comic book character (with the 'classic' character looming much larger on the cover than the book's nominal main character).
Since each issue was essentially an origin story told in the past tense, writer Kurt Busiek could indulge in a playfully retro style reminiscent of DC Comics' 1980s output, and even incorporate characters who were not available under other circumstances, such as the Barry Allen Flash and the Hal Jordan Green Lantern, both of whom were "dead" in regular DC Comics continuity.
The comics featured were:
The Power Company had several superpowered partners and associates, as well a support staff dedicated to day to day corporate operations. These included:
Other corporate superhero teams have been active in the DC Comics universe. The best known are the Conglomerate, the Blood Pack, Hero Hotline, S.T.A.R. Corps and the Captains of Industry.