| Power Company | |
|---|---|
 The Power Company, art byTom Grummett. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | JLA #61 (February 2002) |
| Created by | Kurt Busiek (writer) Tom Grummett (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Base(s) | San Francisco |
| Member(s) | Bork Firestorm Josiah Power Manhunter Sapphire Skyrocket Striker Z Witchfire |
The Power Company is a team ofsuperheroes-for-hire in theDC Comics universe. The team, created byKurt Busiek andTom Grummett, first appeared inJLA #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 by theDominators' gene bomb, leading him to be dismissed from his law firm.[2] Power had little interest in becoming a traditional costumed hero, but it became readily apparent that he could not continue to practice law without attracting 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 theBlack 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" inJLA #107-114 (2004-2005). TheCrime Syndicate of America had attacked aS.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, inAction 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 inDark Side Club. After being rescued byMiss Martian and brought toTitans 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 ofJames Robinson'sJustice League of America title. They were hired to defend a S.T.A.R. Labs facility, only to be brutally defeated byDoctor Impossible and his new gang of villains. In a conversation at theJLA Watchtower, theGuardian mentions that all of the Power Company members are currently hospitalized, and that Josiah would have died hadMon-El not forced open his rib cage in order to help treat his heart.
Power Surge was aDC Comics event in 2002 intended to promote the start of The Power Company, a newcomic book series by writerKurt Busiek, who also wrote all seven issues ofPower Surge. The event was composed of seven eponymousone-shot issues highlighting 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, writerKurt Busiek used aretro style reminiscent ofDC Comics' 1980s output, and even incorporated characters who were not available under other circumstances, such as theFlash and theGreen Lantern, both of whom were dead in regularDC Comics continuity.
The comics featured were:
The Power Company had several superpowered partners and associates, as well a support staff dedicated to daily corporate operations. These included:
Other corporate superhero teams have been active in theDC Comics universe. The best known are the Conglomerate, theBlood Pack,Hero Hotline,S.T.A.R. Corps and the Captains of Industry.