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Publisher |
DC |
Cover Artist |
Kevin Maguire |
Published | May 2012 |
REBIRTH After rescuing Helena Wayne from angry mobsters in Italy, Karen Starr takes her friend out for dinner in Tokyo. Helena burns her fake passport, effectively putting to rest Helena Bertinelli, whose identity she assumed following her death. She wonders whom she ought to become next. At this, Karen offers a toast, "To other lives, and the hope we can have them back someday." This, in reference to the fact that neither woman is of this world. Helena believes that the idea of going home is a fairy tale. They are interrupted by a call on Karen's phone about a fire at her newest Starr Enterprises lab. They rush to the scene and, desperate to assure the safety of the Quantum Tunneller - a device she stole from Holt Industries, Karen runs into the burning building. Helena follows, changing into her Huntress costume, and musing that not everyone has a hide of steel. While investigating the scene, Helena finds incendiaries, indicating that the fire was not an accident. She eventually catches up with Karen, whose clothing is now in tatters. Karen stands despondent, staring at the device which she had hoped would be the key to getting them back home; now a wreck. Using her super-vision, though, Karen notices that some of the radioactives at the lab are missing, and one container looks as though it has been chewed. Helena takes the opportunity to point out Karen's shredded clothing, and tells her to get a costume. Five years ago on Earth 2, Helena was Robin and Karen - then Kara - was Supergirl. They had just witnessed the deaths of each of their mentors and family members at the hands of Steppenwolf and his Parademons. Still, just moments after Helena had watched her own father die, the girls were startled by the appearance of an emerging Boom Tube. They saw a figure within it, and gave chase. However, what lay on the other side of the portal was not what they had expected. They found themselves falling from the sky and into a body of water. Kara fell unconscious, and Helena dragged her to shore. When Kara awoke, Helena revealed that they appear to have wound up in a whole new world - one that still has its heroes. 59 months ago, Helena and Karen discussed what to do next. Karen was preoccupied with the need to return to Earth 2 and rescue what's left of their world from Darkseid, but it appeared that he was a threat to this world as much as he was to theirs. Helena considered that as a mere human, Robin wouldn't be much use against the forces of Darkseid, but Karen was appreciative of her help in any case - particularly her having managed to steal some money from Wayne Enterprises, with the knowledge that this earth's Bruce Wayne would not likely miss it. A few weeks ago, Helena and Karen had settled into their new lives. Karen used her powers quietly, working to buy or "borrow" as much advanced technology as possible. She had since become a public figure and quite wealthy. Helena, on the other hand, was content to become an urban legend, fighting crime as the Huntress. Now, Helena's remark about costumes reminds Karen of the thing she had meant to show her friend. Hoping it was not also destroyed in the fire, Karen retrieves a new costume from a box. Finally, after five years, she has taken the "new world, new identity" suggestion to heart, and takes on the name of Power Girl. Just then, they hear an explosion elsewhere in the lab. Karen changes into her costume at super speed, and rushes ahead of Helena. Within seconds, she is thrown back, and admits that their opponent is more powerful than she thought. He steps out of the wreckage, calling himself Hakkou, and looking for a fight.