by Libbylawrence
Power Girl found herself tossed back through time to the year 1959, realizing her location and era quickly enough through judicious use of her super-senses. She frowned as she recalled her past time-travel adventures.
Great. Every time I end up in some other era, I end up caught in some battle that has nothing to do with me, she mused. It’s 1959, so what’ll it be this time? Bat-Mite gone bad?
A giggle echoed above her. Power Girl whirled around to see a lovely little blonde girl of around twelve. She wore a gold and brown outfit with shorts. She floated in midair and smiled warmly at Kara Zor-L.
“Bat-Mite gone bad?” she said telepathically. “That’s a good one. You’re funny!”
“You read my mind!” said Power Girl. “Who are you?”
The girl smiled and said aloud, “Sorry, I could not resist. You look so interesting. My name is Liandly. I see you are the cousin of my good friend Superman!”
Kara blinked. “Liandly! You — you’re the so-called super-girl from Team Justice!” She had heard of the other-dimensional girl who had been befriended and taken in by Clark and Lois Kent back in the 1950s during a few brief visits from her world of Rolez to theirs. They had named her Linda Lee as an Earth version of her name, which was one of those parallel-world coincidences in that the Supergirl of Earth-One was originally given that name by Superman. Liandly had used her remarkable powers to aid Superman in battle against Colonel Future and later to assist the short-lived team called Team Justice, which had filled the gap between the disbanding of the JSA and their return. (*) Kara had always been slightly resentful of the girl’s role as a predecessor of hers of sorts.
[(*) Editor’s note: See “Where Off Earth Are You From?” Superman Family #220 (July, 1982) and Showcase: Team Justice: Times Past, 1959: Justice in the Making, Chapter 4: Conspiracy and Corruption.]
“You don’t belong here, do you?” asked Liandly. “You have extra chronal energy within you. Do you want me to send you home?”
“Well, aren’t we just omnipotent?” said Power Girl sarcastically.
Liandly laughed. “Not really. I like your spunk! Why don’t you stay here and help me? I could use another friend. My teammates are in trouble.” She gestured to where colorful costumed youths fought a repulsive-looking bald man dressed in a tuxedo whose eyes gleamed madly.
“Those are the other Team Justice kids, right? I can help, but they seem to be outclassed by an old man in a tux,” sneered Power Girl.
Liandly shook her blonde curls. “He is more than just a man. He contains an energy being known as Zor, who once fought the JSA. (*) He now inhabits the soulless body of the evil occultist called Bandar, head of the Crimson Circle Mystic Society, who fought the Spectre!” (*)
[(*) Editor’s note: See “The Workshop of Willie Wonder,” All-Star Comics #31 (October-November, 1946) and The Spectre, More Fun Comics #70 (August, 1941).]
Power Girl flew toward the group, noticing the tough scrapper called Bearcat — who wore a Wildcat-inspired costume — swinging furiously at the man, only to have his every blow shrugged off with ease. “This creep just absorbs my every punch,” said Sam Skinner. “He takes the impact right out!”
The red, gold, and blue-costumed Mister Alpha, leader of the team, shouted, “Don’t give up! We need to get him to expend his energy, if possible! Zor can’t exist on this plane for long in any normal host. He burns them up.”
The beautiful golden age Fury tackled Zor and wrestled him to the ground, while her sleek and sassy ally Aqua-Girl shoved him flat.
“We can hold him, but nothing hurts him!” cried Selena, the lovely Aqua-Girl, as her Atlantean muscles strained against the nearly glowing host of Zor.
Power Girl frowned as her costume suddenly turned into the yellow slippers, yellow minidress, and mask she wore as Lightning Girl during a time-travel trip to 1939, when she teamed up with a young Superman. (*)
[(*) Editor’s note: See Power Girl: Kara’s Quest, Chapter 4: Superman and Lightning Girl.]
“You can’t reveal yourself yet,” said Liandly mentally. “Remember, you don’t even get here for a while yet. I figured a little matter transmutation would work to make you seem like Lightning Girl once more.”
Power Girl nodded. The kid was good — annoying, but good. She flew down to where the two women were suddenly slammed directly into one another by the laughing Bandar, or Zor, or whoever he was.
“My power grows!” he cackled. “Soon, I’ll claim an even stronger host!”
Power Girl slugged him directly in the mouth. “Oh, just shut up!” she snapped. She frowned as her super-memory recalled that Doctor Fate had once told her that Bandar had been sent to Earth-One years ago while fighting Sargon the Sorcerer. (*) Fate got it all wrong, unless this energy being was split into two duplicates, she thought. That could explain how he could be here now on Earth-Two, and also allegedly leave for Earth-One in 1950.
[(*) Editor’s note: See Showcase: TNT and Dynamite: Explosive Personality.]
Zor touched her, and Kara screamed, falling as her bones suddenly gleamed through her skin. “That maniac actually hurt me!” she gasped.
“Lightning Girl?!” shouted Mister Alpha. “You haven’t been seen since 1939!”
She screamed at the top of her voice at Zor, “Get back!” The sonic force of her super-voice hit him like a wave, but he merely laughed.
Liandly frowned. “I can try to place mental dampeners on him so he will forget that he is Zor.” She darted forward and touched his brow. Instantly he fell down, and Kara punched him with all her might. He did not move, and the glow faded away.
“You did it,” said Liandly, smiling. “You stunned his mortal host long enough for me to affect Zor’s mind. He no longer recalls that he is anything more than a mortal named Bandar!”
“Wait!” said Fury. “Won’t he burn up the frail body?”
“Nope! The magical power possessed by the real Bandar’s body will be strong enough to contain Zor, as long as Zor is not aware of his own capabilities,” said Liandly with a smile.
“Can you send me home?” asked Power Girl.
Liandly nodded. “I’m sorry I annoy you. I didn’t mean to be the first super-girl on this Earth… or am I second? That magic talisman one counts, too!”
Power Girl softened and said, “I’m sorry. I’m the original bad-attitude poster girl. You’ll have to forgive me.”
Liandly kissed her and said, “See you soon!”
Power Girl found herself in the present, where Red Robin, Superman, and Lois Kent rushed to embrace her.
“Kara, darling, are you OK?” asked Lois.
“I’m fine. Only, I have this odd craving to watch Ozzie and Harriet!” she joked.
The End