Unpacking the Power of Power Pack

We have done it. After over 8 years, we have finally covered the entirety of the Power Pack series. Issues 1 to 63. Look at us, we are big boys now. Admit it, you did not think we would do it. You did not think we would get here. You thought that we would flake out or get so far offline that we would not get here...but here we are.

Now that we are here, we should talk about this issue. And maybe we will. We don't know. Much like our protagonist, we may act like a disaffected teenage girl. You can't tell us what to do. First off, all, this is all written in the past, probably early in the morning before the author has metabolized his coffee. Deal with it.

Good new, we can tell you that we see all of the Pack. All of the kids show up, and three-fourths of them are mostly themselves. Sure, it is a flashback to simpler times when bedrooms were shared, but it is a new story, a continuation of a plot, and fun little romp.

So, let's talk about the possession in the room. I do not think a Jesuit priest or some Georgetown steps are going to help our boy Alex here. In fact, nine out of ten doctors all ran screaming from exam rooms when confronted with similar patients. The tenth was eaten.

I will tell you one person who does not want to deal with possession problems; the possessed Alex. And can you blame him. New body, crushed soul, so many people to abuse or kill. Why would he want to give that up. Mayhem and chaos, baby!!!

Some people like chaos, confusion and conflagration. They like the pretty lights and the shiny toys. They like to roast in the fire of their madness and bake in the sunshine of terror. That is the way they roll.

Speaking of which, destruction and devastation are great D words. The descriptions of the demolishment of the downtown scene is delicious. I have lost the thread.

I guess I want to say that Alex is on his own journey of self-discovery. It is good to express your devilish persona whenever you can. Bazinga my friend, bazinga.

And now we shall continue to provide you all with more Power Pack content.

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It is time to get our Darkhawk on! We have a legacy issue, honoring one of those great, underutilized treats from the 1990's. And, thanks to a couple of poignant flashbacks that feature his time with the Loners, we can talk about it. So, sit back, grab that can of Jolt Cola, and make sure you have your flannel on, cause we have to get hawkin....

Wait, did I just type, "hawkin"? That is not a thing. Chris Powell never said that about himself. that is a stupid catch phrase. Why would anyone allow me to write something like that? Why would they allow me to type with no shirt on?

Wait a minute, I think the problem is that I am hungry. I need to get some donuts and coffee, stat! I wonder if I can order out for that? I think the number for Uber is 911.

While I am waiting for those, I guess I can talk about crystals. This may be a short conversation, because I actually do not know much about crystals. I know someone named Crystal. She is pretty cool, but I do not think that she has magic powers. But I have never asked her.

Now, I have never seen her change into a powerful alien. To be fair, I have never seen a powerful alien. I have also never tried plugging a crystal into a light socket. I have out a key in a light socket. I do not recommend that.

What was I talking about? Oh yes, rain during a drive to work. I hate that. It makes the displeasure of heading to work more displeasureable. Apparently, that is not a word. Oh dear. I do not know what to do now. I hope they do not send the Word Police after me.

They sent the Word Police after me. This was to be expected. I have been pushing the line with my grammar, word choices, and spelling for a while. I am hoping it is just a warning.

Yaknow what? I am still waiting for my donuts.

Check out the art at our website:  https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2026/08/27/darkhawk-vol-2-51-the-return/

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Wait...What is this? Is that most of Power Pack in a comic book? Why, yes it is! Our little Power Pack podcast is going to actually cover a comic with all of Power Pack in it. And look at this alternate cover of this book. That is pure awesomeness. But you already knew that, cause that is why you are here.

Now that the gushing is out of the way, let's be honest. There really is not much here. This is just a short story in a book with three stories. It is a little slice of life, check in, chatty little comic.

So what should we talk about? I guess we can talk about how nasty fruit is. I mean, ugh....healthy and stuff. Who needs that? Who wants that? Do I look like a rabbit? Are my ears long and my nose twitchy? No!!! I want meat!

I will accept some cheese and crackers too. I will tell you what I would do if I was given a platter of fruit. Why, I would develop magic space powers and disintegrate that plate. That's right. And then I would blast the trees making that nasty poison.

There, my mini rant is done. I hope you have all learned something today. Invest in plastics....or...something.

We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u

Check out the artwork at our website:  https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2026/08/07/civil-war-ii-choosing-sides-4-power-pack/

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Secret Wars Three, baby!!!!! That is right. We are (sorta) starting our coverage of the amazing event here. Then we are putting the rest behind a paywall. Why, because that is how we roll. For now, let us take a look at this Free Comic Book Day book.

Like any good war, secret or otherwise, there is a lot of pushing and posturing and "boy you are lucky they are holding me back" moments. And this is the same. But it really is between realities more than people. And concepts. And cookies

Why did this war happen? Well, there are many reasons. But I like to think that the whole reason the mess started was because Namor stole Dr. Dooms radio. I know I am probably wrong, but it sounds like a reasonable reason for a war.

But think about the kids!!!! OK, fine, let's think about the kids. First of all, they are too smart for their own good. They probably are the real cause of the war. Why do they need to scheme so much? Why aren't bikes good enough for them? Geez.

In the end, it does not matter who started what. A war was started, and it was not really all that secret. And it happened for a third time. And this probably won't be the last time. OK, let's just blame the kids.

Shameless plug to join our Patreon and listen to our entire Secret Wars coverage, and a lot of other great content.

Check out our website at:  https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2026/07/28/free-comic-book-day-2015-secret-wars-1-secret-wars-0/

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We have reached the end of Fantastic Four...Again. It is not your imagination, this is not a drill, this is not a test. At the end of every run, it seems to be a big conclusion story, and this run by James Robinson does not seem to be any different. So, this is a big old book, and we are two big old men. Here...we...go......

When my co-host got around to finally reading this book, he was shocked. He was not expecting so many pages. He also was not expecting me to change all of the light bulbs in his house to blue colored ones and to turn his computer screen to red. He never expected me to break into his house and replace all of his furniture with cardboard.

I also programmed his phone to identify me as "Daddy" and him as an "Evil Jerk". Mostly because later I wanted to surprise him and say, "Who's your daddy know?". Later I realized that this was creepy. Still, pretty good joke.

Later, I sent a team of super-villains to attack him while he was doing yard work. My original plan was to send them while he was sleeping, but then I saw that the cost for them to attack at night was much higher. I took the matinee discount.

The best thing that I did was to hire a team of drone operators that had modified their drones to shoot fire. Some people might call it unethical or dangerous, but I just call it the next step in the evolution for our destruction...and pretty cool. This firebug team did multiple flybys of his home in the middle of the night, causing a bit of panic. It was awesome.

After the family was outside, I had the drones make a rude gesture in the sky. I mean, why not, amiright? If you are going all out, you might as well be juvenile about it.

Needless to say, Jeff punched me. Man, he cannot take a joke.

The moral of this story is to invest in plastics.

Check out the art we were talking about here: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2026/07/28/fantastic-four-2014-v5-645-fantastic-four/

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We are in the thick of it. The penultimate issue of this run. Fights occurring, punches throwing, dreams invading, words writing, etcetera ectering. This is a book with both pictures and words. There is plot, there is development. There is a podcaster who is struggling to write on a Monday morning.

There is a problem. And when there is a problem, you need a team to deal with it. Assembling your team is important and vital. You should be careful in choosing, or else you will get stuck with a throwaway 90's character. And nobody wants that to happen.

When putting your team together, first impressions are everything. You should think about how you present and introduce yourself. Hugging your interviewer during the meeting process is not a good start.

Fighting with your team is good. Fighting against your team is bad. Know the difference.

You should know how to pose for team photos. Some say teamwork, some say power compatibility, I say it is all about how you all strut. You need balance or an understanding of lead and support. You need to show power, to be power.

After your team has successfully mastered posing in front of a camera, and testing your super-powers at least once, you should be ready to face an evil super villain. Go big or go home. Either way, you will probably go home in a box, but you will look good doing it.

Alternatively, you can just do it all yourself and smack fools.

Gather your team, and listen to our podcast.

Bravo, you have made it to the end of this rant. Here is to the next one.

Check out some of the pictures we talk about on our website: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2026/06/29/fantastic-four-2014-v5-644-back-in-blue-part-4/

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Some would say that this comic represents the real life, not just fantasy. We are going to open your eyes to see that Franklin is just powerful boy, whose entire family loves. The wind is blowing and it is bothering everyone.

Are you confused? Did you just kill a man? Did pull the trigger and now he is dead? These are all fine questions, and the answers are easy come, and easy go.

What does Namor think? Just that it is too late, his time has come. Shivers rune down his spine, body's aching all the time. He wants to say goodbye everybody, he's got to go. He has to leave them all behind and face the truth.

Rick Sheridan really does not care any way the wind blows.

The Thing is very straight forward. He just sees a little silhouetto of a man. Ben wants to do the Fandango. He wants thunderbolt and lightning. The Thing wants to be very, very frightening.

And dear Dragonman and Alex. Beelzebub has made you a devil for this fight. You can't stone or spin in their eyes. You definitely can't love and leave them to die. Oh, baby, don't do this to me.

I just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here.

If you want to see our website, go here: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2026/06/11/fantastic-four-2014-v5-643-back-in-blue-part-3/

I may be reading a bit too much into the cover on this one. But, you were entertained, right?

Bravo, you have made it to the end of this rant. Here is to the next one.

We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u

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Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need.  http://www.heroinitiative.org/

Vroom Vroom. Rev up your engines and be ready to be a creep. That's right, we need to dive into the fact and truth of the Quiet Man. And we get to see Reed being suave. It can happen. Trust us. We are professionals.

Let us check in on this loser dude who is the antagonist of the story. The Quiet Man. He is so creepy and disturbed. And yet....he also has no redeeming qualities. So, yeah. I am not sure what else to say about him.

Instead, I want to talk about flying cars. Flying cars are cool. And flying cars made from cool cars are uber cool. If you have a sweet ride, and then you amp it up by giving it altitude, well, welcome to the jungle.

Back to creepy face boy, he is someone that would not desire a cool look to a flying car. No, this guy wants a flying car that would fly into the Baxter Building or that would explode in such a way to implicate the Fantastic Four. You know....that guy.

A flying car would be wasted on this egomaniac. The Quiet Man thinks only in terms of revenge, not in enjoyment. What a tool.

Man, I hate people that don't appreciate flying cars. If I ever met someone who could fly and they told me that they did not need a flying car, I would probably hit them with a hammer.

Or throw a shield at their stupid face.

I would just fight everyone that did not like or appreciate a good flying car. I mean, really. Put up your dukes and defend. I have to show you my true love for a true awesome flying car. You will respect.

Man, I want a flying car.

Maybe I need to take a vacation.

Check out our webpage at:  https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2026/06/09/fantastic-four-2014-v5-14-back-in-blue/

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Are you blue? Do you know someone who is blue? Does blue describe the color of your world? If you answer yes to any of these questions, you probably should seek some professional help. But, you also should listen to this podcast, because we are cool.

In reading this issue, I think we all came to the conclusion that stretching is the term we should use. Stretching the truth, stretching taffy, stretching reality, stretching the metaphor. You get what I am saying, right?

If you have any idea what we are talking about, then you are ahead of us. Remember, we are not that smart, or bright, or sober. Some people question what we are doing and why. I am questioning what I am writing.

In this book, there is chaos and fighting. There is confusion. There is also plot and development. And that is something that I could be talking about. What I can say is that Alex Power is fighting in one shattered panel, and that is why we are here.

Is this upsetting you? Is this making you sad? Don't be sad. Don't get upset about us being obscure. Don't get down and depressed and sit in the dark. Don't be like Sharon

You should be happy like Ben and Sue. You should be free, not being taken over by your evil psychotic alter ego. You should be sitting in the light. You should be smiley and shiny.

Also, you should change your clothes if you are smelly and dirty.

Are you confused? So are we.

So there we are. We have written something, and it has been read. Thanks for your support.

If you want to see some pictures, check this out: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2026/06/08/fantastic-four-2014-v5-13-east-of-eden-part-five/

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Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need.  http://www.heroinitiative.org/

Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages!!! Gather around, gather around. Hear me as I speak of the new fad, the new thing, the new image. Do you have the drive to excel? Are you looking for the motivation to be more than you are? Have you been told that you are nothing but a loser wall flower? It does not matter if you have considered or answered those questions, just listen to us as we talk about this book.

Raise the flag and gather around. Listen to us talk about this criminal slash entrepreneur slash oil salesmen. He has ideas, he has catchphrases, he has an idea for a new kind of pyramid scheme. He has pants.

He also has the pulse of the gullible masses. As we all know now, there is nothing more impressive or magical than a charlatan with a microphone. If you have that charm factor, and you can speak with authority, you can hold up the phone book and entrance millions. And if you can target that in on people with money...look out.

Some people sit around and wait for their opportunity to show up. Maybe they are lazy, or maybe that is their strength. Oooh. I want that super-power. Sitting. The ability to sit and stair. For hours. Yes.....gooood.

Speaking of grabbing easy money. How about stealing other peoples ideas? I mean, they have already used them, why not clean them off and do your own twist on them. Slap your name and a price tag on it, and you have yourself an opportunity.

Now that you have your thing, go out there and bake the bread, make the money, get your cheddar, spike your football....etc, etc, etc.

Thank you for coming to our TedTalk. We hope you enjoyed the experience.

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Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need.  http://www.heroinitiative.org/