Story: "Karen's Story" (22 Pages)

Credits:

Chuck Dixon (plot, script)
Glenn Fabry (pencils, inks - p1-4)
Sandu Floreau (inks)
Albert T. De Guzman (letters)
Wildstorm FX (colors; seperations)
Matt Idelson (edits)

Feature Characters:

Power Girl (also in flashback to around the time the new JLA formed)
Oracle (in flashback only)

Supporting Characters:

Ted Kord

Other Character:

General Rassam Harrat (leader of a military coup in Qurac)
Haiza Musharu (deposed president of Qurac, dies)
Jodana (a small child, dies; first appearance of all three, all in flashback)

Synopsis:

Power Girl visits Ted Kord, asleep in his hospital bed, and tells him of the time she first did a mission for Oracle. It was in Qurac, where the democratically-elected president and many others were leaving the country, fleeing the leader of a military coup. Power Girl was sent in to protect the president. However, there were two ships in the area - one with the president aboard, one with one thousand civilians, and both were attacked with torpedos simultaneously. Power Girl did not have the power to stop both and was told by Oracle to save the president. She averted the torpedo while the other ship was destoyed with no survivors; however, there was a fanatic aboard the other ship who shot the president. Everyone she was supposed to protect had died, and although Oracle, wracked with guilt and pain herself, tried to comfort her, she broke off all contact with Oracle for some time and has never forgiven herself.