Warning: Spoilers for Power Girl #14!The “daughter ofSteel” has truly been earning her stripes as a member of theSupermanFamily. Readers may be most familiar with the original Steel, John Henry Irons, as he’s most notably (and unfortunately) recognized for being played by Shaq in thecharacter’s first disappointing live-action appearance. John Henry is far better respected in the comics - but so is his family member, Natasha Irons.
Natasha Irons' version of Steel has been making her presence known throughout thePower Girlseries, most recently inPower Girl#14 by Leah Williams, Adriana Melo, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Becca Carey. In more recent years, Natasha has emerged in DC Comics as one of thenewest superhero leaders defending Metropolis- three of whom are featured on the cover ofPower Girl#17 by Yanick Paquette.
Natasha’s Steel has been one of the Superman Family’s most overlooked heroes, butinPower Girl,she is becoming so much more than another sidekick. By understanding who Natasha Irons is and the role she plays inPower Girl, readers will have to agree that the “new” Steel is becoming DC’s best rising star.
Who Is Natasha Irons of the Superman Family?
The New Steel, Explained
Natasha Irons (or Nat, for short) makes her on-panel New 52 debut in 2012’sAction Comics#7 by Grant Morrison, Rags Morales, Rick Bryant, Brad Anderson, and Pat Brosseau, but she originally debuted in 1994’sSteel#1 by Louise Simonson, Jon Bogdanove, and Chris Batista.Nat is a young tech genius and niece of the original Steel, John Henry Irons, who spent more time raising Nat than her own father did. Her father in question, Clay Irons, was always too busy living the criminal life of a weapons dealer to raise his children, leaving young Natasha and her young brother Ezekiel in the frequent care of Uncle John and Lana Lang.
Natasha has thrived, becoming something more than just a science prodigy: a superhero.
After her brother’s abduction, Natasha buried her grief in the sciences, where she excelled. Since then, she’s thrived, becoming something more than just a science prodigy: a superhero. In an effort to help her aunt -Superwoman Lana Lang- and uncle in their superhero duties,Natasha rechristened herself into a new age Steel by crafting metal armor that she designed herself. Now, especially since Nat returned from helping Superman on Warworld, the Irons are the two figures behind Steelworks, as they use their technology behind the scenes and their superhero efforts in front to carry Metropolis into a bright future.
Natasha Irons has had a presence of some sort in thePower Girldating back to its first issue. Even though she herself doesn’t appear in the issue, her family’s Steelworks company (in conjunction with the Daily Planet) hosted the 1st Annual Black Tie Benefit show, the setting for the issue’s conflict. From then on,Natasha Irons makes sporadic but significant appearances throughout the series, all of whichshowcase her as a competent and skillful hero.
Steel’s Role inPower GirlGives Her the Perfect New Place in the Superman Family
Natasha Irons Shines Brightest in Power Girl
For instance,Power Girl#11 by Williams and Melo is centered around Paige’s first date with the mysterious Axel Gust, later revealed to be DC’snewest Loki-like character. The sudden appearance of Aquus, a water-based supervillain, at the Metropolis Aquarium forces both Axel and Paige to unveil their powers, to the shock of both parties. They’re too wrapped up in their own shock to combat the beast. Thankfully, Steel steps on the scene. While Power Girl and the Asgardian bicker in the background,Natasha Irons defeats the monster and helps citizens evacuate in the background.
For more about what John Henry Irons has been up to in the time since Superman returned to Metropolis from Warworld, check out theSteelworksminiseries by Michael Dorn and Sami Basri, available now both digitally and in a collected edition from DC Comics.
In short, while the title character fails to play an active role in her own story,Steel gets things done. The trend continues in the latest two issues ofPower Girl, where Natasha plays an even bigger role. First, inPower Girl#13 by Williams and Melo, Natasha and Power Girl’s best friend, Omen, attend a gala, with Natasha representing Steelworks, in Downtown Metropolis. The gala is interrupted bythe emergence of Ejecta, a so-called hero with dark powers the true heroes are only beginning to understand.
As Ejecta pummels Omen, Natasha immediately goes into Steel mode to evacuate the citizens as the building crumbles around them. InPower Girl#14, Natasha has a much larger presence,appearing throughout the issue not as a background character but as one of the largest voices of the supporting cast. She investigates Ejecta alongside Power Girl, coaches Omen through recovery, helps fight Ejecta later, and catches Omen as she,a fellow Superman family hero, falls to her apparent death.
Steel Has Made a Mark Throughout the DC Universe in the Years SinceInfinite Frontier
Where Else Has Natasha Irons Appeared?
Power Girlisn’t the only series where Steel makes a mark, as she has also been an avid part of bothAction ComicsandSupermanin recent years, working directly with the Man of Steel, especially when he traveled to Warworld to free the oppressed peoples from Mongul. Superman, on numerous occasions, has expressedhis approval and respect for Natasha as a hero of Metropolis, and it’s easy to see why. John Henry Irons passed his love and admiration of Superman onto his niece, and she’s able to make her idol proud whenever she steps onto the field as a superhero.
For more about Superman’s Warworld quest, check out theWarworld Sagacollection by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and a variety of artsist, available now from DC Comics.
Along with those series starring Superman, Natasha has especially had a spotlight this yearin theSteelworksminiseriesthat starred both versions of Steel. While Power Girl and - to an even greater extent -Action ComicsandSupermankept Natasha Irons in a background or supporting role,Steelworksensures that Natasha is front and center at all times,sharing both the Steel mantle and company duties with her uncle. The series is an indicator of Nat’s full potential as a hero in the DCU.
Steel Is Ready to Graduate from the Superman Family
DC Needs to Embrace Natasha’s Potential as a Solo Hero
For as long as she has been the most underrated, overlooked act within the Superman Family,Steel has slowly been rising up the ranks in the DC Universe.The Dawn of DC era, which largely existed to push newer heroes to the forefront of the DC Universe, saw Natasha’s presence grow in multiple comics. In turn, Natasha herself has started to grow as a hero, to the point that it could be argued that she is slowly starting to surpass the original Steel. At the very least, it can be said that she is equal to John Henry Irons' hero status.
Superman Entrusts Only 1 Hero with Metropolis, Reshaping His Family’s Hierarchy
Superman must temporarily leave Metropolis, and he has entrusted care of the city to a surprising hero, upending the Super Family hierarchy.
Natasha Irons has had a reputation as a competent sidekick and partner to the likes of John, Power Girl, and, of course, Superman, when they work together. However, Natasha is slowly reaching a point where she is capable of standing tall on her own two feet as a hero of her own accord. She is becoming more than just a sidekick. She’s becoming a capable solo hero, and it won’t be long beforeSteelwill be given the spotlight to prove herself as such without the need of theSupermanFamily to bolster her up.
Steel
Cast
Steel is a 1997 film directed by Kenneth Johnson, featuring Shaquille O’Neal as John Henry Irons, a weapons designer who becomes a vigilante after his research is exploited by a ruthless arms dealer. With the help of his expertise in metallurgy and technology, Irons constructs a powerful suit of armor to fight for justice and protect his community from the dangerous weapons he helped create.
