The Power Fantasy #6: Coup-coup Ca Choo

In her newsletter, science fiction writer Charlie Jane Anders asserts that “You can’t ever write a book that speaks to a particular moment in history. Sorry. This is mostly due to the timescales of writing and publishing… Sure, you occasionally get a dystopia that crystalizes something about real-life systems of power, but that’s almost as rare as winning the lottery.” Nonetheless, it happens. 

In the final pages of December’s Power Fantasy #5, Jacky Magus, a British self-proclaimed “arsehole” with techno-magical abilities amplified by a cult of personality, staged a coup of the United States. The opening page of this month’s issue sees Magus instated as the Secretary of Magic, a post created just for him. Between the publication of issues five and six, real-world U.S. President Donald Trump established the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE)–which, despite its name, isn’t officially a department–to control government spending–something only Congress can do. DOGE, conceptualized and informally headed by Elon Musk and mostly staffed with 19-24-year olds previously employed by Musk’s companies (WIRED), has, in recent weeks, taken control of and gutted numerous agencies in what has been described variously as a coup (Slate, The Guardian, The New Yorker, Newsweek), putsch (The Nation), takeover (WIRED, New York Times, The New Republic), and “reshaping of government” (Reuters).To borrow the words of Power Fantasy character Valentina watching news of Magus becoming Secretary of Magic, “this West Wing show is going in weird directions.” The creators of The Power Fantasy (writer Kieron Gillen, artist Caspar Wijngaard, and letterer Clayton Cowles) may consider themselves lottery-lucky for having created a book so timely. The unintended side effect, however, is that reading The Power Fantasy sometimes feels like doomscrolling with better art. 

Unlike previous issues, The Power Fantasy #6 foregoes shocking revelations and explosive action in favor of secretive, nail-bitingly tense political maneuvering. It is an issue primarily concerned with who knows what and what they are desperate to keep others from discovering. At times, this means we the audience are equally left in the dark to wonder about all we can’t even begin to know. The comic provides some welcome breaks from the tension via the introduction of Heavy’s secret son and potential future Superpower, Kid Ignition. Per previous issues, Wijngaard’s varied compositions and signature pastel and neon color palettes keep things feeling fresh and sometimes add an unsettling air of optimism.