From some of the stuff I've seen in solicits I think that they've been misleading about this being a split team. I think this isn't so much an offshoot as a training team. It's not Magog's attitude that puts him in charge but his military training and getting people to function as a group.
Powergirl would be there to override any orders she had to and Rick is there to report to the other team to make sure the experiment is working all right.