lets make a fair fortran test... raise a complex typed number 1 to the power:
write(*,*)(-1.d0,0.d0)**2.,(-1.d0,0.d0)**2
(1.00000000000,-2.449212707...E-16 ) , ( 1.0000000000,0.000000000 )
also note in fortran the real power can not yield a complex result, that is -1.**.5 throws an error or yields NaN depending on the compiler so you see -1**2. works only because (/if) the compiler is smart enough to recognize that 2. should be treated as an integer.