Except that you're defending something that isn't under attack. The power chord isn't a chord, it subs for a chord. A chord is taken from the tonality of the tune. A power chord needs something else to clarify the tonality. If I play CMaj-->Am-->D5-->GMaj, we have no idea if the D5 represents the Dm chord or the D7 chord(the two likeliest suspects). If the soloist is interpreting this as D7, he may use an F# note over the chord. However, if someone else decides to play a background harmony over the chord, but interprets it as Dm, the diatonic chord from the key, then there is going to be a clash. I like The Clash, but even they weren't stupid enough to mix Major and Minor tonalities with no rhyme or reason.
No amount of distortion is going to fix that issue.