Does a free action that becomes a power action still count as the same free action? I.e.

If I use perplex as a power action, and question is on the board, can I take a free action to use perplex again if Question loses his power?
or, can I take a free action to make a Gwen Stacy clone, then a power action to make a second one the same turn?

"Instead" changes the requirement for the use of that power; a counter or loss of the SP would revert the use of Perplex back to a free action.

Arnim Zola could place one instance of Gwen as a free action, then be given a power action to create another instance in the same turn (free and non-free).