1. "That which is purest" could also refer to baby Validus, as does the "darkness growing within you." After all, what could be more pure than an unborn or newborn infant?
2. Following on my idea that Darkseid was refering to a concept instead of a person, this could mean that the Legion somehow betrayed its own ideals in such a way that the organization itself was corrupted beyond redemption. Perhaps this happened slowly, almost impercetibly at first. (Think of Charles Foster Kane's slow descent from idealism to corruption in "Citizen Kane.")
What incident could have triggered such a decay in the Legion? One possibility (and I'm going out on a limb here) is the group's readmittance of Sensor Girl/Projectra after she had executed Nemesis Kid. This event ignored (in other words, betrayed) the long-standing tradition of Legionnaires not killing.
Some might point out that Star Boy killed and was readmitted to the Legion after being expelled, but there are a couple of problems with this theory. One, Star Boy killed in self-defense. Even though Brainy proved that Star Boy had at least one other alternative to killing Kenz Nuhor (bonking him on the head with a heavy tree limb -- which, Querl forgot to mention, might have broken Nuhor's neck anyway), it was still self-defense. Two, Star Boy was in fact expelled. Perhaps that punishment satisfied the moral imperative that mandated no killing.
Projectra, on the other hand, executed Nemesis Kid, who, at that moment, was helpless before her. (She snapped his neck. There is no way Nemesis Kid would have allowed her to do so if he could have prevented it.) She was, of course, within her rights as queen of Orando to mete out punishment to criminals as she saw fit (notwithstanding that Nemesis Kid had just fatally injured her lover and consort, who then sacrificed himself). But exercising this right was counter to the Legion's code against killing. Legionnaires have never been in the revenge business. And, at the heart of Projectra's act was a motive of revenge.
Projectra, of course, was not an active Legionnaire at the time of the execution. She and Val had resigned their membership so she could become queen. (It's unclear to me if they retained Legion Reserve status.) Nevertheless, when Projectra rejoined the Legion as Sensor Girl, and particularly after her true identity was revealed to the team, no punishment was given to her similar to that given to Star Boy. The moral imperative was not satisfied.
Why should it matter if the moral imperative was satisfied or not? In the real world, it probably wouldn't make much difference. But in the world of the Legion back then, heroes did not kill. Whether this standard was realistic is beside the point. It was, nonetheless, the standard by which all Legionnaires agreed to abide, including Projectra. Had Projectra killed Nemesis Kid and never returned to the Legion, it probably wouldn't have mattered (after all, her moral imperatives as queen were decidedly different than the moral imperatives she had to uphold as a Legionnaire). But by rejoining the Legion, she opened the door to other kinds of "special rules" and "exceptions." During the Five Year Gap, for example, the Legion admitted several new members who wouldn't have been allowed to polish their flight rings earlier -- an indication, perhaps, of how low Legion standards had fallen (and also a probable indication of how desperate they were to fill their ranks after several key members had quit).
It may be no coincidence that the Legion's decline accelerated after Projectra became leader: Long-term members quit -- including, ironically, Projectra herself. But by then, the damage had already been done. The team went on to experience its darkest days and collapsed altogether, as chronicled in the Five Year Gap/Five Years Later period.
"That which is purest" may therefore refer to the Legion's subtle abandonment of its principles which held that Legionnaires do not kill. It is understandable that the Legion would want to keep Projectra on the team: After all, she was a long-time friend, colleague, and someone they all valued and admired. But the funny thing about principles is they must apply equally to everyone, or they serve no one. By ignorning this principle, the Legion essentially valued their friendship above the ideals they were sworn to uphold.
At least that's my late-night/nothing-better-to-do interpretation.
Thoughts?
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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An interesting take, to be sure; I don't think Lev had anything in mind when he did it; maybe The Quiet Darkness, but I don't think so. I think it was just something to have when creativity ran dry for a spell and he needed a story.
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From: The Evil Anti-Moon!!!! | Registered: Sep 2004
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quote:Originally posted by He Who Wanders: Projectra . . . was, of course, within her rights as queen of Orando to mete out punishment to criminals as she saw fit (notwithstanding that Nemesis Kid had just fatally injured her lover and consort, who then sacrificed himself). But exercising this right was counter to the Legion's code against killing. Legionnaires have never been in the revenge business. And, at the heart of Projectra's act was a motive of revenge. Thoughts?
Just one at the moment. Projectra didn't even have the right to execute Nemesis Kid in her role as queen. A couple of issues before the Great Darkness Saga (LSH #287?) when her cousin Pharoxx was the acting king, it was stated that the king was not allowed to act as executioner, "for so it is writ in our laws." Presumably if the king is not allowed to execute a prisoner, neither is the queen.
However, I agree with your overall hypothesis. If Star Boy was expelled for killing in self-defense, Projectra should not have been readmitted after killing for revenge. Interesting that the two cases are also parallel in another way: Both Star Boy and Projectra rejoined the Legion in disguise after killing, and then were allowed to remain after their disguises were revealed.
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From: Champaign, IL | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:Projectra didn't even have the right to execute Nemesis Kid in her role as queen. A couple of issues before the Great Darkness Saga (LSH #287?) when her cousin Pharoxx was the acting king, it was stated that the king was not allowed to act as executioner, "for so it is writ in our laws." Presumably if the king is not allowed to execute a prisoner, neither is the queen.
Good point, Jim. I had forgotten the Pharoxx reference.
One might suppose that the laws of Orando allowed the king or queen a certain flexiblity in times of war, but her actions still should have been investigated and deliberated upon, by both the Legion and whatever governing body the queen answered to.
[ June 16, 2006, 10:04 PM: Message edited by: He Who Wanders ]
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Not-So-Bad Lad: An interesting take, to be sure; I don't think Lev had anything in mind when he did it; maybe The Quiet Darkness, but I don't think so. I think it was just something to have when creativity ran dry for a spell and he needed a story.
The interesting thing about writing stories is that they sometimes take on a life of their own. Levitz may have subconsciously intended something along the lines of what I suggest, or it may have occurred to him gradually during his long tenure as writer. (I know that the decision to have Sensor Girl turn out to be Projectra instead of Supergirl was a last-minute switch, but its interesting that Levitz never dealt with the fact that Projecta had essentially committed murder. On one hand, this could merely reflect the '80s acceptance of the anti-hero, such as Wolverine. On the other hand, Levitz was also a long-time Legion fan before he became a writer, so he surely knew how important the code against killing was to them.)
Or, you could be right, and there was nothing intended by the prophecy.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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