Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Adventure #523 Preview/Spoilers!

She was actually defeated by the Timetrapper. He was defeated by children.

Maybe that fountain of 1000 chemicals or whatever it was called accidentally splashed into her protoplasm and she developed differently when she unsplorped.

Probably correct.

This is obviously THE Glorith, since she was featured heavily in the TMK and reboot verions, and yes, Lori was shown as the Time Trapper in at least one issue, an arc, I think.
Glorith was also featured in 'Valor'.

Mysa's parting words were that Glorith's decisions and choices were important.

I'm glad Paul is using her.

May I ask what's in the yellow square boxes?
Not the ones with names, homeworlds and powers info, but the other ones.

I just can't make out a single thing in them, other than colored squigglies, sort of.
sigh

Does DC understand that the fan base is getting older/
Much older, actually.

Aww, crap. I didn't look at the preview (I prefer to hold it in my hand), but are you saying it's NOT the Glorith we've always knwn but some radically-altered-lookswise version?

:-PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP to that.

This "new" Glorith certainly looks radically different to me from this preview! Darker skin tone for starters, but I bet you her hair won't really be brunette colour when she drops the hoodie... you know, just to throw us off.
I hope there's some other explanation going on here other than the obvious ones posted here so far ... let's give Levitz a chance to really explain himself one this one. I bet he takes his time though!

The art as everyone has said looks awesome! Phil is about to really leave his mark on this franchise in a positive way. Having a talented artist is half the battle I think. Now if the continuing story can just deliver the goods.

* Something else else tells me I don't think we'll have anything to worry about. *

Can't wait until tomorrow to pick this up!!

My only issue with Glorith, is that comic books tend to use 'mage' as code for 'deus ex machina.' Even characters with very clearly defined or limited powers, like the original White Witch, Wiccan, Zatanna or Scarlet Witch, eventually turn out to be able to do *anything.*

I'd rather that any 'mage' characters instead have some specific super-powers with a mystical origin, like Projectra, to prevent this sort of power-creep.

Even if one writer does come up with specific limitations, the next writer is going to just see 'mage' and end up having the individual using mind control and teleportation and putting up force fields and shooting energy blasts and doing all sorts of things that didn't fit the original parameters of their particular brand of 'magic,' so it becomes pretty much inevitable that any character introduced as a 'mage' ends up turning into a Deus Ex Machina / plot device.

Even Brother Voodoo, originally able to summon smoke, speak to animals and make himself resistant to fire, has developed the power to pretty much do anything through the magic of... well, magic. Ditto, Dr. Druid, who had some weak psychic like powers to hypnotise people, control his own biorythmns to feign death, etc. when first introduced, and then ended up being some sort of Swamp Thing / Firestorm / Terra / Tempest / Storm synthesis, able to control elemental forces and the natural world.

I like magic, and the Sorcerer's World (thanks to Mordru) is a huge part of the Legion's past, but I consider what has happened to the White Witch to be exhibit A of why they should stay away from introducing any new 'mages' to the team.

They just can't seem to make them capable of doing less than *everything.*

Excellent points, Set.

Magic is magic. There will be random effects occasionally. And just like any other loosely defined power (and occasionally even well defined abilities) the current writer will do with it as they please for the sake of telling their story.
As for continuity contradictions (aside from the whole question of when/how the Sorcerors' World was restored/moved), I don't see any sign of one in the preview.... and I am easily the pickiest continuity nut here so if even I see no issue then it isn't likely to exist. As other posters have pointed out, Glorith could be as common a name in the 31st century as Jane was in the 20th. Further, it does not say Glorith of Baaldur, it says homeworld unknown so there is no reason to think she is in any way related to the unfortunate Hench-woman betrayed by the Time Trapper. She is likely ment to make readers think of the 5YL Glorith and may come to a similar fate, but since that character isn't from this continuity it isn't really an issue. So, I repeat: Even if they go down a similar path with this Glorith, it isn't a contradiction since that Glorith never existed in this continuity.

That's such a weird comment. Magic's not real. So there aren't any random effects unless a writer wills it - which was kind of the point of Set's post.

And again, magic doesn't have to be this loosely defined, random power if a writer just sticks to whatever 'rules' for the power they or the previous writer had established for the character.

When the writers don't do this, that character inevitably becomes Mr or Mrs Deus Ex Machina, as Set was pointing out.

---

I'll also point out that it's not just 'magic' type characters that suffer from this risk. Any character with powerful but ill-defined abilities can become a deus ex machina. Even sci-fi ones. Just look at Kid Quantum II.

"Our energies are not the only magic in the universe, Glorith...courage, wisdom, power....They come in many forms.

You will learn as I did."

That's a great statement that I think really captures the heart of the Legion.

Newsarama has a new interview with Paul:
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/paul-levitiz-legion-academy-110208.html
He reveals that Comet Queen is at the Academy for remedial training and will soon have a spotlight issue all her own.

Oh, and Night Girl has never looked better. Just beautiful.

That interview was interesting. Somehow I thought this Legion Academy story in Adventure was only temporary (like, it would run for 6 issues and then Adventure would switch to a different Legion story). But, if I'm following that interview correctly, Legion Academy is the new ongoing story in Adventure Comics. And that's great! I'm excited about the ideas Levitz and Jimenez are coming up with (like the murder mystery).

Yeah, I love the idea of an ongoing Academy series.

And I can't wait for the spotlight on Comet Queen. Seriously.

I liked how the White Witch stated in the past how she had to study spells, and prepare them for use. Paul limited her in a good way back then. IMO.

I wonder if this Glorith is one regrown somehow from her previous state of unbeing? Black Witch carries around Mordru's power... did he somehow acquire Glorith's premains from Time Trapper?

Mysa, Time Trapper and Mordru interact in LO3W... it really shoudn't surprise that Glorith shows up soon after.

I was hoping for Zoe, but this is interesting, too.

Comet Queen gets a Spotlight? I would have preferred anybody short of Earth Man, but I know the character's got her fans so I'm sure they'll enjoy her moment in the comet's tail.

I like it. Who said it?

Ah but...when we first saw Glorith (the original), she was at the end of time with no indication of where in the timestream she originated.

The new Glorith could be the same person but before she was corrupted by the Time Trapper.

Mysa says it when explaining to Glorith why she is sending her to the Adademy.

Oh. I assumed it was an older quote from a previous appearance of Glorith. I try not to read the text in the previews so as not to give anything away.

Great issue.

I'm going to enjoy disliking Chemical Kid. Him showing up Lournu and Lydda was an unexpected twist, but just adds to the tension.

Glorith will be a good introductory character, and I'm impressed with the diversity or characterisations. I want more on Gravity Boy and Variable Lad, as well as more form the Senior Class.

This looks to be a lot of fun.

Who says Magic isn't real?
As for my response, it seemed to me that Set had more of an issue with magic based characters than science based characters because he felt that writers took advantage of ambiguity more often with them. You will note that while I said that random effects could/should be expected occasionally from magic, that it was ultimately the writer that is responsible.... and that I mentioned that even well defined abilities can be warped by a writer to suit their purpose. I could have added that I find this terribly lazy of writers and think they could do a much better story if they put the effort in to it to stay within a defined parameter, but I was trying to be less critical. Hope that clears it up.

^ Oh, it would be so cool if magic were real! Sadly, the fakery of the Davids, Copperfield and Blaine, have ruined all the illusions I used to have that it were so though.

I see where you're coming from now. And we're all in agreement - bad writing sucks!

I also liked the original limitations on Mysa's magic, having to prepare her spells, and making use of 'magical laws' like sympathy and contagion (causing the unnatural parts of the khund cyborg to react violently with his biological body, etc.).

But that's a lot of thought, it seems, and too quickly, IMO, she turned into a random magical blaster who could teleport around and do other stuff with no preparation or special rituals, just by 'trying hard,' running her down the exact same path that ended up making the Scarlet Witch no longer a usable character, but a walking plot device. Now, in Young Avengers, Wiccan is going down that same path, becoming the solution to every problem, and a potentially bigger 'problem' than the villains they face.

Science also can run this route, with Brainy and Hank Pym competing for how many uber-threats they can accidentally create, but, unlike the magic-users, the science/tech based heroes don't seem to inevitably become unusable as character.

Even when Tony Stark or Batman creates something that goes wildly out of control (extremis / OMAC satellite), they recover and get back to work, while mages like Wanda remain pretty much unusable, and tend to be portrayed as victims of their powers, unable to control them, or having to be depowered (or killed).

Raven's been through this a bunch of times. Mysa is now all 'black witch.' Brainy may be a jerk, and he may have gone nuts a time or two, but he's not portrayed as a victim of his power, or a helpless vessel of some external supernatural agency. 'Masters' of magic are more likely to be victims of their powers, constantly struggling to control them, while 'masters' of science are at least seen as, eventually, in control of their abilities, and are more likely to feel like they've 'earned' their abilities, through intense study and training and schooling, instead of being born with some special gift that they are more-or-less terrible at controlling.

I guess that the existence of magic depends on the definition that you use.

And because something can be explained, doesn't disqualify it from being magical or even a miracle.

I see nothing as being coincidental or random.
All things have meaning and consequence, even if I don't understand what they are or represent.

Prayer works in my world view, big time.
Prayer could be defined as magic.
****

Oh, and I love the Comet Queen story idea and the murder mystery possibilities.
On some thread here, we've discussed Legion mystery approaches before.