Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes CALLING THE ROLL of LSH #2 (spoilers)

CALLING THE ROLL is a Legionnaire-by-Legionnaire look at the latest adventure of the Legion of Super-Heroes.

Let the Roll be Called!

ULTRA BOY
I liked Levitz's glimpse of how Jo's power worked last issue. Unfortunately, what we see of him this issue doesn't put him in the best light. Brainy's dismissal of him is universal, really, so that judgment doesn't sting. Shadow Lass's 'Jo's not the sharpest Legionnaire but he's never this glass-eyed'-- well, that's disappointing. I know the 5YL stories that depicted Jo as smart and cunning and willing to put on an act as 'dumb jock' for years to accomplish a goal are not a part of *this* Ultra Boy's history. New Wanderer UB and Prime UB prove that 5YL is the exception, I guess. They both read as 'young' and therefore free of the expectation that was built in the 5YL reality. This Ultra Boy's 'full-growed', however, and really suffers in the comparison.

I would have liked to see him face more Legionnaires- perhaps one-on-one, before succumbing to his 'love takedown'. That would have been a good way to showcase a handful of Legionnaires and how their powers work. I suppose the way he handled Tyroc and Wildfire does prove that he's got battle savvy, at the least.

WILDFIRE
It's rare for this character to appear in an issue and make no real impact, but that's the case here. We're told he's a heavy-hitter, at any rate.

GATES
Levitz said he was challenged by the inclusion of Gates and XS. You can't tell that here, as I think he nailed Gates. A little caustic humor, a big political chip on his shoulder... if he gets Gates huge ol' compassionate heart and delight in first being listened to, and then becoming a loyal friend... that's all a Gates fan could ask for. Well, except for explaining the power-up. Gates was a line-of-sight teleporter... I suspect Brainy's been at work. I remember he was used in LOTW, and that the Brainies were involved. Did his power change there? I don't remember...

Anyway, I'm beyond glad to see Gates and Dreamy!!! I think they, along with Dawnstar, could produce some terrific conversation, not to mention amusingly bitchy asides. Will they get them on Naltor?

SHADOW LASS Now why would Shady break up with Mon-el out of the blue? Jealousy over his romance when he was a kid in the 21st century? His siring a child then? (Assuming the Legionnaires know about that.) I don't think so. Mon-el wasn't the first man in her life, after all. Budding interest in Phantom Girl? I hope not. Here's my guess. Talok needs an heir to their Shadow Champion line. Shady and Mon have been together for years with no children. Technology? Maybe there's a superstition for Planetary Champions. Maybe she's tried. It doesn't seem like she gave Mon-el much of a reason, but we haven't read the actual break-up scene. I wonder if we will?

If that guess turns out correct, I wonder who she'll set her sights on next? Seems a bit cold, doesn't it? Especially if she still loves Mon-el.

What reason do you think Shady might have for breaking up with her Daxamite beau? Who would you like to see her make a play for if my guess was correct?

Saturn Queen
OK, her motives are a bit all over the place... even a villianess might've been expected to pitch in and help when her world explodes. Just how vile is she? This ain't the Eve Aries of 5YL, who was sort of nice- if amoral. This is a sadistic bitch. An out and out evil woman intent on causing mischief for her own amusement and, possibly, carrying out plans within plans. In short, just what comics need more of-- irredeemable villainesses that the reader doesn't feel an ounce of sympathy for.

I've always thought SQ and Cosmic King were due big story pushes. She now seems fairly age-equivalent to the Legionnaires, rather than years and years older. I'm not sure how that is or isn't significant, but it is noticeable. It seems she's beginning to blame the LSH for the destruction of Titan. Her thoughts here indicate that the facts don't really support the theory, but I'll bet it's one that she'll run with, using it as fuel to propel her hate. I'm curious about what she might've seen when peering into Brainy's mind... and about where she was during Ultra Boy's attack on the LSH HQ. Diversion? Entertainment?

I hope next issue or whenever she fights the team again, solidifies her as a LSH biggie villainess. I think she should be able to wipe the floor with the other Titanian villainess, Esper Lass, but the facts don't seem to support this, as yet.

Remember the LSV espionage squad and the story in which it appeared, which also hinted at tryouts for the LSV? It's clear the evil team is modeling itself after the good in structure and detail, down to time-traveling to the 21st century. I wonder if they've also duplicated the means by which Karate Kid was returned to life before the JLA/JSA/LSH story a couple of years ago? Might they have used this method (whatever it was- we're in the dark as readers) to bring Nemesis Kid back to life? This would be in keeping with the LSV espionage squad, tryouts and who know what else?

That would explain the NK comment that SQ makes, as the two haven't met in a story we've seen to date.

[snip]

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CHAMELEON BOY
What is this character thinking beneath those shut eyes?

Possibly: "Dad, you were kind of a jerk, but I'm still pissed off that you're dead."

I actually think that's one of the better costume designs he's ever had, personally-- even with the high collar. In most cases those bother me, because they limit the character's sight. But maybe that doesn't matter so much to a shape-shifter.

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SUN BOY
...I'm looking forward to seeing different sides to Dirk than angry former captive.

He was abused pretty badly while he was Earth Man's captive, yes? I could see that affecting him for quite some time. I pretty much feel the same way about Brainy and several other characters who don't seem to be quite what I remembered.

They saved Earth from being attacked-- in some cases going against their own people to do so. But they still have to deal on a daily basis with the locus of all their troubles with Earth. It would feel much stranger to me if they were all behaving as if nothing of consequence had happened.

I hypothosize a little about Shady and her possible children's father's hook ups in the Museum Childr3en of the Legion thread and possibly expound on those match-ups in the Book of Talok thread in the future. Both are on Bits.

Shady should have had children by now to fulfill her Champion responsabilites.
That she hasn't may reflect the depth of her feelings for Lar up to this point.

If she hasn't given over her Championship status to Grev and Lady Memory, that is.
I hope not, for Grev's sake.

I, personally found a startling amount of energy and passion in the Jan/Tasmia pairing when I wrote it.
Surprised me.
So, I'd place her with him, Shauvghn or not.
I always found that pairing lack luster and 'convenitent'.

That could be an interesting potential cause for their break-up (though unlikely what Paul has in mind, I think). Maybe they found out they couldn't procreate?

I think it's perfectly logical that alien races would have trouble cross-breeding. It seems to happen constantly across fiction and is made more plausible by how aliens constantly are shown as humanoid and presumably have the same sexual organs.

We've already had a Winathian and a Titanian produce offspring. I can see, however, how Daxamite genetics may produce more problems into the equation. Obviously, DC has shied away from answering definitively whether Supes can have a child with Lois.

And where did this idea that Lar had a child with that girl in the 21st century? Has she been shown to be pregnant? Did I miss something?

In War of the Superman #4, Billi is shown leaving Metropolis in a truck with her uncle Jim (Guardian). They briefly discuss Lar, and Billi says she is pregnant.

Even if Billi does come to term and has Lar's child, this is all in the ancient past of the Legion's time. So Lar having a kid in Superman's time shouldn't suddenly be a big deal for the time traveling Legion.

During the Earth-Man Action storyline, Mon-El was thrown into the Phantom Zone (briefly) yet again. However that surely had to have had a mental affect on Lar. Perhaps Shady has gotten to the point after helping him deal with the trauma of his recent Phantom Zone experience that she can't take his moodiness any longer?

Ah. Haven't read WotS # 4, yet. Ironically, it's the very next comic in my stack! It's kinda funny because I'd read complaints somewhere that the Billi thing was wrapped up too quickly with that note Mon left her in that last Adventure appearance that wrapped up "Man od Valor". I guess Robinson had something left to say, eh?

In any case I don't see how that could've nroken up him and Shady anyway. It's implied in that Adventure issue that he'd forget a lot of what happened during his thousand-year exile. (Of course it's still possible he could be let out a few times during the modern era. provided they had a serum to prevent him from dying.) It's a convenient way to have him join the Legion and fit in more with the Silver Agey feel of the early Legion.

That still doesn't mean Mon's able to make children with a Talokian, but again, I doubt that's the impetus for the two breaking up. Last we saw of them in the Baxter era, Mon was dying after his confrontation with the Time Trapper and Shady's cut her finger off to symbolize their being married. Paul has impled that V3 still happened as we remembered it, so maybe they broke up during/after his convalescence?

Hard to say. Either things happened that way, or they didn't. I'm not totally sure, but it didn't look like Shady's missing a finger. Could be, though, that she did but had it reattached, regrown or replaced with a prosthetic after her and Mon broke up.

Did someone say they were shown as being together during Lightning Saga, Superman/LSH and/or Legion of Three Worlds? If they were or weren't, maybe that could narrow down the timeline of when the break-up happened.

In Lo3W, Lar & Shady went to Oa together to get Sodam Yat. They seemed tight.

Didn't Earth Man have Sun Boy attached to that thingie making the sun red for over a YEAR??
If so, he's showing much restraint, IMO!!

Maybe the fact that she married him while in a coma might've had something to do with it?

"Oh, by the way dear, while you were unconcious I cut off my finger, so that means we have to spend the rest of our lives together! Hope you're okay with that!"

*gasp* "Shady? Y-you mutilated yourself to show your devotion to me? I-I don't know if I can handle this...."

Yeah, but according to Rhino, they were still together in L3W, so he must've gotten over the shock at some point!

(People must think I haven't read all this stuff--I have, but a lot of the little details seep outta the memory after awhile...old age and what-not! )

Maybe Billi's child grew up and moved to Talok, fell in love with a Mallor, and centuries later their descendant was Shadow Lass.

So all this time Shadow Lass has been doing it with her great-great-great... grandfather!

That might be enough to end a relationship.

Yer a sick dude, Blacula...my kinda dude!

Things couldn't have happened exactly the way they did before since there was no pocketuniverse Superboy to die this time.
The Time Trapper deally might have happened but not for the same reason and without the same consequences.
Lar didn't die, for one thing and he wasn't buried on Vallhalla and Shady didn't cut off her finger to encourage him to heal and she didn't go into a 'nunnery'.

Lar wasn't shown to be injured when he came out of the Zone and one doesn't 'heal' physically in the Zone, or at least, it's never been shown to heal Lar from lead poisoning before.
Levitz just wants to screw with their lives, that's all.

Hey!
'Old age and what-not' is MY line!
lol

I don't think I could like Shadow Lass if that couldn't couldn't end a relationship.

Too bad Val isn't around anymore he was the one Legionnaire who could always wipe the floor with Ultra Boy...

SHADOW LASS Would not be too surprised, considering their prior close realtionship, if it ended up being Tyroc...

She did at least visit the 21st Century once, tangling with Kara and Power Girl (as Nightwing and Flamebird) in Kandor during "One Year Later." And may be the "scariest Legion villain" set to battle Kara and Brainy (during Halloween no less) in Supergirl's upcoming Annual, having caught a glimpse oh herself in Brainy's memories...

I am not OVER THE MOON about Shady and Mon breaking up, but on the other hand they were awfully joined at the hip towards Levitz's last run (even before Mon was injured by the Time Trapper) so it might be interesting to see how they both develop outside of one another.

Normally I find heroes doing the big emo WOE IS ME to be intolerable, but Mon-El has more reason than most...1000 years in the Phantom Zone forced to watch the world go on without him, surrounded with nothing but horrible criminals (and Chris Kent I guess), then when he finally gets out he finds someone who makes him feel whole, and now even that's gone. Mon-El is a lot more mature than most of the other Legionnaires, but he is still a pretty young guy who hasn't actually had a chance to live a big chunk of his life. I find him more interesting when he's carrying the world on his shoulders for a bit..

I'm surprised that it seems Shady dumped him; especially after LO3W saw them still together. I like the theory that it's somehow related to her duties as planetary champion. Maybe she's had to marry someone back home for political reasons (like Grev married Lady Memory 5YL)...that would kind of echo the Starfire/Nightwing storyline from the Teen Titans in the 80's, but I still prefer something like that to "they just fell out of love". If they aren't going to be together, I think Shady and Tyroc might make an interesting match-up...

DREAM GIRL:

I agree that the colorist slipped a bit with her costume colours, especially her wrist bands and her blonde hair (which looks better either all white/platinum or mostly platinum with some blonde highlights in it).

I would also like to see her undergo a costume change too, in keeping with the changes seen by her teammates' new designs. Her old/classic one looks corny now by comparison.

Hey, maybe WE should design something new for her and send it off to Paul Levitz for approval. That would be so old-school-cool and a nod to previous generations of fandom.
I wonder if DC would go for it.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by future king:
<strong>

Sorry, Taylor, that costume - SW6, was the worst costume ever designed for someone who wasn't a hooker.

Low in front, no back and G string rear.
Worst taste in the world.

I could take any ONE of the 3 in a costume, if I had to, but ALL of them?!

Enough said or we'll be put on the 'rant' thread again.
sigh

Honestly, Shady, you are definitely correct that the SW6 costume went too far. I think it would work on a younger Nura as shown there, but our Nura looks just fine the way she is.

I've always had a soft spot for Jacques as he was the first Legionnaire to join when I started reading. For me, he kinda came out of nowhere because I missed the Annual amid all the regular issues (and never read it 'til MUCH later).

So here was this newbie seemingly coming out of the blue who kinda mirrored by own newbieness to the Legion. And Jacques showed me a few things about the group very quickly: 1) The Legion was constantly adding new members. 2) They didn't necessarily come into the Legion confident, experienced and ready to handle anything. 3) Some of them could speak French. 4) He was the second to be called "Invisible Kid", and the white guy with the headband I'd been reading about in those digest reprints had died somehow. And therefore...5) Legionnaires die sometimes.

That's a LOT to get from the intro of one character! I think Paul was very smart to introduce a new Legionnaire so early into his run with Keith. He got a lot of exposure in his first handful of issues and brought a fresh perspective among characters who constantly felt like they'd been there forever and were all old hats st the job.

I also remember enjoying how they used the lines on his costume to illustrate his invisibility effect. As a kid I didn't particularly appreciate very many artistic choices, but that one was definitely among the few I did. It was and is a cool effect, and I'll miss that when I see the new costume.

As for the white streak, I said it one the LSH 2 thread, and I'll say it here: I hope it was just a coloring mistake. To me, it's much more than some silly fashion statement (like Rogue), it's Jacques's badge of courage from the Great Darkness saga! I feel that if exposure to Darkseid made the streak appear, then no hair coloring or whatever should be able to cover it up. Bring it back!

I'd hate to think Nura is setting a bad rep for the space hookers.

And um, technically, the Saturn Queen who tangled with Supergirl and Power Girl is a completely different character from the one currently in Legion.

That Saturn Queen's a survivor of the Old Multiverse in the same way as Power Girl, Prime, Lady Quark, Kal-L, Dark Angel, Psycho Pirate, Alex Luthor, and Lois Lane of Earth-2. Her world was recreated during Infinite Crisis when all those earths were cluttering up the sky, and when they all got destroyed again she wound up in the Phantom Zone.

I didn't like Brainy's disdain for his comrades, or Ultra Boy's telling him to go annoy somebody else and calling him an overgrown data monger. These guys are supposed to be old friends by this point.

I'm reminded of a TMK story, where Brainy is already overworked trying to find a cure for Garridan/Validus's disease etc., and Saturn Girl asks him to help the traumatized White Witch who's just been rescued from Mordru. He accepts the added burden without question in order to help a fellow Legionnaire. I like that Brainy better than this one.