Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Reading the Legion Archives: Volume 33

L.E.G.I.O.N. 68-70 Jo's quest for Tinya

This is a turbulent time for L.E.G.I.O.N. The organisation has committed an atrocity, the massacre of a civilian population, and the blame is laid directly on Vril Dox. In actuality his son Lyrl has used sibliminal hypnotic commands to subvert some the leaders, frame Vril and takeover L.E.G.I.O.N. Vril manages to escape as a fugitive with a handful of other characters leading to R.E.B.E.L.S.

Jo and Phase's story is a minor tale within the main arc.

L.E.G.I.O.N. 68 - Jo arrives - that's about it.

L.E.G.I.O.N. 69 - Jo spots Phase and swoops in for a kiss, before realising that it isn't Tinya but her previously unmentioned cousin Enya. His explanation partially restores Phase's memory, although his description of her personality is not very flattering, and he says he is taking her home.

L.E.G.I.O.N. 70 - When Jo hears that the massacre has just happened he knows its a bad time and drags Enya into the Time Bubble and leaves. Shortly during Vril's escape we learn that Phase decided to stay with her colleagues, phasing out of the Time Bubble at the last second.



Jo next appears in the Zero Hour mini-series along with the SW6 Rokk, Garth and Imra who disappeared in Legionnaires #16. They will perform some heroics before reappearing with the rest of the Legion in the final issue of LSH.

When L.E.G.I.O.N. first started I found it interesting and somewhat clever, but not my favourite type of comic. Over the years as the emphasis on Vril's arrogance, brutality and lack of empathy increased and the cleverness faded my opinion lowered further. My main interest in collecting it was simply completeness and little else. I was glad that they wrapped up the Phase origins here but that was it for me. (Of course the Reboot would "reboot" Phase's origin again.)

One of the things I like least about the L.E.G.I.O.N. run was that Vril became the template for later portrayals of Coluans such as Querl, particularly strongly in the Threeboot but even the Reboot and the Retroboot showed much more of this type of personality than had been present in the original or even in 5YL.

Anyway if you don't have these issues I am not going to recommend that you get them. If you just want them for the Jo/Phase interaction now you don't need to - just look at the images above.

And that took a few years, right? I wasn't a big follower of this book, but did they not address this until the half the Legion was stuck in 1996/97?

That is correct. They decided to address this in the reboot only when the 20/30 split happened.

Thanks for posting the panels, stile. What a confusing story and it got worse in the reboot version, IMO. I wonder whose call it was to have Phase be new character Enya rather than Tinya.

Vril did become, for the most part, very unpleasant and to see those characteristics in Brainiac 5 was always a bit depressing. I think in the Showcase '96 issue, when the two met, Vril was more affable, but I may not recall correctly.

Legionnaires #17 "Loss" (cover) "History Lesson" (story) by Mark Waid, art by Chris Gardner & Dennis Cramer, colours Tom McCraw, Letters Pat Brosseau, assists Mike McAvennie, editor KC Carlson

Adult Rokk Krinn tries to reassemble the debris of Earth, as Gossamer, Star Boy, Leviathan and Alchemist try to stop him. Alchemist atomizes Rokk's gauntlets; he starts to regain his senses and becomes fully cognizant when Cham tells him Laurel's dead.

On Shangalla, a group of adult and SW6 Legionnaires pay tribute to Laurel. Invisible Kid and the two Brainys arrive in a time bubble, show something to Valor which impels him to fly off to help somebody. Andromeda, Dev-em and Shady leave with him. Invisible Kid reports on severe troubles with the timestream; the others are confident they can deal with it. He and Brainy confront the others with images of unremembered Legionnaires and events, as reality fragments around them. Elder Garth blames the kids, the kids blame the adults as possible causes - then a melange of super-villains appears.

Glorith and Mordru watch as heroes and villains battle, then the villains disappear. Rokk hears them calling him; he's captured and bound by the two and they disappear before the Legionnaires can stop them. Dawnstar begins to track Rokk, but fades from existence.

Comments:
Laurel is set to rest amid an unstable group of Legionnaires, people change, disappear without any discernable order. Most of the issue is taken up with explanations as Legionnaires pop in and out of existence. It's sort of fun to see the mix of characters in this jumbled reality, but nothing lasts for long and the artwork is pretty rough (although there are some nice layouts). The arrival of villains from different times of Legion's history is just a tease brought by Mordru and Glorith; you seldom get a Legion wedding or a funeral without some bad guys showing up.

Violet is annoyed that elder Brainy showed up late for Laurel's funeral. Mysa had been annoyed with him in the previous issue for not showing enough emotion over Laurel. Given their long history together, I'm surprised they'd expect any different from him.

The young Legionnaires quickly discern that Rokk's gauntlets are the source of his power. Elder Brainy had suspected the gauntlets were contributing to Rokk's anger, but for some reason didn't try removing them to see if his mental state improved. Admittedly, there was a lot going on at the time, and Rokk was still stable, just grumpy.

Two mysteries are introduced in this issue (apart from the big reality problem): Valor goes off to help somebody (presumably his 20th century self) and Rokk is about to meet a moment of great destiny.

Thanks, Chaim! Was that only in the Legion titles, though, or did they touch on in in LEGION or REBELS at all?

I imagine it was the R.E.B.E.L.S. team wanting to hang on to Phase while all of the Legion members were about to go "poof". Tom Peyer was the writer of L.E.G.I.O.N. at this time and would be the writer of R.E.B.E.L.S. throughout its run but he would also be one of the main writers of the Reboot Legion as well. The editors were different so perhaps it came from there.


I looked up the dates and LSH v4 #87 when Tinya/Apparition has the first interaction with gemstone and we see Phase looking for hers was dated December 1996. The last issue of R.E.B.E.L.S. #17 was dated March 1996. From what I can determine there was no L.E.G.I.O.N./R.E.B.E.L.S. comics in publication at this time and although they occasionally made guest appearances they did not have their own comic again until the New52. So it appears that Phase's story was entirely within the Legion/Legionnaires comics.

Legionnaires #17

The End of an Era really kicks off (in spite of the cover erroneously saying Conclusion). This is where everyone is confronted with the fracturing time stream and history. I imagine the writer (Waid) and the rest of the team had fun tossing around what other elements of Legion history they could put in this issue.

Apart from the characters changed previously (Darkstar Celeste, I.C.C. Dev-Em but claims to be a Daxamite, Star Boy and Dream Girl) we also see:
- Chemical King during a quick swap with Chameleon Boy as living or deceased statue (great scene for displaying the time problem, this one)
- a golden statue of classic Superboy
- Saturn Girl throwing lightning from her eyes as appeared on the cover of Adventure Comics #267
- the founders wearing their costumes from their first appearance in Adventure Comics #247
- clone Superboy in Hawaii from concurrent Superboy volume 4 (or 3 depending how you count them) - at this stage having never met any version of the Legion
- Andrew Nolan and Rond Vidar from the Mordruverse
- the original adult Legion of Super Villains from Adventure Comcis #355 including Lightning Lord, Cosmic King, Saturn Queen and Beauty Blaze
- Urthlo, Luthor's robot from Adventure Comics #300
- Satan Girl, Red Kryptonite version of Supergirl from Adventure Comics #313

There are some fun moments in the battle too like Vi and Virus taking down Beauty Blaze, Inferno getting knocked out just before he can finish saying Satan Girl is a duplicate of ...., the meeting of the two versions of Mekt, and finally Garth and the "youthening" Ayla teaming up to take out Lightning Lord.

I also like some of the lines like older Brainy's "I'm no longer sure she's the woman I'm mourning.", and the two Mekts' conversation, plus Mordru and Glorith while discussing what to do with Rokk referencing the recent problem with the young Valor when Glorith damaged the timeline by killing him.

We also get the reason SW6 Invisible Kid was one of the investigators. As leader of the SW6 team prior to its re-establishment on New Earth, he was attempting to chronicle all of Legion history, for the SW6 team's knowledge, using a time beacon when he discovered the convoluted timelines and brought Rond in to help.

All in all a fun setup issue. The team is now aware of the time problem, there is the new "mission" given by a mysterious someone to Valor, Dev-Em, Shady and Andromeda, and the Legion discovers Mordru and Glorith are working together and have kidnapped Rokk for unknown reasons but ones they seem to think are related to his destiny. And off we go.

Yep, still not a fan of Gardner's style. Some really good ideas but it is just too harsh for me. Well not much longer to put up with it.

You are so right about gatherings of the good guys and the bad guys showing up. Pretty much true for every team super hero comic.

Valor #22 Part 2/5 "The Center Cannot Hold!" by Kurt Busiek, art by Colleen Doran & Dave Cooper, Letters Bob Pinaha, Colors Dave Grafe, assists Mike McAvennie, Editor KC Carlson, Spotters Mark Waid & Tom McCraw

Valor arrives at New Earth along with Dev-Em, Andromeda and Tasmia to help repair the Sebastapol Dome, damaged by Rokk's asteroid hurling. He thinks about his past and finds his memories keep shifting about what really happened to him as well as how the Legion formed. R.J. Brande and Marla greet him; it was R.J. who sent the message for help as New Earth threatens to break apart.

R.J. has a plan: to bring Pocket Dimension Earth into their space as a gravity focus for New Earth, then resettle people on Pocket Earth. To do this, Computo works with Tyroc to open up a dimensional portal. As the Subs, the Daxamites and Tasmia prepare Pocket Earth to be moved, memories shift. Valor remembers various personal histories. He starts to fade from existence but concentrates on Tasmia and returns to reality. The three Daxamites haul Pocket Earth into their dimension.

Pocket Earth is unstable and threatens to explode, but RJ refuses to give up. However, Tyroc and Computo disappear, then others; Tasmia fades but resolidifies as she concentrates on Valor.

Only 72 hours remain before Pocket Earth explodes.

Comments:
More complications in the time line as memories shift and people disappear. RJ Brande somehow knows about Pocket Earth - there's no time for explanations, but it would have been an interesting story. When we last saw Pocket Earth in the Legion book, it was intact, off in some corner of the universe. Now it's an empty rock due to events which took place in the Superman books.

It's great to see RJ again, with his boundless optimism at the brink of disaster. It's possible to get drawn into thinking this might all work and somehow solve the timestream problem, until Computo and Tyroc disappear, along with a few others. At that point, even RJ appears to be losing hope.

When meeting with RJ in the control room, all the clothing colours fade to greys, blues and browns. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be the effect of the lighting or temporal instability.

Lar and Tasmia keep each other in reality through their love. A nice romantic gesture, but I don't know that it needed two pages, although Colleen Doran's art is well suited to these romantic scenes. It doesn't say much for the other couple present, Jacques and Drura; of course, Lar was aware of what was happening, which gave him some advance notice to not panic.

I remember being heartbroken at these issues. All the disappearances... and they were well done re depicting the panic and loss of the remaining Legionnaires... or even of those fading.

Also, kudos to the writing team for using some lesser-known cities throughout 5YL. Sebastapol... Tashkent... I still feel a bit haunted by issue 37... Barcelona was one of the destroyed cities then. I lived there for bit and when walking around I would randomly remember that issue... ah, sorry. Have not been re-reading along with everyone else so am a bit all over the place

The tempo in this issue is fast-paced and exciting (with a bit of dread thrown in) as our heroes work together to solve an urgent problem and we think they might do it but we are not sure. For a brief moment they triumph but then the greatere cataclysm arounds them takes their triumph and turns it into a new ticking clock of potential disaster.

I can't remember what I thought when I first read this book but I really enjoyed reading it this time. It's like watching an epic action flick but one where the characters actually matter. I wouldn't like for any comic to always be like this but here it works well.

Although the Pocket Earth has been thrown a bit back and forth in the Legion books it is good to see that each time it has been used it is consistent with what has happened before like when Glorith met the Time Trapper on it and acknowledged its significant effects on Superman in the 20th Century, and then here again it still shows the scars from that time.

RJ Brande is great here. The portrayal is spot on for the best of him and it surely would have been a shame not to have seen him before the end of this storyline. Also good is to see Dev-Em restored to his heroic version. Even if we don't get much from him it is another little note to the past. In fact I think the writing team is making a point of bringing in all of the side players as the end draws near.

This is a flashback sequence, also shown by the panels being rounded where they are squared-off in the current action scenes. It isn't totally clear which is a minor slip up in the writing but I think this is meant to be when the three Daxamites arrived at New Earth and then the first few pages of stabilising the domes happens after.

From an in-universe position I think you could say this is at least in part because in the two instances of Lar and Shady neither were happening at the same time so they each had an anchor to hold on to, some essential bit of reality that they could grab on to. From a comic perspective although it is tempting to read this as a "Legion" book we have to remember that it is actually a single-hero book specifically Valor, so while the rest of the Legion have to appear here for the storyline and as key players in Lar's story (and to the writer's credit their own characterisation is not stinted upon), the issue is told from his perspective. It is his thoughts that provide the ongoing narration throughout and the focus is on him as it should be. Taking that in to account I think we can forgive Lar and Shady being the only one's to resist the disappearance of reality.


Again I can't remember what I thought at the time (in fact I think I picked them up in the wrong order with Valor coming last) but here this story has me gripped and wanting to read more even as I dread what is coming. Great stuff. Well done Mr Busiek (and of course Colleen Doran and Dave Cooper on art, KC Carlson as editor, and all the rest of the team).

It was good to see other cities besides Metropolis and San Diego acknowledged - prior to this, I think it was mostly regions of Earth that were mentioned - the Sahara, Siberia, Antarctica, Japan for Val and Ivory Coast for Jacques' backstory. I had to look up some of the cities mentioned, like Chongqing.


Oops, I should have caught that - it pays to have other people read and comment!


Quite right, this being Valor's book & story. Sort of overlooked that, with all the other Legion characters present.

I imagine that the purpose of this was so that the rebooted Legion's creators would be free to develop their Tinya without their having to anticipate a fate with L.E.G.I.O.N. The identification of Phase as Tinya's cousin Enya was not really a lingering issue, because Phase told her 20th-century teammates that she still didn't remember anything, so her post-ZH history could really have been anything. (The ultimate fate of the L.E.G.I.O.N.'s Durlan in the post-ZH world remains unrevealed as far as I know. I suppose this might have been explored if they ever cared to tell the story of how one of Tinya's selves was sent back in time.)


There was a R.E.B.E.L.S. comic from (cover date) April, 2009 until July 2011 (i.e., the onset of the new 52).

Good point. I had only been looking at it from the L.E.G.I.O.N./R.E.B.E.L.S. side, thinking of Legion ending. It makes even more sense from the Reboot team's side.

I knew of that additional run but completely forgot it when answering this question. Thanks Chaim.

In answer to the original question re Phase's story it remains: L.E.G.I.O.N. (including the revelation of being Enya Wazzo), R.E.B.E.L.S. volume 1 (1994), and her appearances in LSH vol 4 with her reintegration with Apparition. From memory that is where Enya's story ends as after her re-integration with Tinya, she never splits off again and there is no mention of her personality and memories within Apparition. Phase makes two other cameo appearances. In Legion of 3 Worlds when all the different Legions are pulled together through the Time Trapper's portals that includes also members of 5YL and L.E.G.I.O.N.. She is seen in one panel as part of the fight. How these others were returned to their homes is unclear. Then in the recent The Other History of the DC Universe she appears with Vril Dox amongst the crowds of mourners following Superman's death from fighting Doosmday. Both of these reflect back to her time with L.E.G.I.O.N. and so add nothing to her story LSH vol 4 #100.

Oddly enough, I just got to LSH 102 yesterday on my re-read of the re-boot. There's a distinct discussion in that issue of what happened with regards to Phase and Tinya (but the third is unaccounted for). But that issue documents Tinya dealing with trying to integrate Phase's memories along with Tinya's. (Side note - this was the one issue of the reboot that I felt sympathetic to Tinya).

So technically, Phase appears there as well.

I don't consider Lo3W as having happened.

LSH #60 "Infinite Possibilities!" by Tom McCraw & Mark Waid, Art by Stuart Immonen & Ron Boyd, Colours Tom McCraw, Letters Bob Pinaha, Assists Mike McAvennie, Editor KC Carlson

Unaware of where he is, Rokk runs from guards as Glorith and Mordru watch, then finds himself trapped and bound. Glorith cautions against killing him since Rokk's mysterious destiny could cause chaos.

Elsewhere, Rokk's friends and family learn that he was abducted and they all head out to help him. Mysa and the other mystics seek his location and Cham deduces it must be Baaldur. Elder Brainy, Rond and Lyle study the time problem but agree to join the search for Rokk. More time shifts happen as Inferno replaces Catspaw and is called Sun Boy by Brek.

Glorith has a key to the Infinite Library, which Mordru thought was only a legend. Rokk takes it from her magnetically and jumps through the portal, which closes behind him, leaving the sorcerers outside. They consider him entombed forever and proceed to draw out their only other opposition.

Many Legionnaires have assembled on Winath to start the hunt for Rokk, when they learn that Glorith and Mordru are attacking the Talus SP base. Glorith uses the computer to search for their opponent. The Legionnaires attack, but are dealt with by elementals, aging, de-aging or death. When Leviathan is killed, the older Gim Allon disappears, surprising the others.

Then the Infinite Man returns, summoned by Glorith. Imra learns the sorcerers plan to use the Infinite Man's power; he shouts that he is being pulled apart, then disappears. Many of the Legionnaires return to normal, but time shifts continue. Giant images of Glorith and Mordru appear, taunting the Legionnaires that they have split infinity and now rule the universe.

Comments: At the time, I didn't get the "all come together for Rokk, heart of the Legion" approach this story took. There were indications from the very beginning that Rokk was the quintessential leader and truly inspired this devotion, although he seemed to have lost his way through much of the series: too much sitting around, too much worrying and moping, his depressed to deranged behaviour as a result of (or aggravated by) the guantlets. Now that he's in serious trouble, the others realize how important he is to them. There's a good feeling to it, the strong ties and fundamental solidity of the Legion.

This issue doesn't solve the question of Rokk's important destiny which has made Glorith cautious in dealing with him. However, he is back to his more heroic self, quick-thinking, jumping at a desperate attempt for an advantage - and it works. Or does it? There's little doubt that Rokk will somehow find his way out of the Infinite Library.

The Infinite Man makes a brief appearance, his power too easily defeated/absorbed for my taste, but events are moving quickly, no time for an extended encounter. It does prove what a powerful combination Mordru and Glorith have become.

I haven't kept track of who's appeared, who's disappeared but the fading of elder Gim Allon when his younger version dies suggests a logic to the pattern.

I forgot about Gim dying in this story. I wonder if that informed the team's choices in the Reboot?

Fat Cramer:


The city of Abidjan (the largest city in Cote D'Ivoire) is specifically mentioned in that context in issue # 57 of the Levitz series. (possibly elsewhere as well, but that's where I remember seeing it)

Fairly quick, fun, big wow moments, and some gorgeous art. Not really advancing the "time crisis" central problem but rather enhancing it with Mordru and Glorith meddling with time when it is already unstable.

The fan debate about whether Rokk is really core to the Legion is really fanned into flame with this issue. Whereas previous issues, particularly the early ones, hinted and implied such this one states it flat out. I think a more reasoned response would be because he was taken by Mordru and Glorith together rather than one of the team has been taken. The two are fairly well established in this telling of the team's history as the Legion's two greatest foes and yet also as arch-rivals so the thought of them fighting together should be ringing all the alarm bells. Yet we have pages of everyone gathering because it is Rokk. Still, the way it is told is well done and shares the emotion they are feeling that the writers intended. In past comments I have raised where Rokk was portrayed as core in earlier stories - starting with the earliest as one part of the founding trio, being the first leader (chosen as the ideal leader by a computer in some version), then fading in to the background a bit during the middle SLSH period but Levitz raising him back as an "elder statesman" that shocks the team when he orchestrates the founders going on reserve status, plus finally he being the one to discover the changed timeline with the Time Trapper. Anyway this is how they decided to play it here and it is consistent with his portrayal in this run (excusing his recent bouts of Brainy-induced insanity) and his younger counterpart in Legionnaires.

Using the time beacon to summon the Infinite Man fits well with his previous appearances. Even having read this multiple times before in years past I had forgotten that "the One" that Mordru and Glorith were talking about wasn't the Time Trapper but IM. His main ability of drawing people and creatures from all over time has been largely usurped by Glorith anyway. Thinking about it, although he has always been drawn as huge and powerful, that accessing the timestream for minions has been the only power he has actually shown. Or am I forgetting something? Still the cliff-hanger of M-G now sharing his power is a real OMG moment. "Oh Boy!" indeed Tenzil.

I like Rokk's personal portrayal here as he shows himself as heroic and resourceful, as you said Cramey. The page visualising the Infinite Library as Glorith describes it, going on without end but we see the crack of light of a door at an end, is great drama too.

The time swaps I find a little disappointing this time. Previously we had things that really stood out such as Star Boy, Dream Girl and Bouncing Boy suddenly appearing with the Legionnaires when they were never part of Batch SW6, or Emerald Celeste changing to Darkstar Celeste. These are surprising and point out the changes in time. Here we have Catspaw swapping with Inferno (although Polar Boy calls him Sun Boy) and Wave/Spider Girl swapping with Furball (called Timber Wolf) and Kid Quantum swapping with Mysa. All of these characters had been seen in the group gathering to help find Rokk so their presence is really not surprising. Did they just swap position by a few metres or had some of them not yet arrived on different ships?

Still the fading of Gim with the death of his younger counterpart is a froe-shadowing of what is to come. I did like the mix-up of uniforms and conditions with the unravelling of the Infinite Man. Garth suddenly having his artificial arm, Vi having her bionic eye replaced by her original healed organic one, and Element Lad, Saturn Girl and Duo Damsel being changed to older outfits. That was fun but also not from the main crisis but instead for the M-G actions - which are predictably going to be stated by the "science squad" next issue as further damaging the fabric of time. But of course. What else would villains do at a time of crisis but seek power for themselves no matter the consequence.

End of an Era continues its fun headlong rush in to chaos. Applause all round.

Leg 18

Legionnaires #18 "Changing Times" by Mark Waid & Tom McCraw, art by Chris Gardner & Dennis Cramer, Letters Pat Brosseau, Colours Tom McCraw, Assists Mike McAvennie, Editor KC Carlosn

Glorith and Mordru tower over the Legionnaires and easily dispatch an assult led by Inferno. Adult Thom realizes that they have achieved god status; Brainy warns that they are about to remake the galaxy in their own image. Science Police who were on their way to help the Legion are transformed into soldiers serving the two sorcerers. The two Brainys announce the universe will be remade in just over 5 seconds. Kono disappears.

Rokk wanders around the Infinite Library, finds Glorith's journal stating that his destiny is entwined with hers and Mordru's, then starts to search the books for how to get free.

Some Legionnaires work on an attack plan, but a Legion loyal to the sorcerers appears. Meanwhile, Rokk reads and ages.

In the 20th century, the three SW6 founders' time bubble breaks apart. They're rescued by adult Jo Nah, then approached by Superman, sent by Metron.

An attempt to channel magic energies into Devlin fails; he disappears along with Projectra. Rokk ages further in the Library and begins to practice magic. He becomes younger, and keeps reading. The Legion battles their evil counterparts.

Mysa becomes Amethyst and blasts Mordru away from Glorith, breaking their spell. She fades from reality, happy to have succeeded and be free of Mordru.

Rokk finds a door and opens it. He is greeted by the Time Trapper.


Comments:
Rokk's story is presented along the bottom of the page, as was Glorith's in LSH #53; Rokk's time in the Library is shown without text. It's an effective approach to illustrate time passing for him alone, apart from the Legion's activities, although we don't know how Library time relates to real world time. Rokk could be in there for minutes or millenia. The clue that he's starting to figure something out is when he becomes younger after aging.

His progress, along with Mysa's success at sundering the sorcerers' bond and the inclusion of Superman and Metron, give one hope that this might after have a more or less happy ending.

The Time Trapper is the final surprise - well, a surprise to me. I would have forgotten that somebody, supposedly the Trapper, defeated Glorith in #53, after which she retreated to the Infinite Library to recover. Here he is, ready to join forces with Rokk and set things straight. Or not.

I believe this is the first time we've had an evil Legion. There have been individual members such as Satan Girl (maybe the only one?) and the Mordru-controlled zombies, but this is a new twist made possible with the combination of time and magic powers. I'm surprised it hadn't been used before in this series.

Pretty sure there was an evil Legion in the Silver Age, not in the main Legion title, but in an issue of Superboy or Jimmy Olsen.

The evil Legionnaires here seem less like an actual threat than a vehicle to include in this story some Legionnaires who would have otherwise gone un-depicted in this "ultimate" Legion story. Chemical King in particular comes to mind.