Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Bits o' Legionnaire Business Post ZH Legion: Volume 5 - What Makes Us Special (August 26, 2023)

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Legion World

Chameleon, Reep Daggle of Durla; shapeshifting
Chemical Kid, Condo Arlik of Phlon; controls chemical reactions
Invisible Kid, Lyle Norg of Earth (Australia and Israel); invisibility
Spark, Ayla Ranzz of Winath; electric manipulation
Violet, Salu Digby of Imsk; size manipulation of own body

Jacques Foccart of Earth; complete concealment of self from detection

*************************************************************

"My baby!" Jacques' mother could not contain her tears, and his father was weeping even as he held her. "I thought you were dead!"

"I'm so sorry for putting you through this," Jacques could not stop his own tears. He wished he were there with them now, though Lyle had suggested a call first so Jacques' family could gather himself before they met. "It must have been painful... Earthgov's Black Hole made me go underground... they even got a fake body for my funeral..."

"Jacques is free from that now," Lyle added. "We've pulled some strings... Black Hole will never bother him again."

"I have so many questions," Jacques little sister Danielle spoke up. "When are you coming home, Jacques?"

"Just a last debrief, and nothing will stop me from finally coming home," Jacques answered.

*************************************************************

"So you did let yourselves get caught," Jacques mused. After he and his family finally pulled themselves off their call, he had spent the last half hour debriefing. Lyle and Cham had let themselves get caught as Vi had been with them the whole time; she had been carried away by Ragulti's people in secret, but not before sending a flight ring signal to Ayla and Condo so they could find and rescue Jacques.

Being caught was part of their plan to find Ragulti's conspirators, learn of their plans, and shut the whole thing down.

"And despite our blundering," Ayla quipped, "we cleaned up the casino pretty well."

"You did great," Cham kissed Ayla on the cheek. "Especially for not having sneaky powers."

"That's what I said!" Jacques laughed. With his ordeal over, and his Black Hole handlers put on admin leave, and a hand-delivered amnesty straight from President Wazzo herself... He was free, and nothing could take that away.

"It's a pretty clean wrap-up," Violet noted. "Ragulti and Izaard and company caved pretty quickly, all seven faction leaders are now arrested... Izaard and company will get a few years off their sentence for their cooperation..."

"The Corvan IV government is using this to negotiate even better aid packages from the UP..." Condo added. "They've also been moved up the rotation for our Legion mercy missions. Gates and Microbe are eager to lead a team there."

"Our involvement is also appreciated by the government," Ayla put in. "They're telling the general populace about how we're not just helping with relief and development, but also with safety and security..."

"Most important though, is you're back," Lyle smiled at Jacques. "Med-scans show that as long as you don't use your power... it has no effect on your health."

Jacques shook his head. "So those squajes at Black Hole lied to me... But now that Wazzo knows, they probably won't have much of a career anymore?"

"They are claiming they didn't know how well your system had healed," Lyle's lips were tight. "Thought you still needed daily doses of their meds to keep alive. Which is nass, but we'll keep an eye on them."

"So it's a wrap, then?" Jacques leaned backwards. "Everything will be okay on Corvan IV, I'm free and not about to die... And now we can go have dinner with my folks, they wanted to throw a big party but I convinced them to go for small and simple first."

"Small and simple sounds good for you all," Chameleon laughed. "Thanks for the invite, but we'll leave you to catch up for now."

"We'll join the bigger party later, though," Ayla winked.

"Thanks, I appreciate it," Jacques smiled. "But you're not getting out of this, Lyle. You're my brother, remember?"

"How could I forget," Lyle punched Jacques in the arm playfully.

"And you're my brother-in-law," Jacques beamed at Condo. "Put it there, pal." Condo grinned as he shook Jacques' hand.

"One thing though..." Cham pondered. "Was our big bad fat cat telling the truth about how he infiltrated Earthgov and contacted you, Jacques?"

Jacques shook his head. "I wish I could confirm it... I found the holo on the bed in my quarters. How it got there, I have no clue. Not even the securi-cams could tell me."

Chameleon's face turned serious for a moment. "I have a hunch..."

*************************************************************

Chameleon, Reep Daggle of Durla; shapeshifting
White Witch, Mysa of Zarrox; sorcery

*************************************************************

"There you are!" Had her typical demeanor not been one of calm, Chameleon would almost have said the White Witch was snapping.

Without so much as a hello, Mysa stood in front of Reep, arms at her sides. "Well, the stone from the Philippines was merely a guardian stone, one which protected the caves they were in, channeling the magical energy housed there to hold up the cave network. That's why it collapsed. Mordru could absorb its magic, but it would not add much..."

"And the one in Cambodia?"

Mysa shook her head. "Apparition helped me look - nothing. All I sensed was a very faint trace of a similar type of magic. Basically, benign magic."

Reep's antennae twitched. "We just came from a mission on Corvan IV, and I think there may have been a similar type of artifact." He pulled out a small vial from his belt pouch. "Do you sense anything here?"

Mysa fumed as she took the vial. She closed her eyes, and a bluish-purple aura surrounded her and the vial. Then it faded, and she thrust the vial back. "Same type. Benign magic. Nothing that would worry me. Nothing that I can imagine Mordru would want."

Reep sighed as he tucked the vial back in. "I guess there goes one theory..."

Mysa opened her mouth angrily. Before she could continue, Chameleon gave her his most disarming smile. "I'm really sorry, Mysa. I frankly do hope I'm barking up the wrong tree, as Mordru is very bad news. But I couldn't risk it, and I thought you of all people should know. I'd rather you were one of the first to know, then keep it from you..."

Mysa closed her mouth, and her face softened. "I understand, Reep. I know, if I were in your shoes.."

"It's a lot better to ask for help and involve teammates, then it is to keep them in the dark, no?" Reep continued.

Mysa bit her lip. After all, she had manipulated Kinetix to help her search for the Emerald Eye a long time ago...**"You are absolutely right, Reep."

Reep smiled. "I do thank you for all your efforts. Let me buy you a kono juice?" He offered his arm.

Mysa gratefully took it, and the two chatted amiably as they walked.

*************************************************************

Pon, the Lesser Moon of Xanthu

**Kono of Sklar. Mass-shifting that allows her to phase. Her power may also have other unknown applications. Master thief and pirate.**

Kono phased through the rock and into the cave of the Master. "I have it."

"Ah, good." Their Master rose, and Kono tried not to stare. He resembled a bipedal pig, down to the snout and jowls and -looking face. Yet she had seen him calmly disintegrate the Monkey in their group, for failing his own missions. No, the Master - the Pig - was not one to be trifled with.

Wordlessly, she handed the rock she had retrieved from Corvan IV. It looked like a normal pebble... except it glowed in all the colors of the rainbow, its surface a shifting, rolling pattern. It had taken some doing, and she had needed to cultivate Ragulti Agonal by sneaking into Earthgov to help him contact Jacques Foccart... and stealing the odd treasure or two for his collection.. but finally, he had helped her find the Rainbow Rock that, unknown to him, had enhanced the agricultural yields of his region of Corvan IV for centuries. Well, he could kiss his rich harvests goodbye... it was theirs now.

The Pig placed the Rock with the others she had stolen... the artifacts from Earth, the Green Orb of Concealment from the Luck Lords on Rimbor, and quite a few more... twelve in total, in fact.

Then he began the incantation. Kono watched in interest; it was as if an aura was being drawn from each object... and the magical spell was channeling them into the pile of space rocks that had always lain in this corner of the cave.

what was... oh! Kono held back a gasp, as the rocks began to merge.

The Pig smiled. "Yes, my little pawn... you will bring us one step closer to our goal..."

*************************************************************

IB's notes:

1) Mysa and Kinetix. So, Mysa was trying to track down the Emerald Eye, Mordru's most powerful weapon. She manipulated Kinetix by stealing her powers, then saving her life, re-empowering her, and sending her off to search for the Emerald Eye. When Kinetix later confronted her over this, Mysa sadly explained that she didn't simply ask for help because she had gone a century without friends, alone, after all her friends had died defeating Mordru. Plus, the Eye was insidious and known to possess people, and Mysa was afraid that Zoe would be misled by it if she knew more.

I love Spark's enthusiasm!

Glad to see the Bond movies are surviving 1000 years into the future. I wonder if the Broccoli family is still getting royalties?

Jacques to the rescue! Really enjoying the battle view from SIRI's viewpoint.

Ah, Nara Minsork! Great to see her again! I'm looking to see how to use her as well. And Quicksand! Coincidentally, I just read the first intro of her in Superboy.

Good ol' Vi, taking care of business! I always love anything dealing with the Espionage Squad, and having Ayla around is a plus.

Interesting take on Laurel's interest in Brainy, her being in awe.

Reep and Mysa seem to be getting along famously. Hope Ayla doesn't find out.

Looking forward to seeing what's up with the stones!

Thanks for the R&R, GL

Aula?s just a bundle of enthusiasm

And I figure James (and Jane) Bond will be a staple of Earth culture for a bit

Thanks, I like getting into some bad guys? heads. And I figured it would be good to show the battle from SIRI?s view as Jacques? specialty is concealment

Nara is a good example of an unscrupulous Titanian so she will continue to feature

Yeah, Laurel / Andy was sheltered much of her life and I like thinking of how that would impact her reactions to things

Haha! Cham is just a natural at getting people to like him. Don?t worry, Ayla isn?t the jealous type

And those stones will continue to feature for sure

More to come soon? well, next we head to the past for some 21st century hijinks!

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Metropolis, 21st century Earth

Amp, Ming Sul of Earth (Korea and Taiwan); amplifies the natural abilities of self and others
Inferno, Dirk Morgna of Earth (USA and Russia); pyrokinesis, can see heat signatures
Kid Quantum II, Jazmin Cullen of Xanthu; time manipulation. Current Legion leader.
Live Wire, Garth Ranzz of Winath; electricity generation and manipulation
Saturn Girl, Imra Ardeen of Titan; telepathy

*************************************************

Amp tried to distract herself from the nagging discomfort she felt. Though she and her teammates were safely hidden from the view of most of the locals, having chosen a tall building that towered over all those around it, she still worried one would chance upon them. After all, they were 1000 years in the past, when racism had been rampant even among those belonging to the same human race... and she was conscious that she and Kid Quantum II looked very different from the majority found in the 20th century United States.

Grife, was this what Gates or Microbe* felt when inhabitants of less cosmopolitan worlds gawked at them?

"Kinda boring, eh?" Inferno detached himself from where Kid Quantum II and Live Wire were crowded around Saturn Girl, who was telepathically scanning the area. The quintet had first appeared in Happy Harbor, in the cave abandoned by the Justice League of America and where the time-lost Legionnaires** had sheltered during their exile. Cosmic Boy had left a note for them there - written on paper and held in place by magnetized rocks on the old meeting table - that he would be looking for Superman for help. And so here they were.

"I was looking forward to seeing old Earth," Inferno continued. "Though I understand why we want to keep a low profile. Not ruining the timestream and all. But I wish we'd had more time to explore the old JLA cave, see some of the artifacts..."

"Yeah..." Amp smiled. She had already figured Dirk Morgna out, by comparing notes with many of the female Cadets and Legionnaires. He was just a natural flirt, full of charm and charisma... She would enjoy the attention and comfort he brought, without thinking any more of it. "But did you see some of those old meeting chairs? The ones of Wonder Woman and Green Lantern? RJ Brande had them in his collection..."

"Oh, yeah!" Dirk's eyes lit up. "And even the Atom's tiny one! It's so cool that he has so many artifacts."' Dirk stroked his chin. ?RJ?s kind of like the cool old grampa, who tells funny stories and doesn't lecture you even if you ask for advice. Not like my dad," Dirk rolled his eyes.

"I think Marla's more like your dad," Ming giggled. "When RJ hosted us newbies*** for dinner, Marla was always all -" Ming lowered her voice and puffed her shoulders out. "This is such a big responsibility for you. You are examples to sentients all over the galaxy, you have to act the part!"

Dirk threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, Marla. Sometimes I think he's both grateful AND sad, that the team's grown up so much. We have less need for an adult advisor now, considering how our membership has grown... Though I hear Nightwind still often sits with him."

"He did play a big role in guiding the team, back when... you know... the original crew were lost****," Ming said thoughtfully. "But yeah, the originals had a lot of experience compared to many of us newbies... though you fought alongside them a couple of times, no?"

"Fought is stretching it," Dirk laughed. "I got kidnapped by Doctor Regulus, turned into a glowing freak, lost my powers fighting him, then got possessed by a fire elemental. I thought life had settled down, until I got kidnapped by that Controller, gaining my current powers back... and now here I am. I mean, here WE are."

"Here we are," Ming nodded. Her own powers had been boosted by the same Controller... thankfully, they were kept as unconscious captives for much of their ordeal, so she had few memories of that time. No, she was more nervous about the dangers here in the 21st century... though she was mildly surprised at how chatting with Dirk had taken her mind of it. "Thanks, Dirk, I-"

Before she could finish her sentence, she felt her body move. She began to cry out...

... and in what seemed like a blink, found herself inside a meeting room that she recognized from history tapes.

They were in the Hall of Justice!

"I think you're here to find Cosmic Boy, aren't you?" Superman smiled at them.

Ming felt her knees go weak. She looked around her; Dirk's mouth was hanging open, and even Kid Quantum looked a little nervous. Live Wire was dabbing at his forehead.

"Thank you for picking us up, Superman," Saturn Girl smiled. Ming thought that Imra Ardeen NEVER seemed nervous; though she reminded herself that Imra had been one of the stranded Legionnaires and had met Superman many times. Live Wire was the only other one here who had spent any time in the past, and certainly not for long******.

"So, more Legionnaires." Ming turned and felt her own jaw drop. Wonder Woman, Plastic Man, the Kimiyo Hoshi Doctor Light and the Jason Rusch Firestorm walked in. "It's good to have you, fellow warriors for truth and justice, Wonder Woman smiled.

"It... it is an honor..." Ming breathed.

"We have a lead on Cosmic Boy," Superman continued. "Perhaps you would like to-"

"Wait, he isn't here? He left a note saying he would come find you." If it had been someone else, Amp would have said it was a blurting out. But Kid Quantum carried herself with authority. Live Wire and Saturn Girl exchanged looks, though.

"I'm sorry, Superman," Doctor Light cut in, frowning. "Is it really wise to involve children from the future who know little about our time? Maybe they can wait here, while we go and find their friends."

"Hey now," Firestorm spread his arms. "They're at least my age, maybe a little bit older than me!"

"You've gotten into scrapes before," Doctor Light retorted. "Though you have proven receptive to guidance."

"Excuse me, Doctor Light." Kid Quantum drew herself up. "We may be considerably younger than you. But we've fought the likes of Mordru and Darkseid *******. And to your second point, Saturn Girl was trapped in your time for an extended period AND has briefed us very well on what to expect." She towered over Doctor Light, and met her gaze evenly. "Cosmic Boy is our friend and teammate, and we will do anything to help him."

"Yeah!" Dirk pumped his arm up.

"I do understand Doctor Light's concerns, though," Superman said gently. "I'm sorry to bring up the past, but you Legionnaires have freed Brainiac, caused havoc in my Fortress of Solitude, and created COMPUTO last time you were here..."*************"

"But..." Live Wire began.

"Although," Superman continued. "You did help out very well against the Sun-Eater******, and you did help fix your messes."

"I vote we involve them. We could use more valiant warriors," Wonder Woman proposed.

"Hey, the more the merrier," Plastic Man leaned back in his chair, his limbs sprawled in all directions.

"You know I'm all for it," Firestorm added.

"The majority wins, but I still think it unwise," Doctor Light shook her head.

"It's settled," Superman continued. "Perhaps you five would like to freshen yourselves up a bit; let's take fifteen minutes and we'll start the briefing."

"Oh my gosh, this is better than I could have imagined," Dirk whispered under his breath to Ming. Ming gripped his arm tight. "I know, Tyroc will be so envious!"

**********************

IB's notes:

1) Microbe was formerly known as Infectious Lass!

2) Several Legionnaires and allies were stranded in the 20th century from LSH 85-100. They moved into the original JLA headquarters in LSH 89. Apparition, Brainiac 5, Cosmic Boy, Gates, Saturn Girl, Spark, Ultra Boy plus Shvaughn Erin and Inferno (Sandy Anderson). Triad later got stranded too, and Ferro was introduced as a 20th century native.

3) The latest class of Legionnaires: Amp, Calorie Queen, Echo, Gravity

4) Volume 1, 2, and the start of Volume 3 - before the gang got back together and the original Legionnaires returned home!

5) Bear with me: L* 29, Dirk kidnapped by Regulus and gets uncontrollable powers; LSH 83-84 goes with the Legion to find Regulus and loses his powers; L* 71-74 gets possessed by a fire elemental but is freed at the end, though with heat signature vision. In Volume 3, he gets kidnapped by the same Controller that also boosted Amp's power to her current level.

6) LSH 100, when the 30th century team time-jumped back to the 20th century to help against COMPUTO. All Legionnaires then up to and including Monstress were there, except for M'Onel who was away at the time.

7) Mordru: L* 48-50. Darkseid: Legion 25-30

8) Brainiac 5 freed the original Brainiac in Showcase '96 11-12. Apparition triggered a program that threatened to recreate Krypton's history by destroying the Earth, in Superman Plus the Legion #1. And Brainiac 5 created COMPUTO, who turned bad when Iron of the Metal Men provoked it, in LSH 98-100 / Action Comics 741. The Legion joined the fight versus the Sun-Eater in Final Night mini-series and LSH 86.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Note: shout out to Gaseous Lad for giving feedback on my plot outline

Metropolis, 21st century Earth

Inferno, Dirk Morgna of Earth (USA and Russia); pyrokinesis, can see heat signatures
Live Wire, Garth Ranzz of Winath; electricity generation and manipulation

Superman, Kal-El of Krypton / secret identity Clark Kent of Earth (Justice League): enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers

*************************************************

"I still don't get it, and I hope I'm not being dense..." Inferno began as they flew through the skies of Metropolis. "So Cosmic Boy contacts you, Superman. And you weren't able to get to him immediately cause of some emergency in Mongolia. Fine. But when you fly to where he was, you found no trace of him?"

"Dirk, we've been over this," Live Wire cut in before Superman could. "We ourselves have dealt with magic casters... heck, we have a sorcerer on our team! There are many ways Cos could have disappeared. Don't tell me you're doubting Superman, of all people?"

"It's a valid question," Superman said gently. "Though I do appreciate the defense, Live Wire." Superman angled his body mid-flight so that his legs pointed earth-wards, and began his descent. Dirk and Garth followed suit. "We conducted a thorough investigation; Cosmic Boy was on top of the Daily Planet in Metropolis. But neither my x-ray vision, nor Martian Manhunter's telepathy, nor forensic investigations by the Atom or Doctor Light or even Batman found anything except a faint energy residue which we could not trace or match to any known technology..."

Superman paused as they landed outside a large building. "And that's why we're following this lead now. In Cosmic Boy's message, he said he wanted to find the female Inferno and Connor..."

"... and Inferno's been hanging out here." Live Wire finished. "Imra - Saturn Girl - said this was where Inferno was last time they spoke telepathically*."

"She apparently adopted the mall as her own," Superman acknowledged. "There were reports of some psychic vampire haunting this mall, but Inferno said she took care of it. No sightings or disappearances were reported after that... though the mall was abandoned soon after anyway. It went out of business."

"I suppose that's why it's all dark," Live Wire shook his head. "Smells musty, too. And I don't suppose this door opens on its own?"

"It's a sliding door," Superman observed. "Electrically-operated, which means..."

"... I can get us in without breaking anything." Live Wire placed his hand on the door panel, sending a small electric shock through it. The door opened, to reveal an empty hallway with long-unused escalators , empty shops, and dusty floors.

"I've read that that happened a lot in the 21st century," Inferno mused as they entered the building. He opened his palm, creating a ball of flame in his hand. Superman, of course, could see even in the dark with his vision powers; but Garth needed light. Dirk himself didn't; at least, not to search for a human being. He switched his vision to heat signature vision and began looking around. "My dad made me study e-commerce history, and it peaked in the mid-21st, though as diseases came under control, humans began wanting to see products for themselves before buying again, and..."

"Dirk!" Garth chided. "Remember, we shouldn't be revealing anything about the future!"

"Hold on," Superman said.

"I didn't mean..." Dirk protested.

"No, something's coming!" In the blink of an eye, Superman had rushed in front of the two Legionnaires.

"Well, it can't be alive!" Dirk exclaimed. "I can't see any heat signatures..."

"I assure you, I am very much alive..." A white-furred, vaguely ape-like creature crept out of the shadows, eyes glowing red. "That girl, Inferno, thought she had killed me. But she only hurt me. Badly enough that I could have died.. but thankfully, the despair and sadness caused by the closure of this mall fed me... and now..."

"I'm warning you, stay back," Superman's eyes glowed red. Garth's hands crackled with electricity, while Dirk's burst into flame.

"Oh, I can feel the sadness and tragedy emanating from each of you," the creature smiled, licking its lips as it pointed at Superman. "You. A destroyed Krypton. Losing your parents. And you," it turned to Garth. "A disturbed brother who killed many and is still healing. And insecurities about your future wife, bubbling beneath the surface. And finally, you, little firebug." It advanced on Dirk. "Feeling like you can never live up to your father's expectations. Ah yes, your soul burns bright, just like that Inferno girl**. You will be a tasty morsel, you all will. Now feed me!"

The creature's eyes glowed red, and all three heroes fell to their knees.

"Imra loves me, I know it!" Garth cried out. "Stop making me doubt her!"

"I'm my own man!" Dirk clenched his fist. "I'm not just Derek Morgna junior..."

Superman lifted one knee. "More powerful than you have tried, I'm afraid. And yes, the tragedy of my birth planet stays with me... but it does not rule me... and neither can you." He drew something from his cape pouch and pointed it at the creature...

... and with a shrill scream, the creature was sucked into it!

Garth and Dirk both leaped up; they had been fighting against the psychic backlash of the creature, but it was like a weight suddenly vanished. "Wow, I'm glad we were prepared!" Dirk breathed.

Superman held the object carefully. It was a small monkey doll. "Zatanna had a hunch, after reading the case files. I have to remember to thank her for this little magical entity trap."

The monkey doll's face twisted. "Let me out!" it howled in the creature's voice. "Why can't I move anything except my face?!"

"You're trapped, and you're going to stay trapped until you tell us where the other Inferno went!" Dirk jabbed his finger at the doll.

"I last noticed her about a month ago, shortly after the mall closure was announced!" the creature pleaded. "I barely paid attention though - she had beat me once, and there was enough negative emotion around her to draw on! I'm not stupid, I didn't want to burn again..."

"And what happened when you noticed her?" Garth pressed.

"She was here, then she flew away, and I didn't bother to follow her!" the creature wailed.

"And have you seen this person?" Garth asked. He held up his Omnicom, with a full-body picture of Cosmic Boy in his Legion costume.

"No, nobody like that! Now let me go!" the creature pleaded.

"I'm sorry, but not until we can release you where no innocents will be harmed." Superman tucked the doll into his cape pouch. "And we won't leave until we verify your story... My super-senses should tell me if there's any trace..." Superman trailed off for a few seconds, then sighed. "I've used my microscopic and x-ray visions on the whole mall, but I cannot detect anything that matches the samples of Cosmic Boy's DNA and costume that you shared with me."

Dirk sighed as he plopped down on a ledge. "I hope the other teams have better luck than we do."

Garth stood silently; he thought he was fully confident in Imra's love for him, but he couldn't forget that she had dated Cosmic Boy a while back. Still, Imra had declared her love for him many times over. Had the creature been lying about what it sensed?

Superman placed a firm hand gently on Garth's shoulder. "This creature is an emotional manipulator. It tells lies and provokes its victims so they feel deeper negative emotions, allowing it to feed more. Although its lies are based on truth, it makes things out to be worse than they really are."

Garth smiled gratefully at Superman. That must be it; Imra had never given him any reason to doubt her love, now that they had re-committed to getting married. He started walking towards the mall entrance. "Let's go find Cosmic Boy... I have a wedding to plan after we do."

************************

IB's notes:

1) LSH 100, Saturn Girl telepathically contacted Inferno (Sandy) to tell her the Legion had found a way home. Inferno decided to stay in the 20th/21st century.

2) The Inferno mini-series (yes, Sandy got a four-issue one!) In it, she's stalked by this creature who feeds on negative emotions or something like that.... she defeats it through a combination of her fire powers and her acceptance of herself, or something like that. It was a weird mini, in my opinion.

I'm glad Amp was able to read Dirk like a book! LOL

Nice summation of Dirk's journey here, too Ibby.

The description of Superman sweeping them all over to the Hall of Justice was disorienting and fun! And glad that Imra is shown as been cool as a cucumber, as she should.

And see, this is why I love Diana - always voting the right way!

I always wondered about the contrivance for Issue 100 that kept Monel away in the L* title. I'm assuming they figured if Lar had a way to go back to the past, he'd stay. I wonder if he was sore about not being part of the party....

Also,quick note about the timeframe - is this supposed to be going on in the aughts or late nineties? You know me, mister timeline!

------

Oooh - a callout to ecommerce and the pandemic! Wow!

I wasn't prepared for that Monkey Doll - I didn't know what that was. I just finished reading Later by Stephen King and that thing reminded me instantly of the deadlights creature that is the antagonist of that book.

Thanks for the fast read and review GL!

Yeah, Amp is sharp

I love me some Diana too. She's wise beyond her years, she is!

I was also thinking re M'Onel going back to the 20th century. it would raise issues about him being present there while also being stuck in the Phantom Zone... i never thought about the whole "well, would he not choose to stay there' bit! good point! so he really couldn't be there...

re timeline I haven't thought too much about it to be honest. I was just gonna have it be modern time, our time

the monkey doll thing? I just needed an enchanted object to trap the creature in, and I looked at the Inferno mini again and saw it was drawn like Bigfoot... so monkey doll it was

That's cool - I don't remember much of the Inferno series, but your portrayal here reminded me of the King story - the monster there is basically a ghost that knows everything about the protagonist and says things to mess with his head, so it may be a recency effect thing going on there, since I read the book about a month ago or so, but it had the same resonance.

I checked the last few pages of the Inferno mini... it did seem like that, but a girl Inferno befriended also saw the monster thingie so it was real somehow. but that whole mini is a blur for me, frankly

Hey IB, I only have half an hour so this will be a quick review.

Loved your espionage squad story, Nice use of Condo's abilities, and mentioning their downsides too - sweating out a poison might save a life but not make the person popular until they shower

SIRI the Linsnarian, haha, taken out by ugly art. Well, both needed dealing with so Ayla just multi-tasked

Great use of Vi, and nice Silver Age feel solution with her hiding until called out to save the day.

I really like your Andromeda, she has a decent personality! That's not something I really remember from the few reboot issues I read.Her friendship with Mentalla is paying dividends. Also, I really like your Mentalle - you've made her really useful and smart, rather than just ambitious like in canon.I kind of feel sorry for the bombers though, expecting to be saved and all the while just being sacrificial pawns - hopefully this is the wake up call they need to set aside their violent tetndencies.

Jacques first reunion with his family being across a holo was smart - he doesn't want to give anyone a heart attack!

The mystery of why the Pig wants these apparently harmless magical items is a good one, I'm scratching my head trying to figure it out.

I'm not sure if Amp or KQ2 would look that different in 20th C USA - My first trip to the states was in the early 1980's and I remember loving how diverse New York was. But I suppose it depends where they are exactly. Nice that Amp has Dirk figured out already and knows to enjoy the flattery but not expect anything serious. And, how great that you mention Marla, there's a character that could have been great but was treated like a throwaway idea. Nice idea that Berta sits with him sometimes, clever!

Nice team of JLAers to use, and Dr Light being the mature voice of reason makes sense.

The monster in the mall - a brilliant horror story trope! I never read the Inferno mini so have no idea at all what it is, but something that feeds on disappointment would be perfectly at home in a mall. Nice way to sort it out, Zatanna showing foresight to prepare Supes was smart.Garth's doubts about Imra are understandable and you played them well. Be interesting to see if the pop up again...

So, we're no closer to finding Csmic Boy - I wonder if the Knights Tempus are involved this time? It's the only idea I have, so m eager to find out whats going on with Rokk, and can't wait for more, more, more!

hi Harbi, thanks for the read and review! always love reading your insightful opinions!

Haha! funny bit there about the ugly art needing dealing with

and thanks, Condo's powers are tough to write for me so I'm glad it seemed realistic. ditto Vi's hiding. I like coming up with creative uses for the Legionnaires' powers, without necessarily making them even more powerful!

Yeah, Andromeda's really grown and changed from her early days / all her experiences. I felt it was time for her to mature. I always did sympathize with Mentalla's ambition, and thought that if she had done her Fatal Five infiltration in the Silver Age, she would have succeeded. I always felt she should get a second chance some time...

Yes, those poor bombers. I feel they are more misled than evil. Don't worry, definitely not beyond redemption!

Hehe! Yes, Jacques reuniting with his family, I thought of what I would do when I need to tell my parents I'm engaged... so yes, better to break the news gently than suddenly show up at the door!

Re Amp and KQ2, you make a very good point here. I was going for Amp being potentially wrong as well - after all, she studied history, so maybe she got some details wrong. And indeed, Marla continues to play a key role in the team

Glad you like the JLA cast I chose!

hehe mall and disappointment, I do like that connection. Glad you liked the little bits with Supes, Garth and Dr. Light!

Ohh the Knights Tempus! I have to say I am not planning on using them for this

thanks Harbi, really appreciate your continued reading and support!

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Note: shout out to Gaseous Lad for giving feedback on my plot outline

Somewhere near Washington DC, 21st century Earth

Kid Quantum II, Jazmin Cullen of Xanthu; time manipulation

Doctor Light, Kimiyo Hoshi of Japan, Earth (Justice League): photokinesis, light absorption, physicist
Wonder Woman, Diana of Themyscira, Earth (Justice League): enhanced speed, strength, durability, flight; lasso of truth, magical bracelets, skilled fighter, warrior, diplomat and strategist

*************************************************

Kid Quantum was very conscious of the gravitas emanating from her two companions. Though not one of the most famous heroes of the 21st century, Doctor Light was still a Justice Leaguer who played key roles on many missions - including the very first Crisis. And Wonder Woman was... Wonder Woman.

But beyond the weight of history, Jazmin also recognized their skills and accomplishments. Few Legionnaires had real careers or hobbies outside of being full time super-heroes, and many who did have experiences outside the team still excelled in fields very closely related to heroing and law enforcement. Yet these two women - and many of their League teammates - had helped build and shape 21st century Earth, sowing the seeds for the Earth and the United Planets that existed in the Legion's own time. It made her feel giddy, and a bit frustrated - she didn't dare ask about any of these, as she couldn't even be sure which ones had happened yet relative to the time they were now in.

"Remember, not a word about your future knowledge," Doctor Light cautioned, breaking through Kid Quantum's reverie.

"My teammates and I know how to take care of the timestream," Kid Quantum said, a little too abruptly for her taste. She was nervous, after all, and a little bit anxious. She decided to leave it as is; after all, the archives were clear that Doctor Light had been one of the most demanding heroes of her age. Though she meant well. And she was still nicer than Winema Wazzo used to be, back when she hated the Legion.

"Come, sisters, she is here." Wonder Woman didn't point; Jazmin admired how serene she looked. She herself felt a lump in her throat as she watched the figure striding towards them.

"Thank you for meeting us, Ms. Waller," Wonder Woman nodded her head.

"Wonder Woman, Doctor Light, and..." Amanda Waller didn't even nod. She just stood, feet square, back straight. And though Amanda Waller had to look up, Jazmin felt that she was looking down at them. Though little known to the general populace now, Amanda Waller would become famous - and even infamous - in the history books as a no-nonsense, practical protector of civilians whose methods could be ethically questionable at best. Ruthless, clever, crafty... it was difficult to like her, but almost impossible not to respect her - not her morals, but her abilities.

"No rudeness intended, but I prefer not to give my name," Jazmin said. They had agreed before coming here, that the less information Amanda Waller had, the better. Doctor Light had wanted to hide her from sight using her light powers, but Wonder Woman had argued that any deception, if revealed, would damage their conversation irreparably. After all, who knew what metahumans Waller had with her?

They did compromise on obscuring Jazmin's facial features and appearance. She was wearing a loose-fitting bodysuit that obscured basically every physical feature she had.

Jazmin resisted the urge to mentally reach out and touch Saturn Girl's telepathic shields. The fewer who knew they came from the future, the better.

Amanda Waller didn't even raise an eyebrow. "I have a list of all metahumans reported missing in the last 72 hours," she said. "Yours?"

Doctor Light held up a small device - what was it - a USB. Jazmin understood it was becoming archaic even by the standards of today, but Amanda Waller was not exactly a trusted ally. Linking their devices and networks to share data was risky, so they had chosen to use a device that could not be compromised. Waller pocketed it and handed over a USB of her own - one that they would scan thoroughly before plugging into the Justice League networks.

"I suppose you've noticed that all the disappearances are..." Wonder Woman began.

"Metahumans below 26 years of age," Waller continued. "Not all heroic. Just the ones we know about, but enough to detect a pattern. No discernible energy or magic traces of teleportation, no physical signs of a struggle..."

"Evidence indicates where they were taken, but not how," Doctor Light finished.

"Also, generally they were not prominent. Not enough to be missed immediately. It is likely many were taken days - even weeks - before they were reported," Wonder Woman added.

"Then we're very much on the same page," Waller concluded.

"It is in all our best interests to solve this," Wonder Woman continued. "Shall we share new information every three hours?"

"You know where to send it." And without another word, Amanda Waller turned and walked away.

The trio waited five minutes, then turned to leave on foot. "You did well," Wonder Woman smiled at Jazmin. Jazmin smiled back, then remembered her face was obscured. "Thanks. I'm just glad we didn't need to fight... though as agreed I used my powers to slow time around us. I'm confident that any recordings made of us would be useless, and any telepathic or technological probes would have failed."

"Waller's too smart to try anything, though I wouldn't put it past some of the buffoons in the government," Doctor Light shook her head. "I'm sure there were some super-powered operatives watching us."

"We do have to protect ourselves," Wonder Woman agreed. "We're far away enough. Let's go." Then she took to the air, Doctor Light close behind.

Jazmin felt a little leap in her heart as her flight ring carried her. Hopefully, the data they gained would be worth something.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Note: shout out to Gaseous Lad for giving feedback on my plot outline

Hawaii, 21st century Earth

Amp, Ming Sul of Earth (Korea and Taiwan); amplifies the natural abilities of self and others
Saturn Girl, Imra Ardeen of Titan; telepathy

Superboy, Connor Kent/Kon-El of Earth; tactile telekinetic forcefield that approximates super-strength, invulnerability and fight (Teen Titans)
Roxy Leech of Earth; police officer and friend of Superboy's (Special Crimes Unit)

Firestorm, Jason Rusch and Ronnie Raymond of Earth (merged being); nuclear energy manipulation, molecular reconstruction, phasing, flight (Justice League)
Plastic Man, Patrick "Eel" O'Brian of Earth; malleable fluid physiology that allows for shape-shifting, invulnerability (Justice League)

*************************************************

Superboy raised his arms over his head, and scooted back in his lounge chair. "Ah, this is the life," he sighed. "Isn't it, Roxy?"

"You're telling me!" Roxy Leech laughed as she sipped her pina colada. "I enjoyed living in Metropolis for a while, and I learned a lot of useful stuff, but it's no tropical paradise. It doesn't have the nice soft sand, the soft lapping of the waves, the..." She sat up and took off her sunglasses, squinting. "The super-heroes."

"What are you talking about, you got a bona fide super-hero right..." Superboy glanced at where Roxy was looking, taking off his own sunglasses. "Oh."

He stood up as the four figures landed in front of him. "Looks like you're back in time, Saturn Girl. Not trapped again, I hope?"

"Hopefully not," Saturn Girl smiled as she shook Superboy's hand. "And I hope you're well too, Roxy?"

"Well as can be," Roxy sighed. "So what brings you here, is our vacation over?"

"Nah, we're here to join you!" Plastic Man morphed a sombrero on his head, and turned his right hand into a big coconut with a straw. "Missing teens can wait another day!"

"No, they can't," Amp said darkly. Superboy and Roxy looked on in curiosity.

"I think some introductions are in order," Firestorm sighed.

"Allow me. Sorry, but we don't have the luxury of time." Saturn Girl's eyes flashed pink, and everyone present was introduced to each other and given a briefing.

"Whoa, I recognize some of those taken... Sparx, Aura," Superboy stammered. "But it looks like all the current Titans are accounted for, at least."

"They seem to be targeting lesser-known metas," Firestorm observed. "Doctor Light confirmed that a few minutes ago."

"We thought you may have been targeted yourself." Amp added. "That was before we realized the pattern of the disappearances."

"Yeah, Supes here is real high-profile," Roxy noted. "But you also decided to check on him because of Cosmic Boy, eh? We haven't seen him at all."

"Not even a message," Superboy shrugged. "Unless it was one of those unknown callers that I usually ignore."

"One of those missing was last seen not far from here, though," Saturn Girl noted. "Lagoon Boy, last reported seen two days ago..."

"I guess that's that, then," Roxy sighed as she set her drink down and grabbed her purse. "Come on."

Amp raised an eyebrow. "You're coming along?"

"Roxy's a trained cop - Special Crimes Unit, even!" Superboy grinned. "She can handle herself."

"Maybe she can take my place," Plastic Man quipped as he fanned himself with his left hand, in the shape of a large palm leaf.

"Come on, Plas." With a wave of his hand, Firestorm transmuted the sand under Plastic Man into water. Plas gasped and coughed as he splashed down. "Let's get going."

"Spoilsport..." Plastic Man muttered as he stood up, dripping, and followed his five companions.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Note: shout out to Gaseous Lad for giving feedback on my plot outline

Hawaii, 21st century Earth

Amp, Ming Sul of Earth (Korea and Taiwan); amplifies the natural abilities of self and others
Saturn Girl, Imra Ardeen of Titan; telepathy

Superboy, Connor Kent/Kon-El of Earth; tactile telekinetic forcefield that approximates super-strength, invulnerability and fight (Teen Titans)
Roxy Leech of Earth; police officer and friend of Superboy's (Special Crimes Unit)

Firestorm, Jason Rusch and Ronnie Raymond of Earth (merged being); nuclear energy manipulation, molecular reconstruction, phasing, flight (Justice League)
Plastic Man, Patrick "Eel" O'Brian of Earth; malleable fluid physiology that allows for shape-shifting, invulnerability (Justice League)

*************************************************

Saturn Girl shut out the minds of the sea creatures around her as she and her companions swam towards the shipwreck YO-257 shipwreck. She shuddered a little bit at the looming carcass; it reminded her too much of haunting decay. She gave thanks that the sea creatures around were of lower intelligence, making it easier to block out their rudimentary thoughts. And she also gave thanks for the telepathic earplugs they used, which let her save her strength and concentration for scanning around them.

As a bunch of round, spiky fish swam in front of them, she turned to Roxy. "How are you liking your transuit?"

"I could get used to them! I gotta say, I was skeptical at first - but this is so convenient!" Dressed in her Special Crimes Unit uniform, the only marine piece of attire Roxy were were things called flippers; lacking a flight ring, the flippers helped her swim faster. Though Superboy of course was helping her with his tactile telekinesis. "I don't suppose I can keep this, eh?"

"Sorry, it's only a loaner," Amp smiled. "Future tech and all... Same for those telepathic earplugs that let us talk to each other."

"Well, this is it," Firestorm called from in front of them. Amp had commented on his flaming hair going out underwater, but now they understood it wasn't exactly fire, but some sort of nuclear energy. "Lagoon Boy was last seen hanging around here..."

"But I can't find a trace of him," Saturn Girl continued. "Not even with Amp boosting my range."

Plastic Man inflated his eyes, making them look like big white saucers. "I don't SEE anything, either."

Roxy pointed her lamp towards the seabed. "Look at that sand. It's very smooth... I don't see any signs of disturbance."

"I guess we have to go in and search the wreck, then." Superboy began heading there.

"Wait, I sense... civilians?" Saturn Girl noted. "They're inside... and thinking of exploring..."

"Link me to them," Roxy offered. She managed not to gasp as she felt Saturn Girl's voice in her mind, though she did shiver a bit as, seconds later, she somehow felt the minds of a couple dozen tourists around her. "This is Officer Roxy Leech of the Special Crimes Unit," she began. "My colleagues and I are investigating this shipwreck." She thought about naming her companions, then decided against; the tourists would probably dawdle to get a better look if she did. "You are not in any immediate danger; however, we do ask you to calmly exit the shipwreck. Please avoid touching anything, as we need to preserve the scene."

"That's telling 'em!" Plastic Man morphed his head into a giant beret, and a big badge appeared on his chest. Saturn Girl thought he looked like a comical cartoonish general. His hand shifted into a large cone, and he made as if to bellow into it. "Move it, people, move it!"

"I sure am glad they can't actually hear you," Firestorm sighed.

"That's why I do it!" Plastic Man laughed. "Why be a super-hero when you can't have some fun?"

"Good point," Superboy gave a thumbs up. I.."

Suddenly, fish began swimming in frenzied patterns. Superboy's next words were drowned out by a loud underwater rumbling, and clouds of sand erupted through the sea water.

"Earth- um - seaquake!" Plastic Man yelled.

Saturn Girl could feel spikes of panic in her mind. "The tourists - they're panicking!"

"The ship is falling!" Amp gasped.

"Keep me linked to them!" Roxy yelled as she began waving her arms. "Everyone keep calm, we'll get you to the surface! Don't forget to surface at the proper pace, you don't want to get the bends now!"

"I'll try to keep the wreck upright!" Superboy swam towards the ship, even as it began to tilt down. With his back to it, he slowly held it in place.

"Let me help," Firestorm began transmuting sea water and sand into titanium supports, shoring the ship up.

"And I'll check for stragglers!" Plastic Man shifted into the form of a submarine and jetted inside the ship.

"Ngggh... this thing is heavy, even underwater..." Superboy called. "Amp...?"

"One moment." Amp turned to Roxy and took a few bright yellow cubes from her belt pouch. "Inflatable rafts. Just press here. I know you'll keep everyone safe. I'll spare some of my power to enhance your strength so you can get to the surface faster..." A red glow surrounded Amp, then extended to Roxy.

Roxy smiled in thanks, then turned towards the surface. She marveled at how far her kicks took her. She broke through the water, and quickly inflated the rafts Amp had given her.

Minutes later, the first of the tourists surfaced, gasping. Roxy quickly ushered them into the rafts. "How many of you were there?"

"Twenty, including me..." gasped one, a tanned, middle-aged man. "I was their guide, never expected this... area usually quite safe... no volcanoes nearby..."

"Could it be a super-villain?" a woman huddling in one of the rafts shook nervously. Others around began to mumble, and one let out a high-pitched sob.

"If they are, we'll be safe," Roxy soothed them. "There are some very competent and powerful heroes with me." Through Saturn Girl's telepathic link, Roxy could feel more tourists coming up. "I'm just going to duck down for a bit to guide the others up, okay?" She turned to the guide. "You keep an eye out on everyone here, keep them calm." As soon as the guide nodded, she dove underwater, holding her lamp aloft. She beckoned the next batch of tourists to her, and gasped as she saw one was bleeding; the water around his leg was turning red.

"Might need back-up," Roxy sent. "Bleeding tourist, shark feeding frenzy likely."

"I got a couple more injured ones down here," Plastic Man said. "Join you in a bit."

"I'll be there too," Saturn Girl sent. "I can at least telepathically keep any carnivores away."

Roxy quickly swam down to the bleeding diver, supporting him as she swam up. Once they breached the surface, she had the divers in one raft help her pull the bleeder up. She tossed a first aid kit over. "Grab some gauze and press it against the wound, while I get everyone else out of the water," she instructed.

The next few minutes were a frenzy, as Roxy pushed all the divers near here into one of the rafts. Then she hauled herself up, turning her attention to the bleeder. Soothing the man, she began inspecting his wound. Satisfied that it wasn't life-threatening, she spoke with the guide. She quickly called the tour boat and had it head over here - it was supposed to come an hour later, but she stressed the nature of the emergency. Then she called the Hawaii Special Crimes Unit dispatch to report a potential meta-human caused seaquake.

It was only after she hung up, that she saw a big shape loom underwater. "Everyone keep calm and try not to move," Roxy called out, heart thumping. Where were the others? She pulled out her gun and waited - shooting bullets underwater was dangerous, but if this thing breached water and proved aggressive, she could do something...

What looked like a red-and-white whale breached water. "Ah, I missed fresh air!"

Roxy sighed as she lowered her gun. Plastic Man waved a flipper; three divers clung to fins on his back, while one barely-conscious diver was wrapped in a tentacle. Roxy was pleased to see that Plas' "tentacle" even wrapped around the diver's mouth, ensuring oxygen was being inhaled. All in all, he looked like a cross between an octopus and a killer whale, except with three extra fins.

"Sorry it took me so long, but this one was stuck under an old rusty anchor!" Plas grinned.

"You scared me!" Roxy snapped as she reached out to the almost-unconscious one.

"Hey, I told Saturn Girl to tell you to expect me!" Plas grinned as he extended his "fins" to help the other divers climb into the boats. "Say, where is she?"

Roxy paused. "Haven't seen her surface yet." She hastily did a headcount; twenty. All divers were accounted for. "Plas... and where are Superboy and the others?"

"I'll find them if they're down there." Roxy thought she saw Plas' expression turn grim as he dove under. Trying to keep worry from affecting her, she checked the injured diver. Plas had done a good job keeping him breathing, and vital signs seemed normal.

Then she sat down and waited.

The sea parted again, and Plastic Man zoomed out of the water like a rocket. He fluidly snaked himself into the raft beside Roxy. She almost recoiled as she saw a grim expression on his face.

"I checked all around the wreck," Plas said in a shockingly serious tone. "They're all gone."

Roxy bit her lip. "No way."

"I don't joke about things like this," Plas shook his head. "I already called the League. Believe me... we're going to find them and get them back."

Cool! I think this is happening just down the street from my house!
I will say - when I saw Doctor Light, my initial thought went to the bad guy for a hot second!

I'm loving Jazmin fangirling here! And interesting approach with Waller, obscuring Jazmin's appearance. I enjoy her perspective of the modern day.

And wow, It's so great to see Roxy again. She was a favorite! I can't remember - did she actually get SCU trained, or is that yours?

Nice characterization of Plastic Man - in both personality and skills.

Nice jeopardy scene with the ship falling apart - and nice detail about the bends.

I'm enjoying the gradually deepening mystery. It appears this whole underwater incident was a diversion....

Haha! ah yes, that whole "but we're both Doctor Light!" thing!

Glad you liked Jaz's fangirling! And yeah, I thought, Waller is such a canny and sharp person... she would definitely be interested in people from the future

glad to see another Roxy fan, always thought she was under-rated. The SCU training was referenced in all the Googling I did of her, so I went with that.

Re Plas, glad it rang true! I'm mostly picking up the Morrison era depictions of him

thanks, I needed a realistic underwater danger to keep everyone busy I also read one or two novels early in life that had the bends be a major plot point, that always stuck with me

and you, my friend, are a sharp reader dun dun dun!

Hi IB,

Wow, you sure have been busy. Looks like I'm the one with some catching up to do. So this read and review will be as I read.

Lyle's spying is very practical. I liked that he didn't just hover over everyone. But its hard to see him as this rich brat. The burp at the end sells it though. lol.
A fun idea for a short story might be Spy lessons with Invisible Kid.
That was a super smart idea to have Condo tweak his metabolism.
I'm loving the playful back and forth between Cham and IK.

Ragulti is very stern and creepy. The marring his harem part was particularly awful. I can't help but envision him with a golden mask on. I don't know why. I have to wonder why this guys fixation is on sexual harm to his captives. Is it really the only way to harm them without losing their usefulness?
Damn it Lyle! You got caught? Please let this be a trick.
I wonder what its like for Cham to be caught in mid-shift. Is it painful or is it numbing? Ragulti was sure ready for them.
Wait...How did he transform the floor? ...Ohh damn its Quicksand. Ragulti really is prepared for them. Maybe someone like Vi could have been useful for this mission too.

Oh, so Ragulti is connected to Corvan IV's demands from the U.P.. I wonder if he's behind keeping aid from reaching more people. Is he a collector? His harem seems to be from across the U.P.

YAY! Jaques, and i loved the line "I have holo's....I do exists." it was both heartbreaking and triumphant.

So Twine is back and working for Ragulti? I always wondered what happened to her once the Oversight Watch was disbanded.
Ooo a new one from Gear's planet. SIRI sounds cool. It always bothered me that we never saw more from his people. Sometimes in cannon it felt like the Legionnaires from the worlds we didn't visit a lot were the only representation. It's like they might as well have been Element Lad, the sole survivor.
Do Gear's people have a collective duty to society? SIRI, talks about Gear being a tool and not for his own benefit?
Loved that Spark had a solvent. I guess they were ready for Ragulti's goons too.

Her reaction to the painting was hilarious. lol.
The back and forth between Spark and Condo is fun.
Notice Condo never agreed to not tell Lyle and Cham about their faux pas.

Lol loved Ayla's love. "I'm not the first Legionnaire to get captured by the bad guy."

the return of Nara Minsork. Haven't seen her since she tried to interrogate Brainy.
Man Ragulti is just so punch able. i can't wait for some to punch him!
Loved that Violet showed up! Yes I knew she'd be great for this mission.

Does your Quicksand liquify objects and create a fluid to trap people in?

Loved the practical uses you have. Cham having a sedative on him makes sense! with his abilities i bet he could store tones of things in his form harmlessly.
Loved this mission and that they were able to free Jaques.

Takron-Galtos:
Nice. Echo and Mendalla made a good team and that this was taken care of quickly. I totally thought Andromeda was going to have to rough up some Corvanians when i saw her on the roster.
I liked that Izzard could be reasoned with for her sisters sake. a lot of times its easy to forget what is at the heart of a lot of "villains".

Loved Andromeda's realization about her relationship with Brainy and that she's finally starting to enjoy her time as a Legionnaire.

Damn Ragulti and his cohorts did the Corvan IV terrorist's dirty.

Nice. I'm glad Jaques is getting a bit of a happy ending and released from Black Hole. But are they really going to let him walk away?
Loved that it turned out to be a ruse and well done too.
The whole "No sneaky powers" line is super cute and funny.
I guess if Jaques is "kind of cured" in the sense that he's fine without the use of his powers means we won't be seeing him join the legion anytime soon. Which is fine and totally get. he needs some time with his family after all they've been through.

I loved Cham's disarming of Mysa with his charm. lol
Glad to hear these are all minor magics and nothing that could awaken Mordru.
Kono has gotten her self into some weird territory here and maybe this could lead to Mordru.
If only the people of Corvan IV knew about that stone to help aid them in their recover from the Blight. Although I'm surprised it had anything left after their attack.

The search for Cosmic Boy:
It's fun seeing how the og team and the newbies deal with being in the past. Seeing Amp and Inferno geek out is really funny. While Imra is just like, old hat.
I like that you mention how Amp and Kid Q, could be perceived in our time period. Outside of the alien concept , like when Gates and friends were sent back in the "Mr. Swan's Kids" issue, when someone goes back in time, a lot of times the bad aspects of the time period are washed over completely. I understand we all have this idealized view of the past. kind of like Back to the Future which ignores the racisms of the 50's. But we can't learn from it, if we ignore it. So kudos to you for acknowledging it.
Edit: seeing Harbinger's comment, true it all depends on the area your in. But i think its not so much that you were referencing how different and "out of place" they look but more so the fact that out of the rest of their teammates they could face more violence and bigger consequences for the way they look. So maybe its just wording for that part.

Seeing them geek out over the meeting chairs and how RJ has them in his collection. it cements the idea of Legacy well.
Loved the comparison between RJ and Marla. Marla being the begrudging adult advisor turned wistful for the days of old is really well done and a great nod to how much the team has grown and changed.
Dirk laughing about his own time with the team before officially joining was fun. i like that he has a good attitude about it.

Hahaha loved all the jaw drops while meeting the Justice League.
Ahh the old debate about including the Children from the future.
I liked that Firestorm stuck up for them.
Kid Quantum standing up to Dr. Light was pretty fierce.
of coruse Wonder Woman's on board.
Loved all the points Superman makes. again just another nod to how much this team has been through.

gotta say its nice to see Live Wire more comfortable with the idea of magic casters. I feel like if Dirk and Garth would have been besties had they joined at a closer time to each other. But at this moment is feels like Garth is the older brother annoyed with his kid brothers questions.

Ahh the Inferno mini i never could get my hands on. a psychic vampire in a mall. makes sense.
Dirk's comments on economics and the idea of "Box stores" going away hit home. So many stores i know are gone and i was just talking with my mother about how hard it is to find shoes because there are no in person stores any more. Love the semi-commentary on our times through their travels.

affirmations, that's a great way to defeat a psychic vampire. I never thought of using that before.
I'm glad that Superman was able to talk Garth down and that the manipulation didn't cause more issues. makes sense that the fears the psychic vampire prayed on are based in truth. So maybe Garth and Imra just need a little check in.

its interesting that you point out most of the Legion don't have many hobbies outside of being super heroes. i wonder if part of that comes with the whole secret identity thing. allowing for a separation of the two parts of someone's life. although, i guess the legion is much more of a sanctioned group and law enforcement that than the Justice League is.
Man, i know Dr. Light is demanding but i kind of want to punch her.

The Waller Moment was really well done. I liked Wonder Woman's reasoning for not hiding Jazmin.
I really enjoyed the practicality of it all and how they don't trust Waller at all. Smart use of Jazmin's powers.

Hmm...Meta's under 26 being taken. Yeah i bet Waller needs to know where those meta's are. so she can get to them.

Roxy's along for the ride...its like having Shavuagn. lol.
IB, i really feel like I've been transported back to the 90's with your mission here. The League, Roxy, Conner in Hawaii.
I really like that your team is making sure they preserve the time stream as much as possible. So many stories have it where this is over looked.

So now Saturn Girl, Firestorm, Amp, and Superboy have been taken? was the boat falling just a distraction or an opportune moment from the bad guys?

I'm really enjoying this journey to the past of the DCU. I can't wait for more!

hi Omni, thanks for the read & review and your usual interesting, thoughtful comments!

Re Ragulti, I did intend to make him creepy. His harem is not just for his sexual appetites but also for his ego and status. As for the torture, his hitting Jacques between the legs was meant to come across as him baiting Lyle to reveal himself - though I admit I could have made it clearer. but I was also going for him using punishment as a way to reinforce his desired behaviors, and Jacques is a spy - a tool - for him.

Cham being caught mid-shift is an interesting question. His cells are in the middle of changing...

Quicksand liquefies objects and uses them as a sort of trap and weapon, indeed

Re Ayla's solvent and Cham's sedative, I figure that the Legionnaires have these bulky pouches that carry transuits, supplies, rations, etc. (even an inflatable raft in Legionnaires 46!), so I figure they have a lot of useful things in there. kinda like Batman's utility belt

Izaard, yeah, her methods were bad but she was doing her thing for the good of Corvan IV. So I felt she was misled but not truly evil or sociopathic.

glad you liked Amp's thoughts about modern-day racism. Indeed, it's a problem and should be called out - part of why I did, is also to show that things do get better by the Legion's time. Noe that the White Triangle did not distinguish based on skin color, but only on whether someone was Daxamite or not. And you got what I was going for - it wasn't so much that Amp and Kid Q II look completely out of place in Metropolis, but that they are in a time period where them looking a little different could make them nervous - like many people today feel.

I did want Kimiyo to come off as a bit demanding and annoying, like some of her comics portrayals. But I tried to balance it with her being well-meaning. Jazmin, I was going for her being a bit defensive indeed, to mix with her hero worship

glad you liked all the bits, including the commentary about some modern day stuff like online shopping. maybe I should also flesh out a bit the "hobbies outside being a Legionnaire" thing, of course many have hobbies and talents outside - but not necessarily careers. and yeah, it's very different from say comics set in the modern day, where secret identities are still a thing It's quite different eh?

and you are correct, I also see Waller as wanting to get her hooks on some of the kidnapped young adults more than her concern about their welfare, she's thinking about how she can use them

more on Saturn Girl, Amp, Firestorm and Superboy soon...

thanks again for the comprehensive read and review, Omni!

Hi IB, I have just finished reading Lyle and Jacques's little escapade so I thought I'd chuck in my two cents worth on that before beginning the 21st century stuff!

Man, that Ragulti is a creepy mofo...it's good having a bad guy sometimes who's so gross that it's really cathartic seeing him get what's coming to him! It was fun seeing Quicksand and Holdur again too, I wish they got more play in the comics!

I really liked how this adventure focused on Lyle's espionage skills - I had assumed that he and Cham got busted on purpose initially but I'll admit I got a bit scared when Ayla and Condo had to fight too and was second-guessing myself! Vi as secret weapon is such a great role for her, I'm surprised they never pulled that kind of stunt more often.

So Jacques and Lyle got a happy ending - this was nicely paced, I'm glad it didn't drag out and that it all got wrapped up nice n neat!

I am really looking forward to the time travelling team...the Legion don't get a whole lot of opportunity to meet other DC characters so this oughtta be fun!

hi raz, thanks for the R&R yeah, I made Ragulti creepy/evil on purpose. I enjoyed writing him getting his comeuppance too

yeah, I gotta remind myself not to overuse Vi as secret weapon lol! glad the story worked re injecting doubt and making it seem like everyone really was in danger and thank you for praising my pacing, means a lot!

I'm definitely having fun with the whole 20th/21st century bit too I brought in a lot of characters I really like, so writing it has been a treat!

IB, hi there, finally got the time to catch up, so here goes:

Wonder Woman was ...Wonder Woman! Yup, fair enough, she's iconic and nice to reference that Jaz feels a little intimidated by her, I would too. And how frustrating it must be to meet your heroes and not be able to ask bout their lives for fear of letting slip things that could change their choices in the future. I feel Jaz's pain here. And everyone is nicer that Winema Wazzo! Haha.

Amanda Waller is such a complicated character but you sort of summed her up brilliantly in a couple of lines, and it was nice that Jaz knows of her, for all her covert actions. How funny that they use USBs to exchange information, that's real distrust in action, and quite right too. And nice trick by Jaz to stimmy any recordings too, they realy aren't taking chances.

Think I noticed a mistake in the Superboy section - 'Saturn Girl shook Superboy's head'? Shouldn't that be 'hand'? But then who knows how greetings will change over the next 1,000 years Nice telepathic introduction, Imra really is no-nonsense. I don't know who Roxy is so looking forward to seeing what you do with her so I can learn.

It's funny that Firestorm is the serious one of the JLAers, though next to Plastic Man who wouldn't be?

Imra being swamped by fish thoughts was funny, kind of made Aquaman look good as he must have to deal with this all the time:) The sharing of transsuits was clever - nice observation by Roxy that the sand was undisturbed, and showing her competence dealing with the tourists.

Nice cliffhanger there - what's happened to saturn Girl, Amp, Superboy and Firestorm? Are the off urgently dealing with somehing or have they been kidnapped?

That was a fun read IB, nice moments for everyone involved especially thse that I would expect to get overlooked - from Dr Lights snippishness through to Roxy dealing with the tourists.

I'm looking forward to finding out who's behind the kidnapping - I'll guess Harvest, though have no idea really.

Looking forward to more, more and much more!

hi Harbi, thanks so much for the review! always love reading your thoughts!

Happy that Jazmin's reactions were realistic/relatable. I really love Wonder Woman, I think she'd be the perfect boss and manager, I would gladly work for her!

Ah, Amanda Waller. Yeah, she's overall on the side of good, but it's so difficult to trust her lol! And she's not trusting anyone else completely either! I wouldn't put it past Batman, for example, to try to hack her systems lol

oopsy! thanks for the catch, I'll go back and edit... Imra isn't going around shaking other people's heads, though maybe some 31st century world does greet like that the telepathic intro also worked well for me, as I didn't have to recap everything lol!

Plastic Man just makes everyone else seem serious. Though I wonder how he and Quislet would get along... alas, I don't have Quislet introduced in my universe (yet) so that idea will have to wait!

I have a sweet spot for Roxy, and given her police training it was a great opportunity to let her shine

Glad you liked it Harbi = and I have to say, Harvest is a good guess! You know your lore

more to come soon, as we find out where Amp and company went off to... and maybe we learn who's behind all these too!

Hey IB, all caught up - an interesting blend of JLAers! I feel like Dr Light would be so fun to write, she's so acerbic but competent and powerful enough to get away with it....and speaking of unlikeable, I love your Amanda Waller! Even though she was only there briefly, her presence was massive and I feel like she really got the respect she deserves.

I don't know Roxy, but I already like her! I am a sucker for competent normals and with the circles the Legion move in you don't generally get to see a lot of them

I also liked Amp's trepidation about racism in the past - it must be super confronting for someone from a mostly utopian future to have to deal with the crap that we're all used to in our own time. Looking forward to seeing what's happened with the underwater crew!

thanks raz! glad you liked Kimiyo and Amanda, those two are so unique. Frankly I'll miss writing them regularly.

yeah, I love the competent normal type also why Shvaughn is such a fave of mine.

It wasn't planned, but after seeing my away team - including Kid Q II and Amp - I thought I should touch on present-day racism at least a bit!

More soon-ish, I might have some unexpected free time this weekend to write a bit

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

The Hall of Justice, 21st century Earth

Legion of Super-Heroes

Inferno, Dirk Morgna of Earth (USA and Russia); pyrokinesis, can see heat signatures
Kid Quantum II, Jazmin Cullen of Xanthu; time manipulation. Current Legion leader.
Live Wire, Garth Ranzz of Winath; electricity generation and manipulation

Justice League

Doctor Light, Kimiyo Hoshi of Japan, Earth: photokinesis, light absorption, physicist
Plastic Man, Patrick "Eel" O'Brian of Earth; malleable fluid physiology that allows for shape-shifting, invulnerability
Superman, Kal-El of Krypton / secret identity Clark Kent of Earth: enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers
Wonder Woman, Diana of Themyscira, Earth: enhanced speed, strength, durability, flight; lasso of truth, magical bracelets, skilled fighter, warrior, diplomat and strategist

Roxy Leech of Earth; police officer and friend of Superboy's (also: member of the Hawaii Special Crimes Unit)

*************************************************

"I didn't see any spinning rainbow warps or fluttering fairies with pixie dust." Plastic Man made an exaggerated shrug with his inflated shoulders. "One moment I was swimming out of the wreck with some divers in tow, and I glimpsed Superboy, Amp and Firestorm still working on shoring up the wreck. Then I hear Saturn Girl telepathically telling me I got the last diver. Then I surface, meet up with Roxy, and go back down... and then they were gone."

"I can't sense her at all," Live Wire bit his lip. "We... we've been maintaining a low-level telepathic monitoring link the whole time we've been in this time. I was.. I was sensing Imra's calm competence, as usual... and then nothing!" He buried his face in his hands. "We're supposed to finally get married after finding Cos... We've got to find her!"

"Hey buddy," Plastic Man extended his lips to Live Wire's ear. "We're all taking this seriously, including me - despite my silly shifting. We'll get her back."

"Yes, take a break, Garth," Kid Quantum knelt beside Garth, a soothing hand on his knee. "We'll find them. Imra and Ming are tough, and they're probably with Superboy and Firestorm. They can handle themselves."

"Indeed." Wonder Woman nodded. "They are true warriors. I have faith in them. And in us."

"The kid had better be alright..." Roxy whispered as she hugged herself. "You're the greatest heroes on Earth... If you can't find them, nobody can."

"There IS a chance." Doctor Light spoke as she, Inferno and Superman entered. The three had gone on a quick visit to some of the disappearance sites. "Waller's intelligence helped us focus on what to look for..."

"Energy signatures!" Inferno was practically bouncing up and down. "Doctor Light and Superman have been helping me refine my heat signature vision, so I can see fainter traces than I normally do!"

"As I was saying," Doctor Light cleared her throat with a frown. "We've now identified the same faint energy signature in eight of the missing person report sites. Very cleverly hidden, in fact. We Had to use a technique called energetic resonance testing to gently coax the energy signatures out from the ambient environment, without causing it to transform..."

Kid Quantum* sat up. "Oh, I've studied that. It requires exposing the energy to a similar stimulus, but only indirectly... so I assume you used a combination of your powers directed at the ground or something?"

"Underground, actually... but I am very impressed that you know this." Doctor Light's smile was almost beaming.

"I'm hardly an expert," Kid Quantum demurred. "But this also means that whatever has been causing the disappearances used some form of solar or heat energy?"

"Seems to be," Superman mused. He was already sitting at the Hall's computer. As his fingers tapped on the console, images appeared - the wreck where Saturn Girl, Amp and company had been at; the mall where Sandy Anderson had been; and several others. Only this time, faint ribbons of color could be seen. "We know there WAS energy, and some of the patterns it formed... but they don't seem to lead anywhere."

"No, not yet," Doctor Light sat beside Superman determinedly. "But with enough data points, we can puzzle something out."

"And how can we help?" Live Wire jumped to his feet, electricity crackling from his hands. "There must be something we can do!"

"Come with me to visit the rest of the sites," Inferno offered. "The more readings we get, the better. I could use both your help, Garth and Jaz."

"And the rest of us will begin warning other young heroes to be on guard," Wonder Woman gestured to Plastic Man. "You too, sister," she smiled at Roxy, who had begun to open her mouth. Roxy pursed her lips. "Well, I was about to ask to be included, but you went and included me anyway!"

"You are able and competent," Wonder Woman smiled. "And we need all the help we can get. I'll teach the Legionnaires to work the teleporter, while Plastic Man will start pulling up lists of heroes that fit the profile of those who've disappeared..."

The Hall of Justice began buzzing with a different kind of activity... the low hum of organization and thinking, as each hero began focusing on the task assigned to them.

**************************************************

IB's notes:

1) Kid Quantum II studied biophysics to figure out how to enhance her powers to the levels we see now - she used to have very weak powers, like her deceased brother Kid Quantum I. So weak that they had to be enhanced by a quantum belt to be effective. After Kid Q I died due to a malfunctioning belt, Kid Q II swore to redeem his honor and to never be dependent on technology again. (Legionnaires 60 - the same issue she joined the Legion).