Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Long Live the Legion! Sir Prize!

So, after the big deal the Legion made about kicking Star Boy out for shooting Kenz Nuhor, they sure seemed to let him back in without a fuss.

What's up with that?

I think it was partially the momentum of the mission that helped. Garth gets his arm back, Tenzil not fat anymore, Chuck has his powers back, and now Superboy and Supergirl can come back to the 30th century! Plus, the whole team showed some nice team-work, the Subs and Super-Pets helped, a possible very nasty villain is mopped up and suddenly their old buddy Star Boy and Dream Girl show up, having really helped out the Legion.

I think that the half of the team that voted against him a few months earlier would have felt particulurly light-hearted and in the mood to change their minds!

Superboy (the very inspiration for the Legion preboot/preCrisis) and Supergirl requested he (and Dream Girl) be re-instated.

Perhaps at some point after his being expelled and before ADV 350-351, an amendment was made to the Legion Constitution.

I further think that after the death of Ferro Lad, a few months later (I'm assuming that in their time), that these feelings would have been cemented.

With a hero dead and not coming back (and indeed, in light of Garth's one time death and Luornu's body dying), the sense of how dangerous their jobs became even more heightened. This isn't to say it wasn't always there for them, but it probably became more apparent to most. So they were more lenient with the self-defense rule.

I can also see a bit of a hesitation to let new members in immediately after Ferro Lad's death, and probably were worried about Karate Kid (who obviously proved himself quick) and Projectra (who, unfortunately, probably did not*), and would much rather accept tried and proven members like Star Boy back--dispelling even further their former votes against him.

It wouldn't be until Shady joined during the middle of a mission (very rare) when they desperately needed help that a new member would be let in again. Her doing so well probably led to a calming effect and the realization to many that new members were OK--on the condition that they are trained in an academy of some sort (which is what the next two, Condo and Brin, did).

I'm sure there were some though that felt he should have never been let back.

*What I mean about Jeckie is that early on she seemed to be comatose and faint a lot. That's not to say she wasn't valued, just probably not as much. Which is why I see her friendship with Dreamy and probably starting with that basic empathy to one another.

Jeepers, it's only 9:00 AM and I'm rambling!

But Superboy didn't want him kicked out in the first place, and that didn't do any good.

And, as Brainy repeatedly emphasized during the trial, any amendment to the constitution made after the fact doesn't change the fact that he violated the absoluted prohibition against killing that was in place at the time!

Maybe Kara gave Brainy some goodies and put him in a better mood.

Or see this thread for more theories.

Lightning Lad is the interesting figure in this whole debate, and actually what got me thinking about it. Long before Star Boy's trial, Garth had saved the Earth (and more importantly Imra) by using lethal force against Zaryan ("dying" in the process himself). No one questioned his right to rejoin when he was brought back to life, however. And, strangely, he voted against Star Boy. In the very issue in which Star Boy is re-admitted, he uses what he thinks is a weapon to try to "wing" Evillo and disable him.

Here's where I think it comes down to the emotion of the moment:

When Star Boy was put on trial, it was the fact that Brainy coldly and calculatingly showed moment by moment how Star Boy could have saved himself. This line of reasoning creates the notion that things are reasonable, and a very calm and thoughtful Garth may have voted that way. Especially, as Legion founder, believing that he was doing what was right for the Legion.

However, I do see Garth himself as being a Legionnaire who could get caught up in the moment during battle, as evidenced by his sacrifice for Imra. It's the pressures of battle that might make Garth act more irrational (but no less heroic), whereas a trial with Brainiac 5 calmly presenting his case would be slow and give the perception of rationality.

I also think that when Garth came back to life, the Legionnaires were so overjoyed, that not one of them gave a seconds thougth to whether he killed Zaryan. In fact, the only one I could see doing that would be Cos, who was 1) overjoyed his good friend was back and 2) actually the kind of guy that would have let him stay anyway even after thinking it through. Maybe Mon-El might have this line of thinking, but he gave such an effort to finding a way to restore Garth, that it would not have crossed his mind.

I also believe that Brainy’s prosecution in that issue came about not because he wanted vengeance, but because he thought he was doing what was right for the Legion, as he believed any Legion Leader should do. In fact, I’m not sure he’d have been so convincing or willing to be prosecutor if he was not Legion leader.

I can imagine Cos considering the notion that Garth had violated the constitution, and then deciding to ignore it. Mon-El voted "Not Guilty" in the Star Boy matter, so I doubt he'd care.

I always found it rather cool (and fitting) that the invulnerable lads felt thay way.

Mon-El was secretly a sucker for the romance with Dream Girl as well!

Imra certainly wasn't, as she allied herself with Brainiac 5 and his cold, computer mind!

BAH! Until she became all weepy and emotional herself!

Then again, that was all an act anyway, so I guess she was allied with the cold, computer mind anyway!

Not so. Garth voted "Not Guilty", as one would expect. Here's the vote:

GUILTY (10)
Brainiac 5
Chameleon
Element Lad
Saturn Girl
Sun Boy
Cosmic Boy
Colossal Boy
Jimmy Olsen
Matter Eater Lad
Invisible Kid

NOT GUILTY (9)
Duo Damsel
Superboy
Phantom Girl
Light Lass
Shrinking Violet
Mon-El
Ultra Boy
Lightning Lad
Supergirl


Saturn Girl's "Guilty" vote is doubly shocking in light of the fact she herself had probably intended lethal force against Zaryan (why else would she have stolen all those powers?). Lightning Lad and Ultra Boy had both been found guilty of acts against the Legion code in the past (Jo was expelled; Garth was imprisoned), so their empathy for Thom was understandable.

I have to give credit to Invisible Kid who, having voted against Star Boy at his trial, waived both Thom and Nura in later.

That drag queen Jimmy Olsen had some nerve voting opposite Superboy!

Wow! I must have completely misremembered that vote! I thought it was just the girls and invulnerable guys who voted for Thom. Garth's vote actually makes a lot of sense now!

And I'm not sure Imra would have needed to use lethal force against Zaryan. She had all sorts of powers that Garth didn't have that might have proven effective in stopping him. The only thing that was guaranteed was that she would die doing so...

It's also to Star Boy's credit that he never appeared to hold a grudge against the Legionnaires that voted against him (if he even knew who they were?).

It's easy not to blame the Legionnaires for your expulsion, when you've got Calamity King to be your scapegoat!

But that does bring up... what impact would that story have if Star Boy had become a villain rather than a Sub?

What a great idea for an ELSEWORLDS/WHAT IF? type of story, EDE!

Hang on a sec.....Olsen got a vote?

And they *counted* it?!

There's actually some elaborate explanation as to why Jimmy Olsen gets a vote and Pete Ross doesn't!

Wish I could remember it...

That's 'cause Jimmy was a bona-fide super-hero/drag-queen (sometimes) while Pete was a glorified super-peeping Tom!

iirc.

Oh come on, MLLASH, Pete Ross "perved" on Clark turning into Superboy by accident - it weren't nothing personal

How did you read as being a "peeping Tom" thing?