Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Adventure Comics #517 - SPOILERS

Finally read it. Liked the story, hated the art.

I always thought it was odd that Marla and Jo dressed similarly, seemingly without explanation. I know they appeared together in some Silver Age stories. Was there really never any explanation?

I don't remember one.

I believe there was a vague reference to Jo modeling his outfit on Marla's at some point, but no deeper explanation than that.

I kept thinking that there should've been some kind of church/temple/mosque-like establishment that they both belonged to, hence the similarities in dress.

But Set's explanation is close enough for jazz.

I always thought it had something to do with his training.
Later, I just connected the shirts to the Legion Academy.
I'm not sure why, but that's how I remember thinking about it.

Maybe they're both free masons.


Marla only ever appeared in that one story in the silver age didn't he? Marla or someone in a similar costume swore Mon-El in as leader in one panel in Action 392, but that's it I think until the reboot.

Marla appears in Secrets of the Legion, and quite prominently in v4 as well.

The really interesting question about Marla... what the heck is that symbol on his costume supposed to be?

A very stylized green space dragon?

The letter 'bleem?'

Marketing logo for Splorg Hut, where both Marla and Jo worked as fry cooks. Splorg Hut pays them both sweet, sweet endorsement deals to wear the shirts in public as free advertising (and all the Splorg they can eat). Franchising opportunities available. Inquire inside.

The Rimborian equivalent of the digit infamus, a hand with the middle finger hanging down and waggling suggestively. It used to be thought to be a sexual innuendo, but actually was the visual representation of 'This is me playing the world's smallest piano for you.'

Maybe Marla was the one who cut Jo's speedster out of the space dragon and they both wear a stylized dragon (which is what I always assumed Jo's emblem was) as a sort of trophy.

When RJ Brande heard about the exploit and Jo's newfound powers in the space news, he recruited them both to come and work for him and the Legion. Or maybe Marla was already employed by Brande and was off on some sort of expedition or recruiting drive when he happened to be in the right place to rescue Jo.

Or maybe Marla's costume is some sort of military uniform and he recruited Jo as a cadet in the same service, which is why their costumes aren't exactly alike.

Working on a Legion/Futurama crossover, are we?

Now that the original history is relevant again, I'm gonna have to break down and start buying the Archives. I seem to recall that Marla was present for Ultra Boy's initiation into the Legion -- a story set in 20C Smallville, where Jo was undercover and had to discover Superboy's secret identity. In that story, Jo seemed to have only penetra-vision. So, cue raised eyebrows about old man taking young boy on "special trip" for peep show. Starlin used Marla in the "Ultra Boy Framed for Murder" story in the 1970s.

Marla's chest symbol isn't really the space dragon. It looks more like a wrench and a ... a thingy. Maybe it's his trade union -- the dickhead wrenchers?

i remember that it was said somewhere later on, that Marla Latham and Jo Nah both came from Rimbor. that's why Marla had special interest in mentoring Jo. Perhaps the shirts are stylized space dragons and that is Rimbor's crest/flag. seems reasonable to me.

I dunno. I'm kind of inclined to agree with doublechinner.

The Marla Latham (Pre-Zero Hour) article at DC Wiki states in the Trivia section: "Ultra Boy modeled his own uniform after Marla's, looking up to him as a mentor. Marla took him on his very first trial mission before he could become a full-time member of the Legion." That first sentence cites Who's Who in the LSH #4 as its source.

(sorry, this board wouldn't let me link the exact article)

As I said:

That's one wierd costume for an older guy, when you think about it.
Or when I think about it, anyway.

But at least he's wearing tights.

His logo looks like a carousel version of the push me-pull you from Dr. Doolittle.

That would be one interesting religion and/or gang to be part of, I think...

His logo looks to me like something from a 30th century repair shop.

"Marla Latham, Space Mechanic" could have been a Mystery In Space back-up feature back in the day.

I'd totally read "Marla Latham, Space Mechanic!"

You know that the ladies totally would dig those boots on our "Shade tree mechanics." (" So, Baby, don\'t panic... ")

Maggie Chascarillo was mixed up somehow with young Marla. I'm almost 100% sure of it.

Marla rocks. He offers to take Jo Nah to the 20th century for his Legion initiation, and even stops to get them both matching attire before the trip at the local 30th century Dad'N'Lad. We should all have Mentors like that.