Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Re-reading the Legion: Archives Volume 19

DCCP 59 is one I definitely have. I might be able to get it tomorrow night for a post on Thursday. Looking at the cover, it looks as though this is where they are played for comedy value. It's one I've not read for a long time, so it will be interesting to have another look having gone through all of these rereads with you guys.

The above is a also a good lesson is showing students how to be tactful. For example, when someone has been too lazy to sort their tags.

An ignoble day for the Subs, but a glorious day for the Bug. While easy to write this off as the bit of fun it was intended as, it's also a major turning point for Giffen, and really encapsulates the two very different aspects of him as a creator.

It takes a turn with both Ambush Bug and the Subs, and makes them comedic, which would have repercussions for both properties. It showed that Giffen can be really funny, in a very offbeat and almost surreal way, which would inform not only Ambush Bug stories, but JLI, as well as the Subs. It also shows within that humour a bit of a mean streak, as his humour, especially towards the Legion has an edge to it. It's been debated here and elsewhere ad nauseum whether Giffen has a softspot for all the Legion trappings and their silliness, or if there's also a touch of disdain. It's really a bit of both I suspect, but certainly these early lampoonings seem to come with affection, but the seed is there for the other.

One thing I found interesting is Paul's name in the credits. I always remembered this as a purely Giffen joint. I wonder how much each really contributed?

The Levitz credit was a surprise to me as well. Just checked and Paul is also credited as writer on the 1985 annual/special in which the Subs go to Bismoll.

One of the displays in the Superman Museum is a piece of layer cake in a display case. I figured this was just more nuttiness thrown in, but the Legion of Super Bloggers review points out that this references an old Superboy story in which he bakes a giant cake for the residents of Smallville. This strikes me more as a Levitz thing than something Giffen would throw in. (The Bloggers also cite a panel in which Bouncing Boy (apparently) appears in the background, which I missed.)

This is actually referenced several times in the Silver Age.

This is what I need to top off a big Thanksgiving meal: a slice of 1,015-year-old petrified cake.

...I just realized that this is how Cake-Frosting-Hair-Girl got her powers!

Thanks for posting the original source! Obscure 1950 song reference there too, "If I'd known you were coming I'd have baked a cake".

LSH #302 Family Matters by Paul Levitz & Keith Giffen, Larry Mahlstedt Finisher, Carl Gafford Colors, John Costanza Letters



Blok and Brin, on monitor duty, receive an alert from the HQ Lobby. A white figure is hurling lightning and calling angrily for Garth. Dawnstar confronts him; he hits her with bolts as his true form emerges. It’s Mekt Ranzz and he insists on knowing where his brother is. Dawnstar tells him that Garth has left. Brin arrives, but is felled by lightning; Mekt leaves before Blok can confront him.

Shvaughn and Jan pass by Weber’s World. Jan does not signal Brainy’s team, who are on the planet, as he and Shvaughn discuss the circumstances of their mission, dealing with something that’s wrong inside the Legion itself. They are heading to Imsk.

Ontiir guides Brainy’s team on the restored Weber’s World; Brainy explains to Kara that it is the site for the U.P. government administration and that taxes are back to being collected. As they proceed, a globe behind them, with a green aura, laughs.

The Emerald Empress is on Weber’s World, planning to use it as a base to re-establish her empire.

Garth and Imra meet with Dr. Gym’ll on Medicus One, to discuss some serious plans. Mekt arrives, smashing through a wall as Gym’ll bemoans the damage done to his “20th century cultural reproductions” i.e. comic books. Mekt is looking for Ayla; he wants to talk with her now that she’s left the Legion and “seen the error of her ways”. The brothers trade insults; when Imra and Gym’ll interrupt, Mekt blasts both of them. Mekt begins to insult Imra, which draws the full fury of Garth
The two battle along the corridors of Medicus One, Garth berating Mekt for his criminal ways and Mekt sneering at his brother’s heroism. Security bots approach; Mekt blasts them and in so doing destroys an airlock. The brothers are expelled by the blast; their transparent space suits activate and the hull of Medicus One seals.

Nura’s team is above Daxam, which still has the form of Darkseid’s face. Security is high and Mon-el is affronted on behalf of his people. Before they arrive on the planet itself, Wildfire announces the news of Val and Jeckie’s wedding and Mekt’s attack. Nura has foreseen both events and says Legionnaires on Earth can take care of themselves, as she frets over a broken nail.

In the SP Records Room on Earth, Gigi is confronted by another officer and told that Zendak has forbidden her from being in the file room; there’s a close watch on all Durlan files since the Khund incident. Gigi wonders what Shvaughn has gotten her into.

Above Earth, Blok, Brin and Dawnstar, Tinya and Shady arrive to confront Mekt. They don’t fare too well against him, then Garth reappears and the fight between brothers resumes. Imra arrives with a final assist of a telepathic sleep suggestion and Mekt falls. Brin asks if Garth does indeed know where Ayla is; he replies that no one does and she deserves her peace and quiet, especially from Mekt.

On Weber’s World, Ontiir concludes his tour and the Legionnaires are reassured that all is well and Sun Boy is still guarding their cruiser. As they board the ship, the lights go out and Brainy cries out that he was right to be paranoid. They discover an unconscious Sun Boy lying under the glow of the Emerald Eye, which turns its gaze on them and attacks, to the sound of laughter.

Comments:

Over the years, we’ve had numerous Mekt-Garth battles, so it’s hard to view this one with fresh eyes. Mekt is certainly pictured as the very essence of white-hot rage and his power is considerable, defeating most of the Legionnaires who try to stop him – except his brother. The brothers were equally matched; it took the added touch of Imra’s mind control to stop Mekt.

The fight consumes a lot of panel time, with each brother talking throughout, mostly about the other’s perceived faults. It’s a family story; the other Legionnaires in this storyline are just window-dressing. That Mekt wants so much to find Ayla and recruit her to his gang is evidence that family is important to him, in a perverse way. Or maybe he just wants to best his brother.

Imra calls Mekt “my little brother-in-law”. Not sure if that is a continuity blooper or if she’s degrading him as little in importance or value.

Jan and Shvaughn’s mystery opens up a bit as we learn that Gigi was investigating files related to Durlan immigration. Since the only Durlans we know at this point are Cham and R.J., it puts some focus on them. The problem is serious enough that Jan foregoes protocol and does not signal Brainy’s team as he flies past Weber’s World. Urgency and/or caution, as it’s a serious matter of trouble within the ranks. This would have been a tip-off to the observant reader, since Violet, about whom Jan had concerns, was with the Weber’s World team.

Anytime the Emerald Empress appears, you know there’s big trouble on the horizon. She must have been the “Majesty” to whom Ontiir was referring in the previous issue; although Ontiir hasn’t been overtly revealed as a bad guy, the implications are clear. Besides, he looks evil.

Garth and Imra have big plans which involve Dr. Gym’ll, but they aren’t yet revealed. Gym’ll is his usual irascible self and we learn he collects 20th century comic books.

There’s a bit of lightness in the story as Ontiir states that U.P. administration is back to normal since they’re collecting taxes. Nura fusses over her nails, an oft-repeated scene, and one which makes one question why there isn’t better nail protection in the future. She calmly deflates Wildfire’s news from home regarding the wedding and pre-empts any mention of Mekt’s attack. One has the impression that she definitely has everything under control.

302:

I have to agree that this Garth/Mekt battle doesn't really stand out. In fact, it ends anticlimactically with Imra coming in and saving the day. Kudos for her, but it makes the other Legionnaires look like chumps who were easily defeated or side-tracked by Mekt.

This is the first I recall of Mekt showing any familial thoughts about Ayla--wanting to recruit her to his side or whatever he meant by wanting to have a talk with her. Her role as Mekt's motivation for attacking the Legion doesn't ring true. Surely, he doesn't expect Garth to tell him Ayla's location, even if Garth knows (which, we find out, he doesn't). If Mekt had a history of bullying his little brother into divulging information, his actions might make sense, or if he is losing touch with reality (a condition explored in the reboot). But Mekt is too underdeveloped a character at this point for us to understand why he does what he does.

Garth's final jab at Timber Wolf was uncalled for. I'm starting to feel sorry for Brin.

The Weber's World sequence goes on and on and accomplishes little. Brainy pesters Ontiir with the same questions about why the latter's men attacked the Legionnaires, and Ontiir repeats the same answer about his men being inexperienced. The fact that Ontiir puts up with such questions and continues to play the gracious tour guide should have made the Legionnaires suspicious, but, oh well. Perhaps Brainy was distracted by Kara and Gim by "Vi." Drat those hormones.

The only plotline that moves forward is Jan and Shvaughn's secret mission. A trip to Imsk, the Durlan files . . . it's fun to re-read these clues in hindsight.

Levitz seems to have built Nura up only to tear her down. In previous stories, she came across as decisive and in control, but here she irritates her colleagues by predicting what they are going to say before they say it and complaining about another broken nail. Whereas the broken nail in 298 worked as a way for her downgrade the villain she was punching, here it comes across as petty and self-absorbed.

Even the art comes across as flat and uninspired--and just what is Garth wearing under his pants on p. 18? Maybe he needed an adult diaper before going up against his brother.

302 marks time before the next Big Event. With the wedding of KK and PP and the Vi revelation to come, there is plenty to look forward to, but even filler issues should have less fat.

Actually, she says "my nasty little brother-in-law," so, yep, it's a downgrade.



Good catch about Vi being part of the away team. I hadn't noticed the connection.



Yes, he does, and that's always disappointed me. Ontiir was set up as a character who looks evil and whose actions are so ambiguous or carefully explained that one is never sure if he's good or bad. Brought up in the '70s with the idea that appearances can be deceiving (an idea often reinforced in Legion stories), I was hoping Ontiir would be revealed to be a good guy, after all. ("Take that, Legionnairessss! You misssjudged me.") But it wasn't to be. He looks bad, so he must be bad.

This was only my second encounter with Mekt (the first being the LL origin story reprinted in one of the digests), and I instantly found myself loving to hate him (a sign of a great villain). He was boastful, pyschotic, powerful and condescending. I enjoyed seeing he and Garth tangle, especially since Garth really hadn't had much chance to shine since the leadership debacle. This was always my touchpoint for mekt's character, so I took a dislike to later stores that tried to rehabilitate him. Yes he had a believable motivation for his villainy, but he was still a bad guy, who made his own choices. I couldn't square that with the "he just needs love and family" stuff that came later (though I'm admittedly fuzzy on those details).

LSH #303 Those Emerald Eyes are Shining! by Paul Levitz & Keith Giffen, Larry Mahlstedt Finisher, Carl Gafford Colors, John Costanza Letters



The Empress congratulates Ontiir for securing the five Legionnaires. Dirk revives first, but Ontiir hits him with a neutralizer pod and the Empress taunts him as she breaks his jaw. As the others come to, she slaps them or has the Eye hit them with a beam. She recognizes Kara’s costume and deduces that she might be Kryptonian, but doesn’t appear to know who she is. Ontiir claims that he serves the Empress because it suits the purpose of The Dark Circle. The Empress tells him to kill the Legionnaires.

On Earth, Chuck and Lu are on monitor duty since all the others are on missions or will be heading to Val and Jeckie’s wedding.

On one cruiser headed to Orando, Garth broods over Ayla’s disappearance. Brin contacts Blok aboard another cruiser, but seems to have fallen asleep. Shady and Tinya poke fun at the two of them.

On Weber’s World, Dark Circle acolytes prepare to fire on the Legionnaires, but Kara manages to activate Brainy’s forcefield with her super-breath. This liberates the Legionnaires from stasis and Brainy instructs Dirk and Kara to smash the neutralizer pods. Both Ontiir and the Dark Circle implore the Empress to use the Eye, but nothing happens and the Legionnaires break free and attack their would-be killers. They begin to chase the Empress, but Brainy stops them to reflect on what’s going on. Kara suggests that the planet, being movable, could be used as a weapon. The team splits into two; Brainy and Kara head to the surface and see that Weber’s World is on a collision course with the U.P.’s main fleet base.

On Earth, Chief Zendak is chewing out Gigi for handing SP files to the Legion but he himself wants to find out why anyone is interested in Durla. He’s interrupted by an alert that Weber’s World and the fleet base are going to collide.

Chuck and Lu get the same message and contact Nura’s team on Daxam. She sends Wildfire and Mon-el to Weber’s World to help. Jo is enraged that he was not sent with them – and carves a giant “Stuff it” out of rock.

On Weber’s World, Gim, Dirk and Vi seek the Empress among the endless passages. Dirk burns through a wall and Vi tells them that they’re at the Central Data Banks. Gim wonders how she knows that and she replies that she must have picked it up while reading the file on Weber’s World. They find the Empress, who has taken control of the Central Computer, and attack – but all are defeated. The Empress feels the planet slowing down. Supergirl has tried to stop the planet’s movement, but failed; Brainy directs her to deflect the planet off course with a super-speed hit.

Brainy and Kara go after the Empress, with difficulty; the Empress has some kryptonite handy. As Kara weakens, the Empress is suddenly knocked out by a miniature Violet, delivering a Durlan Nerve Cruncher. As Ontiir tries to escape, he’s stopped by Mon-el and Wildfire. Wildfire makes some snide remarks about Dream Girl.

Epilogue 1: Val and Jeckie look forward to their wedding and hope there won’t be any disasters.
Epilogue 2: Gim tells Sun Boy, who’s speechless with a broken jaw set in a cast, to stop griping. Brainy confesses to Kara that she’s “too damn distracting”.

Comments:
The grand plan of the Empress and Ontiir/the Dark Circle was fairly quickly derailed by the Legion. One suspects that the Dark Circle will be back to cause more trouble.

It’s peculiar that the Empress did not know Supergirl right from the start. She may not be a student of history, but she must have followed the Legion’s activities. It didn’t add anything to the story, however – unless it was meant to make the reader think that this wasn’t the real Empress, or she herself was mind-controlled - or a Durlan imposter.:) She does some hands-on dirty work by crushing Dirk's jaw, but she must have had an assist from the Eye to have such strength.

In the end, she’s defeated, Ontiir is captured but the Dark Circle is still in the shadows. What did they want with Weber’s World that aligned their interests with that of the Empress – and who was really in control? Would smashing Weber’s World into the Fleet Base have been a suicide mission for Ontiir and the Dark Circle members, or did they have some escape plan – or promise of protection from the Eye?

Knocking the planet off course like a billiard ball is classic comic book physics. No repercussions from coming that close to the Fleet Base, nothing more than a bit of shaking. I also found it peculiar that nobody else was seen on Weber’s World: no dead bodies, no prisoners, no enslaved-by-the-Eye bureaucrats.

Another clue to the Violet mystery is given, as she delivers as Durlan nerve-pinch to bring down the Empress. It’s not an obvious clue, since Legionnaires are trained in a variety of combat manoeuvers.

Kara and Brainy make a good team, all the more sweet because we know, in retrospect, that it won’t last. Gim, Vi and Dirk didn’t question when he split off alone with her and sent them chasing after the Empress’s shadow.

Nura doesn’t seem very concerned about the Weber’s World problem but she does send two very heavy hitters to help out. Jo’s resentment of Nura builds. Wildfire remains snarky. It doesn’t do Jo much credit to sulk; snark is expected from Wildfire.

Both the Durla sub-plot and the sure-to-be-a-disaster wedding story inch forward. There’s a hint that something might be wrong with Ayla, due to Garth’s concern; his ill-feeling towards Brin surprised me. Bad history between them or just brotherly defense of a sister whose boyfriend didn’t measure up?

I don't know about you, but I'd be fairly hostile to towards the guy who was dating my sister but tried to sleep with my wife.

303:

Even though this is basically another filler featuring an old villain, it's more enjoyable than the previous issue. The story is better paced and there's less "fat"; in fact, I don't think there are any wasted scenes. Everything advances some story line or relationship. Even the Emerald Empress's scheme makes sense--for a villain. Whatever her real goals in aligning with the Dark Circle, causing Weber's World to collide with the fleet would cause untold damage to the UP.

The highlight of the issue for me was watching Brainy interact with Kara. She brings out a different side to him; he even admits he missed her. Then he goes and blows it by telling her she's too "damn distracting." You can see the hurt on Kara's face. Good ol' Querl--Poor Social Skills Lad.

The other Legionnaires also have fun interactions and plenty to do, action-wise. Dirk's broken jaw provides humor at his expense (especially the contraption he has to wear at the end). Gim and "Vi" are more subdued but get a few good scenes. Elsewhere, Nura continues to show poor leadership skills by off-handedly picking the away team that will assist on Weber's World. It is, of course, her right to choose which Legionnaires go where, and Ultra Boy acts like a spoiled brat by protesting, but Nura could have shown that she'd put more thought into it. The first rule of leadership is to take care of the people under you; so far, Nura isn't showing much ability to take care of anyone.

For all its pluses, 303 has a couple of errors which should have been caught by the editor. On Page 6, Kara blows out of the right side of her mouth to activate Brainy's force field belt, but Brainy is on her left; Dirk is on her right. (I'll resist the obvious joke about Dirk getting a blow from Kara.) On Page 13, Gim questions "Vi" about her knowledge of Weber's World's Central Data Banks. I'm unclear if this is supposed to be a clue as to "Vi's" true identity; given all the other clues being dropped, it seems odd that this exchange was stuck in for no reason.

The artwork is uneven. The establishing shot on Page 2 , for example, looks bland and unfinished. On the other hand, some of the facial expressions--particularly Tinya and Shady on p. 5--are nuanced and attractive. The space scenes rock.

303 shows the Legionnaires doing what they normally do--a day at the office. It's far from an exceptional story but fun in its own right.

Nah. It's a little known fact, but Dirk has a glass jaw. Literally. A souvenir from fighting Tarik the Mute.

The glass jaw. Of course!



Oh, that thing.... I thought Imra fixed all that with a little mind nudge. I was trying to remember (and still too lazy to look it up) if there was any mission-related friction between them at any point, especially when Garth was leader.




The 30th century "Remains of the Day". She should know by now that he's not subtle with emotional expression, but it would still hurt.



I was giving her some slack because of the old fall-back that she foresees just who needs to be sent where, but I think you're right. Her disregard for Jo's (and others') feelings displays some arrogance and does make for a bad boss.



Super-breath was meant to ricochet off the wall, circle around and hit Brainy's belt accurately on the left. Perhaps. The Vi thing confused me, unless there's some clarification in a future issue. It didn't really reveal anything, just seemed directionless.

On the Garth/Brin thing . . . it's interesting that Garth is willing to cut his wife some slack (or at least not talk about it) while putting all the blame on Brin for whatever did or did not happen on the asteroid. This is a perfectly human reaction, it seems to me. Garth has to live with Imra and has come to rely on her emotionally, as the last dozen or so issues have suggested. It was Imra who took care of him while he was suffering his electrical dysfunction or whatever.

Still, I think Brin gets a bad rap. He's the scapegoat, and, since Ayla left him, it only seems to compound his "guilt." At least Blok still hangs out with him.

I'm enjoying the psychological complexity of Levitz's Legion.

Electrical dysfunction. Hah! You make a good point that it's a lot easier for Garth to put all the blame on Brin.

I didn't quite get why Brin fell asleep while talking to Blok. Was it the emotional stress of Ayla leaving that finally hit him? Or just a bit of a joke at his expense?

Good question about why he fell asleep. As with Vi's knowledge of the central data banks, it's an exchange that isn't quite explained.

Another exchange that threw me came on Page 19, when Brainy remarks that the Emerald Eye would stop functioning if the Empress were unconscious. Clearly, she is not unconscious and there is no indication that she would be. Brainy seems to be assuming that Kara will incapacitate the Empress and expresses anxiety that it hasn't happened yet, but I had to read the scene twice to gather this meaning.

LSH Annual 2 Whatever Gods There Be by Paul Levitz & Keith Giffen, Dave Gibbons Art, Carl Gafford Colors, John Costanza Letters



The Daxam restoration Legionnaires Nura, Rokk, Thom, Mysa and Jo continue their work. Nura ends the mission so that they can attend the wedding, saying they can return in the months ahead.

On Orando, Legionnaires begin to arrive for the wedding. Garth and Imra agree to keep their “little secret” quiet so as to not take attention away from the wedding.

As Nura’s team is en route to Orando, their cruiser is buffeted by a shock wave as Superboy appears from the timestream. He proceeds to Orando, unaware of any problem. Rokk later determines that they’ve been knocked into the timestream. The ship comes out of the timestream and crash lands on a planet. Rokk identifies the planet as Earth, since he recognizes the magnetic field. Ultra Boy scans the surroundings and reports on some of the structures, by which Rokk determines that they’ve landed in 200 B.C. Jo tries to break through the time barrier, but fails since he needs both invulnerability and super-speed. Suddenly, they’re attacked by Greeks bearing spears. The Legionnaires disable them easily.

There’s some friction between Thom and Nura. The team heads to a nearby town, where they are greeted like royalty. Suddenly, they fall through the floor of the temple and are confronted by Zeus and other Greek gods.

At Legion HQ, Cham and R.J. arrive and join Chuck and Lu at the Monitor Board, where they’re viewing the wedding celebrations. They see Nura’s team’s cruiser disappear from the screen; Cham contacts Dawnstar to find them but she fails. He concludes that since she can’t find them in space, they must be lost in time and contacts the Time Institute for help.

Nura begins to speak with Zeus, begging forgiveness but Thom gets offended and says that Zeus owes them an apology. The Legionnaires are attacked and put to sleep, except for Nura, who remains with Zeus. He tells here that they came from a distant world, that he’s a scientist and doesn’t believe time travel is possible. He and his group came to Earth for metals needed for their planet’s war and will have to kill the Legionnaires to keep them from revealing or undermining his plans. She takes a look at his future and sees his world devastated by war lasting minutes, with only shape-shifters like himself surviving – and that world is Durla.

Nura’s team awakens, confined in tubes; Rokk manipulates the electronics to release them. Assorted gods attack them. As the Legionnaires gain the upper hand, Zeus calls for retreat, saying their work on Earth is done. They all change into animals and flee, taking off in their spaceship which had been the dome of the temple. Suddenly, Cham appears as a bird and says that Professor Huxton was able to trace their time trail; a Time Cube is on its way to rescue them. He then asked why they were talking about Durlans when he arrived.

On Orando, the wedding proceeds without interruption, as various Legionnaires reflect on their own relationships, or lack thereof.

Comments:
Plenty of character moments in this annual, not so much action.

The idea that the Greek pantheon was really composed of Durlan shift-changes is a good premise for a story. It’s a roundabout way of telling the history of Durla’s six-minute war which destroyed their civilization. According to this story, only some Durlans were shift-shapers – and they’re the ones who survived. Zeus and his team are ruthless and prepared to kill anyone who might compromise their war effort.

I wish we’d learned what the war was about. Was it shape-shifters versus others, territory or resources, power grab? It appears from other tales that Durlans themselves know little of their history – or choose not to speak of it. That Durla is still ravaged 2,200 years later speaks to the utter devastation of that war.

Everyone on Nura’s team makes good use of their powers against the classic gods. It’s pretty typical Legion battle fare. The interaction between Nura, Thom and Jo is more interesting; Rokk and Mysa don’t have much to say. There’s friction between Nura and Thom; he feels neglected, she tries to appease him with offer of the Deputy Leader position, she boils at his clumsy interference when she’s speaking with Zeus. Nura is also given a number of cliché Nura lines, worrying about her appearance and physical comfort.

The opening scenes on Daxam show that restoration of the planet is slow; it still looks just like Darkseid’s face. The Legionnaires’ contribution seems to be fairly minor, given the scale of the task; we don’t get an overview of all the work being done by others.

Rokk identified the disturbance from timestream travel as being the cause of their cruiser’s problem, but somebody else (unidentified) asked why he didn’t just come out and say it was Superboy. That suggests that Rokk was reluctant to blame the Boy of Steel for anything. Having Superboy be entirely oblivious was a nice touch and makes me wonder what else may have happened as he flies into the future.

Although one might expect a disaster at the wedding, there was none. I thought Jeckie’s order that Val take care of their guests as she marched off was rather abrupt - is she going to be giving the orders in this marriage? She also lets him know that there won't be too much modernization of Orando, despite his suggestion (joking?) for a spaceport. We learned that Garth and Imra have a secret, which is likely a pregnancy, given their recent visit to Dr. Gym’ll. There’s a teaser that Supergirl might return to the Legion and hints that other couples might be thinking of marriage.

Annual 2:

I imagine Levitz set for himself a challenge: Write a Legion wedding story without having villains disrupt the wedding. He succeeds on that score, but the results are uninspiring.

Even though this is Jeckie and Val's wedding, they have little to do in the story. Jeckie has only one scene ("see to our guests") prior to the ceremony, and Val has a couple of moments, including throwing Superboy and Timber Wolf around for sport. The wedding takes a back seat to various character interactions, which are quite fun and tease the reader with possibilities for other weddings and Supergirl rejoining the team, not to mention Garth and Imra's secret.

But even super-hero weddings must include some kind of action (or at least they did until Tales of the Teen Titans 50, still two years away), so we're treated to Dream Girl and her team getting lost in time and battling Greco-Roman gods who turn out to be Durlans. It's not a bad story or premise--in fact, it reminds me of the Legionnaires being trapped in time during their first battle with Universo (Adventure 349), also referenced in this story. However, the story relies too much on contrivance for my taste.

First there's the manner in which they get lost in time: caught in the shock waves of Superboy's arrival from the 20th century. It just seems so careless of Superboy to emerge from the time barrier and not look to see what's around him. It's the equivalent of merging onto a highway at four in the morning without looking both ways. Sure, there's probably a chance no cars are coming, but what if there is one? What if Kal had emerged a few seconds later inside the Legion cruiser? And have the Legionnaires never considered getting lost in a time travel backlash before? Considering all the time travel they do, it seems careless and inept for them to be thrown off course this way.

Then they find themselves thrust back in time to a period when Durlans are impersonating earth's mythological gods. I'm unclear on if the Durlans were always impersonating the gods or if they simply took advantage of local beliefs. In any event, this plot development ties in nicely--too nicely, in my view--with Durla's Six-Minute War referenced a few issues ago. Of all the time periods they could have found themselves in, they just happen to land in one which references an historical event (from their perspective) introduced a few issues earlier. This is a fanboy's dream: Everything ties together.

Contrivance # 3: Thom, proving once again he's not the brightest star on the horizon, demands that Zeus and company owe him and the other Legionnaires an apology. He doesn't wait to see what's going on, get his bearings, or trust in his lady love/leader's scheme to warm up to Zeus. Rather, he gives Zeus an excuse to knock him and the others back out so Zeus can have his alone time with Nura.

On the other hand, Chameleon Boy is well used in this story as the one who figures out what happened to Nura's team and shows up to rescue them. Maybe it's Nura. Maybe her leadership skills are so bad, she brings out the worst in her teammates. None of her teammates do anything impressive except snipe at her and each other (though Cosmic Boy's knowledge of earth history is put to good use).

Oddly enough, the best scenes in this annual are the ones which don't feature the main plot of Nura's team versus the gods--especially the epilogue teaser which drops a bombshell on the reader.

The art is at best serviceable. I've seen much better from Dave Gibbons (especially Watchmen). At times, his figures are clunky and awkward, and Nura's bizarre hairstyle is distracting every time she appears.

You have to wonder if it was all a teaser. We expect the villain to show up, one never does - only to get the surprise a few issues later. (Or maybe next issue, I haven't read ahead yet.)



There should have been a panel in the next issue or so, showing Brainy and Rond installing anti-shockwave tech in the time bubbles - and telling Superboy to watch his shockwaves.



I hadn't thought that the Durlans might just be using local beliefs, just figured they were the origins of those gods. Your idea makes more sense since they'd be the gods come down to Earth, all the more scary and compelling obedience. There seems to be a rule that time travel is primarily confined to periods relevant to other Legion or DC stories, sort of like the Iron Venetian Blinds of Time.



Yeah, Thom isn't usually the hothead. This would be more of a Wildfire move. I guess we can blame it on his friction with Nura - but dumb move for an experienced Legionnaire.



Cham never appealed to me much as a character, but during the course of this reread, I've been surprised at how clever and (generally) sensible he is.



Definitely excellent epilogue! Keith Giffen was probably planning to have the imposter be Karate Kid.



Oh, that hair. So strange and rather unbecoming. Must have taken a litre of hairspray.

The Iron Venetian Blinds of Time--I love it!

Maybe Daxam is very humid to require all that hairspray.

He Who Wanders:



Given the importance of the actual Greco-Roman gods in the wider DC Universe (Wonder Woman, Shazam), I'd say, the latter.

Sounds good to me, CMK.

LSH #304 Siege Perilous by Paul Levitz & Keith Giffen, Larry Mahlstedt Inker, Carl Gafford Colors, John Costanza Letters



Lu and Chuck address nine Academy students, explaining that the departure of Val and Jeckie has opened up slots in the Legion. The students are introduced as Laurel Kent, Shadow Lass’s cousin, Jed, Lamprey, a froggy guy speaking an alien language, Magnetic Lad, Nightwind and Crystal Kid.

Suddenly, Chuck is propelled into a wall, surprised by Wildfire, who has arrived with Mysa and Jacques for their formal training. As the students speak together, Wildfire complains to Chuck and Lu that the SP should take over the Academy. Gigi Cusimano calls him on it, saying he complains when the SP offer to take over. Wildfire then complains about Shvaughn spending time with Jan. He hesitates, then blasts off.

At Legion HQ, Shvaughn, Jan, Cham and Brainy meet in the shadows of a dark tunnel. They reveal that Shrinking Violet is a Durlan imposter and discuss what to do. They agree to find what happened to the real Violet, to tell no one else and to keep it from Gim. Cham volunteers to handle the situation.

At Metropolis spaceport, Mysa, Jacques, Jed and Laurel are on a training mission with Chuck, to round up assorted escaped beasts from a crashed ship. They meet with Chief Zendak, who has concerns about the ability of the ‘farm team”and silently wishes that Saturn Girl were Legion leader again. The team succeeds in corralling the animals. At the Academy, Lu reviews their action with the other students, pointing out that they took too long and didn’t work as a team. She mentions that Nura, Rokk, Imra, Garth, Dirk and Blok are working as a team on a diplomatic mission for Ambassador Relnic.

Later, outside, Grev and Pol discuss having family in the Legion and their own motivations. Inside, Grava and Laurel speak with Mysa about being a full Legionnaire at the Academy; she explains that she had to train to be a sorceress and now must train to be a successful Legionnaire. Grava complains about Wildfire.

At the Pan-Oceanic Organ Depository, Tasmia and Brin take on three thieves. Wildfire swoops in, blasts the thieves and flies off. Brin is annoyed but says he can’t blame Wildfire, given what he’s going through; Tasmia agrees that Brin would understand.

At the Academy, Nightwind and Lamprey speak fondly about Wildfire and refer to a student in the Special Wing who is also facing serious challenges.

At Legion HQ, Cham herds Vi and Gim into a cruiser, claiming a priority alert from Imsk. She’s reluctant, but doesn’t argue. Shvaughn watches with relief as the cruiser leaves. Thom approaches her; she congratulates him on being Deputy Leader but he’s anxious for Nura’s term as leader to be over. Thom proceeds to chair a meeting to review applicants from the Academy. When he mentions standards, Jo gets angry, but is calmed by Tasmia, who urges that they adopt a positive frame of mind. Thom proposes they begin with Laurel Kent.

At that same time, Laurel and Grava are bickering with Lamprey and Nightwind over Wildfire, who Laurel and Grava dislike. A physical fight erupts, only to be broken up by Pol and Jed. Jacques and Mysa arrive and say that Wildfire is complex; Mysa decides to violate Wildfire’s privacy by showing them what he’s going through. We see Dawnstar telling Wildfire that she’s off to find her soul mate, according to the traditions of her people, and she hopes they will always be friends. As she flies off, he whispers “I love you” and explodes out of his suit.

An entry from the Legion log indicates that no new members would be admitted for the time being and that applicants would be remanded for further training, after the group discussed the perils and deaths of Legionnaires.

Comments:
It’s been a while since we’ve seen the Academy students. They’re no closer to joining the Legion, but this issue makes them a more enduring part of the Legionverse. They are beginning to develop personalities and we meet some new ones. There’s a mystery student in a “special wing”, but no further clues are given.

The reasoning may be sound, but I find it peculiar to see Mysa and Jacques sent for training. Both fit right in with the Legion while facing one of their most deadly adversaries, so why not more learning on the job? At least in Mysa’s case, it may be they themselves who wanted more formal training.

Wildfire appears in various scenes, more angry than usual; only at the end do we find out that it’s Dawnstar’s departure that has upset him. His whispered “I love you” comes as no surprise to the reader, but he may well have never said it to her face. We don’t know if this will be a permanent or temporary departure for Dawnstar.

There’s more of that great full spectrum surveillance that pervades Legion stories, as Mysa invades Wildfire’s privacy to show what he’s going through, rather than explain to the other students in her own words.

The big reveal is the confirmation of Violet as a Durlan imposter. It’s a well done scene; you can almost sense the three Legionnaires and Shvaughn whispering in the shadows as they discuss what to do. They’re keeping it quiet, so much so that (it appears) even Leader Dream Girl has not been informed. This also plays into Jan’s continuing resentment of Nura; he’s got the big secret and he’s keeping it from her. Bad protocol but very much in keeping with bad feelings.

Apart from the search for the true Violet and the discovery of why the Durlan replaced her, there’s a diplomatic mission of unknown purpose led by Nura’s team.

So, lots of shake-up in the ranks. There are only a few Legionnaires left on Earth; Mysa, Jacques, Dawnstar, Ayla, Jeckie, Val and (it appears) Violet are out of the regular action. We don’t know if Imra and Garth will also depart, as a result of their “secret”. Resentments linger between Nura, Jan and Jo – and now Thom has been pulled into that mix. This issue is quite a turning point for the group.

Best line: “Drop the livers and the blasters, guys!”