Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Reading the Legion: Archives Volume 20

I forgot to start a new thread for this volume. Discussion of the first issues (Tales #314 and LSH #1) began in Volume 19 on this page of that thread.

Now back to our regular programming....

Tales of the LSH #315 by Paul Levitz & Keith Giffen, Art by Terry Shoemaker & Karl Kesel, Letters by Adam Kubert, Colors by Carl Gafford



Brainy, Kara and Dirk crash through the ceiling of the Dark Circle chamber to take Ontiir. The Circle is offended. Ontiir thanks Kara. The Circle claims he has betrayed both worlds. As Kara tries to see through the mask of a Dark Circle leader, he and the others disappear, along with Ontiir (and everyone on the planet), leaving only robes behind.

At Legion HQ, Dr. Gym'll declares that Lyle Norg must be dead and refuses to get involved, despite Jacques' pleading. Jacques tries to speak with Lyle, is rebuffed, but tells him that they will go together to the realm from which Lyle returned.

Brainy is baffled as to how everyone on the Dark Circle world could disappear, given the huge energy requirement for teleportation. A comment from Kara about it getting dark gives him an idea and he declares that they must have used the power of their sun.

On the border of Dark Circle territory, Relnic, Zendak and a ship captain observe some wreckage and conclude it was the result of Legionnaires. The captain wishes to leave, but Relnic decides that they will proceed to the Dark Circle homeworld.

Orbiting the sun of the homeworld, Ontiir faces questioning by Dark Circle lords, who bring out SP Officer Rackir, the man who allegedly gave Ontiir his orders to infiltrate the Circle. Although Rackir, another Tsauron, is dead, his statement on Ontiir was extracted. Ontiir claims that the Circle told him to seek such orders. The Circle decides that perhaps he serves the U.P., perhaps the Circle, but his usefulness is at an end and he should kill himself. As Ontiir holds the knife he has been given to commit suicide, the Legionnaires arrive.

Dark Circle lords disrobe, showing themselves to be tentacled creatures. A fight ensues. Ontiir thinks that he can finally prove his loyalty and reaches for a gun, but as he aims at a figure unknown to the reader, Zendak arrives with SP officers. Zendak sees Ontiir with the gun, commands him to drop it and when he doesn't, shoots him dead.

Epilogue: The Legionnaires, Zendak and Relnic prepare to take the bodies of Rackir and Ontiir back to the U.P., still uncertain of where Ontiir's loyalties lay. Only Zendak is certain that he did the right thing by shooting Ontiir. Kara says that her whole trip to the 30th century has been a mess and she's not sure if she fits in with the Legion anymore. She leaves Brainy stuttering as she returns to her past.

Comments:
So ends the tale of Ontiir, without certain conclusion as to his loyalty. Maybe he didn't know himself at this point. We're teased with the answer, but the identity of whom he was aiming his gun at is snatched away from the reader, not once, but twice. Ontiir is delightfully deceptive and I'm sorry he didn't live to sow more confusion in future stories. He would have been a different type of arch-villain than Mordru, the Fatal Five and Universo.

Could Zendak be covering up something himself by killing Ontiir? He had justification, in that Ontiir didn't drop the gun when commanded, but Zendak might have been a bit quick on the draw.

The Dark Circle leaders are revealed to be some alien race, rather akin to Durlans with the tentacles and broad heads. No connection between the two races is suggested, however.

Using the energy of their sun to teleport a large number of beings is presented as a fait accompli, but no indication of how that works or if there was place for everyone in the sun-orbiting station.

Relnic and Zendak make a good team as elders who are accustomed to dealing with Legionnaires and their smash 'em ways. I assume that was a military or official U.P. ship they were on; the captain wasn't wearing a clearly military uniform. His reluctance to take his ship into enemy territory was a good contrast with Relnic and Zendak, who look more like dare devils in comparison. Maybe that's why they get on with the Legion - a thirst for adventure and risk-taking.

Kara leaves abruptly, in a funk of self-doubt. It seems very much out of character. She doesn't show much regard for Brainy at all, which is an about-face from how she's been acting. Another disappointment for me.

On to the next disappointment: Lyle Norg. One tiny step forward is taken with his story as we see Jacques trying to enlist the help of Dr. Gym'll, who doesn't want anything to do with the problem. That may be the attitude of the Legion at large. Only Jacques is willing to seek an answer by taking Lyle back to the dream realm. Has Lyle even moved from the chair since he's been back? Eaten or drunk anything? We aren't told.

315: "Judgment!" (main story)

The conclusion of the Ontiir story turned out better than the first part. Dramatic and well-paced, it builds to an exciting conclusion that leaves the reader with a genuine mystery regarding Ontiir's loyalty. In spite of his shiftiness, I felt sorry for Ontiir--first in how the deck was stacked against him in the Dark Circle trial (he had no choice at this point but to commit suicide) and then in being robbed of his attempt to prove his loyalty--though to whom he was loyal we're still not sure. I don't think Zendak had any malicious intent when he shot Ontiirt; as police shootings in recent years have shown, the actions of a suspect can be interpreted in more than one way. Police officers may have only a split second to make a choice. Ontiir's death and the ambiguity surrounding it are all too believable.

Although the intent was to leave the reader guessing about Ontiir's motives--and the story's execution (pun not intended) succeeds admirably--I think there are two clues to show which side Ontiir was truly on: the testimony of Rackiir (assuming he didn't give in to torture and tell the Dark Circle leaders what they wanted to here) and at whom Ontiir was likely aiming the gun. Since Dirk was clearly losing the fight with the Dark Circle leader, Ontiir had no reason to shoot him. Ontiir's actions make sense only he was aiming at the Dark Circle leader in order to save Dirk; therefore, Ontiir's true loyalty lay with the UP.

Of course, the above is mere speculation. Ontiir might just as easily have thought that killing a Legionnaire would exonerate him with the Dark Circle. Or he might have decided to side with whoever appeared to be winning (the Legionnaries in this cases, which means Ontiir's loyalty was to himself.) Even the Legionnaires can't be certain. They probably didn't see Ontiir with a gun until Zendak shot him. All Zendak saw was Ontiir holding a gun.

The rest of the story works exceptionally well, too, with Brainy and Kara getting some quality focus and interaction. Dirk acts a support player, but that's okay; someone has to. Brainy comes to the fore as he figures out where the Dark Circle teleported. (I, too, wonder how they could teleport everyone on the entire planet and if they all fit on the spaceship. We'll later find out that

Brainy once again acts nervous toward Kara when she expresses her affection for him; however, her vote of confidence spurs him to find the solution (at least that's how I read it). However, their relationship takes an abrupt and unexpected turn at the end when Kara leaves. While her actions are not explained, I think it's another case of Brainy putting his foot in his mouth. The last coherent sentence he says to her is that this was not among the Legion's best planned missions. Since Kara initiated this mission, she probably interpreted his remark as a slight--hence her parting comment that she may no longer fit in with the Legion. In the old days, the Legion barged into battle without a second thought; in these more mature times, spontaneous tactics don't work. Kara, in her 20th century life, has moved in a different direction than the Legion, it seems.

Terry Shoemaker's art is a delight to look at. I found myself flipping through the story just to enjoy the images again. The split-shot of the Dark Circle leader and Ontiir at the bottom of Page 10 stands out.

I have only two minor quibbles about the art. Shoemaker makes Brainy look too young--he seems to have lost about 10 years from Giffen's depiction--and Karl Kesel's inking in the Lyle Norg scene seems too heavy.

Speaking of Lyle, the plot line at least moves forward with Jacques offering to take Lyle back to the dream dimension to figure out what really happened. Lyle's laughter seems totally out of character and cruel toward someone who is trying to help him--but, as we'll find out, a lot of things about Lyle are out of character.

LoSH 315

Dirk against a creepy cultist-revealed-as-horror makes for a eye capturing cover. Dirk’s powers are not overly affecting the creature, but they are providing a well thought out background for the logo. Zendak looks uncharacteristically uncertain, and Brainy isn’t one I’d take for looking surprised. Kara is coming in for the rescue though. Regular readers might be intrigued at the secrets of the Circle being revealed. It’s worth that mention on the cover, while not interfering with the main image.

The splash page has Kara’s text lead into a use of the Legion logo. Since little text introductions were fairly standard, it’s always nice to see a writer try a little harder to integrate them.

We pick up with Kara, Dirk and Querl crashing through to the Circle’s inner sanctum, where Ontiir is on trial. Querl is using his force field as a super strength/ invulnerability stand in. It’s not often we see him using in in flight, and it’s a twist on his powers he could make more use out of. Despite knowing the tolerances of his shield, he’s still happy to let Kara block for him. It’s a good scene for all three. Kara is direct and makes very good use of her powers. Dirk is likewise one of the more forward Legionnaires and that makes for an effective partnership with Supergirl is disabling the Circle’s weapons. Brainy coordinates and, as Kara reminds him, is on hand to determine where the Circle go, when they all disappear in front of the Legion. There’s not much background detail, but all three look great under Shoemaker’s pencil. Brainy tells Supergirl that she’s “always faithful to your impulses.” But he’s youthful and impulsive here too. Perhaps she’s rubbing off on him. Dirk shares a space fatigue quip with Brainy, as they head towards the nearest star; the only place with enough power to teleport the Circle away. There’s no suggestion that both have suffered breakdowns in the past.

Far behind them, Zendak and Relnic take advantage of the Legion’s direct approach to enter Dark Circle territory. With them, is a UP captain only too aware that they have no right to be in the territory. It’s a well dialogued set up page.

The Circle continue to be exasperated by Ontiir. It’s revealed that Ontiir was sent to infiltrate the Circle. This evidence comes from a dead SP officer. Mass teleportation and extracting secrets form the dead are just two of the skills available to the Circle in this story, increasing their depth and threat level subtly. Ontiir looks terrified at his infiltration being revealed, and I thought this was the moment he would be incovered. But he tells the Circle, to their confirmation, that he was told to seek out such orders. In the end, the Circle conclude that Ontiir has outlived his usefulness. The UP think he may be a circle agent. The Circle aren’t sure either. Whatever the truth, neither side will want to trust him again. Spies quite often seem to come to messy ends (topical with ourselves again this recently), and Ontiir is asked to kill himself.

The Legion intervene. The cover becomes a reality in the story, as a revealed Circle leader throttles Dirk as a battle rages around them. It’s our last look at Supergirl in Legion action and she aquits herself really well, making use of super breath along the way. Normally, either Kara or Querl would notice Dirk’s predicament. But they don’t so that Ontiir can raise his blaster at Dirk and the Circle leader. He’s looking to prove his loyalty. But for which side? We never find out. An arriving SP squad is led by Zendak. Seeing Ontiir with a weapon, Zendak shouts out a warning that is ignored. Ontiir is shot. In a world with lots of weapons, that I’m sure we’ve seen stun or injure, it’s a final end to Ontiir. The Circle don’t seem interested in using their technology to find out any more truths about their agent. With Ontiir dead, there’s no further need for conflict and the Legion return home.

Ontiir’s death has affected Supergirl. Gone is the confidence we saw in the rest of the story. She’s more thoughtful and introspective. She wanted to recapture Ontiir. Instead, he’s dead and there’s a moral quagmire that she struggles with. She feels that perhaps she doesn’t fit in with the Legion after all. Querl offers a word and a stammer, and Supergirl returns to her own time.

I remember really feeling for Kara as the mission doesn’t go as expected. But doing reviews often brings out other details. It’s clear Ontiir’s death was railroaded in. Any of the combatants could have noticed Dirk. Had Ontiir not have needed a plot point, the conflict would have been resolved differently. There were other ways to disable Ontiir, without killing him.

There have been morally grey stories in the Legion’s history, whether they thought of them as such at the time or not. Hard decisions have had to be made. Kara is taking this one very hard. Perhaps it’s in balance to how keen she was to be there. Like Lyle, or VI, there’s no sense that anyone tries terribly hard to intervene. Kara follows her impulses one last time, and goes back to the 20th century. At this stage, there was no reason to think that Brainy wouldn’t go after her, or that she wouldn’t be drawn into another big Legion adventure (I suppose Crisis ended up being that), reconciling her with the 30th century.

These were among the earliest Legion back issues I got. With Kara being written and drawn so well, I’m not surprised that I always see her as a perfect fit for the Legion. It seems that Levitz thought so too. But higher powers had their own plans. It’s also another distancing from the Superman office and from the mainstream DCU. Event crossovers were yet to arrive.

As Kara leaves the Legion, the end of the Earth/Mars War was happening back in her own time (JLA 230 was released in this month). That would disband the Justice League. Even without a book, or team, of her own, Kara wouldn’t be part of a new JLA. Again, the plans for her future had been made, and they weren’t related to how good a character she was in her own right.

They were based around returning Superman to his roots, if not necessarily his basics or strengths, and rebuilding from there. This story was just an early hint of the effects these decisions would have on a team that had just been considered successful enough to have a Baxter book.

Elsewhere in the issue, Jacques seeks Gym’ll’s aid for Lyle, but the Doctor doesn’t want to get involved. It’s a shame that this seems to be the first time someone has really tried to help Lyle. What have all the others been up to all this time, while their friend has been sitting, string at his death scene. Lyle’s not even doing that anymore. He’s now sitting on a surprisingly lumpy floor. He still wants to be left alone. But his depression switches to maniacal glee when Jacques suggests they return to the place where they first met. The personality change is a big sign that all is not what it seems with Lyle. While there have been plenty of missed opportunities with the subplot, at least this development pushes it forward.

Shoemaker’s panel layouts are standard enough, allowing for the story to move forward steadily and clearly. It’s his character work that really stands out. Years have dropped off the cast, and it does add energy to the maturity of Levitz’s scripts.

Comment on Comments



An Ontiir clone would pop up in the Baxter try-outs issue, undermining Ontiir’s fate and the basis of Kara’s decision here. I’d have also liked to have seen him constantly behind the scenes, working against many sides.



This crossed my mind too. Ontiir works in a murky part of the SP, where infiltration and obfuscation are key skills. He may not be alone, and he may also not be the only agent the SP thinks it has planted in the Circle. While Zendak may have killed him to prevent Ontiir revealing SP plans, he may also have killed him to protect the identity of other agents. Had Ontiir not conveniently been aiming a gun, and the other Legionnaires not have been conveniently distracted, would Ontiir have met with an unfortunate accident anyway? The Circle were going to force him to commit suicide. I wouldn’t put it past the SP to have a similar fate in store for him. I do think the sotry was trying to show Zendak acting in character, while providing a super push out of the series for Kara.



I think there’s more Circle secrets coming up, with the White Witch being involved. I like the dark, and massive powers they are shown to have in these issues. It makes them a very credible threat and a different one to Mordru, Dominators and Khunds.



I read the “always faithful on your impulses” line used early on and with “always” bolded as a set up to Kara’s decision and abrupt departure. She’s been direct all through the story and her leaving was just the same.



While there’s still a chance for a deeper look at Lyle, his reaction to the idea of returning to the dream realm, moved his depression into comic book madness. As neither Lyle or Kara appear in the Baxter book, it’s all pretty moot. I wonder if readers at the time thought the same when Lyle didn’t appear in the other book.




While I enjoyed it, I was aware of the number of times the Legion seemed to knock down walls to Circle meetings in this one.



Being so seemingly useful, and successful, to both sides has led to his predicament.



I was going to ask where we all thought his loyalties lay. I think he was going to shoot Dirk.

He does seem to be forwarding the goals of an organisation when he acts. We get to see his thoughts, and there isn’t any hint that he’s skimming off benefits for himself, or playing both sides against each other. So that ruled out him being on Team Ontiir, although saving his own skin is obviously important to him. Back in the Empress story, his thoughts were of his Dark Circle Masters. There’s no thoughts around “The Empress’ success will let my Circle Masters think they have succeeded. He may well have sided with the winner. You’d think that would be the side with Supergirl on it. But the Circle have shown here that they have a lot of power and a long reach. I like to think of Ontiir as someone seeing a longer game, much as Relnic does. So, he may well be captured by the SP and put back on trial only for another attempt to betray them to the Circle.




Good spot on his comment. Frustratingly, we don’t see Kara’s reaction to that line. He has a cheek, since he allowed himself to happily get carried away with the whole thing. 12th Level intelligence? 12 level butt covering more like




I think this was a subtext to the whole story. Levitz knew that the Crisis was coming and that the Kryptoians would be leaving the Legionverse. He’s already planted the seeds for upcoming Mon-El traumas. Giffen’s influence on darker, grittier storylines shouldn’t be forgotten either. He’s keen on depowering teams, and that means an end to super feats.



It was a tense moment. I half expected to see a big Manga relief face on Ontiir on the next page as the Legion crashed in.



For me, it was less how young Brainy looked and more how smiley and impulsive he was. That’s love for you. But it’s worrying on Querl.



I felt that Lyle could have said much the same line without the laughter or manic expression. It would have continued the darkness of where he feels he is, and added a bit of foreboding.

Very interesting thoughts from both Cramey and thoth in the posts above. I was actually drafting a detailed response with quotes and all but deleted it because I'm still processing my thoughts. Here's the gist on some general ideas:

On Zendak killing Ontiir to shut him up: I think this could be a valid interpretation. The scene is ambiguous. We see Zendak order Ontiir to drop the gun, and then we only see Ontiir say Zendak's name. We don't see him hesitate or refuse to drop the gun. So, it's conceivable that Zendak did not give him the chance.

On Rackiir's confession: The text makes it clear (bottom of Page 9) that the confession was extracted before Rackiir died, not after. I think this is important because it goes to whether Rackiir's testimony can be trusted (presumably, he wouldn't or couldn't lie after death). It also explains why the Dark Circle didn't keep Ontiir's body for further interrogation.

On Ontiir's death being "railroaded into the story": I disagree. I thought it was an integral and necessary part of the story--necessary because it underscores how Kara's expectations of how this mission would turn out differed from how it actually did. For example, I thought it added a touch of reality that neither of Dirk's companions were available to assist him. We're so used to Legionnaires arriving at the last second to save each other that it's alarming and disconcerting to think they couldn't help Dirk. Yet in real battle situations, people are distracted and otherwise occupied. I thought Ontiir's death was one of the most realistic depicted in Legion stories--and it seems even more believable in the context of recent police shootings and the ambiguities surrounding them. Which leads me to . .

On Zendak using a lethal means to subdue Ontiir: I've often wondered why more modern-day police officers don't use nonlethal means to stop suspects. I came across this article, which explains the limitations of TASER; perhaps nonlethal weapons available to SP officers contain similar drawbacks. In any case, there's no reason to assume that other law enforcement officers share the Legion's values against killing. (Actually, this was made clear in Star Boy's trial back in Adv. 342: The SP cleared him of charges for Kenz Nuhor's death; the Legion did not.) It must also be recognized that the Legionnaires possess organic powers which enable them to disarm most criminals with some degree of reliability; non-powered SP officers do not have such luxury.

On Ontiir's motives: I did not re-read 302 before making my initial post. Now, having re-read it, I see the point about Ontiir wanting to inform his Dark Circle masters. I think there's enough ambiguity in the comment that there's some doubt about what he wanted to inform them. I'm still not sure what his mission was in allying himself with the Emerald Empress or why they tried to make Weber's World collide with the fleet main base. (To destabilize UP presence in the region, perhaps?) Issue 314 makes it clear that Ontiir didn't have contact with the Dark Circle in a "score" of years, so exactly what he was going to inform them of and why remains unclear.

On Brainy following Kara's lead and not taking responsibility himself for the outcome: Good call! Love does indeed do strange things to people. Or maybe it's not love, at all. Putting aside Kara and Brainy's long history and what we want to happen for them, I don't get the impression from this story that Brainy reciprocates her feelings. Although he does indeed seem to be going along for the ride (in more ways than one), he also seems annoyed by her impulsiveness (hence, his comment about her following her impulses and then later about the mission she initiated being not "carefully considered"). Back in 294, IIRC, he told her he had gotten over his crush on her. Maybe he's just not sure how to respond to her current overtures, and this confusion about how to proceed is the reason for his distraction in recent stories. If my theory is correct, it draws some interesting parallels between Brainy and Kara and Brainy and Andromeda in the reboot. In that version, too, Brainy had gotten over his feelings but was less polite about it.

I'll go with your logical speculation. In the heat of battle, the others might not have been watching closely. And Zendak may be smarting from the internal security breach from that civilian programmer and be a bit quick on the draw. He already claimed that Ontiir was guilty.



Also a good explanation; I'd forgotten that aspect of the Circle (and got it somewhat mixed up with the reboot Circle).



Good point that Kara is responding/reacting to Brainy's comment. I'd like to think she must have had her own doubts, regardless of what he said. Brainy has a reputation for insulting his teammates and they just shrug it off. Kara might respond differently, given her feelings for him, as well as having seen the Legion moving in a more cautious direction. After Cham's hot-head mission to Khundia and Kara's assault on the Dark Circle, the Legion indeed be reconsidering how they approach missions.



The Legion Break-down Club - add Garth and Tenzil, possibly Violet. Cham even might qualify for his Krazy Khundia Kaper. Anyone else? Still, I like that Dirk isn't afraid to mention his space fatigue.



Ontiir was a messy thread for both sides. Rather than try to untangle it and never be certain if the truth has been found, he was judged bettter off dead. That must have been in Zendak's mind going in - there's no "set phasers to stun" here. Ontiir should have known that. He called out Supergirl's name as she crashed through the wall, so maybe he thought he could play on her sympathies - and the Legion's no-kill rule. Would the U.P. have executed him had the Legion brought him back? I guess I figure he would have shot the Dark Circle guy - if not for true loyalty, to at least buy some time with a more indulgent Legion. (I wish he had escaped.)



Good point. People reading both books would have a pretty clear indication of Kara and Lyle's story outcome.



It's a complicated relationship, at least from his end. He'll be crushed by her death but won't pine for her until then. Time travel dilemma: does he know now that she'll die? That would certainly keep him from making any serious committment to her, as opposed to spending time with her just for the enjoyment of the moment.

Since it's almost time to review the next issue, I hope nobody minds if I go ahead and post my thoughts on the back up in 315 so the story doesn't get overlooked.

315: "The Forging" (backup)

I like how this story develops, with Mysa assuring Blok that all he needs to do is ask about her story. She values his friendship and he may or may not be interested in her on a deeper level, but she clearly fascinates him. Their interactions are warm and sympathetic. Blok makes a good "interviewer," showing genuine curiosity about her story, and she seems to relish the opportunity to share her story with someone. It's great to see these two recent additions to the Legion form their own "clique" within the team.

As for the flashback itself, we follow 10-year-old Mysa as she arrives on the Sorcerer's World and is abandoned by choice. She makes a parting shot at the starship captain--"Well, what do you expect . . .?" --a bit of snobbery from the daughter of a high seer, perhaps? Then she encounters the strangeness of the Sorcerer's World: a talking dog, being swept away by a wind, and then a lot of patience before she discovers her ability to create fire--which prompts the sorcerers to reveal themselves.

Mysa excels in her studies, and I thrilled for her as her faith in herself pays off and she discovers her power. Of course, there has to be conflict and this is found in Mordru, at this point a young sorcerer who only fosters dreams of betraying his fellow masters. He gets the best of Mysa during a training exercise, and she lashes out and injures him. He vows revenge and gets it later when she goes through the ritual which would make her a member of the sorcerer's community. Mordru tampers with the magicks, causing her to transform into a hideous old woman and be banished.

Of course, knowing how this turns out--that, as the Hag, Mysa is restored by Nura and the Legion in Adv. 351--mutes the impact of this story, somewhat. But I did appreciate how her transformation into the Hag was worked into the story and ties in nicely with Mordru.

Speaking of which, there may or may not be a continuity error here. Mordru's first encounter with the Legion was in a flashback that took place during Saturn Girl's first term as leader, which ran from Adventure 304-322. At that point, he was already portrayed as an older wizard with long white hair. Here he has short black hair. Just how much time passed between Mysa's transformation and Mordru's first encounter with the Legion is not clear from this story, but it seems as if a considerable amount of time must have passed. (Either that or becoming an all-powerful sorcerer prematurely aged Mordru.)

I'm impressed with the pacing of this story and don't even mind that it goes into a third part (next issue). So much ground is covered here--in terms of both plot and emotion. George Tuska's art, which I normally am not fond of, serves the story well. For example, he makes Mysa's features consistent even when she is younger and before her transformation into her present appearance.

Why should anyone mind? Thank you for keeping us on track!



I liked that little touch of entitlement she displays with the captain, as well as the shift into uncertainty as she walks through the streets and encounters the strangeness. She displays strong will in creating the fire as well as in her progress with her studies. It may have been over-confidence or over-trusting (or both) that kept her from reading Mordru's intentions/dislike of her.



Perhaps as a wizard he could change his looks at will - or was affected by the type of magic he used. The change in appearance does need a good comic book style explanation.



I'd forgotten that this was a three-part story; it doesn't feel at all over-extended. This technique of one Legionnaire telling their life story to another was used with Thom and Wildfire a few issues ago. Can't recall if it will be used again, but I like the approach better than a straight retelling of the backstory.

One thing that struck me was how she and Blok shared a joke about Nura's dreaming power. Mysa seemed to be making a bit of a dig at her sister's precog dreams. Some lingering childhood rivalry?

LSH #2 ...Where a Villain? by Paul Levitz & Keith Giffen, art by Keith Giffen & Larry Mahlstedt, colors by Carl Gafford, letters by John Costanza



Mekt speaks to Ayla, chained in a primitive cell, and claims he wants to help her, that he didn't kill her because he loves her. She tells him he's nuts. He loses his temper and vows she will eventually join them.

Other members of the LSV -Titania, Lazon and Magno Lad - try to steal some powerspheres from M-17W, an automated manufacturing center, but are interrupted by Wildfire and Dawnstar, returning from Starhaven. Dawnstar barely keeps ahead of Lazon while Magno shreds Wildfire's containment suit.

On Earth, Jan delivers the news of the new LSV; the Legionnaires recall the old LSV under Tarik the Mute and wonder about the membership of this new one. Shvaughn calls with a report of the powersphere theft.

Thom, Nura and Violet are en route from Ventura. Thom complains about their interrupted vacation; Nura is concerned about the problems at hand and Vi wants to get whoever saved Micro Lad.

On M-17W, Dawnstar is blasted and falls unconscious toward the ground; disembodied Wildfire watches helplessly. Suddenly, she is saved by Lar, who has arrived with Jo. The LSV members teleport away with the powerspheres. Tasmia and Cham tend to Dawnstar and provide a new suit for Wildfire.

On Medicus One, Garth and a heavily pregnant Imra hear about the new LSV from Rokk and wonder if Mekt is involved - and if he's found Ayla.

"Elsewhere", 15 members of the LSV meet together in a Last Supper pose and declare that the "Great Passage" is almost ready. Ol-Vir makes some noise about the Master but is subdued by Esper Lass, who wonders why they want the mad child. Sun Emperor kisses Thora, a serving girl, and burns her to a crisp, nauseating some LSV members.

At Legion HQ, Jan runs through all the available Legionnaires and their assignments and thinks they're in good shape until an alert is received. Some of the LSV are stealing Earth's polymer shield. Gigi lies barely conscious at their feet. Garth and Imra appear; Garth blasts Sun Emperor, then Jan shows up to encase Radiation Roy in inertron. Tyr goes after Imra but is surprised to see she is pregnant and that her own contractions have disabled her. Before he can shoot her, Zymyr declares the mission done and says everyone must leave. The villains teleport away as Imra goes into labour.

On M-17W, Dawnstar tracks the villains as Wildfire worries about her health. Terrus lurks behind a rock then attacks, sending meteors to destroy the Legion ship. Lar and Wildfire destroy the flying rocks as Dawnstar is baffled at what could have caused the meteor storm.

On Medicus One, Jan and Garth await news of Imra. Gym'll lambasts Garth and tells him to join his wife.

Jeckie and Val approach Orando, returning from their honeymoon. They see changes made to the castle; their ship is brought down by Magno Lad and they are gassed by Mist Master. A white-gloved figure takes the Legion flight ring and uses it to send an alarm signal, saying he once did that as a Legionnaire.

Comments:
We know the LSV is up to no good, but what they're attempting is a mystery. Not unlike the Servants of Darkness, various members of the LSV gather things for some big event, the Great Passage. Whatever it is, it takes priority over the initial goal of killing each Legionnaire. The white gloved ex-Legionnaire is also a mystery figure at this point, unless you have a really good memory.

This is a big group and its members have honed their skills since last encountering the Legion. Legionnaires are puzzled by what's happening - the teleportation, the meteor storm and just who it is they're fighting, why they want powerspheres. The LSV overpowers or evades the Legion in each encounter.

Mekt appears to be in charge. Whatever the plan is, it seems to be beyond his usual scope, leaving me to wonder if there isn't somebody even bigger behind Mekt. When speaking with Ayla, Mekt sounds batshit crazy, but acts like a capable leader with the villains. The group squabbles among themselves, trading insults and sounding pretty unbalanced themselves, but get their jobs done.

Garth and Imra can't stay away from a fight, even though Imra is about to give birth. There's something about the old guard refusing to step down which might be concerning, but, given the situation, their response makes sense. Sort of. Is Imra willing to risk the life of her child to be a hero? Legionnaire first, last and always.

Thom continues griping; Nura seems a tad annoyed with him. He could take some devotion to duty lessons from Imra; one wonders if Thom may be resigning from the Legion in the future. Of course, there's that "A Legionnaire will die" prophecy of Nura's hanging in the air.

We finally get confirmation that the LSV has taken over Orando. Val and Jeckie are entirely unprepared for the ambush, indicating that they've been incommunicado with the planet, despite the attack by Pharoxx. I wonder if that marriage would have survived; Val is still making comments about not wanting to be there.

LoSH v3 2

Last issue we saw the gathering of Legion villains against the ancient, stormy backdrop of Orando…

It’s a slow burning, tense build up. None of which is reflected in the cover of a group of them all shouty faced, tearing up a Legion flag. It’s not a cover that does anything for me, really must be Giffen in Legion burn out mode.

As leader Element Lad warns the team, we see that a very recent member has already been caught. Mekt tries to convince Ayla to join him. It pays off his search for her in a previous issue. He thinks she is destined to join him. He’s looking to have a twin of his own, even if that means killing Garth and kidnapping his sister.

Things invariably revolve around family, when it comes to Mekt. Garth he hates, Ayla he wants to control as senior sibling. But he also believes that the storm talks to him, and he’s misjudged his sister’s reasons for leaving the Legion.

Interestingly, Mekt also plays into a group dynamic, just as Ayla did. He can’t simply allow his sister to join them. The others will only let her live if Esper Lass places blocks on her mind. It would have been an interesting alternate look at this story, had Mekt just let Esper Lass do her work. What would have happened to the Legion then?

Another good part of this story is just how proactive the villains are. They have a multi part plan and take the initiative to meet each of their goals. That’s not to say they get on with each other. Lazon, Magno Lad and Titania snipe at each other as they try to steal powerspheres. These are massive energy generators, and gives a hint that whatever the villains are up to, it requires a lot of power. They are interrupted by the Legion’s point team; Wildfire and Dawnstar. The pair are returning form their subplot on Starhaven, which is a nice tie in to their appearance here.

Wildfire is confident in his power and retrieves the sphere Titania is holding. But what starts off as a standard encounter against three villains, turns against our heroes. It’s in their planning. We know they have vowed to kill the Legionnaires, and they’ve given some thought about how they’d go about it. Wildfire is thumped by debris, while Dawnstar takes evasive action against Lazon.

The attempted powershpere theft alerts Legion HQ. It’s an important cut away as it provides the reader with the background to the LSV and how that reflects against the Legion. It introduces a few more members of the team (for readers new to the Leigon) also allows Element Lad to send a team to help Dawny and Wildfire.

A recovering Wildfire then has his suit ripped apart, rendering him powerless. A distracted Dawny is blasted by Lazon. Only the timely arrival of Mon El and Ultra Boy prevent her falling to her death. Even two Legion powerhouses can’t stop the villains as they, and the spheres are teleported away.

A few comments on this scene:-

It’s now common knowledge amongst the villains, that if you want to defeat Wildfire, you just have to destroy his suit. So, if you always have a Braalian on your side, you should be able to get past the Legionnaire most likely to turn up first. I’d like to see either Drake, Qeurl or someone with tactical sense address this later.

In previous issues, we’ve seen Dawny fly someone through a bulkhead. She’s very tough and yet, in this period, she struggles to really make an impact in a combat situation. Not all Legionnaires are suited for such a role, but we have seen that she has the potential.

I guess flight rings don’t keep you up, or even at a safe level, if you’re unconscious as we se Dawny fall almost to her death.

Considering how easily the Villains kept one teleporting step ahead of the Legion, you’d think they would have gone out and actively recruited a teleporter. There was a hint of such a thing in Jacques’ powers, but it’s a tactical shortcoming that won’t be addressed until Gates in another universe.

Another short scene returns Nura, Thom and Salu form Ventura. Nura looks shocked at Vi’s determination to get back into action, and to get her hand on who saved Micro Lad. Such earnestness is very much in the Legion tradition. Perhaps she picks up a hint of revenge from Vi too from the bold around “get”? I didn’t really see anything too strong in Vi’s approach, considering what she’s gone through.

Another Legionnaire striving away is a recovering Dawny. She’s quick to want to track the villains. Levitz also brings in Shady and Cham into the cast. There’s a quick scene with Garth & Imra, reminding us why they aren’t on active duty. Cos intends to check with the academy students. It’s another support role, and a link to future plans linking Cos with the Subs.

Thanks to this story picking up so seamlessly with the other title, there’s a real sense of being dropped into the ongoing lives of the cast. Gim and Year moving out; Garth & Imra about to have kids; Nura and Thom on vacation and Vi just coming back from medical leave. I can’t think of any books that start off with that level of depth and complexity (without being complicated either).

Elsewhere, in a place that still can’t be captioned Orando... we get a roll call of the villains. As the cast of the Legion is expanded form the first issue, it’s possibly too much to ask to get a proper introduction to the villains, or the reasons for their enmity to the Legion.

This would have been my introduction to many of them. By the time this reached the newsstands, I may have read about some through Who’s Who, but that would have been about it. After his menacing introduction I remember it being a little let down to discover his name was Radiation Roy. Tyr won’t think much of the name either.

In hindsight, I generally feel that if a villain has to join a giant conglomerate, then they’ve often lost the edge that made them dangerous in the first place. We see a mix of Super Rejects and Super Assassins here for example. Neither group would return before Zero Hour.

Ol-Vir is kept on a leash by Esper Lass. But how often will she be able to do that, before the kid becomes violent? Esper Lass seems confident enough about there not being a Darkseid to mention it aloud. But the galaxy would hail the Legion for halting the New God’s progress. Is it perceived as a conspiracy theory by many in the UP? The Daxamites are conveniently quarantined, so it’s hard to ask anyone other than Ol-Vir. If the great darkness is already widely doubted, it could mean that many think the Daxamites simply went on a rampage of their own free will, which could explain why they aren’t popular.

Lightning Lad gets the big chair at the meeting. His involvement in the story so far suggested that he was the leader. But that group dynamic is at work. Levitz is playing with the reader, and we’ll learn that there is another old villain behind the scenes.

Sun Emperor makes a lasting impression, incinerating a serving girl who clearly is there essentially as chattel. While the death is disturbing, it’s as much the sheer control the villains have over the residents that stays with me. Spider Girl and Ron Karr would move towards helping the Legion in later years. But their association with the LSV here makes it very hard to let them get away without it being addressed.

Element Lad gives the reader a breakdown on the Legion’s response. It’s as proactive as he can make it, and seeing the planning differences between the two teams, makes for a good dynamic.

The villains strike at Earth’s polymer shield, removing it and escaping. Along the way, there are lucky escapes for Imra and GiGi. Sun Emperor thinks he was about to kill Garth too. Element Lad responds to help the two founders. Cos has been kept away with the Academy. There’s no reason why he couldn’t have also responded. Or Chuck & Lu for that matter. Perhaps it was an opportunity to capture one of the villains early, and find out their plan. Levitz has been drip feeding this. We’ve heard that they are going to rule the universe. But there’s also talk of a great passage. The theft of a planet sized shield and power spheres hint at what the great passage could be. They better get there before the end of Crisis though

Dawny and Drake’s group are attacked by Terrus. Drake is consistently clingy, overly protective and overly worrying about Dawny. Wildfire seems able to control the energy after it leaves his suit here. So why wasn’t he able to in the earlier scene? A few lost points as Levitz has to explain what Drake is doing. Mon El explaining super breath at work was another example of this earlier in the issue.

It’s also odd that Terrus would know where Dawny would end up, and have time to place traps for the heroes. Sure, the Legion were on a nearby planet, but Dawny has picked up a trail off world.

A comedy interlude as Jan faints at Imra about to give birth. It’s a bit upbeat considering they were nearly killed. There is the classic panel showing the baby eating alien being led away from the maternity unit. “Consumption of infants as foodstuffs is not permitted.”

Arriving from their honeymoon, and into the Baxter book, come Val and Jeckie. Jeckie tells Val that her people need her and that she worries about them. But there’s a shocked dialogue box at the thought of those subjects making changes in her absence. It speaks volumes at the class system on Orando. The pair are brought crashing to earth by the distinctive magnetic powers of Magno Lad. It’s probably not a coincidence that we got to see them earlier in the issue. Mist Master knocks them unconscious, reluctant to kill them off despite the vow.

I think there should have been a page introducing Jeckie and Val in the first issue. It’s an important thread in the story with a pay off a lot more immediate that a couple of scenes with Gim and Yera.

As an unseen figure sends out an alarm to the rest of the Legion, its revealed that he or she used to be a member of the team! Traitorous Legionnaires used to be a trend in the Adventure days.

Who could it be?
Blackout Boy; Magnetic Kid; Size Lad; Dynamo Boy; Command Kid; A departing Supergirl turned Satan Girl again; Nemesis Kid. What if it’s one of the current team?!

Giffen gives us another less experimental issue. But the layout of each page is quite different and always visually interesting. He gets a lot of use from the inter panel white space. Highlights are the pin point locations of the LSV on page 3; Wildfire being thrown up through white space on 4; giving space for the Lazon/Dawny flight in 5; Dawny’s reaction mini panel on 5; Wildfire flying down from off page on 6; Various perspective shots and great energy effects. The Legion are pretty much spot on too, and he does well having to draw such a large cast of villains. It’s a shame some of their outfits weren’t updated. But without their introductions, its perhaps easier for older readers to identify them as they were.

The LSV have sworn to each kill a Legionnaire. Let’s see how they’ve been getting on.

Ayla – radiation burns in 1. Possibly given similar treatment to Dawny between 1 & 2. Being kept from the other villains by Mekt.
Dawnstar – saved at the last second by Mon El in 2.
GiGi – spared by the LSV/ saved by Garth as they look to warp the polymer shield.
Imra – about to be shot by Tyr, when he’s teleported away at the last moment.
Garth – Sun Emperor thought he was about to kill Garth. But I’m not so sure on that one.
Val & Jeckie – rendered unconscious but kept alive, rather than killed, by Mist Master.

Previously, Nura’s been able to add more detail to what she has prophesised than she has provided here. There’s no additional information and neither she or Thom exactly rushed to tell any other member of the team about it.



Likewise, with Pharoxx on the loose hints that something larger was going on, neither Val or Jeckie bothered contacting either their homeworld or the Legion to let them know there could be a problem.

Foreshadowing is all very well, but not when there’s no follow through. Element Lad sends out a warning at the start of this issue. He could have done something similar at the start of the opening one. It wouldn’t necessarily changed the outcome, but it would have made the Legion look capable of heeding warning signs.

It suggests a weakness in Mekt, that the others could exploit, since we see they play so well together.



About time the bad guys figured this one out! It does call for some sort of techno-fix.



Has it been established that the rings run on the willpower? ANother device that could use a techno-fix, but then we'd miss out on all those last-minute saves from Lar and Jo.



Good point. It's an obvious lack after this encounter.



The junior league - you don't see the Five, Mordru or Universo joining up.



That's an interesting but unexplored question. Was Esper Lass just out of the loop (in prison?) or was the whole Darkseid story considered an urban legend or conspiracy? Of course, nobody ever saw Darkseid except the Legionnaires....



One would think their hearts weren't in the task. It looks like the Great Passage is more important. Maybe the killing was just big talk for the villains to impress one another.

LSH v. 3 # 2

"...where a villain?" develops the story nicely as more of the LSV's plan unfolds and they engage in battle with the Legionnaires. The LSV comes across as a well-organized outfit, which makes them frightening. As a long-time Legion fan, I had always hoped the LSV would return as recurring enemies, but the teenage version had been limited to only two appearances (Adv. 372 and Superboy 208). Here they return with a well-thought-out plan and an expanded line-up: a true legion like their enemies.

As a fan who was used to seeing the Legionnaires win against often comically inept super-villains, I found it disconcerting to watch them be on the defensive so much. Ayla is truly at her brother's mercy; she remains defiant, but she is alone, bound, and trapped on an unknown (to her) world, surrounded by villains who would just as soon kill her. Only her obviously insane brother keeps her alive. Wildfire and Dawnstar engage some of the villains in battle and it goes badly for the heroes. Only the last-minute arrival of Mon-El and Ultra Boy prevents Dawny from going splat. However, the villains succeed in their purpose--making off with fusion powerspheres--and make the Legionnaires look like chumps in the process. In a telling comment, Dawny wonders why the villains are stealing powerspheres when there is no black market for them. She sees the villains as having low aims and is unprepared for their larger purpose.

We then get a page of necessary exposition in which Element Lad briefs other Legionnaires and the reader on who the LSV are. I could have done without the references to the School for Super-Villains and Tarik the Mute, as they add nothing to the story. Besides, Cos conveniently forgets the LSV's appearance in 208, when they tried to assassinate a peacemaker and discredit the Legion. The LSV have not been very active, but they have shown the capacity to formulate a plan and carry it out.

The Star Boy/Dream Girl scene handles exposition better as it also shows a widening rift in their relationship. They have different feelings when it comes to their Legion duties interfering with the personal lives. I almost got the impression that Nura welcomes the break from Thom's nibbling and working his way down. I know I'm getting tired of his woe-is-me attitude.

More exposition follows as Rokk briefs Garth and Imra. Another good scene: It establishes Garth's concern for his sister (and ignorance of her fate) as well as how far along Imra is. This will become important to the story in a few pages.

Then we check in with the LSV. In a brilliant panel, Giffen casts the members as participants in The Last Supper with Mekt as Jesus Christ. I don't know if there's anything significant in this depiction or in the arrangement of the others (Esper Lass as John (or Mary Magdalene, if you believe Dan Brown), Ol-Vir as Judas Iscariot, etc.), but I recall speculation about this on Legion World before. A couple of new characters, Terrus and Neutrax, are dropped into the scene, and Sun Emperor has undergone a total transformation. I'm glad the others are recognizable, though, as they provide some continuity/familiarity with what has gone before.

This familiarity is shattered by Sun Emperor's horrific murder of Thora. At this point, it was still not clear that the planet is Orando and that the LSV had taken over the world, evidently forcing the population into slavery. When I first read this story, I thought Thora was just a hireling or accomplice. Knowing she probably had no choice in serving the LSV makes her demise all the more sad and heart-wrenching.

So much more is accomplished in this scene. We learn Ol-Vir doesn't buy into the LSV's plan because it doesn't serve his dark lord; nevertheless, Mekt keeps him around because having a Daxamite on your side is quite useful. Esper Lass thinks Darkseid is a myth, showing that she (and probably others) are unaware of the latter's role in the Great Darkness.

Back at Legion HQ, Jan briefs us on where everyone is. Another good scene, it reveals his shaky confidence as leader. He starts by congratulating himself for handling his first crisis as leader, and then reaffirming that "everything's in good shape"--only to get rattled when the alarm goes off!

The next phase of the LSV's plan involves stealing earth's polymer shield! This would be like marching into the White House to steal the Great Seal. It's a brazen plan, but, again, they are successful despite interference from Legionnaires. It does seem a trifle convenient that Zymyr spirited the LSV away before any of them could make good on their vow to kill Legionnaires. One wonders if the teleporter doesn't buy into Mekt's plan--or all of it--either.

More good use of scene economy: Tyr's personality is firmly established. He's right: Radiation Roy is a stupid name, but it's Roy's name, dammit. Tyr wants to even the score with Saturn Girl over their previous encounter (# 197), one of the few references to past stories that actually works. He expresses alarm that she's pregnant ("sending a helpless pregnant woman into battle"), but that's not going to stop him from blowing her away with his gun-hand. Tyr, like Ol-Vir, is a relatively new villain I like because, as a sexist, crude alpha male, he stands in sharp relief against the usual depictions of villains as one-dimensional madmen.

And, of course, the scene ends with Imra going into labor, which leads into the annual.

Meanwhile, Dawnstar and the rest track the powersphere thieves through an asteroid belt and are ambushed by Terrus. Again, the Legionnaires are on the defense and appear to be losing a war they've only just learned they're in.

After an interlude with Garth and Jan, we catch up with Jeckie and Val as they return to Orando from their honeymoon and find things have changed. I can't recall how I felt when it was first revealed that the LSV had taken over Orando. The revelation is so subtly woven into the story and builds upon previous clues that it likely went right over my head. There's no one shouting, "Oh, no! The LSV have taken over Orando!" as one might expect from previous stories. It's a revelation that rewards careful reading, something I wouldn't fully appreciate for quite some time.

Once again, we learn that another old foe has joined the LSV ranks: Orion Jr. I wasn't sure, at this point, why it was necessary to bring back so many previous villains to join the LSV. So many other super-villain teams--such as the Secret Society of Super-Villains in JLA--had been similarly boosted that this move seemed trite. However, every villain featured in the story is put to good use, and the effect I noticed while re-reading this issue is to transform the LSV into an army with a goal and a plan to carry it out, something we've not seen before. After several false starts, Levitz and Giffen seem back on track in taking us to new places.

And then I remembered Veilmist. In her few appearances, she saved the Leigon's butt a few times, reinforcing the tactical point.

I can't recall being terribly impressed with who the mystery villain turned out to be. First there was the matter of who was absent from the group shot on page 13 and elsewhere in the story--only one of the classic LSV members remains unaccounted for. The line about him being a former Legionnaire was a dead giveaway. Only the strangely miscolored glove is inconsistent. With so much going on in the story to keep readers guessing, it makes me wonder why Levitz and Giffen bothered to hide the villain's identify in the first place.



Given the history of other royal weddings, I predict Val would have had multiple affairs, been arrested for treason, fomented a rebellion, and finally been executed. Nemesis Kid just sped up the process.



It's one of the ugliest covers I've ever seen. The rubbery faces of Mekt and Roy look amateurish.



Good point. I'm really enjoying this double shot of Legion titles, just as I did in the reboot. It gives a sense of their world being fully developed and complex. I envy Levitz's skill in creating unique personalities for each Legionnaire and relationships among Legionnaires--something he also does with the LSV.



True. I wasn't much impressed with most of these villains the first time, either. However, they are used to good effect here. It does much good to mix and match different characters: Titania and Lazon with Magno Lad; Sun Emperor and Radiation Roy with Tyr and Zymyr. The villains play well off each other and are unpredictable.



Drake really hasn't grown since his encounter with Dawny on her grand tour, which is sad. I read it that Drake can exert all his energies in a single force, an ability that is denied him when his suit is destroyed from outside. Perhaps the gadgetry in his suit assists in how much force he uses in expelling his energies.



Well, Dawny was tracking the LSV members who made off with the powerspheres, so presumably Terrus would know where the villains intended to go or could be summoned by them. It's also possible that they intended for the Legionnaires to follow once they knew Dawnstar was involved. How much time Terrus needed to set traps is uncertain.



Despite the cover, I really enjoyed this mix of old and new Giffen. There are experiments, but the art was easy to follow and attractive.

Seeing this version unfold must have been quite a thrill if you had read the Adv version. They were fairly organised there too, as I recall. Tarik was building something big.




While having to be reactive was a bit unusual, I don’t think Nura/Thom and Val/Jeckie ignoring warning signs helped this. It could have bee written with the Legion on a heightened alert level earlier, without it disrupting the villains’ plans.



I’ve never really broken it down into wondering who the most likely Legionnaire death was at this stage. Ayla would have to be towards the top of that. Thom (rarely shown to his potential and a bit of a realist/whiner), Nura (term as Leader is over and I can’t imagine her as being hugely popular with writers), Jeckie and Val (involved from the start) would also be contenders as would Vi (too eager to prove herself on her return).





It was #208 that I had forgotten That was the one that showed off their modelling powers on the splash page wasn’t it?



I had picked up on the Last Supper reference, but hadn’t taken it further to see who went where. That’s interesting. I’ll need to look it up.



Neutrax was one of the Legion of Super-Nearly-Assassins. Terrus was supposed to be some sort of Scarecrow upgrade or something, according to a guess in an interview.



Sun Emperor can never be beaten often enough for me. Creep. The others going along with this (no chance that this treatment of the Orandans is isolated) makes them no better.



I’ll take a peek back to see who was likely to know what went on.



I can imagine him growing in confidence and frustration in his constant deputy support role. But it’s a bit different when you’re up there on your own making the decisions for others to support.



Zymyr, the Secret Legionnaire!




Oh, I missed that one. Thanks for the spot.



I’m enjoying the similarities to real world conflicts, where it’s often one side overextending itself that can lead to defeat following initial sweeping victories. Let’s see if this happens to the LSV.



It was very nicely done.

It was both thrilling and disconcerting. So many new villains pop up each time the LSV appears that it was hard to keep track of who was in the team and how big their lineup had grown. In reading this now, it works to the story's advantage because the reader (like the Legion) is always on the defense and guessing. It was quite different from the smaller line-ups and more explicit story telling I was used to.

When the LSV last appeared, the lineup consisted of just six: Lightning Lord, Sun Emperor, Spider Girl, Radiation Roy, Chameleon Chief, and the character who will turn out be the mystery villain. It was difficult to go from that conception of the team to the much larger and more ambitious version (something I think Dawnstar alludes to when she questions why they would steal fusion powerspheres). Levitz and Giffen play with our ideas of who these villains are and challenge those ideas at every turn.



True. I wish it had been written into the story that the Legionnaires ignored certain warning signs (I don't recall that it was). Heroes are human, and they can make careless and costly mistakes, but this may have been an oversight of the writer.



I was so used to predictions that "so-and-so will die" that I wasn't terribly concerned about this prophecy. In fact, by the time the death actually occurred, I had likely forgotten it.





It's the one with the Henry Kissinger-inspired Dr. Larx Kenrick.



Ah, I figured he or Terrus must have appeared before. That shows what an impression Neutrax left on me. Thanks for the correction.




Indeed.

The moral of the story: having and wanting are not the same thing.

#315

Late to the party again.
I enjoyed reading everyone's comments on this issue. The Ontiir story was a fun one for me. I liked the uncertainty, and the never-knowing the truth. I also enjoyed the interaction between Brainy and Kara. Sun boy could have been almost a third wheel but the three formed a trio with everyone playing their part as the Legion does at its best.

I have read this issue numerous times and never before made the connection between this comment and Sun Boy's trouble way back in Adventure! Thanks for pointing it out.


LOL. Wonder what other 12th level abilities he has?

I have to wonder about the teleportation gimmick. So this is supposed to be the capital planet of the Dark Circle, right? Actually we are only told (in issue 314) that they are in the Citadel of the Dark Circle. First, where would Supergirl etc think to look for Ontiir within Dark Circle space? I guess Brainy off-scene deduced the most likely location but it certainly seems like they are in the heart of the DC (oooh I never abbreviated it that way before! Does this mean the publisher of our favourite comics is secretly conspiring to conquer the universe? Is it really that far-fetched?). Just how many "people"/beings are on that planet? If it is only a limited number (hundreds? Thousands?) then wouldn't that look strange to Supergirl's vision powers as they approached the planet? If millions or billions fitting them on that space station no matter how large must have required perhaps some stolen Imskian technology? Lots of different ways to hand-wave this away but it still feels a bit weird.

However not as weird as teleporting and leaving their robes behind! I guess the leader had to since Supergirl was holding him by his robe at the time, but still interesting choice in emergency protocols. They must have a whole lot of stored robes or perhaps superfast replicators on the space station. bit breezy when they arrived - although they were in close orbit of their sun so maybe it was a good thing.

Annual #3 The Curse by Paul Levitz & Keith Giffen, art by Curt Swan & Romeo Tanghal, colors by Carl Gafford, letters by John Costanza



Imra prepares to give birth. Garth takes a break, offered a toast by Dr. Larsh. As he raises his glass, a pink light surrounds him and he appears to be immobilized. Dr. Larsh announces that he's really Dr. Lars Hanscomb and now Garth will help him to become Starfinger once again. However, Garth arises, zaps Larsh/Lanscomb and tells him that Brainy conditioned the Legionnaires to resist Lanscomb's hypnosis after their first encounter. He then races off to Imra.

On Avalon, a team of Legionnaires sent by Jan search for Mordru, suspecting he's behind the rise of the LSV; his power may have returned now that Darkseid is gone. The pit in which Mordru was buried is now open and smoking. Elsewhere, four sorcerers discuss that they brought Mordru out of the pit and will soon set him free.

Above Earth, Jan, Brainy and Dirk help the SPs deal with a meteor shower, fearing it might be a diversion by Mordru. Afterwards, Jan and Shvaughn share a tender moment while Dirk asks Gigi for an update.

On Medicus One, Gym'll accepts that Imra didn't want to have any tests to find out her baby's sex, or whether she was carrying twins but complains about her recent mission against Tyr. She replies that she's picking up the baby's thoughts and it's coming.

Near M-17W, Dawnstar races to track the raiders, followed by Lar and Wildfire. In the cruiser, Jo, Cham, Brin and Tasmia struggle to keep up with them. Suddenly, Tasmia is engulfed in snakes and green flame. Brin and Jo try unsuccessfully to pull her away as she sinks into the flame; Lar sees something is wrong and rushes back to the cruiser, crashing through the wall. Cham seals the hull. Even Lar can't hold onto Tasmia and she cries to let go, since he's ripping her apart. Cham receives word that Mordru is free and says that the attack on Tasmia did look like Mordru's magic but wonders why the wizard would want Tasmia.

At Legion HQ, Blok tells Jacques that the Legionnaires don't seem too concerned about Mordru. Jan enters and declares they can defeat Mordru again; Jacques wonders why Mordru wants Tasmia.

At the Legion Academy, Grev Mallor tells Chuck that he's returning to Talok VIII but suddenly disappears in a green flame. He reappears before the four magicians, alongside Tasmia; both are chained, gagged and suspended in green flame. The magicians declare that darkness will restore Mordru's power and cast a spell, using the Talokians' power to engulf Mordru in shadow.

On Avalon, Mysa holds a seance with Gim, Rokk and Tinya to find out where Mordru is. Gim ridicules her, but Mysa learns that Mordru is on The Sorcerers' Wolrd, but very weak.

Lar asks is Dawnstar can find Tasmia, but she replies that she can track either Tasmia or the raiders. Jo announces that Mysa reports Mordru to be on the Sorcerers' World; Lar, Dawnstar, Wildfire and Jo take off. Cham asks Brin what's the hurry to face Mordru again, but they follow in the cruiser.

The four sorcerers continue their spell to awaken Mordru. His eye awakens and a dark cloud spreads through the galaxy. Medicus One is shrouded in darkness as Imra gives birth with Gym'll's help.

The sorcerers await Mordru's full awakening but Lar, Jo and Wildfire burst through the wall and disrupt the spell. They try to subdue the Legionnaires with magic, but Mysa appears, casting a spell of reversal as other Legionnaires deal with the other sorcerers. Tasmia and Grev are free but weakened. One remaining sorcerer casts green flame at Lar, but he is helped by his team mates. The ceiling collapses.

The darkness ends everywhere. On Medicus One, Imra and Garth admire their new baby.

On the Sorcerers World, Mysa's teachers congratulate her and say they will hold Mordru beneath the ground and keep him helpless. Mysa wonders why such a powerful mage would fear being buried.

Epilogue One: Imra assures Garth that he need not worry about their baby being a single child but she thought she had detected two minds in her womb.

Epilogue Two: A darkened figure picks up a blanketed baby and tells him that the darkness hid him from his parents and his twin. The figure will change the baby, sending him back through time so he will meet his parents, full grown before he is born, and calls the baby Validus. The figure turns out to be Darkseid, who laughs that his curse has been fulfilled.

Comments:
This annual gives us a nice side-trip to the LSV adventure, uniting the paths of past storylines into a common destination. The destination - Mordru - turns out to be something of a wild goose chase although we're not sure until the end whether or not the wizard is behind the rise of the new LSV. The darkness that engulfs the galaxy, then fades, seems to be associated with Mordru's revival. Who would be expecting to see Darkseid again this soon?

Although there are a few references to the Baxter/LSV story, the action is sufficiently separate to stand on its those only reading Tales of the LSH.

The ending - tying up the GDS - is a zinger. I'd be surprised if anyone saw that one coming. There are hints near the end that something is up with Imra and Garth's baby, given Gym'll's comments about their refusal to have any tests done, but to tie that into Darkseid's plan would be a stretch. It is a bit of a stretch that 30th century medical care wouldn't mandate at least some procedures, and I was wondering how Imra couldn't know she was carrying twins until Gym'll made that comment (which I had forgotten). It felt like this was a bit of a dodge to make the ending work, but an acceptable one. I would have liked to know why she didn't want to know anything about the baby, however.

The Dr. Larsh/Hanscombe interlude didn't go anywhere; it was a two-page sub-story with a bit of suspense until Garth defeated Hanscombe and walked away.

When Tasmia is engulfed in flames, one thinks this might be another LSV trick, but the snakes and the time it takes for her to disappear suggest something different. If it's magic it must be Mordru, but we get the interesting addition of four evil sorcerers.

The Legionnaires seemed unsure of their ability to handle this new threat. Jan speaks of needing some luck to deal with Mordru. Cham and Brin aren't eager to meet him again, but do their duty. Blok perceives this as a lack of concern, but it may be the team suspecting they're overwhelmed with LSV and Mordru.

I liked the cat, a common choice for sorcerer stories, and the fact that Mysa called her a second-rate sorcerer. Not above a bit of professional sniping is our Mysa.

Walls crashed through in this issue: 2. This should be a category for rating Legion stories.

Curt Swan art, no fancy panel designs but it never gets old.

Oh heck, is it an annual... I'll need to dig it out... I remember not particularly caring for this one, so we'll see how it goes this time.

LoSH Annual 3

Levitz gives us the payoff to Lightning Lad’s interactions with Dr. Larsh. The good doctor turns out to be none other than Starfinger. He looks to hypnotise Garth, just as he did back in the Adventure days. But Garth is unaffected, and defeats Larsh. Apparently, Brainy has conditioned them to resist such an attack, following that first adventure.

Levitz gets points for setting up the plot, only to reveal it as something of a red herring as the main story in the annual. Garth destroys some equipment, but Starfinger looks capable of making an escape. It also means that the Legion can’t really be written as susceptible to some mental attacks from now on.

A team of Gim, Rokk, Mysa and Tinya investigate Avalon, to see if the foe behind the LSV is Mordru. Rokk gives Mysa a backrub! Mysa is also shown as having her feet on the ground, which probably just artistic license. Back in v3 #2, I wasn’t sure if the Legion knew anyone was behind the LSV. The last time I recall seeing Mordru was back when Darkseid stole all his power (291). Here, he’s supposed to have been buried again. Am I forgetting a story?

He’s been freed again too, by a cabal of sorcerers, one of whom is wearing a Dark Circle outfit. Well, sort of freed. They have to chisel him out of a rocky cocoon first. We get a fair bit of Mordru history in the dialogue here, and in a scene where Jan takes a team to stop a meteor shower. He thinks Mordru may use it as cover for an attack. That team swings past the JLA satellite of Medicus 1, to update us that Imra has refused to have any foreknowledge about her impending kids. Which seems fair enough, but it’s going to become quite a plot point.

Dawny must hate being near M-17W. If it’s not being blasted by Lazon, it’s being attacked by Terrus or having Clingfire overprotect. Dawny goes through the routine of having to prove her abilities to the team. Inside a Legion shuttle, Brin makes an uncharacteristic snark about the egos of Dawny, Wildfire and Mon El. Shady doesn’t retort, which also seems out of character recently. She then gets whisked away by magical tentacles. Mon El tries to save her, first by bursting through a ship hull (they have transuits on) and then by grabbing and having to let Shady go. I’m not sure why he couldn’t have flown into the portal after her, but perhaps it was too small by then.

The mystical link further establishes Mordru in everyone’s minds. Lar is very grim about the chances of anyone who’s hurt Shady. There’s lots of question over why Shadow Lass was pinched. Losing Legionnaires randomly will become more of a feature as Crisis kicks in. If Jacques and Blok were on Earth, couldn’t they have helped Jan, Garth and Imra when the Polymer shield was stolen? Perhaps they’ve just returned.

A while ago, the White Witch took some of Dawny’s tracking niche. It sort of happens here too. It’s Mysa who tracks Mordru to the Socrerer’s World. That’s also where Shady and (leaving form the Academy) Grev will be found. Dawny, Mon And Drake simply race to get there. As Dawny had been tracking the LSV, she gives Mon El the choice of which one is more important. He gets let off the hook by Mysa’s success. I don’t know why Dawny can’t return to the area to track the LSV again.
The sorcerers, and it’s nice to see that not all of Sorcerer’s World went against Mordru, look to return their lord through recreating a Great Darkness of their own. She take and amplify the powers of Shady and Grev, casting a shadow across many worlds. The Darkness envelops Medicus 1 as Imra gives birth. The Legionnaires rescue the Talokians and defeat the sorcerers through solid teamwork. Mon El isn’t resistant to magic, but resolutely fights through the pain to get to Shady. It’s moments like this that show him to be heroic. Dawny all but vanishes in the conflict.

Mordru never really awakes. But the story never returns to question who is behind the LSV. That seems to have been a convenient jumping off point for this story, and not much else.

On the Sorcerer’s World, Mordru is kept captive in a big jar. Mysa had felt Mordru’s powers had been greatly diminished. Like The Trapper and Computo in a recent issue, and Starfinger and Mordru here, Levitz is progressing the villains. Initially this will seem like they are being depowered for other foes to step in. But Mordru’s story would end up being better as a result. We have a longer Starfinger arc in the future and the Trapper would return. It’s good to read a title that doesn’t just pick the foes off the shelf and return to them unchanged again and again.

In the first epilogue, Imra tells Garth she thought that she had picked up two thought patterns. In the second, we see that there was a second child. It has been taken by Darkseid, during the wave of darkness. He transports the child back in time, changing it into Validus.

Validus as Garth and Imra’s child is one of those connections that works on a number of levels. But I’m not that taken with it here. Darkseid had left at the end of the GDS. He left the Legion a curse after Wildfire’s show of bravado. It doesn’t quite seem as ominous a curse, if he then has to pop back from Dimension K to push it into practice. Since it was indicated that the initial curse would have involved Mysa, it looks as though Levitz simply changed his view. There’s a line from Drake in the annual about Mysa possibly having what it takes to be a Legionnaire. It seemed out of place, considering how much she has already achieved. I think it was a nod to a plot that might have been. One where the curse did involve Mysa and the return of Mordru.

I can sometimes find Swan’s figures to be a little static. There was the odd moment of that here, but it’s more than offset by all the positives he brings to the layout and characters. Every now and again, there’s a little touch of Giffen and Gibbons too, and I think Swan is having a bit of fun there. Mon El probably stands out as looking particularly heroic under Swan’s pencils. But there are plenty of other good panels.

Characterwise, Dawny got to cycle through her subplots again and Tinya really just made up the numbers. But all in all, it was a story that pushed the lives of a few of its cast forward. It gave the Legion a big continuity treat in Validus and more on the Curse. It’s intertwined with the LSV story more than the GDS hints in the first annual, and interconnected with that earlier epic too.

I found Swan's art to be very stiff-looking in this annual.

Universo heard about this and started doing mential push-ups.



It's not clear who buried him again, since the last scene in #291 just showed him cowering in a pit. I may be forgetting a story too.



Clingfire. Good one!



True, the villains do evolve - more than the Legionnaires, in terms of power.



That's interesting, I just took it as more of Drake's snarkiness (especially if Mysa's tracking power is moving in on Dawny's territory). As a discarded plot, it makes more sense.



Chaim also mentions that Swan is very static. I don't disagree, but he has a unique quality with a high nostalgia quotient for me. And I agree that Mon-el looks very heroic here. Don't remember if it's Swan who came up with the design for these sorcerers (the cat, the star-head, the cloud guy and the one with flame over his head) or a previous artist.

Annual 3

If not for the mind-blowing Darkseid prophecy, this would be one of the most forgettable Legion stories ever. It's competent enough and builds nicely from the story lines in the main books, but nothing is really accomplished, no one grows or changes, and there's no real point to the story. It builds to the birth of Garth and Imra's child; however, even that birth is just a means to an end. Whereas Legion weddings have been treated as gala events (interrupted by villains, of course), the birth of young Ranzz is just meant to get us to the Main Point of It All: Darkseid's curse.

And what a curse it is. It's just a shame that everything leading up to it consists of 36 pages of filler. Well-executed filler, but filler nonetheless.

The notion that the Legion thinks Mordru is behind the LSV seems contrived. Why would they assume anyone was behind the LSV other than the LSV? Mordru has shown the ability to manipulate other Legion enemies in the past, but, the last time we saw him he was crawling in a crater after having his power drained by Darkseid. I don't think we've missed a story. There is no explanation of why he is entombed once again or why the Legion thinks he is a threat.

But the trek to Avalon does get us into the story very quickly.

Meanwhile, Garth has a run-in with Dr. Larsh. It had been so long since Larsh last appeared (back in 302 or so) that I thought Levitz had dropped the plotline. However, here he is--revealed to be Starfinger and looking to revisit his first encounter with the Legion by brainwashing Lightning Lad again. He's gone to an awful lot of trouble--plastic surgery, forging an new identity--just to get close to a Legionnaire he once forced to do his bidding. Exactly how he expects a brainwashed Lightning Lad to help him find immortality is unexplained, but never mind. The Legionnaires have learned a few tricks in resisting brainwashing; Lars is stuck in his old ways. I suppose something could be made of this, but nothing is. Garth doesn't even summon the Science Police before rushing away to be with his wife. That's how little of a threat he regards Hanscomb.

The rest of the story is well plotted and paced. It also builds off some good ideas, such as Tasmia and Grev being kidnapped by evil sorcerers so their darkness powers can be used to undo Darkseid's magic and restore Mordru. Mon-El's dilemma was also well done: his super-strength becomes a hindrance in saving Shadow Lass from the mystic portal. Mon is also faced with the difficult choice of going after his love or continuing the search for LSV members. Once Ultra Boy learns where Shady has been taken, Mon speeds off to save her with the rest of his Legion team in tow. The LSV is forgotten. So much for Mon learning or growing or having to deal with this decision.

(In all fairness, Mordru might have been perceived as the bigger threat, but there's no indication that this weighed into Mon's or anyone's minds.)

It's interesting how Levitz keeps the teams in recent stories together: We've got Mon, Shady, Brin, Cham, UB, Dawny, and Wildfire from the encounter with the powersphere thieves; Brainy and Dirk remain together from their mission to the Dark Circle; Nura, Thom, and Vi are still aboard the ship; and Jan is still coordinating things from earth. This arrangement helps keep characters and plotlines straight. Unfortunately, Blok and Jacques are reduced to hanging around headquarters and delivering exposition.

Once the Legionnaires arrive on the Sorcerer's World, it's a by-the-book battle with the evil sorcerers. Mordru never revives, which is just as well. However, the ending felt anticlimactic. The White Witch gets accolades from her teachers, and, in a tacked-on explanation, one of the teachers suggests that Mordru's fear of being buried alive is a terror of his own making. Pop psychology seems like a poor substitute for a point to the story.

Curt Swan's art is usually a delight, but here it does feel stiff and awkward in places, especially when the Legionnaires are flying on p. 35. The old-fashioned haircuts on Brin, Jan, and Jo seem out of place with their current depictions. On the other hand, the creepy scenes on the Sorcerers' World were well done, especially pp. 24-25.

Annual 3 does what it was supposed to do: deliver Garth and Imra's baby. But this is really their story with the other Legionnaires being given busy work.