Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Reading the Legion: Archives Volume 21

Late to the party...

RE: Baxter LSH #16, I knew this issue was in trouble when the main thing that stuck in my head was Dirk's combination of cheeseball grin and Dudley Do-Right jawline in the upper-left-hand panel of Page 3 -- he reminds me of Florence Welch in that Calvin Harris music video where she spends the first half of the video disguised as a man.

Lightle was obviously rushed, to my eyes at least -- and I'm a fan! I'm not a fan of guest inker Bob Smith, and he was obviously even more rushed. Thankfully, Lightle will do interior art one last time, and much better, in the soon-to-come issue #23, the Mon-El Goes Bonkers issue.

As for the story, I'm also a fan of Brainy, and of the newbies, but the whole issue has a disjointed malaise about it, which causes a disconnect with me. I will file it under "Missed Opportunities."

Will read the earlier reviews and comments later, and reply accordingly.

We can't understand how Brainy really thinks, but of course, neither can the writer in theory. The story has hooks we can latch on to and relate to, but your point about any change being "subtle and secretive" is illuminating. That's what reminds us that he's not quite like the rest of us.



Caught by his own net, so to speak. Someone suggested that Violet enjoyed a long-distance relationship with Duplicate Boy since she was uncertain about her sexuality. She resolved her situation, Brainy never did.



This is a powerful and logical interpretation of Brainiac 5 which also explains many of his other actions. It's coherent with how Levitz writes the character to the point that I wonder if he had this same view of Brainy in mind. As razsolo wrote, this is much better and deeper view of the character, flaws and all, than the cardboard obnoxious version.



There is some hint in a later issue that they spent the night together (not this issue's night but a later one), but it's entirely left up to the reader to interpret.



I really appreciate this comment since I was trying to shoehorn the Baptism concept into the Brainy story and couldn't make it fit.



Good point. Down with Jan! Just kidding. Maybe Nura told him it would all be okay.

Punch bowl is still full!

Awwww...

I'll second that emotion.



Normally, I'd agree, and a few of the faces do come out nicely, but overall I think Bob Smith botches most of them with his heavy-handed inks (see my previous comment about Dirk's poop-eating grin and steam-shovel jaw at the top of Page 3.)



Cub Nah -- NOOOOOOO!

Oh, sorry, I forgot this is the PREBOOT, not the POST-BOOT!



Hang on a minute. I think Preboot Jo is the Anti-Christ.

Damien Nah -- NOOOOOOOOO!

What Raz said!

And thanks, too, He Who, for sharing some of your own life experiences and how you feel they are reflected in this story. I think I'm going to re-read this issue, and possibly reconsider my judgment of it.

I'm already starting to like Brek for that reason, whereas before I was always sort of lukewarm to him. Having been the captain of his own team for so long, it's going to be hard for him to adjust to being a private. There are elements (hah!) of dissent already, with him lying to Jan and addressing the latter as "your leadership," which could be read in a sarcastic tone.



I don't think it's Quislet's strangeness that's annoying; it's his attitude. He comes across as cocky and demeaning toward the others: "Whatta deduction! Whatta girl! Quislet knew that already!" He's like a smartass teenager who thinks he's cleverer than he really is.



No, but sometimes a lot of fun.



I read this scene a little differently. Given that Gim married Yera when he thought she was Vi, it must be very difficult for him to realize that his feelings for Vi are now in the open. I can't help but wonder if he feels he's caught in some kind of triangle.



This is a good way of putting it, and it hits at the heart of why this is such a difficult situation for everyone. There is simply no precedent for what Yera did--impersonating a Legionnaire and marrying another Legionnaire during that impersonation. There are no social norms to dictate how to act.



I like the fact that Brainy has friends and colleagues outside the Legion who look out for him and help him commiserate. He's one of the few Legionnaires who has been shown to develop relationships outside the team.



Oops! Well, there is now a precedent for Legionniares getting off for accidentally causing deaths, so perhaps Quis felt safe.



I read that differently. I don't think he's made peace with it at all, though I suppose subsequent stories may show differently.



As I alluded in my own post, I think this was Brainy's choice. However, I do think it's significant that he has friends outside the Legion who try to help him.



Thanks, Cramey.



Interesting. I'll look forward to seeing that when we get there.

You know, "Chaseer" is a very interesting name. Writers often choose names for a reason, because they reveal something about the character. "Chaseer " can be broken down into "Chase er" or chase her, which is exactly what Brainy does not do but it would probably be the best thing for him if he did.



You're welcome, Annfie. The interesting thing about life experiences is they help one interpret fiction and vice versa.

LSH 16

I liked this issue at the time and like it now, but mainly I think for the Brainy storyline. His grief comes across to me as very genuine and understandable. I like the way it is expressed, along with the variation on survivor's guilt because he knew of her coming death but did nothing to stop it.

Coincidentally just a week or two back I was involved in a discussion on the Facebook group Silver Age Superman Comics about Superboy and Supergirl and someone suggested jokingly that Brainiac 5 might have invented the Time Bubble to meet her. I was able to point to this story (to their delight) showing that it was actually canon.

Regarding the question of why he is grieving now when he appears to have always known how her story ended: writers frequently struggle with the time-travel issue of how time passes for characters involved. In this case it would seem to be editorially mandated by the events of Crisis, but Levitz does make an attempt to give Brainy a reason to grieve now by his 1000 year anniversary. I know from friends that particular dates such as birthdays and Christmas can be very hard for those who have lost loved ones so it kind of works. The additional comment of not being able to go back without disturbing the timeline is also a type of explanation. I guess in my head I thought that enough history survived that Brainy had clues as to how old she would be or what her last adventures were, even possibly her last visit to the future, before her death, so he knew that there was no possibility of slipping in a visit in between without shaking time up.

The other possibility however is that originally in the 30th Century's history books she DIDN'T die then but the Crisis, in merging the existence of several earths, had rewritten history. Before Crisis there was no reason for Brainy to mourn. Now Kara's death is part of the new reality, and always has been, but its impact on his emotions is only real now. There are quite a few holes in this argument but it's an interesting thought experiment anyway. The upcoming big Crisis crossover issue touches on this point tangentially so maybe we will discuss it further then.

He Who, your analysis is masterful and made for good reading and thinking. I too prefer this Brainy to the later arrogant sod but I may be a bit biased since my first exposure was a reprint of the old Adventure story of the Eight Impossible Missions where he beat 3 supercomputers at 3D chess simultaneously yet declined any honours when he realised the machines were performing at sub-optimal capacity. Pete Ross thinks "What a swell guy", something I doubt was ever thought of the more recent renditions.

Dr Chaseer will reappear in issue #30 "Brainy's Lucky Day" and the suggestion is that he did get lucky. We will see when we get there.



Umm. I thought it was pretty well established that the Legion actually recruited Supergirl first, thanks to the flashback scene in Adventure #323 of Superboy's initiation ceremony which included Brainiac 5 as a member and he joined at the same time as Supergirl. Also it is explicitly stated in Secrets of the LSH #1 that they recruited her first. Of course that mini-series does have a few errors such as when Star Boy joined, but I thought most fans agreed on this. Am I wrong?



I haven't really heard about this before as a fact, that Levitz originally intended a different identity (Supergirl) for Sensor Girl. Certainly the letter pages make no mention of it, in fact they emphasise that SG being Supergirl was the obvious red herring. Is there a source you can point me to? I would be interested to read it.

Crisis inserting Supergirl's death into the Legion's timeline after they met her is an interesting idea...out of curiosity, wasn't there something said at some point about Brainy remembering the pre-Crisis timeline because of his 12th level intellect? I guess that could be a good in-story explanation as to why original recipe Brainy seems to be so bitter and misanthropic post-Crisis; if he's the only one who knows there was once a much brighter universe I can see that getting to someone after a while...

The thing you said about particular anniversaries setting people off is a good point too...since my mum died I have always hated and avoided christmas, but I don't really feel the same impact when it's her birthday or the anniversary of her death because I guess christmas is the only time it feels like the rest of the world is celebrating something I don't have; I can see the 1000th anniversary of Kara's death feeling like heaps more of a big deal than the decade or so leading up to that for similar reasons.

Thanks, stile86.

Brainy can be a fascinating and nuanced character if writers would take the time to develop these aspects of his personality instead of taking short cuts.

I liked your thoughts on Brainy, HWW. Very insightful. I think we get to have a closer look at the Crisis and it's impact in #18, so I'm saving comments for there. You're right to point out that Brainy isn't really over it. I was trying to say that Brainy managed to get through that first night, but it didn't come out as intended.

As for Supergirl's place in Legion tenure, I think it is the case that this issue reinforces what went before. The Amazing World of DC back in '74? had Supergirl join first.

But that might be related to Brainy being coloured in on a reprint of Superboy's first appearance. If he was congratulating Superboy, and Supergirl joined with him, then Supergirl had to be a member too.

In the original version Brainy wasn't there, and so the need to reconcile it with Supergirl's first appearance wasn't needed. There was also a lettercol answer that suggested that Superboy's first adventure made him an honorary member, and the second one with Brainy present was making him a full member. So that could mean that Superboy joined first (in an honorary capacity) then Brainy and Kara, with Superboy then getting an upgrade.

Or it's all Anti Lad's fault...

Pretty sure it's been confirmed in several places over the years, but the Steve Lightle interview linked in this thread is the first that came up in a search.

Thanks for that EDE. Interesting interview.

Oh, an even better source: Lightle giving more details on this very board.

LSH #17 A New Beginning by Paul Levitz, art by Greg LaRocque & Larry Mahlstadt, colors by Carl Gafford, letters by John Costanza



Leland McCauley obsesses over the mystery of R.J. Brande, but his staff can find no information on the man. McCauley believes his decline from sixth to eleventh richest person is directly the result of R.J.'s mysterious success. He contemplates killing Brande, but is reminded that his previous attempt resulted in formation of the Legion - and that Brande could be destroyed but for the Legion. McCauley vows to use the Legion to destroy Brande.

At Legion HQ, Nura has a dream that Brande is dead and it's the Legion's fault. Thom, Dirk and Ayla question her, but she flies off, telling Thom to meet her at the Hangar Level. Dirk figures she's gone off to speak with Jan. She has trouble finding him, but does find Blok and Brin, who tell her Jan is investigating the renegade SP officers. Deputy Leader Brainy has left orders to not be disturbed, so Nura grabs Brin and leaves.

At Brande's asteroid estate, Nura and her team try to explain the need for protection. He's annoyed, especially that the founders have left and a "think in a toy spaceship" has replaced them. Brande refuses protection despite their pleas. A security aide begins to escort them out, but attacks Dirk instead, siphoning his solar power to be used to kill Brande. After some effort, the Legionnaires take him down.

Brande's security system then attacks him. Quislet destroys four missiles and, on Nura's instruction, the controlling computer system. As the Legionnaires turn to the security aide - who is McCaluey's spy Charon - he reminds them that they don't kill people - but R.J. steps in and deals with Charon himself. They take what's left of Charon back to McCauley, navigating between all his security defences. When they reach McCauley and dump Charon at his feet, McCauley simply laughs.

While this is going on, Brainy is in his lab, studying Jacques' added powers. Sensor Girl enters and suggest he monitors Element 271 in Jacques' glands. Although baffled why she suggested this, he does find that this element showed that Jacques' adrenals control his new powers and that he teleports in response to danger. If Jacques can't control his new powers, Brainy suggests he lose them.

At SP Headquarters, a pych-techno briefs Jan, Cham, Tellus and Shvaughn on the mind-controlled officers. Their minds are unusually blank; they all served on Takron-Galtos. Cham suspects someone in the prison might be behind this.

Later, Brande communicates with the Legionnaires to tell them that he's bored and heading for a new life on a different world, with a new identity, to have some fun. Nura realizes that her dream of his "death" has come true.

Comments:

I enjoyed this issue, primarily for Brande's story and the outcome. Was the murder attempt a spiritual awakening for R.J., or was he thinking of chucking it all before this? It would be a sudden, implusive move to leave a financial empire like that. Sudden change is the nature of a spiritual awakening, but Brande may well have put plans in place, perhaps in the event of his death. He is strangely aloof regarding his son Reep, just asking the others to say goodbye on his behalf, but he never was Father of the Year.

Writing Brande out of the book (for now) closes the final chapter on the original Legion; I figure that the title "A New Beginning" refers to this as well as to Brande's new life - and there are more pages/story beginning with this issue, so it's a new beginning for readers too.

I like the villain McCauley. He's just this side of crazy. Devious, rich, resentful; ultimately, it's all a game to him. (Life's a game for R.J. as well, but a much more positive one.) He's a slippery villain for the Legion; they can tackle his minions, but he's beyond their reach. It was in Brande's court to press charges and Brande let it drop. Are the top 12 richest sentients in the future trying to knock each other off? That would be an Agatha Christie novel. I'd also like to know who the other rich guys are and what they do, but we'll have to make up our own list for that (and should it include criminals?).

Does Nura ever take a back seat? She organized this team and is clearly the leader throughout the mission. She did follow protocol, trying to find Jan, then Brainy - but acted on her own initiative. Was time of the essence or did she really prefer to handle things herself? Regardless, I find I like this highly capable Nura.

Things get comedic when Nura decides to paint her nails while R.J. beats up Charon. That scene doesn't make much sense, unless R.J. keeps nail polish around, but it's like something out of a Marx Brothers movie and a bit of an inside joke to readers who are well aware of Nura's preoccupation with her looks. I doubt R.J. couldn't have taken on Charon if the Legion hadn't softened him up first.

Of the new Legionnaires who encountered the mind-controlled SPs, only Tellus is at the Science Police briefing. He's important as the sole telepath and may also have been tagged for the Espionage Squad. Quislet tells Nura that he can't rewire the circuits in the security computer, which indicates he's capable of more than just blowing things up. The mysterious Sensor Girl suggests a path for Brainy to explore as he examines Jacques, which does hint at super-intelligence for the mystery woman. No sign of Pol or Brek in this issue. Panel time is better allocated to those who aren't familiar to readers.

Brainy, having submerged his emotional turmoil over Kara, turns to "fixing" Jacques. Not without considerable pain, which was also the case in Dawnstar's power augmentation. It seems less sadistic than uncaring; Jacques might as well be a lab rat. When Brainy says if Jacques can't control his powers, he'll have to lose them, I get a vision of even more tortuous lab equipment. Although Jacques' teleporting is provoked by fear, he doesn't teleport out of the lab - proving he's a braver lad than I would be.

On LSH Baxter 17:

Like Cramey, I enjoyed this issue. The plentitude of nice character bits (such as the nail polish scene; kudos on the Marx Brothers comparison, Cramey; it's also very much like the kind of stuff Peter Allen David would go on to do in his writing for both DC and Marvel,) along with some LaRocque/Mahlstedt art which has a lot more strong moments than I had remembered since my last re-read, more than compensates for Levitz's lazy, hazy approach to the plot and script (I would like to give him the benefit of the doubt that, with Crisis nearing its crescendo, and with the upcoming flagship books relaunches at the starting gate, he had more DC exec business than usual on the stove's front burners.)

At this point, my expectations for the next 20 or so issues are pretty modest -- I don't want to say I'm resigned to anything, so I'll say I'm accepting of the idea that most of these issues will most likely be marking time between brief bursts of greatness (i.e., the battle against the New Fatal Five in 25-26 and my beloved Universo Project storyline in 32-35.)

Of course, it helps that, as a LaRocque fan, I get so much enjoyment from these issues on the most superficial eye-candy level. I went into detail about why I love his art in my review of issue 15, so I'll just reiterate the key points: 1) I love seeing DCU stories drawn with a clear influence of the Late Bronze Age John Buscema/John Romita Senior Marvel House Style (and I'll add that Mahlstedt, at his best, makes LaRocque look more Buscema-esque than Mike DeCarlo will later,) and 2) LaRocque's refusal to overthink his work gave it a welcome infusion of adrenaline (which is why it might be argued that his 1988-1993 run on Flash, a book that's always been about fast motion and kinetic energy, had more of a pure LaRocque style to it.)

LoSH v3 17

This issue was supposed to be a jumping on point for readers. It was supported by a poster and in house ads.



It was planned well enough in advance that it got a mention in the Amazing Heroes Previews issue. That advanced planning locked in the issue. which is why the Crisis stories fall on either side of it.



The cover matches the poster/ads and covers a number of bases to promote the title. Gender (Lightning Lass); Ethnicity (Invisible Kid) Alien (Chameleon Boy); new members to interest familiar readers (Polar Boy) and reinforcing superheroes (Sun Boy). With the founders gone, it could have been Wildfire up front, as he’s another character used often for such things.

“It starts here, a new beginning” sounds like something a first issue would have. It’s not really referring to a new beginning for the Legion, but one for Legion backer R J Brande. The dinner he had with the founders, turns out not only to have been part of the set up for their decision to leave active duty. But also for him to begin to look for a new role for himself.

The previously seen Leland McCauley quizzes his underlings on the origins, and success of the man he views as responsible for his gradual slip down the Ups rich list. Levitz makes sure that this is not riches to rags tale of revenge. McCauley is still eleventh in that list. But he fears that information picked up by a former Protean pet could be being used by Brande. That gives a personal edge to the rivalry, over and above the need to see a rival fall.

The three agents of McCauley, including the tall, blue skinned Charon, determine that Brande seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Readers know about Brande’s Durlan heritage, but no one outside the Legion seems to be privy to that information. Brande’s link with the Proteans is also mentioned. We’ve seen Brande meet them before, and would again in v4. This ties into McCauley’s fears.

In trying to understand Brande’s edge Levitz links us into the theme of this being a jumping off point by getting in a rerun of the Legion’s origin, where they saved Brande from assassins. We also get a big group shot of the team. McCauley resolves to use the Legion to destroy their founder.

In Legion HQ, Nura reinforces MCauley’s threat by telling Thom, Dirk and Ayla that Brande will indeed die. A waking Nura is not only historically useful for starting plots, she also provides plenty of eye candy to attract some new readers into the book.

Nura’s powers have been shown to be misinterpretations, in the past. It’s something that Ayla and Dirk bring up. Nura’s partner, Thom, wonders if it’s a mistake. Precognition is a tricky enough power, without it being undermined by your colleagues and lover at the first available opportunity. It’s setting up the reader for the later reveal that Brande will “kill off” his old identity. But no other character goes through as much second guessing as Nura.

LaRocque does a good job in showing Nura’s seriousness at her prediction, giving it the weight it deserves.

Rather than just use comms to contact leader Element Lad, Levitz takes Nura on a tour of a corridor and then to the mission monitor room where she recruits Timberwolf to her mission. Presumably Blok stays behind to be on monitor duty. I get the feeling this scene was supposed to give us more than an establishing shot of the HQ. It would have been a chance to show more of the building. We do get to learn that Jan is off with Erin investigating the SP officers from last issue (an important subplot link) as well as Brainy’s orders not to be disturbed (again tying in with last issue). Form the monitor board we see that Jacques is with Brainy; Tinya is playing basketball with Jo and others while Tasmia and Lar spend some quality time together (can’t hep but wonder if this is linked with a future subplot of Lar’s); Sensor Girl is also seen in a meeting with someone (although I’m not sure how that ties in with future events).

Sensor Girl is seemingly in the HQ, as she’s soon seen in Brainy’s lab while he tries to get to the bottom of Jacques’ teleportation abilities. Jacques simply wants to control them, not least because of the death of a Khund assassin through their use. Again, it makes me wonder why Jacques is on active duty using powers that could prove fatal to others. Sensor Girl gives Brainy some inside information on an avenue to explore. It not only adds to her mystery to the reader but also triggers Brainy’s interest in that mystery. As we saw last issue he’s mourning the loss of Kara. The two plots would converge. Had DC had all its plans in place post crisis, we might not have been given the chance to see Brainy’s obsession. There could well have been an editorial dictate not to mention her again. Similar issues would later be a problem for the book. But here, it will become an important subplot which is to Levitz and Berger’s credit.

Brande has been unhappy over the retirement of the three founders, and it’s going to play a part in his decision to move on at the end of this story. In a nice touch, he’s impressed by Quislet who definitely puts some fun into the book. It’s something Brande appreciates, even as Nura tells him that Quislet has also proved himself as a Legionnaire (thankfully this takes place after last issue and not the one before, although Quislet also stopped Ontiir).

Brande’s dismissive of the attempt on his life. You can imagine him having the same attitude all those years before when he probably would have insisted on using public transport in the face of threats on his life.

Brande is attended by a robed assistant who would vanish form the story. We get a one panel view of a tall man bearing a drinks tray, before that view shift into showing him as a threat to the team. The blue skin marks him out as similar to McCauley’s agent, Charon but he has taken the place of one of Brande’s retainers.

Sun Boy is touchy at the thought of Charon placing a hand on him. It’s odd to see him even think of it as a threat from one of Brande’s staff. Levitz has a thing about touching shoulders as shown between Tinya and Dirk as late as v7.

LaRocque gets in a lovely vertical panel as Charon syphons off Dirk’s power while rendering him unconscious. The energy discharge reveals Charon’s outfit beneath that of a butler.

Earlier, Charon had said he could murder Brande if it wasn’t for the existence of the Legion. Yet, he’s managed to infiltrate Brande’s estate and had plenty of opportunity to fulfil his mission before the Legion arrived. Perhaps Nura’s prediction has blocked something he was on the verge of doing, showing just how useful even a mistaken prophecy is. It’s a nice thought, but that wouldn’t; expain why Charon was wearing a power syphon in the first place. It’s like he had a view of the script and anticipated Nura’s arrival with others he could steal powers from. It’s a bit of a clunking moment of me.

The power syphon (why doesn’t every villain have one) does fulfil McCauley’s plan to literally use the Legion to kill their financier.

Charon is still very confident. Having dispatched Dirk, he takes out Ayla who clunks against Quislet. Quislet seems destined to always be beaten in combat by being thumped in this way.

Brin, Nura and Thom prove to be far too much for the assassin to deal with. The rereads have made me used to it, but I remember earlier pleasant surprises of just how effective Nura and Thom are under Levitz.

He might be down, but Charon isn’t completely beaten. As Brande wonders if he’ll have to fire his whole security staff a barrage of missiles rain down on their position. This is another excellent LaRocque panel, showing off Ayla’s power while showing the missiles in both fore and background arcing down on Brande’s home. The damage there is mounting, which will surely be another factor in his decision.

Levitz usually cuts away to other scenes between moments. Here, we move to Jan and Tellus’ investigation of the SP officers right at the start of a fight scene. A more natural break could have occurred with Charon beaten, but before any interrogation.

The officers are blank slates, and Tellus has been unable to find anything more. On one hand, Jan does a good job in reassuring Tellus that no one thinks he could have done any more. On the other, he does reinforce the opinion that Tellus is Imra’s replacement on the team, rather than a member in his own right. It’s a problem that already overshadows Pol.

The officers all spent time on Takron Galtos. Detective Daggle states the obvious link, as Erin gets in some innuendo about helping the Legion (especially Jan) in all facets of the case. We had seen the Persuader meet a deranged new warden on Takron Galtos. I didn’t think that was developed. Or if it was, that it was linked onto another future plot (also including the Persuader). Could the warden have been involved in the conversion of the guards? I don’t know if we ever find out.

The diversity of the supporting cast continues, with Psych-Techno Officer Usutu. I don’t know if she’s seen again either, but it all helps.

Back on Brande’s the missiles rain down, blasted by Dirk, Thom and Ayla. Brin swats away any that make it through while Nura leads the team. Quislet shows his versatility in popping into missiles and then trying to control the computer that guides them. It’s Nura who tells him to just short the thing more quickly than the destruction caused by his usual departure form objects. That ends the barrage, leaving Chron to face some awkward questions.

These early issues are strong ones for Quislet, showing off a power that acts in a different capacity to traditional characters while adding distinct personality to the team.

Brande, not as familiar with Quislet’s power, suggests that the Legionnaire “pooped right into my computer.” It might be an issue promising a new beginning, but Quislet using his toilet powers would really be pushing the book into unexpected territory.

Charon switches from an ambitious assassin to a more comedic role. The would-be killer feels comfortable withholding information from a Legion that won’t torture or kill. But he’s nowhere near as sure with Brande and crumbles in the face of the man’s anger. This may be due to Charon’s experiences with McCauley, a man who presumably wouldn’t hesitate to see the death of someone if it furthered his requirements. If Brande is more successful than McCauley, perhaps Charon thinks he could be even more ruthless.

The Legion purposefully leave Brande to it, ignoring Charon’s cry for help. Nura’s focus on her nail colour being a good character moment as well as good leadership.

Oddly, Dreamy refers to Charon as James, even though it’s been established that he was impersonating someone called Sanders.

Back in the lab, Brainy’s experiments with Jacques don’t succeed. There’s a suggestion that if Jacques can’t utilise them correctly then perhaps he should lose them. He does say “new powers” so I had always thought it referred to the teleportation only. It would have been more dramatic if there was the chance Jacques could no longer be Invisible Kid at all. As it is, I’m reminded of Dawny’s increased powers. It was a plot that went on for quite a while without any lasting changes. The journey to Kol could perhaps have been a result of them, but the changes there unfortunately didn’t last either. My hypocrite alarm tells me that I’m trying to have it both ways. I do like the subversion of the habit of having ever more powerful characters. From the days of Superman through to Phoenix and beyond. It’s nice to have a balance to that, where things simply don’t work out as smoothly.

That lab scene happens in the gap between the Leigon finishing on Brande’s asteroid and their trip to McCauley’s mountaintop estate. They finish off a small army of robots in a professional way. Ayla is again a prominent and proactive member of the team. She’s not been Lightning Lass (again) for too long and Levitz could still be looking to show her as an effective Lightning Lad replacement. But having shuffled off Garth over such a long time, he really didn’t have to bother in that respect.

We had seen Quislet try to control a computer earlier, and he did fry its circuits. Here, it looks as though he can control one of the robots. He also used Ontiir’s chair function against him. So, there’s a bit of scope in in his powers that might not have been looked into too much.

Nura’s “I know this mansion is full of defences, but there’s no reason to get ourselves hurt, is there?” comment sums up a lot of good things about her as a capable leader and the Legion as a very capable team under her leadership, and Levitz’s tenure.

The Legion return Charon to his employer. McCauley wonders for a moment if they are also there to exact revenge. It’s what he would have presumably have done, which supports Charon’s fear of Brande earlier. Levitz shows McCauley as an aristocrat, lost to a world of intrigues and plots.

That persona is a mirror to Brande’s view of such practices and is yet another layer in his decision at the end of the story.

As Nura wonders how her dream could have gone so wrong, Brande informs them that he is abandoning his position, his identity and even his form. Back when he accompanied Cham to regain his powers, Brande said he was stuck in his current form. So perhaps, any future changes will be down to other means although it does suggest the use of his Durlan abilities. His founding Legionnaires gone, his home a battle zone and tired of seeing competitors like McCauley at every turn all contribute to Brane’s decision making it more grounded.

In the end, and in Silver Age tradition, Nura’s dreams were right after all. There is an element of wondering if those powers actually helped to fulfil the prophecy. Without the alert, they wouldn’t have gone to Brande’s home. Charon was waiting for something to use his power syphon on. Without that, he would have either had to abandon his plan to use the Legion or wait until another time. Graym’s christening would have been an opportunity, so something like that. In both those cases Brande may well have departed anyway. The other option would be to try and murder Brande without additional power, which could have gone badly for him.

We don’t get a double size issue, but we do get no ads and five pages of nice Legionnaire pics, with a line on powers.

From my first reading of this issue, I had been anticipating something more in the “It starts here…a new beginning!” I had no idea what that would be, but as a newsstand reader I wasn’t as aware of the impact of the new Baxter format. We’d had new members but Crisis was occurring. I have no idea if I thought there would be a link from that to more Legion changes, but there was an air of major change happening all around. Instead, the cover blurb refers to Brande, and that’s a little bit of a tease.

I had thought of this issue as a self-contained, jumping off point for new readers. A fairly disposable issue in the scheme of things. But there’s actually just the usual amount of subplots going on in the background: Jacques powers; Brainy’s beginning obsession; the Sensor Girl mystery etc.

The characterisation is spot on throughout as always too, to the extent I almost take it for granted. Nura assuming a leadership role; Ayla’s proactive stance; Tellus’ uncertainty; Jan’s more relaxed (and to my mind mixed) leadership ability and even Thom’s practical, unshowy background support are all examples of this. Blok’s continued misunderstanding is possibly the only exception, but even that has become something of a character trait in this tenure. His easy friendship with Brin, like Dirk and Thom playing D&D are also part of all this.

McCauley getting away with without repercussions while Brande moves away may seem like a little bit of a hollow victory. But McCauley’s personality is well done, and as noted Brande’s decision is not a sudden one. While it’s an accessible story, I hadn’t felt that any of the previous Baxter issues put up barriers. There are no earth shattering revelations, and the big change involves a retconned supporting character. I’d be interested to find out if the promotion had a impact in sales, not only for this issue, but in the period after it. Tough to tell, since there’s some Crisis logos on covers around this time too.

Larocque has some excellent panels in the issue and the story flows very smoothly throughout. Faces are still an issue, and I’m glad everyone has distinctive costumes and hair. The pen pics are also very nice, even with a few similar facial niggles.

Glad this polarizing character seems to be growing on you, Thoth. What fun! Go, go, go!



I'm still waiting for someone to write a LSH v4 fan fic that answers the question of whether April Dumaka makes her caca in the loo or in a litter box.



Good observation. The gravity in that hint of a nasty side to Brande makes the humor work even better!



Agreed 100%.



Again, agreed 100%.



While I am pleasantly surprised and thrilled that you have so many kind words for LaRocque's work on this issue, I have to wonder -- who are the artists whose faces you compare unfavorably to his? Off the top of my head, I thought of Perez, whom I know is a favorite of yours, but I'm curious as to who else.

LSH 17
A clever cover invites the reader in, with Sun Boy standing in for Uncle Sam and flanked by Polar Boy, Invisible Kid, Lightning Lass, and Chameleon Boy. This is a new Legion, a Legion that continues to break with the past and chart its own course. However, the story—like the break itself—takes too long to go anywhere and doesn’t amount to much.

The sole purpose of “New Beginnings” is apparently to write out R.J. Brande. It’s a worthy goal, consistent with the series’ other recent moves. Without its founding financier and three original members, the Legion has truly evolved into a new organization—one that honors its traditions but can face the future on its own terms. The manner of Brande’s departure is consistent with who he is and has been: a Durlan who lost his shapeshifting powers but created a vast financial empire based on creating suns. Brande is a giver while his rival, McCauley, is a taker. But Brande has also enjoyed the spoils of success and knows not much can touch him. Tired of the endless games that go with being a wealthy target, he simply takes off to start a new life, much as he did when he fled Durla 20-odd years ago. Illness drove him away from his previous life and family. Now it’s simply boredom.

However, the story that gets Brande to that point relies on contrivance, padding, and by-the-books action. McCauley and Charon pose no real threat. In fact, it makes the Legionnaires look weak when Brande himself forces Charon to divulge the identity of his employer. Its not that Brande shouldn’t be able to handle himself; it’s that the Legionnaires don’t really do anything except run interference. While Brande reminds Charon that he’s not restricted by the Legion’s code against killing, the Legionnaires simply turn away and pretend to be interested in Nura’s nails. It’s a type of humor that, like much of the annual, doesn’t suit the Legion.

The Legion also appears ineffectual when they can’t touch McCauley. Why should it matter if Brande refuses to press charges? It must be against some kind of law to endanger the lives of Legionnaires and whatever human staff of Brande’s happened to be on his estate. The idea of McCauley being too rich to be touched (or, in modern parlance, too big to fail) has analogs in the real world, and he could indeed become a serious threat to the Legion. But here he’s just a grown-up pretty boy whose motivation consists of jealousy toward his business rival; with Brande gone, that motivation presumably vanishes.

The Legionnaires themselves are of secondary importance in this, their “new beginning.” Most go through the motions of smashing missiles and roughing up Charon but contribute little else. Nura, however, is put to good use as someone who takes charge of the situation and rounds up whomever she can find. I’m confused, though, as to why she needed to search the HQ for Element Lad. In the old days, Legionnaires could contact each other through their flight rings. Does this very useful technology no longer work?

Speaking of Element Lad, a couple of subplots are advanced slightly. Jan and company investigate the SP officers who were involved in the park bombing, and Brainy tries to help Jacques control his teleportation power. We also get another clue as to what Sensor Girl’s powers might be. All well and good, but I’m growing tired of the slow pace of most subplots.

Issue 17 demonstrates, I think, that having more pages for story isn’t necessarily a good thing. Too much time is spent on several scenes that could be condensed, such as McCauley’s meeting with Charon. The recap of the Legion’s origin could have been summarized into a few word balloons. (However, we do learn that McCauley was apparently behind the attempted assassination on Brande—a useless retcon.) Tension is lost when scenes drag out too long. “New Beginnings” feels like it is neither new nor a beginning. It comes across as too self-conscious an effort to draw in new readers—a story which takes no chances.

However, we do get a five-page “Fact File,” which is useful for keeping straight who is now on the team.

And here's how this issue rated in my Top 25 of September 17, 1985:

1. Crisis on Infinite Earths # 10 -- DC
2. Infinity, Inc. (Annual) # 1 -- DC
3. New Teen Titans # 15 -- DC
4. Star Trek # 21 -- DC
5. Vision & Scarlet Witch # 4 -- Marvel
6. Avengers # 262 -- Marvel
7. Captain America # 312 -- Marvel
8. Dreadstar & Company # 6 -- Marvel/Epic
9. Amazing Spider-Man # 271 -- Marvel
10. West Coast Avengers # 4 -- Marvel

11. Nightcrawler # 1 -- Marvel
12. Fantastic Four # 285 -- Marvel
13. Justice League of America # 246 -- DC
14. Blue Devil Summer Fun (Annual) # 1 -- DC
15. Squadron Supreme # 5 -- Marvel
16. Blue Devil # 18 -- DC
17. Marvel Tales # 182 -- Marvel
19. DC Challenge # 2 -- DC
20. Legion of Super-Heroes # 17 -- DC

21. Uncanny X-Men # 200 -- Marvel
22. Fury of Firestorm # 41 -- DC
23. Heroes for Hope # 1 -- Marvel
24. Nexus # 16 -- First
25. All-Star Squadron # 52 -- DC

So, this was another middling issue for me. However, Crisis tops the chart and it was a good month for Marvel, which takes up eight consecutive positions.

OMIGAWDS! That's the one where Captain America convinces the Sub-Mariner to join the Avengers! I *love* that issue, it always brings a tear to my eye, and I'm so happy to see it made your Top 10 that month!

Thanks for reminding me what 262 was about, Annfie. I don't remember much from the numbers alone.

Subby's joining was indeed a surprise since he was one of the few Marvel heroes who was really not a team player. However, it made sense given his circumstances at the time. I also very much enjoyed his alpha male rivalry with Hercules.

I like that McCauley is motivated by petty jealousy and acts as a man-child. Heavens knows there are enough people like that in real life! But I agree with you, that the Legion comes across as extremely ineffectual. I would rather that McCauley wriggled through on a technicality / passed the blame on to someone else, like Lex Luthor did (though it could make, say, Brainiac 5 look bad!). Or at least charges are pressed somehow. I mean, they had Charon's confession - and McCauley admitted it too! This was a very unsatisfying ending, as you said.

I suspect he probably had plans in place for some time. Reading between the lines (or at least doing some focused speculation), I suspect his meeting with the Protean several issues ago as well as the retirement of his three "pups" may have instigated or accelerated his plans.



True. This is a guy who abandoned his family when he thought he was dying and who worked closely with his son for several years but never bothered to tell his son who he was. It's consistent that he wouldn't say goodbye in person.

Come to think of it, we haven't seen Cham interact with Brande since # 301, as I recall. A lot of things may be happening off camera, but it could be that Reep didn't make the relationship a priority, either.



I wonder if Levitz was reading a lot of detective novels at this time. This might explain why some subplots and attempts at humor veer in this direction.



That would explain why she doesn't use her flight ring to contact Jan. If so, this is another example of the story trying too hard to attract new readers. "Look at all this wonderful tech and scenery we've got lying around! Never mind if it's useful to the plot."



Yes, a totally realistic portrayal of someone who has reached the pinnacle of success and probably has an unrealistic view of his own invincibility. JFK rode in an open-air limousine, where anybody could take a pot shot at him. FDR ignored his obvious health concerns while focusing on ending WWII. RJB grabs Charon by the neck and threatens him in close proximity. Lucky for him Charon didn't carry a concealed knife or blaster.

My v7.5 notes suggest litter box.





Good point.



Just think about the data those Omnicoms are harvesting.



While I was surprised at the number of subplots in the issue, my memory of it before the reread was that it was a basic, self-contained issue to introduce a few key concepts. One where the art made up for some of the story. Having said that, it’s a lot better than a 20 page recap of the origin would have been. Come to think of it, the founders visiting the original assassins has a similar purpose to it, minus any action. You could have condensed both into a single story.



McCauley as a constant post-Brande threat might have been an option. But it was Brande he felt as a rival, rather than his pawns. So, without RJ…



Good points about Brande’s goodbye. On Reep, he did end up taking on his dad’s mantle when it came to keeping Brande’s company going. Lots going on for him to reach that decision.