Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Bits o' Legionnaire Business Post ZH Legion: Volume 5 - What Makes Us Special (August 26, 2023)

This was originally supposed to be only a miniseries exploring the legacies of the Postboot Legionnaires... but I had so much fun with it, and I introduced so many story elements, that I decided to make it an ongoing!

I just started a Recap Thread here to summarize everything that has gone on so far.

Volume 1: Loss
How does the galaxy cope without the Legionnaires?

Volume 2: Scattered Souls
Where have the 27 lost Legionnaires ended up, and how are they dealing with their castaway status?

Volume 3: Homecoming Pretty much what it says in the title But not all trips home are smooth....

Volume 4: Moving On Now that things have finally settled down, the Legionnaires try to move forward...

Volume 5: What Makes Us Special A look into, well, what makes the Legion so special!
****************************************************************

Volume 1: Loss

To my Legionnaires, the Postboot Legionnaires, wherever they may be.


Andromeda
Apparition
Brainiac 5
Chameleon
Chuck Taine
Cosmic Boy
Dreamer
Element Lad
Ferro
Gates
Gear
Inferno
Invisible Kid
Karate Kid
Kid Quantum I
Kid Quantum II
Kinetix
Leviathan
Live Wire
Magno
M'Onel
Monstress
Saturn Girl
Sensor
Shikari
Spark
Star Boy
Superboy
Thunder
Timber Wolf
Triad
Ultra Boy
Umbra
Violet
Wildfire
XS

*The New Legion of Super-Heroes

Babbage
Blizzard (Polar Boy)
Impulse (Kent Shakespeare)
Infectious Lass
Lume
Magnetic Kid
Nightwind
Particon
Spider-Girl
White Witch (Lady Mysa)



“For there will always be a need for heroes.”

RJ Brande remembered his words to then-Legion leader Invisible Kid at the end of the campaign against Mordru, and sighed.

The Legionnaires had been lost many times before; tossed back to the 20th Century, stranded in the Second Galaxy, scattered across the worlds of a galaxy without Stargates.

Yet, they’d always come back.

This time, though…

The Legion was last seen fighting the Fatal Five Hundred, the Fatal Fives of several realities banded together. They’d succeeded, of course. They’d saved the United Planets again.

And they’d disappeared alongside their adversaries.

Nobody really registered it at first. Most sentients rejoiced or said prayers to their deities in thanks for sending them saviors. A fair few cursed the Legionnaires for attracting the attention of such villains. But everyone just assumed the Legionnaires had survived unscathed as they usually had, and would continue on doing their jobs.

Those who did know had scrambled to do what they could to find the missing young heroes. But with all their 31st Century technology, they had failed.

And then, a few days later, the Crisis came. Gigantic hands, ethereal in nature, had appeared in the skies above Earth. And above Bgztl. Imsk. Aleph. Thanagar. Titan. Khundia. Elia. Even the Second Galaxy saw the hands. And no Legionnaires were there to answer the call.

The Legion cadets did what they could, but they were inexperienced and lacked team cohesion. Colu’s group mind tried to study the phenomenon, but science came up empty. Naltor’s seers were blindsided. The Titanians could only determine that there was no sentient they could reach behind the hands. Even the Daxamites and the galaxy’s sorcerers, led by the Lady Mysa, could do nothing.

And then the Legionnaires had reappeared, magically, as if in answer to the prayers of a myriad of hearts. A harried Kid Quantum had quickly explained that the Legionnaires had been lost in the timestream, then had suddenly been pulled back to their universe. Brainiac 5 had theorized that the same hands which were reshaping reality were also the hands which had brought them back, possibly as a side effect. Shikari had then led the Legionnaires off into the hands’ origin.

The hands had disappeared. And the Legion had disappeared along with them once more. Even though numerous allies had been with them in the thick of it, only the active Legionnaires had gone.

The vast uncertainty about what had happened had left everyone numb. Nobody was sure what to believe. There was no finality about it, like during the Great Rift Disaster. No bodies had remained, like when Apparition or Leviathan had died. No traces of energy, like when the Emerald Eye had banished them.

RJ knew the Galaxy would endure. New heroes, like Chuck Taine, Nightwind and Infectious Lass, would emerge. But no matter how much he knew that, nothing could heal the wounds of that day. Legends had been lost. Many of them had been lost several times before. And even though he’d held on to hope before… he felt, with a deep aching inside, that hope would be no help now.


********************************************
Notes:

1. The Postboot Legion first vanished into the timestream at the end of the Teen Titans/Legion Special, after defeating the Fatal Five. Present were all active Legionnaires, Andromeda (restored to her original form and costume) and Chuck Taine (there was a figure with a cap and jacket). Shikari was separated from her teammates, and emerged in an unfamiliar world. Unfortunately, this was not picked up on.

2. In Infinite Crisis 6, the Legionnaires are shown in one panel, back home on Earth-247. How they got back there was never explained. Shikari reappears as well, stating that she has finally found them. Apparently, at the end of Infinite Crisis, Earth-247 ceases to exist.

3. The Legionnaires next appear in Legion of 3 Worlds, trapped once more in Limbo. Chuck Taine is absent. We know that they were rescued from Limbo by the Retroboot Legion.

4. This story assumes that Earth-247 had somehow continued on after Infinite Crisis. The "how"? I'm working on explaining that in Volume 2

5. Magno had resigned from active Legion membership, and remains on Earth-247.

6. Thunder resigned from Legion membership, and apparently still remains in the 90th Century of her Earth.

7. Inferno had left the Legion (whether she actually was a member is debatable), and is apparently still in the 21st Century Earth that the Legion had been trapped on.

8. XS and Gates decided to stay with the Retroboot Legion on the new post-Flashpoint Earth. XS declined a post at the Legion Academy and was last seen making a mosaic somewhere. Gates joined an away team that was trapped in the 21st century in the Legion Lost 2nd series.

9. Kinetix was apparently killed in action during Legion of 3 Worlds. Her magic was absorbed first by Mordru, then by the Black Witch (Mysa).

10. Element Lad, Monstress, Leviathan and Kid Quantum I all died in the universe of Earth-247 long before the events of the Teen Titans/Legion Special.

11. The remaining Legionnaires (minus XS, Gates and Kinetix) survived Legion of 3 Worlds and decided to become the new "Wanderers"; they are hopping through dimensions to find other survivors of their universe. Their full roster is: Kid Quantum II (leader), Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, Live Wire (restored to his human form), Apparition, Triad, Chameleon, Invisible Kid, Brainiac 5, Spark, Violet, Andromeda, Star Boy, Ultra Boy, M'Onel, Umbra, Sensor, Ferro, Karate Kid, Wildfire, Shikari, Gear, Timber Wolf and Dreamer.

12. The current Legion of Super-heroes consists of Nightwind (leader), Infectious Lass, Polar Boy, Babbage, Magnetic Kid, the White Witch (Lady Mysa), Impulse (Kent Shakespeare), Lume, Particon, and Spider-Girl (who just joined). Chuck Taine works with them but is non-powered.

13. Other supporting cast members who work with the Legion include Dyrk Magz, Shvaughn Erin, Gigi Cusimano, Tenzil Kem, Lori Morning (minus her H-Dial), RJ Brande, Marla Latham, Proty, Dr. Ryk'rr, Dr. Gym'll and Winema Wazzo. The Uncanny Amazers and the Legion Cadets are also active.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

KINETIX


Azra Saugin settled in her seat and closed her eyes. Her fingers closed around the pendant she wore around her neck, caressing it as gently as she once had her daughter.

Zoe.

Life as a Legionnaire’s mother had not always been easy. A depowered Zoe had disappeared once before when the Daxamites were running amok, but she had reappeared with her powers restored, albeit with a tail!

She'd lost the tail when she and Azra had confronted her manipulator, the witch Mysa. Luckily, she'd kept her powers.

She had disappeared again when she’d been transformed into a Terrorform – she was still existent, but her physical form had been altered, and there was almost no trace of the old Zoe.

The Zoe that loved to laugh, to playfully mother her friends, to fire off an occasionally biting yet witty comment.

Her heart had broken that day, when she and her son Thanot had visited Legion World to see Zoe once more. Zoe’s best friend, Violet, had glowingly told her that Zoe had been responsible for gaining the Legionnaires entry to Earth in order to defeat Computo. Azra had rushed forward as Zoe had entered the room, embracing her only daughter. And Zoe had just stood there, unmoving. When the silence broke, Zoe only spoke. Or perhaps "thought" was a better word, as her daughter’s voice had appeared in her head.

“Mother, you look well.”

That’s all. No excited recounting of her role in the battle. No showing off her new costume designs.

Even the phrase hung dry in the air, as it were a simple declaration, devoid of emotion.

Azra cried that night. How could she really say Zoe was there, when only her striking auburn hair remained?

Brainiac 5, bless him, had given her hope, though. He’d theorized that Zoe would eventually expend all her Hypertaxis energy and return to normal. It would just take some time – she had absorbed a lot, much more than any other Terrorform had.

It would just take some time. Azra got rooms on Legion World to wait. And wait she would, even if it took years.

Brainiac 5 had been right. Over the months that followed, Zoe started sounding more and more like herself. Her old zest had returned; Violet reported she’d started to make quips in battle again.

One of the biggest signs the old Zoe was back was when she'd organized a shopping trip "for girls only"! She'd invited Azra along, and excitedly introduced her to each of her Legionnaire friends.

Finally, four months after Azra had come to Legion World, Zoe had come to her.

“Mom! I just realized how much I’d missed you!”
Mother, daughter and son had hugged like the world was ending right that moment.

They had packed right up and gone on a dig, just like old times.

As they were dusting off the treasures they'd unearthed, a task made easier by Zoe's vast powers, she had turned to her mother and said, “Mom, I’ve been thinking. As I've been using up the Hypertaxis energy, I've slowly realized again how much I missed being me. It's like I can feel again, like I'm slowly transforming back to human."

Zoe paused as her mother held her hand. No words needed to be spoken to convey Azra's message: "Me too."

"Now, I'm not in a hurry to use all this power up. I mean, I can do a lot of good with it, and I'm willing to wait a while longer."

"You always did love the feeling of helping people," Azra had said.

"Yes, but all the changes I've been through have made me think - I lost my powers once. Became almost catatonic another time. And now this. I've gone through so many changes because of all the powers around me. No mom,” Zoe held up a hand to stop Azra, who had been about to lecture her on being a hero. "I know, I know. Being a Legionnaire is dangerous, but I love doing good. It's just me, you know?"

"But I can't help thinking. None of us know if I'll lose my powers, get transformed, or... well, none of us knows what might happen. And I keep thinking I should do more. I should leave something lasting while I still can."

Azra had stroked her daughter’s hair (not easy to do when Zoe towered above her!) and told her how proud she was of her for thinking about that. Then they’d sat down and thrown ideas around. Azra had suggested Zoe think about a need to fulfill that lay within her own interests.

Zoe had finally settled on a scholarship foundation for budding fashion design students. One requirement was that grantees had to devote part of their time to working on functional designs. Zoe would raise the funds using her clout as a Legionnaire, while Azra and Thanot would set up the administration. Their first grantee, a brilliant young Alephian, had come up with several suits and accessories for archeologists. Azra was wearing one such creation now; the suit had pockets in all the right places for a variety of useful tools, and used fabric that could adjust to sudden changes in temperature.

The girl, named Mabuhay, had been a childhood friend of Zoe's. They hadn't seen each other much after Zoe had been old enough to accompany Azra on digs, but they'd always kept in touch. True to her nature, Zoe had contacted her friend immediately after they'd settled on the scholarship.

As a tribute to Zoe, she'd made her first collection entirely in shades of green.

They had always planned to do more after that. But then, Zoe and hear teammates had all been lost…

Blinking back the tears, Azra chastised herself. She could cry later. Now, she had to make sure she could fulfill whatever of her daughter’s dreams she still could.

She would not take no for an answer.

She wanted this so badly for Zoe. All Zoe had ever wanted was to help people and earn her place in the universe. And she had - all Azra would do was make sure everyone knew that.

*************
IB's notes:

Kinetix was transformed into a terrorform in Legion 6 during Ra's al Ghul's attempt to "evolve" humanity. The evolution energy, called Hypertaxis, reacted with her mystically-enhanced body to turn her into a unique type of terrorform. In her new form, her old personality seemed to be gone. We saw it resurface in Legion of 3 Worlds. I am assuming that her personality's resurgence was gradual, and probably came about as she slowly expended the hypertaxis energy that transformed her in the first place.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!


MONSTRESS

Insect Queen, Lonna Leing, crossed her arms and nodded with satisfaction. The grand opening of the Zoe and Candi Institute of Design was going extremely well.

She glided to her seat and settled back to listen to the ending words of Azra Saugin’s speech.

“… and with the support of everyone here today, we are pleased to say that together, we can continue honoring the memories of Zoe Saugin and Candi Pyponte-Le Parc III. These two young women gave their lives… but they also gave us hope, and a promise that while our lives may end, our legacies can live forever.” Azra smiled in her dark green business suit as the crowd erupted into applause.

A strong, graceful woman, Insect Queen thought. She had only met Kinetix a couple of times, but she could see where she’d gotten her forceful character.

Unlike with Monstress. Candi had been a sweet, caring young woman. She glanced quickly at Monstress’ father, seated towards the side with his hands on his walking stick, face wooden. Amidst the cheers of the audience, he just sat there, unmoving. Perhaps unfeeling, as well.

Lonna wondered how someone like Monstress could have someone like that as her father. It was always the same, every birthday, every anniversary, every time the Amazers were recognized. Monstress would receive a gift or a card, pause for just one moment, and make a comment about how her father was busy, but “he was so thoughtful to send me this wonderful pair of shoes! They match my costume so perfectly!”

Lonna knew that Candi had spent many birthdays crying herself to sleep.

As the crowd around her organized into smaller groups to tour the building, Lonna set off on a brisk pace towards Mr. Pyponte-Le Parc.

“Sir, I’m Lonna Leing, Insect Queen. I was a teammate of your daughter’s, back in the Uncanny Amazers.” He tilted his head to her, nodding, and accepting her hand with a strong handshake.

“I’ve heard about you. Thank you for helping with the preparations for the opening.”

Lonna was slightly surprised. She’d imagined he’d be more… dry. His grip was firm, his greeting fairly warm. “Candi was a good friend. I’m glad to have helped. This is definitely something she would have wanted.”

He closed his eyes and nodded. Emboldened, Lonna continued, “She loved your very much, sir. She was always showing off the gifts you sent her. I think she’d be happy to know that you built this in her memory.”

He nodded once more, and his eyes closed for a second. “Azra Saugin was very convincing. And her words rang true. She told me that no matter where our daughters were, or what they looked like, we still loved them.” He paused, leaning heavily on his stick. Lonna could tell it wasn’t because of weariness. It was a sense of loss that now weighed on him. Loss, and guilt.

“Ms. Leing… Thank you for telling me about Candi. I was always worried that my actions had caused her great sadness, but it was hard for me to face her since I always felt responsible for the changes she went through. But seeing you and all the others who came her today to honor her memory made me realize that she still lived a full and complete life even after her accident. And that is all that I wanted for her. I like to think that she knew that.”

Lonna honestly didn’t know if that were true, but she placed a hand on Candi’s fathers, and gave a light squeeze. “I think she did, sir. I think she did.”

Above them, the statue of Monstress that adorned the institute’s main hall gleamed in the light, as if it had just shed a tear.

*************
IB's notes:

Monstress gained her powers and appearance attending to a protestor at one of her dad's plants. Her dad had knocked the protestor aside and accidentally set off a gene bomb he had brought. After that, she said her dad no longer had time for her.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!



TIMBER WOLF

The full moon glowed over the urban jungle that was Rimbor. Panting, Hubble scampered along the crowded alleyways, making his way to the meeting place.

A few months back, it would have been nearly impossible to have run along this area. But the Wolf Pack had taken a new pride in their territory, and part of that pride involved maintaining the area. If Rimbor did have any sort of community, this was the closest thing to it.

Hubble finally made it to the meeting place, and handed a package to Crody. “You made it just in time, bro.” The older man patted him on the back with a smile. “No thanks to Rn’drr here.”

“Hey, nobody told me that silverale was for tonight! You shoulda warned me, bros!”

“Just the same, you’re forking over the cash for this, ayt? Now quiet down, bro. We’re about to start. Get everyone together.”

Rn’drr threw up his arms in a annoyance, then stomped off. “Mash! Race! Round everyone up, boss man says it’s time!”

Hubble noted that Rn’drr’s limp was almost gone. He glanced at Crody, and saw that the scar on his face had faded, too. In the moonlight, it was almost imperceptible. Hubble’s own scar was still pretty deep, but hidden in his hair. He was just thankful that their entire gang had survived the three bounty hunters that had come hunting for the Legionnaire Apparition when she was hiding out with them. The whole gang was still together, save one. They’d grown since then, too.

Hubble felt a small pang of sadness that was quickly suppressed by a swelling of pride. Sure, Brin Londo was gone, but he’d done good while he was alive. Rimbor gang-boy who’d escaped the hellhole of a planet and gone on to become a Legionnaire, flying into battle alongside teammates who’d come from much better pedigrees than he had. He could hold his own against the best of them, too.

Brin had returned a couple of times during his Legion career. “Bros,” he’d tell them, “being a Legionnaire… it ain’t just about bashing some guy’s head in when he’s making trouble. Nah, first you show him who’s the alpha male, then you fix what he’s done. I say we keep doing that here. Rimbor may be a hellhole, but it’s our hellhole, and I sure am sprocking sick of living in a filthy hellhole. Let’s do something about it.”

And so they had done something. Their little neighborhood was relatively clean by Rimbor standards. Legit businesses had sprung up; families from elsewhere had relocated here. The place was a community now, almost like the ones he saw on the holoseries.

Crody cleared his throat, and Hubble listened attentively while scanning the circle gathered around the bonfire. The glow lit up around two dozen faces, all listening raptly to their new leader.

“Bros, thank you all for showing up tonight. Not a one of you drunk on your asses, either.” Crody tapped the bottle of silverale in his hand. “Plenty of time for that later, right?” Cheers resounded through the circle. Crody held up a hand, and the pack quieted.

“But first, let’s remember our bro, Brin. We wouldn’t be living this well without him and his crazy ideas. When he told us he wanted to clean up the ‘bor, I told him he was smoking something. But hey, it’s working. We’re getting better every day. Even the Emerald Dragons want to know how we’re doing it.”

Hubble could feel his head nodding, and those around him did the same. For their hated rivals to do that was a major validation.

“We done good, boys. And we did it as a pack. A wolf pack. And wolf packs take care of their own. Remember that. All the people living on our turf – they’re our own now too. We got a lot of work ahead of us, if we want to keep making what we’ve built.”

“But for now, we celebrate. Hubble, pass the cups around.” Taking a bottle from the package, Crody held it up high. “Premium silverale from Ventura! You don’t get to drink this every day, boys!” Soon, all cups were filled and raised high in the air.

“Long live Brin Londo and the Wolf Pack! We done good, boys!"

"And to anyone gets in our way - take that, you squajes!”

In unison, they all drank. Then, as one, they threw their heads back and let out a howl in a celebration of brotherhood and purpose.

The moon glowed bright, a promise that things would keep getting better.

*************
IB's notes:

When we first met Timber Wolf, he was leading a gang on Rimbor. The issue (Legion Worlds 6) intimated that several were killed by the bounty hunters who were tracking Tinya down, but as it was not conclusive I made them all survive.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!


KARATE KID

Communique from Captain Shvaughn Erin to Legion World Science Police Detail

Subject: “Val Armorr” Training Program

Science Police High Command has approved the Val Armorr Unarmed Combat Training Program for integration into the Science Police Academy Curriculum.

The Program will begin use in seven earth-cycles.
All current Science Police Officers are also required to take classes. Competence will be assessed in six standard Earth months. Trainers and equipment will be provided at all Science Police District Offices. Please see file attachment for a list of offices and training schedules.

The Val Armorr Training Program was developed with the aid of Val Armorr, Karate Kid of the Legion of Superheroes. The Program’s keystones are:

• Use of non-lethal force to subdue an enemy
• Unarmed combat against common weapon types
• Combat tactics against common meta-powers
• Modules for disarming and disabling an enemy without causing permanent physical harm

Science Police Command would like to thank Lieutenant Gigi Cusimano and Officer Dyrk Magz for their crucial roles in developing this program.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

INVISIBLE KID


Condo Arlik stepped out into the rain, not caring as it poured on him. He felt that it matched the storm in his heart.

Before he met, and fell in love with, Lyle Norg, his thought life was good. But being with Lyle had really made him enjoy being alive – it was as if the colors were a bit brighter, the smells more vivid, the sounds more melodious.

Rainy days were the worst. They reminded him of their first meeting.

*****************************************************************

Lyle had just stopped a thief, and a Condo in the budding stages of his career had managed to talk him into giving an interview. He’d asked many times before, but never really had the chance to talk before now. His persistence had finally paid off. They were sipping coffee while Condo was taking notes feverishly. Lyle was leaning back, not quite relaxed, but still confident.

“What do your parents say about you being a Legionnaire? We know not all Legionnaire parents are open to the idea,” Condo had asked.

“I’ve been in dangerous situations for a while now, Condo. I don’t think my parents would mind.”

“Oh, you don’t think so? Don’t they have any worries at all about you going into danger? You’ve already lost three teammates – Kid Quantum, Leviathan, and Apparition.”

“I… My parents are fully supportive of all my work as a Legionnaire.”

The change in Lyle’s tone didn’t escape Condo. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” He reached out his hand in a gesture of conciliation, and got a lapful of hot coffee for his trouble.

“Oh nass!”

He grabbed tissues quickly, more concerned about his Omnicom than anything else. Lyle quickly stood up too. “Easy now, your Omnicom is fine. Worry about your legs, you wouldn’t want to get a burn down there.” Lyle reached over with a few tissues in his hand.

Condo blushed. Both at his spilled coffee and at having Lyle fuss over him. “I’m sorry, you must think I’m a class-A nasshead by now. It’s just, you’re the first big name I’ve interviewed in my whole career, and… It can be intimidating.”

Lyle paused for a second, and smiled. “If you had interviewed me a couple of years ago, I’m sure you would have had the upper hand. I wouldn’t call myself shy, but I’m just not that comfortable in the spotlight. I’m actually glad we didn’t do a live interview. They make me want to use my powers right away.”

Condo smiled back. Lyle Norg had probably the cutest smile that he’d ever seen before. Whoa, what was he thinking? He had work to do…

He quickly grabbed his Omnicom to cover up his confusion. “Er, thanks. I know you’re busy, and my pants make me look like I have poor bladder control, so I just have a few more questions…”

“Do you live nearby?”

Condo’s heart stopped at that question. “What?”

“I think you have a lot more questions to ask, and I actually want to ask you some things too. But I’m sure you can’t concentrate while wearing those. Now, we’re pretty far away from Legion HQ, so if your place is close, you can get changed and we can continue while we’re there.”

Condo could tell from the look on Lyle’s face that that wasn’t all he wanted to continue. He couldn’t believe this was actually happening. His mouth hung open, and then he forced himself to speak. “Yeah, yeah sure. I live just a block away.” Lyle made a small bow. “Lead the way then, Condo.”

As they walked along, Condo thought of all the things he wanted to say. Pushing his thoughts aside, though, he decided to finish the interview now in case they ended up turning their attention to other matters later.

“So, uh, the thief you stopped… Was he trying to steal anything important?”

“Just some jewelry. Right now, though, there’s something important I want to steal…”

“Oh my gods, what a flirt,” thought Condo. But he liked it. He liked it a lot. “Why steal it when you can just ask, Invisible Kid?”

The two walked off, big grins on their faces.

*****************************************************************

Condo flashed back to the present. He was now standing underneath the memorial statue of his lover. The golden visage was determined, so unlike the mischievous Lyle he knew in his most private moments.

Underneath the statue was a small goblet with a simple inscription: "To my one and only brother." It looked like one of those toy cups handed out as promotional items from a fast-food place. Condo thought it might have been placed there by the Foccarts - Lyle had told him about them and his lost "brother" Jacques, and Condo had met the Foccarts before. Mr. and Mrs. Foccart had treated Lyle like a son, and Condo like a son-in-law; he especially adored the younger Danielle, who looked up to both of them as big brothers.

He started suddenly. Did the goblet just move? As if someone were holding it invisibly?

Shaking his head, he buried his face in his hands. “Get it together, man. What would Lyle think of you letting yourself go to pieces like this?”

Calming himself, he crouched before his own humble offering: a mug from the coffee shop where he and Lyle had first talked, all those years ago. Inscribed on the bottom was a simple message: “To my inspiration. You were once, and you always will be.”

Condo closed his eyes for a second, picturing happier times as the rain fell on him. He hoped it would wash away his sadness… but never his memories of the all too short time they had together.

*************
IB's notes:

In Legionnaires 59, Lyle got a note saying "Lyle, Can't wait to see you - C". C's identity was never revealed, but of course fans suspected Condo (who first appeared around that time) right away. I have read that the writers did eventually plan on outing Lyle and Condo, but it just never happened.

The moving goblet is courtesy of Jacques Foccart, who also got invisibility powers in this reality. Jacques and Lyle were very close friends as boys. Jacques was forced to go underground as a UP deep cover agent because his powers take a terrible toll on his body. Lyle does not know for sure if Jacques is alive. (Legionnaires 66)

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

UMBRA


Jazinda lowered her head in greeting as she passed the offworlders walking along the streets of her village. They paid her little heed, though; they were too busy gawking at the sights around them. She smiled to herself. How strange it must be for them… after all, Talok VIII was unlike any other UP World.

It was only recently that Talok VIII had opened itself up once more. They had joined the UP with much excitement, even sending their planetary champion off-world to gain more recognition. Yet, the recent disasters with the Stargates, the Rift, and the odd happenings on Earth had convinced them to close off once more.

And then their champion had come back. And she had shown them the light.

In a passionate speech for the leaders of the 12 tribes and the shadow priests, Umbra had talked about how they had sent her out of Talok VIII to learn. She had faced her fears of losing her identity amongst the wide universe outside. She had grown and changed. And now Talok VIII must do the same, lest their hiding destroy them from within like what had happened when the Shadowforce had run amok.

Jazinda felt a little shame. Umbra had been right. They had hidden. That had not been true to their old proud nature as fierce warriors. Still, as warriors do, they had atoned for their mistake. Working with the Legion of Superheroes and the United Planets, Talok VIII had stepped comfortably into their current place in the UP. In exchange for valuable minerals, the UP traded them technology. Many Talokians now walked on far-off planets, and offworlders such as those she passed a while ago were becoming more common.

All thanks to one strong young woman.

Jazinda entered her home and looked around. Her daughter was not home yet.

Jazinda knelt at the statue of Umbra that adorned their mantle, saying a silent prayer that Larysma would bring home good news. Yes, she knew Umbra was no deity. She was flesh and blood, like all other Talokians. Yet her connection to the shadows, and her good works as a Legionnaire, made her worthy of respect. All of Talok felt that way.

Hopefully, the shadows would not die with her. Jazinda knew, from gossip, that UP Officials had been seen talking with the shadow priests. Jazinda trusted that the priests would handle the matter well. They must. Talok VIII needed to cooperate with the UP to prosper in these times, but it also needed to be able to protect itself. And with none of the Mallor bloodline remaining… They would have to find a way.

Jazinda was shaken out of her worry by the sound of her Omnicom ringing. She hastened to it, fumbling with the buttons. It was probably her daughter! Heart pounding, she finally pressed the right button.

“I made it mother! I made it! I’m going to study on Earth!”

Jazinda smiled as only a mother could. “I’m so proud of you, Larysma. When you come home tonight, we’ll have a feast.”

“Thanks mother! I can’t wait!”

Setting the Omnicom down, Jazinda smiled and knelt once more at the statue of Umbra. “Thank you. All this is because of you.”

*************
IB's notes:

When Talok VIII first joined the UP, Umbra was vehemently against it. She felt the UP would impose outside cultures on Talok and destroy their traditions. She was sent offworld to open her mind. (Legends of the Legion 3). When she returned, she found that the Talokians had "stolen" her darkfield to hide the entire planet. She reclaimed her darkfield and encouraged Talok VIII to embrace the UP once more (Legion 24).

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

INFERNO


The young man muttered to himself as he feverishly switched back and forth between the Omnicoms on his desk.

On his wall were photographs of each of the Legionnaires. All of them had a small tick mark crossed off, save one.

Was she even truly a Legionnaire? He could not find a single story, a single holo, that suggested she was. But he knew she must be.

As if to convince himself he was not crazy, he scanned through the timeline he had constructed. There it was: Inferno was last reported leaving McCauley Industries Headquarters the same day the Legionnaires were reported under the thrall of the Emerald Eye. The day before it was announced Shrinking Violet had been possessed, and half the Legion had departed on a “secret mission”.

Inferno had never been seen again.

Any and all news comments merely mentioned that she, along with Shvaughn Erin, had accompanied the team as allies. Yet, why had she not come back? Everyone else had, along with a resurrected Apparition and a new member, Ferro.

There were not even any official reports that showed her among the rolls. She wasn’t even included in listings of Honorary Legionnaires. She was just casually mentioned as an ally, and that was that.

What had happened to her? Had she been a real Legionnaire? Had she even joined the Legion at all?

He wanted to know. No, he was compelled to know.

He had attended almost every public Legion appearance on Earth since then, vainly trying to be heard over the din of the crowds, shouting for them to tell him about Inferno. He had even cornered Spark once, but all the Legionnaire would say was that Inferno had decided to be left behind. And then she gently brushed him off and flew away.

Now that the Legion was gone, it would be much more difficult to find answers. But he would know, somehow. He would know.

*************
IB's notes:

Inferno was trapped in the 20th century with the other Legionnaires. She chose not to return to the future. She has never officially been an active Legionnaire.

I'm loving this tribute to my favorite legion! I wish they would bring them back!

i think my favorite vinyet is the one for Invisible Kid. i know it was an aspect they hinted at but i loved that you brought it out more!
I also love the one about Inferno! I always hated that they just left her and so did dc!

i also like that you threw in Crisis in there to help give it a real legion feel.

i can't wait to see more... are you planning to do one for each legionnaire?

also.. if i may i think your building to a new legion serious with this one...whit some of the characters your bringing in... i could be wrong... please let me know if i am..

Wow, IB, this is awesome! You really have the makings of a writer, I think. These little vignettes somehow really manage to encapsulate what we loved about these characters. Excellent job!

This is good stuff, Inviso-Brainy!

I'm not hugely familiar with the characters, but you're really doing a great job of making me feel for them!

Thanks, Omni! I've actually been planning this for a while now, but your own fan-fic spurred me to actually write them.

Re Lyle, I was torn between using Condo or Jacques for his piece. I actually plan to go back and write in a segment where Condo notices something pointing to Jacques, like maybe a token inscribed with "To my brother". I always thought it would be cool if Lyle and Condo were indeed gay.

And Inferno, yeah that bothered me too!

I plan to do one for each Legionnaire eventually, even Thunder, Magno, Chuck and Kid Quantum I - Legionnaires who were "lost" way before the Crisis.

I'm not really planning on focusing on a new Legion, but they will appear throughout the "series". Mostly, though, as a way to show how important the "lost" Legionnaires really were to the galaxy.

Thanks, Doc! I'm glad you think I'm doing a good job with them. I hope I can do them all justice.

Set, that was probably the best compliment anyone could ever have given me. Thank you!

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

CHUCK TAINE

Tenzil Kem peeked into the office of his best pal, in his hands a tray carrying a platter of doughnuts and a tall pitcher of hot chocolate. If he knew one thing about his pal, it was that he was a stress-eater and would greatly appreciate the energy boost.

"Okay, Nightwind, you've made your point. You can't be full-fledged Legionnaires if we don't let you go on missions unsupervised. So I won't tag along on the next one. But..." Chuck made a show of stressing that word. "Any collateral damage comes out of the duty allowance of whomever caused it. Deal?"

"Deal, Mr. Taine. Thanks, we won't let you down."

"I know you won't. I also know you'll probably give me a few more gray hairs, but that seems to be in the job description of any Legionnaire," Chuck replied, not without humor.

"Don't worry, you don't look a day over 27." And with a small laugh, Nightwind winked out before Chuck could retort.

"Looks like insult humor is in the Legion job description too, huh?" Tenzil smiled at Chuck's annoyance. "Here, have a doughnut to take your mind of your aging."

"Har har. You just wait until I beat you at pool again."

Tenzil laughed. "No way I'm gonna play you for bets again - especially now that you've gotten much better at angles, thanks to the Bouncing Boy."

"Have to. With such a large ship, I have to aim just right, or I risk flattening the criminals we're after." Chuck sighed, his hand on the small of his back. "All that piloting does get tiring though. Still, the new kids will be ready soon. Nightwind, Infectious Lass, Polar Boy, Magnetic Kid, Impulse, Lume, Particon, Babbage and the White Witch make a good team. Nothing yet like the old team, though..."

The two friends shared a moment of silence. What hurt more was that the Legionnaires had been their friends. What probably hurt most was that two of them had been a little bit more.

Tenzil sighed. He did have a crush on Violet, but they hadn't shared much more than a few group dates. But Chuck... Chuck and Triad had had something going on. Anyone could see that.

He put a hand on Chuck's shoulder. "She would be proud of what you're doing now. Keeping the team alive, and all that. And besides..." Tenzil took a bite of the tray he was holding. Crunchy and sour, just like iron. "She always thought you looked much better while smiling." He held up the tray, now in the shape of a large smile. "See?"

Chuck couldn't help but laugh. "I don't get it. Even though your jokes are truly awful, I still can't stop laughing at them. Thanks, pal." His grin quickly faded, though.

"I was with them the first time, after the Fatal Five. And we came back. But I was saved from... from whatever it is that took them away again. I can't help thinking... I was left behind for a reason. And if they do come back again... I want things to be ready for them."

Tenzil nodded. "We all do, Chuck. We all do. And we have your back, don't worry."

Chuck took a sip from the hot chocolate. It was warm, just like Triad's smile used to be. He missed her... but deep down, he knew he'd see her again. The only question was... when?

*********************************************************************

IB's notes:

1) Chuck Taine first joined the Legion Staff as their architect, to repair damage to Legion headquarters. When the Legion was disbanded following Legion of the Damned/Widening Rifts, Chuck the Legion Subterfuge Team who continued to operate in secret as vigilanteism had been outlawed.

2) Tenzil Kem has been the Legion's chef from the very first day they occupied their headquarters.

Thank you so much! i really appreciate that as well and glad that it could help you!

nice. i think that is a great idea! to hear from these characters that we haven't seen since way before the Crisis. the thunder one could be really interesting....

you could continue Condo's with him searching for Jacques to get some closure... or something. i can't wait to see more!

That's a good idea - I'd planned for each Legionnaire to be revisited only once each, but I do have a closing segment in mind that will wrap everything up. I may have characters like Condo pop up in others' segments too, though, like what I did with Azra Saugin.

I can promise that Condo and Chuck, at least, will be seen again.

I can't wait to read more from you as well, Omni

aw....reading Monstress s story made me feel so sad...it is the saddest and poignant story ever...and I had to go back re-read it all over again, especially Monstress. I miss her!... thanks IB for writing such beautiful narrative on each Lost legionnaires.

Supes, thanks for the kind words! I'm really glad to know I'm doing these Legionnaires justice, given their long histories.

I just went back to flesh out Kinetix's story some more.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

KID QUANTUM II

Nightwind dove as a laser shot past where her head had been. Rolling forward on the ground, she let loose a gust of wind at her opponent, slamming him against a wall. Satisfied that he was out, she glanced around at her teammates.

Polar Boy had his on ice, literally. Lume was blinding his, though the man kept firing his weapon erratically. Infectious Lass was dodging blasts too; Nightwind guessed their opponents’ armor was delaying the effects of whatever pathogen Drura was using on them.

Quickly scanning the surroundings, she barked a few orders.

“Brek, crowd control. Use your powers to seal the combatants off! Lume, destroy your opponents’ weapon first! Drura, hang on!”

Berta quickly flew to Drura. She could probably take this one out too, but with Brek taking care of the crowd, she could afford to give Drura a chance to do the job. It would be good for her morale, and give Berta a chance to gauge Drura’s powers. She used her powers to push the masked man off balance. “Go for it!”

Drura quickly leaped forward and grabbed the man’s helmet. “Nice armor, tough guy. Too bad you still need holes for air.” Within seconds, the man had crouched on the ground in a fetal position.

Looking back up, Berta saw that Lume had used his light powers to disarm his opponent and had knocked him out.

That was four. There was a fifth, though.

Where was…

“Stand back, lady! If you so much as twitch, your teammate goes down!”

Berta froze. Brek stood with his hands in their air, facing the sides of the dome he had created to seal the area in. A final armored man had his blaster pointed point-blank at him.

She knew what to do, though. Keep him talking for a bit. He was breathing heavily already. It wouldn’t take long.

“Don’t move, guys. What do you want?”

“I want you all to stand down, and let me out of here.” He was panicking. Good.

“And where will you go?”

“I… I will…” he suddenly grabbed his head. “What… what’s…I can’t… breathe…”

Polar Boy quickly subdued him. “Thanks, Nightwind. I love how creative you’ve gotten with your wind powers.”

Berta smiled. “Another thing I learned from Kid Quantum. She was the one who taught me that my wind powers basically allow me to control the air. It was a simple matter to prevent any from reaching this guy’s head.”

She turned to survey the area. “Great work on our first solo run, team. Minimal damage to the area, no bystanders hurt, all loot recovered, and no injuries. I say we deserve floats when we get back.”

“Shall we address the reporters, though?” Lume asked. “There appear to be a large number gathered outside.”

Berta considered for a second. “Are you all up to it?” Seeing three Yeses, she smiled. “Let’s go then.”

***********************************************
Berta relaxed back in her room as she recorded a log of her day. This was another habit she picked up from Kid Quantum.

She sighed, thinking of all the Legionnaire had done for her. Even as a cadet, Jazmin had mentored her. Apparently, she had reminded the Kid of a younger her – headstrong, not afraid to question authority, somewhat rebellious, but with a big heart.

It had been Jazmin who’d impressed upon her the importance of watching out for her teammates. “Girl,” she’d said, “you have to remember one thing. The Legion is a team. You have to take care of your teammates to keep strong. That means, even in the heat of battle, you have to keep an eye out on them. Let me tell you, it can get hard while you’re dodging some nassheads energy blasts, but it’s part of the job. And it will pay off.”

And it had. When the Legion had reformed, Berta had been chosen to be the new team’s leader. She took that role with pride.

And sadness, of course. She’d always looked forward to working alongside Kid Quantum and the others. She never imagined she’d be replacing them instead.

She’d been asked that many times by reporters. She pretty much had a standard answer now – “As a cadet, I knew the Legionnaires. Each one was a hero and an inspiration. We can carry on in their stead, but we will never be able to replace them.”

Another common one was, which one had she admired most?

That was easy as well.

“Kid Quantum. It’s not just how powerful she is – and she is, believe me. Her quantum powers allow her to manipulate time and matter, and if you’ve ever faced her in a combat training session, you’ll know it’s as amazing as it sounds. More than that, though, she’s THE type of hero to emulate. She made Legion leader despite her relatively short tenure with the team. She had knowledge of biophysics. She was effective, and commanded the respect and trust of all her teammates. She took time out to help all us cadets with our training. She managed to maintain a healthy relationship with her family. And she saved the galaxy almost single-handedly, got lost doing so, and came back. Kid Quantum is my hero, because she taught me that hard work, heart, and a love for the job can make you a success no matter what disadvantages you start with.”

She paused as a message popped up. She was pleasantly surprised to find it was RJ Brande.

“Lass, Chuck told me about your success today. Congratulations on your first solo mission! By damn, you’ll be an excellent Legion leader.”

Berta smiled. She would be, at that.

She would make Kid Quantum proud, and honor her legacy. And the Legion’s.

*************
IB's notes:

Nightwind and Kid Quantum II never said a word to each other in the comics. I just thought that Nightwind's personality mirrored Kid Q's own, and a close mentorship between the two would make sense.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

APPARITION

Winema Wazzo steeled herself as she prepared to address the United Planets. As UP President, she had to be strong. Even if she felt like she were dying inside.

She smoothed her suit and the white flowing cape she wore. It was a time for ceremony, and she wanted to remind the galaxy that she was also the mother of a Legionnaire.

She didn’t know what made it more difficult this time. The fact that she’d lost Tinya so many times that she felt like she were on a rollercoaster ride; or the fact that she and Tinya had truly, finally started to reconcile just before she had…

She closed her eyes again. She had done wrong by Tinya, and she knew it. She had been harsh, controlling, overbearing. She had nearly cost Tinya her life by sending mercenaries after her; mercenaries whom she was wrong to trust.

Yet she was proud of all Tinya had accomplished. Grief had blinded her before, but she saw now that Tinya had been a hero. She had sacrificed to protect the United Planets. And despite how she had suffered, being betrayed by her father, dying and living as a wraith, dealing with the combined memories of two selves merged into one, she had become a strong woman.

She smiled as she remembered Tinya’s words to her when they had finally talked, after Winema had nearly been felled by an assassin’s bullet.

“Mother, I’m glad you are well. But we must talk now. We’ve both nearly lost each other so many times. Now, you are my mother, and I know you love me and want what’s best for me. But I will not allow you to keep micromanaging my life. I am old enough to make my own choices; you may disapprove and advise, but do not interfere. I love Jo, and he has proven himself over and over again. I trust him. If you were able to accept the Legion, then you can accept him and my son too.” Tinya had paused then; Winema could see she had been overcome with emotion, but she had kept it controlled. “Mother, please. I want you to keep being a part of my life, but under terms we both can agree to. I was wrong to avoid you before. But then again, you were also wrong in how you offered your help. Alright?”

Winema had just hugged her daughter. She was proud. Where she was harsh, Tinya was firm; where she was strict, Tinya was compassionate. Winema used to think those qualities were weak, but she could see how strong they could be. It was odd, how the mother learned from the daughter.

“Madame President?” A voice broke through Winema’s thoughts. “Ma’am, it is time.”

“Thank you,” Winema said, smiling. She would not have done that before. “I am ready.”

She stepped onto the stage, ready to address the galaxy.

“Sentients, today I stand before you today with little in the way of words. For what words can truly encapsulate the heroism of those we celebrate? Nothing, nothing we do can fully repay the Legion of Superheroes for what they have done for us. They have saved our homes, our families, and our lives many times over. They have given of themselves, at an age where most of us are still worrying about our next allowance.”

She paused, taking in the faces of the crowd. All she saw were nodding in agreement.

“The best way to honor them is to soldier on. To show that we are worthy of all the chances they have given us to better ourselves. Hopefully, that will be a philosophy we can all adopt.”
“Like I have,” Winema thought.

“Let this be a month of renewal and of hope. The United Planets member worlds have all agreed to use this month to celebrate not only the individual Legionnaires who have gone, and those who now take up their mantle.” She paused and waved her hand as a light flashed on the nine new Legionnaires who now strode out on stage. She smiled; she would love to have them as allies. Their leader Nightwind smiled back and bowed respectfully. Winema continued, “We also gather here to celebrate their example and their legacy. Let this month be… Legion month!”

Winema smiled to herself as the crowd cheered, and tears welled up in her eyes. She quickly turned to exit the stage; it would not do to be caught crying on camera. “Thank you, Tinya baby. Thank you.”

*************
IB's notes:

Winema was very overbearing when Tinya was growing up. Even after Tinya died (Legionnaires Annual 2) and returned as a wraith (LSH 82), their relationship didn't improve much. When a pregnant Tinya slipped away to visit Rimbor, Winema sent three bounty hunters after her. These bounty hunters nearly killed Tinya, Timber Wolf and his gang. They justified their actions by saying Winema had only specified that they retrieve Tinya's child.

Winema and Tinya would only really reconcile after Gail Simone's arc (Legion 35-38), when Winema was nearly killed by an assassin. She only survived because Ultra Boy convinced a villain to operate on her.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

GATES

Infectious Lass wiped her brow as she bent over her next patient. She had already identified the disease he was afflicted with, and was considering how to draw it out.

She could command the microorganisms to enter her system, but was there a more efficient way? Drura was quite exhausted, and she needed to conserve her strength to help as many as she could.

She remembered what she had learned from Dr. Gym’ll’s lectures. Outpost fever was fairly easy to avoid if one kept in good health, but malnourished sentients were at risk. And once it was contracted, it was difficult to get rid off.

Unless…

The bacteria causing it was also susceptible to the bacteria that caused Yorggian fever. And since the disease was only deadly to Durlans…

She quickly gave the woman a small dose of Yorggian fever, and waited.

A few minutes later, her gamble had paid off. Only trace amounts of the bacteria for both diseases remained, enough so that the woman’s immune system could handle the rest. She would recover within a day.

She stood up and wobbled, steadying herself on a chair.

“Still pushing yourself, Legionnaire? Bah! You heroic types!” Dr. Gym’ll’s voice was harsh, but Drura new he was just concerned.

“I can handle it, doctor. I’ve only seen 57 sentients today. I only need a few minutes for most of them.”

“And what good will it do them if you wind up falling over from exhaustion yourself? You may be immune to disease, but that doesn’t make you immune to everything!”

“You’re… right. I’ll take a break now. Please send for me if there’s anything urgent, though.” Drura knew enough not to argue. Having recently survived a gunshot wound – barely- had made the doctor even more hard-headed then before**. She decided to change the subject before he lectured her further. “Gates would be happy to see how well his idea is working out.”

“Not well enough! Why, look at how inefficient we are! If only the UP would get more volunteers from your homeworld…”

“Uh-oh,” Drura thought. She thought of an excuse to get away, when her rescue came in the form of her teammate, the White Witch. “Excuse me, doctor, I need Drura’s help. Now don’t worry, I’ll make sure she rests.” Before Dr. Gym’ll could do more than open his mouth in protest, Mysa had pulled Drura away.

As they exited the tent, Drura thanked Mysa. She smiled; the sorceress had come to offer her services to the Legion after the Crisis, and had been accepted quickly based on her past history. She was now one of the most powerful members of the team, and acted as a bit of an elder sister figure to them all.

Mysa smiled back. “Temperamental, isn’t he? But his heart is in the right place.” She paused, considering. “You know, Gates used to be like that. I only met him on a handful of occasions, but… It was quite refreshing.”

Drura remembered it too. “He was one of the most… colorful instructors we had, back on Legion World,” she said. “His economics and sociology classes were always interesting. He was irritable at times, but I like how he never made you feel stupid even when you didn’t know anything.”

“I agree. If he offended anyone by his words or deeds, it was always unintentional. And he would apologize. He always had a way with words... I also hear he pitched this medical corps idea to the UP quite convincingly.”

“I was there,” Drura said proudly. Along with Dr. Gym’ll, Brainiac 5, Kinetix, Chlorophyll Kid and Impulse, Gates had tapped her for her skills and her desire to help. He had addressed the UP Assembly and had moved them with a mix of facts and passion.

She recalled Brainiac 5 telling Gates to put his opinions to good use by backing them up with facts. The two had worked wonderfully well together.

It was quite inspiring, really. When the UP had approved his motion, she saw how naïve Gates truly was, in a way. He had stood dumbfounded for a second, and then exclaimed, “By the egg! I didn’t think it would actually work!”

Drura hadn't expected that at all. Gates had been so sure, so ardent while they were preparing. His favorite line had been, "Think of all the money we're wasting on defense when children go to bed sick and hungry all over the galaxy!"

It was a warm, satisfying moment. And it had also opened her eyes to the fact that the Legionnaires were just normal people. They were fallible, too. What made them great was that they soldiered on despite that.

It made her even more determined to do her best.

"You know, I had half-expected Gates to organize a mission himself, without talking to the UP. He always seemed to believe the system was corrupt." Mysa pondered.

"I believe his time with the team led him to see that not all politicians are greedy," Drura said. Another lesson - keep an open mind.

“Tell me more about it over some cold zenflower tea,” Mysa said. “It sounds like an inspiring moment.”

The two teammates walked on, energized by the aura of healing around their camp.

*************
IB's notes:

Gates was always grousing about how the UP spent more on defense than on nutrition, healthcare, etc. I thought it would be nice to have him take action instead of just complaining.

Dr. Gym’ll was shot by the terrorist Arrow in Legion 35-38. His fate wasn’t disclosed then.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

GEAR

Hannah Wells, the reporter formerly known as Trudi Trusoe, worked feverishly to worked tirelessly to finish her piece. She wanted to time the release just right to coincide with the kickoff of Legion Month.

Her desk littered with omnicoms and cups of coffee, she quickly ran her eyes over the list of Legionnaires on her wall.

She was determined that each one would get their share of the limelight. They deserved nothing less.

It was a challenge for some of them, though. The likes of Saturn Girl, Brainiac 5 or M’Onel were easy – they had a lot of fans, and a lot of people shared stories about them.

But what about the likes of Magno, who had only served a few months? Or Thunder, the mysterious Legionnaire who some whispered wasn’t from this era?

Hannah was currently worrying about the Legionnaire called Gear. Not only had he only been a Legionnaire a relatively short time, but he had spent much of that time on Legion World, building and maintaining the systems that kept the artificial planet alive. She felt there was more to it than that. As a journalist, it was her job to approach the subject from the right angle, much like how a jeweler should polish a stone just right to show it off to maximum effect.

She had a lead, though – Black Star. If she got this just right…

She took a sip of coffee and went back to work.


“This is Hannah Wells, welcoming you to the Legion Months Specials. Today we’ll talk about the hero called Gear.”

“Legion World is known far and wide as a miracle of engineering, a marriage of science and art. Sentients from around the United Planets have stepped onto it and been amazed at how much it mirrors their homeworlds. It’s been billed as a way to tour the UP on a budget.”

“All this is due to the genius of Gear. His birth name is IZOR, his home world, Linsner, home to a race of bio-mechanical beings. Linsner was a world whose people considered them tools; though they ate, slept and learned like other sentients, they always worked for others.”

“Gear thought the same when he began at Blackstar Juvenile Correctional Facility. Ostensibly a place where youth with posthuman abilities could be guided away from misusing them, Blackstar instead was a prison that raked in money from those who had opponents they wanted to disappear, forever.”

“All account say that this is when Gear saw the error of his ways. He began to feel guilt and shame, right and wrong. Together with his future teammate Sensor, Gear was able to free all the prisoners and end the threat of Blackstar forever.”

“RJ Brande was so impressed by Gear’s skills and sense of justice that he tapped the youth to help construct the busy Legion World.”

“But that is not his whole legacy. An astounding number of Legion cadets – one out of five – were previously imprisoned at Blackstar. Gear managed to contact the majority of the former inmates, and several responded to his call to boost the Legion reserves.”

“Besides effecting change hands-on, Gear was also able to passively cause it with his deeds. Linsner’s governing bodies recently voted to outlaw its citizens from accepting contracts to provide services for military installations, prisons and the like.”

“The Robotican homeworld also recently called for a resolution to honor Gear and his teammate Brainiac 5 as Robotican planetary heroes for their roles in the development of Robotica.”

“Even though his career was brief, Gear left a mark on the universe. He will be missed just as much as his comrades.”

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VIOLET

The being floated in their air, pondering. It needed to think carefully.

Its latest “alliance” was of little use to it. The Fatal Five were powerful, but they had no imagination. Power, money, excitement – that was all they craved.

The Emerald Eye wanted to be free. It did not seek destruction, power, riches or glory – in fact, it was not quite sure what it did want. To grow in power, yes, but not to wield power over others. It was much more interested in being able to better use its own power, to prevent it from being captured and used as a tool by those like Mordru.

The Eye hovered in the prison that the Legion had placed it in after their last encounter. They needn’t have worried: the Eye did not plan to leave. It could hone its skills just as well inside there. And it gave much time to think.
Violet had still been his favorite host. There was something… pure about her. She had only wanted to use its powers to grant her teammates desires. The only other “host” like that had been Kinetix; the difference was that Kinetix had given off a desperation for power, like she would not be whole without it. Violet had been stronger. At first, she had been desperate to be more confident, but she was able to struggle through it. The power helped her, but she was more able to let it go once it had gotten her to where she wanted to be.

Strong, confident. Secure in herself.

And yet, Violet was gone. The Eye could no longer sense her. It was a pity.

The Eye briefly considered each of the others it had encountered. None of them matched up to Violet. Perhaps Mysa did, but she was a trained mystic, and the Eye wanted none of that.

It even considered the other Legionnaires. The one known as Element Lad had blinded the Eye, but the Eye sensed an instability in him. Saturn Girl hid it well, but she was too insecure. Dreamer's precognition made her lack focus; Brainiac 5 was intelligent but unimaginative; and Invisible Kid was too easily rattled. M'Onel was powerful, but too restrained. Cosmic Boy was capable, but had such high standards for himself and others, which led to frustration.

No, Violet had much more self-control. Only her own insecurity, at least at first, had blinded her to her inner strength.

The Eye had been tempted so when they’d met again. Violet had grown, and not just because the Eye had granted her the ability to grow. She had been through a lot, and she had endured. And Violet never knew how appealing that strength was. It radiated from her; not boastful or loud, just a quiet feeling that enriched those around her. And it was all because she had endured.

Just as the Eye would have to. At least until it found a host as worthy as Violet had been.

*************
IB's notes:

Everybody probably recalls, but Violet was once possessed by the Emerald Eye. The Eye would later go on to serve the Empress.

oo the Emerald Eye! love it!!! i like your reasoning for why the Eye was into Vi.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

DREAMER

In the haze of a dream, reality and fantasy blend and mix together. One cannot simply trust one’s senses, or even one’s sense of what is real. Common sense isn’t a useful tool here, for the unwary dreamer does not even realize whether he or she is asleep.

Myra walked the corridors of her dreamscape, treading slowly. Many outsiders thought that dreaming was easy; that a dreamer simply reclined and waited for visions to come.

No, they had to be searched out.

She came to a series of closed doors, each one leading to a possible dream. Sometimes, one could open a half dozen and see nothing of use – there was always a vision, but one had to choose carefully to see if it were a true vision or simply a dream created by one’s subconscious.

She peeked through one, and saw flashes of… celebration? It looked like her native Naltor; she could see the pink and orange sunset gleaming over the reefs that their cities were built on. What were they celebrating, though? She glimpsed harder, but could not see.

She peeked through the next one, and saw… a staff? Coming at… her?

She barely had time to react. Waking, she dodged just in time.

“What?” she asked. She’d been kneeling in front of her desk, practicing how to enter a trance. She looked up to see her roommate Gilda with a smile on her face.

“You’re getting better, Myra. You dodged this one perfectly.”

Myra reached up to rub her arm instinctively. Her bruise there had healed, but she was not anxious to get any new ones. She said, “If I want to see combat, I have to be.” Standing up, she yawned. “But I still prefer searching for visions while totally asleep.”

“Well, both have their uses.” Gilda said. “Though it was said that Nura Nal could see far into the future even while awake.”

Myra shrugged. “She was extremely talented to begin with, and had the benefits of Khundian training. The rest of us… well, maybe in time we’ll get that good. For now, though, I don’t know of any cadet who can see more than two days ahead while awake.”

It wasn’t that big a problem, though. The more awake a dreamer was, the clearer her visions. On the other hand, they were also more imminent. As a dreamer went deeper and deeper into the trance, the visions became hazier and were likely to come true later on. Myra had been in a very shallow trance a while ago. She still wasn’t able to trigger a full waking vision, though.

“Come on,” Gilda said. “They’re going to unveil the Dreamscape Sanctum tomorrow, but we can take a sneak peek at it while they’re finishing the preparations. I can see – “ Gilda paused as she tranced out slightly; it lasted all but three seconds. “Many others are already there. The captain is organizing them for a quick tour.”

Three seconds only; but enough time for a dreamer to be gunned down in the line of fire.

Myra quickly grabbed her uniform. The Dreamscape Sanctum was a sister building that would be right beside the Titanet. It had been borne from the efforts of Legionnaires Dreamer and Saturn Girl; they had spent many months experimenting on using their abilities in concert. It had been extremely successful, and now Naltor and Titan were working together to create an early-warning and communications system that would serve the whole UP.

Myra and Gilda were among a small pool of Naltorians who were found to have dreaming potential. Nura Nal had been the first precognitive born in seven generations, and all cadets were younger than she had been. The dreaming talent was still rare, though.

As they exited their room, they ran into a pair of Titanians – Zeela and Portela. The girls smiled in greeting. “Heading to the Sanctum? It looks like it’ll be just as grand as the Titanet tower. You must be so proud to see it finished,” said Portela.

Myra smiled back. These two girls had become good friends during their time training here. Titanians and Naltorians had to learn to work together; the plan was to assign one Titanian to every Naltorian so their abilities could work in concert. It would be implemented in both the Science Police and the Titanet – Dreamscape when their class graduated. “Yes, and we’re especially proud that we’ll be able to finally join Titan in proudly serving the UP.”

“Hey now, enough of the mushiness,” Zeela joked. “There’ll be time for that after!” The four girls took off down the corridor. As they rounded it, Myra stopped. “Wait a moment!”

Gilda was about to ask why, but she stopped as she saw. She stood at attention as well. All four girls saluted in unison, facing the statues of Dreamer and Saturn Girl in the hall.

They would be proud to see what was happening now.

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IB's notes:

The Titanet is a telepathic network that allows for communication across planetary distances. In Legion 19, Dreamer approached the Titanet head to see if she could link her own precognition to it as an early warning system for the UP. This idea was never explored further in the comics.