SLSH #23

(SPOILER ALERT: This post contains spoilers. Don't read it before you've read the comic.)

SUPERGIRL LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #23 (12/06)
(L 2006-12)
(Untitled)

ROLL CALL: Atom Girl, Brainiac 5, Cosmic Boy, Element Lad, Light Lass, Mon-El, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Supergirl, Triplicate Girl

The Legion takes Kara to Rokyn, the last surviving Kryptonian settlement, for treatment. Their visit is interrupted by the attack of another band of super-powered teens.

Meanwhile, Triplicate Girl and Element Lad run into a green dude who is on a secret mission.

Shadow Lass and Atom Girl enjoy a sojourn on Shady’s homeworld, Talok VIII.

In the last panel, an old friend appears in the Phantom Zone.


BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS:

Rokyn is the planet upon which the bottle city of Kandor was enlarged nearly a thousand years ago. Rokyn has been a part of LSH/DC continuity since at least “The Five Legion Orphans” in ADVENTURE 356 (May 1967), where a footnote explained: “Rokyn was settled in the 20th century by survivors of Krypton, when the bottle city of Kandor was enlarged.”

Kara’s response to awakening on Rokyn is an interesting window into how Earth appears to a super-Kryptonian: “I can feel gravity again, and all the walls look solid like they’re supposed to.”

Trip says, “The locals are giving us the Qward-eye.” Qward is a weird, other-dimensional planet in the antimatter universe in pre-Crisis continuity.

The green dude that Trip and Element Lad encounter has power over plants...indeed, she suggests that they call him “Plant Kid.” Can this be anyone other than Ral Benem, Chlorophyll Kid, formerly of the Substitute Legion? And if so, perhaps his mysterious “boss” is not a villain?

Doesn’t Cos look particularly cute in the panel where he says, “It’s for the best” ?

Shady’s brother, Grev Mallor, makes his first appearance in the new continuity. As before, he and Shady have a bit of a rivalry over who will be champion of Talok VIII.

When Atom Girl suggests that Shadow Lass run for Legion Leader, Shady ponders and says, “Bossing Brainiac 5 around? Hmm. Why not?” This is an interesting echo of “The Mutiny of the Super-Heroines” in ADVENTURE 368 (May 1968). In that story, Shady proposes that the girls put the boys to work as their servants. When asked who she’d want to serve her, Shady answers, “Brainiac 5. Yes, I’d put him to work scrubbing floors...if his oh-so-logical super-brain could handle the job.” (This was in the period when Shady had a crush of Brainiac 5.)

Among the super-powered teens who attack at the end are: Jeyra Entinn, telepathic assassin (this universe’s version of Saturn Queen?) and a boy with ice powers (the new Polar Boy?)

On the last page, in front of an obvious Phantom Zone projector, is the ghostly form of Lar Gand, aka Mon-El. Hooray!

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