Week of 2 July 2008

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

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #43 (8/08)
"Enemy Rising Part 4: The Leader Who Lost the Legion"
ROLL CALL: Atom Girl, Brainiac 5, Chameleon, Colossal Boy, Element Lad, Invisible Kid, Karate Kid, Light Lass, Lightning Lad, M'rissey, Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Star Boy, Timber Wolf, Triplicate Girl, Ultra Boy

By the end of this issue, the Legion's charter is revoked and warrants are issued for the arrest of all Legionnaires. Chased by the police, some Legionnaires hide in the sewers. And the question at the top of everyone's mind is: So where's Universo, already?

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: Four silhouettes in a glowing bubble appear to take Karate Kid and Triplicate Girl away on a mysterious mission. This might have something to do with Cosmic Boy and his new team from the future. However, it's Val and Luornu, the same Legionnaires who appeared (and died) in COUNTDOWN. So maybe all this has something to do with Infinite Crisis.

Phantom Girl has a collection of thousand-year-old comics. Or is she tending Cosmic Boy's collection? Either way, you'd think she would read next month's LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES to see how the story comes out. Maybe she's missing that issue?

I wish everybody would stop pickin' on Lyle.

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June 2008 Retrospective

The Legion debuted in a comic cover-dated April 1958 (ADVENTURE 247). However, comics cover-dated June usually appear in stores during April. Sometimes DC celebrates the Legion’s anniversary in comics cover-dated April, sometimes in comics cover-dated June.

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45 Years Ago:

ADVENTURE #309 (6/1963)
“The Legion of Super-Monsters”
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Brainiac 5, Bouncing Boy, Cosmic Boy, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Invisible Kid, Mon-El, Matter-Eater Lad, Sun Boy, Superboy, Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet, Triplicate Girl, Ultra Boy

ADVENTURE #309 (6/1963)
“The Fake Superboy from Krypton”
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Brainiac 5

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40 Years Ago:

ADVENTURE 369 (6/1968)
“Mordru the Merciless”
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Cosmic Boy, Mon-El, Mordru, Sun Boy, Superboy, Saturn Girl, Supergirl, Shadow Lass, Duo Damsel

SUPERBOY #147 (6/1968)
“Origin of the Legion”
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Brainiac 5, Cosmic Boy, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Element Lad, Invisible Kid, Lightning Lad, Light Lass, Mon-El, Phantom Girl, R.J. Brande, Sun Boy, Superboy, Saturn Girl, Supergirl, Shrinking Violet, Duo Damsel, Ultra Boy

This 80-page giant also reprinted the following stories:
“The Boy With Ultra-Powers” from SUPERBOY #98
“The Legion of Super-Traitors” from ADVENTURE #293
“Supergirl’s Three Super-Girl Friends” from ACTION #276
“The Secret of the Seventh Super-Hero” from ADVENTURE #290
“The Legion of Super-Villains” from SUPERMAN #147

SUPERBOY #148 (6/1968)
“Superboy’s Greatest Gamble”
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Polar Boy

JIMMY OLSEN #111 (6/1968)
“Elastic Lad’s Wrestling Match”
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Elastic Lad

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS:

It wasn’t until the Legion’s tenth anniversary that the group’s origin story was told, in the SUPERBOY 80-page giant. SUPERBOY #147 was obviously issued to coincide with the anniversary, although nothing was made of it at the time.

Although the Jimmy Olsen story was a reprint from JIMMY OLSEN 54, the story had four additional pages.

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35 Years Ago:

SUPERBOY #195 (6/1973)
“The One-Shot Hero”
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Bouncing Boy, Chemical King, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Mon-El, Phantom Girl, Princess Projectra, Shrinking Violet, Wildfire (as ERG-1)

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: This introduced Drake Burroughs (ERG-1/Wildfire), gave his origin, and featured his “death.”

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30 Years Ago:

SUPERBOY & THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #240 (6/1978)
“The Man Who Manacled the Legion”
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Cosmic Boy, Colossal Boy, Phantom Girl, Sun Boy, Superboy, Timber Wolf, Grimbor

KARATE KID #14 (6/1978)
“Diamondeth is Forever”
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Karate Kid

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25 Years Ago:

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES [1980] #300 (6/1983)
“The Future is Forever”
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Chemical King, Color Kid, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dawnstar, Dream Girl, Duo Damsel, Element Lad, Fire Lad, Invisible Kid II, Karate Kid, Light Lass, Lightning Lad, Matter-Eater Lad, Night Girl, Phantom Girl, Polar Boy, Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet (Yera), Star Boy, Stone Boy, Sun Boy, Superboy, Supergirl, Timber Wolf, Tyroc, Ultra Boy, Wildfire, Circadia Senius, Insect Queen, Pete Ross, R.J. Brande, Rond Vidar, Cosmic King, Emerald Empress, Fatal 5, Lightning Lord, Mano, Mordru, Persuader, Saturn Queen, Tharok, Validus, more

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS:

A grand celebration of the Legion’s 25th anniversary. As part of the framing story, the Legionnaires gather for an unspecified ceremony celebrating the Legion.

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20 Years Ago:

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES [1984] #47 (6/1988)
“Conspiracy Theory”
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Dawnstar, Dream Girl, Duo Damsel, Invisible Kid II, Lamprey, Lightning Lass, Magnetic Kid, Mon-El, Nightwind, Phantom Girl, Polar Boy, Quislet, Sensor Girl, Shadow Kid, Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet, Shvaughn Erin, Starfinger II, Sun Boy, Timber Wolf, Tellus, Ultra Boy, White Witch, Wildfire, Year

INVASION #1 (6/1988)
“Alien Alliance”
ROLL CALL (L.E.G.I.O.N.): Garryn Bek, Vril Dox

WANDERERS #1 (6/1988)
“From Graves of Nothing…”
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Bouncing Boy, Element Lad, Karate Kid, Mon-El, Sun Boy, Ultra Boy, Dartalon, Elvar, Re-Animage, Ornithax, Psyche, Quantum Queen

WHO’S WHO IN THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1 (6/1988)
Reference

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS:

On the Legion’s 30th anniversary, the group briefly became the stillpoint around which the whole DC Universe revolved. The big summer crossover series, INVASION, was firmly based in the Legion mythos. Set in the 20th Century, INVASION involved many of planets and alien races that first appeared in tales of the Legion: Coluans, Daxamites,
Dominators, Khunds, Talokians, etc. It also featured some ancestors of actual Legionnaires, Vril Dox among them. INVASION was also the launchpad for L.E.G.I.O.N.

At the same time, the Wanderers were spun off into their own title, and DC launched the 7-part WHO’S WHO IN THE LSH. It was a great time to be a Legion fan.

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15 Years Ago:

L.E.G.I.O.N.’93 #53 (6/1993)
“Shadows of the Past”
ROLL CALL: Lady Quark, Lydea Mallor, Lyrissa Mallor, Phase, Strata, Telepath

L.E.G.I.O.N.’93 #54 (6/1993)
“Passages”
ROLL CALL: Garryn Bek, Lady Quark, Lydea Mallor, Phase, Strata, Vril Dox

LEGIONNAIRES #3 (6/1993)
“The Beast Below”
ROLL CALL (SW6 Legion): Andromeda, Brainiac 5, Cosmic Boy, Dragonmage, Gossamer, Invisible Kid, Inferno, Leviathan, Live Wire, Shrinking Violet, Saturn Girl, Cera Kesh/Emerald Empress II, Mordecai, Persuader
ROLL CALL (5-Year-Gap Legion): Chameleon Boy

LEGION OF SUPER_HEROES [1989] #44 (6/1993)
“Projectra Returns”
ROLL CALL (5-Year-Gap Legion): Ayla (Lightning Lass), Blood Claw, Brainiac 5, Celeste Rockfish, Devlin O'Ryan, Drura (Infectious Lass), Firefist, Flederweb, Garth (Lightning Lad), Jacques (Invisible Kid II), Jo (Ultra Boy), Kent Shakespeare, Kono, Laurel Gand, Lydda (Night Girl), Martian Manhunter, Mordru, Nura (White Witch), Rokk (Cosmic Boy), Princess Projectra, Roxxas, Sussa (Spider Girl), Tenzil (Matter-Eater Lad), Veilmist

VALOR #8 (6/1993)
“Red Alert”
ROLL CALL: Valor

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10 Years Ago:

LEGIONNAIRES #61 (6/1998)
"If I Could Turn Back Time..."
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dream Girl, Duo Damsel, Element Lad, Invisible Kid, Light Lass, Lightning Lad, Matter-Eater Lad, Mon-El, Phantom Girl, Princess Projectra, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet, Star Boy, Sun Boy, Superboy, Supergirl, Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy, Wildfire
ROLL CALL (Earth-Zero Legion): Cosmic Boy (cameo), Ferro, Gates, Inferno (cameo), Kid Quantum, Kinetix, Lori Morning, Monstress, Rond Vidar, Saturn Girl (cameo), Spark (cameo), Triad (cameo), Ultra Boy (cameo), XS

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES [1989] #105
"Time Won't Let Me"
ROLL CALL: Multiple versions of just about every Legionnaire from every continuity

GREEN LANTERN [1990] #99
"Futureshock Part 2"
ROLL CALL (Earth-Zero Legion): Apparition, Brainiac 5, Cosmic Boy, Ferro, Invisible Kid, LeVIathan, Live Wire, Saturn Girl, Spark, Star Boy, Ultra Boy, XS


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5 Years Ago:

THE LEGION #19 (6/2003)
"Dreamcrime: Part One"
ROLL CALL (Earth-Zero Legion): Apparition, Brainiac 5.1, Chameleon Boy, Dr. Gym'll, Dreamer, Kid Quantum, LeVIathan, Saturn Girl, Sensor, Shikari, Star Boy

SUPERMAN & BATMAN: GENERATIONS III #4 (6/2003)
"Century 23: Return of the Warrior"
ROLL CALL: Brainiac 5, Saturn Girl


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Week of 25 June 2008

I didn't see any comics with Legion content this week.

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Week of 18 June 2008

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

DREAMWAR #3 (8/08)
"Mettle!"
ROLL CALL: Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Element Lad, Invisible Kid, Light Lass, Lightning Lad, Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Star Boy, Sun Boy, Timber Wolf, Triplicate Girl, Ultra Boy

Element Lad is killed, and Sun Boy's fate is unknown. Meanwhile, Triplicate Girl makes reference to "Chimera Lad," who seems to be in charge; at Chimera's order, DC heroes are killing people left and right, while suffering their own casualties.

Okay, it's issue 3 of a 6-issue series, and I still don't have a clue what's going on. Since this series was written by Keith Giffen, I am not at all surprsed.

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Week of 11 June 2008

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

BOOSTER GOLD #10 (8/08)
"Blue & Gold Chapter 5: Mindgames"
ROLL CALL: Brainiac 5 (Classic Legion)

This is complicated. Time travel stories are like that. Trust me.

Rip Hunter and two friends appear in Brainiac 5's lab in (apparently) the "new" LSH Headquarters (from ADVENTURE 367). In an attempt to repair the time stream by reinstating Booster Gold's origin, they knock Brainy out and steal a time bubble and flight ring.

Booster Gold, as usual, wears a Legion flight ring throughout the story.

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LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES IN THE 31ST CENTURY #15 (8/08)
"In a Flash"
ROLL CALL: Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Lightning Lad (cover only), Phantom Girl (cover only), Saturn Girl (cover only), Timber Wolf (cover only), Tharok, Triplicate Girl

Chuck and Luornu, on a date in virtual reality, call in Brainiac 5 to assist Bart Allen in defeating Tharok.

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MISSED THIS ONE WHEN IT CAME OUT:
ACTION #851 ((8/07)
"Last Son Part Four"
ROLL CALL: Dev-Em, Mon-El

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: In the Phantom Zone, Mon-El explains his background to Superman, who has clearly forgotten him, Then, when Superman does remember and tries to bluff Mon-El ("Oh, yeah, I promised you that I'd find a cure for your lead poisoning, but...uh...every time I've tried I've failed...yeah, tried and failed, that's the ticket...sorry, it's been a busy twenty years, but we'll have you out of here before the next millennium...or maybe soon after..."), Mon is really, really nice about it. He even risks his life to save Supes from Dev-Em.

This time around, Dev-Em was a Kryptonian criminal sentenced to the Phantom Zone for "cimes of murder and perversion." From the looks of it, he was guilty of severe fashion crimes, as well. As of yet, he has no connection to the Legion. (In original continuity, Dev-Em was a Kryptonian juvenile delinquent who escaped the destruction of the planet and later appeared in Smallville to make Superboy's life miserable. He later traveled to the 30th century, reformed, and became a spy for the UP. He's one of the few people to have turned down Legion membership.

Later on, Dev-Em was retconned several times, and eventually became a renegade Daxamite who fought with Superman and was responsible for blowing up the moon. Guess Ol-Vir was busy that day.

It's possible that Dev-Em has had the most drastic series of retcons in Legion history.

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Week of 4 June 2008

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

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #16 (7/08)
"One World Under Gog Part 1: He Came, and Salvation With Him"
ROLL CALL: Starman/Star Boy (Lightning Saga Legion) (cover only)

Starman/Star Boy appears on the cover of this issue (at least, most of him does), but not in the comic itself.

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LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES: 1,050 Years of the Future TPB
June 2008

Contains the following stories and features:

• Introduction by Paul Levitz (new)
  
• "The Legion of Super-Heroes" reprinted from ADVENTURE 247 (with cover)
  
• "The Stolen Super-Powers" reprinted from ADVENTURE 304
  
• "The Super-Sacrifice of the Legionnaires" reprinted from ADVENTURE 312 (with cover)
  
• Text page by Jim Shooter (new)
  
• "The Adult Legion" reprinted from ADVENTURE 354 (with thumbnail cover)
  
• "War of the Legions" reprinted from ADVENTURE 355 (with thumbnail cover)
  
• Cover picture from LIMITED COLLECTOR'S EDITION C-49
  
• "The Legion's Home Base" reprinted from LIMITED COLLECTOR'S EDITION C-49
  
• "Last Fight for a Legionnaire" reprinted from SUPERBOY 212 (with cover)
  
• Cover picture from ALL-NEW COLLECTOR'S EDITION C-55
  
• "The Origins & Powers of the Legionnaires" reprinted from ALL-NEW COLLECTOR'S EDITION C-55
  
• "The Future is Forever" reprinted from LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #300 (with cover)
  
• "The Legion Constitution" adapted from WHO'S WHO IN THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES 2-6
  
• Pinup reprinted from HISTORY FO THE DC UNIVERSE PORTFOLIO
  
• "Zero Hour and the Legion of Super-Heroes" by Mark Waid (new)
  
• "Time and Chance" reprinted from LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES 0 (with thumbnail cover)
  
• Cover picture from LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES 80
  
• Pinup reprinted from LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES SECRET FILES 1
  
• "Bedtime Story" reprinted from LEGENDS OF THE DC UNIVERSE 80-PAGE GIANT
  
• Cover picture from THE LEGION 3
  
• "Legion World" reprinted from THE LEGION 3
  
• "Third Time's the Charm?" text page (new)
  
• Cover of LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES 37

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: If this collection can be said to have a theme, I think that theme is "Death and Change." (Okay, two themes.)

Death: There's the death of Lightning Lad and Proty, the deaths of several Legionnaires in "The Adult Legion," more deaths than I care to count in "The Future is Forever," Garth's (believed) death in "Legion World," and the one that dominates both "The Adult Legion" and "The Future is Forever," the death of Ferro Lad.

Change: Lightning lad dies and is reborn, the Legionnaires grow up, Matter-Eater Lad leaves to go into politics, whole possible futures come and go, the Legion is rebooted, they get their own world....

Paul Levitz put his finger on it in his introduction: "...the ingredient that made the series unique among comics of the time: the possibility of real, and even tragic, change in the status quo. Characters could die, be reborn, even crippled, love, marry or separate...storytelling tools that wouldn't be used widely in American comics until two decades later."

After fifty years, we know that the one constant in the Legion is change. And that's why I have hope that the Legion will still be around (in one form or another) in another fifty years. The Legion changes with changing times, so it is always able to adapt.

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May 2008 Retrospective

45 Years Ago:

ADVENTURE #308 (5/1963)
"The Return of Lightning Lad"
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Bouncing Boy, Cosmic Boy, Chameleon Boy, Lightning Lad, Lightning Lass , Mon-El, Sun Boy, Superboy, Saturn Girl, Supergirl, Shrinking Violet, Triplicate Girl, Proty

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: Lightning Lass joined the LSH in this story.

The origins of Lightning Lad and Lightning Lass, as well as that of Proty, were told in this story.

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40 Years Ago:

ADVENTURE #368 (5/1968)
"Mutiny of the Super-Heroines"
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Brainiac 5, Dream Girl, Invisible Kid, Karate Kid, Lightning Lad, Light Lass, Phantom Girl, Princess Projectra, Superboy, Saturn Girl, Supergirl, Shadow Lass, Star Boy, Shrinking Violet, Duo Damsel, Ultra Boy

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: This was the second time the war between the sexes was featured in the Legion; the first time was "Revolt of the Girl Legionnaires" in ADVENTURE #326 (11/1964).

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35 Years Ago:

There were no LSH appearances cover-dated 5/1973.

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30 Years Ago:

SUPERBOY & THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #239 (5/1978)
"Murder Most Foul"
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Cosmic Boy, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Dawnstar, Mon-El, Phantom Girl, Sun Boy, Superboy, Shadow Lass, Star Boy, Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy, Wildfire, Marla

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: This story had everything: great art, a fine plot, a Legionnaire supposedly gone renegade (Ultra Boy), Chameleon Boy channeling Batman's detective abilities, and a good sense of LSH history.

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25 Years Ago:

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES [1980] #299 (5/1983)
"Not a Ghost of a Chance"
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Blok, Cosmic Boy, Dawnstar, Dev-Em, Dream Girl, Duplicate Boy, Element Lad, Evolvo Lad, Gas Girl, Invisible Kid, Invisible Kid II, Life Lass, Lightning Lad, Mon-El, Ontiir, Princess Projectra, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Shvaughn Erin, Star Boy, Sun Boy, Timber Wolf, White Witch, Wildfire

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: Lyle Norg returned in this issue...or did he?

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20 Years Ago:

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES [1984] #46 (5/1988)
"On the Fourth Hand"
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Atmos, Blok, Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Dawnstar, Duo Damsel, Element Lad, Magnetic Kid, Mon-El, Phantom Girl, Polar Boy, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet, Sun Boy, Tellus, Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy

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15 Years Ago:

L.E.G.I.O.N.'93 #52 (5/1993)
"Past Imperfect":
ROLL CALL: Garryn Bek, Lady Quark, Lobo, Lydea Mallor, Phase, Stealth, Strata, Vril Dox

LEGIONNAIRES #2 (5/1993)
"In Death's Grip"
ROLL CALL (SW6 Legion): Alchemist, Apparition, Brainiac 5, Computo, Dragonmage, Ferro, Gossamer, Inferno, Invisible Kid, Leviathan, Live Wire, Matter-Eater Lad, Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet, Triad, Ultra Boy
ROLL CALL (5-Tear-Gap Legion): Chameleon Boy, Shvaughn Erin
ROLL CALL (Applicants): Arm-Fall-Off Boy, Cera Kesh/Emerald Empress II, Plaid Lad, X-Bomb Betty

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES [1989] #43 (5/1993)
"The Witch is Back"
ROLL CALL (5-Year-Gap Legion): Brainiac 5, Rokk (Cosmic Boy), Devlin O'Ryan, Drura (Infectious Lass), Jacques (Invisible Kid II), Jo (Ultra Boy), Kono, Mordru, Mysa (White Witch), Sussa (Spider-Girl)

VALOR #7 (5/1993)
"Unimaginable Consequences"
ROLL CALL: Valor

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: "In Death's Grip" featured two of the silliest Legion applicants ever: Arm-Fall-Off Boy and Plaid Lad.

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10 Years Ago:

GREEN LANTERN [1990] #98 (5/1998)
"Future Shock Part 1"
ROLL CALL (Earth-Zero Legion): Apparition, Cosmic Boy, Ferro, Invisible Kid, LeVIathan, Live Wire, Saturn Girl, Spark, Star Boy, Triad, Ultra Boy, XS

LEGENDS OF THE LEGION #4 (5/1998)
"Casualty"
ROLL CALL (Earth-Zero Legion): Atmos, Chuck Taine, Insect Queen, Kid Quantum, Spark, Star Boy, Ultra Boy, Umbra

LEGIONNAIRES #60 (5/1998)
"Scandalous"
ROLL CALL (Earth-Zero Legion): Andromeda, Apparition, Brainiac 5, Chameleon, Evolvo, Ferro, Gates, Invisible Kid, Karate Kid, Kid Quantum, Kinetix, Live Wire, Lori Morning, M'Onel, Monstress, Proty, Saturn Girl, Sensor, Shvaughn Erin, Spark, Spider-Girl, Star Boy, Triad, Ultra Boy, Umbra

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES [1989] #104 (5/1998)
"Heroes' Return"
ROLL CALL (Earth-Zero Legion): Andromeda, Apparition, Brainiac 5.1, Chameleon Boy, Cosmic Boy, Element Lad, Evolvo, Gates, Kinetix, Live Wire, M'Onel, Spark, Ultra Boy, Umbra, XS
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Brainiac 5, Cosmic Boy, Light Lass, Lightning Lad

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5 Years Ago:

THE LEGION #18 (5/2003)
"Revival of the Fittest Part 2"
ROLL CALL (Earth-Zero Legion): Apparition, Atmos, Brainiac 5.1, Chameleon Boy, Chuck Taine, Cosmic Boy, Dr. Gym'll, Gates, Geart, Insect Queen, Invisible Kid, Kid Quantum, Kinetix, LeVIathan, M'Onel, Sensor, Shikari, Spark, Star Boy, Timber Wolf, Triad, Ultra Boy, Wildfire, XS

SUPERMAN & BATMAN: GENERATIONS III #3 (5/2003)
"Century 22: Out of the Ashes"
ROLL CALL: No LSH appearances in this issue, but the series had a Legion connection.


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Week of 28 May 2008

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

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #42 (7/08)
"Enemy Rising Part 3: Fear and Clothing"
ROLL CALL: Atom Girl, Brainiac 5, Chameleon, Colossal Boy, Invisible Kid, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Star Boy, Ultra Boy


BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: Although the Legion has visited Rimbor many times in the past, I believe this is the first time we learn the name of a city on that world ("Ta Rshish," possibly a version "Tarshish," a real-life city in the ancient world.

The alien enemies possess the ability to adapt a perfect defense to each Legionnaire's attacks. Collectively, if not individually, they are like a bunch of Nemesis Kids...but with the ability to adapt to multiple opponents. Looks like Triplicate Girl isn't going to be able to get the Legion out of this trouble.

There seems to be a "sleeping Beauty" thing going on with the Legion lately. In ACTION comics, a kiss awakened Sun Boy...now Saturn Girl's kiss brings Ultra Boy back to full consciousness...I guess another Lyle/Brainy kiss is out of the question, eh?

On that front...Lyle seems to have a crush on Giselle, and his father's reaction is interesting: "It's about time you showed some serious interest in a girl!" (emphasis not added). Hmmm.

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Week of 21 May 2008

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

DC/WILDSTORM DREAMWAR #2 (7/08)
"First Strike"
ROLL CALL: Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Chameleon Boy, Dream Girl, Element Lad, Invisible Kid, Light Lass, Lightning Lad, Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet, Star Boy, Timber Wolf, Triplicate Girl, Ultra Boy

Part Two of this six-parter is even more confusing than part one. I imagine that a familiarity with the Wildstorm universe would help a lot. Giffen is certainly making no effort to orient a new reader or explain what the hell is going on.

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: It's the Legion, okay...but which Legion? Lyle Norg is still alive, Ayla is Light Lass, Luornu is identified as "Triplicate Girl," and Shadow Lass is a member. Phantom Girl, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, and Element Lad are in their 1970s costumes, but Star Boy is wearing the black star-spangled number and has the beginnings of a beard. Triplicate Girl is in white, and god knows what Vi has on -- I suspect coloring errors in both cases. Among the missing are Jeckie, Val, Mon-El, and Chemical King.

If it weren't for the "Triplicate Girl" thing and a costume or two, this could be the Legion from around SUPERBOY 197-199...after Timber Wolf reappeared and before Chuck and Luornu got married. Val and Jeckie could be visiting Orando, and Chemical King and Mon-El might be...uh...on a mission in another dimension, yeah, that's the ticket.

Except... this Legion is based in the old "upside-down rocket" headquarters, which was severely damaged on the day Shadow Lass joined. Which would place this Legion between ADVENTURE 366 and 367 -- well before Timber Wolf joined.

How about another possibility...could this be the Giffbaum/Glorithverse Legion? Valor, Laurel Gand, and Impulse (Kent Shakespeare) are nowhere to be seen, but they could be away on a mission (with Val, Jeckie, and Chemical King, maybe?) In the Glorthiverse Legion, Garth was Lightning Boy, not Lightning Lad...at least in the little bit we saw of their history. We don't have many details of the order in which the Legionnaires joined, when Luornu lost her third self, nor when (or if) the original clubhouse was replaced.

A third possibility...Giffen is just following current DC thinking for Legion guest appearances: "Use whichever Legionnaires you want, in whatever costumes you want...pick and choose from Legion history and put together a team you like."

So there you have it. This is either the classic Legion from SUEPRBOY 197-199, the classic Legion from ADVENTURE 366-367, a previous incarnation of the Glorithverse Legion, or a completely new version.

And only us hardcore Legion geeks care which.

My head hurts....

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JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #15 (6/08)
"They Kingdom Come: The Good Fight"
ROLL CALL: Starman/Star Boy (Lightning Saga Legion)

In the continuing fight against Gog (who isn't really Gog), Thom lifts a mounted police officer (along with horse and passenger) out of harm's way, updates the Flash on the ferry schedule, and says "Okely-dokely." IMHO, they are not using this character to his full potential.

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Week of 14 May 2008

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

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES IN THE 31ST CENTURY #14 (7/08)
"See Me"
ROLL CALL: Brainiac 5, Element Lad, Phantom Girl, Superman, Timber Wolf, Triplicate Girl


BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: A slightly different take on the destruction of Trom. Here it was done by the evil corporation Roxxas Energy (a division of LexCorp); in classic Legion continuity, it was done by an evil guy named Roxxas.

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Week of 7 May 2008

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

ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #11 (2008)
"Last Son: Conclusion"
ROLL CALL: Mon-El

So Chris Kent is in the Phantom Zone, whereabouts unknown...but Mon-El will never stop looking for him. Well, at least it gives Lar something to do....

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Missed This One

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

Thanks to Ken Austin and Bruce Phillips for calling my attention to this one from a couple weeks ago.

DC/WILDSTORM DREAMWAR #1 (6/08)
"Chimera Rising"
ROLL CALL: Chameleon Boy, Invisible Kid (Classic Legion?)

The first issue of a six-issue crossover involving the Justice League, Teen Titans, and Legion. Very confusing, especially since I'm not at all familiar with the Wildstorm universe. I imagine all will become clear over the next five issues....

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: Chameleon Boy is in a version of his purple-and-yellow costume. Lyle Norg is Invisible Kid, wearing a jacket and a green headband. What appears to be the old Legion clubhouse (listing badly) is in 20th century Russia.

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Week of 30 April 2008

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

ACTION #864 (6/08)
"Batman and the Legion of Super-Heroes"
ROLL CALL (Lightning Saga Legion): Dawnstar (cover only), Karate Kid (deceased), Lightning Lad, Mon-El (cover only), Star Boy/Starman, Superman, Una (deceased), Wildfire (cover only)
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion, cameos): Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dream Girl, Ferro Lad, Karate Kid, Light Lass, Lightning Lad, Mon-El, Phantom Girl, Princess Projectra, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Star Boy, Sun Boy, Timber Wolf, Time Trapper, Triplicate Girl, Ultra Boy, Wildfire
ROLL CALL (Earth-Zero Legion, cameos): Brainiac 5, Cosmic Boy, Ferro, Gates, Saturn Girl
FOLL CALL (Teenage Revolution Legion, cameo): Brainiac 5

Well, this is it: the missing link that explains the mystery of the Three Legions. Should have known the Time Trapper was behind all this....

There are still some questions about the relationship between the Lightning Saga Legion and the Classic Legion.

First: Is the Lightning Saga Legion the same as the Classic Legion from ADVENTURE and SUPERBOY & THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES? Technically, no. Consider Mon-El: in the Lightning Saga Mon-El's backstory differs from Classic Mon-El's (for one thing, Lightning Saga Mon-El didn't meet Lana Lang during is brief sojourn in Superboy's time) . Consider Karate Kid: the Classic Karate Kid died on Orando, while the Lightning Saga Karate Kid survived long enough to come back to the 21st century and die in the pages of COUNTDOWN. And consider Supergirl: she was a Classic Legionnaire, but (as far as we know) not in the Lightning Saga Legion.

However, of the three official Legions, the Lightning Saga version seems to be the closest to Classic Legion history.

Second: How does the Fiver-Year-Gap Legion fit in? Again, they are two distinct versions of the LSH. Lightning Saga Blok is still alive and fighting Shadow Demons in DC UNIVERSE 0; Five-Year Gap Blok was killed by Roxxas. In addition, the teenage Five-Year Gap Legion included members Valor and Laurel Gand, and had nothing to do with Superboy (who didn't even exist in their universe).

Third: When did the Lightning Saga Legion branch off from the Classic Legion? In "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes," Superman mentioned the Magic Wars. Technically, the first four issues of LSH [1989] belonged to the Classic Legion timeline (a timeline which perished with the Time Trapper at the end of that issue) -- but I'm willing to bet that there was no Five Year Gap in the Lightning Saga Legion.

Now, onward to the Legion of Three Worlds!

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS:

In Superman's Fortress, a Kryptonian thought-beast displays a version of the double-page Legion group from ACTION #858.

Batman's flashback to Final Night includes Gates, who did not appear in that storyline.

During the visit with Thom, Garth is unfamiliar with the concept of schizophrenia. This is ironic, considering Garth's own personal history of mental illness.

Superman's new flight ring has a "cloaking mode" that turns it invisible. Once, all Legion flight rings had this capability -- a clever explanation whenever an artist forgot to draw a flight ring on a Legionnaire.

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DC UNIVERSE #0 (6/08)
"Let There Be Lightning"
ROLL CALL (Lightning Saga Legion): Blok, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Girl, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dawnstar, Lightning Lad, Lightning Lass, Night Girl, Phantom Girl, Polar Boy, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet (cover only), Sun Boy, Superman, Timber Wolf, Tyr, Tyroc (cover only), Ultra Boy (cover only), White Witch, Wildfire

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: No Legionnaires appear in he flashback to the First Crisis.

Blok is shown wearing only one flight ring, instead of his customary three. The other two must be in cloaked mode. :)

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LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #41 (6/08)
"Enemy Rising Part Two: Busted"
ROLL CALL (Teenage Revolution Legion): Brainiac 5, Chameleon, Invisible Kid, Light Lass, Lightning Lad, Princess Projectra, Saturn Girl, Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy

The U.P.'s "new regime" is anti-Legion. Has anyone seen Universo lately?

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: Chameleon doesn't need action figures, as long as those fingers are around!

"The Secret History of the Legion Flight Ring"
ROLL CALL: Atom Girl, Brainiac 5, Chameleon, Colossal Boy, Invisible Kid, Light Lass, Lightning Lad, Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl, Triplicate Girl, Ultra Boy

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: Although not mentioned in the "Customizations" section, Invisible Kid's flight ring can obviously become invisible. Can you say "cloak mode"?

Two special thought codes are mentioned. "1-9-5-8" obviously refers to the year the first Legion story was published; "O-B-A-P" must be the initials of Otto Binder and Al Plastino, the writer and artist (respectively) of that first Legion stroy.


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April 2008 Retrospective

50 Years Ago:

ADVENTURE #247 (4/1958)
"The Legion of Super-Heroes"
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Brainiac 5, Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, Superboy, Saturn Girl, several unidentified members

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: This was the first Legion story ever.

Superboy joined the Legion in this story.

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45 Years Ago:

ADVENTURE #307 (4/1963)
"Secret Power of the Mystery Super-Hero"
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Brainiac 5, Bouncing Boy, Cosmic Boy, Colossal Boy, Element Lad, Invisible Kid, Roxxas, Sun Boy, Saturn Girl

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: Element Lad joined the Legion in this story, which also told his origin.

The villain Roxxas first appeared in this issue.

Element Lad (under the name "Mystery Lad") was one of three Legion applicants in this issue. Later, fans dubbed the other two "Camera Eye" and "Green Boy."

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40 Years Ago:

ADVENTURE #363 (4/1968)
"No Escape from the Circle of Death"
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Brainiac 5, Cosmic Boy, Karate Kid, Lightning Lad, Phantom Girl, Sun Boy, Superboy, Star Boy, Duo Damsel

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: The Legion got a new Headquarters in this issue.

This was the first appearance of the Dark Circle.

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35 Years Ago:

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES [1973] #3 (4/1973)
"Computo the Conqueror"
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Brainiac 5, Cosmic Boy, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Element Lad, Lightning Lad, Light Lass, Mon-El, Proty II, Phantom Girl, Sun Boy, Superboy, Saturn Girl, Star Boy, Shrinking Violet, Triplicate Girl, Ultra Boy

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: This comic reprinted "Computo the Conqueror" from ADVENTURE #340.

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30 Years Ago:

SUPERBOY & THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #238 (4/1978)
"The Outlawed Legionnaires/The Legion Chain Gang"
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Brainiac 5, Bouncing Boy, Cosmic Boy, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Dream Girl, Duo Damsel, Element Lad, Invisible Kid, Karate Kid, Lightning Lad, Mon- El, Matter-Eater Lad, Phantom Girl, Princess Projectra, R.J. Brande, Rond Vidar, Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet, Star Boy, Sun Boy, Superboy, Supergirl, Ultra Boy, Universo

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: This comic reprinted "The Outlawed Legionnaires/Te Legion Chain Gang" from ADVENTURE #359/360.

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25 Years Ago:

LEGION OF SUER-HEROES [1980] #298 (4/1983)
"The Edge of Nowhere"
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Blok, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Dawnstar, Duplicate Boy, Element Lad, Invisible Kid II, Lightning Lad, Phantom Girl, R.J. Brande, Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet (Yera), Shvaughn Erin, Ultra Boy, Wildfire

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20 Years Ago:

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES [1984] #45 (4/1988)
"Unlucky Streak"
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Atmos, Blok, Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dawnstar, Dream Girl, Element Lad, Graym Ranzz, Invisible Kid II, Karate Kid, Lightning Lad, Lightning Lass, Lightning Lord, Magnetic Kid, Phantom Girl, Polar Boy, Princess Projectra, Proty, Quislet, Saturn Girl, Sensor Girl, Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet, Shvaughn Erin, Superboy, Tellus, Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy, Validus, White Witch, Wildfire

SECRET ORIGINS #25 (4/1988)
"The Dreams of Youth"
ROLL CALL (Classic Legion): Blok, Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Circadia Senius, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dawnstar, Dream Girl, Duo Damsel, Element Lad, Invisible Kid II, Lightning Lad, Lightning Lass, Marla, Mon-El, Phantom Girl, Polar Boy, Proty II, R.J. Brande, Saturn Girl, Sensor Girl, Shadow Lass, Star Boy, Sun Boy, Tellus, Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy, White Witch, Wildfire, Chief Zendak

WHO'S WHO IN THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1 (4/1988)

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: The 30th Anniversary of the LSH was a big deal in DC Comics. "Unlucky Streak" was a Lightning Lad retrospective; "The Dreams of Youth" retold the Legion's origin; and WHO'S WHO IN THE LSH was a 7-issue series celebrating the Legion.

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15 Years Ago:

L.E.G.I.O.N.'93 #51 (4/1993)
"Desert Island Blues"
ROLL CALL: Lobo, Telepath

LEGIONNAIRES #1 (4/1993)
"Baptism by Fire"
ROLL CALL (SW6 Legion): Apparition, Alchemist, Andromeda, Brainiac 5, Catspaw, Computo/Danniel Foccart, Cosmic Boy, Dragonmage, Ferro, Gossamer, Inferno, Invisible Kid, Leviathan, Live Wire, Matter-Eater Lad, Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet, Triad, Ultra Boy
ROLL CALL (5-Year-Gap Legion): Chameleon Boy, Tyroc, Mano

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES [1989] #42 (4/1993)
"The Enemy Within"
ROLL CALL (5-Year-Gap Legion): Ayla (Lightning Lass), Brainiac 5, Chuck (Bouncing Boy), Celeste Rockfish, Cham (Chameleon Boy), Dag (Stone Boy) Garth (Lightning Lad), Glorith, Imra (Saturn Girl), Jo (Ultra Boy), Kent Shakespeare, Lar (Valor), Laurel Gand, Luornu (Duo Damsel), Rond Vidar, Staq (Fire Lad), Vi (Shrinking Violet)

VALOR #6 (4/1993)
"Blasters to the Rescue"
ROLL CALL (5-Year-Gap Legion): Valor

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: The SW6 Batch got their own title this month (LEGIONNAIRES), which raised the number of LSH comics and spinoffs to four.

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10 Years Ago:

LEGENDS OF THE LEGION #3 94/1998)
"Eclipsed"
ROLL CALL (Earth-Zero Legion): Spark, Star Boy, Ultra Boy, Umbra

LEGIONNAIRES #59 (4/1998)
"Friends, Lovers, and the Calm Before the Storm"
ROLL CALL (Earth-Zero Legion): Andromeda, Apparition, Brainiac 5, Chameleon, Chuck Taine, Cosmic Boy, Dream Girl, Element Lad, Ferro, Gates, Invisible Kid, Kinetix, Live Wire, Lori Morning, M'Onel, Monstress, R.J. Brande, Saturn Girl, Sensor, Shrinking Violet, Spark, Tenzil Kem, Triad, Ultra Boy, Umbra, XS

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES [1989] #103 (4/1998)
"A Storm in Heaven"
ROLL CALL (Earth-Zero Legion): Dream Girl, Evolvo, Karate Kid, Kid Quantum, Monstress, Saturn Girl, Spider-Girl, Star Boy

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: "Eclipsed" focussed on Umbra.

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5 Years Ago:

LEGION #17 (4/2003)
"Revival of the Fittest: Part One"
ROLL CALL (Earth-Zero Legion): Apparition, Brainiac 5, Chameleon, Doctor Gym'll, Insect Queen, Invisible Kid, Kid Quantum, Kinetix, M'Onel, R.J. Brande, Ra's al Ghul, Saturn Girl, Sensor, Shikari, Shvaugn Erin, Star Boy, Triad, Ultra Boy, XS

SUPERMAN & BATMAN: GENERATIONS III #2 (4/2003)
"Century 21: Doomsday Minus One"
ROLL CALL: No LSH appearances in this issue, but the series had a Legion connection.


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Week of 21 April 2008

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

COUNTDOWN #1 (4/21/08)

No LSH content. In fact, I was unable to find any LSH content this week.

Guess I'll go re-read some old ADVENTURE comics. Maybe #378-379, "Twelve Hours to Live/Burial in Space" -- haven't read them for a long while.
Nobody's as good at facing death recklessly as Karate Kid.

Hmmm, maybe I'll just grab that whole volume of the LEGION ARCHIVES....

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Week of 16 April 2008

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

First, one from last week...

WONDER WOMAN #19 6/08)
"Expatriate Part 2: Lifeblood"

No Legion content as such, but Wonder Woman is on the Khund homeworld. The Khunds certainly have a Legion connection.

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COUNTDOWN #2 (4/16/08)
"Darkseid Equals Death"

Again, no LSH content. Giant Turtle Olsen is there, and Darkseid. At the end of the issue, "Te Origin of Darkseid" quotes The Great Darkness Saga as one of Darkseid's "Essential Storylines."

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LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES IN THE 31ST CENTURY #13 (6/08)
"Back in Metropolis"
ROLL CALL: Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Element Lad, Lightning Lad, Sun Boy, Superman

In the 21st century, Superman has a fateful encounter with Lex Luthor, while Lois Lane gets to know the Man of Steel. Through flash-forwards to the 31st century, we see how the Legion helped train Superman in using his powers.

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: There are only 3 pages of the Legion in this issue.

Saturn Girl, Phantom Girl, and Timber Wolf appear on the cover but not in the story.

Element Lad's hair is colored orange, and his costume is dark blue/black-and-white -- throughout the issue, this makes it hard to distinguish between him and Lightning Lad.

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SUPERMAN #675 (6/08)
"Shadows Linger Part Two: The Long Road"
ROLL CALL: Mon-El, Superman

Man, those Daxamite priests are a piece of work....

Superman tells Chris Kent that he can't help out: "You have the power, but not the experience...Someday, when we've had a chance to train you --" Put this together with the idea of the Legion training Superman...which is the current DC take on the Sperman/Legion relationship -- and I can see Clark and Lois sending Chris into the 31st century to be trained by the Legion. Ora Legion....

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Also out this week:

SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES: THE QUEST FOR COSMIC BOY Trade Paperback

Trade paperback collecting Supergirl & the LSH #31 - 36. Hooray, a chance to spend $15 for comics I already have! :)

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Week of 9 April 2008

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

BOOSTER GOLD #8 (6/08)
"Blue & Gold Chapter 3: Freedom Fighters"
ROLL CALL: Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Superboy/Clark Kent

In one panel at the Vanishing Point, several monitors display key scenes from DC history. One of them shows the Legion's founders meeting with Clark Kent. Variations of this scene are becoming DC's iconic image of the LSH...I suppose that's a sign that the Legion is being welcomed back into mainstream DC continuity. Who'd'a thunk it, back when DC's insistence on eliminating Superboy drove the Legion into spasms of advanced retconning?

Incidentally, people keep talking about how Crisis on Infinite Earths was responsible for eliminating Superboy and doing irreparable damage to the Legion's history. In fact, the Legion survived the Crisis in fine shape. What damaged Legion history was John Byrne's usake that Sueprboy had never existed, and the insistence of the DC higher-ups in enforcing that interpretation. (The loss of Supergirl also hurt, to a lesser degree.)

Just think...if DC had only ignored the Legion, allowing the LSH to keep its history intact, then in only two decades the rest of the DC Universe would have caught up to the Legion again, and all would be well. (Of course, nitpicking fans like me would have spent those two decades trying to reconcile the existence of the Legion's Superboy with the non-existence of Superboy in the rest of the DC Universe.)

I've said it before -- consistency between the LSH and the rest of the DC Universe is a two-edged sword. On one hand, we love it when the Legion interacts with the rest of the DCU, whether it's the question of Green Lanterns in the 30th century, Khunds and Dominators and Daxamites invading Earth in the 20th, or the Legion traveling back in time to pre-explosion Krypton. Crossovers also draw potential new readers to the Legion.

On the other hand, tying the two eras together means that the Legion's creators cede some of their creative control to the creators of other books -- changes in Sperman or JLA, or events in huge crossover series, impact the Legion -- often in ways that make the Legion's life more difficult.

I would rather see the Legion have minimal interaction with the present-day DC Universe. And I'd like to see the Legion officially immune to big changes in DC continuity. Let the thousand years between eras serve as both insulation and excuse...we can always invoke the twin excuses "records of the 21st century are imperfect" and "time travel causes strange things to happen."

And, of course, allowing a Multiverse (in some fashion) is an ultimate excuse for letting the Legion go its own way. If the Legion's continuity problems and multiple retcons can be traced to anything, it's probably DC's insane notion that there was only one consistent universe....

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COUNTDOWN #3 (4/9/08)
"Owned"

No Legion appearances in this issue, although Jimmy Olsen does become Giant Turtle-Olsen at the end. Colossal Boy once impersonated Giant Turtle-Olsen, so there's kinda a Legion connection there....

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JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #14 (5/08)
"Gog"
ROLL CALL: Starman/Star Boy (Lightning Source Legion)

Starman is being mysterious again. In talking to Cyclone, he says, "I was on Superman's Earth, Cyclone. I met Magog. If a Magog is born here...you'll all die in a war between heroes. Just like the history books of Xanthu say you will."

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Week of 2 April 2008

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

ACTION #863 (5/08)
"Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes Chapter 6: Sun Rise"
ROLL CALL: Blok, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Girl, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dawnstar, Lightning Lad, Lightning Lass, Night Girl, Phantom Girl, Polar Boy, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet, Sun Boy, Superman, Timber Wolf, Tyroc, Ultra Boy, Wildfire

Wow!

Great story. The double-page spread of the approaching Legion, with Superman's line "I've got the real deal," brought a chill to my spine. Yes, as far as I'm concerned, this Lightning Saga Legion is "the real deal" -- the classic Legion that started in Adventure 247.

And Ultra Boy's line to Terra Man ("Then who's gonna watch your back, jackass?") really sums up what the Legion's all about.

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: In the impending attack on Earth, the Imskians have "subatomic weapons."

Superman makes reference to the Magic War -- the last story before the Five Year Gap, which could be considered the last tale of the classic Legion.

-----

"Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds Teaser Pages"
ROLL CALL: Blok, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Girl, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dawnstar, Invisible Kid, Lightning Lad, Lightning Lass, Night Girl, Phantom Girl, Polar Boy, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Sun Boy, Superman, Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy, Wildfire (Classic/Lightning Saga Legion) Kid Quantum, XS (Earth-Zero Legion)

LEGION OF SUPER-VILLAINS: Black Mace, Beauty Blaze, Chameleon Chief, Cosmic King, Dr. Regulus, Emerald Empress, Hunter, Lex Luthor, Lightning Lord, Mano, Ron-Karr (?), Time Trapper, Tyr, Universo, Validus, Zymyr

O...M...G...I...can...not...florging...wait!

'Nuff said.


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COUNTDOWN #4 (4/2/08)
"The Beginning of the End"

Nope, no LSH appearance in this issue. Kartate Kid's dead, Una's dead, Well, Jimmy Olsen is there...and another version of him was once in the Legion....

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Week of 26 March 2008

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

COUNTDOWN #5 (3/26/08)
"End Times"
ROLL CALL: Una (Lightning Saga Legion)

Una perishes fighting a bunch of rats, and Buddy Blank's grandson becomes Kamandi.

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LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #40 (5/08)
"Enemy Rising Part One: Headlong Into Darkness"
ROLL CALL: Atom Girl, Chameleon, Element Lad, Invisible Kid, Karate Kid, Light Lass, Lightning Lad, Phantom Girl, Princess Projectra, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Star Boy, Timber Wolf, Triplicate Girl, Ultra Boy

Lightning Lad seems to be getting accustomed to his role as Leader, although there's still trouble with government bureaucrats. Projectra is sued by Orando's creditors, And meanwhile, monsters are attacking all across the Galaxy.

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: Projectra's full name is "Wilamena Morgana Daergina Annaxandra Projectra Velorya Vauxhall."

Saturn Girl's invasion of Timber Wolf's mind leads to great dissension in the ranks and furious arguments among the Legionnaires. And without Wildfire around, either.

Lightning Lad has various sportsl posters hanging up in his room, including one of Magno Ball champ Rokk Krinn. (Another is a Rollerball poster, doubtless a reference to the awful movie.)

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LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES IN THE 31ST CENTURY: Tomorrow's Heroes trade paperback

(This actually came out last week, but I missed it.)

Trade paperback reprinting the first seven issues of the comic. With all the attention paid lately to the Lightning Saga Legion and the Jim Shooter's version of the Teenage Revolution Legion, I've seen very few comments on the third current version of the LSH. Coupled to the cartoon, this comic is doing some really nice things, while being pretty faithful to the history fo the classic Legion. Definitely worth a look.


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Week of 19 March 2008

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

COUNTDOWN #6 (3/19/08)
"Outbreak"
ROLL CALL: Karate Kid, Una (Lightning Saga Legion)

It appears that Val is dead and his body is in stasis at Cadmus. Meanwhile, Una sets out with Buddy Blank into an Earth in the throes of morticoccus pandemic.

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: This Earth is not the same one from which our heroes started; on this Earth, Buddy Blank is a lab assistant at Cadmus.

Una explains that in the 31st century, medical nanites keep people healthy and, presumably, young enough for Legionnaires in their 20s and 30s to still be called "Boy," "Girl," "Kid," and such. (This idea, minus the nanites, was first proposed many years ago in the time of the classic Legion.)

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Week of 12 March 2008

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

COUNTDOWN #7 (3/12/08)
"Gone Tomorrow"
ROLL CALL: Karate Kid, Una (Lightning Saga Legion)

The folks have been sent to an Earth on which they never existed (echoes of CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #11, when various heroes found that they had been erased from history). Meanwhile, Una starts to regrow a backbone, but quickly lapses back to being Whiny Woman. Karate Kid dies (again!).

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: Karate Kid has died a couple of times before, both times because of a fusion powersphere. In the Classic Legion, he threw himself into a powersphere to protect Orando from the Legion of Super-Villains; the SW6 Karate Kid died in the explosion of a fusion powersphere in Metropolis.

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LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES IN THE 31ST CENTURY #12 (5/08)
"Lone Wolf"
ROLL CALL: Bouncing Boy, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Sun Boy, Phantom Girl, Shrinking Violet, Timber Wolf, Tyroc (Animated Legion)

While the rest of the Legion goes to be feted at a Legion Day ceremony, Timber Wolf goes off on his own and foils a bomb threat directed at the ceremony.

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: This comic came out on a Wednesday; the Saturday before, the Legion TV show also dealt with a Legion Day ceremony. Based on the Legionnaires in attendance, it looks like these are two different ceremonies.

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SUPERMAN #674 (5/08)
"Shadows Linger Part One: Bright Tomorrows"
ROLL CALL: Mon-El (Lightning Saga Legion)(?)

Conversing with Mon-El via Phantom Zone communicator, Superman learns more of Lar's history. On Daxam, Lar found an ancient starship and flew away from Daxam, an act which was prohibited ("PROHIBITED! PROHIBITED! PROHIBITED!") by the tyrannical Priest-Elders. At the end of the issues, the Priest-Elders show up on Earth demanding that Superman turn Lar over to them for punishment.

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: Okay, Lar Gand's story here is substantially different from the one in the Classic Legion...or other subsequent versions of the LSH. To my mind, more than anything else, this establishes the Lightning Saga Legion as yet another distinct version...albeit one whose history hews pretty close to the Classic Legion's.

Lar Gand has been in the Phantom Zone for, what, fifteen or twenty years by now? And Superman is just now getting around to asking him about his past? Okay, I know Superman is a busy person, but sheesh!

I wonder if Chris Kent is being groomed to be the next Superboy (once DC recovers the right to use the name "Superboy"). If so, I predict that we'll eventually see Chris Kent/Superboy hook up with the Legion. You read it here first!

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WONDER WOMAN #18 (5/08)
"Expatriate Part 1: That Which Wears the Crown"

No Legion appearances as such, but Wonder Woman begins an adventure with the present-day Khunds (aka Klingons), in which she is taken to the Khund homeworld to help defend them from an invasion. The story is continued in next issue. Fantatical completists will want this issue, and probably the next few.

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: The Khunds originally appeared in the chronicles of the Legion. As far as I know, they became part of present-day DC Continuity duing the INVASION miniseries...which introduced many elements of the Legion universe into the present.

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Week of 5 March 2008

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

COUNTDOWN #8 (3/5/08)
"Homeward Bound"
ROLL CALL: Karate Kid, Una (Lightning Source Legion)

Val is still alive, but dying. Una is no longer an Omac, but the experience has left her weepy and whiny.

And now everybody's back on Earth, where Val might spread the morticoccus virus to everyone on the planet....

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GREEN LANTERN #28 (4/08)
"The Alpha Lanterns Part III"

No actual Legion appearances in this issue, but diehard completists will want to know that the Controllers show up. The Controllers ("Once rivals to the Guardians, these immortals are now on the verge of extinction") are the race that made the Sun-Eaters. They originated in the annals of the Legion, and only later were grafted onto the Green Lantern universe.

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Week of 27 February 2008

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

ACTION #862 (4/08)
"Superman & The Legion of Super-Heroes Chapter 5: Revenge of the Rejects"
ROLL CALL: Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Chameleon Girl, Chlorophyll Kid, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dawnstar, Fire Lad, Lightning Lad, Lightning Lass, Night Girl, Phantom Girl, Rainbow Girl, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Stone Boy, Sun Boy, Superman, Timber Wolf, Triplicate Girl, Wildfire (Lightning Saga Legion)
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF EARTH: Earth-Man, Eyeful Ethel, Golden Boy, Radiation Roy, Spider Girl, Storm Boy, Tusker

I am loving this series. It's so good to see the real Legion back in action (as well as back in ACTION). I want them back for good.

All things considered, I'm kinda sorry that this story will be over next month....

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: Rainbow Girl? Huh? When I saw the cover, I thought, "Oh, Color Kid has changed sex. Cool." But no, Color Kid is blinded, and they've created Rainbow Girl to take his place. Probably the only thing in the comic that I didn't like. (OTOH, her "emotional color" powers tie in nicely with what's going on over in the Green Lantern section of the DC Universe.)

It was nice to see an explanation of why Infectious Lass has been hanging around with Doctor Thirteen, and was last seen floating in the timestream in BOOSTER GOLD...Fire Lad says that Earth-Man "tossed Infectious Lass into the timestream." Good attention to detail there.

Brainiac 5's revelation that Saturn Girl scanned the minds of Legion applicants is the good kind of retroactive continuity...it makes perfect sense, it explains why some rejects joined the Subs while others went with the LSV, and it's something that no one would have talked about.

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COUNTDOWN #09 (2/27/08)
"Pay the Piper"
ROLL CALL: Karate Kid, Una (Lightning Saga Legion)

Um...I think they're using the wrong word for what Brother Eye does to Val. They say "dissection," but I think they mean "vivisection." At least, he's alive when the process starts...don't know about the end.

Una spends most of the issue as an OMAC, but she gets better. Good for her.

And totally unrelated to the Legion...but it's nice to see the gay guy save the world at the end.

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JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #13 (4/08)
"Supermen"
ROLL CALL: Starman/Star Boy is pictured on the cover, and we hear his voice through a closed door. That's it.

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LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #39 (4/08)
"Evil Adventus Part 3: Downfall"
ROLL CALL: Colossal Boy, Element Lad, Invisible Kid, Karate Kid, Light Lass, Lightning Lad, Phantom Girl, Princess Projectra, Saturn Girl, Star Boy, Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: Saturn Girl's mother is a high-ranking politician trying to help Projectra and the Legion. In past incarnations of the Legion, Phantom Girl's mother was a high-ranking politician who hindered the Legion, and Colossal Boy's mother was a high-ranking politician who both hindered and helped.

Can there be any doubt that the mysterious figure in the command center is applicant M.Rissey from last issue, here to save the day through his administrative skills? I wonder what his code name will be? I vote for Bureaucracy Boy.

Light Lass can't sleep, and says, "For one thing, I can't sleep alone." Coming from a planet where just about everyone is a twin, this kinda makes sense. Although it raises questions about the exact relationship between Ayla and Garth. Most of the other Winathians we've seen have been identical twins, but Ayla and Garth are (obviously) fraternal. (And then there's Mekt, a singleton...what's with their family?) Did they sleep together as children? At a certain age, were they separated and made to sleep alone? What did that do to them, psychologically? The suggestion here is that Ayla became a slut...and perhaps Garth just suffered in his loneliness -- or did the parents stick him in bed with Mekt? ("It'll be good for Mekt to have a brother to sleep with, like everyone else...")

And if that scenario is right, what can we read into the relationship between Garth and Mekt? Garth idolized his brother...but Mekt always seemed to resent Garth. Mekt ran away from home...and Garth went after him. Garth founded an organization of super-powered kids so he wouldn't have to feel so alone. Does this all stem from a day when the Ranzz parents told Garth he was too old to be sharing a bed with Ayla, so now he would be sleeping with Mekt?

I won't even get into the question of what kind of power struggles/dominance games might have gone on between Mekt and Garth when the lights were out...although it may explain a lot....

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Week of 20 February 2008

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

COUNTDOWN #10 (2/20/08)
"The Gods Must Be Crazy"
ROLL CALL: Karate Kid, Una (Lightning Saga Legion)

Una remains consumed by OMAC, while Karate Kid and Red Robin exchange quips. Then Una/OMAC is unable to absorb Karate Kid, so knocks him out and drags him off for an autopsy.


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Week of 13 February 2008

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

BOOSTER GOLD #0 (4/08)
"Blue & Gold Chapter 1: The Secret Origin of Booster Gold"

There are no Leigon appearances as such, however...in the year 2462, Booster Gold and several Blue Beetles visit the Space Museum. There, prominently displayed, are a Legion flight ring and Brainiac 5's force shield belt. Booster's flight ring is also in evidence on his finger throughout the issue.

In previous continuity, this ring and belt were left in the 20th century by Brainiac 5 (Booster Gold #8 [9/86] and #9 [10/86]). In several subsequent reboots, there has never been an explanation of the origin of Booster's ring and belt. However, the current multiverse seems to include the original Legion/Lightning Saga Legion -- so perhaps the events of Booster Gold 8/9 really occurred after all. (Is "after all" an appropriate expression? This whole time paradox thing is still making my head hurt.)

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COUNTDOWN #11 (2/13/08)
"Eye of the Beholder"
ROLL CALL: Karate Kid, Una (Lightning Saga Legion)

Everybody's on Apokolips now (except Buddy Blank and his grandson), Val gets to kick some butt, and Luornu gets taken over by Brother Eye and turned into an OMAC (albeit one with fashionable boots).

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: Apparently the air on Apokolips agrees with Val; he's feeling a lot better now. A remarkable recovery, considering he was near death just a week or two ago....

Karate Kid consistently calls Luornu "Una." She, OTOH, consistently calls him "Val." Casual readers are going to get the idea that everyone from the 31st century has a three-letter name.

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LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES IN THE 31ST CENTURY #11 (4/08)
"Mars"
ROLL CALL: Blok, Brainiac 5, Lightning Lad, Phantom Girl, Superman, Timber Wolf, Triplicate Girl

The comic is now consistent with the second season of the show (i.e. Brainy looks different, Garth has facial hair). The main story, though, is a flashback to the first season era.

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: J'onn J'onzz has a history with the Legion -- in the post-Giffbaum era, a 1,000-year-older Martian Manhunter worked with the Legion on several cases.

It's already been established that Brainy misses Superman...at the end of the issue, it appears that Garth is also smitten. Do all the Legion boys have crushes on Kal-El? (Erase and correct...Luornu also has also been shown fancying the Boy of Steel. Maybe it's all Legionnaires, regardless of gender?) (I dunno...given the choice between Kal-El and Mon-El, I'd go with the boy from Daxam any day...)

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SUPERMAN #673 (4/08)
"Insect Queen Part Three: Moonlight & Victory"

No actual Legion content, but the Insect Queen story concludes -- and it certainly has a Legion connection of sorts.

Besides, the whole Chris Kent subplot is sweet.

Moreover, the issue ends with these words: "Next: PARAGON! MON-ELl! DAXAM! and MORE!" Definitely Legion-related.

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By the way, I finally got ahold of LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES IN THE 31ST CENTURY #10. (Thank goodness for subscriptions!) I've updated the listing in my entry for the week of 16 January 2008.


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Week of 6 February 2008

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

COUNTDOWN #12 (2/6/08)
"Come Together"
ROLL CALL: Karate Kid, Una (Lightning Saga Legion)

Val is looking and feeling a little better, and everyone is headed to Apokolips.

On the cover, Darkseid is blowing up his action figures. Karate Kid and Una have prominent placement.

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JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #12 (3/08)
"New Recruits"
ROLL CALL: Star Boy/Starman

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: Thom mentions Colossal Boy and Yera.

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Week of 30 January 2008

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

COUNTDOWN #13 (1/30/08)
"Abandon All Hope"

No Legion content in this issue.

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ACTION #861 (3/08)
"Chameleons (Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes Part 4)
ROLL CALL: Brainiac 5, Colossal Boy, Dawnstar, Polar Boy, Sun Boy, Superman, Wildfire, Yera (Chameleon Girl) (all Lightning Saga Legion)
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF EARTH: Earth-Man, Eyeful Ethel, Golden Boy, Radiation Roy, Spider Girl, Storm Boy, Tusker


BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: This issue directly ties into the Lightning Saga. And there's an interesting bit of foreshadowing, when Superman asks about the lightning rod that the Legionnaires brought back from the 21st century and Brainy answers, "The universe is missing a key figure to activate it. Dream Girl's last vision before she returned to Naltor told me it had to wait. Until the Crisis of the 31st century begins." (Me, I figure if Dreamy went back to Naltor, then it might be a good time to get away from Earth...)

Earth-Man absorbs all the powers of the Legionnaires, becoming a one-man Legion...something like the Composite Superman way back when.

Yera has a code name now -- Chameleon Girl. Does this mean she's a Legionnaire? Couldn't blame her...



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Week of 23 January 2008

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

CUNTDOWN #14 (1/23/08)
"Choke On It"

No Legion content in this issue

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LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #38 (3/08)
"Evil Adventus Part 2: Cataclysm"
ROLL CALL: Invisible Kid, Light Lass, Lightning Lad, Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl, Star Boy, Timber Wolf
APPLICANTS: Fruit Boy, M.Rissey, Sludge, Sonar, Spy, Virus, Voice

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: Lightning Lad says, "I've zeezeed Saturn Girl's flight ring again and again, no answer." This may be a reference to Jimmy Olsen's classic emergency signal watch, which went "Zeezeezeezeezee..."

Applicant Virus has essentially the same powers as Infectious Lass.


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Week of 16 January 2008

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

COUNTDOWN #15 (1/16/08)
"Splitting the Atom"
ROLL CALL: Karate Kid, Una (Lightning Saga Legion)

One page of Una and Karate Kid (looking particularly awful).

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LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES IN THE 31sr CENTURY #10 (3/08)
"House Arrest"
ROLL CALL: Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Cosmic Boy,Fatal Five, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl

Garth and Imra are alone in Legion Headquarters when the Fatal Five attack. Working together, they defeat the villains.

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: The cover image has been flipped left-to-right. Look at Saturn Girl's insignia and the Legion symbol on her belt.

Romance between Garth and Imra flourishes.

A sign next to the power core reads, "Do not touch - this means you, Bouncingboy - Brainiac 5" When the other Legionnaires return, Brainiac 5 is saying, "...I find out that you were messing with the power core again, Brouncing Boy..." Churck's fascination with the power core remains to be explained.

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Week of 9 January 2008

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

COUNTDOWN #16 (1/9/08)

No Legion content in this issue.

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SUEPRMAN #672 (3/08)
"Gossamer Wings (Insect Queen Part 2)"

No Legion content in this issue, either. Although the Insect Queen, a clone of Lana Lang, is obviously based on Lana as Insect Queen in the classic Legion.

Sad...it's the Legion's 50th anniversary, and we've gone all year without any Legion content in DC Comics.

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Week of 2 January 2008

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

Countdown #17 (1/2/08)

No Legion content in this issue. In fact, no Legion content anywhere this week.

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