Superboy starring The Legion #217

Superboy starring The Legion of Super-Heroes #217 (June, 1976)

title: "The Charge of the Doomed Legionnaires"

writer: Jim Shooter

artist: Mike Grell

editor: Murray Boltinoff

cover: Mike Grell (signed)
reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Superboy, Colossal Boy, Brainiac 5, Shadow Lass, Timber Wolf

Opponents: 
The Khunds, Field Marshal Lorca

Synopsis: 
On the way to Thanagar for a Science Police convention, Superboy is called back to Earth. Immediately after he leaves, a Khund raider attacks. Brainiac 5 diverts power to the shields, so the ship is saved, but there is still some damage to the Legion Cruiser, including a minor fissure in the fusion tank. The Legion is able to out-manuever Lorca's raider, which then retreats. They think that the Khunds were just "rattling their sword," so they continue on to Ruzicka. They drop Brainiac 5 off there for a 3-D chess tournament.

Who's Who: Dawnstar

Dawnstar
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: Dawnstar

Super-Power(s): Ability to track anything through outer space, ability to survive outer space without the aid of any environmental support apparatus 
Planet of Origin: Starhaven

Legion Seniority: Dawnstar joined when Legion Leader Wildfire introduced her to the team and she successfully helped them capture the Resource Raiders. She is Legionnaire #30.

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #17

The Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #17 (Dec, 1985)
A Review by Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

title: "A New Beginning"

writer: Paul Levitz

artist: Greg LaRocque

inker: Larry Mahlstedt

letterer: John Costanza

colorist: Carl Gafford

editor: Karen Berger
cover: Greg LaRocque & Larry Mahlstedt (signed)

Mission Monitor Board:  
Dream Girl, Star Boy, Sun Boy. Lighting Lass, Timber Wolf, Quislet, Blok, Invisible Kid, Brainiac 5, Sensor Girl, Element Lad, Chameleon Boy, Tellus; flashbacks of Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Lightning Lad

Guests: 
RJ Brande, SP officer Shvaughn Erin

Opponents: 
Leland McCauley, his hired assassin Charon

Justice League United #10: The Infinitus Saga Conclusion

Justice League United #10

On Sale Wednesday March 11th, 2015

Written by Jeff Lemire

Pencils by Neil Edwards

Inks by Jay Leisten & Keith Champagne

Colors by Jeremy Cox

Standard Cover by Andrew Robinson

Mars Attacks Movie Poster Variant Cover by Dan Hipp

Synopsis:

This final chapter of the Infinitus Saga picks up where part 5 left off. The combined forces of the Legion of Super-Heroes and Justice League have successfully defeated Byth’s forces, but with no Infinitus to absorb the payload of Brainiac-5’s bomb, a black hole is ripped open in the fabric of space. The black hole threatens to absorb not only the Legion and Justice League United forces, but also the planet of Thanagar!

But Brainiac-5, with the help of Dream Girl’s precognition powers, quickly determines a course of action for fixing Brainy’s catastrophic mistake. He quickly has Sardath summon the warships of Rann, all equipped with Zeta Beam technology. With the combined might of 500 Rann Warships and White Witch’s magical powers, they are able to successfully transport Thanagar free from the gravity of the black hole and position it closely to Rann.

LSH Cover to Cover 1: Curt Swan

We're starting a new series this week here at Legion of Super-Bloggers that we will be featuring on a semi-regular basis: we are going to feature all of the cover-featured appearances of the Legion, in chronological order!

Hot: Thunder

I loved the idea of adding a Captain Marvel/Shazam legacy character to the Legion! The 1996 "Legends of the Dead Earth" Annuals were fun, but didn't really have many lasting effects. Thankfully, CeCe Beck (a.k.a. Thunder) reappeared in the Legion. She was a fun character and I wish she'd become a mainstay of the team, rather than a short term member that many don't recall.

5yl Legion of Super-Heroes #32

Recap: The Dominion is losing its control of Earth, ramping up its military presence to keep its tenuous grip on the planet. Rebel movements on Earth (including ex-Legionnaires and the SW6 Legion), the United Planets, and the Legion are all mobilizing hoping to reclaim Earth. The Dominator diversion of troops to Terra leaves their homeworld vulnerable. And the SW6 is learning just how dark this new universe is ...

Terra Mosaic, the major storyline about control of Earth, continues to churn along at what I call, the 5YL pace. We get spurts of progression and action that left me wanting more. There were a lot of moving parts here including two Legions! And this storyline (hell this whole title) is so immersed in Legion lore, that I was overjoyed as a longtime Legion fan. And just when I want to see more and more, the creators hit the pause button, giving us excellent character-driven issues, making this a very mature and thought-provoking book.

Superboy starring The Legion #216

Superboy starring The Legion of Super-Heroes #216 (April, 1976)
title: "The Hero Who Hated The Legion!"

writer: Cary Bates

artist: Mike Grell

editor: Murray Boltinoff

cover: Mike Grell
reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Cosmic Boy, Superboy, Brainiac 5, Shadow Lass, Karate Kid, Tyroc

Opponents: 
The Beta Gang, prejudice

Synopsis: 
On Earth, Cosmic Boy explains to a group of Legionnaires about satellite C-117. It had been launched into space in 2918 in order to take photon readings and solar measurements. In reality, it was the storage capsule of stolen and then missing "Zigel Jewels." According to a death-bed confession, the crooks had hidden the jewels in the satellite a day before it was launched, expecting to crash it within a week. Instead, they were apprehended, and the jewels stayed in orbit nearly sixty years. However, the satellite had crashed earlier in the week on the remote island of Marzal, so the Legionnaires are assigned to retrieve them.

Who's Who: Tyroc

Tyroc
by Russell & Siskoid 

Real Name: Tyroc (Troy Stewart is given as his real name in Who's Who, but was never used in any story)

Super-Power(s): Super voice that allows him "to do miracles," such as causing explosions, creating force-field bubbles, and boomeranging space-crafts back to where they came from
Planet of Origin: Earth

Legion Seniority: Tyroc joined as Legionnaire #29, between Wildfire and Dawnstar.

Happy Birthday, Phantom Girl!

According to the 1976 DC Calendar, today will be the birthday of Tinya Wazzo, better known throughout the galaxy as Phantom Girl.

Phantom Girl  was the first new member of the Legion of Super-Heroes after the three founders opened the group to new members. She served with distinction for the entire sixteen years the Legion existed. She was killed sometime between the end of the Magic Wars and the beginning of Five Years Later.

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #16

The Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #16 (Nov, 1985)

title: "Baptism"

writer: Paul Levitz

artist: Steve Lightle

inker: Bob Smith

letterer: John Costanza

colorist: Carl Gafford

editor: Karen Berger
cover: Steve Lightle (signed)
reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Brainiac 5, Element Lad, Polar Boy, Magnetic Kid, Sensor Girl, Tellus, Quislet; cameos of others at Graym Ranzz' baptism ceremony

Guests: 
Circadia Senius, Rond Vidar, Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, Shvaughn Erin

Opponents: 
unnamed terrorists and hypnotized SP officers

Superboy Meets Mon-El

According to the 1976 DC Calendar, April 20 is the day that Superboy first met Mon-El. Seeing as how today is MONday, April 20, we here at Legion of Super-Bloggers thought we would commemorate one of the greatest bromances in the history of comics.

The LSB Round Robins have already profiled SUPERBOY #89 (you can read our review here). So we aren't going to go over the particulars of their initial meeting here. However, there are two panels in particular we want to re-present for you:

Art Institute of Zwen: Peter Vale

Go onto Deviant Art and browse "Legion of Super-Heroes." You will find all sorts of Legion goodness (and some weirdness). That is how I first came across Peter Vale, the "pen" name of artist Pedro Vale, Jr.

Here's an absolutely fabulous work of Legionnaire Tyroc vs Marvel villain Songbird. Check out the details!

There's also quite a few illustrations of Zatanna, Superman, and former Legionnaire Supergirl.

Chameleon Boy: Hot or Not?

And now for something a little different. Can a group of candid women with no real Legion knowledge love an alien? Their first impressions of Cham are replete with ambivalence as befits a shape-changer, and watch for the surprise ending...

Participants
Our honorary Legion members are...
Art Girl - She makes art for a living.
DJ Nath - She makes education for a living. She just got a dog. Hopefully, it isn't a Durlan in disguise.
Lip-Bomb - Nath's sister and second half of the You-Tube channel Mind Linked. She makes improv happen for a living.
Havana Nights - She makes communications for a living. But no communication with ex-husband please. The divorcee perspective.
Shotgun - She makes recycling for a living, and the only member of the group with hockey series fever. Someone get her to Medicus One, quick.
Moderator: Siskoid, secretly Cham's biggest fan, but he's not telling them this.

5YL Legion of Super-Heroes #31

Recap: The Dominators' control of Earth is weakening. The Dominion's use of super-powered clones and brainwashing has been made public. The United Planets is mobilizing their fleet to free Earth. The Khunds are moving in to attack the Dominion homeworld. And two Legions are trying to figure out how they can help. Meanwhile life on the planet is a disaster with the Dominators basically declaring martial law, using their might to keep the Terran population scared and disempowered.

Something has to give.

Legion of Super-Heroes #31 is another one of those daring creative risks that have become the hallmark of this title. With all the action and political maneuvering of the last few issues, Earth is like a powder keg that's giving off sparks. We have been bouncing between the Dominators' attempts to squelch a revolution, the rebel troops of Universo and Jacques Foccart trying to undermine things on Earth, the rest of the galaxy finally deciding to move in, and two sets of Legionnaires dipping their toes in this intergalactic war. After months of things simmering, last issue felt like a full boil. I was ready for more ... and fast.

Superboy starring The Legion #215

Superboy starring The Legion of Super-Heroes #215 (March, 1976)
A Review by Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

title: "The Final Eclipse of Sun Boy"

writer: Cary Bates

artist: Mike Grell
editor: Murray Boltinoff 

cover: Mike Grell (signed)

Mission Monitor Board:  
Phantom Girl, Sun Boy, Superboy, Element Lad, Brainiac 5, Saturn Girl

Opponents: 
unnamed would-be assassin

Synopsis: 
On Bgtzl, Phantom Girl captures a man after witnessing him kill someone. The assassin's gang swears that she will not live long enough to testify against him. Phantom Girl's brother, Gmya, is concerned for her safety. Sun Boy, Element Lad, and Superboy arrive on Bgztl to pick her up, and Gmya disappears in the crowd.

Back on Earth, but before the Legionnaires make it back to their head-quarters, Sun Boy is "possessed," and his powers go wild. Superboy tries to stop him, but his super-energy only adds fuel to Sun Boy's fire. Element Lad turns the hydrogen around Sun Boy to nitrogen, putting out his flames. This allows Element Lad to get close enough to knock him out.

Who's Who: Wildfire

Wildfire
by Russell & Siskoid 

Real Name: Drake Burroughs

Super-Power(s): Wildfire is composed of anti-energy that he can channel into bursts of high or low exposures.
Planet of Origin: Earth

Legion Seniority: Wildfire joined after Duo Damsel and Bouncing Boy left the Legion to get married. He is Legionnaire #28. Wildfire was elected Leader in Year 10. 

Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #1 (v2) (1985)

The Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #1 (1985)
A Review by Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

title: "Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold"

writer: Paul Levitz

penciller: Keith Giffen

inkers: Karl Kesel, Mike DeCarlo (Chapter 2), Ernie Colon (Chapter 3), Steve Mitchell (Chapter 4), Larry Mahlstedt (Chapter 5)

letterer: John Costanza

colorist: Carl Gafford

editor: Karen Berger
cover: Keith Giffen & Karl Kesel (signed)

Mission Monitor Board:  
Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Shrinking Violet, Magnetic Kid

Guests: 
Laurel Kent, SP Officer Dvron, Don & Dawn Allen

Opponents: 
unnamed murderer and his robots

Legion in Convergence

Get ready, Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes is coming back!
Don't miss them!
We don't know if we here at LSB are going to enjoy this Convergence mini-series, but telling DC Comics that we want a Legion comic seems like a good idea...!

Convergence: Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #1

by Stuart Moore, Gus Storms, and Mark Farmer

On Sale April 22

Happy Birthday, Dawnstar!

According to the 2995 LSH Sourcebook, today will be the birthday of Dawnstar of Starhaven.
Dawnstar was originally a professional guide, tracker, and bounty hunter before being brought into the Legion. She served for more than five years, until the Magic Wars changed the universe completely.

Dawnstar is an Aries. She knows that it's love when she doesn't have to do much other than be together to have a special time. The humor you share is part of what makes it great. It's easy to be funny when you're this comfortable.

Art Institute of Zwen: Greg LaRoque sketch

Last week our weekly review of The Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) featured the debut of extra-ordinary artist Greg LaRocque. To help celebrate the introduction of the artist who would handle the title for the next three years, here's a commission Greg did a few years ago at the Baltimore Comic Con!

Hot Volume 6 Dawnstar

It seems like it doesn't matter which volume of Legion of Super-Heroes you're reading....if you come across Dawnstar, it's a guarantee that she will be hot!

Here are three different version of Dawnstar, two by Yilidray Cinar and one by Fernando Dagnino!

Legion of Super-Heroes (v6) #1 

art by Yildiray Cinar & Wayne Faucher

5YL Legion of Super-Heroes #30

Recap: The Dominators' control over Earth is growing more and more tenuous. The rebellion has taken control of the Dominators' cloning labs. The United Planets, the Legion, and the SW6 Legionnaires are contemplating joining the fight. And then ... on live TV ... the Dominators assassinate Earth President Wellington when she speaks against their control. Earth was already a powder keg. Suddenly there are a lot of sparks.

Legion of Super-Heroes #30 continued the Terra Mosaic storyline which would redefine Earth in this 5YL universe. We are 5 issues into what will eventually be an 11 issue arc. In classic 5YL style, the pacing of this arc is quite interesting. Some issues streaking forward with progress making me clamoring for more. And then suddenly we have a character driven issue, slowing down the galactic storyline to a near halt to give us extra depth to a single person. Despite this book now being 25 years old, it still feels innovative. Things don't usually get paced this way. The creators are relying on the reader to be in for the long haul, being willing to trust in the ebbs and flows.

Superboy starring The Legion #214

Superboy starring The Legion of Super-Heroes #214 (Jan, 1974)
A Review by Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

title: "No Price Too High!"

writer: Jim Shooter

artist: Mike Grell

editor: Murray Boltinoff

cover: Mike Grell (signed)

Mission Monitor Board:  
Superboy, Brainiac 5, Shadow Lass, Karate Kid, Wildfire

Opponents: 
unnamed "Overseer" in charge of the automated planet, Gyrich

Synopsis: 
On the automated planet Gyrich, five Legionnaires are sneaking around under Shadow Lass' darkness in order to escape detection by robotic guards. They are on-world to fix what they think is a malfunctioning automatic defense computer. Suddenly, Superboy notices a passenger ship has entered the atmosphere. Because the automatic defenses will shoot it down, Superboy rushes off to rescue the sole occupant, an arrogant adolescent boy. He identifies himself as the son of Leland McCauley, the owner of planet Gyrich. Robot guards respond to the Legionnaires activity, so Wildfire and Karate Kid take care of them. The Legionnaires bring the boy along as they return to the shadows, but the boy thinks he can order the robots to let them go. He arrogantly shows himself to some robotic guards and is immediately taken hostage. The Legionnaires have no choice but to give themselves up, too.

Who's Who: Timber Wolf

Timber Wolf
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: Brin Londo

Super-Power(s): Acrobatics, agility, super-speed, animal instincts
Planet of Origin: Zoon

Legion Seniority: Timber Wolf joined the Legion at the same time as Chemical King, but was listed second in alphabetical order. That makes him Legionnaire #27.

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #15

The Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #15 (Oct, 1985)
A Review by Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

title: "Hostage On A Hostile Star"

writer: Paul Levitz

artist: Greg LaRocque

inker: Larry Mahlstedt

letterer: John Costanza

colorist: Carl Gafford

editor: Karen Berger
cover: Steve Lightle (signed)

Mission Monitor Board:  
Wildfire, Shadow Lass, Mon-El, Sun Boy, Shrinking Violet, Colossal Boy, Element Lad, Timber Wolf, Dawnstar, Dream Girl, Star Boy, Polar Boy, Magnetic Kid, Sensor Girl, Tellus, Quislet, Brainiac 5

Guests: 
Cosmic Boy, Night Girl, Shiratsuru "Sensei", Myg

Opponents: 
Dr. Regulus

Justice League United #9 The Infinitus Saga Part 5

Justice League United #9 "The Infinitus Saga Part 5 of 6"

Released February 11, 2015

Written by Jeff Lemire

Pencils by Neil Edwards

Inks by Jay Leisten and Keith Champagne

Colors by Jeromy Cox

Letters by Travis Lanham

Cover by Andrew Robinson

Synopsis

The issue opens with the combined forces of the Justice League United and now the full power of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 21^st Century squaring off against Infinitus and his horde of light constructs in deep space. Meanwhile back on Rann, Brainiac-5 and Sardath work on a secret weapon to stop Infinitus once and for all. Brainiac-5 and Sardath have come up with a bomb that will collapse Infinitus in on himself and trap him in a perpetual big bang outside of the space-time continuum. Cut to Supergirl, who has followed Byth back to his base of operations where he has Ultra the Multi-Alien held and continues to manipulate him to unless the Infinitus wave. Supergirl’s diverse array of powers is all useless against the shape-changing Byth, who reveals that he has been plotting this move for millennia.

Happy Birthday, Bouncing Boy!

According to the 1976 DC Calendar, today will be the birthday of Chuck Taine, better known throughout the galaxy as Bouncing Boy.
Bouncing Boy is one of the most recognizable members of the Legion of Super-Heroes. He served with distinction for several years, then was a Reservist and an instructor at the Legion Academy for many years after he retired.

Art Institute of Zwen: Michael Allred

In 2004 DC published a book called SOLO. Each issue they handed the creative reigns to one individual artist and let him or her go crazy.

By far the best issue of SOLO I have ever come across was SOLO #7, with story and art by the great Michael Allred.

There are atleast four distinct, separate stories in the issue starring Batman, Hourman, The Teen Titans, and the entire Silver Age of DC Comics. The Legion of Super-Heroes appear in these last two installments.

Lightning Lad: Hot or Not?

After our Legion Reservists tore Cosmic Boy a new one, Lightning Lad certainly had cause to fear. This is what happens when you make a group of women with no real Legion lore a male Legionnaire and ask them for their first impressions...

Participants
Our honorary Legion members are...
Art Girl - A real visual artist whose tastes tend to anime more than American comics, the type of person who's likely to cosplay the Emerald Eye of Ekron.
DJ Nath - The group's empath, she somehow KNOWS who the Legionnaires are on sight alone. Like, REALLY knows them. From the INSIDE.
Lip-Bomb -Nath's sister is on her first participation so is guiltless of crimes committed against Cos. She's the other half of the sisterly You-Tube channel Mind Linked.
Havana Nights - A divorcee has her own take on what makes a man attractive, and we know she's made bad decisions before ;-).
Shotgun - Blasts away with unfiltered opinions. Che-CHIK. Uh-oh.
Moderator: Siskoid, behind Brainiac 5's force field.

5YL Legion of Super-Heroes #29

Recap: The Earth is *still* in shambles after the accidental triggering of the Dominator Triple Strike. But things are coming to a head. The UP is mobilizing to square off against the Dominion over Earth. The Terran Underground (now including the SW6 Legionnaires) has teamed up with Universo's rebellion in trying to organize the efforts on the planet. This includes a small team holing up in Dominion lab with clone pods. In one of those pods they discover Dirk 'Sun Boy' Morgna, alive but in agony from null radiation. And the Legion are debating if and when they join this war, especially given their recent losses when they entered the war against Glorith and the Khunds.

Legion of Super-Heroes #29 continues the Terra Mosaic storyline and continues to juggle the multiple plot lines surrounding the efforts to repel the Dominator control of Earth. After last issue's Sun Boy focus, the creative team of Keith Giffen, Tom & Mary Bierbaum, Jason Pearson, and Al Gordon use this issue to bring us up to date on everything and everyone else.

Superboy starring The Legion #213

Superboy starring The Legion of Super-Heroes #213 (Dec, 1975)
A Review by Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

title: "The Jaws of Fear"

writer: Jim Shooter

artist: Mike Grell

editor: Murray Boltinoff

cover: Mike Grell (signed)

Mission Monitor Board:  
Superboy, Ultra Boy, Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Phantom Girl, Wildfire, Shrinking Violet

Opponents: 
super-thief Benn Pares

Synopsis: 
At Legion HQ, super-thief Benn Pares walks into the meeting room. He claims to be bored and needing a challenge. He promises the Legion that he is going to steal the Miracle Machine within the next 48 hours, then promptly disappears. Saturn Girl had tried to read his mind, but could only get an image of white gates in space sector 14.

The Legion of Super-Bizarros!

In Adventure Comics #329 (Feb 1965) the greatest event in history of Legion of Stupid-Heroes not happens----the Legion ignores The Bizarro Legion! 

Bizarro Superboy am somehow not dead still in 30th Century. He leaves to Legion Club-house to quit. The Legion of course won't vote him in, so he comes near happy, vowing revenge. A few pages later he's on the Bizarro World Htrae, populated by just him and his son (?). Son appear always once and then on no pages forever. Bizarro Superboy uses Imperfect Duplicator Ray and creates best group in no time, Bizarro Legion!