Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #42

The Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #42 (Jan, 1988)
title: "To Sleep A Thousand Years"

writer: Paul Levitz

penciller: Greg LaRocque
inker: Mike DeCarlo
ink assist: Arne Starr
lettering: John Costanza
colorist: Carl Gafford

editor: Karen Berger 

cover: Steve Lightle
reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Polar Boy, Tellus, Sun Boy, Shadow Lass, Invisible Kid, Chameleon Boy, Brainiac 5, Element Lad, Shrinking Violet, Timber Wolf, Dream Girl, Colossal Boy

Opponents: 
Laurel Kent, who reveals herself to be a member of the Manhunters



Synopsis: 
At LSH HQ, Polar Boy is beside himself with glee that Star Finger's crime organization has been destroyed. He is so enthralled with himself that he doesn't notice when Tellus leaves him. Tellus is disheartened to notice that his friend is stuck on himself.

Sun Boy and Laurel Kent have just come home from a night of dancing. She says good-night to him, but then secretly heads to the Multi-Lab.

In the gym, Tellus is surprised to find a crowd as he begins to swim in the pool. Chameleon Boy arrives to pick up some of Colossal Boy's personal training equipment. Colossal Boy is bed-ridden after Star Finger's attack on him. Element Lad sees Cham off on his "social call," although he says that Dream Girl had a vision about him that she was concerned about.

In the Multi-Lab, Laurel is manipulating data from the Legion's computer banks when Brainiac 5 interrupts her. She attacks. His force-shield manages to protect him, but eventually she knocks him unconscious. The others arrive, so she grabs the data that she can and escapes.

Chameleon Boy visits with Colossal Boy, then heads off to investigate whether Star Finger is really dead or not.

Brainiac 5 has matched the geological research that Laurel was checking with a similar type of computer found at a temple in the Himalayas. A team flies there to investigate. Upon landing, Tellus "feels" that the monks welcoming them are actually androids. When they attack, the Legion is ready. Laurel shows herself and admits that she was a "sleeper agent" for 1,000 years, since the time of (the DC cross-over event) Millenium. She admits that she needed the Legion's computer to trace any possible immortals, but now that her identity is known she will kill them.

Commentary: 
I originally read this and the next issue separate from the actual Millenium cross-over, and I didn't mind that I had. This is more of a "follow-up" to the actual crossover, not a particularly tightly linked story (such as The Outsiders issues were, as I recall).

I know that some fans were disappointed that Laurel Kent turned out to not be a descendant of Superman after all, but I think this reveal was clever. Now that time travelling was off the table, this was a clever way of allowing the Legion to participate in the story-line.

On the other hand, the execution of the good idea leaves something to be desired. Are we to believe that Laurel Kent never ever took a chance to down-load any data from the Legion computer until this particular night? So she had an "alarm clock" that told her to strike on this particular night? I don't understand that. And if she had actually lived (?) the entire 1,000 years between the Millenium and "today" (2988), wouldn't she already know whether there had ever been any immortals around?

Besides that particular plot point, this is a good example of the best "tie-in" stories: fine on its own, but a little bit more interesting if you actually read the companion issues.

The one complaint I have, as always now, is the art. Are my standards getting higher, or are Greg Laroque & Mike DeCarlo getting lazier, or both? The pages without backgrounds are numerous. The stilted poses and unattractive faces are likewise all over the place. So-called action scenes are dull, and explosions take up huge panels. Check out the full-page art that accompanies the explanation of who and what the Manhunters are: it is dull, plain and simple. The scene where Brainiac 5 interfaces directly with the Legion computer could have been wild and crazy (like the page shown above where Laurel first starts to collect the data) but instead we get a whole PAGE of Brainiac 5 sitting.

The cover, by Steve Lightle, however, is another masterpiece. Could we please have him back? Please?

Science Police Notes:  

• The logo on the cover claims that this is part of Millenium: Week 2. 
• Polar Boy mentions that Ultra Boy, Phantom Girl, Blok, and Magnetic Kid have been dispatched to search for The Wanderers. Did this ever lead to anything? And why wouldn't Dawnstar have gone along, as her power is the ability to track? 
• Chameleon Boy admits to Invisible Kid that Colossal Boy is his oldest (and dearest?) friend. 
• Tellus admonishes Timber Wolf for calling him "Fishy," telling him to use his code-name or his real-name, and not use any made-up nick-names. 

Status: 
This story has not yet been reprinted.