New Years' Eve 2015

So here it is another year ending.....

Hard to believe another year has gone by. We've experienced some great highs in 2015, but we have had a few terrible lows, as well. 

Who's Who: Dragonmage

Dragonmage
by Siskoid

Real Name: Xao Jin

Super-Power(s): Magical spells accompanied by holographic dragons.
Planet of Origin: Earth.

Legion Seniority: Dragonmage was (alphabetically) the SW6 Legion's third new recruit.

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #47

The Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #47 (June, 1988)
title: "Conspiracy Theory"

writer: Paul Levitz

pencillers: Greg LaRocque & Pat Broderick
inker: Mike DeCarlo
lettering: John Costanza
colorist: Carl Gafford

editor: Karen Berger 

cover: Ken Steacy
reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Quislet, Timber Wolf, Lightning Lass, Magnetic Kid, Tellus, Phantom Girl, Ultra Boy, Dawnstar, Shadow Lass, Chameleon Boy, Shrinking Violet, Dream Girl, Brainiac 5, Invisible Kid, Sensor Girl, Polar Boy, Mon-El, Sun Boy, White Witch, and Wildfire

Guests: 
Bouncing Boy, Duo Damsel, Yera

Opponents: 
the threat of Starfinger, the threat of a Conspiracy in the Legion

The Numbers Game

click to enlarge to Colossal Boy size

In September 1998, a poster of the DC Comics line-up was given out on the summer convention circuit. It included most of the company’s characters at the time, with the Legion represented by the three founders and Brainiac 5. Although the figures were small in comparison to the size of others, they were featured smack dab in the center of the poster.

5YL: Legionnaires #1

Legionnaires #1 (April, 1993)
title: "Baptism by Fire!"

writers: Tom & Mary Bierbaum

penciller: Chris Sprouse
inker: Karl Story
lettering: Pat Brosseau
colorist: Tom McCraw
assistant editor: Eddie Berganza

editors: Michael Eury, KC Carlson

cover: Chris Sprouse & Karl Story
reviewer: Siskoid

Mission Monitor Board:  
Andromeda, Apparition, Alchemist, Brainiac 5 (SW6), Catspaw, Chameleon, Computo II, Cosmic Boy (SW6), Dragonmage, Ferro, Gossamer, Inferno, Invisible Kid (SW6), Leviathan, Live Wire, Matter-Eater Lad (SW6), Saturn Girl (SW6), Shrinking Violet (SW6), Triad, Ultra Boy (SW6)

Guests: 
Mega (1st appearance, dies), Tyroc

Opponents: 
The Hand, Mano

Merry Christmas!

Hoping that everyone has a great holiday season!

I'll be too busy drinking traditional kono juice (or as I call it - egg nog) to post anything dramatic today.

Merry Christmas!

Happy holidays!

Hope everyone gets something nifty!

Merry Christmas 2015

Here is our annual Christmas Tradition.....a reprint of "Star Light, Star Bright...Farthest Star I See Tonight!" from DC Special Series #21.
If you would like to read our review of this story from last year, check it out here.

Who's Who: Computo II

Computo II
by Siskoid

Real Name: Danielle Foccart

Super-Power(s): Machine telepathy and control.
Planet of Origin: Earth.

Legion Seniority: Computo II was (alphabetically) the SW6 Legion's second new recruit.

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #46

The Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #46 (May, 1988)
title: "On The Fourth Hand"

writer: Paul Levitz

pencillers: Greg LaRocque & Pat Broderick
inker: Mike DeCarlo
lettering: John Costanza
colorist: Carl Gafford

editor: Karen Berger 

cover: Ken Steacy
reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Mon-El, Brainiac 5, Polar Boy, Tellus, Chameleon Boy, Ultra Boy, Shadow Lass, Phantom Girl, Dawnstar, Sun Boy, Colossal Boy, Saturn Girl; cameos by Timber Wolf, Blok, Magnetic Kid, Element Lad, Shrinking Violet

Guests: 
Duo Damsel, Bouncing Boy, Atmos

Opponents: 
the threat of a Legion-based conspiracy, the threat of Starfinger

Happy Birthday, Magnetic Kid!

According to the 2995 LSH Sourcebook, today will be the birthday of Pol Krinn, better known throughout the galaxy as Magnetic Kid.
Magnetic Kid was one of the last new Legionnaires to join during the so-called "Original Age." He served for nearly two years before the Magic Wars began, and he sacrificed himself to help end the conflict.
Because Magnetic Kid is no longer with us, he doesn't have a horoscope. Instead, let's look at how each of the Legion artists illustrated this brave young man...

Alternate History: Power Girl and the Legion of Super-Heroes

Today we're hopping in our Legion Time Bubble and heading back to 1986 to fix the time stream! Come along as we speculate some alternative history!

Crisis on Infinite Earths really put a retcon-whammy on Legion continuity. We lost Supergirl and Superboy, which also removed the inspiration for the Legion. Our favorite 30th century heroes spent the next 20 years trying to make sense of their history. To be fair, the Legion weren't the only ones hit hard by the Crisis. Wonder Woman, Hawkman, the JSA, anyone connected to the Superman family, and many more. Most characters found their Post-Crisis footing fairly quickly. For whatever reason, the Legion continued to struggle. There was another character that never quite made the adjustment to the Post-Crisis universe -- Power Girl. Now, let's connect some dots...

What I'm proposing today is we travel back in time to 1986 just before Crisis began affecting DC continuity. Upon arrival our task is to convince the DC creative staff to retcon Power Girl into Legion continuity. This simple change would fix decades of headaches for numerous characters (and fans).

5YL: Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #3

The Legion of Super-Heroes (v4) Annual #3 (1992)
title: "Full Moon Fever"

writer: Al Gordon, Tom & Mary Bierbaum

pencillers: Rob Haynes, Ian Montgomery, Joe Phillips, Brandon Peterson
inkers: Al Gordon, John Dell, Scott Hanna
lettering: John Workman
colorist: Tom McCraw

editor: Mike Eury

cover: Keith Giffen and Al Gordon
reviewer: Siskoid

Mission Monitor Board:  
Blok (statue), Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5 (also as cartoon Proty form), Celeste Rockfish, Chameleon Boy (flashback and cartoon), Colossal Boy (also as cartoon), Cosmic Boy, Dream Girl (also as cartoon), Duo Damsel, Ferro Lad (statue), Kent Shakespeare, Kid Quantum (statue, technically 1st appearance), Kono, Light(ning) Lass (flashback, also as cartoon), Lightning Lad, Projectra, Polar Boy (cartoon), Saturn Girl (flashback), Shadow Lass, Sun Boy (flashback and cartoon), Shrinking Violet (also as cartoon), Star Boy, Tellus, Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy, Valor, Wildfire (cartoon)

Guests: 
Aria/Gemini, Chameleon Girl, Dacey Ranzz, Doritt Ranzz, Garridan Ranzz, Holt, King John of the United Planets, Lauren Gand, Lightning Lord, Loomis, Night Girl, Proty I (flashback, also as cartoon), Proty II, Rond Vidar, Tab, Yvyya Kallor

Opponents: 
Emerald Empress (flashback), Jean-Claude, Thrust (1st appearance)

Tyroc: Hot or Not?

Our group of candid women with no real Legion knowledge give Tyroc a shout-out. Is he Hot, or is he Not?

Participants
Our honorary Legion members are...
Art-Girl - Warning. She's been known to play around with Paint.
DJ Nath - She knows her music. Does she know her sonic heroes? Co-star of Mind Linked, on You-Tube, with her sister Lip-Bomb.
Havana Nights - Named after Dirty Dancing's sequel.
Lip-Bomb - Always the singer when she plays Rock Band.
Science Girl - Her screams of dismay can be heard 'round the world sometimes.
Shotgun - Loud talker.
Moderator: Siskoid - Made a point of listening to ABBA while editing this post.

5YL Legion: Who's Who Legion Subs

First off, a wholehearted thank you to Siskoid who did me a solid and substituted for me last Friday. Work got the best of me and the 'LSH post' check box on my to-do list remained unfilled. Thankfully, Siskoid put up his review of the 5YL Annual #2. I owe him thanks for pinch hitting.

And in one of those strange cosmic karma things, it just so happens that what I was planning to post last Friday was the 'Who's Who' loose leaf addition page about the Legion Subs. Coincidence?

Superboy & The Legion #245

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #245 (Nov, 1978)
title: "Mordru Master of Earth!"

writer: Paul Levitz

penciller: Joe Staton

inker: Murphy Anderson
letterer: Ben Oda
colorist: Cory Adams

editor: Al Milgrom
cover: Al Milgrom & Joe Rubinstein (signed)

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
The entire membership except for Tyroc, with featured players Superboy, Karate Kid, Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, Mon-El, Wildfire, Element Lad, Brainiac 5, Cosmic Boy

Guests: 
Duo Damsel, Bouncing Boy

Opponents: 
Mordru! as the master of both the Khunds and the Dark Circle

Who's Who: Catspaw

 

Catspaw
by Siskoid

Real Name: April Dumaka

Super-Power(s): Enhanced agility, speed, and senses (including night vision); retractable claws; animal-like instincts.
Planet of Origin: Earth

Legion Seniority: Catspaw was (alphabetically) the SW6 Legion's first new recruit.

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #45

The Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #45 (April, 1988)
title: "Unlucky Streak"

writer: Paul Levitz

pencillers: Greg LaRocque, Kurt Schaffenberger, Curt Swan, Dave Cockrum, Mike Grell, Keith Giffen
inkers: Mike DeCarlo, Dick Giordano
ink assist: Arne Starr
lettering: John Costanza
colorist: Carl Gafford

editor: Karen Berger 

cover: Ken Steacy
reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
All of the Legionnaires appear, with sizable amount of stage time devoted to Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, Sun Boy, Mon-El, Superboy, Wildfire, Polar Boy, Dream Girl, Brainiac 5, Sensor Girl, and Shadow Lass

Guests: 
Labyrinth Warden Tsaquin, SP Officer Erin, Atmos, Graym and Validus Ranzz

Opponents: 
The Luck Lords, Lightning Lord

Art Institute of Zoon: Thomas Zahler

I met Thomas Zahler over the summer when we had a mini- Fire and Water Podcast Family meeting in Columbus, Ohio. That's Tom on the far left, The Irredeemable One next to him, and ye editor next. (For purists, the others are Nuclear Subs JC, Michael, Emily, Van-Zee, and Professor Quarterbin!)

5YL: Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #2

The Legion of Super-Heroes (v4) Annual #2 (1991)
title: "The Legend of Valor"

writer: Tom & Mary Bierbaum

penciller: Brandon Peterson
inker: Scott Hanna
lettering: Janice Chiang
colorist: Tom McCraw

editor: Dan Raspler

cover: Brandon Peterson
reviewer: Siskoid

Mission Monitor Board:  
Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, Matter-Eater Lad, Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl, Sun Boy, Triplicate Girl, Ultra Boy, Valor

Guests: 
Diamond Caste (556), Sub-Dominans (362, Lustig, Mac, Shamarra), Vril Dox (cameo)

Opponents: 
Dark Circle, Dominators, Gennesaret, Glorith

Superboy & The Legion #244

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #244 (Oct, 1978)
title: "The Dark Circle That Crushed Earth"

writer: Paul Levitz

penciller: Joe Staton

inker: Joe Giellla
letterer: Ben Oda
colorist: Cory Adams

editor: Al Milgrom
cover: Jim Sherman & Joe Rubinstein (signed)

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Superboy, Ultra Boy, Mon-El, Wildfire, Dawnstar, Sun Boy, Colossal Boy, Element Lad, Karate Kid

Guests: 
retired Legionnaires Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, Duo Damsel, Bouncing Boy; SP Officer Shvaughn Erin

Opponents: 
The Dark Circle, The Khunds, and the big reveal----

Who's Who: Devlin O'Ryan / Reflex

Devlin O'Ryan / Reflex
by Siskoid

Real Name: Devlin O'Ryan

Super-Power(s): Reflect objects and force directed at him.
Planet of Origin: Xanthu

Legion Seniority: Devlin was the third new recruit following the Legion's reformation after the Five-Year Gap.

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #44

The Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #44 (March, 1988)
title: "Quislet's Story"

writer: Paul Levitz

penciller: Greg LaRocque
inker: Mike DeCarlo
lettering: John Costanza
colorist: Carl Gafford

editor: Karen Berger 

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

Mission Monitor Board:  
Quislet, Wildfire; Brainiac 5, Tellus, Invisible Kid, Polar Boy, Dream Girl

Guests: 
Atmos

Opponents: 
the "people" of Quislet's dimension, the Luck Lords

Legion of Super Heroes S01 E03: Legacy

"Legacy" was written by Scott Sonneborn and directed by Tim Maltby, original airdate: October 7. 2006.

Mission Monitor Board: Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Brainiac 5, Phantom Girl, young Superman

Opponents: Alexis Luthor, Wodehouse, the Scavengers

I suppose I should have guessed from the red hair, purple and green outfit, and battle suit, that Alexis was a descendant of Lex Luthor, but if I'm being honest, my head was in a whole different direction. Although, in hindsight, was anyone else freaked out by how much Alexis looked like a female Jimmy Olsen? Young Superman will be in therapy for years if he remembers this one.

5YL: Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #1

The Legion of Super-Heroes (v4) Annual 1# (1990)
title: "Charade"

writer: Tom & Mary Bierbaum

penciller: Dougie Braithwaite
inker: Doug Hazelwood and Larry Mahlstedt
lettering: Todd Klein
colorist: Tom McCraw

editor: Michael Eury

cover: Adam Hughes and Al Gordon
reviewer: Siskoid

Mission Monitor Board:  
Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Cosmic Boy, Duo Damsel, Invisible Kid, Laurel Gand, Light Lass, Lightning Lad, Matter-Eater Lad, Phantom Girl (dies), Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet, Star Boy, Sun Boy, Ultra Boy, Valor, Wildfire

Guests: 
An Ryd, Crav Nahm, Marla Latham, Mytra Nah, Phase, R.J. Brande, Reflecto, Rond Vidar, Si

Opponents: 
Dominators, Glorith, Mordru, Omega, Sygyn

Wildfire: Hot or Not?

Do you need a body to be hot? Our group of candid women with no real Legion knowledge make a determination.

Participants
Our honorary Legion members are...
Art-Girl - Has worn Halloween costumes that were stronger containment suits than Wildfire's.
DJ Nath - Had Great Balls of Fire running in her head the whole time. Co-star of Mind Linked, on You-Tube, with her sister Lip-Bomb.
Havana Nights - Our sole divorcée; she understands true drama.
Lip-Bomb - Has both Irish and Native blood, coincidentally.
Science Girl - Not wild about anti-matter.
Shotgun - Doing the chat from a hotel room somewhere. It'll become relevant.
Moderator: Siskoid - Identifies strongly with Wildfire, so dreading this.

5YL Friday: Who's Who

It's hard to believe that my run on the 5YL era is over and I can only hope that I did it justice in my reviews. For me, it once again solidified the early issues of the run as one of the most ambitious and excellent runs I have read in my comic history.

While the Five Years Later run was something of a reboot, resetting the future as a darker place, it leaned heavily on Legion Lore. I have heard some people say that 5YL is and advanced Legion course, something Legion scholars would take in their senior year of the Academy.

Superboy & The Legion #243

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #243 (Sept, 1978)
title: "Earth's Last Stand"

writer: Paul Levitz

penciller: Joe Staton

inker: Jack Abel
letterer: Jean Simek
colorist: Cory Adams

editor: Al Milgrom
cover: Mike Grell & Joe Rubinstein (signed)

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Wildfire, Sun Boy, Superboy, Colossal Boy, Element Lad, Mon-El, Ultra Boy, Dawnstar, Chameleon Boy, Princess Projectra, Star Boy, Cosmic Boy, Timber Wolf, Phantom Girl, Light Lass, Shrinking Violet, Dream Girl, Brainiac 5

Guests: 
SP Officer Shvaughn; Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, Duo Damsel, Bouncing Boy; the Legion of Substitute Heroes (Polar Boy, Night Girl, Stone Boy, Fire Lad, Chlorophyll Kid, Color Kid)

Opponents: 
the Khunds, the Dark Circle, unnamed terrorist

Who's Who: Celeste Rockfish / Neon

Celeste Rockfish / Neon
by Siskoid

Real Name: Celeste McCauley

Super-Power(s): Green Lantern emerald energy, mostly used for flight and force blasts.
Planet of Origin: Earth

Legion Seniority: Celeste was the second new recruit following the Legion's reformation after the Five-Year Gap.

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #43

The Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #43 (Feb, 1988)
title: "..And Wake to Find A Dream"

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

Guests: 
SP Chief Zendak, SP Officer Shvaughn, Atmos

Opponents: 
The Manhunter known as Laurel Kent