Superboy & The Legion #247

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #247 (Jan, 1979)
title: "Savage Sanctuary!"

writer: Len Wein

penciller: Joe Staton

inker: Jack Abel
letterer: Ben Oda
colorist: Glynis Wein

editor: Jack C. Harris
cover: Joe Staton & Dick Giordano (signed)

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Superboy, Element Lad, Colossal Boy

Opponents: 
The Fatal Five

Synopsis: 
In outer space, Superboy is flying away from Corvan IV. He is calling for reinforcements after the Fatal Five defeated him, Element Lad, and Colossal Boy.


On Earth, Mano and The Persuader are called telepathically by Tharok. They had voluntarily turned themselves in to wait for the Legionnaires to report after their investigation on Corvan IV; however, after Tharok had captured Element Lad and Colossal Boy, Tharok called them back to Corvan IV. They break loose and head off into space.

In outer space, Superboy has no luck contacting any other Legionnaires, so he heads back to Corvan IV alone.

Please note there are no other meteors to "bury" Validus. 

On Corvan IV, the Emerald Empress and Validus want to kill the captured Legionnaires, but Tharok convinces them to wait so that they can use their captured Legionnaires as hostages against the others.

On the way back to Corvan IV, Superboy spies some green Kryptonite in an asteroid field. He decides to use it against the Emerald Eye. In a complicated maneuver he forces the asteroid belt to hit the Emerald Eye. However, Validus breaks free from the asteroids immediately and attacks Superboy.

During his battle with Superboy, Validus damages the power structure of the area. This allows Element Lad and Colossal Boy to break free from their energized bonds. As Tharok, Emerald Empress, and Validus corner Superboy, the other two join the fray, evening the odds somewhat. Then Mano and the Persuader arrive from Earth and also join the fight.

Suddenly, one of the local people yells, "Enough!" The Fatal Five stops to listen to them. The people explain that they want the Fatal Five to leave. Chastised, they disappear.

Commentary: 
If you thought the first part of this story was bad....sheesh. There is so much wrong with this story, I don't even know where to start. How about with the fact that Tharok contacts Mano & The Persuader on Earth telepathically.....millions of miles away, even though Tharok has never had any telepathic powers. Or the fact that Mano is shown blasting at things and Legionnaires, when his power has always been only via touch.

But those points are nothing compared to the idea that the subjugated people complain to the Fatal Five and then these cut-throat murderers....give up and leave!?! This is ludicrous. Everyone involved in this story should have read the return of the Fatal Five in Adventure Comics #365-366, where they subjugate Shadow Lass' planet. When *those* people asked them to leave, the Fatal Five laughed at them. Then beat them.

Also, Jack Abel inking Joe Staton is not attractive art. That is all.

title: "Celebration!"

writer: Paul Levitz

penciller: Joe Staton

inker: Dave Hunt

letterer: Mike Stevens

colorist: Cory Adams

editor: Jack C. Harris

Mission Monitor Board:  
all Legionnaires are shown, with featured players Brainiac 5, Wildfire, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Element Lad, Ultra Boy, Chameleon Boy, Mon-El, Star Boy, Dawnstar, Cosmic Boy, and Superboy

Opponents: 
a "jinx" preventing the leader election from occurring  


Synopsis: 
It is election day at Legion head-quarters, and Shadow Lass admits that she has voted for Brainiac 5. Element Lad is also a candidate, and hopes to finally win. When he gently teases Brainy about that, Brainiac 5 storms away angrily.

Wildfire is about to vote when the computer short-circuits. Wildfire is up for re-election, and Brainiac 5 accuses him of sabotage, then storms off.

The 2979 Legion (sans Superboy, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, and Tyroc) 

Wildfire leads everyone to the old voting computer in the trophy room. However, before they can start using it it suddenly falls through the floor into the underground lake. Without either computer to use, the election committee goes off to the create a back-up plan.

Several members are in the lounge when a fire explodes out of the fireplace, scaring Brainiac 5.

Chameleon Boy suggests that everyone assembles on a Legion Cruiser to vote. The fuel begins leaking, but Chameleon Boy surprises everyone by catching the jinx: Superboy!

Superboy explains that it is the anniversary of the day he was inducted into the Legion. At that time he had to endure four pranks: a short-circuited robot, a sunken statue, a fire, and leaking fuel. He was just getting back at them today by pranking them.

Everyone appreciates the practical joke. Then the computer on the cruiser spits out the election results: the winner is Lightning Lad!

Commentary: 
This is a cute little story that shows us just how much Paul Levitz knew about the Legion. Except for the scenes of Brainiac 5 acting irrationally, though, there really isn't much to this story. However, because the Legion made their debut in Adventure Comics #247, I guess it is nice that Superboy #247 features a "celebration" of them.

This is the first instance where inker Dave Hunt is paired with penciller Joe Staton.  In my opinion, Dave Hunt was one of the few Staton inkers who could successfully tone down Staton's "cartoonishness."

Science Police Notes:  

• This story is dedicated to Mort Weisinger, the editor who commissioned the very first Legion story in Adventure Comics #247.
• Tyroc sends in his vote, but is not present during the election. 
• Chameleon Boy shows us (again) that he a capable detective by realizing that the "jinx" was Superboy, then baiting him with the Legion cruiser's fuel.  

Status: 
This issue has not yet been reprinted.

Milestone: 
With this story, Wildfire is denied a second term as leader; Lightning Lad is elected as the Legion's 13th leader. Officially, Wildfire's term lasted from 22 issues, from Superboy/Legion #225 thru this issue. Although the letter column announces that the next election will be held "in a few months," Lightning Lad will not be replaced until Legion #291 (Sept 1982), a span of nearly four years.