5YL Supplemental: Zero Hour

Zero Hour #3-1 (September 1994)
title: "Zero Hour"

writer: Dan Jurgens

penciller: Dan Jurgens
inker: Jerry Ordway
lettering: Gaspar Saladino
colorist: Gregory Wright
assistant editor: Mike McAvenie

editor: KC Carlson

cover: Dan Jurgens and Jerry Ordway
reviewer: Siskoid

Mission Monitor Board:  
Cosmic Boy (three versions), Lightning Lad, Live Wire, Saturn Girl (both), Ultra Boy

Guests: 
The rest of the DC Universe

Opponents: 
Extant, Parallax

Threeboot: Legion of Super-Heroes #15

Recap: The United Planets is recovering from the war against Praetor Lemnos and his Terror Firma. The Legion is also recovering, picking up the pieces of their destroyed headquarters, bunking at family homes, and ultimately signing on with the UP for funding. But remember, the Legion is just the team ... it's a movement. How are the followers coping?

Writer Mark Waid had a difficult task ahead of him when he signed up to write the Threeboot Legion. Who would dare recreate the Legion, satisfying the die-hard continuity-loving older fans while being fresh and accessible enough to bring in a new fandom. It couldn't have been easy. And frankly, I wasn't following things on social media back then enough to really know what the reaction was.

Legion of Super-Heroes #15 was something of a retro issue, perhaps throwing a bone to the older fans. It was obvious, just based on the cover, that this was going to be something different than the usual Threeboot book. There is Dawnstar, Blok, and Tyroc ... all nowhere to be seen in this new continuity ... standing proudly, front and center. And those are some flashback uniforms too. Behind them are thernew Legionnaires. One thing I can say from this, cover artist can draw a great Dawnstar.

I don't if this was considered a tease or an homage. But it at least showed that Waid was trying to reconcile old histories with new.

The art on the book is done by Pat Oliffe, Adam DeKraker, and others. As I have said before, Kitson's art was definitely a big part of this book's appeal and feel. To see him off the book for another issue was something of a letdown.

Looking ahead, this was the perfect 'rest issue' before the bold new direction we see next issue, both a look back and a pause before the future.

The Legion of Super-Heroes v1

As we here at Legion of Super-Bloggers have finished our reviews of the third volume of Legion of Super-Heroes and gear up to start profiling the second volume, we thought we should stop and talk about the unheralded and often forgotten FIRST volume of that title...

Who's Who: Earth-Man

 

Earth-Man
by Siskoid

Real Name: Kirt Niedrigh

Super-Power(s): Absorption/mimicry of other super-humanoids' powers.
Planet of Origin: Earth

Legion Seniority: Earth-Man was the second Legion recruit after the Retroboot.

Good-bye to Legion of Super-Heroes (v3)

The Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) made its debut in May, 1984. I was in college when it came out, and I distinctly remember walking more than 10 blocks from campus to the closest book-store I knew to pick up my copy.

This first issue was a big deal because it was one of DC's first "direct market" comics. That means that it would not be available via the then-regular distribution system that got comic-books into places like 7-11s, grocery stores, Targets, or, yes, news stands. So if I wanted a copy, I needed to go to a specific store to find a copy.

By the time the series ended in 1989, "direct market" was the acceptable mode of distribution, and "news stand" comics were a thing of the past.

SUPER ZEROES

Remember Zero Hour?
    Indeed, some fans would probably prefer to forget it. The series was done with the best of intentions, aiming to clear up various inconsistencies caused by the landmark Crisis on Infinite Earths. It promised to consolidate the inconsistent future timelines of the DC Universe into a new unity.

5YL: Valor #23

Valor #23 (September 1994)
title: "Infinite Valor"

writer: Kurt Busiek

penciller: Colleen Doran
inker: Dave Cooper
lettering: Bob Pinaha
colorist: Dave Grafe

assistant editor: Mike McAvennie

editor: KC Carlson

cover: Stuart Immonen
partners in time travel: Mark Waid and Tom McCraw
reviewer: Siskoid

Mission Monitor Board:  
Alchemist, Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5 (both), Celeste, Cosmic Boy, Dream Girl (both), Duo Damsel, Element Lad, Ferro, Ferro Lad, Gossamer, Inferno, Light Lass, Lightning Lad, Live Wire, Matter-Eater Lad (both), Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl (both), Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet (both), Star Boy, Sun Boy, Triad, Ultra Boy (both), Valor, Wildfire/N.R.G.

Guests: 
Night Girl, Superboy (pocket universe)

Opponents: 
Glorith, Mordru, Time Trapper

5YL: Legionnaires #18

Legionnaires #18 (September 1994)
title: "Changing Times"

writers: Mark Waid and Tom McCraw

penciller: Chris Gardner
inker: Dennis Cramer
lettering: Pat Brosseau
colorist: Tom McCraw
assistant editor: Mike McAvennie

editor: KC Carlson

cover: Stuart Immonen
reviewer: Siskoid

Mission Monitor Board:  
Alchemist, Bouncing Boy (both), Brainiac 5 (both), Celeste, Chameleon, Chemical King, Cosmic Boy (both), Duo Damsel, Dragonmage, Dream Girl (both), Element Lad, Inferno, Invisible Kid (SW6), Kono, Live Wire, Matter-Eater Lad (SW6), Polar Boy, Projectra, Reflex, Saturn Girl (both), Shrinking Violet (both), Star Boy (both), Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy (both), White Witch/Jewel, Wildfire/N.R.G

Guests: 
Amethyst, Night Girl, Rond Vidar, Science Police, Superman

Opponents: 
Glorith, Mordru, Time Trapper; evil Legionnaires pulled out of time to fight for them, including Blok, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Chemical King, Cosmic Boy, Dawnstar, Element Lad, Invisible Kid I, Karate Kid, Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet, and Ultra Boy.

"Magic" Defeated; Legionnaire Dies

Threeboot: Legion of Super-Heroes #14

Recap: The war is over! The Legion using some brilliant strategy and a little luck, was able to defeat the machination of Praetor Lemnos and his Terror Firma. But war has its casualties and the Legion wasn't spared. Dream Girl has died, sending Brainiac 5 into a bit of a obsessive quest to save her, her body kept in complete suspension in his lab. But the big questions is 'what do you do the day after the war?'

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #63

The Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #63 (August, 1989)
title: "Where Has All The Magic Gone?"

writer: Paul Levitz

co-plotter/layouts: Keith Giffen
finished art: Mike DeCarlo
lettering: John Costanza
colorist: Carl Gafford
asst editor: Art Young 

editor: Karen Berger 

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

Mission Monitor Board:  
All the current Legionnaires (in order of appearance) Lightning Lass, Polar Boy, Chameleon Boy, Sensor Girl, Blok, Wildfire, Tellus, Ultra Boy, Element Lad, Shrinking Violet, Colossal Boy, Phantom Girl, Dawnstar, Saturn Girl, Invisible Kid, Timber Wolf, Sun Boy

Guests: 
Brainiac 5, White Witch, Dream Girl, Star Boy, Duo Damsel, Bouncing Boy, Lightning Lad, Cosmic Boy, Night Girl, Karate Kid II, Comet Queen, Harlack, Amethyst, spirit of Zerox

Opponents: 
The Archmage, Atmos

Who's Who: Chameleon Girl

Chameleon Girl
by Siskoid

Real Name: Yera Allon

Super-Power(s): Shape-changing.
Planet of Origin: Earth

Legion Seniority: Chameleon Girl was the first new Legion recruit after the Retroboot.

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #62

The Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #62 (July, 1989)
title: "Why Must Magic Triumph?"

writer: Paul Levitz

co-plotter/layout artist: Keith Giffen
finished art: Mike DeCarlo
lettering: Agustin Mas
colorist: Carl Gafford
asst editor: Art Young 

editor: Karen Berger 

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

Mission Monitor Board:  
Sun Boy, Invisible Kid, Timber Wolf, Element Lad, Phantom Girl, Sensor Girl, Chameleon Boy, Dawnstar, Wildfire, Colossal Boy, Tellus, Ultra Boy, Lightning Lass, Polar Boy, Blok, Magnetic Kid, Shrinking Violet, Saturn Girl

Guests: 
Ambassador Relnic, Heroes of Lallor (Duplicate Boy, Gas Girl, Life Lass, Evolvo Lad), Brainiac 5, Bouncing Boy, Duo Damsel, Dr. Gym'll, SP Chief Cusimano, former Chief Zendak, SP Officer Shvaughn, SP Officer Dvron

Opponents: 
the entity responsible for the resurgence of magic

The Return of the Composite Superman!

This time out, it’s another Silver Age guest appearance of the Legion of Super-Heroes!  The Composite Superman is back! He once again uses his combined powers of the Legion to menace the Superman and Batman team in the pages of World’s Finest Comics #168. 

Stone Boy: Hot or Not?

Our group of candid women with no real Legion knowledge asked to check out the Substitute-Heroes. Will Stone Boy be their rock?

Participants
Our honorary Legion members are...
Art-Girl - Sculpture was not her thing.
DJ Nath - Likes rock, but all sorts of other musical genres.
Havana Nights - Loves a good 6-month nap.
Lip-Bomb - Can she love another with a heart of stone? With her sister Nath, she co-hosts the YouTube channel Mind Linked.
Science Girl - Geology was not her thing.
Shotgun - Loaded with rock salt.
Moderator: Siskoid - Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
And note that now the girls are now doing a podcast with the same premise, only over in the Marvel Universe in oHOTmu or NOT? every few weeks.

Threeboot: Legion of Super-Heroes #13

Recap: The Legion had been on the defensive against Praetor Lemnos and his Terror Firma, heading to defend  key UP worlds to keep the lines of communication and teleportation open. But then Cosmic Boy had a revelation. The best defense is a good offense. Cos suggests the Legion take control of all UP communications and derail the teleportation lines, stranding Lemnos' army on their command world. With civilians relatively safe, the Legion team decides it is time to do what they do best - inspire young people and kick the tar out of bad guys.

Legion of Super-Heroes #13 closed out the major story which had been moving through the title since its first issue. Writer Mark Waid and artist Barry Kitson had the tough task of reintroducing us to a 'new' Legion while giving us a major plot that would bring the right gravitas to the team and title. I enjoyed the way Waid went about this, focusing on key Legionnaires so we could get to know these new versions while having the Lemnos plot of destroying the UP percolate in the background. If you read these reviews, you know that I have enjoyed the book ... more than I remembered.

You know there was going to be a 'but', right?

The truth was, this plot was now a year in and even as I review these, one book a week, I was kind of ready to see it end. Now that I felt that I had a handle on this new team and new continuity, I wanted more. I wanted different villains. What was Mordru like here? The Fatal Five? Was there an RJ Brande? A Daxam? I was happy with this new reality. Now I wanted to see more than Praetor Lemnos and his machinations.

And so I was glad to see the arc end here so Waid could branch out a bit. The ending feels a little rushed. But there is closure. There is a departure. And there is a mystery.

Good-bye to Superboy: The Series

With the story that began in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #258 and ended in Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #259, Superboy was effectively fired from the Legion. The group that owed its entire existence to its "lead," basically kicked him out of his own title.

Who's Who: Gazelle

Gazelle
by Siskoid

Real Name: Giselle Smith

Super-Power(s): Conscious metabolic control which can produce super-speed and strength and simulate death.
Planet of Origin: Triton

Legion Seniority: Gazelle was the third completely new Legion recruit after the Threeboot.

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #61

The Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #61 (June, 1989)
title: "Will Magic or Science Prevail?"

writer: Paul Levitz

penciller/co-plotter: Keith Giffen
inker: Al Gordon
lettering: Augustin Mas
colorist: Carl Gafford
asst editor: Art Young 

editor: Karen Berger 

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

Mission Monitor Board:  
Tellus, Ultra Boy, Timber Wolf, Sensor Girl, Shrinking Violet, Lightning Lass, Invisible Kid, Colossal Boy, Sun Boy, Polar Boy, Magnetic Kid, Blok, Saturn Girl, Element Lad, Phantom Girl, Shadow Lass, Mon-El; cameos by dead Legionnaires Karate Kid, Invisble Kid (I), Ferro Lad, and Chemical King

Guests: 
Bouncing Boy, Antonio Stefannacci, Sarvisa, SP Chief Cusimano, former Substitute Heroes Chlorophyll Kid & Fire Lad

Opponents: 
the unnamed source of the return of magic

Legion of Super Heroes S01 E06: Fear Factory

"Fear Factory" was written by John Esposito and directed by Ben Jones, original airdate: November 18, 2006.

Mission Monitor Board: Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Brainiac 5, Bouncing Boy, and young Superman.

Opponents: Professor Planarus, Boris

What scares you? In this episode of "Legion of Super Heroes," we get to find out what five of the Legionnaires are afraid of as they board a derelict space station. This one has lots of horror movie references, I talk about Brainiac 5, and lots more.

5YL: Valor #22

Valor #22 (August 1994)
title: "The Center Cannot Hold!"

writer: Kurt Busiek

penciller: Colleen Doran
inker: Dave Cooper
lettering: Bob Pinaha
colorist: Dave Grafe

assistant editor: Mike McAvennie

editor: KC Carlson

cover: Stuart Immonen
spotters: Mark Waid and Tom McCraw
reviewer: Siskoid

Mission Monitor Board:  
Andromeda, Computo II, Invisible Kid II, Shadow Lass, Tyroc, Valor

Guests: 
Chlorophyll Kid, Color Kid, Dev-Em, Fire Lad, Infectious Lass, Marla Latham, R.J. Brande, Stone Boy

Opponents: 
None

Threeboot: Legion of Super-Heroes #12

Recap: All-out war has been declared between Praetor Lemnos and his Terror Firma army and the United Planets/Legion forces. Putting their differences behind them, Brainiac 5 and Cosmic Boy split the Legion into four groups. Cos leads a squad on Dormir, a planet of thought which is the communication hub of the UP. Lightning Lad is on Ttrxl, a 5th dimensional world which provides energy for the teleportation tech of the UP. Karate Kid has a team at Lemnos' headquarters. That leaves Brainiac 5 and Invisible Kid alone on Earth to fight Elysion the Terrakinetic. Already, Dream Girl has died at his hands. 

Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #259

Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #259 (January, 1980)
title: "Psycho War"

writer: Gerry Conway

penciller: Joe Staton

inker: Dave Hunt
letterer: Milt Snapinn
colorist: Gene D'Angelo

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

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Superboy, Wildfire, Karate Kid, Shrinking Violet, Chameleon Boy, Shadow Lass, Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, Sun Boy; cameo by Mon-El?

Guests: 
RJ Brande, Ma & Pa Kent (images)

Opponents: 
Rejis Thomak, aka Psycho Warrior

Who's Who: M'Rissey

M'Rissey
by Siskoid

Real Name: R. M'Rissey

Super-Power(s): Applied operational calculus.
Planet of Origin: Earth

Legion Seniority: M'Rissey was the second completely new Legion recruit after the Threeboot.

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #60

The Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #60 (May, 1989)
title: "When Magic Shall Return"

writer: Paul Levitz

penciller/co-plotter: Keith Giffen
inker: Al Gordon
lettering: John Costanza
colorist: Carl Gafford
asst editor: Art Young 

editor: Karen Berger 

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

Mission Monitor Board:  
Polar Boy, Timber Wolf, Sensor Girl, Saturn Girl, Phantom Girl, Tellus, Shrinking Violet, Wildfire, Element Lad, Blok, Lightning Lass, Sun Boy, Invisible Kid, Colossal Boy

Guests: 
Antonio Stephanacci, Sarvisa & the unnamed bird from Zerox (the Sorcerers' World)

Opponents: 
the unnamed source of the return of magic

LSH Cover to Cover 7: 1968-1969

Welcome to the seventh installment of our Legion of Super-Bloggers feature on all of the comic-book cover appearances of The Legion in chronological order. This time we start with 1968 and extend a bit into 1969. This will be a year of changes, as we start with Curt Swan and end with Neal Adams!

1968 started out in typical Silver Age fashion, with a cover feature on The Legion of Super-Pets. However, from February we get the return of the Fatal Five and the debut of Shadow Lass....with the debut of Neal Adams as cover artist, to boot.

Neal Adams drew the majority of the Adventure Comics covers for the remaining 18 months, until the Legion was unceremoniously booted out of the lead cover-spot in Adventure and dumped into the back-up spot in Action Comics. They then had to endure a long dry spell before they re-appeared on another cover....!

5YL: Legionnaires #17

Legionnaires #17 (August 1994)
title: "History Lesson"

writer: Mark Waid

penciller: Chris Gardner
inker: Dennis Cramer
lettering: Pat Brosseau
colorist: Tom McCraw
assistant editor: Mike McAvennie

editor: KC Carlson

cover: Stuart Immonen
special thanks: Kurt Busiek, Tom McCraw
reviewer: Siskoid

Mission Monitor Board:  
Alchemist, Andromeda, Apparition, Brainiac 5 (both), Celeste, Chameleon, Chemical King, Cosmic Boy/Polestar, Dawnstar, Dragonmage, Dream Girl (SW6), Inferno, Invisible Kid (SW6), Kid Quantum, Leviathan, Lightning Lad, Lightning Lass, Matter-Eater Lad, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet (both), Spider-Girl/Wave, Star Boy (SW6), Timber Wolf, Triad, Ultra Boy (SW6), Valor, White Witch/Jewel, Wildfire/N.R.G.

Guests: 
Dev-Em, Lightning Lord (5YL), Rond Vidar

Opponents: 
Beauty Blaze, Cosmic King (Silver Age), Glorith, Lightning Lord (Silver Age), Mordru, Satan Girl, Saturn Queen (Silver Age), Urthlo

Threeboot: Legion of Super-Heroes #11

Recap: It's all out war between Praetor Lemnos with his Terror Firma and the United Planets. The Legion has decided they need to be proactive. The team puts their personal differences behind them to fight for the UP. Cosmic Boy divides the Legion into three away teams to attack key points in the remaining UP. Unfortunately, that leaves Earth relatively unprotected. The head of Terror Firma, Elysion, and suicide bombers bring down the Legion Headquarters. And the team suffers it's first casualty. Dream Girl has died in the carnage.

Legion of Super-Heroes #11 pushes the narrative of this United Planets war forward dramatically. Mark Waid brings us to all the fronts of the war, spending pages in four different locales. It is ambitious, especially when we see the worlds the away teams are sent to. These are new places for us to learn about. We aren't heading to Braal. We are heading to chaotic and cerebral environments. There is a definite sort of Silver Age patina on this issue. Remember when an incredibly wild story with multiple location changes and a lot of exposition would be crammed into a 14 page Silver Age story? Have you ever read those Silver Age Legion stories where planets were inhabited by giant puppets, intelligent animals, etc. That is a little what this felt like. But while Silver Age-y, this had enough modern sensibilities to be appropriate for this age.

As wild as those other worldly scenes are, the Earth pages are the most striking. Brainy is mourning the loss of Dream Girl. It is the most emotional I have seen this version of Querl. And it is the most devastated I have seen Brainy since the post-Crisis Kara death. That is unsettling.

The art is done again by Barry Kitson and Mick Gray. Kitson shines in this issue bringing different page layouts and styles for the different worlds we are visiting. More specific comments when we see the art. But this is solid stuff. It also feels like this is the first time I have seen computer effects brought into comics.