Legion of Super-Heroes #286

Legion of Super-Heroes #286

“Old Friends, New Relatives, and Other Corpses”

APRIL 1982

The Great Darkness Saga Part Three

Written by Paul Levitz

Pencilled by Pat Broderick

Inked by Bruce Patterson

Lettered by John Constanza

Colored by Gene D’Angelo

Edited by Anton Kawasaki

Cover by Pat Broderick and Romeo Tanghal

Roll Call:

Blok, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Dawnstar, Lightning Lad, Lightning Lass, Phantom Girl, R.J. Brande, Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet, Star Boy, Sun Boy, Superboy, Timber Wolf, and Ultra Boy.

We’re back with the third installment of the Great Darkness Saga story arc, as it is presented and reprinted in the Great Darkness Saga TPB & HC. Just like the previous issue, Legion of Super-Heroes #286 featured two stories, a lead feature that ran 18 pages, as well as back-up story, that checks-in on Karate Kid and Princess Projectra on her homeworld of Orando.

Who's Who: Dark Circle

Dark Circle
by Russell & Siskoid

Members: Ontir, Golgoth, various unnamed

Super-Power(s): Vast humanoid and technological resources.
Planet of Origin: Various

Relationship to Legion: Villains turned organized religion.

Reboot: Legionnaires #21

Legionnaires #21 (January 1994)
title: "Enter the Workforce!"

writer: Tom Peyer

penciller: Jeffrey Moy
inker: W.C. Carani
lettering: Pat Brosseau
colorist: Tom McCraw

assistant editor: Mike McAvennie
editor: KC Carlson

cover: Jeffrey Moy and W.C. Carani
reviewers: Siskoid & Shotgun

Mission Monitor Board:  
Apparition, Brainiac 5, Chameleon, Cosmic Boy, Invisible Kid, Leviathan, Saturn Girl, Spark, Triad, XS

Guests: 
Evolvo, Inferno, Karate Kid, Live Wire, Spider Girl, Ultra Boy

Opponents: 
Bur Rac, Leland McCauley, technology thieves (one of which is named Klorn)

Happy Birthday, Dan Jurgens!

Happy Birthday, Dan Jurgens! 

Today is the birthday of super-talented comic-book artist and writer and Legion fan extraorinary Dan Jurgens, born on this date in 1959.

Threeboot: Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #22

Recap: The Legion is adapting to life as an adjunct of the United Planets and having Supergirl on the team. The Girl of Steel is certainly popular as many of the Legionnaires seem smitten or obsessed with her. But bubbling underneath this internal strife are external forces: the Dominators, a robot rebellion, and another super-powered teen team which seems to be evil. Hopefully the Legion will be ready to face these threats when they finally arrive!

Legion of Super-Heroes #285

Legion of Super-Heroes #285

"Night Never Falls at Nullport"

Written by Paul Levitz

Pencilled by Pat Broderick

Inked & Lettered by Bruce D. Patterson

Colored by Gene D’Angelo

Edited by Mike W. Barr

Cover by Pat Broderick & Romeo Tanghal

Roll Call:

Brainiac 5, Colossal Boy, Karate Kid, Lightning Lass, Mon-El, Princess Projectra, Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet, Star Boy, Timber Wolf

We’re back with the second installment of the Great Darkness Saga, as collected in the Great Darkness Saga HC & TPB. This time out it’s Legion of Super-Heroes #285, which features a 19 page lead story starring a small squadron of Legionnaires and an 8 page back-up story featuring Dream Girl.

Who's Who: Cosmic King

Cosmic King
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: Unknown

Super-Power(s): Transmutation.
Planet of Origin: Venus

Relationship to Legion: Villain; member of the original Legion of Super-Villains.

Reboot: Legion of Super-Heroes #64

Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #64 (January 1995)
title: "Sibling Rivalry"

writers: Mark Waid and Tom McCraw

penciller: Lee Moder and Yancey Labat
inker: Ron Boyd
lettering: Bob Pinaha
colorist: Tom McCraw

assistant editor: Mike McAvennie
editor: KC Carlson

cover: Lee Moder
reviewers: Siskoid & Shotgun

Mission Monitor Board:  
Apparition, Brainiac 5, Chameleon, Cosmic Boy, Invisible Kid, Leviathan, Live Wire, Saturn Girl, Spark, Triad, XS

Guests: 
Evolvo, Inferno, Karate Kid, Kirth and Dalya Ranzz (flashback), President Jeanne Chu, R.J. Brande, Spider Girl, Ultra Boy, Winema Wazzo

Opponents: 
Leland McCauley, Mekt Ranzz (flashback), rough alien types in a dive bar

Simply Amazing!

The Amazing World of DC Comics was DC Comics' self-produced fan magazine of the mid-1970s. Running 17 issues, the fanzine featured articles about DC characters and their creators, and was exclusively available through mail order. The bulk of the issues were edited by Allan Asherman, replaced later by Paul Levitz and then Cary Burkett. Individual issues were edited by Bob Rozakis or long-time Legion fans Carl Gafford and Neal Pozner.

Primarily consisting of text pieces, with occasional strips and comics features, Amazing World (AWODCC, for short) was printed on high quality paper with heavy stock for the covers. Amazing World in its seventeen issues featured several articles on and about the Legion. For awhile it even featured an exclusive column about the group, named The Legion Outpost (the same name as the fanzine, but not directly related).

Threeboot: Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #21

Recap: Things aren't getting any easier for the Legion. A Dominator-spawned robot rebellion is brewing. A covert team of super-powered youths is being formed. A group of giants from Big City seem to be in cahoots with them. Brainiac 5 is unhinged as he tries to resurrect/recreate Dream Girl. And add to that an immensely powerful Supergirl who doesn't believe she is actually in the 31st century, believing instead that she is in a dream fugue. What else could go wrong?

We are approaching the two year mark for the Threeboot Legion. And it was about this time that I felt like the book was really starting to feel like the Legion I was used to.

The personalities on the team were gelling, becoming recognizable.
There were a bunch of plots going on in the book, many of which were gripping.
There were mysteries to solve.
There was a mad Brainiac 5.
There was a cool Supergirl.

Things were really starting to click for me. And Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #21 was a very good issue to highlight all of this. We have a number of plots touched on here. We have plot progression. We have powerful character moments, particularly from Brainiac 5.

Storytellers Mark Waid and Barry Kitson were hitting their stride. And Adam DeKraker had been on art enough for me to begin accepting his art instead of bemoaning the lack of Kitson.

But it is the end scene in this book, hinted at on the cover, that made this one of the better issues in the run. What was going to happen to Dream Girl?

Legion of Super-Heroes #284

Legion of Super-Heroes #284

February 1982

"The Soul Thief from the Stars"
The Great Darkness Saga Part One

Written by Paul Levitz

Pencilled by Pat Broderick

Inked by Bruce Patterson

Lettered by Ben Oda

Colored by Gene D'Angelo
Edited by Mike W. Barr

Cover by Pat Broderick & Romeo Tanghal



Roll Call:
Blok, Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dawnstar, Dream Girl, Duo Damsel, Element Lad, Karate Kid, Lightning Lad, Light Lass, Mon-El, Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet, Star Boy, Sun Boy, Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy, and Wildfire.

Beginning a new weekly issue-by-issue look at "The Great Darkness Saga." It starts here with the gathering darkness---! 

Who's Who: Controllers

Controllers
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: N/A

Super-Power(s): Alter matter and energy; immortality
Planet of Origin: Oa; long been in another dimension

Relationship to Legion: Aloof villains

Reboot: Legionnaires #20

Legionnaires #20 (December 1994)
title: "The Decent of Mano!"

writers: Tom Peyer

penciller: Jeffrey Moy
inker: Philip Moy
lettering: Pat Brosseau
colorist: Tom McCraw

assistant editor: Mike McAvennie
editor: KC Carlson

cover: Jeffrey and Philip Moy
reviewers: Siskoid & Shotgun

Mission Monitor Board:  
Apparition, Brainiac 5, Chameleon, Cosmic Boy, Invisible Kid, Leviathan, Live Wire, Saturn Girl, Spark, Triad, XS

Guests: 
President Jeanne Chu, R.J. Brande, McCauley Industries personnel

Opponents: 
Leland McCauley, Mano

The Super Friends meet The Time Trapper!

Hey Legionnaires! It's your old pal the Kord Kid, back with another tale that has a unique tie to the Legion of Super-Heroes. Remember back when I covered that Wonder Woman story that featured the Time Trapper? No? Well, here it is...Wonder Woman #101. Go ahead and read it, I'll wait here. 

You may have needed that refresher, but Wonder Woman didn't. Keep reading and you'll understand what I mean...as we look at The Super Friends, issues 17 & 18, written by E. Nelson Bridwell, with art by Ramona Fradon and Kurt Schaffenberger.

Threeboot: Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #20

Recap: Supergirl has somehow come to the 31st century and is making a big impact on the Legion team. But can she be trusted? Is she who she says she is? The Legion is losing face with its progressive followers by aligning themselves with the Science Police and the United Planets. Meanwhile, a Dominator plot to unleash a robot rebellion on Earth is beginning to reach a critical mass. And there seems to be another group waiting in the wings to bring even more chaos to the world. 

One of my early complaints about the Threeboot Legion was that the first arc with Praetor Lemnos took a little too long to wrap up for a new book. Legion fans wanted to meet this new team and learn about this new future.  But that first arc seemed to slow everything down.

It might be that storytellers Mark Waid and Barry Kitson might have heard this as a complaint. Because since Supergirl joined the book, the title became busier. There were a lot of subplots with an overlying plot of a robot rebellion. Now this is what a Legion book should be.

Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #20 continued this momentum. Waid and Kitson (as well as Tony Bedard) put the robot rebellion on the back burner this issue, deciding to cover the other subplots as well as adding a new one. Incredible.

Adam DeKraker and Mick Gray are on art duties and bring a Kitson-esque feel to the proceedings.

Happy Birthday, George Perez!

Happy Birthday, George Perez! 

Today is the birthday of one of the greatest comic-book artists in history, George Perez, born on this date in  1954.

Who's Who: Computo

Computo
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: None

Super-Power(s): Super-intelligence; control over computers; in some forms, energy blasts, super-strength, and armored skin.
Planet of Origin: Earth

Relationship to Legion: Villain turned servant.

Reboot: Legion of Super-Heroes #63

Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #63 (December 1994)
title: "Things at Hand!"

writers: Mark Waid and Tom McCraw

penciller: Lee Moder, Brian Apthorp and Scott Benefiel
inker: Ron Boyd and Tom Simmons
lettering: Pat Brosseau
colorist: Tom McCraw

assistant editor: Mike McAvennie
editor: KC Carlson

cover: Lee Moder
reviewers: Siskoid & Shotgun

Mission Monitor Board:  
Apparition, Brainiac 5, Chameleon, Cosmic Boy, Invisible Kid, Leviathan, Live Wire, Saturn Girl, Triad, XS

Guests: 
Athramites, President Jeanne Chu, R.J. Brande, Science Police, Tenzil Kem

Opponents: 
Leland McCauley, Mano, the White Triangle

Legion of Super Heroes S01 E08: Lightning Storm

"Lightning Storm" was written by Stan Berkowitz and directed by Lauren Montgomery, original airdate: February 10, 2007.

Mission Monitor Board: Colossal Boy, Bouncing Boy, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Triplicate Girl, Timber Wolf, and young Superman.

Opponents: space squid, Light Speed Vanguard (Tyr, Hunter, Wave, Esper, Ron-Karr, and Mekt Ranzz, not yet Lightning Lord), Sand Raiders, Lightning Beast.

Guest-stars and cameos: Chlorophyll Kid, Night Girl, Stone Boy, Porcupine Pete, Fire Lad, Color Kid, Infectious Lass, Invisible Kid II, Polar Boy, Antennae Boy, Quantum Queen, Quake Kid, Lamprey, Double Header, Breath Boy, Polecat, The Mess, Absorbency Boy (later Earth-Man), and pre-Lightning/Light Lass Ayla Ranzz.

This episode was just jam packed with Legion goodness. We had first appearances of heretofore unseen Legionnaires, glimpses of future Legionnaires and Substitutes, auditions, guest stars, villains, and the beginnings of the Legion of Super-Villains. All this and Porcupine Pete too, does it get any better than this?

Porcupine Pete: Hot or Not?

Our group of candid women with no real Legion knowledge asked to check out the Substitute-Heroes. We're not down to the wire yet, but it feels like we got caught in the barbed variety.

Participants
Our honorary Legion members are...
Art-Girl - Quills are made of feathers, and she's afraid of birds.
DJ Nath - Her curiosity is piqued.
Havana Nights - Feels yoga is good for the spine.
Lip-Bomb - Prickly, but never for more than a moment. With her sister Nath, she co-hosts the YouTube channel Mind Linked.
Science Girl - Wants to examine all the roadkill.
Shotgun - Spiking her drink for the occasion.
Moderator: Siskoid - Prick. And from Madawaska, literally "Land of the Porcupines". No joke.
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: Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #19

Recap: The Legion team is settling into a new chapter in their history. Supergirl has somehow joined the team. They are allied with the Science Police. Dream Girl is dead and an addled Brainiac 5 is trying to resurrect her. And with all that going, a robot revolution is brewing in the underbelly of the city. But who is behind this rebellion? And what are their motives?

Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #19 was a perfect sort of rest issue in this series which suddenly had many moving parts. One of the things writer Mark Waid had done earlier on the book was to give a single Legionnaire something of a spotlight while the Terror Firma arc was orbiting around that character. It allowed both  plot progression and a deeper knowledge of these new Legionnaires who we were just meeting.

This issue is Chameleon's turn to get the spotlight. Last issue we learned that Chameleon was working undercover as Science Police Officer Reep Daggle. In this issue, Cham's cover is blown and he is blamed for a murder he didn't commit. The whole issue has a very classic film noir feel to it, from the innocent man framed to the femme fatale. And that different feel for a Legion book really grabbed me. Of course, Chameleon Boy was well known as an espionage agent and spy so he fits the bill of a film noir antagonist nicely.

Barry Kitson is back on art in the issue and the whole issue just pops. I truly feel that this was as much Kitson's book as Waid's. When he isn't on visuals, something is missing.

Now I am an old movie buff and I love noir. So this whole issue just crackled.

On to the book!

Superman Plus The Legion #1

Superman Plus the Legion of Super-Heroes #1 (February, 1997)
title: "Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow"

writer: Tom Peyer

penciller: Bernard Chang

inker: Bob McLeod
letterer: Chris Eliopoulos
colorist: Patricia Mulvihill

editor: Mike McAvennie
cover: Chris Sprouse

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Apparition, Brainiac 5, Cosmic Boy, Gates, Inferno, Saturn Girl, Spark, Ultra Boy, SP Officer Shvaughn Erin

Opponents: 
Black Zero terrorists, curiosity, idiocy

Who's Who: Harmonia

Harmonia
by Siskoid

Real Name: Harmonia Li

Super-Power(s): Control over the elements; possible immortality.
Planet of Origin: Earth

Legion Seniority: Harmonia was the seventh Legion recruit after the Retroboot.