Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Who's Who: Arma Getten

Arma Getten
by Russell & Siskoid


Real Name: Arma Getten
Super-Power(s): Teleportation, a force-binding weapon that creates force fields
Planet of Origin: Youngen
Relationship to Legion: Villain

Legion Log
Arma Getten was the gifted but paranoid son of a scientifically and mechanically gifted father. As he got older, Arma built various prototypes of shields, blasters, and mechanisms based on his father's designs. However, when his father's business went bankrupt, he blamed R.J. Brande.

Getten then concocted a complicated plan to hold Brande hostage behind an unstable energy field. He threatened to short-circuit it, killing Brande (and himself) if the Legionnaires did not do as he ordered. He sent several Legionnaires to hunt down three items Getten claimed would enable him to build a powerful weapon. Fearful for Brande's life, the Legionnaires decided they had no choice but to retrieve the items that Getten requested.

After the Legion found the items and returned to Earth, it became clear that Getten was indeed building a weapon of mass destruction. Because Getten still held Brande hostage, the Legionnaires were still wary to attack him. Brande therefore took it upon himself to act. Brande, knowing that his one life was not more important than all lives on Earth, threw himself into Getten and the energy field. However, Getten was bluffing, and both were unhurt.

Faced with the fury of the Legion, Getten tried to use another of his father's inventions, an anti-matter blast, against them. Unfortunately, it malfunctioned, killing him.

No version of Arma Getten, ever appeared after the Reboot or Threeboot.

After Infinite Crisis, Arma Getten's original history has presumably been more or less restored.

Defining Only Villainous Moment: 

Superboy/Legion of Super-Heroes #237






Arma Getten isn't nearly as villainous as R.J. Brande is heroic

2 comments:

  1. Geez, if your family name is "Getten", why would you ever name your kid "Arma"? That's just asking for trouble.

    Also, if Arma was bluffing about the shield, why did Brainiac 5's analysis say that it *would* explode if they touched it? That... seems like something of a plot hole? (I mean, other than that the story would have been over in less than two pages, of course.)

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    1. I think this story takes place after the "Murder Most Foul" issue when Ultra Boy was framed for An Ryd's murder, but before the Omega issues. If so, that means that Brainiac 5 was, at this point, already insane and everything he says is questionable.

      I'm open to correction here, I could be wrong in my dates. But, if I'm right, it would explain that plot hole. I'm sure the writers weren't nearly that on top of matters here (this wasn't the Levitz era), but maybe I can claim a Legion No-Prize. (I know, I know, wrong company, wrong franchise.) ;)

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