title: "DOA Part Six: The Tyranny of Time"
writer: Mark Waid
penciller: Colleen Doran
inkers: Mischa McDowell & Colleen Doran
letterer: Bob Pinaha
colorist: Dave Grafe
associate editor: Mike McAvennie
editor: KC Carlson
cover: Colleen Doran & Terry Austin (signed)
reviewers: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage and Jason "Anachronistic Kid" Knol
Guest-Star(s):
The Legion of Super-Heroes (Brainiac 5, Cosmic Boy, Dragonmage, Element Lad, Saturn Girl, Triad, Ultra Boy)
Opponent(s):
Glorith
Glorith
Valor confronts Glorith. She tells him that her sorcery is what caused his lead poisoning serum to fail. She tells him that her magic can save his life, but that she will only do so if he pledges to serve her.
While Glorith is posturing, the Legion wants to attack. Saturn Girl coordinates them telepathically.
Glorith explains in detail how she aged Valor's serum in his body so that it gradually lost potency. This is why his super-powers kept "acting up." She then decided to appear to him as a "damsel in distress" in order to keep an eye on her investment. She admits that she ended up falling in love with him. Now, she is nearly drunk with the potential of them taking over the universe together.
The Legion attacks, but they are too slow for Glorith's magic. Valor reluctantly takes Glorith's hand, and they fly off together. The Legion is restored to normal, but now Cosmic Boy cannot remember who Valor is. Brainiac 5 insists that they chase after Valor and Glorith.
Glorith conjurs up visions of them as conquerors of the universe, but he eventually denies her. Valor refuses Glorith's deal, and dies.
Glorith sheds tears as the Legion catches up to her. Brainiac 5 is livid, afraid that Glorith has caused irreparable damage to the time stream. Cosmic Boy, and then Ultra Boy, fade away.
Suddenly, from out of one of the energy vortexes steps....Valor?
Russell's comments:
Wow, so after six (SIX!) issues of a series called Dead On Arrival (anybody besides me speak irony here?) Valor finally DIES. Congrats to DC for actually really finally killing him.
What DC really did was kill all interest in this series for me. Surely I couldn't have been the only one to imagine that another (the other?) Valor would show up at/near the end of this to save the day? So, yeah, he didn't actually save his.....predecessor? ancestor? but he does show up. And now, let me guess...next issue we'll get a huge slice of Time Paradox Pie before new (old?) Valor and the Legion save the day. Not a big fan.
Can Glorith kick serious ass, or can't she? She's posturing all issue and last, then cowers when Brainiac 5 gets mad at her. (see page 21, reprinted above) Brainiac 5!?! Can't she just open a portal to the Great Green Grasshoppers like she did last issue and kill all of these heroes? When a character is shown to be extremely powerful, and then NOT portrayed that way, it makes for a boring (silly? stupid?) story.
This stuff isn't bad, per se. But to sum up: Glorith made Valor sick, she wouldn't cure him if he didn't go "bad," so he chose to die instead. And THIS took SIX ISSUES. Sheesh. And then she's....sad about this? Is she a super-villain, or isn't she? Man, this is badly written.
On the plus side, the art looks purty. And am I crazy, or do I detect the presence of Jose-Luis Garcia-Lopez (PBHN) on page 7? (reprinted above)
J's comments:
This issue really should've been more than Glorith's posturing. I think after last issue's surprise! she's evil! twist, I assumed that the whole love angle was just an act. And that assumption, already backed by being a classic villain trope, was supported by my personal belief that the whole Valor and Lori love story felt extremely rushed, forced. and insincere. But in the end these two weirdos confess to their genuine love for each other and their stubborn refusal to change. Love is about compromise, people! Just sacrifice some of your beliefs and...
Anyway, very weird that Mark Waid, a bona fide DC historian, would write a story where Brainiac 5 says "The laws of time are immutable" and doesn't dispute another Legionnaire stating that "Time as we know it can't be altered!" And the drama of Valor's death, the event that had been built up for this entire arc, is undercut by the fact that it lasts all of TWO PAGES before a version of Valor appears to reassure us that all is not lost. This six part story ends with no resolution, to be continued in classic serial form. If it weren't for Ultra Boy's fantastic mullet I would've called this issue a total bust.
This series has never been reprinted.
Milestone: Valor dies in this issue?!?
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