Reboot: Legion of Super-Heroes #102

Legion of Super-Heroes (v4) #102 (March 1998)
title: "Heroes"

writers: Tom Peyer and Tom McCraw

penciller: Jason Armstrong

inker: Ron Boyd
lettering: Pat Brosseau
colorist: Tom McCraw

assistant editor: Frank Berrios
editor: KC Carlson

cover: Alan Davis and Mark Farmer
reviewers: Siskoid & Shotgun

Mission Monitor Board:  
Monstress, Star Boy; flashback: Leviathan

Guests: 
Atmos, Insect Queen, Kid Quantum II, Konk, Phrenologax Lad, Xanthians

Opponents: 
Khunds, Natra Dellons

Recap: 
Apparition recently learned she was part Carggite, separated from her twin until she met Phase in the 20th Century and merged with her. The Legion Outpost loses communication with Xanthu while Star Boy is talking to an old team mate; he and Monstress decide to follow up...

Synopsis: 
Investigating the communications blackout between Earth and Xanthu, Star Boy and Monstress take a cruiser. During the ride, they discuss how Star Boy has changed since their days together as part of Xanthu's Uncanny Amazers. She suggests that Legionnaires never really die, but transfer themselves to their team mates, like when Apparition haunted Ultra Boy, or how Leviathan's powers went to Violet, and his stern attitude to Star Boy, the Legionnaire he was the hardest on.

When they reach Xanthu, the immediately note an alien invasion going on. Insectoid aliens are trying to use the planet's power plants against itself to turn it into a furnace for their use. The two Legionnaires join forces with the Uncanny Amazers - including Kid Quantum II, who has become disgruntled about Atmos' leadership - and stop the plot. In the wake of their success, Star Boy goes against protocol and invites Kid Quantum to join, and she accepts. But it's the Khunds who are heralded as Xanthu's saviors after they destroy the invaders and offer the planet membership in their new Alliance. It seems the United Planets aren't the only game in town...

Commentary: 
Shotgun
Leviathan’s death happened eons ago, so as you can imagine, I don’t remember a lot about the stories before then. It shouldn’t surprise you then that I had NO IDEA what Monstress was going on about when she talked about Star Boy’s behavior prior to the tragedy. It’s really sad that he feels the urge to prove himself so he won’t disappoint his former teammate. In a way, I feel like he should stop fearing Leviathan’s opinion and focus more on what the rest of the team needs him to be. And that’s certainly not an insubordinate fool who takes on recruits without permission.

The whole plot around Xanthu is pretty interesting. How better to fragment the United Planets' harmony than to split it from the inside. I’m starting to like the new villain organization, the New Alliance if this is actually how they call themselves. They’re smarter than the usual bad guys and way sneakier too. It piques my interest every time it comes up. It looks promising!

Siskoid
Should it be as bothered as I am that the two Legion books are mistitled? When they sent part of the team to the 20th Century, I thought Legion of Super-Heroes should have stayed behind, and Legionnaires would be in the past. The 30th Century is their HOME, while some Legionnaires could be trapped in the past. When they came back, it didn't stop being an issue. While Legionnaires involves as much of the cast as possible, we get this issue of LSH that only features a couple of Legionnaires per story! What's up with that? Not to say it doesn't make sense in the context of what they want to tell, but to be honest, I was much more interested in the Uncanny Amazers here than Monstress and Star Boy (I like their conversation, but don't care about their action beats). Atmos being a limited leader, Kid Quantum wanting to jump ship, and Konk's crazy powers are all more fun to me.

And yeah, New Alliance or Dark Circle, it's a much more subtle approach to taking down the U.P. than what we've seen in the past (bombs and assassination attempts). But then, I'm interested in public relations...

title: "Bad Separations"

writers: Tom Peyer and Tom McCraw

penciller: Todd Nauck

inker: Pam Eklund

lettering: Clem Robins
colorist: Tom McCraw

assistant editor: Frank Berrios
editor: KC Carlson

Mission Monitor Board:  
Apparition, Kinetix, Ultra Boy

Guests: 
Doctor Ryk'rr, Wimena Wazzo and her aide; in flashback only: Garv, Lobo, Luonel Bordo (AKA Murl Wazzo), Phase, Strata, Vril Dox

Opponents: 
Flashback: Lippikas, Luck Lords

Synopsis: 
Apparition is distraught, doesn't want to see her mother, and doesn't seem to always recognize Ultra Boy as her husband. Dr. Gym'll sends the couple to Medicus-One to speak to the Legion's new psychologist, Dr. Ryk'rr. Tinya's problem is that after having merged with Phase, she is now of two minds about everything, and finds her doubled memories confusing. She is encouraged to tell her story...

Her father had two secrets. One was that he was a triplicating Carggite. The other was that he was a gambling addict. In debt to the Luck Lords, a cult who ran casinos, he was forced to part with two of his newborn daughter's selves. The other grew up to become Apparition, but the of the others, one disappeared and may still be in the wind, and the other became an enslaved croupier at a Luck Lord's establishment. When war-like aliens called the Lippikas invaded and tried to take her, the Luck Lord used a time displacer to send her back in time where, 1000 years in the past, she became a member of the L.E.G.I.O.N. security force. Ultra Boy, and the soon-arriving Wimena Wazzo, learn of this for the first time and are ready to tear Tinya's dad a new one, but for now, Dr. Ryk'rr says there's a lot of work to be one.

Commentary: 
Shotgun
I am SO glad we got to eavesdrop on this confidential session. This short story put everything we saw from Apparition’s past in order. No wonder she was so down in the past issues. What a terrible truth she’s learned. Her mother’s intervention was absolutely out of place though. It’s great for Tinya that she won’t have to go through explaining all this to her again, but really? Spying on your kid when she’s in therapy... That’s a bit too far, lady! I guess we’re not going to hear about Tinya’s dad for a while now that Dr. Ryk’rr decided otherwise. Or maybe this is the perfect opportunity for Jo and Wazzo to collaborate on something.

Siskoid
With Todd Nauck on art, it feels like this is something that would otherwise have been used on Legends of the Legion, but just didn't fit the format they ended up going with. Of course, while it does advance Tinya and Jo's story, it doesn't REALLY tell us anything new, only clarifies things. And they needed to clarify things. The wordless collage of images previously presented was a bit vague. Now all I can think about is where the third "sister" got to, because I can't remember her ever showing up. She, more than the deadbeat dad, intrigues me. Maybe we can get the Luck Lords too; these are classic Legion villains I know next to nothing about, but they look cool.

Science Police Notes:  

• All-inclusive Legion numbering: 1998/6.
• Kid Quantum II is unofficially asked to join the Legion; she accepts. But does it count?
• Konk of the Uncanny Amazers apparently has a one-hour limit on having her head (and any body part?) separated from her body.
• The alien invaders are not named in this issue. However, Legionnaires #59 identifies them as the Natra Dellons.
• The second story is said to take place before Legionnaires #57, which may work in terms of Legionnaires' whereabouts, but doesn't when you consider Dr. Ryk'rr only became the Legion's psychologist in Legionnaires #58.
• This is Dr. Ryk'rr's second appearance in as many weeks, and her last ever despite having a lot of work to do to with Tinya. Her office is apparently on Medicus-One, the medical space station first introduced in Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #284.