TOS: Adventure Comics #345

Adventure Comics #344 (June 1966)
title: "The Execution of Matter-Eater Lad!"

writer: Edmond Hamilton 

penciller: Curt Swan
inker: George Klein

letterer: Milton Snapinn
editor: Mort Weisinger

cover: Curt Swan & George Klein

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage and Mike "Nostalgic Kid" Lane

Mission Monitor Board:  
Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Cosmic Boy, Duo Damsel, Element Lad, Invisible Kid, Light Lass, Matter-Eater Lad, Saturn Girl, Superboy, Ultra Boy, Mon-El

Guests: 
Blockade Boy, Shadow Kid, other unnamed prisoners

Opponents: 
Nardo and his android security guards, Weight Wizard

Continuing from last issue, a group of Legionnaires are still being held captive by a powerful alien named Nardo, who has nuclear energy running through his blood. Nardo swears undying hatred to all officers of the law, so he has built a Super Stalag on an isolated asteroid and has staffed it with powerful android guards. 

Matter-Eater Lad and Blockade Boy have escaped from the boys' prison and climbed the hills to find a separate prison for girls. As they contemplate their next move, Nardo and two of his android guards get the drop on them. Blockade Boy turns into a steel wall, blocking the deadly blast from Matter-Eater Lad. The gallant youth dies. Nardo then decides to publicly execute Matter-Eater Lad instead of killing him right then and there.

Mike: Blockade Boy's death was heroic and touching, but I still found myself perplexed by the character.  The nature of his power is so ridiculous that at first glance he has Legion of Substitute-Hero written all over him. But they tended to prove themselves, and is his power of any use whatsoever? He becomes a steel blockade but he doesn't survive the first attack we see against him. I would have assumed his powers were more akin to Marvel's Juggernaut in that no force would be able to stand against him. But he is literally just a steel wall, and any technology powerful to melt steel (which is likely common in the 30th Century) is enough to overcome him. A noble guy, yes, but Matter Eater Lad could have chosen a better escape partner.
Russell: I suppose, but when I first read this story as a kid my first thought was about how noble Blockade Boy was, to sacrifice himself for Matter Eater Lad. Still, the next scene where Nardo basically says, "Meh, I'll kill the other one later" just never rang true to me. It would have been so much more in character for him to cart both dead bodies back to the camp. This was one of my first awakenings of "they never kill the lead character."

That night Weight Wizard is suspiciously called in by Nardo, so Brainiac 5 sends a drone "flying ear" after him. This listening device verifies that Weight Wizard is the turn-coat. The boys confront him, but he uses his ability to change his weight and manages to escape. 

Mike: I really loved that they included a character like Weight Wizard. Legion comics in this era are often shooting for grander, more suspenseful storytelling. The ambition is there but they still fall prey to many of the...let's say sillier tendencies of the time. But including a traitor was a bold move by the standards of the day and one I really liked.
Oh, and despite Brainiac 5 thinking "we won't really kill him," I am pretty sure that guy in the back of the mob had every intention of doing just that.
Russell: I feel like the editor may have added that thought balloon to tell the readers that he atleast remembers that the Legion doesn't kill. I mean come on, Brainiac 5 just got Star Boy drummed out for less than this!
I also really love the fact that they use the term, "Stool Pigeon." Is this the Legion, or the Dead-End Kids?

Nardo punishes the boys for attacking Weight Wizard by making them work at night, even though the lights in the guard towers attract native animals called "phanders." 

The next day, Weight Wizard feels bad for what he has done, so lightening his own weight again he jumps over the fence and escapes to get help. Nardo and his guards herd him into a deadly field of poisonous lilies, which eat him. 

Mike: Wow.  That is just...amazing. He gets eaten by a poisonous flower. While trying to prove himself to the Legion and make up for his earlier betrayal. This story has plenty of Silver Age silliness, but not here. To this day, I am not sure if I can think of a comparable moment in a Silver Age DC superhero comic. And yes, I considered Doom Patrol but that was a big heroic sacrifice whereas this is just a very minor interlude in a much bigger story. Which makes it sadder. He tries to make up for what he has done, but his efforts accomplish nothing. That's what makes this really stand out...he fails completely and dies.
Russell: I agree, I remembered this scene for years afterwards. And the other thing that stood out was that Nardo and his army "herd" Weight Wizard into the danger. That is just chilling, creepy evil. Brrr!

The next day, Invisible Kid goes missing, but Nardo's third eye is able to "see" him, even though he is invisible. As punishment Nardo shrinks Invisible Kid to the size of a flea. The Legionnaire tries to get back to the boys' barracks, where he fights off a spider and a mouse before being saved by the boys. Invisible Kid hitches a ride on Cosmic Boy until the shrinking ray wears off. 

Mike: One aspect I really enjoyed about this story is that many of the Legionnaires showcased throughout were not the ones we have often seen at the forefront to date. Unfortunately, they are usually getting their butt kicks and whatever they are attempting fails miserably, but still...nice to see some of them at least give it the old college try!
Russell: I disagree with you here. These boys are all supposed to be super clever, and yet Invisible Kid just waltzes up to Nardo as if of course he couldn't be seen. And then we get a page and a half of pseudo-comedy (I mean, did anyone really think the spider or mouse would get Invisible Kid?) I think it was fellow Legion of Super-Blogger Tim who said that he was amazed by just how incompetent some of the early Legionnaires were. Maybe after THIS incident, Invisible Kid thought it out before just assuming an alien wouldn't be able to see him? 

Brainiac 5 builds a "dust blower" to help save Matter-Eater Lad, who is scheduled to be killed the day after tomorrow. 

Meanwhile, Saturn Girl in the girls' prison camp communicates with Brainiac 5, whose male ego can't imagine needing her help. Annoyed, Saturn Girl decides to break the Legion free herself. 

Mike: Well, they have really settled on Brainiac 5 being the go-to guy when you need a Legionnaire to act like a jerk. He has had quite a few chances to shine like that lately. At the same time, there is a certain logic to having the smartest member be the one that often behaves in an abrasive way, which will be explored deeper not just in Legion but throughout comics in later years. So I do enjoy seeing the seeds of that planted now.
Russell: The first few reprints of Legion stories I read were this one, the trial of Star Boy, and Computo, which ALL paint Brainiac 5 in, shall we say, a certain less than positive light. After those stories I never liked Brainiac 5 as much as I had. This is a perfect example of a leader not taking advantage of his people's talents. There's no reason that Brainiac 5 (or former leader Cosmic Boy, or future leader Invisible Kid) couldn't have come up with the same general plan as Saturn Girl.

That night, Duo Damsel splits into two; one goes back to the girls' barracks and the other hides near the fence. Light Lass uses her ability to decrease the mass of the fence. After everyone has gone inside, the second Duo Damsel lifts up the fence and escapes. She then goes quickly to the boys' camp, where she breaks in and glares the towers' lights into the forests. This attracts the attention of a horde of phanders, which break down the fences. When the phanders break in, the boys break out. 

Mike: Yes, FINALLY, we get to see the girls. In retrospect, it is obvious that there is a reason that the girls have been off the table for most of this story so that they can be brought back with a purpose later on.  But seeing the focus finally go to them after all this time was still nice. It's great how the boys were completely unable to find a way to use their powers to their advantage and the girls seem to so easily execute their plan.
Although couldn't they have done this earlier? Maybe Saturn Girl was just showing them telepathic images of the boys being repeatedly humiliated and the girls were getting a kick out of it?
Russell: I totally agree, the girls show up in a most dramatic and satisfying way. And as you say, the timing of this story is a bit off. If Saturn Girl could have mentally contacted Brainiac 5 at any time, why didn't she?

Brainiac 5 coats Nardo with a layer of dust, which Element Lad changes into lead. This nullifies his nuclear energy blood. Brainiac 5 records Nardo's voice, then uses the recording to order the guards to let the girls free. 

Mike: Again, this feels like something Brainiac 5 could have thought of much earlier? Regardless of the opportunity the girls provided?
Nardo has a line I absolutely love here when he tells Brainiac 5 to "go take a dive in a dried up lake." That is such a 1950s/1960s g-rated insult. I can totally imagine it being used on an episode of Leave if to Beaver.

However, Nardo's third eye can emit heat blasts, and he slowly melts the lead covering off his body. As he is free he knocks out the remaining Legionnaires and goes on with the execution of Matter-Eater Lad. 

Mike: The story really did have a feeling that it was wrapping up and we had reached the end, so the twist of Nardo getting free and overcoming the remaining Legion was enjoyable.
Russell: Yes, I liked the idea that Nardo was just NOT easy to beat. However, the idea that he would stage this execution, now that the majority (?) of boy prisoners had escaped, just seems weird. I guess I'm used to the "put a bullet in the side of his head" simple murder style? I mean, who is Nardo trying to impress and/or intimidate by publicly executing Matter-Eater Lad at this point?

However, Superboy, Mon-El, and Ultra Boy suddenly arrive, stopping the death-blasts from hitting their pal. Although they had been on a mission to the past, when they returned to their present they had become suspicious when the missing Legionnaires hadn't returned. They make quick work of the android guards. 
Although the blast was stopped by Superboy's body, some residual energy made it past him, and that has caused Matter-Eater Lad to expand like a balloon. He now resembles his friend, the Legion Reservist Bouncing Boy. 

Mike: My feelings on this story have really been up and down as they have gone from very dramatic, suspenseful moments, to the truly ridiculous, but this ending just smacked of a cop out. Having their three most powerful members swoop in to save the day? It just so undercuts the usefulness of the rest of the team. Its such a shame too. Yes, I realize stories during this era often tended to wrap up too quickly in the end, but this one really helped to undercut the potential of this story.
Russell: My feelings for this story were all over the place, too, and I absolutely hate the ending, too. Not only because the three superboys show up to pull everyone's fat out of the fire, but also because of the increase in mass of Matter Eater Lad. Full disclosure, I have never been a MEL fan, but to have him plump up like this is just moronic. (By the way, how was he being held captive? Couldn't he have eaten through any handcuffs or cell? I would have liked to have seen some drama with HIM instead of with Mini Invisible Kid!) Anyway, instead of these three what if Lightning Lad, Sun Boy, and Phantom Girl had showed up and helped rescue the others? This conclusion could have been so much more interesting, but as it was....kind of a let-down.

Mike: Despite some harsh words, I do still like this story for what it was striving for. I have commented in several posts recently on how this is a transitional period for the Legion and this story really exemplifies that. Having the team imprisoned, sometimes tortured, and repeatedly fail in their escape attempts throughout two issues is very ambitious in many ways for this era. Yes, we have already gone through many of its faults and noted when the story veers into the ridiculous. But still, I think we are really seeing elements here that are responsible for the Legion gaining such a devoted following at this time. Readers are seeing powerful moments planted throughout these stories that they otherwise never see in a superhero comic.
Russell: Well I was all ready to tear this story to shreds, but I find myself actually agreeing with you. For all this story's faults, it still manages to entertain and thrill the reader, so I can't really complain. I would love if this was one of those stories that was "re-told" in a more modern way, though. Maybe give more for each character to do, and compress it over a few days instead of what, a week or two? And make it a bit more realistic. I mean, Cosmic Boy's white boots never even get dirty in this story! But still, I remember it fondly and I do wish that Nardo had returned at some point.

Status: 
This issue has been reprinted in The Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol 5 and Showcase Presents: The Legion Vol. 2.

Milestone: 
This is the last Legion story written by Edmond Hamilton. After next issue, Jim Shooter took over the regular writing duties.
In this issue, Matter-Eater Lad'd body is (temporarily) expanded to a super-obese size. He will revert to normal within the year.