Discuss: Do-badder Super Groups

 

Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? Action Comics 583

Action Comics #583 (September 1986)(cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson)
"Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, part two"
Alan Moore-Curt Swan/Kurt Schaffenberger

Doug: Welcome back to the conclusion of the tale that ended the run of the original Superman. Two weeks ago we reviewed the first installment from Superman #423. Both of us remarked that the art was a bit off -- if you'll recall, that first story in the 2-parter was drawn by Curt Swan with inks by George Perez. While both men are among the greats of the industry (truly of any time throughout the history of the comic book), the combination just seemed odd to us. Today, however, we find Swan on the lead again but this time embellished by veteran Silver Age Superman artist Kurt Schaffenberger. We'll see how we like it. One thing's for sure, and I said this at the top last time: this ain't yer daddy's Superman story!

Karen: Some of our regular readers remarked in the first half of this review on how they felt Moore was perhaps not the best choice to write this final tale of the Silver Age Superman. I think for me, as someone who reveres Superman as the first super-hero but has no special feelings or fondness for the character, it's easier to read through this story, so serious and final, and accept it for what it is.

Doug: Perhaps it's Moore's distance from the character (he'd written Superman only a couple of times prior to this story, I believe) that allows us to stomach this story. Had it been commissioned to Elliott S! Maggin or some other Bronze Age Superman scribe, it most likely would not have turned out this way (for better or for worse). But I feel that those who eschew Moore's superhero work at DC have a point. We've not reviewed The Killing Joke yet, but the outcome of that story for Batgirl has certainly left more than a few Silver and Bronze Age fans with a bad taste in their mouths.

Doug: We open where we began the first part -- at the home of Lois Elliot (nee Lane). As Tim Crane continues the interview, Lois's husband, Jordan, enters. He's a big guy, sort of down-home looking with a speech pattern that matches. Crane remarks to Elliot that he hopes he doesn't mind the interview about Superman. Elliot comes off as a real jerk when he states that Superman wasn't anything special. Lois doesn't flinch, but it seemed really callous. As Elliot leaves the room, Lois picks up the story where she left off -- in the Fortress of Solitude right before the siege began. Superman used his heat vision to melt the giant key, effectively locking him and his friends inside. But outside, the death-dealers began to mass.

Karen: "Jordy" hardly seems like the kind of guy Lois would settle down with, right? I can already tell you, I'm more comfortable with the art in this issue than in the previous one. It doesn't seem like it's fighting itself, you know what I mean?

Doug: First to arrive to the Fortress were the new Brainiac-Luthor combination with the Kryptonite Man in tow. Brainiac walks Luthor's body boldly off the aircraft, when a time bubble suddenly appears. Disembarking are the Legion of Super-Villains: Cosmic King, Saturn Woman, and Lightning Lord. They have come to see the final fate of the Man of Steel at the hands of his greatest enemy. Of course Brainiac calculates that it must be him for all of his wrongdoing through the years. But the Villains tell Brainiac that Superman's friends will come to his aid; Brainiac heads into his ship to erect an impenetrable forcefield around the Fortress of Solitude. Even just a few pages into this, the ill feeling of death and destruction that had come over me while reading part one was again weighing on me. Alan Moore was crafting a story unlike we'd seen in DC Comics to this point (one could argue that Gerry Conway had done a story of similar magnitude in Amazing Spider-Man #s 121-122).

Karen: You wouldn't think the situation could feel so dire with such classic Silver Age art and characters like the Legion of Super-Villains hanging around. Yet I share your assessment. There's a definite feeling that all of this is very wrong, which of course is what they were going for.

Doug: I think the fact that the LoSV showed up to watch is its own kind of morbidity. So in a throwback to the days when the Great Refuge was encased in a field that kept Johnny from Crystal, we see the Fortress under a huge yellow dome. Using conventional weapons Brainiac had brought on his ship, the villains began to assault the Fortress. Superman fought back from afar with his heat vision and even ventured outside with Krypto to attempt a full engagement. The Kryptonite Man nixed that strategy. Outside the dome the Justice League assembled, but couldn't punch their way through. As evening turned to night, a stalemate was declared. Superman stopped by Perry White's room and sought his counsel. Perry remarked that he'd just been sitting around, thinking about the doom that was coming, and of divorcing his wife Alice. Superman said that he felt that he was going to die soon, and lamented that he'd strung both Lois and Lana along all these years with no intention of fulfilling either relationship. He commented that he'd been a coward.

Karen: Not to break the mood, but why were Batman and Robin just hitting the force field with what looked like sticks? Good grief! I think someone needed to put a little more thought into that one. But onto the meat of this segment: Superman's talk/confession to Perry. It's disturbing to have Superman state that he believes he's going to die. He just keeps clutching that statuette that the Legion gave him and staring at it. It's as if he's staring at his own tombstone, or monument, perhaps. The fact that he recognizes that he's wronged both Lois and Lana all these years throws a different light on the Superman of the Silver Age who seemed to fall for every woman with the initials "L.L." -Lana, Lois, Lori Lemaris, Lyla Lerrol, Luma Lynai! It always seemed so callous of him to let these women pine over him. Perhaps there was more to it?

Doug: It's funny that you mention that scene with Batman and Robin. I got a real Super Friends vibe from that -- very childlike in nature. In regard to Superman and his women, and his ignoring of their love for him, it's a whole new level of Superdickery.

Doug: In another part of the Fortress, Jimmy and Lana ran into each other while exploring. Both were looking for a way to help Superman, and both knew that Superman kept elements of their super-heroic pasts in the Fortress. Jimmy found the Elastic Lad serum, but I was a bit confused (showing my Superman-lore ignorance here) at Lana taking a dip in some sort of super-power enhancing bath. I had expected her to don the Insect Queen garb, but instead she came out dressed in a costume I did not know. Anyway, as part of Lana's powerset, she had all of the powers of Superman, including super-hearing. She was able to hear Supe's confession to Perry, that as a child he had loved Lana, but as an adult he loved Lois with all his heart. He said he'd never tell Lois he loved her, as that would hurt Lana -- and he'd never hurt Lana. So with that forbidden knowledge now her own, Lana led Jimmy outside to attempt to break through the barrier.

Karen: Moore did his homework obviously! I too only knew of Lana's Insect Queen identity, from reading so many Legion comics. Superman's statement about the two loves of his life really made sense, although it does seem cowardly when you come right down to it. He should have let Lana move on. It does however, help to explain what seemed to be a very cruel pattern of behavior by the Man of Steel for many years! Lana's determination to show everyone that "Nobody loved him better than us!" is just crushing.

Doug: Lana and Jimmy take it right to Brainiac and the Legion of Super-Villains. Lana engaged the Kryptonite Man first, but her attention was almost immediately drawn to Brainiac. He boasted of his impending victory, when suddenly Luthor managed to wrest control of his own mind for a brief moment, long enough to tell Lana to kill him. Taken aback, Lana nevertheless struck Luthor on the side of the neck, shattering his spinal column. Luthor's body crumpled to the ground as Jimmy was atop the Brainiac ship, working feverishly to destroy the generator. The Super-Villains had been observing, when Saturn Woman scanned Lana's mind to see who she was and where she'd come from. Quickly deducing that Lana had received her powers from a radioactive bath, Cosmic King used his powers to transmute some of her cells and remove her powers. Lightning Lord stepped forward to "help her up", but instead incinerated her. Lana Lang died a pile of ashes.

Karen: Things really start to get brutal again. Lana quickly and easily dispenses with both Kryptonite Man and Brainiac-Luthor. Luthor's brief plea for death was welcome, but I do sort of wish we'd seen more of Luthor in this story; somehow, it doesn't seem right that he was so marginalized in the "final" Superman story. Lana's incineration is horrific, even though it is not shown in detail.

Doug: You know, in a way I think Moore was giving Luthor the ultimate comeuppance. Let's face it, behind the Batman Luthor was the most arrogant character in the DC Unverse. Of course he would fancy himself "Superman's greatest enemy". Not so fast... And Moore takes him virtually out of the story.

Doug: Jimmy died right after Lana, as Brainiac used all of his resources to raise Luthor's body and fire a blast into Jimmy's back. This scene was pretty disgusting, as Brainiac struggled to keep Luthor's body upright -- Luthor's eyes were rolled back in his head. The Kryptonite Man noticed that the barrier was still intact, in spite of Jimmy's disruption of it. Ignoring that fact, Brainiac ordered a nuclear strike against the Fortress. Blowing a gaping hole in one side, it didn't destroy it. Inside, Perry quickly made amends with his wife. The Kryptonite Man was the first to enter the Fortress, and he did it loudly, ordering Superman to show himself. While he began to search the premises, he was attacked without warning by Krypto. The loyal pet went straight for his enemy's throat, tearing it open. But the close exposure to the radiation and the direct contact with the contaminated blood ended Krypto's life.

Karen: Oh boy. Call me a sap, but seeing Krytpo die really gave me a lump in my throat. Such a loyal companion, a source of much joy and comedy over the years, here becomes a fierce protector. His final death howl had me holding back a tear. And yes, I know Jimmy died too!

Doug: I loved the scene with Krypto. And Moore played that straight, choosing not to include the other Super-Pets. Kara's mention of Streaky in part one seemed enough. In another part of the Fortress, Superman flew with Lois, looking for refuge as well as for the others. They flew through a trophy room, where we saw destroyed images of Lori Lemaris and of Titano the Super-Ape (because everything's better with gorillas -- never forget that). The Legion of Super-Villains have entered the Fortress and gloat over Lana's death. Superman did not know that had happened, and goes berserk. His heat vision burns Lightning Lord's arm, and Saturn Woman warns that the Kryptonian intends to kill. They flee immediately, board their time bubble, and make tracks back to the 30th century. Superman (oddly still carrying the statuette given to him by Brainiac-5) and Lois fly outside to find Luthor. His body has fully quit on Brainiac, and with that their symbiosis is ended. Brainiac disengages from Luthor's skull, and despite his last threats also dies. Pete Ross, Lana Lang, Jimmy Olsen, Lex Luthor, the Kryptonite Man, Bizarro, Krypto, Metallo, Supergirl (in the Crisis), and now Brainiac... all dead. Lois remarked to Tim Crane that it was over. Except for the fact that they couldn't figure out why all this had happened in the first place, and why the force shield was still in place.

Karen: How times change. Whereas it is now common place to have Superman turn his heat vision on foes, this Superman would never do such a thing -until now. The shock and fear on Lightning Lord's face gets across the point that things have changed. Yet -Superman does not kill them.

Doug: Superman thought for several minutes, going back over the chain of events. He had an a-ha moment, and called aloud for Mr. Mxyzptlk to appear. And sure enough -- vwoomf! He appeared, floating in the air. He told Superman that he was bored, that as an immortal life needs to be changed up every couple of thousand years. After a do-nothing phase, followed by an altruistic phase, Mxyzptlk figured he'd try his hand at general orneriness. That had ended, and beginning with Superman's death, he was going to try evil for a while. In another of the Silver Age tropes blown apart by Moore's script, Mxyzptlk says as he shows his true form: "Did you honestly believe a fifth-dimensional sorcerer would resemble a funny little man in a derby hat?" Superman fled with Lois -- after all, Mxyzptlk's magic could not be defeated.

Karen: In retrospect, it might seem obvious -make one of Superman's goofiest villains into his most dangerous -but at the time, it was truly a "wow" moment. Given the imp's powers, he certainly could hold that position. I liked the way Mxyzptlk's true form was shown. More of an energy being than anything else. It's the whole 'Wizard of Oz' theme all over again.

Doug: In the crescendo of the story, Mxyzptlk pursued Superman and Lois throughout the Fortress, finally catching them. Superman told Lois to run, figuring that this was his end. But she looked in her hands at the statuette that she still held -- and in the clutches of the figure of Superman, a familiar device. She told him to look at it, and instantly he knew what had to be done. They flew again to another chamber, where Superman picked up the Phantom Zone projector. Pointing it at Mxyzptlk, he told him that it was indeed over. Turning on the projector, Mxyzptlk spoke his own name backwards in an effort to escape back to his fifth dimension; the going-two-places-at-the-same-time effect ripped him in half. Superman's greatest enemy didn't win the day; Superman did. Or did he?

Karen: Those clever 30th century kids! Giving Superman a tribute that was also a clue to how to defeat his greatest enemy! Of course, Lois is the one who figures it out, even though the Man of Steel has been staring at the darn thing for hours. About the Phantom Zone though: so Superman felt it was alright for him to pass judgment on his enemies and imprison them forever in this other dimension, but not to kill them? Some might consider imprisonment even worse than death. 

Doug: The Phantom Zone was sort of DC's version of Marvel's Limbo, wasn't it? I suppose since the Phantom Zone was not under the influence of any sun, the Kryptonians imprisoned would not be immortal. So that they didn't die, can we assume that there was no time in the Phantom Zone? Mon-el never aged... Talk about 20 years-to life!

Doug: Superman killed Mr. Mxyzptlk. But the Man of Tomorrow was crushed, emotionally void. No one, he said, had the right to kill another -- and especially not Superman. He began to walk away from Lois, she pursuing him frantically. He walked to a chamber marked "Gold Kryptonite" and "Keep Out!" Superman turned the handle and entered the chamber, a smile across his lips as he looked back at Lois. She told Tim Crane that she never saw him again, and it was assumed he'd walked out a secret passage in the back of the room only to die of exposure, powerless in the Arctic winds. Around the grounds of the Fortress of Solitude, the JLA picked up the pieces. It had been a blood bath.

Karen: This was Superman as we, children of the Bronze Age, knew him: a god with a conscience, the one person we could trust to always do what's right. Even if it means the end of Superman.

Karen: Just a side comment: who the heck was that guy shown cradling a body (is it Lana? The chest insignia looks like hers) wearing go-go boots, hot pants, and a vest? I think he was shown earlier attacking the force shield. How the heck  does he merit space and not Green Lantern or Aquaman, etc.?

Doug: Search me -- I didn't know that character, either.  I also don't know who the woman is in red and blue with the Superman shield on her cape. Call me dumb, but I'm just not up on the mythos in the era right before the Crisis. So with the interview over, Tim Crane got up to leave the Elliot household. As he packed up, Jordan reemerged with baby Jonathan. He spoke a pleasantry to Crane as the reporter headed down the sidewalk. The door closed, Lois said it was good to be free from the media again -- at least for another decade. Lois and Jordan small-talked, planned for their evening... while baby Jonathan sat on the floor, playing near a bin of coal. And then he set a diamond back into the bin. A diamond...?

Karen: Notice how 'Jordy's' speech pattern changed as soon as the reporter left? That was well done. And Jonathan has a nice spit-curl hanging down on his forehead. Jordan Elliot... Jor El... Jonathan -a name we know from Jonathan Kent. And that little wink by 'Jordy' at the end -it reminded me of the old Superman cartoons in the 60s. I enjoyed this ending, corny as it was.

Doug: So did you feel that Mr. Mxyzptlk was really "Superman's Greatest Foe"? As I finished and was writing the plot synopsis, I couldn't help but wonder if Moore didn't have something else in mind. I guess options for other "greatests" would be Superman himself, maybe even Clark Kent. I also wondered if Superman's moral code could have been considered his greatest adversary. Or was it Lois Lane? As long as she was around and loved Superman, could he ever be complete as a man? Did Superman have to die to fulfill Lois's love for him? In the end, that's where Moore ended up.

Karen: Perhaps Superman's greatest foe was the coming age of grim and gritty comics.How could such a morally upright character survive the times to come? Look at what they've done to him today, in this 'New 52' universe? No, the old Kal-El would be spinning in his Kryptonian tomb. 

Doug: Regardless of what you feel about John Byrne's re-imagining of the Man of Steel mythos, this Moore/Swan two-parter has to be among the best Superman stories of all time. As I've said several times, it's so atypical of a Superman story mood-wise. The body count is high, there's a level of distress unseen prior, and the conclusion is not all that sunny. Yet it's an honest homage to what had gone before over almost 50 years of Superman stories, at times playfully making fun of elements of the backstory, at others breaking our hearts with the relationships between characters that even as casual fans we'd known and maybe even loved. I'm glad to have read this for the first time all these years later, and regretful still that I did not read it when I bought it almost 30 years ago.

Karen: Although there are aspects of the story that seem to playfully poke some fun at the Silver Age past, I too felt that this was a respectful treatment of the classic Superman, a respectful farewell to him and to all of his supporting cast and accouterments. The Superman in this story is pretty much how I still think of him: all-powerful, yet also supremely good. Today most depictions of the Man of Steel seem to forget that second part.

Legion of Doom, or Legion of Fools?

Karen: We're talking super-villain teams today. Talk about your favorites, your not-so-favorites, and discuss this question: can a group of selfish, nasty bad guys ever really work effectively towards a common goal?

Giant-Size July: Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes 208

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #208 (April 1975)
"Vengeance of the Super-Villains!"
Writer: Cary Bates
Pencils: Mike Grell

Karen: Who's ready for some more Legion stories? Although my blog partner and I might have been Marvel-centric growing up, there was one DC series we followed regularly, and that was those teens from the future, the Legion. This issue came out shortly before I began following the book regularly. It was one of the giant size issues they put out sporadically, featuring a new story and a couple of reprints. We'll just be looking at the new material, which features some terrific Mike Grell art. 

Doug:  At some point I acquired Superboy #201, but #210 was my first in what I'd call my "regular Legion buying".  Later, I was able to get hold of several Silver Age Superboys.  As I've said, I always loved Superboy, but could never abide Superman.  Go figure.

Karen: You gotta love the splash page; purely symbolic (I think it is anyway), it features the evilly grinning members of the Legion of Super-Villains gathered around a scale model of the Super-Heroes HQ (we know this because they say so) as they detonate some small explosive that results in a tiny mushroom cloud! Incredibly goofy!

Doug:  That "gigantic gloating threat looming" motif is as old as comics, and yes -- it's a hoot, all the time.  Funny though -- DC regularly used their splash page as almost a second cover.  Karen mentioned we'd be covering the new material in this issue, which is a 20-page story.  Standard, until you figure it's really only 19 pages due to the splash page being just a teaser of what is to come.

Karen: The actual story begins on page two, in Smallville of the 20th century. Legionnaire Mon-El is spending some vacation time with Superboy and the Kents. Poor Ma Kent is making dozens of pancakes to feed the two super-teens. Mon-El is enjoying the cakes and everything else. Back in the 30th century, fellow Legionnaire Ultra Boy is also enjoying some down time, with his folks on his homeworld of Rimbor. But he's eating rather unappealing-looking vege-steaks. I can't go any further without commenting on the groovy 70s sideburns on the guys here. So a few of our Legionnaires are taking it easy. But back on Earth, at Legion HQ, Brainiac 5, Saturn Girl, and Timber Wolf are about to accept the delivery of the Universal Trophy, a sculpture they are going to guard

that symbolizes the signing of the Federated Planets Treaty. It's an important event, with automated cameras broadcasting the event live. The trophy is to be presented the next day to Dr. Larx Kenrik, who has worked tirelessly to bring the 12 planets together. Kenrik bears a strong resemblance to Henry Kissinger. This is the second comic we've reviewed with Kissinger in it! (The first was Captain America #193.) The teen trio scans the trophy and then takes it into Legion HQ. Sun Boy, who is acting as Legion leader in Mon-El's absence, is a bit nervous about things, wanting to make sure that their security is flawless. He thinks to himself that he doesn't know how Mon-El handles all the pressure -- and he hopes he gets back soon.

Doug:  You beat me to the sideburns, because it was on my agenda!  I agree -- even though set 1000 years in the future, both Dave Cockrum and Mike Grell (maybe Grell moreso) gave contemporary teens something to relate to.  And how about Clark's and Jo's parents?  Man, what swingers they must have been -- pretty good-looking 40-somethings!  Personally, I always loved the fantasy of the future,

whether here, in various TV shows or movies -- heck, even the Jetsons!  But it's funny after the passage of time, isn't it?  A lot of what Silver- and Bronze Age creators saw as "Whoa, wouldn't that be cooo-ooool?" has come to pass and we now take a lot of those ideas for granted!  Sun Boy comes off as a whiner, doesn't he?  Not exactly the sort of guy I'd want in charge -- shoot, Timber Wolf wouldn't take any crap from anyone.  

Karen: Back in Smallville, Mon-El and Superboy are about ready to make the trip to the 30th century (departing from the basement) when Ma and Pa Kent appear, Pa brandishing a bizarre pistol. He fires it and a ray flashes in the boys' eyes. Moments later, the two super-teens feel compelled to fight each other. Grell's style works well with the characters, as they look lean but muscular, sort of what you'd expect from these young heroes. The two go at it until they wind up simultaneously knocking each other out (how convenient.) The obviously-brainwashed Kents seem completely undisturbed. Back

on Rimbor, a similar scene unwinds as Ultra Boy's parents stand by as he collapses -it turns out they slipped a paralyzing drug in his food. He should have stayed away from those vege steaks!

Doug:  Time travel's just weird, isn't it?  My first thought, when Superboy said he and Mon were about to depart, and got some pushback from the Kents, was "what's the big deal?  Just come back one second after you left, and who would know any different?"  Couple of thoughts on the going's on:  first, the Superboy-Mon-el fight started like Taylor vs. Brent and ended like Rocky vs. Apollo!  On Rimbor, "don't trust anyone over 30" was never more apt.

 Karen: In the 30th century we get our first glimpse of the bad guys, the Legion of Super-Villains. Being that they are the evil counter-parts of the good guys, some of them bear a resemblance in powers, names, and looks to Legion members. There's Sun Emperor, who is the counter to Sun Boy; Lightning Lord, who is the brother of Lightning Lad and Light Lass. Then there're the odd balls -- Nemesis Kid, who was once an applicant to the Legion (briefly- he applied in Adventure Comics #346, along with Karate Kid, Princess Projectra, and Ferro Lad); Spider Girl, who's pretty much a copy of Medusa; and Radiation Roy, who has energy powers. Apparently Spider Girl and Radiation Roy were also Legion rejects (the Comic Book Database says they appeared in Adventure #323 and 320 respectively). So there's our cast of baddies...well, almost our full cast. One is missing: Chameleon Chief -- you can probably guess his powers. The baddies are gloating over their plan, saying that with Mon-El, Superboy, and Ultra-Boy out of the picture, nothing can stop them from succeeding. But Lightning Lord says that it all depends on Chameleon Chief now.

Doug:  Sometimes the names of not only the Legionnaires but really the entire cast require a groan.  "Chameleon Chief"?  Yeah...  I love the way Grell depicted Nemesis Kid in the "roll call" panel.  What a cocky gent!  He just looks smug and like he knows you're already beat!  Good legwork on that research -- I've read most of those stories, but it's been so long ago that I could not have come up with any of that data.

 Karen: At Legion HQ, Chameleon Boy relieves Chemical King from guard duty outside the room where the trophy is being held.  CK wonders if Sun Boy is being overly-cautious, but Chameleon Boy says he just isn't taking any chances since Mon-El isn't there. Sun Boy is fretting over the absence of their big guns, but Saturn Girl tries to reassure him that everything will be fine, they'll be there in time. Unfortunately she's wrong. All three have been stuck inside impenetrable energy bubbles. Mon-El recognizes it as the work of Radiation Roy. They realize that the Super-Villains must be planning something involving the trophy. They're right. Back in the Legion's HQ, a strange transformation occurs, as the base of the trophy changes into Chameleon Chief. We get a rather weak explanation as to how CC avoided detection -he states that the Legionnaires never thought to examine the base the statue was standing on! Uh, yeah, right. Once he assumes his normal form, he coats the statue with nitro-glyc, which will explode when anyone touches it. He then changes a box into a duplicate base -yes, he has more powers than Chameleon Boy - and gloats over how the Legion will be doomed when the trophy explodes.

Doug:  I have to confess that when I read the LoSV roster my mind saw "Radiation Boy", not "-Roy".  Now I can't get the Jim Croce song "Rapid Roy" out of my head!  The stealth attack by Chameleon Chief (man, that's just a bad name) was good -- nice bit of sabotage, dopey as it was.  Wasn't the base some sort of energy construct that gave the appearance that the trophy was floating?  OK...  It's never explained how CC, as a Durlan, has more or different powers than Chameleon Boy so I guess we just have to roll with it.  

Karen: At dawn the next day, boxes of garbage are shot out of the Legion HQ, but one is intercepted by a flying Lightning Lord. He takes the box to a rooftop nearby, where it turns into Chameleon Chief. He tells LL the plan is a go, and they head off to the villains' lair. Meanwhile, on Rimbor, Ultra Boy's parents release him from the energy bubble and snap out of their trance. Ultra Boy realizes there's no way he can get to Earth in time for the ceremony and knows something bad is about to go down. Back on Earth in the 20th century, Ma Kent releases the boys from the bubble while Pa Kent activates some strange device. There's no obvious effect from the instrument, and the boys need to get going, so they fly through the time barrier. This was depicted as a sort of rainbow tube with tiny labels bearing the years placed throughout. In retrospect, it's sort of silly, but it gets the idea across effectively. As the two heroes speed through, they suddenly strike a barrier. Now they understand what Pa's device was for. They struggle with the barrier, as it turns into rubbery strands that imprison them.

Doug:  I enjoyed the consistency of the depiction of time travel via the rainbow tube.  You're right, it is silly/weird, but effective at the same time.  And hey -- didn't Mon-el address the issue I'd raised above about charting their arrival time in the 30th Century?  Just arrive at a specific moment, and no one would be worse for the wear!  I liked the way the barrier seemed impenetrable, even to two super boys.  Sometimes, for as strong as Clark Kent was/is, it's nice to see him fail.  Granted, plot devices to create such a situation were sometimes a stretch for the reader, but drama has to be created somehow.  Good lord, the Henry Cavill Superman can do anything!

Karen: In front of the Legion HQ, the ceremony is about to begin. As the cameras record the details, Dr. Kenrik disembarks his space cruiser and walks across the red carpet towards the Legionnaires and the waiting trophy (which they have moved without touching, I guess). Sun Boy, Saturn Girl, and Brainiac 5 are there to greet the esteemed diplomat. All four gather around the trophy for photos. The villains watch from their base, just itching to see the trophy explode and in one fell swoop, kill the galaxy's greatest peace ambassador, wipe out a good chunk of the Legion, and discredit and shame the rest of them. The moment comes and...nothing. No explosion. The baddies are furious. They turn on Chameleon Chief, blaming him for the failure. Suddenly, he begins to transform -into what? Why, into Chameleon Boy! That's right, he caught his counter-part and took his place. Seconds later, the rest of the Legion comes crashing through the wall. Grell gives us a full page with an inset -the inset shows Colossal Boy tearing the wall apart, from the villains' view point, while the splash page gives us the Legionnaires' point of view. It's a cool trick. We see a few Legionnaires we hadn't seen earlier: besides Colossal Boy (in his groovy Cockrum harness suit), there's Projectra (in her Cockrum uniform), Karate Kid (still in his orange outfit), Lighting Lad (Cockrum-ified), and Star Boy (pre-beard, but in his starry outfit). They make rather quick work of the bad guys -- too quick honestly; I would have liked to see a couple of pages of this fight. With their enemies down, we get an explanation of how Chameleon Boy got to the villains HQ -- well, of course he posed as the trash box. Not sure why they felt the need to explain that.  The villains are hauled off by the police and Sun Boy says he realizes that the reason Mon-El, Superboy, and Utra Boy were detained was because they all have x-ray vision -- they would have been able to detect that the trophy was booby trapped. And who should show up right then but the three missing members?

Doug:  You're a stickler for details!  Ten-year old Doug wouldn't have questioned how that trophy got moved.  Man, I'm dense.  Good catch!  The entrance splash page was indeed grand, and the individual panels that followed showcasing each Legionnaire were fun but also as you said too short.  But hey -- a 20-pager has to be a 20-pager.  But here's a question for you -- how did Chameleon Boy know that Chameleon Chief's plan was to escape as a box of garbage?  I'm sure he didn't just give it up.  Did the Legion coerce a confession out of him?  Was he tortured or blackmailed in some way?  I'd sure be curious to know what went on behind the scenes there.  We've commented in past DC reviews that the writers seem to always feel the need for explanations of the way the stories played out.  Wouldn't it be better sometimes just to show how it's turning out?  I'll be honest -- when I read a comic I really just want to be entertained; I'm not much of a mystery fan.  Just give me my 20 minutes of mindless enjoyment.  But maybe that's just me (I'd be curious to know how much "thinking" others do when reading their funnybooks).

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Karen: This story was OK -the Grell art is what made it enjoyable. The story fell flat for me. I would really have liked to see the two teams go head to head but we didn't get that here. We did get to see a variety of Legionnaires, even if only in panel or two, so that was fun. But reading a story like this, in the early 70s, when I was also reading Avengers and Fantastic Four, there was really no comparison. There's no depth here. It looks cool and the sheer number of characters is fun, but the storytelling is still set at a much lower level. I probably had more fun coming up with Legion adventures in my own imagination.

Doug:  I couldn't agree more.  I think Marvel really embraced its new talent, and Stan Lee and Roy Thomas tried hard to keep their fingers on the pulse of their teenaged and young adult readers.  DC, on the other hand, seemed to squelch some of the literary creativity of their new blood, keeping that 1950's-era thumb on the creative process and mistakenly assuming that all comic book readers were still 10-year old boys.  So as you say, while we get some great visuals, they're just a peel on the outside of some less-than-tasty scripting.  I think this was generally the case for DC in the Bronze Age, with a few exceptions here and there -- but with no consistency across the board at all.

Karen: I will add one more thing: this giant has a fun one-page feature (that appears to be reprinted from the sixties) that shows the members of the Legion Subs and gives their vital statistics. I used to memorize all of these characters names and home worlds!