Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #248

Welcome back fellow Legionnaires to the blog that is all about Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes. We have reached issue #248 where Gerry Conway officially takes over the writing duties from Mr. Paul Levitz, who brought us a lot of thrill and impactful moments. From the Infinite Man, to Earthwar, I think we can all agree that Levitz really propelled this book forward, and if this issue is any indication, Gerry Conway grabbed that baton and continued to run his butt off. Let us take a moment to thank Paul for his wonderful contribution. We will see him again because he did script Jim Starlin’s follow up that we will have in a couple of issues. And of course he will return in an official capacity when he takes over again after this series turns into the Legion of Super-Heroes, continuing the numbering. 

Jack C. Harris is also announced as the new editor, though he was flying solo last issue. My only concern is that he was involved with that disastrous appearance of Karate Kid in the Kamandi book. He is no stranger to the LSH, because he was the guy replying to the letters way back when Murray Boltinoff was on the book. So let us see what Jack will bring to the table.

With that out of the way, we have a very strong start to the, I suppose, second Gerry Conway run at this book? And we return to the seventeen-page, page count, with DC slyly not lowering the price from 40¢. And though that might have been a pity for your wallet back then, it is very welcomed on my end today because those story write-ups were getting a bit too long!

Anyway, Gerry Conway picks up the pieces that were left from Earthwar and shows us the consequences. But beware fellow Legionnaires! For…

Beneath the Streets Lurks…Death!

Aftermath: The Khund War is over now, and for most of Earth’s several billion inhabitants in this year of 3078 A.D., it is a time of recovery and rebuilding. Across the war-weary planet a million hands are busy with the work of reconstruction. And not a few of these hands belong to somber Legionnaires!

Phantom Girl, Cosmic Boy, Shadow Lass, and Sun Boy fly through the old sewers out of a request from the Science Police to fix the filtration system that was damaged due to the war. Shadow Lass questions their presence but Sun Boy quickly tells her that there is more to it because the Tech Corps has had trouble and not because they cannot fix the problem, but because some of their staff members keep disappearing. Sun Boy believes the cause is a herd of blind albino alligators and he recalls a story from Superboy who told him that baby alligators were thrown into the sewers back in the twentieth century.

Suddenly, Shadow Lass sees the water move and a large, grey, icky tentacle quickly flies out of the water and snakes around her leg, and slams her against the floor. The three Legionnaires stop, turn around, and are greeted by a large, multiple headed beast with tentacles that continue to flay around the room. Only a few days ago officers of the Science Police faced death without a qualm during the Earth-Khund war. They are brave men, tested in battle, sure in their ability to survive. But brave though they are, not one of them can fully stifle the shriek which bubbles up from inside them, as the sewer continues to heave like a volcano and they are attacked by the monstrous beast. 

They try to blast the beast with their weapons, but the blasts do not even faze the monster. More tentacles rise from the water and wrap around each officer and tires to pull them under. Just as all hope seems to be lost, the three Legionnaires also attack the beast. While attacking, the Legionnaires try to figure out how this thing could be in the sewer, and conclude that it might be a biological weapon left over from the Khunds. Phantom Girl uses her phantom power to slip behind the beast and punches one of its heads, to no effect. She tries to turn back into phantom form but a tentacle grabs her. Imagine a slithering touch from the depths of a dream. A touch so serpentine it can paralyze event the best of us with primitive terror. On Phantom Girl’s homeworld of Bgztl, there are no snakes and for this reason alone, the unknown strikes her with horror. And she freezes in her tangible form for an instant that almost kills her. She escapes and it quickly chases her. She flies right toward a wall, and at the last second turns into phantom form, early passing through, with the beast slamming against the metal wall. With it temporary dazed, Sun Boy swoops in and blasts it with a nova-flare sending it scurrying, apparently not being able to stand bright light. Meanwhile, Cosmic Boy uses metal scattered around the sewer to construct a ladder for the Science Police Officers to use and escape. He sees the beast coming at him, and looks above, and uses his powers to send rusty pipes crashing on the beast’s head. 

Sun Boy turns up the heat and the sewage water boils, emitting a smell of boiled cabbage and rotten eggs and he wonders if this thing was really alive. The steaming waters offer no reply, as with a final shuddering heave like a monstrous sigh, the creature slithers back below the surface and at last, lies still. Sun Boy quickly searches for Shadow Lass and finds her lying unconscious on a sewage platform. He scoops her up and the Legionnaires quickly make their way to Legion Headquarters. 

Walls cratered by the weapons of the Khund, grounds blackened by fire, the tower on the outskirts of Metropolis has surely seen better days. Yet despite its wounds it still stands. And for as long as it stands, so stands the Legion of Super-Heroes! 

Within the tower are Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl. Lightning Lad, who believes himself to be quite the gourmet chef, is preparing Venusian crab in butter sauce, steamed martian tris-roots, and Ganymedian rose leafs au gratin. Saturn Girl knows that he has been studying cooking tapes for a week and does not want to hurt his pride. Just as she is about to give him a kiss, she receives a telepathic burst from Sun Boy that Shadow Lass has been hurt. As she rushes off he realizes that they will miss dessert and he follows her. If the wistful Lightning Lad had hesitated but a moment longer, he would have realized that not only must he forget dessert, but he might very soon have to forfeit his life, as a small group of tentacles form on one of the tables.

Sun Boy and team rush in with Shadow Lass whose body has become cold. Suddenly they hear a scream and Mon-El and Superboy rush in. Mon-El quickly blames Sun Boy, grabs Shady and rushes her to Brainiac Five. The rest of the Legionnaires follow and Sun Boy brings everyone up to speed. Mon-El bursts in Brainy’s lab and pleads for his help. But Brainy chides him for disrupting his experiment and Mon-El can hardly believe it. Brainiac then tells him that the chemical de-synthesizer that he is developing is of prime interest to him and Mon-El cuts him off. Mon-El orders Brainy to help him. 

Brainiac’s lower lip stiffens, but he nods. And for the next quarter-hour, the greatest mind of the thirtieth century applies itself to a single task, probing the injured girl’s motionless form with every diagnostic instrument known to science. Until at last he rises with an irritated sigh, and frowning in annoyance. As far as he can tell if she lives through the next five hours she will survive. And if she does not, then she obviously will not. Then he excuses himself because he has to go back to his work.

Mon-El is absolutely flabbergasted and angry. He confronts Brainiac and asks what has gotten into him and Superboy manages to hold him back. He screams at everyone that they do not care what will happen to Shadow Lass and he will stay by her side until he gets better. The Legionnaires leave him in peace. 

Under normal circumstances the Chief Executive of R.J. Brande Enterprises, R.J. Brande, remains in seclusion of an asteroid far off in space. Yet today’s circumstances are not normal and for the first time in many months he occupies the penthouse complex of his private business tower in central metropolis, where he hears a report that shakes the very foundations of his personal reality. He is bankrupt. He slams his fist on his desk and he will not accept it. As he continues to ponder about that situation including if someone is sabotaging him, a small group of tentacles slither out of the nearby sink. Brande does not notice them as they slither toward him and grab him. In a panic he just manages to reach the Legion Emergency button, before falling back, as the man himself is drawn struggling into the shadows. The air is thick with an earthy stench and from the shadows comes a slimy gurgle. 

Back at Legion HQ, Cosmic Boy is helping Superboy exercise by using his magnetic powers to pul two steel slabs together but it still cannot match Superboy’s super-strength. They both talk about the day’s events and Cosmic Boy wants another shot at the sewers but Garth is having trouble getting permission from the Science Police. Suddenly the Legion alarm sounds, indicating trouble at Legion HQ. And in a matter of seconds, the Legion is launched without two of its members, for Sun Boy and Brainiac Five remain in Legion HQ. Sun Boy is feeling too guilty about Shadow Lass and knows that he will not be any help. He looks at Brainy and wonders what has gotten into him lately.

A soft sound from the corridor behind them, and the two Legionnaires turn and see the enormous creature that had obviously followed them there from their battle. The creature sends its tentacles forth and quickly grab Sun Boy and Brainiac Five and it squeezes, because its goal is obvious. It wants to kill them both. 

What is this monster from beneath the streets? What does it want with the Legion and Rene Brande? And who was that shadowy figure on page three? For the answers to these and other vital questions, don’t miss next issue’s lead story—

Capital Crimes of the Chemical Conqueror

Next issue on sale during the last week in December. 

Creative Team

Gerry Conway is back and he is not playing around. I do not know if the feel of this book is different because we received Earthwar and are dealing with the consequences of it. Or simply because Gerry Conway is just a master of plot and pacing. Full disclosure, I absolutely love Conway’s work. If you put a random Justice League of America title in my hands, I can easily pick out, which one he contributed to. His ability to weave in plot elements, pace the story, then create the payoffs is why he is one of the best. 

The interesting choice Conway made in this issue is further developing Brainiac Five. We did not see too much of him during Earthwar. Levitz took him off the board quite early, which makes sense because he is a twelfth level intellect and would have figured out that Mordru was pulling the strings. But now, we do see the coldness of him. His failure to see the gravity of Shadow Lass condition as well as understanding Mon-El’s outright rage was very startling to see. Then at the end to just say he does not know and it is up to Shadow Lass was a very powerful moment. It makes us ask how does Brainy fit on the team and how can he relate to his fellow Legionnaires. Is his cold analytical thinking wrong or is that his super-power? 

Also, the fear that Sun Boy had knowing that Mon-El would be enraged when he took back an injured Shady was also very interesting. It revealed a bit more of what the dynamics are between the group members. I can imagine that because Mon-El is the most powerful member of the team, no-one wants to make him mad. Thus, Superboy quickly steps in to try to calm him down and spare Sun Boy and take the heat off of him (pun intended). These interactions between the characters makes this a very strong issue and Conway made us squirm quite a bit along the way. Plus we do have that drop of mystery of who exactly was that shadowy figure in the panel on page three?

Last issue, I was a bit negative on Joe Staton and thought that it was his weakest work on the series. This issue, I can do a complete one hundred and eighty degree turn and declare this is probably one of his best work. David Hunt’s inks probably contribute to it, but just seeing those Legionnaires fly through the dark, damp sewer, was an incredible image. Then to see the tentacles rise from those murky waters and grab each Legionnaire was incredibly well done. I always enjoy Staton best when he finds that perfect balance between the cartoony and the realistic, and this is a perfect example of that occurring here. One aspect that really stood out for me were the sheer amount of backgrounds that Staton laid down. This really made the world stand out and I think the backgrounds helped create that balance mentioned above.

All in all a very strong issue and a great start for Gerry Conway’s second run on Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes. We have some great team dynamics and interactions between the Legionnaires, and a bit of mystery dropped in to keep us coming back for more. 

Legion Outpost

We have three letters in this issue’s Legion Outpost and two very interesting tidbits. 

First, a letter from Mike Bates who feels that Joe Staton’s style is too cartoonish and he does miss the rendering that James Sherman applied. This complaint on Staton’s style was also quite common on the Karate Kid book. For me, personally, I always liked how he was able to achieve the perfect balance, much like he did in this issue. But DC’s response is that Staton is a fitting replacement for Sherman, because Sherman was having trouble producing the strip on a monthly basis. 

So there you go. The Reddit sub was probably right. Perhaps Sherman did not like the ending but he probably also had a lot of issues doing a team book with the amount of detail that he applied. This is a common issue but boy, when Sherman produced he produced and I still love those beautiful issues.

A letter from Edward B. Vis, who praised the Earthwar storyline and how Levitz really shook things up. The response is incredibly interesting because apparently the original intention was going to be much darker:

“Truth to tell Edward, the original plot for Earthwar did have a Legionnaire dying at the nadir of the storyline.”

Wait what?! A Legionnaire was going to die? I did a quick search on the internet and could not finding anything so I will also drop this in the Reddit Legion of Super-Heroes sub. My guess on who would die would be Wildfire. There was that one moment where they all banded together to stop the negative energy in issue #244 and it was extremely reminiscent from the moment back in issue #228. Wildfire was in that group, and considering that he was about ready to step down as Legion Leader, I think his death would have forced an election and allowed Lighting Lad to take his place as leader. This is my personal guess, but a very neat revelation right here in the letters’ page!

The Legion Medallion of Merit

Luckily we only have one, seventeen page story to choose the Legionnaire who went above and beyond the call of duty and is deserving of the Legion Medallion of Merit. Brainiac Five was quite cold in this one, and his attending to Shadow Lass seems more of an annoyance to get it out of the way so he could return to his own work than anything. Also, Mon-El’s failure to keep his emotions in check also disqualifies him. When I flipped back through the book, I kept going back to that one Legionnaire who has been known to jump into action and ask questions later. She always takes the initiative and is the first one to try to do something about a problem. And that Legionnaire is Phantom Girl.

With those tentacles flying everywhere, she simply rushed the monster and punched one of its heads in the face. Then she dodged some more, and made it follow her as she quickly turned into phantom form, phased through a metal wall, and the creature smashed right into it. This allowed the Legionnaires to regroup and for Sun Boy to turn up his powers to nova level and take the monster down. This was an incredible act of bravery on Phantom Girl’s part and she is such a professional and not to mention extremely cool

Congratulations Phantom Girl! We should provide you two medals, one for your phantom state and one for your ‘normal’ one. Though I guess in your case, phantom state is your normal one!

And that is it for this week’s installments fellow Legionnaires! Next issue is our final issue of 1978, and we are barreling on toward #250 at the top of 1979. And as always we will cover everything right here! Now remember, if you ever find yourself in a sewer, remember do not jump into the water and open your eyes, that only works in cartoons and in the movies. And should a big bad sewage monster rise from its murky waters, always remember the battlecry that will get you out of any stinky situation…

LONG LIVE THE LEGION!