Tag: Saturn Girl

Well folks, we’ve finally said goodbye to Dave Cockrum. If you haven’t been reading along, then I suggest you start with our coverage of issue 200 to see the reasons for his departure. In any event, Comicdom would be in good hands, as his move to Marvel would mean the reclaiming of that mighty comic book throne by the X-Men, with their relaunch in Giant-Sized X-Men with Len Wein and Chris Claremont. Believe you me, us LSH fans have a lot to miss but comic book lore had a lot to gain. Plus, we have the onboarding of the incredibly talented Mike Grell, who would not only define LSH in the years to come but also be involved with some incredible runs. Probably some of the greatest of all time in this author’s humble opinion. More on this in Super-Talk so let’s get right to it.

Massacre by Remote Control

We see the Legion Headquarters at midnight, as four individuals with their appropriate numbers on their uniforms infiltrate the tower that houses the 30th century’s greatest superheroes.

Hearing the alarm, Mon-El commands Sun Boy to do what he was there to do. Meanwhile, Number One decides to infiltrate the building via the ventilation duct.

We are then treated to Three and Four who choose to take the underground route, whilst Two uses its power to turn the wall into sand. We return to One who cautiously makes its way through the ventilation shaft when it is blinded by an intense flash of light. Losing its grip, it falls, meeting Sun Boy at the bottom.

Three and Four hope they will have better luck but as they smash through the hole from the underground. But Mon-El anticipates them. He quickly wraps them up in his cape putting them out of commission.

How is Two fairing? It successfully arrives in the Legion Museum and knows that this is a good place to conduct some sabotage. Taking a small device out of its pocket, the fuse is triggered by light and counts down to zero, enveloping the beloved HQ in an infra-red light.

Superboy and Mon-El race through the corridors and give the command for every Legionnaire to search every chamber in an effort to find the saboteur.

Superboy finds Two but it is too late. Two tells Superboy that he has won and the Legion loses. He rips off his mask revealing that to be our master of elements, Element Lad! Superboy congratulates him on winning the practice drill but is relieved that they were at least able to capture his three partners. One, Three and Four enter, revealing themselves to be Karate Kid, Phantom Girl, and Lightning Lad respectively. They remind him that only one intruder can be fatal and to watch out for Mon-El because he’s extremely angry.

Right on cue Mon arrives and asks where the missing Legionnaire is, who was supposed to be guarding the Legion Museum. They might have missed him because it is no other than Invisible Kid.

Wondering why Invisible Kid didn’t materialize if he was here, they hear a moan. Seeing Invisible Kid slowly reappear, he passes out and they rush to his aid. They quickly decide that the best course of action is to deliver him to Brainiac-5, who examines him. Brainy can only conclude that I-K must have suffered from some serious shock and only by attaching the Mento-Scanner to his head, can they see what that shock exactly was.

On the Mento-Scanner screen they observe Invisible Kid navigate the invisible realm, a realm he is able to explore when he becomes invisible. Suddenly he meets a girl, Myla, who tells him she has something to say, when suddenly the Meno-Screen explodes causing Invisible Kid to wake up. Mon-El and Brainy tell him how he got to the medical lab and that they know about Myla. I-K quickly gets up and tells them he doesn’t want to talk about it and sulks out.

Confused, Mon-El asks Brainy why the Mento-Screen suddenly exploded. Solemnly Brainy tells Mon about his theory. That I-K must have seen and experienced something so traumatic, that it caused the scanner to overload and explode. In fact, whatever Myla told him was too much for him to take and they weren’t able to see it because Invisible Kid repressed it. Brainy terms this to be hysterical amnesia, which is very much cause for alarm and for them to be concerned for their buddy.

The next day Invisible Kid and Phantom Girl are walking through the museum when I-K tries to demonstrate to PG how he is able to transverse in the invisible world. Holding out a pen he demonstrates. By focusing on the pen, Invisible Kid becomes blurry to PG’s sight. But when she focuses on the Invisible Kid, it’s the pen that becomes blurry. Thus when he concentrates on one world, he can see it while the other becomes less tangible.

I-K tells PG he feels lucky to have her as a friend because she is someone he can talk to. He tells her about Myla and how much he is in love with her and how she confessed that she is also in love with him. I-K confides even more, that once Mon-El’s ban of him becoming invisible for one week ends, he will return to the invisible realm and make Myla his wife.

Yet as they converse, they fail to notice that something is glowing in a containment box.

Meanwhile Dream Girl has a nightmare and is overwhelmed by the mindless beast Validus, a member of the Fatal Five that was last scene during the events in issue #198. She screams and Superboy and Mon-El quickly arrive at her side.

She relates her dream to the duo and they both tell her its impossible. His master Tharok is in a space prison safely locked up, there is no way he can be calling him as he is the only person who can order Validus to attack them.

Saturn Girl arrives and quickly tells them that she too had sensed something and concludes that it must be the thoughts from Tharok. Superboy decides to go to the space prison himself and check it out, while Mon-El puts everyone on red alert in order to prepare for Validus’ arrival.

Superboy speeds through multiple galaxies faster than the speed of light, proving once again that pre-Crisis Superman was way too powerful. SB arrives at Prison Complex X-33 and the warden acknowledges that Tharok is one of the most dangerous criminals, but that he couldn’t possible have called Validus because he is currently undergoing surgery due to the damage he sustained during his last encounter with the Legion. SB acknowledges the battle and admits that even some of his brain components are currently displayed in the Legion’s trophy room.

Dun dun dunnnn.

Part 2 – Invisible Kid’s Last Try

We return to Legion HQ and the Legionnaires spot Validus on their radar, hurling toward Earth. Mon-El decides to give Invisible Kid another chance and puts him back to his post in the museum. Meanwhile Superboy races from the prison and attempt to intercept Validus before this monstrous brute can cause any destruction.

Superboy connects but is hit with a tremendous charge of Energy. Validus grabs the Teen of steel in his monstrous hand, and hurls him toward Earth. Destination. Legion HQ!

Superboy crashes through the roof and our beloved heroes try to come to his aid, but are intercepted by none other than Validus. Sun Boy commands Brainy and Phantom Girl to alert the others while he and Karate Kid take the fight right to the hulking monster. Karate Kid delivers some fierce blows but to no avail. Sun Boy attempts to blast Validus with a huge burst of sun, but is swiped away like a fly, hurling right into Karate Kid.

Meanwhile Phantom Girl looks for Invisible Kid in the Legion Museum but he can’t be found. Mon-El knows he’s the Legions last hope and attempts a sneak attack to put Validus out of commission. But Validus counters with a burst of energy, putting Mon-El out cold.

Back in the Legion museum we see the thoughts of Invisible Kid who realizes the electronic components from Tharok’s brain are still active, and this is what must have called Validus to them. He notices the components reassembled itself into a brain and I-K knows he has to create an invisibility shield to keep the brain from alerting Validus. Slowly, and carefully I’K’s hand reaches into the case, but he’s too quick. The brain alerts Validus who immediately storms the museum. I-K grabs the brain while Validus ensnarls him in its grasp. Our mighty Invisible Kid struggles and with his last amount of strength, crushes the brain in his hand, and is released from Validus’ grasp who then flies off.

Invisible Kid lies motionless on the floor. Phantom Girl rushes to his side and her most darkest fears are realized. Invisible Kid is dead. Our Legionnaires realize that he was the first to figure out how Validus was being called, and he decided to sacrifice himself. They stand around in mourning, with tears in their eyes, when suddenly a faint voice fills the air. It is Myla, who tells them that she is a ghost. In fact this was the secret she told I-K that had filled him with so much with dread. But now with him dead as well they can both live in happiness in the invisible realm. For all eternity. The Legionnaires can barely manage a smile through their tears, a smile that is a small reassurance that some day, some how, they will see their friend again.

The Creative Team

Wow do we have a lot to unpack here and where to start? First, let’s welcome Mike Grell who pretty much proves that he is going to do wonderful things with this book right out of the gate. Dave Cockrum paved the way for a more adult take on LSH and Grell is obviously continuing that. Grell is one of the greatest artists of our time and it’s such a thrill to see some of his earlier work here. He must have created a lot of jealousy and envy with his fellow artists that he was able to produce such high quality work so soon.

Cary Bates delivered his finest story yet that has incredible consequences. Just as we had our newest official recruit the issue before, here we have our first death. This is why LSH grips me and others in the way it does because nothing is off the table. There are real consequences, and Legionnaires will die, just like Invisible Kid died here. And once again it was a member of the Fatal Five, demonstrating yet again how powerful these members are. I can’t help but shudder every time I see them on the cover and really wonder if our heroes will be alive by the end of the issue.

Also, Bates must have been in full Bond mode, because the beginning sequence felt like a pure James Bond pre-title sequence, a la From Russia With Love.

But back to Mike Grell. I absolutely love his Superboy. Instead of being somewhere between an adolescent and a teenager, he makes him full on teenager, which also aged him up a little from previous depictions. Also Grell packs in so much fluidity and movement with the characters it makes the book come alive. The way he depicts Superboy flying off and charging right at Validus gave it that added touch of realism. I think we take for granted all the special effects we have at our disposal these days. But Grell had to think of the movements himself and not only build upon what came before but create something new, and he did it here perfectly. Did I mention I love Mike Grell?

Super-Talk

So let’s now discuss the elephant in the room and that’s the departure of Dave Cockrum. If you have been following along you know that he left due to a dispute he had with DC at the time of not being able to get his original art of that pinup of Bouncing Boy’s wedding from issue #200 back. Again, Rob Liefeld does a fantastic job in telling the story so if you are curious on the full details please give his podcast a listen (you can find it in the bonus section on our take on issue #200.)

But back to Super-Talk. There was very little of it. In fact the letters were demoted to the bottom quarter page on page 13, appearing alongside the actual story. And boy, does it absolutely reek of passive aggressiveness from DC using Murray Boltinoff as its voice. It may be the smallest letters section I think I’ve ever seen, but it says a lot. To this end, I will write it here in full for all to admire.

Editors Note:

The reason we reduced the usual space for letters this time is to expand the allotted number of art pages from 20 to 21.

Why? To make the most of introducing Mike Grell –and yet his peerless penmanship needs no introduction, because it was displayed in #202’s “Lost: A Million Miles From Home” over Cockrum’s pencils.

So have we got news for you! First, the bad news. Dave Cockrum, who was virtually unknown in the field and gained star-artist status only after we gave him the opportunity to do the Legion, has departed.

Now, the good news. Mike Grell, who proved his professionalism via several assignments at DC will henceforth guide the super-group through its eventful encounters. To familiarize you with “Iron Mike,” as he was pegged by his Vietnam vet pals, we’ll explore his background in the next issue.

To repeat our reply to a fan’s question in #202, “… no artist, writer, or editor is indispensable. It’s the…LSH that counts. Years back, the Legion changed hands several hands without diminishing effect, and should a crisis arrive…steps will be taken to insure the Legion survives. There’s always someone warming up in the bullpen; the show must go on; there’s always an understudy in the wings waiting to become a star. Remember the motto: LONG LIVE THE LEGION! So keep the faith!”

And so a new star is born. The Legion helped make Dave; it can do likewise for Mike with your continued loyalty!

End scene.

Wow! Did Boltinoff and DC basically infer that Dave Cockrum was a star only because of LSH? It sure does sound like it. As history would tell us this isn’t the case as he would go on to revive the X-Men franchise that was dwindling in sales at the time and in turn become one of Marvel’s biggest stars.

But boy, not only do we get some digs at Cockrum but it also feels like they’re warning Mike Grell as well. You better not do any shenanigans because as the saying goes, the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away.

But either way, we got some drama in this little box and I would be curious if they write any fan reactions in future issues.

The Legion Medallion of Merit

This one is a no brainer. We’re giving the Legion Medallion of Merit to none other than Invisible Kid, who made the ultimate sacrifice. Despite his teenage hormones going in full mode for Myla, he still got himself together and managed to stay at his post to destroy the brain that reassembled itself, saving his fellow Legionnaires.

Did he sacrifice himself just to be with Myla? He’s a stupid teenager so who knows. But I honestly don’t think that was the case. He knew what he had to do. And his demeanor as a Legionnaire is something that Mon-El will never be able question again.

It’s hard to say congratulations you Invisible Kid, since you’re dead. But may the Medallion hang proudly around your statue neck in the hall of heroes for all to see, as you float as a ghost with your ghost girlfriend in the Invisible Realm.

That’s it folks. We said farewell to Dave Cockrum, hello to Mike Grell, and shed a tear for the death of Invisible Kid. We’re at a new period in the lore of the Legion of Super-Heroes so let’s see what 204 has in store for us next week. And as always…

LONG LIVE THE LEGION!