posted
Am I the only person really enjoying Cosmic Boy? This issue gives us lots more insight into his psychology. He is definitely suffering from "it's all up to me" neurosis. He's in charge, the weight of the world is on his shoulders, thanks to him everyone else can goof off, etc. This is a common problem for over-achieving perfectionists when confronted with a leadership/team situation, whether at work or in a marriage. This isn't to excuse his behavior, just explain it. There is hope for Cos -- he realizes he needs Sun Boy, and can rely on him. His mistake is waiting too long to tell him. I think this is a really interesting portrayal of a talented, flawed person.
Brainiac 5 -- Brainy came dangerously close, Cos-style, to losing it on Colu. He has the advantage of being the aggrieved party when he returns to HQ. He and Cos both make the mistake of thingking that their brilliance justifies deviousness. My guess is that both will end up realizing they need the other, and soon. The Legionnaires siding with Brainy have to ask themselves "What will he do to ME if I cross him?"
Sun Boy -- Needs time out to find himself. Feels pressured by parents (as we already knew). Also, is probably feeling the pressure of being the one Cos relies on. Cos's ego issues drive him to try and do it all himself. Sun Boy's issues drive him to take a time out. It's interesting, because he seemed more self-assured. I figured his confidence and charisma were the reason Cosmic Boy chosen him field leader over, say, Lightning Lad, who may be more hot-headed and less strategic than Sun Boy.
Element Lad -- I echo people's enthusiasm for E-Lad as a pseudo-, or even plain, intellectual. In the past, he has seemed spiritual and even artistic. I would love to see him writing poetry. I also really liked "It will only hurt for a minute." The wry humor Waid has injected has become on of the new book's strongest points.
Saturn Girl -- I love that Saturn Girl used her powers to "switch off" Ultra Boy. I like the fact that this version of Saturn Girl is comfortable about using her powers AND confident in her judgement not to abuse it unduly. There's no point having a telepath on the team unless she can use her powers. Life is lived on a slippery slope.
All in all, a great character issue with lots of great moments.
-------------------- ...but you don't have a moment where you're sitting there staring at a table full of twenty-five characters with little name signs that say, "Hi, my superpower is confusing you!"
From: Chicago, IL | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
Thanks for the synopsis of Superboy #117, Nightcrawler.
Personally, I sympathize with Cosmic Boy and the pressure he's under and would almost classify Brainy as a villain-in-the-making (and Ultra Boy, too) under the current circumstances. Almost. But even though I think it's criminal to divide the team at a crucial time like this, I think that Brainy honestly thinks that he's doing the right thing while Ultra Boy simply isn't thinking at all. Period.
And I strongly suspect that Invisible Kid may still be hiding something from the rest of the team--apart from his presence in the latest issue.
But I just can't see Element Lad or Chameleon's behaviour in a potentially villainious light no matter how I try.
In any event, I'm sitting on the edge of my seat and can't wait for the next issue to come out. **SIGH!** I wonder if the new Legion flight rings have time-travel capability, so that I could travel to the end of August if I were to obtain one.
[ August 01, 2005, 10:22 PM: Message edited by: Mediocre Boy ]
-------------------- Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, so the meek[s] shall inherit inherit the Earth, but what about the geeks? I still want Baffin Island--polar bears and all! :)
From: Brampton, Canada | Registered: Feb 2005
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quote:Originally posted by doublechinner: Am I the only person really enjoying Cosmic Boy? This issue gives us lots more insight into his psychology. He is definitely suffering from "it's all up to me" neurosis. He's in charge, the weight of the world is on his shoulders, thanks to him everyone else can goof off, etc. This is a common problem for over-achieving perfectionists when confronted with a leadership/team situation, whether at work or in a marriage. This isn't to excuse his behavior, just explain it.
That was my interpretation of his behavior, as well.
quote:Originally posted by Mediocre Boy: Personally, I sympathize with Cosmic Boy and the pressure he's under and would almost classify Brainy as a villain-in-the-making
Me too, exactly and exactly. The four of us should form the 'Cosmic Boy Apologist Squad'.
Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Tromium: A Kid Psycho type vulnerability is an intriguing idea, but I'm not sure I want Jan depicted as a victim of his own powers ... again. I do believe he'll eventually overcome his current limitations (one or both), but that's not something I necessarily look forward to. I don't trust any writer, Waid included, to look beyond the monster he once became if his full powers are ever unleashed. .
I just don't see the as a logical extrapolation of his powers. Jan transmutes elements but that doesn't - and shouldn't - mean that he can become them himself. Jan is basically human and turning himself into a non-carbon-based element should just leave him dead NOT god-like.
quote:Is Dirk a psuedo-Winathian/Trommite, too??
He's listed as being from Earth.
quote:Garth hasn't been tight with Cos for eons (and there weren't close friends originally) so while his support of his fellow founder is understandable, I hope they don't overdo the buddy bit. To me, Garth and Dirk always seemed more natural friends than Garth and Cos.
It seems to me that you're thinking SW6 where Garth and Dirk were hot-headed jerks. That's pretty much the only time they were ever similar in personality and they certainly aren't both like that now. Garth is hot-headed, but not a jerk and Dirk is a lot more level-headed than previous versions.
quote:I'm thinking of the even darker reality depicted in LSH v.2 #300, when Blok got so fed up with his quarreling teammates he blew them all to smithereens. Where's Blok now when we really need him?
Off plotting with the Dark Man?
-------------------- Dan
From: Newburgh, NY | Registered: May 2004
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posted
Hurray for Cosmic Boy Apologists! Does that make us all Star Boys and Girls?
What was great about this issue was seeing how each Legionnaire reacted in the chain-reaction slug fest. Ultra Boy flies off the handle. Colossal Boy attempts to calm things down, albeit in his "I'm a giant and you're not" condescending way. Interestingly, Karate Kid comes to UB's defense. Seems they bonded over the ice in Australia. Shadow Lass has KK's back, as we would expect after the last few issues. I had missed the fact that Sun Boy joined in, too. Other readers seem to think he isn't quitting after all. Makes sense.
I also wanted to point out Light Lass. We've gotten used to her as the, well, vamp of the 3Boot so far. Nice to see that her ... openness ... to relationships includes friendship and caring to Projectra. Is she the hussy with the heart of gold? Or just a caring, loving, sensual person?
It seems significant that Light Lass, unlike Star Boy, knows about Projectra's "palace" and has been there before. This suggests that the Legionnaires' apparent lack of knowledge about each other is not blanket, but the result of differences in age, tenure, and social status. You can be really ignorant of the person who sits next to you in class if you aren't part of the same clique. I wonder if Waid and Kitson have a network map of cliques? I wonder if any Legion Worlder is enterprising enough to chart the patterns of familiarity and ignorance to see if they are consistent and predictive?
-------------------- ...but you don't have a moment where you're sitting there staring at a table full of twenty-five characters with little name signs that say, "Hi, my superpower is confusing you!"
From: Chicago, IL | Registered: Jul 2004
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quote:Originally posted by SouthtownKid: The four of us should form the 'Cosmic Boy Apologist Squad'.
That sure beats my idea: 'The Sychophantic-Starboy-Society." I'm in.
-------------------- Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, so the meek[s] shall inherit inherit the Earth, but what about the geeks? I still want Baffin Island--polar bears and all! :)
From: Brampton, Canada | Registered: Feb 2005
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quote:Originally posted by ferroboy: I just don't see the as a logical extrapolation of his powers. Jan transmutes elements but that doesn't - and shouldn't - mean that he can become them himself. Jan is basically human and turning himself into a non-carbon-based element should just leave him dead NOT god-like.
I wasn't specifically referring to Jan's ability to self-transmute, but since you mention it, it was in fact a writer extrapolation dating back to the Silver Age, when Superboy told the LSV that Jan could turn himself into gas and fly away into deep space. He might have been bluffing then, but the ability later became a reality and I for one was not really astonished to see his powers evolve that way, though I wasn't too thrilled when it was employed to turn him into a lunatic. Thus, I'm wary about his powers evolving beyond their current limitations in this continuity. Jan is too tempting a target for writers with wicked intentions, imo.
That Jan is "basically human" is definitely NOT a given. Besides being arguably the most alien and mysterious of the humanoid Legionnaires, Waid made a point of warning us not to assume that the Legionnaires were human, just because they looked human. He might have been referring to Jan, among others. Maybe, maybe not.
quote:Is Dirk a psuedo-Winathian/Trommite, too?? He's listed as being from Earth.
That was my feeble attempt at a joke about Jan and Dirk as "twins". Nevermind.
quote:It seems to me that you're thinking SW6 where Garth and Dirk were hot-headed jerks. That's pretty much the only time they were ever similar in personality and they certainly aren't both like that now. Garth is hot-headed, but not a jerk and Dirk is a lot more level-headed than previous versions.
No, I try NEVER to cite those bogus SW6 stories. The two characterizations you allude to to were historically false, and bore little resemblance to the "real" Garth and Dirk in their youth. That said, the two boys were indeed best friends in the Silver Age. Dirk said so in Adv. #312, when he offered to sacrifice his life to revive Garth on Korbal. I also refer to the post-Adventure story that took place on Dirk's 11th (sola years) birthday, when Garth engineered Dirk's rescue from Regulus. The Garth/Dirk friendship seemed to dissipate as they grew to adulthood, and their lives took them in very different directions. Garth and Cos, on the other hand, didn't pal around until they started double-dating with Imra and Lydda in the Action (?) era.
BTW, it's much too early to stereotype Garth as a "hot head" and Dirk as "level headed". Garth was the epitome of level-headedness in issue #5, when many lives were at stake. Dirk practically tore Luornu another orifice when she snipped his hair in issue #3.
The same admonishment about stereotyping goes to you other folks making fun of my adorable Star Boy. Mark my words, some day Thom's gonna kick himself some Cosmic Boy butt.
Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
Just a point on Cos:
According to his traditional portrayal, Cos's leadership isn't so much a matter of being able to set agendas/visions as it is a matter of being able to implement other people's visions. He responds to circumstances rather than creating them. His conflict with Brainy is largely illustrative of this difference. What's interesting, and what may be his fatal flaw in this incarnation, is that its not clear whose vision he's acting as spokesperson for. With no R. J. Brande in sight, Cos is unsure exactly what has to be done.
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
What you are describing is the difference between what is defined as management versus the qualities defined as leadership. In an unchanging world with an RJ Brande, the Legion as an agent of a benevolant UP government, management is sufficient. But In this incarnation its quite inadequate, hasn't it?
From: Canada | Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Tamper Lad: BTW the Cosmic boy apologists society is known as Cos' Association of Sychophantic Starboys or more commonly by the abbreviation Cos' ASSes.
Ouch, man, ouch. We just see it differently. Just because they're fighting in the comic... I hope we don't mirror that rift here... Anyhow, we're not an association or a society, we're a squad.
quote:Originally posted by Tamper Lad: His transgressions [list] [*]Milking poor Princess Projectra, cash cow and lying to her
I guess I'll kick things off: He was only trying to protect her, because he didn't think her abilities were developed enough to protect herself or back up her teammates in a crisis situation. You can see how Projectra sees herself as above commoners, and avoids physical contact with others. This is not the kind of person you can depend on to watch your back. Cos was just looking out for his team by keeping her on the sidelines. See? It all makes sense!
If you ask me, Cosmic Boy's most inexcusible transgression was stealing Element Lad's comics to give to Projectra's guards.
Registered: Jul 2005
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If you ask me, Cosmic Boy's most inexcusible transgression was stealing Element Lad's comics to give to Projectra's guards.[/QB]
Actually, there's nothing to indicate that Cosmic Boy stole those comics; all he said was that they were from Element Lad's private stash. And even if they were "commandeered," let us say, Element would surely have approved after the fact since it was vitally important for Rokk to gain access to Jeckie.
Hee! Y'know, it is kind of fun to be an apologist for Cosmic Boy!
[ August 02, 2005, 06:22 PM: Message edited by: Mediocre Boy ]
-------------------- Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, so the meek[s] shall inherit inherit the Earth, but what about the geeks? I still want Baffin Island--polar bears and all! :)
From: Brampton, Canada | Registered: Feb 2005
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