posted
... because I must offer a dissenting opinion. I read that story (LSH v.4, Annual # 3) for the first time last night, and am enthralled by it. It's one of the best "quiet" super-hero stories (i.e., sans villains) I've ever read. Even the retcon of Garth turning out to be Proty I works in the context of the story.
Before anyone starts throwing Koko poo at me (as opposed to Cocoa Puffs, which I'd gladly eat), let me explain:
The story hinges on Garth making two decisions. One: does he stay with his family (Imra and the kids) or go off and serve a prior commitment to his previous "family," the Proteans? Two: does he tell Imra the truth or not? In both cases, Garth makes the best decision he can make for himself, even though it means letting his original family down in the first case, and continuing to live a lie in the second. Did Garth do the right thing in either case? The story leaves it up to the reader to decide. To me, this is masterful and very mature story telling.
The story could have had this kind of impact only if Garth's secret was so personal and so central to his identity that his decision would truly matter. What other reason could possibly make him consider leaving Imra and the kids? One can probably think of some other set-up that would have worked, but the Proty revelation serves just as well. It comes as a surprise yet is logical, considering Garth's history.
(Frankly, I found the big revelation less jarring than Superboy's absence from the one-panel flashback to ADVENTURE # 312, or any number of other retcons that destroyed the foundation of the Legion.)
It also does not undermine the character or anything he's accomplished in the 20 years since he became Garth. Perhaps he should have come clean years ago, but the story does an effective job of showing Garth/Proty to be slightly self-centered. Not revealing the truth because of what it might cost him is consistent with this portrayal.
A subtle contrast can also be found between Garth and Mon-El -- excuse me, Valor. It is said twice that Valor abandoned his wife, Shadow Lass, to run to earth. Valor's cameo in the story suggests that he did so to monitor the Khund fleet. So, in one sense, we have a man who puts duty before family and another who puts family before duty. The story asks us to consider who was right without making that decision for us.
Apart from the big revelation, there are many other elements that make the story work for me. I love the ambuguity of Lu and Gim having an affair. Are they or aren't they? Again, the story invites us to decide. I love the realism of Graym's jealousy over the attention his sick brother, Garridan, receives, and the near-fatal consequences of Graym trying to remove his brother's containment suit. I love Yera's role in resolving that jealousy and her finally coming to terms with Violet. I love the comedy of Kono getting carded in the bar and of the Legion ladies and men scoping each other out on the beach. I love the dialogue, particularly Ayla's poignant scene with Garth after she discovers the truth.
I went into this story expecting to hate it. After all, its big revelation had been discussed and frequently reviled in this very forum. But with this story, Tom and Mary Bierbaum have won me over as a fan. It proves that they were not Giffen's understudies but could write well on their own (even better, perhaps, without Giffen). The decision they made proved controversial, but that's what writers and artists usually do: get people talking.
In spite of the title of this thread (got your attention, didn't it? ), I do want to hear from those with different opinions. I respect the feelings of those who love Garth -- who remains my second favorite character, after Mon-El. (Sometime, I'll tell you the problems I had with *his* spotlight, in Annual # 2, written, ironically, also by the Bierbaums.) But the untitled story in Annual # 3 reminded me that the Legion is a family I would still want to be part of, whatever "dark" secrets they may hold.
[ June 10, 2007, 07:26 PM: Message edited by: He Who Wanders ]
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
Let me begin by saying that I love the Antareans. I actually get a kick out of the fact that the origin of the Proteans gets tolds more times during the Adventure run than even the Ranzz origin. I dig the original pre-ZH Kid Quantum like nobody's business, and don't mind at all him being retconned into Legion history.
Having said that, Proty-Garth really does not work for me.
The problem is that reading this revelation back into Legion stories of the past *does* undermine a significant amount of their emotional impact. Everytime some big deal is made about the "three founders", you have to keep in mind that one of them wasn't really there. Every encounter with Mekt loses something once you realize that this isn't *really* Mekt's brother he's trying to kill. Think about the scene where they met at the memorial to their parents. Did that story just not happen in the 5YL continuity?
And, of course, there's the Luck Lords story from v3. A big deal was made about the consequences of what would happen if they successfully killed Garth. And apparently, they did, but chaos didn't reign or whatever. Of course, the Luck Lords might have been full of bunk, but...
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
"The problem is that reading this revelation back into Legion stories of the past *does* undermine a significant amount of their emotional impact. Everytime some big deal is made about the "three founders", you have to keep in mind that one of them wasn't really there."
Well, he was there -- in body, if not in spirit.
Seriously, your point is well made, though the idea that one of the founders did die for real adds a certain weight to the story, I think. Garth is the John Lennon of the Legion: His death adds a sobering reality to their fantastic existence.
"Every encounter with Mekt loses something once you realize that this isn't *really* Mekt's brother he's trying to kill. Think about the scene where they met at the memorial to their parents. Did that story just not happen in the 5YL continuity?"
Good point about Mekt, though the story you cite was flawed in other ways. The portrayal of Garth and Mekt as twins bothers me more than the notion of Garth being Proty in that story.
One might speculate that Proty picked up Garth's memories and the emotional associations that went with those memories, so he truly loved what Garth loved, hated what Garth hated, etc. Either that, or he learned to do so along the way.
I don't remember the Luck Lords story you mention. What issue was it in?
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
This issue was quite the nexus. I agree, some really good story telling here, didn't hit us with a club.
Two points:
Why did I get the impression that Imra actually knew and had come to terms with this? Was it something in that issue, a future issue or something my mind came up with?
The plot point that fails in this relevation is that LL as a proty kind of flies in the face of them claiming to be sentient.
From: East Toledo | Registered: Jul 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
The Luck Lords story is, as I recall, LSH #45. It's right before the Conspiracy storyline.
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
Three things lead me to believe that Imra knows:
1. She wakes up in the middle of the night to find Garth not in bed. She finds him talking to six Antareans, yet she never asks him what he was doing or where the Antareans came from. (We had seen only their other identity, Proty II, before.)
2. Ayla believes that Imra knows the truth on some level, just as she always has. If Garth's sister detected a difference in his personality, then certainly the woman he loved must have.
3. The above idea is also supported by Imra's comment to Lydda that Lydda didn't know Garth "when he was the brash, self-centered daredevil" (page 11). Lydda joined the Subs in ADV. # 306, before Garth was "resurrected" in # 312. This suggests that Imra was aware of a marked personality change in Garth that Lydda would not have known about.
I'm not sure what your last comment means, BB. How does Proty's mind taking over LL's body contradict the Antareans' claim to sentience?
[ June 10, 2007, 11:22 PM: Message edited by: He Who Wanders ]
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Eryk Davis Ester: The Luck Lords story is, as I recall, LSH #45. It's right before the Conspiracy storyline.
Thanks. I'll check it out.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
As I recall, the Proteans "shared" their entire race's sentience amongst a few carefully chosen brethren and Garth/Proty happens to be one of those chosen few. Him not joining in to save the race was of some import as I recall.
Of course I haven't read this in years so I can't be absolutely sure about anything.
From: Smallville Sector : Greater Metropolis | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
Wasn't there some shimmer or effect drawn around Imra when she was looking out the window at Garth and the others i.e. telepathic powers active? I assumed that she was reading his mind at that point. IIRC, she looked alarmed - because he was out there in the middle of the night, or because she feared that he might be leaving?
It's quite interesting to speculate what might have happened had Garth left his wife and kids. Hero to Antareans, scumbag to Winath and Legion?
That issue was the Legion's "Big Chill" weekend. Grown-ups with all their relationship problems. It's curious how many things were left unresolved; I hadn't really recalled that aspect until I read it in HWW's post.
posted
OK, I've read the Luck Lords story in LSH v. 3 # 45. No wonder I didn't remember it: It's the worst case of padded writing I can recall. Levitz spends several pages trying to convince us that the Luck Lords have some reason for wanting Garth dead, but he never makes their motives clear. Like the Time Trapper and the Archmage, they are "forces of nature" that do what they do because that's what they do. Their scenes are tedious, particularly the forced "First ... second ... third" dialogue.
The story builds up to a confrontation between Garth and Mekt, but this fight is no different than any of Mekt's past fights with the Legion. Garth wins (big surprise), and nothing else is resolved ... except that the Luck Lords decide to no longer interfere in Garth's life. But their previous efforts were unsuccessful, so what does it matter?
If we read this story in the context of the Proty story, it means that the Luck Lords ironically and unknowingly succeeded in killing Garth -- but it didn't matter. He fulfills his destiny as a Legionnaire, husband, and father, anyway. It could be that, as Garth says in the story, love is stronger than luck. Proty I loved Imra enough to sacrifice his own life for her. So, love wins out, regardless of who inhabits Garth's brain.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Fat Cramer: Wasn't there some shimmer or effect drawn around Imra when she was looking out the window at Garth and the others i.e. telepathic powers active? I assumed that she was reading his mind at that point. IIRC, she looked alarmed - because he was out there in the middle of the night, or because she feared that he might be leaving?
Imra sees her reflection in the window, along with Winath's moon. It's a very eerie shot, but there's no clear indication that she's using her telepathy. (I assume that she wouldn't violate Garth's privacy any more than she would the Legionnaires.)
Insightful comparison between this story and "The Big Chill," Cramer. I hadn't thought of it that way, but it fits.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Yellow Kid: As I recall, the Proteans "shared" their entire race's sentience amongst a few carefully chosen brethren and Garth/Proty happens to be one of those chosen few. Him not joining in to save the race was of some import as I recall.
Ironically, I read v. 4, # 33, which picks up the Antareans' story, just the other day. The Antareans are searching for Kid Quantum I, who, along with the rest, is secretly "The Soul of Antares." KQ was one of seven Antareans who were selected to retain their sentience after Glorith's failed experiment in subjugating them.
But therein lies a possible continuity error. Six Antareans are shown meeting with Garth in the Annual. If KQ is the seventh, then how does Proty I figure into it? Was a he a "rebel" who left Antares before the others? Or was he part of the "Soul," as well? If the latter, then his decision to remain behind might have serious consequences for the Antareans: It means part of their soul is missing.
[ June 11, 2007, 09:58 AM: Message edited by: He Who Wanders ]
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
I became a Legion fan circa 1983? So the founders weren't a big deal for me.
While The Garth/Proty does pull at my heart while it yells "NOOOO!". But it was done so well that I loved it. Same goes for most of v4. I hated as a Legion fan but it was so well done I love it as well.
I didn't like that Luck Lords story at all. Was it how silly the Lords looked? Was it how silly Mekt looked?(I hate Christmas tree superhero costumes like Mekt's, Alan Scott's, and some of Wonder Man's). Or was it just a bad story?
To tell the truth I never cared for the daredevil Lightning Lad either. Hated him in the reboot Legion. (though I like him in the cartoon...cause they make it work)
From: Tampa | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
As for why Proty left Antares, IIRC, he was stolen along with other rare and valuable animals by space pirates that the Legion apprehended. Chameleon Boy then appropriated Proty as his pet, which seems highly illegal and inappropriate to me, but that was the silver age.
I loved the Proty/Garth story. At first read, I was stunned but upon rereading it, I realized it was perfectly logical and changed nothing in Garth's history as a Legionnaire. I thought it was excellent writing, though the whole collective consciousness/soul of Antares thing was a bit confusing.
As for why Mekt was always trying to kill Garth, I never thought of it this way before, but there are 2 sides to every story. Maybe, like Ayla, Mekt sensed that this wasn't really Garth, even if it was only subconsciously. Maybe he viewed Proty/Garth as an aberration that defiled his brother's memory and that was his motive for trying to kill him. Maybe he kept his motives secret from Ayla to protect her from finding out Garth's secret. Maybe in his whacked out brain he would rather have Ayla hate him for killing Garth than to let her love the abomination that was Proty/Garth.
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From: Champaign, IL | Registered: Jul 2003
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I also like this story too. In fact, I would say it was 'brillant'. It was a twist that just seemed to 'work' for me, and made sense given the entire history of the Legion.
I always assumed that Proty I did not at first realize he wasn't Garth. Wasn't that inferred somewhere along the way? That at first he didn't know he wasn't Garth and gradually he became aware of what truly happened, but as he did, he became more and more entrenched in living Garth's life, so essentially it was already his own. He certainly didn't steal Garth's life--all those decisions were his. Proty lost his arm in Adventure, Proty fell in love with Imra, and Imra fell in love with him. But he wasn't *Proty* any more at those times--he was Garth.
Proty never intended to come back to life as Garth reborn, with all of Garth's memories. I took it as Garth's love for Imra, affection for Ayla and dismay with Mekt as transferring to Proty right away, so that all of his future interactions with them and the rest of the Legion were not 'Proty actively trying to channel Garth' but rather 'Proty reacting as Garth would because of the very nature of the ressurection'. It probably took him years and years to finally come to terms with what his identity actually meant. Now, since its been a little while since I read the issues, I can't remember how much of that is my own inferrence or how much was actually laid out in the comics. Part of the beauty of this issue, as HWW mentions, is that so much of it is ambiguous.
Also, I took those final pages to certainly imply that Imra always knew, and whether she truly thought it out and accepted it didn't matter. Garth/Proty could *not* fool the greatest telepath in the universe. But Imra I don't think considered risking everything she loved by following this line of thinking to its inevitable awful conclusion, should she have pursued it.
I really love the Proteans, Antares, Kid Quantum, etc aspects of Legion history, *especially* what TMK did with it. The tied together the entire Adventure subplot to the the Levitz/Brande/Proteans subplot, and then gave us a double-whammy that (1) created one of the greatest WTF?! moments in Legion history and (2) created Kid Quantum, who tied up a continuity-screwed up loose end and introduced a cool minority character in classic Legion history in an effortless, respectful way (to both Legion history and the minority character in question).
I do, of course, understand that some people dislike this story (Dean, Scott, Omnicraig, etc.), and I respect that opinion of it too. But even upon rereads, I find myself thinking WOW-this is pretty awesome!.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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), I do want to hear from those with different opinions. I respect the feelings of those who love Garth -- who remains my second favorite character, after Mon-El. (Sometime, I'll tell you the problems I had with *his* spotlight, in Annual # 2, written, ironically, also by the Bierbaums.) But the untitled story in Annual # 3 reminded me that the Legion is a family I would still want to be part of, whatever "dark" secrets they may hold.
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