Just a couple of minutes ago I put up a new post at Legion Abstract in which I ask for some help. I'd like to ask again here, because I think it could lead to an interesting discussion.
What I want to do on LA is to put up one post for each Legionnaire (over a long period of time, of course). In that post, I'll highlight a comic book in which that Legionnaire is seen at his or her best. Not necessarily a spotlight issue (although I suppose it could happen); just a comic book in which that Legionnaire uses his or her powers in a cool way, or has a good character moment, or kicks a lot of ass, or really for any reason.
What I'd like help with are suggestions (here, or in the blog comments, or by e-mail) for which issues are the best choices for which Legionnaires.
I already have some ideas of my own, and I don't own every single Legion comic, so I can't guarantee I'll use everybody's suggestions, but I'll carefully consider them all.
What do you think? Thanks in advance.
[ July 12, 2006, 09:13 PM: Message edited by: Matthew E ]
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
The Legion Abstract looks like a terrific project, Matthew. It presents "snapshots" of each Legionnaire, both visual and verbal.
For Bouncing Boy, I suggest using "The Impossible Target" from SUPERBOY # 199. This is a BB solo story, in which a villain hunts him down as the "weakest" Legionnaire. Of course, BB proves otherwise. It's one of my all-time favorite Legion stories.
Phantom Girl is a toughie. I can't think of any issues that spotlighted her. She always seemed to be everyone's favorite supporting character, instead of a lead actor in stories. (I take it that you are considering her a separate character from Apparition?) But one example of Phantom Girl using her power in a creative way, I thought, was from ADVENTURE COMICS # 333. She walks through a group of dinosaurs, spooking them into stampeding.
[ July 13, 2006, 12:52 AM: Message edited by: He Who Wanders ]
Posted by Doctor One on :
My favorite Ayla appearance is when she gets her lightning powers back in the LSV story at the beginning of the Baxter series.
And I love the White Witch's first solo fight against that Khundian warrior in LSH 298 (or around there).
Posted by Matthew E on :
quote:The Legion Abstract looks like a terrific project, Matthew. It presents "snapshots" of each Legionnaire, both visual and verbal.
Thanks! But that's not all I'm doing on the site. Please poke around.
quote:Phantom Girl is a toughie. [...] (I take it that you are considering her a separate character from Apparition?)
No, no; Tinya is Tinya. Similarly across all the boots: details about a character may change, but if the secret identity and planet of origin show that it's supposed to be the same person, then as far as I'm concerned it's the same person. So, Princess Projectra is the same as Sensor (strange as that may be), but Dawnstar is not Shikari.
Thanks for all the suggestions so far. I will say that one of the suggestions made is one I had already thought of, and it's one I look forward to writing up.
Posted by Lightning Lad on :
Matt, I'm sure I won't be the only one to suggest this but for Chemical King you have to use "The Unique Properties of Condo Arlik" from Secret Origins #47. That is the ultimate CK story.
Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
I'd suggest "Ghosts in the Clubhouse" from the late Baxter era for Lyle Norg.
Posted by rtvu2 on :
quote:Originally posted by Lightning Lad: Matt, I'm sure I won't be the only one to suggest this but for Chemical King you have to use "The Unique Properties of Condo Arlik" from Secret Origins #47. That is the ultimate CK story.
agree agree agree
one of the best origin stories ever published in Secret Origins and mine is even signed buy Chris Sprouse too! His first Legion artwork ever!
Posted by Matthew E on :
Exactly the kind of advice I was hoping for. Especially in this case, because the number of comics I've read with Chemical King in them is vanishingly small (although, when I was really young, I did read the one where some guy rips off Invisible Kid's serum and goes on a crime spree, and Lyle has to find a way to, basically, beat himself, and it turns out the way to do it is to get Chemical King to stop the chemical process of the invisibility serum in the thief's body - the perfect solution, since a) only Condo could do it, and b) he needs Lyle's information to do it anyway, so Lyle's usefulness isn't threatened). Left to my own devices, I probably wouldn't have done one of these for Chemical King. Now, assuming I ever run across a copy of this comic, I might someday.
Posted by Tromium on :
For Element Lad, might I suggest "The Ultimate Revenge (Superboy #211), "The Ordeal of Element Lad (Action #391) and the finale of Earthwar (Superboy/LSH #245). The first two are in the Archives. You can ignore the post-Crisis stuff.
EDIT: Oh, and his origin story in Adventure #307, of course.
[ July 13, 2006, 11:51 AM: Message edited by: Tromium ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Kinetix is a tough one. Pretty much anything from after her encounter with the Anomaly is a no-no. Her origin story in LSH v4 Annual 6 is pretty good, but her power lust is a bit too much there. Still, it does explain WHY she lusts for power.
Legionnaires 42 tones down the power lust, though, and shows her standing up to Mysa and taking care of her family.
For Zoe's softer side, Legionnaires 44 shows her comforting Lori Morning after Rond Vidar deages her, and Legionnaires 52 has her helping Violet after she gets the uncontrollable growth powers.
XS is easier. Legionnaires 19 (single-handedly saves the whole Legion), LSH Annual 6 (origin story) and Legionnaires Annual 3 (makes her way home through the timestream) would all be good bets. Jenni also impressed me in Legionnaires Annual 2, when she was saving the people on the beach from a tidal wave caused by one of the Daxamites.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
You know, I'm pretty excited to see what you do for each Legionnaire. Your blog is interesting and well-written.
For Gates, I'd like to suggest LSH 120, where Gates almost single-handedly faces the whole Fatal Five, or LSH 121, where he lures the Emerald Eye into a cave just by teleporting around. LSH 97 has him come up with the plan to defeat Mantis.
Monstress was probably at her best under DnA, so I'd suggest her spotlight issue, Legion Lost 2.
Posted by Mystery Lad on :
Great suggestions. For INVISIBLE KID, I'll add LEGION #5-- the one where Saturn Girl and Lyle journey to Kwai-space.
For ELEMENT LAD, I'll put forward LSH #50-- where Jan probably has the biggest use of his power ever. (I was tempted to throw in the infamous #31, which I contend is a *great* Element Lad story-- though not a good one for fans of Shvaughn Erin). 'Violet's Story' (LSH #305) wouldn't be a bad choice, either.
For PHANTOM GIRL-- SUPERBOY AND LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #210, where Tinya took a ghost's knife-wound in the gut. Mainly for the scene at the end where she receives a glowing tribute from her teammates.
For SATURN GIRL I've got to go with ADVENTURE 308, "The Return of Lightning Lad".
SUN BOY's best would have to be in ADVENTURE, too, but it'll take a little thought to decide which issue I'd pick.
SHADOW LASS has several to choose from-- which is pretty good for a heroine who was never leader or deputy. It'd be hard to beat her debut (not counting pics of her statue) in ADVENTURE 365.
Though I love her part in LSH 288's "The Legionnaire's Made For Burning", that issue should maybe be used for one of DREAM GIRL's best moments.
I look forward to reading other folks' choices. (hint!)
Posted by Matthew E on :
Continued thanks... but, man, you guys are mentioning a lot of comics I don't own. Oh well: I have time.
Posted by Sketch Lad on :
Matthew E, don't forget that many of us can provide scans of pages for you. One of the several great things about LW.
Posted by Lightning Lad on :
Exactly. I'm more than happy to point you in the direction of the Condo story where you can read it now.
Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
quote:Originally posted by Mystery Lad: SUN BOY's best would have to be in ADVENTURE, too, but it'll take a little thought to decide which issue I'd pick.
I was tempted to suggest "Mutiny of the Legionnaires" for Sun Boy as a definitive story, though it might not be one that paints him in the best light. Still, it's really about his determination and heroism pushing him too far that leads him to suffer the "space-fatigue" that is the story's centerpiece.
Posted by Lightning Lad on :
For Cosmic Boy, LSH #297. The spotlight on Rokk. Just about the best story you could pick for him. I know, its another spotlight, but it is a real good focus on his past and actually grows the character over the course of the issue.
Posted by Mystery Lad on :
"Mettle"-- the perfect title for a spotlight of a character with magnietic abilities was the title of the issue LL chose.
That's a definite.
Another choice would be the issue that closed out the reboot team's first mission. Cos had a speech that he gave as the leader chosen by his teammates bolstering the ego of the leader appointed by the UP (Leviathan). I think Cosmic Boy's rep as the ultimate leader of the team was somewhat grafted into history without a whole lot of precedent. It was nice to see it happen before the reader's eyes, here.
Posted by Lightning Lad on :
I'm having a hard time with one for Garth. As much as I don't care for his time as "Live Wire" off-hand (in other words without a lot of re-reading) I'd have to say that Legion Lost #12 is a good one. But that opinion is subject to change if I get a chance to re-read some older Adventure and Levitz era stories.
Posted by Lightning Lad on :
quote:Originally posted by Mystery Lad: "Mettle"-- the perfect title for a spotlight of a character with magnietic abilities was the title of the issue LL chose.
That's a definite.
Another choice would be the issue that closed out the reboot team's first mission. Cos had a speech that he gave as the leader chosen by his teammates bolstering the ego of the leader appointed by the UP (Leviathan). I think Cosmic Boy's rep as the ultimate leader of the team was somewhat grafted into history without a whole lot of precedent. It was nice to see it happen before the reader's eyes, here.
Do you mean this one ML, from LSH v4 #62?
Posted by Matthew E on :
quote:Matthew E, don't forget that many of us can provide scans of pages for you. One of the several great things about LW.
quote:Exactly. I'm more than happy to point you in the direction of the Condo story where you can read it now.
Thanks. I may take you up on that. I should say I'm not in any big rush to get this done--if I do one Legionnaire a month, I'll consider that to be pretty fast. Legion Abstract isn't one of those blogs where I feel the need to post every day; I'll do an issue review every time a Legion comic comes out, I'll keep the roster page up to date, and I'll try to do at least one other kind of column or essay a month. Anything else is gravy. Although I do find myself posting a bit more frequently these days... actually, yes, please point me at the Chemical King story. By e-mail is fine, if you don't want to post it here.
quote:For Cosmic Boy, LSH #297. The spotlight on Rokk. Just about the best story you could pick for him. I know, its another spotlight, but it is a real good focus on his past and actually grows the character over the course of the issue.
quote:"Mettle"-- the perfect title for a spotlight of a character with magnietic abilities was the title of the issue LL chose.
That's a definite.
One of the things I knew when I started into this is that I wouldn't be using that story for Cosmic Boy. Parts of it aren't bad--I liked the art, and I like how he flies magnetically--but I can't stand the story itself. "If you kill them, you're proving yourself as bad as they are! It's not worth it!" If I never see or read that scene again, it'll be too soon. It's a freaking chestnut. Anyway, I have some other ideas for Cosmic Boy (and the other one you mention, at the end of the first reboot mission, isn't a bad suggestion at all).
Posted by Mystery Lad on :
On the nose, LL.
His banquet with Mordru is another highlight.
I didn't come up with a great one for Garth, either. A small moment I like a lot is when he eavesdrops on Wildfire telling his story to Lamprey, Nightwind and Crystal Kid during the easy-to-forget period between Earthwar and The Great Darkness.
Hmmm. Maybe after a few weeks when this thread runs its course, maybe we should start a Legionnaire at their Nadir thread. Cos's would have to be when he became the Time Trapper. Or when he alienated TTT in the reboot. Or when he slapped Ayla.
Posted by Doctor One on :
My favorite Saturn Girl moment is her single-handed defeat of Universo in the Universo Project. Her 'dialogue' with Darkseid was pretty good, too.
For Xs, I suggest Legion of the Damned. She was also very good in the Legion Worlds issue on Xanthu
And for Sensor Girl/Projectra, I love her final encounter with the Emerald Empress. I really hated her execution of Nemesis Kid (could never understand how she managed that).
Posted by Matthew E on :
Doctor One and I think a lot alike.
quote:maybe we should start a Legionnaire at their Nadir thread
I like this idea. Already I have some ideas. ("5?" Who calls himself "5"? What are you, a Charlie Brown character? And go get your hair cut, for God's sake; you look like a roadie.)
[ July 13, 2006, 03:49 PM: Message edited by: Matthew E ]
Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
A good Princess Projectra story (I don't know the issue number. I read it in a little paperback that consisted of black & white reprints I am pretty sure it is post Adventure)
The story consists of Projectra & Saturn Girl on a mission. They get zapped by a bad guy. When they wake up and get back to headquarters, no one knows them and there are male counterparts for them, Saturn Lad & Prince Projectur. Also their powers seem to not be working. They are put into a holding cell. Projectra works out an escape. She separates from Saturn Girl and confronts Karate Kid (leader at the time) He denies knowing her. She figures out that she can use her power now that Saturn Girl isn't around and tricks Karate Kid into calling out her name.
What happened was Projectra was being tested because the computer determined that she was the most likely one to crack under pressure. Saturn Lad, Prince Projectur, & the bad guy were all other legionnaires disguised. Saturn Girl just made Projectra think her power didn't work.
Posted by Vee on :
Scott's recommendation for Condo's entry is excellent. Another option is Adventure #378 in which a team of Legionnaires go to help the Seerons in exchenge for Egghead's help in reviving the 5 legionnaires they had found near death at LEgion HQ. In that story, Condo is shown using his powers to speed up his metabolism for short periods of time, thereby making himself super strong, etc.
Sadly, Condo will defintely be one of the toughest for which to offer multiple options.
Posted by Vee on :
If you are planning on including Honorary Legionnaires and Reservists and Subs, then I would offer the Mordru 2 parter (Adv 369-370) up as the perfect entry for Pete Ross and Lana Lang. Both play key roles in defeating Mordru and demontrate their courage and loyalty to Superboy and to the Legion.
Posted by Mystery Lad on :
For reboot Insect Queen (somewhat different ID and definitely different planet of origin than preboot IQ's), I'd nominate LEGION WORLDS #4... the Xanthu issue. Same one that Doctor One picked (also loved his Saturn Girl pick).
About the Legionnaires at the Their Nadir-- Legion On the Run (where 5 comes from) is gonna account for a *lot* of those!
Posted by Mystery Lad on :
quote:Originally posted by Tromium: [QB] For Element Lad, might I suggest "The Ultimate Revenge (Superboy #211) [QB]
This could also be a good pick for Chemical King, since he's the one who kept Jan from serving a sentence on Takron-Galtos. (I always thought the fact that Jan pulled that trigger should come back to haunt him...)
Posted by Tromium on :
quote:Originally posted by Mystery Lad:
quote:Originally posted by Tromium: [QB] For Element Lad, might I suggest "The Ultimate Revenge (Superboy #211) [QB]
This could also be a good pick for Chemical King, since he's the one who kept Jan from serving a sentence on Takron-Galtos. (I always thought the fact that Jan pulled that trigger should come back to haunt him...)
I hesitated to include that one at first, but it was a turning-point story for him.
Posted by Tromium on :
quote:Originally posted by Lightning Lad: I'm having a hard time with one for Garth.
Truly? I guess I see him differently than you. I loved Adventure #304 since I was a kid, my favorites scenes being when he stood up against "tyrant" Saturn Girl and her infamous medallion-making machine, and then flew after her (consequences be damned) when all the other Legionnaires were still trembling in their boots. Not to mention "Better me than you."
Punching Evillo in the jaw with his one remaining arm in Adventure #351.
Rescuing his friend Sun Boy from Regulus (Shady helped) in Superboy #191.
Out-flying the "Chinese" Lunarite ship in the Tabloid, making it smash into the Moon.
Ramming the Legion cruiser into the Starburst Bandit ship in Superboy/LSH #252.
Dragging himself out a coma to save Saturn Girl and Cosmic Boy from the dark servant in LSH v.2 #291.
Defeating Mekt without the use of his super-powers in LSH v.4 #45.
As Live Wire, leading the Rescue Squad against the Fatal Five in Legionnaires #36, saving Magno's life in Legionnaires #50 (need to check that ref), saving Ayla's life in LSH #101 and saving everybody's life in Legion Lost #12, needless to say. Refusing to surrender to the Blighted Legionnaires in LSH v.4 #122.
Is the Waid version off-limits? If not, frying Elysion's gonads in #5 was one of the high points of the series thus far, but personally I liked the fairy tales around the "campfire" scene best.
Posted by Vee on :
quote:Originally posted by Mystery Lad:
quote:Originally posted by Tromium: [QB] For Element Lad, might I suggest "The Ultimate Revenge (Superboy #211) [QB]
This could also be a good pick for Chemical King, since he's the one who kept Jan from serving a sentence on Takron-Galtos. (I always thought the fact that Jan pulled that trigger should come back to haunt him...)
Good point, forgot about that one.
Posted by dedman on :
I would like to suggest Adventure #316 "the renegade super-hero" for Ultra Boy.
Posted by Doctor One on :
My favorite Ultra Boy moment is actually in the Five-Year-Later period, the annual that reveals his scheming to defeat Glorith (or is it the Time Trapper? I forget...)
Posted by Lightning Lad on :
quote:Originally posted by Tromium:
quote:Originally posted by Lightning Lad: I'm having a hard time with one for Garth.
Truly? I guess I see him differently than you. I loved Adventure #304 since I was a kid, my favorites scenes being when he stood up against "tyrant" Saturn Girl and her infamous medallion-making machine, and then flew after her (consequences be damned) when all the other Legionnaires were still trembling in their boots. Not to mention "Better me than you."
Punching Evillo in the jaw with his one remaining arm in Adventure #351.
Rescuing his friend Sun Boy from Regulus (Shady helped) in Superboy #191.
Out-flying the "Chinese" Lunarite ship in the Tabloid, making it smash into the Moon.
Ramming the Legion cruiser into the Starburst Bandit ship in Superboy/LSH #252.
Dragging himself out a coma to save Saturn Girl and Cosmic Boy from the dark servant in LSH v.2 #291.
Defeating Mekt without the use of his super-powers in LSH v.4 #45.
As Live Wire, leading the Rescue Squad against the Fatal Five in Legionnaires #36, saving Magno's life in Legionnaires #50 (need to check that ref), saving Ayla's life in LSH #101 and saving everybody's life in Legion Lost #12, needless to say. Refusing to surrender to the Blighted Legionnaires in LSH v.4 #122.
Is the Waid version off-limits? If not, frying Elysion's gonads in #5 was one of the high points of the series thus far, but personally I liked the fairy tales around the "campfire" scene best.
You just illustrated my point. I was having trouble narrowing it down to one, not coming up with one.
Posted by Matthew E on :
quote:Originally posted by Doctor One: My favorite Ultra Boy moment is actually in the Five-Year-Later period, the annual that reveals his scheming to defeat Glorith (or is it the Time Trapper? I forget...)
The more you post, the more it seems like you and I like the same things about the Legion. It's actually kind of spooky.
Posted by Bicycle Repair Man on :
quote:Originally posted by Invisible Brainiac: For Gates, {snip} LSH 97 has him come up with the plan to defeat Mantis.
Wasn't that Cham disguised as Gates?
Posted by SiliconDream on :
For Phantom Girl, you might include Phase from L.E.G.I.O.N., since IIRC she finally got definitely IDed as Tinya. And Phase had lots of good scenes--beat up Lobo once (or rather, got him to beat himself up), and pulled off the old "phase an object through the opponent's head and let go" trick against a demon.
Karate Kid's own limited series alternated between wonderful nonsense and incredibly tedious nonsense, but where else can you find him actually KOing Superboy, or stopping a quake that's about to split Manhattan Island with a single kick? I did a respect thread for Val at CBR from which you're welcome to pull images.
Posted by Doctor One on :
quote:Originally posted by Matthew E:
quote:Originally posted by Doctor One: My favorite Ultra Boy moment is actually in the Five-Year-Later period, the annual that reveals his scheming to defeat Glorith (or is it the Time Trapper? I forget...)
The more you post, the more it seems like you and I like the same things about the Legion. It's actually kind of spooky.
Posted by Lone Wolf Legionnaire on :
I'll Second (Karate Kid) the first Legionnaire to get his own comic. Key Issues:Adventure comics #346,#347,SLoSH #209 & LSH (Baxter Series)#4
(Ferro Lad) the first Legionnaire to die in the line of duty. Key issues: Adventure comics #352,353,& 357.
(Wildfire) the upstart Legionnaire who was voted in Leader not long after he joined. Key Issues:SLoSH #195,201.LoSH #283
Posted by Kid Quislet on :
For Cosmic Boy, I always liked the back-up story where, for religious reasons, he couldn't use his powers for the day, then ended up having to be a one-man rescue squad to help his fellow Legionnaires (holding true to his religion). It was Mike Grell art somewhere between LSH #205 to #220 I believe.
A Colossal Boy/Shrinking Violet story in the early LSH #200's where they were alone on a mission and trapped in deep space on their sabotaged cruiser was an important tale for both those characters.
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
When I think of Lightning Lad, I always think of ADV. # 332, when he lost his arm in the first place. Though initially bent on killing the creature responsible, he recanted and used his powers to render the creature harmless instead. The shot of him shooting lightning bolts at the Super-Moby Dick, while the green-tinged lightning bolts bounce off the creature and hit Garth's robot arm demonstrated his bravery.
For Mon-El, his first appearance in SUPERBOY #89 is a good bet, as are ADV. 300 and 305. But my own choice for a single image that sums up the character is in SUPERBOY # 197, when he stretches Superboy's cape in mid-air around the temporarily insane Timber Wolf. The scene echoes Mon's role as Superboy's "big brother" as they pull off a maneuver involving super-strength and super-speed that probably no other two Legionnaires could accomplish.
[ July 16, 2006, 01:38 AM: Message edited by: He Who Wanders ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
quote: Originally posted by Doctor One:
For Xs, I suggest Legion of the Damned. She was also very good in the Legion Worlds issue on Xanthu
Oy, how could I forget that?!
Legion Worlds 4 would also be a gopod hoice for psot-ZH Star Boy. I'm not that familiar with his character pre-ZH though.
I'd also like to offer Legion 4 and 8 for Gates - the issues where he escapes from captivity and where he saves Jaz from Ra's al Ghul, respectively.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
quote:Originally posted by Bicycle Repair Man:
quote: Originally posted by Invisible Brainiac: For Gates, {snip} LSH 97 has him come up with the plan to defeat Mantis.
Wasn't that Cham disguised as Gates?
Nope, you're thinking about Legionnaires 45 vs. Mantis Morlo.
[ July 16, 2006, 01:53 AM: Message edited by: Invisible Brainiac ]
Posted by reckless on :
quote:Originally posted by Lone Wolf Legionnaire: (Timber Wolf) wolverine prototype but Brin looked cooler. Key Issues:Adventure comics #327,372,SLoSH #197,228,229,LoSH #338.
For Timber Wolf, I think the definitive issue is LSH (v2) 13, the spotlight in which he went to Lythyl to honor Karate Kid's request.
I also love the portrayal of Brin during the Dark Man/Fatal Five issues in LSH (v1) 269-271. There are some great uses of his powers, we see his relationship to Ayla, and some of his lone wolf tendencies at play.
Posted by Mystery Lad on :
quote:Originally posted by Doctor One: My favorite Ultra Boy moment is actually in the Five-Year-Later period, the annual that reveals his scheming to defeat Glorith (or is it the Time Trapper? I forget...)
It was Glorith... I love this issue, too and I think it's the one I'd pick for Jo.
I keep thinking of little scenes for bunches of these characters in issues in which the characters I'm thinking of aren't even necessarily the main feature. Maybe there should be a separate thread for those.
If they could, I wonder how the characters would answer the question 'when were you at your best?'
Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
The Doctor Mayavale story is actually a pretty good Dream Girl moment. It kind of epitomizes the idea of her as being seriously underrated, but kicking some ass in the end.
Posted by Lobo Gris on :
For Lu i´m picking up Legionnaires 24 (her post ZH origin), The Legion 8 (Lu vs Ras al Ghul), Legionnaires 58 (the day off of the legion before the dark circle saga) and LSH v5 3 (his post IC origin).
Posted by Lobo Gris on :
For Superboy (Kal) The Final Fate of Superboy (LSH 36 & 37?) and Superboy´s Legion 1 & 2.
Posted by KryptonKid on :
quote:Originally posted by Doctor One: My favorite Ultra Boy moment is actually in the Five-Year-Later period, the annual that reveals his scheming to defeat Glorith (or is it the Time Trapper? I forget...)
Even better for me was the FYL story which had Jo trapped in ancient Egypt living an idyllic life with a Tinya-wannabe Agent of Chaos. That was the closest I've felt to the character and defined him as a complex personality.
Posted by jimgallagher on :
For Duo Damsel, I'd choose Adv. 369, when she saved those 2 truck drivers while Superboy and Mon-El were standing around wondering what to do.
A small moment I like for Lightning Lad is when he catches his sister and flies her to safety after she's shot out of the sky in Adv. 347.
For Phantom Girl, I'd choose the issue where she stands by her man--Adv. 316.
Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
For Wildfire there are a bunch of moments for me: -- both his origin where he "dies" to save Gim and his return, when the saves the Legion from Molecule Master -- When he faces down Omega -- The issue where he tells his origin to the trainees. It showed his hot-headedness at the same time as showing his humanity, team spirit and genuine role as mentor, gaining Lightning Lad's respect in the meantime. -- The Great Darkness where he manhandles Dawny, throwing her out of danger while holding off three of the Dark Servants before getting blasted. -- His pursuit of Dawny when she's on her Grand Tour -- Legion Lost when he faces off with the Progeny armada.
Posted by Awkward Pause Boy on :
Hmmm... For Dream Girl, I'd advocate for Waid's issue spotlighting (maybe number 4(?) of the current run. Or, I'd vote for the last issue or two in the Who is Sensor Girl plot--showing off her leadership, some combat, and some melancholy at sensing Mentalla's future.
For Element Lad, definitely his orgin story, whichever number of Adventure that was.
For Saturn Girl, the last issue of the Universo Project (or the entire Universo Project) or the Adventure story where she plans to take on the Khunds by herself (until Garth steps in). Or any other story where she just decides to take things on by herself.
Posted by Sir Tim Drake on :
For Phantom Girl, I would nominate Superboy #220, where she defuses a bomb at the center of a planet. The impressive thing about this feat is that everyone, including Jo, urges her not to do it because of the immense risk. But she chooses to be heroic rather than safe, and ends up saving the day.
Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
From the Subs: Stone Boy's greatest moment was during the trials to see which Sub would become a Legionnaire, he apparently gave up his chance in order to keep innocent people from being hurt.
Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
quote:Originally posted by Quislet, Esq.: From the Subs: Stone Boy's greatest moment was during the trials to see which Sub would become a Legionnaire, he apparently gave up his chance in order to keep innocent people from being hurt.
That and the time he defeated Pulsar Stargrave!
Posted by KryptonKid on :
Kid Quantum II: when she created a memorial for Element Lad on Trom. A quiet moment, no glory or sacrifice involved, but real and three-dimentional, IMO.
M'Onel: Another quiet scene. He sits talking with Traid about the future of humanity. This was after the final defeat of the Demon's Head, with the Hypertaxis problem still not fully addressed.
Posted by Tromium on :
STAR BOY:
Adv. #342. He accepted his unjustifiable explusion with good grace and immediately went on to join the Subs.
Adv. #350-351. Tricking his former teammates as "Sir Prize" in Adv. 350-351.
LSH v.3 #306. In the flashback to the Takron-Galtos mission, he ended a prison riot after his Kryptonian-level powers suddenly deserted him.
LSH v.4 #61. The moment near the end where threw caution to the wind and swept Dream Girl into his arms.
Legion Worlds #4. His display of power during the Robotica invasion of Xanthu. Training to be a "portable black hole."
The Legion #13. Used his powers on a massive scale to prevent Warworld from disrupting Earth's gravity.
The Legion #33. Lifted the Credo mothership off the planet and did a little dance with Nura at the end.
In the current series, the scenes where Thom questions Rokk's ethics vis-a-vis Projectra (issue #6) and later forces his way past her guards to check on her welfare (issue #18).
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I agree with Dr. One about Ultra Boy in the annual V.4 #1. That's definately his defining story.
For Mon-El, I'd say TMK #4, where he comes back to the Legion finally, and proceeds to destroy the Time Trapper, knowing full well it'll end that timeline. His belief that a Legion would still exist and his determination to defeat the Time Trapper really showed his heroic side more than any other moment to me. That's when I really knew that I loved the character.
If you were going to include the Subs, it'd have to be Terra Mosiac (forget the issue numbers).
My personnal favorite Karate Kid moment is when the five Legionnaires learn that they have only 15 minutes to live (late Silver Age) and Val decides he wants to spend his final moments going out in a blaze of glory, so he hunts down the ENTIRE Fatal Five and battles them by himself.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
quote:Originally posted by DrakeB3004: For Wildfire there are a bunch of moments for me: -- both his origin where he "dies" to save Gim and his return, when the saves the Legion from Molecule Master -- When he faces down Omega -- The issue where he tells his origin to the trainees. It showed his hot-headedness at the same time as showing his humanity, team spirit and genuine role as mentor, gaining Lightning Lad's respect in the meantime. -- The Great Darkness where he manhandles Dawny, throwing her out of danger while holding off three of the Dark Servants before getting blasted. -- His pursuit of Dawny when she's on her Grand Tour -- Legion Lost when he faces off with the Progeny armada.
Drake, your thoughts on Wildfire echo mine as always. All excellent pics.
Matthew, this thread rocks. Great idea.
Posted by Jerry on :
For Chameleon Boy:
Superboy and the Legion of Super Heroes #249, a story called "Murder Most Foul". Ultra Boy is framed for murder. Reep reveals himself to be sly, intelligent,thoughtful investigator and a loyal friend while coming to grips with one of the greatest threats the Legion ever faced - Brainiac 5 covertly loosing his sanity.
Posted by Jerry on :
Another thought for Saturn Girl:
"The Legionnaire Who Killed" from the Adventure days. Star Boy kills a man in self defense. The team votes on whether or not to expell him. The girls all show sympathy and vote in favor of letting Thom stay. Saturn Girl remains true to the principles the Legion was founded on, and votes for expulsion. I think this was truly the start of her "ice queen" or "iron butt" persona. We certainly knew after that she wasn't the typical "girl Legionnaire".
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
quote:Originally posted by Jerry: For Chameleon Boy:
Superboy and the Legion of Super Heroes #249 [...]
I agree. Wonderful Cham spotlight. However, it was in # 239, not 249.
Posted by Jerry on :
Thanks for the correction. Memory isn't what it used to be...
Posted by Blue Battler on :
I didn't see any for Brainiac 5 so here are my picks:
The final showdown with the Time Trapper when Brainy lets loose the Infinite Man to put the smackdown on TT ... that story had a good moment for Rond Vidar too ...
Another choice is the annual where Querl is trying to help cure Douglas Nolan of his insanity ... it's always nice to see moments of compassion like that.
Posted by Koymc Dox on :
quote:Originally posted by Blue Battler: I didn't see any for Brainiac 5 so here are my picks:
The final showdown with the Time Trapper when Brainy lets loose the Infinite Man to put the smackdown on TT ... that story had a good moment for Rond Vidar too ...
LSH v3#50. That was a good one, indeed.
quote:Another choice is the annual where Querl is trying to help cure Douglas Nolan of his insanity ... it's always nice to see moments of compassion like that.
I think that was LSH v2#300.
A couple that came to my mind...
LSH v4#0 for Rokk, Garth, and Imra. The quintessential telling of the Legion origin.
And I definitely add my vote for the "Tenzil Kem Trilogy": LSH v4 #11, 14, and 49
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
For Kid Quantum II, Legion 6 has two great scenes: one where she takes out Brainstorm (complete with snappy patter!) and one where she stands up to Cosmic Boy and convinces him to head for Metropolis to help the civilians.
Posted by Matthew E on :
I'm going to be preparing another 'The Legionnaires' entry for Legion Abstract in the next week or so and I wanted to give you all a chance to chime in with predictions.
This is going to be a special entry because I'm going to be doing four Legionnaires at once. These are the four Legionnaires who, in my opinion, had signature appearances in 'For No Better Reason', the four part Gail Simone storyline that ended the 'The Legion' series a couple of years ago. (That's the storyline where four villains named Devil, Canary, Lantern and Arrow turn off all the technology in the Metropolis area for some reason I never quite caught.)
So your challenge is to guess which four Legionnaires I have in mind. I will say that one is obvious, two are not exactly obvious, and one is probably far from obvious.
If anybody manages to guess all four before the post goes up (and I don't know when that will be) I'll mention you in the article and you will experience a great deal of satisfaction. (I won't reveal the answer here; I'll just put the article up and let everyone see.)
Most importantly I want to let you all know that I'm keeping track of all the suggestions in this thread and I appreciate everyone's ideas.
Posted by Matthew E on :
Okay, I didn't do the thing from the Simone story like I said I would. Instead I did Invisible Kid. Well, I had to.
But this is another one that I'm extremely proud of, and I'm looking forward to seeing what people here think of it.
How did Cosmic Boy's hair colour affect the battle of Helegyn? Find out here...
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Very interesting & insightful - as usual, Matthew.
I'd have to review the issues, but I wonder if Lyle's provoke-react-slap down approach to life is really focussed on men in authority/powerful males - father, Cos, Elysion, Karate Kid. He acted differently with Atom Girl. Triplicate Girl was provoking him (when he was developing the three planets idea to defeat Lemnos) but he didn't react to the bait.
Would Jo be "immune" to Lyle's behaviour? He is very powerful, but (apparently) nowhere near as bright as Lyle. Still, he doesn't seem to do this with Brainy - maybe it's a physical power thing he's reacting to, not mental dominance. Which makes his adoration of Supergirl a little more complicated.... It should be interesting to see how he reacts with Mon-el.
Posted by Vee on :
Great analysis Matthew! I think there is more to the fact that Lyle is by far the youngest of the Legionnaires in play here. He is a freshman in a "school" full of juniors & seniors. The other guys treat him as a snot nosed kid (for the most part) and it rankles so he takes every opportunity to challenge or lash out at them the best he can. He also harbors resentment at authority figures because of his father so he would have issues with the older guys as well because of this.
Lets not forget that these are no ordinary guys. For the most part, they are all alpha males and Lyle is trying to establish his place in this pack.
Brainy is the exception I believe because it was Querl who saved him from his abusive home life, giving him a flight ring to make his escape. He is also the only person around from which Lyle can "learn" or so he believes.
As to the girls...what pre-teen or teenaged boy isn't entralled with beautiful girls (assuming this Lyle isn't gay )? They can do no wrong and their attention (any sort of attention) is all he wants. They can tease him unmercifully (worse than any of the guys) and he will blush but love the attention (and fantasize about what that attention means )
Posted by Matthew E on :
Good points all around.
I can't decide if Lyle only behaves that way around powerful males or not; we haven't seen him interact with enough other characters. In the case of Vi, in his mind he had already provoked her with his accusation of spying, so that may be evidence for either side.
Is Lyle the youngest? He acts like it, and he's certainly the most junior in experience (not counting Dream Boy), but chronologically I don't think it's at all safe to say (considering different species, different societies, different planetary lengths of years...).
quote:As to the girls...what pre-teen or teenaged boy isn't entralled with beautiful girls (assuming this Lyle isn't gay [Wink] )?
Or even if he is. Just a different kind of enthrallment. But, no, if he was gay I don't think he'd be considering Cosmic Boy competition for Kara.
Posted by Mystery Lad on :
I really enjoy reading your analyses of the Legionnaires, ME. Your thoughts are interesting and offer new insight into long-cherished characters.
The pattern leading to a slap-down behavior ascribed to Lyle gives me a bit of inroads into a character I've had trouble warming up to, this boot. For that, I thank you.
I find the wanting to disappear/power of invisibility link somewhat off-putting-- but I think it is a pretty apt description of the Lyle we've been seeing (hee!).
Nothing at *all* like reboot Lyle-- who may have wanted to disappear, but only to be sneakier and get the goods on any and everyone. How to relate power to personality traits for the previous Lyle? Secretive smartie gives himself the one power that would be most effective against someone who possessed the one non-super power of observation that so characterized the Lyle-Norg-that-was. Lyle was the emobodiment of the term 'eagle eye'.
And he wasn't shy about using the info he observed, either-- though that doesn't readily translate into a super-power analogy. Though he did give himself his super-power...
Sigh-- I miss that Lyle quite a bit. It's hard for me to accept that he's such a newbie and an outsider in this LSH. Cognitive dissonance!
Posted by Set on :
I don't remember any of the issue numbers...
For Ultra Boy, he returns to Rimbor, and is accused of a crime (a woman is incinerated by a blaster, and it's made to look like he's killed her with his flash vision).
For Timber Wolf, the visit to Lythyl to honor Karate Kid's last request. (mentioned also upthread, #13 of the Baxter reboot?)
For Karate Kid, the fight with the LSV, from breaking out of the 'power-suppressing' restraints to his sacrifice at the end.
Posted by Sir Tim Drake on :
quote:Originally posted by Set: I don't remember any of the issue numbers...
For Ultra Boy, he returns to Rimbor, and is accused of a crime (a woman is incinerated by a blaster, and it's made to look like he's killed her with his flash vision).
"Murder Most Foul," SLSH #239. I really liked this one.
quote:For Timber Wolf, the visit to Lythyl to honor Karate Kid's last request. (mentioned also upthread, #13 of the Baxter reboot?)
Correct.
quote:For Karate Kid, the fight with the LSV, from breaking out of the 'power-suppressing' restraints to his sacrifice at the end.
The sacrifice was in LSH v3 #4. I think his escape from the restraints was in that issue, but it might have been in the previous issue.
Posted by Matthew E on :
quote:I'm going to be preparing another 'The Legionnaires' entry for Legion Abstract in the next week or so and I wanted to give you all a chance to chime in with predictions.
This is going to be a special entry because I'm going to be doing four Legionnaires at once. These are the four Legionnaires who, in my opinion, had signature appearances in 'For No Better Reason', the four part Gail Simone storyline that ended the 'The Legion' series a couple of years ago. (That's the storyline where four villains named Devil, Canary, Lantern and Arrow turn off all the technology in the Metropolis area for some reason I never quite caught.)
I finally did this. It's here. As I say, it features four Legionnaires. Before you read it, if you read it, see if you can predict which four it's going to be. Just for your own satisfaction.
Posted by Xben on :
Back to the orignial topic, my input (some of which has been mentioned here)
Garth - Legion Lost #12
Imra - Universo Project part 4, but also Legion of the Damned
Rokk - My dinner with Mordru, but also after he "wakes up" from Saturn Girl's puppet control during the Team 20 arc, and makes the vow that he'll get Imra and Garth together again
Lyle - Hitting Jo who was about to disobey his orders during Adventures 351 (I think). Also when he invents the flight rings in the post-boot
Cham - Powerless and facing down Ol-Vir, the crazy junior Daxamite
Jo - The Glorith investigation, as previously mentioned, but also Legion of the Damned where he breaks out of the Blight's control, and comes back at the leader. I think this is a good Tinya moment too.
Brin - Honouring KK's request
Brainy & Andromeda - the early reboot issue in which he makes her admit that she needs help to get over the lead poisoning. This was a very interesting read and a great take on two potentially unpleasant characters
Thunder - without a doubt her silent departure during the Rifts story
Mon-El - destroying the Time Trapper
Posted by Doctor One on :
You know, I've been re-reading the 5YL Legion, and I have to say I really, really enjoyed Sun Boy's spotlight issue, as disturbing as it was. But for Legionnaires at their best, Sun Boy's must be putting back on that uniform that so many have ridiculed, and reclaiming his place as a Legionnaire after all what had happened with the Dominators. He knows that he has screwed up. Badly. But he's willing to face the people of Earth, to face the consequences of his actions and to start making amends. Powerful stuff. Of course, immediately afterwards the powerspheres exploded, and the protracted, painful death of the character started. I always hoped he'd be able to put himself back together, and was very upset when he was shot by Circe. What a waste.
[ December 06, 2006, 11:05 AM: Message edited by: Doctor One ]
Posted by Xben on :
The death by Circe was bleak and felt very wasteful. However, I always pictured his "return to uniform" to be sort of pathetic and a bit deluded more than heroic. At least, that was my impression.
Posted by SiliconDream on :
Another good moment for Brainy--SLSH #254. The League of Super-Assassins had just defeated and apparently killed Superboy, Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy, Light Lass and Phantom Girl with ease (though they had the element of surprise.) Brainy, still insane and hospital-bound, does his usual "figure out the entire plot and how to resolve it" thing. Then he recruits the Subs and, thanks to his attack strategy, they hand the Assassins one of the most lopsided beatdowns in the history of comics. I mean, most of the Assassins were either fleeing in panic or or catatonic by the end. A high point in psychological warfare for Brainy, who's usually at his worst in that particular field.
The best part is after the Assassins' defeat, when he mentions that he could probably have taken them out with the help of only one Sub, "but this way seemed simpler."
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
)? They can do no wrong and their attention (any sort of attention) is all he wants. They can tease him unmercifully (worse than any of the guys) and he will blush but love the attention (and fantasize about what that attention means ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
)