Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Long Live the Legion! CALLING THE ROLL of S/LSH 18.... spoilers

CALLING THE ROLL is a character-by-character look at the latest issue of SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES.

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Let the roll be called!

CHAMELEON : OK, the Clark Kent/Superboy riff was cute... but why would a shapechanger use it? Particularly a shapechanger with a ring that can apparently whip up any clothing (or the *look* of any clothing, I guess) necessary? Cham's been shown to be playful... esp. regarding the conventions of superheroics as seen through a 1000 year old filter.

Maybe he'll use this sort of transformation again later and get called on it by Cos or Phantom Girl. As far as I know, Cham *doesn't* possess superspeed to blur his appearance as he takes off, so if he's trying to be 'discreet', this probably isn't the best of approaches.

PHANTOM GIRL : Though I like DeKraker's art, his Phantom Girl varied wildly from page to page. And wasn't helped by the coloring. Were the LSH exposed to some skin-altering radiation? Eat a case of bad elvabird breast? Tinya, especially, looks quite jaundiced. Not a fan of the skin tones selected for this issue.

Hmmm... apparently Phantom Girl *doesn't* have the Apparition short-circuit/possession of machine phase power.

ELEMENT LAD : or should that be Avocado Lad? Again, Jan doesn't do much of anything this issue, aside from feed a couple of lines that any character could've uttered. His power is a useful one against robots, so it was nice to see him in action in the background of a few panels. I suspect he's there for some 'spiritual' commentary regarding Brainy's attempted resurrection of Supergirl. Why am I not looking forward to that very much? I wish that aspect of the character would get downplayed a bit, until we get to 'know' him.

STAR BOY : Monarchies must've operated much differently on Orando than on Earth. Imagine an Earth princess who'd never been asked if she needed anything... Now, asked by someone who actually *meant* it sincerely- that I could buy. I'm finding this Projectra the least engaging of all the Legionnaires.

Could Star Boy be making the rounds before departing for the 21st Century? There's apparently a *new* Starman debuting in the relaunching JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA in August.

DREAM BOY : Rol Purtha? Should anything about that name ring bells? I'm disposed to like him... though I can't imagine the LSH needs two pecogs. Maybe Nura will awaken with a different power...

Though the planetary representative not chosen by the LSH is *very* familiar... still, it could be a way to get folks like Tellus, Gates, Chemical King and Dawnstar introduced rapidly.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mystery Lad:
Cham's been shown to be playful... esp. regarding the conventions of superheroics as seen through a 1000 year old filter.

Maybe too playful? We've seen that Cham has displayed poor judgement with his powers before (imitating other Legionnaires) - how careful is he in this espionage position? On the other hand, how unsuspecting are the SPs who have an Officer Daggle on board - or don't most of them know that there is a shape shifter named Daggle in the Legion?


The Imsk/Colu relationship really is an interesting one... playing on the supervillainous tactics of Brainy's ancestor and the general tone associated with Colu in just about all versions of the LSH.

An eagerly-awaited backstory! It also brings up the nature of UP civil rights, if slavery is acceptable for a member planet. I wonder if Brainy had help from other Coluans in liberating the Imskians, or if he managed to do that on his own. Colu always had a nasty side (except for the "Superboy's Legion" version) - part of what has made it so fascinating.

With Cham revealed as the infiltrator, it appears that Jo really is as stupid as he's appeared. Disappointing. But he is observant...

It does look like we won't be getting the Jo-was-just-acting-stupid scenario. Hopefully, we will see the character grow. Maybe he's not such a dope, just distracted by his alpha-maleness. His disgust with grave-robbing made me wonder if there are other Legionnaires/cultures who wouldn't find this at all objectionable, apart from Brainy.

Though I like DeKraker's art, his Phantom Girl varied wildly from page to page. And wasn't helped by the coloring.

Too bad about the coloring, but it's good to see a very capable Phantom Girl in action. She gets right to the heart of the matter - deactivating the robot, immediately seeking out Nura's body while the others engage in confrontation. Other issues have shown her to be quite the battler, as well. I still don't have much sense of her personality, though, even after that soapy back-up story featuring her and Karate Kid.

I suspect (Jan's) there for some 'spiritual' commentary regarding Brainy's attempted resurrection of Supergirl. Why am I not looking forward to that very much? I wish that aspect of the character would get downplayed a bit, until we get to 'know' him.

He seemed to be taken aback by Brainy's plan. Perhaps having to apply his spiritual principles to a real world case has left him befuddled.


"Your secret's safe." Said to Cham, who says he's been 'moonlighting'. Wha-?! I thought a Legionnaire said they'd *planted* an infiltrator in the Science Police? Maybe there already *is* an espionage squad... and the founders don't know about it!

That was surprising. Invisible Kid & Light Lass were shown to know about it in the previous issue. And did someone (Lyle? Brainy?) have to alter the SP's records to have Daggle recorded as a member of the force?

I have a hard time believing that Cos hasn't talked to Lightning Lad about the LSH's new status till now. He sure enjoys digging into Garth about it, doesn't he? In fact, this Rokk likes getting his digs in whenever he can. To anyone. Not a pleasant character trait.

How long can this Rokk continue with his arrogant, unpleasant treatment of people?


Monarchies must've operated much differently on Orando than on Earth. Imagine an Earth princess who'd never been asked if she needed anything... Now, asked by someone who actually *meant* it sincerely- that I could buy.

Maybe she meant the first time anyone from the Legion asked her that? Although Light Lass did try to help her after the destruction of Orando, and was rebuffed - so maybe Projectra just conveniently forgot other sincere enquiries.


Though the planetary representative not chosen by the LSH is *very* familiar... still, it could be a way to get folks like Tellus, Gates, Chemical King and Dawnstar introduced rapidly.

What a great way for hostile adults to sabotage the Legion - send a representative who's useless, or, worse, actively trying to undermine the Legion! Not that Dream Boy is that sort, but his appointment opens up possibilities. Pre-cog Second Class - is Nura First Class? She was described as the best by her fellow pre-cogs.

TIMBER WOLF : Do you think Brainy told T-Wolf his plan? I wonder what Brin thought of it, if so.

Amazingly, Brainy actually seems to like Brin's company, though it doesn't look like the feeling is mutual. A very odd couple, these two.


LIGHTNING LAD : "How did we end up in a place where Brainy being a grave-robbing necrophiliac is the best case scenario?" Ha!

This line would have been even funnier if it came from Saturn Girl.


SATURN GIRL : "Your secret's safe." Said to Cham, who says he's been 'moonlighting'. Wha-?! I thought a Legionnaire said they'd *planted* an infiltrator in the Science Police? Maybe there already *is* an espionage squad... and the founders don't know about it!

If Light Lass and Invisible Kid (who blurted it out to Supergirl) know Cham's "secret", I figure Cos must know too, though if he didn't it wouldn't be the first time Cham kept a Legion leader in the dark about his espionage plans. As for Saturn Girl, I agree it's a little surprising that the team's telepath wouldn't be privy to such an important covert operation, but on the other hand she doesn't seem to have a particularly close working relationship with Cos, either. He trots her out whenever he needs a mind-scan but that's about it so far. I still wonder if she knew in advance about the lab break-in. Somehow, I doubt it.


PRINCESS PROJECTRA & STAR BOY : I'm finding this Projectra the least engaging of all the Legionnaires.

Jeckie doesn't do much for me, either, but I'm finding Star Boy one of the *most* engaging Legionnaires despite his self-doubts.


DREAM BOY : Maybe Nura will awaken with a different power...

That's what I'm thinking, too. Not necessarily different, but more, e.g., the ability to see into the past as well as the future.

Though the planetary representative not chosen by the LSH is *very* familiar.

Familiar but not a desirable development, imo. This Legion is unstable enough without introducing unwanted planetary reps. I trust Ayla will explain he can't have full membership without a flight ring ... unless she falls for him first. Poor Pol ... I mean Rol.


COSMIC ORANGUTAN : I have a hard time believing that Cos hasn't talked to Lightning Lad about the LSH's new status till now. He sure enjoys digging into Garth about it, doesn't he? In fact, this Rokk likes getting his digs in whenever he can. To anyone. Not a pleasant character trait.

Heh, he's really hitting rokk bottom, isn't he? I wonder how long Garth will take it. "Spoken like a true leader", he says later with an unmistakeable sneer on his face. If Cos starts digging into Ayla or Imra, too, there could be a rumble.

Unfortunately, no further word about Legion elections.

CHAMELEON: OK, the Clark Kent/Superboy riff was cute... but why would a shapechanger use it? Particularly a shapechanger with a ring that can apparently whip up any clothing (or the *look* of any clothing, I guess) necessary?

I imagine impersonating a science police officer all day requires an ability to change the clothes that you're wearing in a somewhat communal facility. Thus, he needs to wear clothes so he can leave them in the locker room. Also, he needs to doff them before taking to the skies in open view.


BRAINIAC 5 & ATOM GIRL: Brainy's plans regarding Lemnos and Dream Girl don't make a heck of a lot of sense to me... but it's compelling enough for me to buy from this issue to next. Anything to get Dreamy back...

Part of me wonders why such things are just being dealt with now. I guess it's just my distorted expectations for the future, but I'd envision someone along the way to 1000-years-from-now to have played around with means of preserving people's "souls" (not a word I'd use if Brainy hadn't). Heck, I want my new robot body right now. At the very least, I should be preserved in a glowing globe in some basement.


TIMBER WOLF: I'd like to know what Brin said after his line "You kept the body". He disappears until finding the new Dream Boy outside Brainy's lab. Do you think Brainy told T-Wolf his plan? I wonder what Brin thought of it, if so.

We can't know too much about Brin, or he'll lose his enigmatic tough-guy appeal. Just imagine if it's revealed that he's less than a genius, folks may demand he get some sort of Ultra-Boyesque intellectual redemption.


ULTRA BOY: With Cham revealed as the infiltrator, it appears that Jo really is as stupid as he's appeared. Disappointing. But he is observant... since he's the one who notices Nura's naked finger... though E-Lad and Shadow Lass had already discussed this. Jo's interaction with Supergirl is fun... and just what I thought it'd be.

I would be disappointed if Jo were revealed to be anything more than the primally motivated lunk he should truly be. I don't see how you could pretend to be emulating teen groups without someone like that. I wouldn't be disappointed to see his character grow out of or around that--in fact, I would greatly appreciate it.


LIGHTNING LAD: "How did we end up in a place where Brainy being a grave-robbing necrophiliac is the best case scenario?"

Couldn't he think of some scenario that's better than that? I can.


PHANTOM GIRL: Phantom Girl varied wildly from page to page. And wasn't helped by the coloring. Were the LSH exposed to some skin-altering radiation? Apparently Phantom Girl *doesn't* have the Apparition short-circuit/possession of machine phase power.

Probably for the best that her power isn't muddled with others. It leaves room for someone like Quislet to come along. I would actually appreciate Phantom Girl showing some hispanic traits. Though, clearly, any revisions of the white-tastic tradition of the Legion would spur some fan debate, the listening to which I would find even 80's pop music preferrable. Maybe she just got a tan.


ELEMENT LAD: Again, Jan doesn't do much of anything this issue, aside from feed a couple of lines that any character could've uttered. His power is a useful one against robots, so it was nice to see him in action in the background of a few panels. I suspect he's there for some 'spiritual' commentary regarding Brainy's attempted resurrection of Supergirl. Why am I not looking forward to that very much? I wish that aspect of the character would get downplayed a bit, until we get to 'know' him.

I also don't care much for the spiritual guru aspect of Jan. Nevertheless, I'll take any appearance I can get. Hopefully, they lessen the chances that he'll be turned into a villain or die some pointless death.


SUPERGIRL: The ring on/off scene was cute. I'm enjoying her-- though I'm not embracing her fully, since I'll be a bit surprised if she actually stays for very long.

I can't help but embrace her. She's exactly what the team needed. Seems like Invisible Kid was supposed to fill this sort of role in the first year, but he just didn't do it like Supergirl is.


SATURN GIRL: "Your secret's safe." Said to Cham, who says he's been 'moonlighting'. Wha-?! I thought a Legionnaire said they'd *planted* an infiltrator in the Science Police? Maybe there already *is* an espionage squad... and the founders don't know about it!

Again, Saturn Girl is portrayed as observant and interested in the overlooked goings-on of her team-mates. Even though she asks them directly what's happening, her style seems less in-your-face than her last incarnation. I like it. It seems more mature and worthy of a leader, to me. What surprised me more--but I guess I should just accept--was her lack of hesitation to jump in and manhandle a bunch of robots. Her mental abilities couldn't have given her any edge in such a battle, yet away she went.


COSMIC ORANGUTAN: He sure enjoys digging into Garth about it, doesn't he? In fact, this Rokk likes getting his digs in whenever he can. To anyone. Not a pleasant character trait.

I still can't get over that he does absolutely nothing with his magnetic powers when they're battling ROBOTS. Not that it's such a big deal, really. I'd just have appreciated some aside where he at least says that he could have taken care of all of them, but figured he'd give the team a workout. For that matter, I would also have appreciated him not being in the issue at all.


PRINCESS PROJECTRA & STAR BOY: Monarchies must've operated much differently on Orando than on Earth. Imagine an Earth princess who'd never been asked if she needed anything... Now, asked by someone who actually *meant* it sincerely- that I could buy. I'm finding this Projectra the least engaging of all the Legionnaires.

Could Star Boy be making the rounds before departing for the 21st Century? There's apparently a *new* Starman debuting in the relaunching JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA in August.

I don't see the problem with a Princess never being asked if she needed anything. I just imagine that she was forever surrounded by servants who got her anything they imagined she needed or meekly waited for her to bark orders. Especially if she were particularly bossy. I wouldn't go in and ask a jerk of a boss if he needed anything. I'd just try to look busy when he walked by. Still, I agree that she's not particularly engaging. I have no clue about the Starboy/Starman business or Starboy's motivation. It was just a page after all--though it was interesting that Starboy wouldn't take "no" for an answer from the bodyguards.


DREAM BOY: The planetary representative not chosen by the LSH is *very* familiar... still, it could be a way to get folks like Tellus, Gates, Chemical King and Dawnstar introduced rapidly.

Too familiar. Bordering on the tedious. I'm just going to ignore it for now.

I just realized this. You know who Invisible Kid is? He's Wesley Crusher.

Except Lyle gets to put his money where his mouth is in great scenes like the brawl with Elysion. He's probably my favourite Legionnaire so far in this version.

CHAMELEON
The question of Cham's judgment related to an espionage mission is what I was getting at. In other boots, we've seen Cham embark on ill-advised missions. Though the missions themselves might've been questionable, the way he went about them wasn't. Well, except for the no-back-up kind of macho silliness.

Hmmm. Could you even call a genderless being 'macho'?

Anyway, hopefully we'll soon see if Cham's playfulness gets him or other characters in trouble. Probably.

In this instance, I sort of think it was just a 'cool' image that the creators gambled on.

Which doesn't mean it can't be remarked upon or questioned, naturally.

SATURN GIRL
*Very* good point. I wouldn't be surprised if Lyle installed the employee records with an 'activate-later' stamp when he fiddled with the SP computers issues ago!

COSMIC BOY
Till he gets his butt trounced in the upcoming election? Maybe that's his subconscious goal! Treat everyone like crap so they won't vote him in as leader and he can construct some sort of personal life--- find Night Girl or Night Boy or whoever, tend to his father, enter a Magno-Ball tournament or two, become the Time Trapper... that sort of thing.

Except the last, which I hated when I read it the first time, I hasten to add.

PRINCESS PROJECTRA
Or maybe 'anyone' only applies to handsome young men?

DREAM BOY
I hadn't thought of the sabotage angle! You present two cases; sabotage by mediocrity and malevolent infiltration, right?

The first could lead to a SUBS sort-of team, the second to a LSV. Not bad.

Thinking about it, I might prefer that to what I speculated on... a mass rush to induct a horde of 'forgotten' Legionnaires.

SATURN GIRL
One of these days, a storyline examing just what Saturn Girl knows about her teammates and the plot goings-on would seem to be a natural.

COSMIC BOY
Hmmm- you mean a rumble between Gartha and Rokk over Garth's girlfriend and sister, right?

Maybe by the end of the title's third year...

CHAMELEON
That's a nice bit of speculation, there. Now, next time Cham's infiltrating at the SP station (wonder what he does when there's a mission requiring him to be gone for a few days?), we need to have an SP locker room scene added to confirm it.

BRAINIAC 5
Nah, basements are too prone to leaks. You wouldn't want the 'good' parts lost to a short-circuit, would you? Wait a sec- that could be an origin for the next long-lived supervillain!

Garages are too impermanent, attics too prone to fire or treefall... the only alternative is build yourself a bomb shelter to store your glowy new soul-globe in.

SATURN GIRL
Like good old Adventure-era Imra Ardeen! I, for one, would like to see a bit more of that persona injected into this Saturn Girl. She seems entirely too passive, to me. And I recognize that that's a perfectly valid interpretation of a telepath, but *not* , to me, of the LSH's first 'star'.

COSMIC ORANGUTAN
An aside like you mentioned would have been welcome... and could have been funny. Perhaps it would have been a bit too Machiavellian in light of his digs at Garth elsewhere in the issue?

Maybe he's just had to deal with Brainy for too long... it'd be interesting to see what Cos was like when the LSH first formed. Perhaps he was a quiet, respectful soul...

PRINCESS PROJECTRA
That would apply to her own (or her parents', I suppose) staff at the royal castle (or whatever)... but a princess would've visited other nations... worlds... etc. Surely, *there* she would've been solicited six ways from Sunday.
Cosmic Boy and the LSH apparently kept her quite isolated. Surely she traveled before joining the LSH and opening her treasuries.

STAR BOY
I hadn't thought about that. Business as usual in superhero books. Not a good thing.

The speculation is just that-- an annoucement was made about a new JSA title that will include 'a' Starman-- who'll apparently be wearing a costume including a starfield. Sort of like one attributed to Danny Blaine (Thom Kellor's alter ego in a forecasted future 21st century career as Starman that was revealed as a possibility for the character near the end of James Robinson's STARMAN series).

Timber Wolf: Brainy certainly does have a different relationship with Brin - although Brin was the one that owed him a big favour. Now that we know aabout the Coluans and slavery, I suspect that they wouldn't be averse to experimenting with sentient beings - shades of the Dominators. Brin might have been one of their experiments, also liberated by Brainy, or perhaps he was captured and imprisoned by them for study (like R.J. Brande had been in the 5YL series/L.E.G.I.O.N. series).

Why would Brin gain the respect of this particular Coluan? Is he incredibly intelligent? Was he Brainy's confidante/companion (again, like R.J. was to Vril Dox) or were they imprisoned together? Or is it a great respect for Brin's mastery of his powers?

The realationship between Colu and Imsk was established in my mind when it was shown that Colu handled their population problem thru miniaturization.

Maybe it'll turn out that Colu miniaturized everybody who wasn't smart enough to turn green, and stored them on Imsk. And if they used to think that Brainy was a dim bulb, that could be how his connection with the Imskians started.

i'll bet the imskian are decendents of planets that the original Brainiac shrunk and kept in bottle cities.

I don't know if I'd want *another* Legionnaire owing Brainy that kind of debt. Some other kind, like medical miracles, yeah.

If Brin freed *himself* and Brainy didn't know about the Brin/Colu relationship, that'd be a neat angle to explore. I still want a Timber/Lone/Wolf/android connection, though.

Colu certainly lends itself to thinking up sinister plots, doesn't it?

Kind of makes me want to see something completely counter-intuitive on Colu.

Maybe Brin's got something on Brainy and the fact that he's never used it makes Querl trust the lupine Legionnaire?

I do sort of like the idea of Brainy and Brin cooped up together in, what- a juvenile facility?

Yep. That was a *big* hint at what was, presumably, coming. I say 'presumably' because we don't really know the story of Imsk and Colu yet. Who knows what the background *really* is?

A 'CIVIL WAR OF THE LEGION' story centered around the team miniaturizing and visiting Imsk might be kind of fun...

Ha! I first misread this to read, "Maybe it'll turn out that COS..." Wouldn't *that* be a twist on Cosmic Boy... shrinker of worlds!

"Smart enought to turn green" I like that. Makes me think of the book and Broadway show WICKED, though smarts had no *direct* link with the complexion of that story's main character.

I'd like to see that addressed in future LSH stories, but I'm not sure I'd want Imsk tied to the *original* Brainiac. To Colu, maybe- just not to Brainiac I and thus, inevitably, to Superman.

I hope their nature is theirs all on their own and that they've been *used* by Colu.

Imsk as the descendants of Kandor? Could be cool, I'll admit. Maybe there can be a hero or heroine *named* Kandor? Who also has the disarming quality of always being unreservedly honset and sincere...

I just found this issue today at a small LCS(lucky me!!)But I was disappointed to see Barry Kitson didn't do the art, it just didn't seem like LoSH(v. 6)to me without Barry Kitson's art, but I liked the extra TimerWolf, and it was... interesting..the poses Element Lad was in while flying. But what I liked best was Princess Projectra's illusions of her parents, so sad but so..real, if I was in her place I'd comjure up visions of my parents just to pretend and it was such a teenage girl thing to do and so sad,