Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Cary Bates/Mike Grell Legion

This is the best description ever!

You touch on a number of the elements that make this such a standout story (not only for the era but IMO, the entirety of Legion history).

A powerful, and pessimistic theme, is the level of importance of Soljer's mission to the character, and the lack of importance to everyone else. The Legionnaires may have a basic sense of that, but they never quite grasp it. It's a powerful idea in terms of history. Most of us don't give a crap about who died during the Napoleonic Wars, or what sacrifices were made so a battle could be won. Yet hundreds of thousands gave their lives during those wars. Just like 200 years from now, people will not care at all about soldiers who die for wars fought today.

It's a chilling concept that looms over the whole story.

This would be an interesting way to handle the Time Trapper. It's a vendetta for him because he keeps losing and rebooting time to get another crack at the Legion, but it's always a first encounter for the Legion. And tney can't figure out why the guy hates them so much.

Re: Cobie

Indeed. It's the generals who are remembered, not those who fought, suffered injuries, or died.

Does anyone know what Cary Bates is currently doing for a living, I would have loved if he were the one who replaced Fabian Nicieza on Legion Lost, no disrespect to Tom DeFalco it's just Cary's history with the Legion, That and his part in co-creating Wildfire and Tyroc!

Heh, that would be crazy cool.

Time Trapper "This will be our final battlefield! You have foiled me for the last time! Die!"

Dream Girl "Who is this jerk?"

Time Trapper "You don't even remember me, do you? Now I'm really mad!"

I remember Per Degaton facing a similar frustration in some of his encounters with the JSA and All-Star Squadron. It's kind of the nature of the beast with time travel. If they literally undo your plans, then no one will remember you.

Bates still writes. Wikipedia lists his recent activities.

I always had the impression that the Time Trapper did have limits on his power. He couldn't create realities at will; he had to very carefully nudge one piece here and there to create his desired outcome. And time has generally been depicted as linear even for the time travelers in LSH. Even the Time Trapper seems unable to go back on his own timeline at will. Basically, it seems to me that the fact that he never did what Set describes tells me that he probably can't.

But if he can pick one moment out of the past and create a whole pocket universe with it, and shape its history, what can't he do?

But more importantly, even if he could only do that, why can't he be happy with one universe shaped as he likes it?

One explanation could be that he has the ability to manipulate time at will, but not even he (or she, let's be gender-fair ) can anticipate all the possible changes that will result because of altering one moment in the past. Therefore, the Trapper might wisely have decided to be more careful and not mess up with the past too much.

Still doesn't explain why he can't always win a fight. Maybe if the fight takes place in linear time (e.g. 31st century), then there are too many variables. But if on the Trapper's own home turf (like in the Conspiracy story), the Trapper doesn't have to worry about any of that.

Then again, if the Trapper embodies the theory that all things must end anyway, why should he/she care if history is changed? All life will end anyway, who cares how it happens?

Okay, I've gone and talked myself into circles and made my brain explode!