Superboy # 215 Starring the Legion of Super-Heroes

Superboy # 215 Starring the Legion of Super-Heroes Cover dated March 1976, Cover Price .25 Cents.
" The Final Eclipse of Sun Boy" Story: Cary Bates Art: Mike Grell

Superboy, Sun Boy and Element Lad are returning to earth from a mission in space, as they approach the planet they activate the Intra-Warp adapter that allows them to shift to a different dimensional plane, so they can land their Cruiser on Bgztl. Bgztl the home of Phantom Girl Tinya Wazzo where every one has the same phantom like powers. Bgztl occupies the same space as earth but it is in a different dimension. Phantom Girl and her brother Gmya were leaving the court complex where she was just named the star witness in a case against assassin Ron-Vizl. She was witness him killing a man with a gun designed to kill phantoms, she moved in to stop him in her phantom form but as he fired the gun she changed to solid and the beam went right through her and she knocked the guy out. Gmya is worried that the assassin's friends will come after her but Tinya tells him she has nothing to worry about, there is no safer place for her than Legion HQ. As she says that the Legion Cruiser lands. Tinya introduces Gmya to Sun Boy and Element Lad but he blows them off and walks away. Crowds of people watch as the Legion members board their ship but know one notices that their are fewer people in the crowd than a moment ago. Back on Earth Brainiac-5 and Saturn Girl as the Cruiser lowers to the ground but just before it can touch down safely it crashes. The hull of the ship turn red-hot  and Superboy, Phantom Girl and Element lad run from the ship. Sun Boy who powers are running wild is whole body surround by flame but his form is all black. Superboy flies in to stop him before Sun Boy accidentally destroys the citadel. He punches the flaming teen but it has no effect. Superboy keeps punching but it only serves to make Sun Boy burn even brighter. Brainiac tells Superboy to stop that he is feeding Sun Boy's power with his super energy. Element Lad steps forward and says he has a plan to stop him. First he uses his element altering powers to change is uniform into Super insulated asbestos and when he get close enough he changes the air around Sun Boy to Nitrogen, knowing that flames can not burn in it. Getting closer he does what Superboy cannot and knocks Sun Boy out.   


They Take Sun Boy inside to examine him and after many exhaustive test Brainiac still does not have a clue to cause of Sun Boy's problem. Superboy comes up with an answer. He brings in his sketch pad and shows a drawing of an eclipse and then a drawing of what causes an eclipse, the moon when it's orbit brings it across the sun's path. So the only logical reason that Sun Boy would become an Human eclipse would be another body is blocking his. Superboy shows his drawing or and eclipse Sun Boy. They determine that a Phantom from Phantom Girl's world stowed away in Sun Boy's body not knowing that the nuclear accident that gave Sun Boy his powers changed his molecular structure fusing the two together. They believe that the stowaway is an assassin out to kill Phantom Girl but have know idea how to free him from Sun Boy. Saturn Girl comes in, her Telepathy has just picked up that someone in the room is about to murder Phantom Girl. At the same instance Sun Boy returns to normal. It is noticed that someone is stealing Brainiac-5's Mega Blaster. But before the Phantom can fire the blaster another Phantom stops him. Phantom Girl recognizes her brother  Gmya as her savior. After they lock up the assassin Gmya explains that he Stowed away in Sun Boy's body and that he did not think he would get out until he saw the assassin reaching for Brainiac's gun from Element Lad's body. That spurred him on will extra will power to break free of Sun Boy 's Molecules. The team praise Gmya saying that he is as brave as his sister. Know all that is left to be down is to explain every thing to Sun Boy.

Bits of Legionnaire Business.
Roll Call:

• Phantom Girl (Tinya Wazzo)
• Superboy
• Sun Boy
• Element Lad
• Brainiac-5
• Saturn Girl

Planets Visited

• Bgztl

Legion Equipment:

• Cruiser
• Flight Ring
• Medical Equipment
• Mega Blaster

Rooms in the headquarters

• Landing dock
• Medical bay

First Appearance:

• Gmya Wazzo (only appearance pre crisis)

Notes:
Page 2:

• The Legion cruiser on it's way to earth shifts dimensions and heads to Bgztl the home planet of Phantom Girl

Page 3:

• We see an assassin kill a fat guy while Phantom Girl watches.

Page 4:

• After the previously mentioned fat guy is dead, Phantom Girl goes after the killer.
• Killer shoots PG right in the chest. (that is where I would aim.)
• Phantom Girl is unharmed and takes care of the assassin.
• Gmya is a dick to the other Legion Members.

Page 5:

• Saturn Girl has own the wrong boots.
• Not sure who is driving but remind me not to lend him my car.

Page 6:

• Sun Boy turns all dark and burns every thing.

Page 7:

• Superboy can not stop him but Element Lad can?

Page 8:

• Superboy is an artist and he draws like Mike Grell.
• I know this was written in the 70's but couldn't Superboy use something a little bit more high tech that a sketch book to show off his theory?

Page 9:

• Saturn Girl, now in the correct boots does what all telepath's do, state the obvious.
• The assassin takes Brainy's gun? Since when does Brainiac carry a gun, this issue is the first and last that we see a holster attached to his belt.

Page 10:

• With all of the heroes around to save the day, who takes out the villain, the brother that we will never ever see again.

Okay, I had some problems with this story but lets talk about what I liked.

• Show Phantom Girl's home planet was nice, especially how they got there.
• The introduction of another Legion sibling, one that we will never use again.
• That Bates is able to do what other DC writers can not, have Superboy in the story and not have him save the day. Superboy was not able to stop crazed Sun Boy, Element Lad did. Superboy did not stop the assassin, Phantom Brother did. The old Justice league stories had a problem with having Superman in a story and not have his save the day, the Legion writers do a lot better job at that.
• Element Lad's changing the colors of his costume.

Now to what I did not like.

• Another story where we do not get a good villain, the Legion has an exceptional Rouge gallery (Universo, Fatal Five, Mordru, Dr. Regulas.) but we hardly ever see them, thank fully the 2nd story in this issue has good villain.
• A Phantom hiding in a body, this something that we have not seen before and will not again.
• Bates needed a gun in the story so he added one to the costume of Brainiac-5 and there was no reason for this. Wish he did a added a little exposition and had Brainiac say he was wearing it because of the assassin that was out for Phantom Girl.
• A non Legionnaire stopping the villain.

Next time the 2nd story of this issue where we have an old villain, two new costumes (one that does not last and the other the worst Legion costume of all time) and a Hero smacking a woman.
I will leave you with another hostess ad this time starring the worlds mightiest mortal.