Superboy # 217 "Future Shock for Superboy"

"FUTURE SHOCK FOR SUPERBOY"

Story: Jim Shooter, Art: Mike Grell
Superboy flies though the the sky's of 20th century smallville and building speed until he pierces the time barrier on his way to the 30th century and the latest meeting of the Legion of Super-Heroes.
The Teen of steel exits the time stream and marvels at 30th century metropolis and the people cheering him. He notice that someone is in the magnetic canal that carries cargo on magnetic waves at over 200 miles an hour. He plans to scoop the unlucky guy out of the canal before the cargo gets close, but he notices it is a girl and what a girl she is. The scantily clad girl is standing there calm as can be, Superboy could just fly her out of there but feels like showing off  and uses his super strength to stop the cargo in its path. He flies the girl out of the way and asks her how she fell into the canal in the first place and she just replies that she is extra clumsy. She asks Superboy if he knows who she is and when he asks if he should she says no and tells him her name is Elna. Elna is impressed and says she always wanted to meet him and she never had been held by a living legend before. The teen of steel is smitten and ask her to hang out with her until he has to go to his meeting in a half hour. They talk for a bit mostly about Superboy, when Legion member Wildfire comes around the corner Elna takes of before he can see her. Superboy wants to go after her but Wildfire reminds him they are due at the meeting. Later in the Legion Council chamber Mon-El adjourns the meeting. Wildfire asks if he is returning to his own time but the Smallville Sentinel has a certain girl he can't get out of his mind and goes off in search for her. Wildfire would of gone with him but he has duty that night at the Legion Academy working with some new trainees.  Note: the Legion academy was introduced in Adventure comics 371.
           As Superboy flies off Elna arrives crying thinking she should of told him the truth about herself right away. Hours later Superboy cannot find a trace of her it is as if she vanished into thin air. He questions while she would run from Wildfire, then he realizes the one place he did not look is the Legion headquarters. He arrives as Elna is getting blasted by Wildfire as she appears to be breaking into the headquarters. Superboy freaks out and grabs Wildfire and is about to smash him when Elna pops up and tells him she is alright and that it was a Legion training exercise. Superboy is shocked and happy that she is still alive. Elna explains that her name is actually Laurel Kent and she was not harmed be cause she is invulnerable. She tells him that she is his Descendant. Wildfire joins in and tells him that eventually Superboy will become Superman and marry and have a family that will continue to the 30th century. Laurel explains that she only inherited his invulnerability which is how she made it into the Legion Academy. Laurel also tells him that she always wanted to meet her famous ancestor and that she ran away from Wildfire because he might give her away. Laurel explains that she liked him and that she knew that he liked her too because she resembles the woman he is destined to marry. Wildfire assure her that he will not remember anything that she tells him be cause they use Super Hypnosis to block out any knowledge of his own future. Later Superboy penetrates the time barrier heading of the mid 20th century and home. Once he returns to the 20th century he loses all knowledge of Laurel Kent.
Roll Call:

• Superboy
• Wildfire
• Mon-El (Leader)
• Colossal boy (background)
• Light Lass (Background)

1st app.

• Laurel Kent (Elna)

Rooms in the headquarters

• Council Chamber

Notes:
Page 1:

• Superboy flies from 20th century Smallville into the time stream.

Page 2:

• Superboy arrives in the 30th century and sees a Hot girl and flies down to talk to her. "Hi I'm Superboy" must be a hell of a pickup line. And if you knock up a girl from the future you do not have to worry about her showing up with a paternity suit.

Page 3:

• Superboy causes property damage just to impress a girl.
• The girl says her name is ELNA. E L N A, think about it.

Page 4:

• Just when Superboy thinks he is getting somewhere, Wildfire shows up and ELNA takes off.

Page 5:

• After searching all night for her he finds her just as it looks like she is being killed by one of his own teammates.

Page 6:

• Elna is alright and her name is really Laurel Kent a descendant of Superboy.
• Laurel admits she was attracted to what should be her Great, great, great, great (add as many greats as you want.) Grandfather.
• Laurel tells Superboy that she resembles the woman he is destined to married. Great that narrows it down to most dark hair women from DC's Silver age. (Lois Lane, Carol Ferris, Jean Loring, even Diana Prince.)
• Another mention of Legion Brain washing, just wait there will be more.

Laurel Kent is my favorite non Legion Member. When I first read this at 11 years old I thought it was great that Superman had descendants in the 30th century and could not wait to they did more with her. I had a while to wait, and they did use her a little over the years I was disappointed in how they finally dealt with her. The alias she uses Elna gives us a hint to who Superman Marries, change the letters around and you get Lane. If you want to here an excellent podcast on this story got to the two true freaks website and under the I have a few things to say about Superman show, Host Scott H Gardner cover this story a few months back and he did an excellent job and if you have not listen to the Two True Freaks shows I suggest you do they have many shows and they are very entertaining. Scott and his fellow Freaks cover all things geek, Star Trek, Star Wars, Comics, Movies and more.
http://twotruefreaks.libsyn.com/
Next Time: a Story starring everyone's favorite hero: Tyroc, yes I said Tyroc, hey he is only in 3 stories in this era so give him a break.