Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes 224
Cover Date: 2/1977; Cover Price .30 cents. "When Stargrave Strikes!" Art: Mike Grell and Bob Wiacek, Story: Jim Shooter
Above remote planetoid P88-01 the sky is Shattered. Along an iridescently crazed plane an anti-matter, universal threatens to breach the barriers of time and space and touch our own space time continuum, triggering a cataclysm that could destroy both. Here Superboy, Saturn Girl, Chameleon Boy, Karate Kid, Sun boy, Brainiac-5, Lightning Lad, Princess Projectra and Star boy meet in attempt to avert the disaster, their efforts are interrupted by Holdur and Quicksand, two creatures we saw behind the scenes in our last adventure. While Holdur uses his unbreakable grip of Superboy, Quicksand turns the ground to liquid and the Legion members sink until she makes the ground rock solid again trapping the Legion. But the appearance of the Green skinned Pulsar Stargrave puts an end to the battle. Stargrave a lone imposing figure poised on a nearby peak. Awesome energy crackles around him as he reaches out toward the torn sky, the planetoid trembles. Natural laws bend to the will of Stargrave as the rent sky fuses and the torn fabric of space is mended.
The heroes can't believe what they just saw, all of them working together could not have done what Stargrave did with a wave of his hand. The Legion frees themselves from Quicksand's trap just as Stargrave teleports them to his lair. The legion all start questioning Stargrave at once but he tells them to be silence and paralyze them in side a force bubble where they cannot move or speak. He then explains that he opened the fissures in space above the planet, knowing that the danger would bring them here, for he needs their strength. Stargrave tells that though he is powerful there is one stronger than him and to confront him he requires an ally. Saturn Girl telepathically tells him that he has a strange way of asking for help. Stargrave tells her that he does not ask they have been chosen. He explains that some time ago he released the time Trapper from the stasis field which the Legion imprisoned him in. (An editor note says see Adventure # 338). Stargrave goes on to say that he knew that the Trapper would attack you and he expected that this time The Trapper would triumph and prove himself worthy to aid Stargrave's cause. But he watched as five of the Legion utterly defeated him against impossible odds, therefore they shall fight at his side against.. All this time Superboy has been straining against the force bubble and finally he bursts free declaring that he has heard enough.
Holdur goes to attack the free legionaries and goes after the buxom Princess Projectra, and show him an illusion of Mordru. This freaks Holdur out to know end. We find out that Mordru is the ultimate enemy, and with a wave of his hand Stargrave dispels the illusion. At that time Quicksand uses her powers to dissolve the ceiling and rains tons of molten steel on Sun Boy Chameleon Boy and the Princess. Quicksand who can make anything liquid makes it solid again trapping them under tons of steel. Karate Kid and Saturn Girl work to free the trapped teens while Starboy boy uses his power to add mass to Quicksand and she sinks into the floor helpless. Holdur goes after Brainiac-5 but cannot get through his force shield and Lightning Lad's bolts have know affect on Stargrave but the villain is staring at Brainiac-5. While he is distracted Superboy attacks him but Stargrave throws him out of this world. A pissed off Superboy bursts into the building kool aid man style and when Holdur tries to interfere Superboy swats him a way like a flea. Facing off against Superboy, Stargrave shows him that he is the embodiment of a blazing son, that he is PULSAR STARGRAVE. Stargrave increases in size and Superboy attacks but is stopped by what seems to be red sun energy. Sun Boy tries to get into the act blasting him with a force more than a battery of solar cannons but he still stands. Brainy orders Lighting Lad and Star Boy to blast him down. The team directs their awesome power at Stargrave to no effect. Stargrave reads Brainiac-5 mind and calls him by his real name while he waves his hand and the Legion falls unconscious to the floor. He assures Brainy that his friends are not dead but his patience is growing exceedingly thin and starts explaining thing to Brainiac-5. Stargrave was once mortal, he was a scientist investigating an unusual stellar phenomenon in his one man laboratory probe. With life support failing her took an emergency drug that induced a state of suspended animation hoping that someone would find his disabled probe and rescue him. He was found by spacefarers of an unknown race who misinterpreted Stargrave's coma. Thinking him dead the alien launch him into the heart of the nearest star just as it reached its Super Nova stage, his body was destroyed but in the that critical nanosecond his mind somehow fused with the exploding plasma, the Supernova collapsed into a pulsar but he was one with a living pulsar, he then mastered his own energies and reincarnated himself in a new body. Brainiac-5 notes that he looks much like he does before. Stargrave asked if he knew who he was after fifteen years. Brainiac said that with his photographic memory he did. He asks Stargrave why he needs the Legion if he has such amazing powers.
We switch scenes to some time later at the Legion headquarters complex in Metropolis where the team is asking Brainiac-5 what went on while they were unconscious. He explains that Stargrave wants total control of the universe and he thinks they should help him. Later Stargrave contacts Brainiac-5 and teleports to earth. Brainiac tells him that he convinced them that they should fight on his side against the ultimate enemy to stop his evil from overwhelming the cosmos. Also that if they should win the alliance ends and the others would try to halt Stargrave's conquest of the universe. Brainiac-5 accepts his mission from Stargrave and leaves for Zerox immediately to begin the war against Mordru and that he cannot fight his father as Superboy looks on from the shadows.
Next time Nothing that ties to this cliffhanger.
Before I go into Page By Page notes I want to given my feelings on this issue. I loved it, Stargrave as he is introduced here is a great villain with unbeleivable power and I would love to see a 3 way battle between Stargrave Mordru the merciless and the Legion, I do not want to spoil what we do get but it is not quite that. This is the Last Shooter written issue which is sad because I think he was just finding his groove with the characters, but I think he was on his way to Marvel to eventually become editor and chief. As far as I can tell this is the last regular issue penciled by Mike Grell, he will continue to do covers for a while and the massive wedding of Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl tabloid size special, but I think he was now on Green Lantern/Green Arrow and shortly after that Warlod.
Bits of Business
Roll Call
- Superboy
- Saturn Girl
- Chameleon Boy
- Karate Kid
- Sun Boy
- Brainiac-5
- Lightning Lad
- Princess Projectra
- Star Boy
- Pulsar Stargrave
- Holdur
- Quicksand
Page 1
- In the roll call Chameleon Boy is called Cham Boy
- Holdur grip on Superboy's neck looks like he does not have one.
- In panel 2 a coloring mistake makes Lightning Lad look like he is not wearing gloves.
- Stargrave's entrance is awesome, Grell's are is amazing on this page.
- So far Pulsar Stargrave powers include energy manipulation, teleportation, and he is able to create a force bubble that leaves it victims unable to move or speak.
- An editor's note reference Adventure 338 as when the Time Trapper was imprisoned by the Legion, (should I cover it?)
- Another note mentions last issues fight with the Trapper.
- Superboy is straining against the force bubble.
- Superboy breaks the force bubble
- Projectra (Still my favorite Legion costume) cast an illusion against Holdur, the only thing she will do this issue.
- Another Stargrave Power he is able to dispel Projectra's Illusions.
- Stargrave show his strength as he throws Superboy out into space.
- Superboy has had enough of Stargrave's shit as he flings Holdur out of his way
- Embodiment of a blazing Sun! (Nuff Said)
- Stargrave is now a telepath and knows Brainiac-5 real name (Querl Dox)
- Stargrave gives his origin story or at least a version of it.
- We don't see the conversation between Brainiac and Stargrave but Brainy convinces the team to help them.
- We find out that Stargrave is Brainiac-5 father!
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