Superboy #221 Starring the Legion of Super-Heroes

Superboy # 221 Starring the Legion of Super-Heroes.  Cover Date Nov 1976, Cover Price . 30 Cents " The Trillion-Dollar Trophies" Art: Mike Grell and Bob Wiacek. Story: Jim Shooter.
Part 1 The living Key
Superboy and Timber Wolf are answering an alarm at the Power sphere, the mammoth nucleonic power plant, which supplies 30th century Metropolis with Energy. The Installation is protected by the galaxy's most advanced, virtually fool proof computer system.. which only moments ago has been tripped. Tripped by Grimbor and Charma and they are looking to trap some Legionnaires.  They split up to search the lead radiation shielding blocks Superboy's super-vision. Grimbor blinds side Timber wolf with his chains, The wolf fight back with little effect. Hearing the struggle Superboy arrives on the scene only to be stopped in his tracks by the sight of Charma. Charma speaks softly to him not to hurt her and Superboy just stands there looking at her. Grimbor tells her to hold him as he finishes up with Timber Wolf.  Morning at the plush penthouse office of the R J Brande Building. One of the wealthiest beings in the universe Legion Financer, Rene Jacques Brand is hard at work. Charma comes in followed by 2 thugs carrying large boxes. Brande yells at her  and she gives him a sad look and he backs down. She tells him that she wants a 100 Million Dollars to insure the safety of the Legionnaires. Charma tells him that she will be in touch as she leaves. Brande hears a sound coming from one of the boxes and calls the Legion on his private hotline. Six Legionnaires respond almost instantaneously. Colossal Boy grows to giant size and smashes the crates together and Superboy and Timber Wolf fall out. The two are chained up with complicated restraints. Shrinking Violet shrinks down and looks inside the locks, she sees that it is a pin and tumbler type but  she never saw one so intricate. She flies out of the lock and tells the team that they require a multi direction expanding key.
Chameleon Boy says that he can take care of is and has his malleable hands turn into keys that fit the locks. He turns the keys and the chains explode and vanish. Light lass runs to care for Timber Wolf as Cosmic Boy questions Brande. Superboy and Timber Wolf do not seem to remember any thing until Brande describes the delicate and beautiful young lady. He concludes that their memories must have been wiped out by some form of Super Hypnosis. He cannot remember any think except a Fragile, helpless looking girl. Brande says he should pay the extortion but the legion refuses.

 Chapter 2 Charma and the Chain-Maker

Gimbor and Charma are on the asteroid strong hold of the chain maker and both go through their origin stories. Grimbor is the greatest master of bondage, restraint and security in the universe. He has sold his services to  everyone from criminal to kings. He boasts that he once designed a cage to hold the Mighty Validus. He brags that he has been paid fortunes to build strongholds and safe guard treasures. Charma reminds him that he spent all that money on more locks, tools equipment and materials, that he is penniless as she was. Charma explains that she was a poor little orphan that was sent to a girls school that was little more than a prison. As she got older she use to get punished by the head mistress more and more frequently. It was not just the head mistress, all of the girl's grew to hate her. They beat her and took her few possessions. Grimbor tells her to stop he can not bear to hear how she was treated. That is because she is a mutant, her power is that no man can bear seeing her suffer pain. The mere thought of her being threatened enrages them. She has the opposite reaction from women they want to hurt her. Which is why the head mistress came to Grimbor, Charma was to be released but the head Mistress did not want to let her go and hired Grimbor to create a special lock for her room and shackles that only she could open. But like any man, when he entered the school and saw her he was hers. Grimbor professes his love for her but he has doubts about her plan for the legion. He has her why not rob a bank instead. She tells him that Brand owns a Dozen of interplanetary banks. She knew that Brande would refuse her at first but they will get it all. Charma butters Grimbor up stroking his ego.
      Night in the offices of R J Brande. He gets a call on the vis phone by Charma asking him if he reconsidered his offer. Brande tells her absolutely not. Charma ends the call but Brande traces it back and it is coming from Legion Headquarters. He has an assistant ready his flier for immediate take off.
Meanwhile at Legion HQ, Charma and Grimbor leave the communication Room. Grimbor brags that no place is inaccessible to him. Colossal Boy comes around the corner and Grimbor takes him down using his enhanced strength, Shadow Lass attacks Charma from behind while Grimbor is dealing with Colossal Boy. Charma screams and Grimbor nocks Shadow Lass out. They shackle the two down Legionnaires and Grimbor remarks that it was good that Shadow Lass reacted to Chama's powers and did not use her black out powers to help Colossal Boy. Grimbor crashes into the rec room and Charma uses her powers to make the men helpless while Grimbor captures them. Light Lass and Timber Wolf watch on the monitor room and Light Lass says there is only one way to beat them. Seconds later a metal wall comes down from the ceiling separating the two crooks.
Part 3 "Divided and Conquered"
Timber Wolf and Grimbor go at it with the Wolf getting the upper hand, when a scream from Charma comes from the steel barrier. The cry is like a siren's song to the two and they burst through the barrier and see Light Lass using her powers and beating the hell out of Charma. Under Charma's spell Timber Wolf smacks the woman he loves. Timber Wolf is shocked by what he did to Ayla that it releases him from Charma's hold. But Grimbor gets the jump on him and puts the feral Legionnaire in Titanium Manganite. Charma kicks the down Light Lass while Grimbor locks her up with an Absorbium spiral band.  A little later in the monitor room Charma and Grimbor talk about that all the Legionnaires on the premises have been captured. They spot Brande approaching  the complex, they bring him into the monitor room and he agrees to pay the hundred million. Charma tells him that the price has gone up to a cool trillion dollars. Grimbor says he won't sell. He tells them that this is his greatest feat of bondage, and wants to keep them as trophies. Brande tells them that he will give up his entire fortune and promise not to prosecute. Charma is happy but Grimbor insist that they are his and he will not sell them not even for Charma. Charma realizes that Grimbor loves his work more than he does her. Brande is begging Grimbor to take his money while Charma sneaks off to the storage vault where the Legion is kept. She plans to destroy one of them and threaten to destroy the rest unless Grimbor relents. She aims her blaster at Light Lass when a microscopic Violet grows on top of the blaster and spoils her aim. Violet savagely beats on Charma and her power is having an hypnotic effect on the male Legionnaires and that affects their wills to defend her and the rage charges their muscles with desperate strength until they burst free of the bonds. The male members flight right at Violet but just before they hit she shrinks down and they fly into the wall and burst through and tackles Grimbor. Violet knocks Charma out and then locks her up using chains that Grimbor created that gives off a special radiation which nullifies her power. Apparently once Grimbor had helped Charma capture them, he was going to shackle her, make her a prisoner of his love. He wanted to make sure she'd never escape.


Roll Call:

• Superboy
• Timber Wolf
• Colossal Boy
• Shadow Lass
• Chameleon Boy
• Cosmic Boy
• Light Lass
• Shrinking Violet

Villains

• Charma
• Grimbor

 

Page 2:

• This is a first, a good reason for having lead around, shielding radiation at a power plant is a good thing. A good number of stories have lead in it just to block Superboy's vision but this makes sense.
• Charma is hot, even with yellow skin and she is showing a lot of skin.

Page 3:

• The way Superboy is looking a Charma on this page and the previous one do you think he is using his x-ray vision?

Page 4:

• Brande has his own hot line to the Legion just like Commissioner Gordon does for Batman.
• Colossal Boy Takes the two creates and smashes them together and out fall Superboy and Timber Wolf.

Page 5:

• Cham morphs his hands into the shape of the locks he turns them and there is a small explosion and the chains vanish.

Page 7:

• Grimbor shows Charma how he once restrained the monstrous Validus.
• We see how Charma was treated growing up.

Page 9:

•  Charma and Grimbor call Brande from the Legion HQ

Page 10:

• Grimbor uses his bondage powers to bound Shadow Lass.

Page 12:

• Timber Wolf and Light Lass share a kiss.

Page 13:

• Timber Wolf smacks a bitch (Light Lass)

Page 14:

• Charma kicks the crap out of a downed Light Lass

Page 16:

• Violet opens a can of whoop ass on Charma.

Page 17:

• Violet's quick thinking saves the day.

Great story and an Introduction of a good Villain. (Grimbor) Unfortunately this is Charma's last appearance in this continuity.

Next time Superboy 222 Yes I am talking about Tyroc.

Adventure Comics # 370 Starring the Legion of Super-Heroes

Adventure comics # 370 Cover dated July 1968 Cover Price .12 cents
Cover Credits: Curt Swan and Jack Abel. Writer Jim Shooter, Pencils Curt Swan, Ink Jack Abel.
Last Issue our Heroes, Superboy, Mon-El, Duo Damsel, and Shadow Lass were hiding from the sorcerer Mordru in 20th Century Smallville, They were about to return to the 30th century when Mordru attacked.

 They escape Mordru and his Magic by borrowing underground. Superboy builds a device and gathers the Legionnaire's and his parents all back in their disguises. The device he built will remove their memories of being Legionnaires and reinforce their disguised persona's, this should last for about an hour. The device works and the foursome go about their separate business.
Duo Damsel disguised as Marie Elkins returns to the Parker home, where she was pretending to be a cousin. Shadow Lass returns to the Lang house where she is sharing a bed room with Lana Lang as exchange student Betsy Norcross. Mon-El is living with the Kents as a relative named Bob Cobb a brush sales man and Superboy is of course mild mannered high school student Clark Kent.
   Meanwhile Mordru uses his power to touch the citizens of Smallville brains. The thought is searching probing and all secrets are laid to bare. He sees in several people minds clues to the fact that Clark and his friends are Legionnaires, but when he search their minds he find no memory of them being heroes. He thinks that the heroes are still hiding in Smallville and is determine to find them. Mordru power does have an effect on the heroes, erasing the post hypnotic suggestion which would restore their memories at the end of an hour.
   Mordru summons his army from the 30th century and seals the time travel Lanes so that no one will be able to Leave or enter this time period. To limited the area his men will have to search Mordru uses magical Lightning to shatter the earth around Smallville and raises it off the ground. Higher and Higher the town soars until at the fringes of space it stops it ascent then at Mordru's command an Impenetrable shield forms about the sky island, holding in the air supply and completely isolating the community. The people of Smallville realize that they are in trouble and hopes that Superboy will save them, not knowing that Superboy is among them unaware of who he is. Mordru's army appears  and starts it search for the missing Legionnaires, searching every home looking for secret rooms or any thing that will help their search. The soldiers have gathered up all of the teen-age girls including who they call the prime suspects Betsy Norcross and Marie Elkins. Betsy and Marie cower when the soldiers fire their blasters near them, but Lana Lang attacks the solider but she is pulled off him. The officer sees that the girls are frightened and turns them loose they do not have fire like the power less Lana.
    In the Kent General Store a solider notices Clark resemblance to Superboy and tries to get him to talk by beating his Father. After Jonathan is beaten Clark confess to being Superboy but the soldiers laugh it off because he did not use super-strength to stop his father's beating. The Soldiers leave but they are observed by Pete Ross, Clark's best friend who unknown to Clark knows that he is Superboy. Pete calls Lana to meet him at a deserted house and he tells her that he knows that she is a member of the Legion reservist and that he is an Honorary member. He tells her that Superboy needs their help and that he will have to tell her his secret Identity. Lana scoffs at him and ask why Superboy would confide his secret to him. Pete tells her that he isn't aware that he accidentally found out that he is Clark Kent. He tells Lana how he discovered Clark's Identity on a "camping" trip and tells her to get her Bio Ring and change into Insect Queen. Late at night Lana dressed as Insect Queen turns into a Fly girl and climbs the side of the Kent home. Turning into a caterpillar Queen she spins a cocoon around him including his mouth so he will not wake his sleeping cousin, Her caterpillar form turns into a Butterfly and carries Clark off to meet Pete. They untie Clark and Pete uses a pair of scissors to cut Clark's hair but the scissors break, breaking Clark out of the hypnotic spell he was under. He flies off to get his costume and Reinforcements.
 Back in costume Superboy gets the hypnosis ray and uses it on the other 3 legionnaires. Shortly all of the heroes are dressed in their uniforms and meet Superboy  back at the deserted house with Lana and Pete. Superboy introduces the Legion members to the smallville team and starts to fill them in on his plan.
   The next Morning in the Kent basement Duo Damsel splits into two and Pete Ross is wearing a Superboy costume and his legion flight ring while Superboy is mixing up Make up.
 A little while later troops patrol the streets still looking for the legionnaires when out of the ground comes Mon-El, Duo Damsel, "Superboy" and "Shadow Lass". Mon-El moves a tank out of the way while "Superboy" punches one of the soldiers. The Soldiers fire their Magi Rays on them knocking the heroes down and take them captive. Out of sight the real Superboy and Shadow Lass along with Lana watch as they are marched down the streets. The captive heroes are brought to Mordru's cave throne room he is ready to kill them when Superboy and his two female Friends arrive. Shadow Lass quickly covers the cave in darkness while Superboy starts to beat the stuffing out of Mordru, the heroes think they are winning when Mordru uses his magic on them and knocks them off their feet. He uses his magic to bind them and puts them on trial with a Jury made up of the greatest criminals of the 30th century.

 

 

 

 

 

With Mordru acting as the Judge the "trial" starts with a man name Wraithor acting as the prosecutor and Pete Ross for the defense. The Legion is charged with Anti Crimes against various foes such as the Time Trapper, Universo, Dr. Regulus and several others, but the main charge is that they trapped Mordru in an airless vault where he remained unconscious for years. Mordru asks Pete if he denies any of the charges. Pete tells him that the Legion is proud of protecting the universe from fiends like Mordru. Pete insults the jury, and they come back with a guilty verdict. Mordru sentences them to life imprisonment on the Devil's island of space. But Wraithor has another suggestion. He has designed a Lead/Kryptonite triple steel Inertron vault to entombed them just like Mordru was. Mordru likes the Idea and the 5 heroes and Pete are sealed in the vault and lowered into the Pit. Inside Lana is crying but Superboy tells them that something is off the Kryptonite has not weakened him and Mon-El  is not bothered from the lead even through the serum he uses has worn off. The Kryptonite and the Lead are not the only think that is faked the Inertron walls peal apart like it was tinfoil. Outside the vault they wondered who helped them when Wraithor emerges from the shadows. He explains that he was once a sorcerer and on the council of wizards on the planet Zerox but Mordru discovered a means of stealing their powers and when he took over the planet he made Wraithor his chief lackey in jest. He says Pete's speech broke the spell that mordru had on him and used what little power he had left to fake the death vault. When Wraithor was done explaining he was disintegrated by a blast from Mordru. Mordru cast a spell leaving the Legionnaires powerless and trapped in a force field. Mordru generates a massive fireball of force to hurl at the six helpless mortals. But as Mordru pours his last Iota of terrible force into his weapon and lifts it high above his head to drive it down upon the heroes the cavern walls unable to withstand the presence of the awesome energy, crumble around him and buries him. The heat of the fireball fuses the fallen rubble sealing the villain in. But Six figures make it to the surface. The Legionnaires are the only ones that survived Mordru force field shielded them from the cave in and when their powers returned they were able to dig out. Later after returning smallville to earth Superboy uses the hypnosis ray on Lana having her forget about his secret Identity. He goes to do Pete next but Mon-El grabs the ray and uses it on Superboy having him forget that Pete ever knew his identity. Mon-El tells Pete that it is a reward for helping them. But what he does not mention is that sometime in the Future he will save Superman's Life because he knows his identity.

 When the four heroes get to the Future they expect to find it destroyed, But every thing is well. Invisible Kid tells them that Dream Girl had a vision of Mordru attacking and with the help of the White Witch and Princess Projectra they were able to protect the Legion headquarters from Mordru's Magic and project an Illusion of the headquarters being destroyed. Mon-El smiles a big chauvinistic smile thinking it is Ironic that Mordru was foiled by three girls.

 

Bits of Legionnaire Business

Roll Call:

• Superboy
• Mon-El
• Shadow Lass
• Duo Damsel
• Invisible Kid
• Dream Girl
• Princess Projectra

Guest Starring:

• Lana Lang
• White Witch
• Pete Ross

Villain:

• Mordru

Legion Equipment

• Flight Rings

 

Notes

Page 2:

• Mordru uses his powers against the Legion

Page 3:

• They turn tail and tunnel away from Mordru

Page 4:

• Superboy builds a Hypno ray to use on the Legion. At least he did not use Super Hypnosis.(The worst of his powers)

Page 5 and 6

• Mordru uses his powers to see through the minds of every one in smallville looking for the legion.
• He finds them but does not believe it is them

Page 8:

• Mordru lifts the town of smallville up into pace.

Page 9:

• Mordru has his men gather up all of the Teen-Age girls, the sick pervert.

Page 10:

• Lana attacks a solider while the hypnotised Legionnaires stand by and watch.
• Clark watches as the soldiers beat the snot out of his father.

Page 11:

• Pete Ross figures out what is going on and convinces Lana to kidnap Clark in the middle of the night. One might think this is not the first time Lana has broken into Clark's room.
• 
  Lana Becomes a Fly Girl.
• Not one of those fly girls

Page 12:

• Clark's Hair breaks another pair of scissors.

Page 14

• Superboy's Big plan is to have Pete disguise himself as Superboy and have one half of Duo Damsel dress up like Shadow Lass.

Page 16:

• Superboy is beating the crap out of Mordru until Magic rears it little head again. Magic is almost as much a pain as time travel.

Page 17:

• We get a look at Mordru's S & M play room.

Page 18:

• Pete Ross for the defense. The old saying is the person who defends them self has a fool for a client, what does that mean when Pete is your Lawyer?

Page 23:

• The Legion does not beat Mordru he beats himself having his own fireball bring down the cave on top of him.

Page 24:

• Mon-El says that Pete will save Superman's Life in the future, but I have read a shit load of Superman comics and up till Crisis of Infinite Earths Pete does not Save Superman's life because he knows his Identity. He does go Evil for a little while but that does not happen in a Legion story.
• This is not the last time a Legion Member will hypnotise Superboy without his knowledge.

Page 25:

• Mon-El is a smug bastard saying it is Ironic that Mordru is foiled by three girls.

The ending to this story is the only part that I find weak, but this is my favorite story from the Adventure Run. I first read this in one of the Tabloid size books they published in the 70's. Since then I have picked up the original Issues as well as the Legion archives.

 

Next time back to our coverage of the Legion Stories in Superboy with number 214.

 

Have a Happy and safe new year.

 

D

 

 

 



Superboy# 212 starring the Legion of Super-Heroes

SUPERBOY # 212 Starring the Legion of Super-Heroes Cover date Oct 1975, cover Price .25 cents.
"Last Fight for a Legionnaire" Art by Mike Grell, Story by Jim Shooter.
30th century Metropolis, Nolan Plaza the home of the Legion of Super-heroes, a hopeful young man enters the building. A little later the same man walks out rejected.  Rejected and angry, the man uses his powers to lift the Iron statue of Ferro Lad the deceased Legionnaire and fling int the sky. Just then in his head a voice tells him to put the statue down. He is unable to resist and returns it gently to its pedestal. He is commanded to turn around and he does seeing 5 young people. It turns out the other 5 were also rejected from the Legion. A scantly clad brunette woman tells him it was her esp powers that made him put the statue back. A very healthy Blond flirts with him, while the 3 males toss around compliments, the young man Magno lad agrees to join with them on their plan to get even with six legionnaires. Meanwhile on a distant planet a man called Tribune is giving a mission to an Agent Bek. Bek tells him that their target will not come willingly but Tribune reminds him that no one is above the law not even a Legionnaire. Bek will do every thing necessary to bring the chosen to the selection board, even if the entire Legion stands in his way.
 Shrinking Violet, Chameleon Boy, Matter Eater Lad, Cosmic Boy and Phantom Girl respond to a telepathic summons they thought was from Saturn Girl, but She did not send it, she received one herself. The Message was sent by Meta Ulnoor, Esper Lass. It turns out that the six young people from earlier are from the same Planets as the six Legionnaires, and they were rejected because they had the same power as the Legion Members. The rejects want to challenge the Legion to prove that they deserve a shot, but the Legion will not play along. But the Fight gets started when Magno Lad, Kort Grezz from Cosmic boy's home planet of Braal uses his magnetic powers to fling cosmic boy up against the wall. Quickly the other five rejects go up against their own counter parts. Esper Lass is blasting Saturn Girl with her Psychic powers. Solon Garga who is from Phantom girl's Dimensional world of Bgztl wants to be known as Phantom Lad is using his phantom powers against Phantom Girl. Smaller than what can normally be seen Shrinking Violet is losing to Micro Lad, Lalo Muldron. Chameleon Kid, Toog Lintens smacks Chameleon boy, telling him that he is stronger than him know matter what form they are in.  Calorie Queen, Tary Loy the daughter of Bismoll's most brilliant scientist. All bismollians can consume enormous quantities of any type of matter. Their bodies are like nuclear furnaces anything they eat is changed to energy. Excess energy usually escapes through their pores. Calorie Queen's Father discovered a way to divert some of that excess energy to her muscle to make her as strong as three men. She uses that strength to beat the crap out of Matter Eater Lad. Just as the rejects are wiping the floor with the Legionnaires, Superboy comes into the room and sees that his friends are getting punked,uses his super cape to wrap up the six intruders and deposit them outside. The beaten heroes are snippy at Superboy and go outside to the fallen rejects and tells them if that they are still game they will settle this tomorrow morning  alone. The rejects accept and the Legionnaires tell Superboy to mind his own business and that they will take care of it.
 At the Metropolis space port the President greets agent Bek and asks if they can bypass his mission. Bek tells him that by the laws of his planet there will be one less Legionnaire by this time tomorrow.
  The next Morning in Nolan plaza the 12 teens square off against each other with Superboy and Karate Kid watching. They start to approach each other when Matter Eater Lad runs away into the opposite direction. His teammates thinks he is running away but he runs to the flag pole and bites it down so it hits Calorie Queen and he ties her up with the Legion Flag. She cries for Magno-Boy's help but he is trying to hurl a monument at Cosmic Boy but it turns out that the monument is actually Chameleon Boy who punches him in the jaw. Phantom Lad  stays solid and runs at Phantom lady but a minuscule Shrinking Violet  grows and cold cocks him. Phantom girl phases behind Micro Lad an lets him have it. Cosmic boy has Esper Lass spinning magnetizing the iron in her amazing body. Saturn girl uses her telepathic powers to find Chameleon Kid hiding as a tree and directs Matter Eater Lad to use his powers but the kid gives up. The rejects surrender and the team gloats that they win using team work. The heroes are patting each other on the back when Agent Bek arrives and hands Matter Eater Lad a draft notice from his home planet of Bismoll. Bismoll does not have an Army but they draft thier candidates for polical office and he has been chosen to run for representative. Having no choice Matter Eater Lad leaves but his parting thought is that they should give Calorie Queen another shot.
Bits of Legionnaire Buisness
Roll Call:

• Cosmic Boy
• Saturn Girl
• Phantom Girl
• Chameleon Boy
• Shrinking Violet
• Matter Eater Lad
• Superboy
• Karate Kid

Villains

• Magno Lad
• Calorie Queen
• Esper Lass
• Phantom Lad
• Micro Lad
• Chameleon Kid

Big event

• Matter Eater Lad leaves the team and goes into public office, as predictied in Adventure comics 354.

Notes
Cover:

• Great drawing of the rejects standing over the fallen heroes damanding to take thier place in the Legion. This is repeated on the Splash page but I perfer the cover image.

Page 2:

• How many statures of Ferro Lad are there? There is one inside the headquaters and another outside in Nolan plazza, which is named after him. I think there is also one in place where they have him burried.
• Magno Lad uses his powers but is mind control by his soon to be new partner, a great way to start a relation ship.

Page 3:

• Calorie Queen is hitting on Magno Boy.
• Agent Bek gets his assignment but does not like it.

Page 4:

• The rejects whine about not being accepted on the team because they have the same powers as the Legion members.
• While it is not said it seems that Legion Policy is first come first served.

Page 5 and 6

• The Rejects wipe the floor with the more experinced Legion members.

Page 7:

• Superboy buts in and saves the day and his ungreatful teammates tell him to mind his own business.

Page 8:

• The president makes a cameo greeting Agent Bek. You would thing that the head of a plantary government would have better things to do than to greet a process server.
• Matter Eater Lad runs away.

Page 9:

• We see a bad depiction of Matter Eater Lad's powers and some Bondage fun with Calorie Queen.
• This was suspose to be a one on one battle but the Legion cheats and double teams thier opponents.

Page 11:

• Matter Eater Lad is drafted, and asks that Calorie Queen be given a shot at taking his place, but that never happens.

Notes:
I might of said this before but this is one of my favorite storys from this time, it is just fun. We find out that other people with the same powers try to join and are not given a chance. I do not like spoiling upcoming events but it takes about 8 years to find out that 5 of the 6 rejects become villains, one of who is responsible for for having a Legion Member impersonated and mind probed. I like the costumes on Calorie Queen and Esper Lass, not sure how she fights in that get up. I do not like Phantom Lad's costome at all. The teams reaction to Superboy's interference is a little harsh but it makes the story fun to see that the all powerfull heroes a pissed off at being beaten up.
I own both the original issue and the Archive additon but until I was re reading them for this blog did I notice that there was an extra page in the Archive. Between pages 7 and eight there is a page of Karate kid giving a pep talk to Matter eater Lad. I belive it was cut for length, but glad they included in the archive. This was a good send off to Matter Eater Lad, a hero that was never used that much or well. Writer Jim Shooter dropped a hint on the last Panel that we might see Calorie Queen back as a member or a canadate but it is never pickup again. We do not see Calorie Queen again until the 5 year gap Legion by Keith Giffen. I think some interesting things could of been down with her. Being a former foe of the Legion and then joining the team and maybe having some of the members not trust her or just not get along. The do some of this with a future member down the road.

Next time
Member Profile: Matter Eater Lad.

Superboy # 209 Starring the Legion of Super-Heroes

Superboy # 209 Starring The Legion of Super-Heroes, " Who Can Save The Princess?" Art by: Mike Grell, Story By: Jim Shooter Cover date: June 1975 Cover price: .25 cents.
  On the Spaceport deck of Legion Headquarters Timber Wolf is watching  a returning space craft make an approach for landing but it is out of control. Thinking quickly he grabs a tow hook and lassos the craft and with all of his strength stops it from crashing out of control. Karate Kid arrives and they find Princess Projectra stumbling out of the plane. Flying to the Legion's medical lab, they meet with Saturn girl who already used her telepathic powers to sense the trouble and has placed a call through to Brainiac-5 on the monitor. Under Brainiac-5's direction they use the analyscope to find out she has the pain plague. The fever is not fatal but the pain it causes is, it only last 6 hours but know one has ever lasted that long. Brainiac tells them that the pain cannot be stop but he thinks there is one chance. He sends Saturn Girl and Timber Wolf off to get some equipment and tells Karate Kid to put her on the Pain Monitor. Brainiac's plan is to transfer the pain into the other Legionnaires bodies. The princess has already gone through 2 hours of pain and that the 3 other legionnaires can get her through the next three, Superboy who is on the planet Fangmar with Brainiac should arrive in time to take the last one. Just in case Superboy does not make it in time Saturn Girl uses the Maximum Emergency Signal to try and get any other Members or reserve members to come to headquarters as soon as possible, but apparently they are the only Members of the Legion on earth at the moment.

Old Uniform
 

New Uniform
 

Not wasting time Timber Wolf goes first and touches the controls that will transfer the pain into his body. He goes out of control with pain using his super strength to destroy parts of the medical center. Fearing that he will hurt himself Karate Kid using his knowledge of Super-Karate tries to takes him down, but needs Saturn Girl to mind control him long enough to put him into a cell. During the fight Karate Kid's normal brown uniform is ripped so he take a moment to change into a new white and black uniform. While changing he discusses with Saturn girl about how the pain is growing constantly worse, and He offers to take her hour as well. But she declines because it could mean his death, but she is worried that while under the influence of the pain she could use her power to take control of the kid and order him to smash, kill or destroy. Or even go as far as ordering him to end her pain by killing her or the cause of the Pain his own beloved Princess.
So with that in mind when it comes time to begin Saturn Girl's hour they place her in chains and a Helmet that will block her powers. Karate Kid has her touch the probes that will transfer the pain and then carries her writhing form to a couch to rest through the pain.
In Deep Space Superboy is watching via his telescopic vision, it is almost Karate Kid's turn and Superboy is worried that if the agony drives him mad he could kill someone. Superboy pours on the speed and bursts into the headquarters to find Karate Kid Sitting Lotus style using his super karate to master his body and reject the pain. The kid is struggling but makes it through. Superboy grabs the probes and tries to bring the pain into his body, but since he is invulnerable the pain will not enter his body. With seconds before Princess Projectra starts suffering again he goes to check the experimental lab for something to save her. As Superboy leaves Karate Kid drags himself over to the probes to take the next hour, and possibly sacrifice his own live to save his loved one. but just as he about to touch the probes he is hit from behind and knock out. A woman grabs the probes at the last instant and the torturous pain, pain more than a single human can endure floods the intruder's body. But the intruder is not just any woman she is Duo Damsel, former member of the Legion. She splits her self in two dividing the pain between her two bodies. Still suffering form excruciating pain the two damsels fight each other, but Superboy puts an end to the cat fight and keeps them from hurting themselves until their hour is up. When the ordeal is over Lluornu Durgo Taine explains that she got the maximum emergency call and came as soon as she could. Karate Kid explains what went on to a recovering Princess as this tale ends.
Bits of Legionnaire Business
Roll Call

• Timber Wolf
• Karate Kid
• Princess Projectra
• Saturn Girl
• Brainiac-5
• Superboy
• Duo Damsel

Rooms in the club house

• Legion space port
• Medical center

Planets visited

• Fangmar

Equipment used

• Pain Monitor
• Saturn girls bondage devices
• Flight Rings

Firsts

• Karate Kid's New Uniform

Notes:
Page 2:

• Timber Wolf makes a woman driver joke, showing that the 30th century is still chauvinistic.
• This is the 2nd time that Princess Projectra came down with a fever, you think she might start wearing clothes that covers her body up?

Page 3:

• Brainiac-5 plays doctor from millions of miles away.
• Timber Wolf one of the simpler Legionnaires put together the complicated device.

Page 5:

• The worlds greatest Martial artist can not stop Timber Wolf rampage he needs Saturn Girl to mind control him.

Page 7:

Karate Kids chains up Saturn Girl
 

• Where did Saturn Girl get the telepathic bondage gear? Dose she use this on week ends with Lightning Lad?

Page 10:

• Superboy stops a Cat fight before clothes can get ripped off, in the Silver Age they use to call Superman a dick, now you can see he started when he was young.

Welcome Back Jim Shooter, this was a great first story by an amazing writer who first wrote the team when he was 14 years old. This story had every thing; An interesting plot, good fight scenes, a new costume (one of Mike Grell's better designs) Saturn girl in bondage, and the return of Duo Damsel. Good job Jim I look forward to more. In the next issue we start covering Issues I owned at the time they were first released. More on that when we cover Superboy 210, but.......
Next time: The second story of this issue " Hero for a Day" I am skipping the member profile for this issue because I want to do 2 for 210.