Superboy 224

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

Villains

• Pulsar Stargrave
• Holdur
• Quicksand

Notes

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.

Page 2

• In panel 2 a coloring mistake makes Lightning Lad look like he is not wearing gloves.

Page 3

• Stargrave's entrance is awesome, Grell's are is amazing on this page.

Page 5

• 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.

\Page 6

• 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.

Page 7

• Superboy breaks the force bubble
• Projectra (Still my favorite Legion costume) cast an illusion against Holdur, the only thing she will do this issue.

Page 8

• Another Stargrave Power he is able to dispel Projectra's Illusions.

Page 10

• Stargrave show his strength as he throws Superboy out into space.

Page 11

• Superboy has had enough of Stargrave's shit as he flings Holdur out of his way

Page 12

• Embodiment of a blazing Sun! (Nuff Said)

Page 14

• Stargrave is now a telepath and knows Brainiac-5 real name (Querl Dox)

Page 15

• Stargrave gives his origin story or at least a version of it.

Page 16

• We don't see the conversation between Brainiac and Stargrave but Brainy convinces the team to help them.

Page 17

• We find out that Stargrave is Brainiac-5 father!

Next Time A new writer, a new artist and a New Leader.



SUPERBOY # 223

Cover Date Jan 1977 Cover Price .30 cents

"We can't escape the trap in time!" Art: Mike Grell & Bob Wiacek, Story: Jim Shooter
The Legion is racing to the cruiser they have to avert the cataclysmic annihilation of the galaxy. 5 of their members are stopped by an invisible barrier. Using there various powers, Superboy, Sun Boy, Saturn Girl, Karate Kid and Chameleon Boy and not able to breach the barrier. Superboy then wraps up the others in his indestructible cape and tries to break the time barrier but is blocked by an impenetrable invisible wall. Stunned by the impact the Legionnaires float helplessly in temporal limbo. (As they float across the page I hear the limbo song in the background.) They are being pulled along the time stream several days into the future to the lair of the Time Trapper. The Legion appears into a dinning hall, the Trapper bids them welcome but Karate Kid chops the table in half. (Super Karate oh yeah!) Karate Kid tells the Trapper to can the chatter, he is worried about half the galaxy exploding unless they do something fast. The Trappers tells him that half the galaxy is noting to a man who will soon rule the universe. The Trapper tells them they are too late, it is now 4 days since they vanished from the spaceport and the other Legionnaires have given up looking for them. He show other Legion members at the epicenter near Schubert's planet to avert the catastrophe. But with out the missing members they struggle in vain to seal a fissure in the fabric of space which threatens to open the universe onto an anti-universe consuming a large part of both in an anti matter implosion. The Time Trapper shows the implosion and the death of the five Legion members that were there. He assures them that this is quite real, that they were blown to nothingness along with the earth and most of the milky way. But the villain is not concerned with that, he is concerned with the 5 members before him. His Omni computer has shown him countless futures but his only possibility of ruling the universe exists only in possible futures where these  heroes do not exist. The 5 heroes rush him and they all do a fade out. Saturn Girl and the Time trapper reappear in a different room. Saturn girl tries her power against him but his mind is sealed off. She does figure out that they are in a different dimension where time is frozen some way. The trapper stops suddenly as if stunned but Saturn Girl knows her mental bolts are not reaching him. The Trapper recovers and rushes to seize Saturn Girl by her Throat. Suddenly Saturn girl his replaced by Karate Kid with the Trappers hand at his throat. K K is confused to find him self in a big hall being chocked out by the Trapper. Else where we see three beings watching the fight on a giant monitor. A tall green man referred to as Master Stargrave asked his two companions what they think about the Time-Trapper. The small orange creature named Holdur says he is magnificent. A scantily clad dark skin woman called Quicksand tells Holdur that he is a fool. She tells them that the Trapper is a winner but like Holdur he talks too much. Back at the fight The time trapper is fighting with more strength than Karate Kid would have thought he would have. The Kid Punches and kicks the trapper but it does not effect him, the trapper hits back and stuns the kid but Val notices that the trapper seems shaken so he launches into a Jim Kirk like drop kick but it did no faze him and the trapper throws the Kid against the wall but it is not the Kid who hits the wall it is Chameleon Boy. Cham changes into a pillow but he is confused last he remembered all five of the Legion members were rushing the Trapper. Chameleon fights the Trapper using his powers of shape changing, he notices at one point that the trapper seemed hurt for a moment when he did not hit him. Cham changes into a mirror but the trapper shatters it, and in its place is Sun Boy. Dirk is confused that he is alone with the Trapper floored by a sucker punch that he did not even see coming. We check in with Pulsar Stargrave and crew for a moment but except for a butt shot from Quicksand nothing happens. The Trapper staggers with Sun boy taking a shot but that last for a second Sun Boy blast the time trapper with a heat blast but again it does not effect him. Sun Boy tries a nova flame but it is no use, and now it is Superboy on the receiving end of the Trapper's fury. Like the other Superboy is confused by what is happening, but the boy of steel goes into action hitting the trapper with a hay maker with everything he has. The blow only staggers him but that is all. Superboy presses the advantage with a full power blast with his x-ray vision that the trapper shrugs it off. The Trapper hits Superboy harder than he has ever felt. The Trapper opens a door leading directly to the core of a red sun, which robs Superboy of his powers. The Trapper grabs Superboy by the throat and all of a sudden he is getting a telepathic message from Saturn Girl. She explains that they are in a dimension that everything happens simultaneously and that even through they cannot see each other they are both in the same place. They figure out that The Trapper is holding back time like a dam and that the power source that is feeding power to the Trapper is the Hour glass on the Trapper's Belt. Using the last of his Strength Superboy destroys the hourglass and the dam is broken, Sun Boy, Karate Kid, Chameleon Boy and Saturn Girl appear back at home free of the Trappers influence. A few seconds later Superboy appears holding the remains of the Time Trappers Cloak. He explains that when the hour glass explodes both him and the Trapper are sent hurling towards the red sun door, but at the last second he uses the last of his powers to retreat into their own dimension, he tried to hold on to the trapper but he failed. The Kid asks if he is dead but he is interrupted by Lightning Lad and the rest of the team. Saturn girl deduces that they have been sent back to the exact moment they left. After discussing the paradoxes of time travel they get into the ship to complete the original mission. Superboy is seen studying Brainiac-5's manual on time travel trying to figure out what happened.

Roll Call:

• Superboy
• Sun Boy
• Chameleon Boy
• Karate Kid
• Saturn Girl

Villain:

• Time Trapper

1st Appearance's

• Pulsar Stargrave
• Holdur
• Quicksand

Notes:
Page 2:

• Get a nice rainbow effect as Superboy tries to break the time barrier.

Page 3:

•  The gang appear 3.7 days into the future in the Time Trapper's crib (YO)

Page 4

• The Trapper shows them their teammates getting blown up real good by the anti matter.

Page 6:

• The Trapper chokes a bitch. While fighting Saturn Girl the Trapper grabs the shapely Titan by the throat.

Page 7

• We get our first look at Stargrave and crew.

Page 8:

• Karate Kid's skill is doing nothing to the trapper.

Page 9:

• Cham as a throw pillow is a hoot.

Page 11:

• Another quick bit with Stargrave and company
• We get a nice view of Quicksand's backside.
  
• I think Jennifer Lopez could of made a convincing Quicksand back in the day
  

Page 12:
• Superboy Hitting people, not something you see often, but I like it.

Page 13:

• A Red Sun Room? Are you kidding me.

Page 14:

• Okay the Trapper's weakness is an Hourglass that we can barely see on other pages, come on.

Page 15:

• Superboy returns with just a piece of the Trapper's cloak, who thinks we will never see the Trapper again.  What no takers.

Page 16:

• I hope Superboy did not try to hard to save the Trapper.

Page 17:

• Superboy is reading a time travel article written by Brainiac-5 in the Legion's Manuel, I hope he post the article on Face book for Carey Bates, he could use the help on that Subject.
• 1000 years into the future and the Legion Manual is paper book, you would think it would be a data file that you could read with one of those Star Trek I Pads you see on the original series.

Another good story from Shooter and Grell, this Introduces a Villain that we will see next issue and I wished that he was used more often after that.

Superboy # 219 Starring the Legion of Super-Heroes

Superboy # 219 Cover Dated Sept 1976. Cover Price .30 Cents.
"The Plunder Ploy of the Fatal Five" Art: Mike Grell, Script: Jim Shooter from a suggestion by Ken Klaczak.
The Persuader from the Fatal Five, is confronted by 5 members of the Legion of Super-Heroes as he tries to break in to  a top secret manufacturing plant on the planet Imsk, the home planet of Shrinking Violet. The Persuader Swings at the Legion with his Atomic Axe and the axe goes through them with out harm. Over his communicator, Tharok the leader of the Fatal Five tells him that the Legion was just an illusion projected by the Imskites to scare off intruders. Tharok guides the enforcer of the Fatal Five down a hallway that gets smaller and smaller which makes sense since Imsk is the world that all of the natives posses the power to shrink. Persuader goes as far as he is able and breaks out of the Hallway and finds a small dome that contains the Factory that make the most sophisticated micro circuits in the universe, Tharok tells him to steal it. Else where on Imsk, Salu Digby the Legionnaire known as Shrinking Violet and her Boy Friend Qued Orlu, Duplicate Boy of the heroes of Lallor are vacationing in one of the posh resorts on the planet. Using his powers to duplicate any super power Duplicate notices something going on at the factory, he tries to leave on his own by Shrinking Violet insists on accompanying him. They suit up and leave the miniature hotel that they are staying at that is in the Lobby of the normal size motel. On the way to the factory Salu thinks that Qued is grim and wonder why. The reason is that he can see that Validus is joining the Persuader as he leaves the factory. Duplicate boy takes on Superboy's powers and takes down Persuader leaving the Hero of Lallor to take on the monster Validus. He tries to take on Validus's powers but it is too much, his boy can't cope with it and it begins to feed back into him and he is about to pass out when Persuader slices his back with the Atomic ax. The two villains scoop up the goods and teleports away just as Shrinking Violet catches up with her now injured boy friend. Mean while in a hidden spacecraft the five deadliest villains in the universe are reunited and it feels so good. They argue a bit and then continue with their secret plan.
   At the Legion of Super-Heroes head quarters on earth Violet tells the legion what happen while Brainiac-5 examines Duplicate Boy's body that the Imskite have preserved in a Cryogenic tank, but he is beyond medical help. An Emotional Colossal boy slams out of the room to get a cruiser ready while Brainiac 5 and Superboy talked about the micro circuits the five stole from Imsk. On the Imsk bound cruiser the question of how Tharok survived there last encounter when his robot half was badly damaged. Brainiac surmises that Tharok probably had a robot surgeon ready to repair it, so he can keep the almost limitless intelligence that his robot half gave him. Shrinking Violet starts to think that maybe Tharok is smart enough to help Duplicate boy when the red alert sounds. Light Lass reports from communications that the five just raided the synthzoid plants on Rerel and made off with tons of android parts. Brainiac orders the team to Battle stations and they spot a green glowing ship
apparently made by the power of the Emerald Empress's Emerald Eye.

 Brainiac is about to fire the plasters when Violet stops him and the villains ship takes evasive action. The other ship out runs the legion and Violet explains that Tharok's genius might be able to save duplicate boy and that maybe they can offer him a deal. Brainiac calls the grieving Violet a fool, Tharok might be a genius but he is an evil genius, deal with him and you will wind up dead. Violet apologizes and Colossal boy tries to offer the minuscule maid comfort. The team questions why that the Five ran from them it is not like them to duck a fight the must be planning something big. On the six mooned planet Cyrem, Validus rips a moon size chunk from the planet. The legion cruiser arrives to see the planet now missing a part of it. They wonder what the five would want with it and where they would hide it.
      Meanwhile at the hall of justice, wait I mean Legion HQ. Saturn Girl is keeping watch and is reading reports from Brainiac-5 on the five and that they stole rare and deadly poisons from the planet Zeffro. She wonders what horrible reason would they have to seize those chemicals.  Saturn Girl has a thought that if should could turn on duplicate boy's powers she could make him duplicate Superboy's invulnerability and recuperative powers. Using her powers she reaches into Duplicate Boy's Psychic and senses the deep love for a girl called Shrinking Violet, that drive the ravaged flesh to cling to life! Deep in the damaged brain, Saturn Girl Psychic probe touches the mental mechanism of his awesome force, for endless moments, she struggles to control it until she is completely exhausted blacking out wondering if she succeed. In distance space Brainiac-5's mighty mind also is put to the test. Micro circuits from Imsk, android parts form Rerel, poisons from Zeffro and Half of Cyrem and he wonders why the Fatal Five stole these items. Brainy theorize that Tharok might be creating a new army of semi-android life forms to conquer the universe. And that a moon size portion of Cyrem could support life--. Brainiac-5 figures it out he has been staring at it all the time. Cyrem has only six moons but the shot of space looking at Cyrem is showing 7 moons. It is hidden in stationary orbit behind Cyrem's largest moon hidden from their view! Soon on the stolen part of the planet, in the newly erected palace, the Emerald Empress is being pampered by android creation of Tharok. Suddenly Superboy burst through the wall covering the Emerald Eye with his indestructible cape. The Empress orders her android slaves to attack the teen of steel. Elsewhere on the ill fated fragment Mon-El and Lightning Lad attack Validus. Lightning Lad uses his power to try to over charge his see through brain with sheer energy. Mon-El goes to stop Validus from picking up a large object that looks like a weapon. Validus picks up both the object and Mon-El in his massive grip. He shakes the object and makes a deafening noise overwhelming Lightning Lad.
          Outside a huge atmosphere dome Light Lass carrying oxygen equipment joins Sun Boy. The two enter the doom  that duplicates the atmosphere of Angtu the home world of Mano they can not see a thing when Mano strikes Sun Boy from behind. Meanwhile high above an inland sea Violet and Colossal Boy approaches a boat being used by the Persuader. Persuader fire a net at them and snares Colossal Boy while Violet shrinks down and slips through. Persuader  goes to slice Colossal Boy with his axe but Violet grows and knocks him off balance and give Colossal Boy time to free himself from the net and smash him with his oversize fist. They search the ship to find out what the Persuader was up to and they find a hold filled with huge monstrous fish, they put it together with the net gun and figure out that Persuader was fishing. Back to where Validus is making thunderous noise, Lighting Lad whose powers cannot hurt the monsters uses them to destroy the noise maker. Validus is sad that his toy is broken and the two Legionnaires figures out that he was just amusing himself with a king size rattle. When Validus is not being control by Tharok he is just like a child.
   In the Empress's palace Superboy is making short work of the androids who were make for serving not fighting. Superboy squeezes the breath out of the Empress until she passes out. In the dome Light Lass uses her power to make Mano super light. and then drops him hard on the ground and smashes him with her shoulder bag. The last member of the Fatal Five, Tharok finishing his greatest creation is interrupted by Ultra Boy and Brainiac-5 smashing through the wall, with Ultra Boy using his flash vision to destroy the creation. Tharok threatens the Legion and then takes off using a flying device through an escape hatch. Ultra Boy chases after him but has to give up the chase when they reach space because he could not use invulnerability while using super speed at the same time. Mon-El comes in at the same time and  reports that Validus fled and they could not stop him. Superboy tells them that at least they have Mano, Persuader and the Empress locked up. Brainiac-5 deduces that the five were trying to live comfortably while waiting to conquer the united planets. They stole Android parts to make loyal subjects to fill the Empress's palace. The poison chemicals were used to create the noxious air in a simulated home world environment for Mano. The stolen portion of Cyrem furnished the Persuader a monster filled sea and various raw materials for his fishing boat. And the Micro circuitry was Tharok's own pet project he was creating a new half body complete with artificial skin so he could look human but retain his intelligence. Lightning Lad is gets a telepathic Message from Saturn Girl that Duplicate boy is alive, all of the Legionnaires are celebrating the good news except for the one Legionnaire that while he also yearned for Duplicate Boy's recovery, Shrinking Violet's happiness also mean Colossal Boy's bitter frustration.

Roll Call:
Superboy
Brainiac-5
Shrinking Violet
Lightning Lad
Mon-El
Ultra Boy
Saturn Girl
Colossal Boy
Light Lass
Sun Boy
Guest Starring
Duplicate Boy (Hero of Lallor)
Villains
The Fatal Five
Tharok
Persuader
Validus
Mano
Emerald Empress

Planets Visited
Imsk
Cyrem

Notes
Page 1:

• Persuader attacked by holograms of the Legion members. Coincidently some of the same members that star in this issue.

Page 2:

• Duplicate Boy and Shrinking Violet relaxes in a luxury hotel on Imsk.

Page 3:

• Duplicate Boy's powers feed back when he tries to copy Validus's Power. Which allows the Persuader to hit him with his Axe.

Page 5:

• Colossal Boy lets his feeling for Violet show, which will come up again years later.

Page 7:

• Awesome display of the Legion Cruiser

Page 8:

• Violet stops Brainiac from blasting the Fatal Five ship.

Page 10:

• Saturn Girl uses her powers to watch Violet's and Duplicate Boy's Love life. (Creepy)

Page 11:

• Superboy takes out the Eye very easily.

Page 12:

• Superboy is smashing the Empress's sex toys.
• Validus is playing with a Rattle.

Page 16:

• Light Lass uses her purse to beat on Mano.

Page 17:

• Duplicate boy is saved and Colossal boy is upset that he will not have a chance with Violet.

This is my favorite Fatal five story, it is also the first one I read, you know what they say about your first. I due like the glimpse you get into the Legion's personal life. Nice to see Lightning Lad with Validus, I won't say while but long time Legion followers will know.
Yesterday was Mother's Day so I would like to wish every one and there Mother's a Happy Mother's day. Yesterday was also the one year anniversary of this Blog.  I know I have not posted in 3 months but I will try to post more often.

Next time Superboy 220

Karate Kid # 1

Karate Kid # 1 Cover Dated April 1976, Cover Price .25
"My World begins in Yesterday" Paul Levitz Writer, Ric Estrada and Joe Staton Artists, Joe Orlando editor. Mike Grell cover artist.
Karate Kid is battling Nemesis Kid, the villain who can counter any heroes power. Nemesis Kid is countering Karate Kid with a force shield that explodes knocking the kid down. Nemesis boast that soon he will adapt a new power and finish him off. When the Legion Time Bubble arrives and allows Nemesis to vanish. Mon-El, Brainiac-5, Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad jump out of the bubble. They chastise him for not telling them what century that he was following Nemesis kid to. Karate Kid tells them because he did not want any of them to follow him. and it was their fault that he escaped. Nemesis can only teleport away when faced with more than one foe. They bicker among themselves for a bit and Mon-El berates him for coming back by himself with no special powers. This piss the Kid off and he tries to punch Mon-El and fails. Karate Kid explains that they all have special powers but he had to train himself every day to develop his abilities and that someone like Mon-El can't understand emotions like Fear or Pride and he can't understand him. The Legion turn away from the Kid and return to the Time bubble to begin their journey back to the 30th Century. Back in present day New York, police officers are giving him a hard time thinking that he is part of a movie shoot. The Kid leaves them and flies away using his Legion flight ring. But shortly the flight ring stops working and Karate Kid enters a window three stories up. He scares a knock out red head in glasses and tosses his ring away. He tells her he just wanted to retrieve some of his things on the roof. The red head introduces herself as Iris Jacobs a school teacher in the building. The Kid reflects that the schools he went to where nothing like this and that he would of loved this place. On the roof Karate Kid notices that his time bubble is missing and that only Nemesis kid could of stolen it. Nemesis kid left him a chronal energy detector to trace the bubble but he knows he will be walking into a trap. Iris gives him a bus token after he asks for a air car. On the street he notices that someone is carrying a 30th century blaster walking the street. The hood fires the weapon at the kid and he disarms him and then goes all Bruce Lee on the guys ass. The guy who was not Nemesis Kid weapon has a label on it saying it was manufacture by a company called Future Tech. Shortly after he finds himself out side the future tech's building. The chornal readings are so high that the time bubble must be in the building somewhere. Using his ability he smashes the Bedrock solid Quartz that looks like glass into pieces. Waiting for him are 7 highly skilled martial art fighters, while each of them are skilled in one discipline, Val Armorr The Karate Kid has been trained since birth in all manners of martial arts. After dispensing with his welcoming party the Kid smashes int the elevator shaft and starts to climb up using the cables. The shaft is mined with Laser turrets and while the kids avoids most of them one destroys a boot and injures a foot. Ignoring the pain Karate Kid continues on. He leaves the shaft and finds himself in a door less hallway, so he leaps into the air and cracks open the ceiling. He is now face to face with Nemesis Kid. They trade threats for a minute and Nemesis power turns his body into steel. Avoiding the machine parts being thrown at him Val pulls the rug out from under his foe knocking into the banks of computers destroying them. Val Leaps at Nemesis but he catches him and throws him out the window. Val uses his skill and using his toes stops his decent. Some how Val is able to propel himself back through the window but Nemesis avoids him. Nemesis powers adapt into nuclear bursts and he starts firing them at Karate Kid. But Val much quicker and agile manages to dodge them and knock nemesis out. Feeling better than he has in years about being a Hero Val recovers his time bubble and leaves a note on the sleeping body of his enemy and sends the Bubble and Nemesis Kid BACK TO THE FUTURE, while Val starts a new life for himself in the 20th Century.

Wow, this was interesting, in a what the hell is going on kind of way. I am going to skip Page by page on this one and just get to my likes and dislikes.

Guest stars

• Brainiac-5
• Saturn Girl
• Lightning Lad
• Mon-El

Villain

• Nemesis Kid

Likes:

• Karate Kid featured in his own book. One of my favorite members of the team off on his own good concept, not sure if it was handled correctly.
• Paul Levitz as writer. While the story is messed up, this is Paul's first time writing any of the Legion characters and  one day he would write the team better than anyone, but you have to start somewhere.
• Iris Jacob, they introduced her here and she seems like she will be a good supporting character for Val, that and I have a thing for red heads.
• Nemesis Kid as a villain is a good choice he debut at the same time as Karate Kid and I always thought they made good foes for each other.
• Limited use of the Legion,

Dislikes

• We are all over the place, story wise. We open in the 20th century and we are not even told that is where we are.
• Nemesis Kid's power is to adapt to any foe he fights but he just develops random powers.
• The Legion being dicks to Karate Kid.
• This was mostly one huge fight scene trying to capitalize on the Bruce Lee martial art craze.
• The Art. Estrada and Staton are great Artist and I cannot draw to save my life but coming from the Grell Legion stuff to this is a bit of a let down, the style look a bit more cartoon like than I enjoy.
• Superboy on the cover and he never makes an appearance inside.

My dislikes aside I do remember enjoying these as a kid and I do own all 15 issues so we might continue with this for a while but with probably shorter synopsis.

Next time Superboy # 216 the debut of a new Hero.

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.

Superboy # 214 Starring the Legion of Super-Heroes "Stay small or Die!"

Superboy # 214 "Stay Small or Die!" Story: Cary Bates, Art: Mike Grell and Bill Draut.
Salu Digby; Shrinking violet is hooked up to the video dream scanner and it shows her dreaming of being squashed by a giant monster. Brainiac-5 and Saturn girl are monitoring the scanner. Violet is convinced a monster will trample her if she shrinks her self down again. This all began with an accident in the gym when she was almost crushed by Sun Boy's boot when she was three inches tall. Saturn Girl tells Brainiac not to underestimate the power of the human mind. In Violet's condition, Saturn girl warns that finding herself reduced might be a shock she may never regain her normal size.
Violet gets unplugged from the machine and asks how the examine went, Brainiac side steps the question and sends her off to get something to eat. When Salu is gone Brainiac asks what would happen if he hypnotized her with his beamer. Saturn Girl tells him that she was telepathically linked with her during the mind session and she sensed her sanity is hanging on by thread that could break under the slightest stress. Brainiac-5 tells her that is a problem and if she does not snap out off it soon Shrinking Violet might have to quit the Legion.
Disregarding Saturn Girl's suggestion Brainiac lets him self into Shrinking Violet's quarters while she is sleeping and uses his Hypno-Beamer to have her do and say as he commands. Brainiac leads her to the Landing Deck atop the headquarters and gets her inside a cruiser. Knowing that the others would not approve of what he plans he leaves discretely. Ultra Boy and Colossal Boy are on monitor duty and note that Brainiac is authorized to take the ship. Brainiac-5 heads the ship to the planet Klorra a perfect spot for Violet's recovery he thinks to himself. Brainiac's plan is to have her come out of the trance and make himself scarce and monitor how she reacts to an Imaginary giant menace that he will project with his Illusion Meter. A little later Violet wakes up not sure where she is and finds herself three feet tall on a giant table shrunk against her will. A panic stricken Violet hears an awful sound followed by a robot creature more frightful than her worst nightmare. The creature is ejecting some sort of glob onto her, she tries to evade but loses her balance and starts to fall, she tries to use her flight ring but it is too late and she is covered in the glob. Brainiac-5 who is also covered in glop is remorse full that his plan to help violet got them in this situation. He picked Klorra because it was a planet once inhabited by giants who were wiped out years ago after a terrible plague. He thinks he should of listened to Saturn Girl and not tamper with Violet's mind. But he figured it would help if she mad her think she was small by putting her among these huge pieces. What he did not figure on was an automated "Pet" left behind by a Klorran. He got trapped before he could use is illusion Meter. The robot was programmed to collect and dispose of refuse and it mistook Violet and himself as scraps. All of a sudden the robot short circuits disabling it self. Violet appears crawling out of its computerized brain after crossing the circuits. She explained when the Robot forced her off the travel the air currents did not slow up her fall like they should have if she were only a few inches tall which made her realize she was still normal sized. So she quickly shrank down and slip from the glodpand disable the robot. Brainiac thanks her for saving his life and Violet thanks her for teaching her no matter how small you are, if you have confidence in yourself, you're 10 feet tall.

Bits of Legionnaire business:
Roll Call:

• Shrinking Violet (Salu Digby)
• Brainiac-5
• Saturn Girl
• Colossal Boy
• Ultra Boy

Places in the Headquarters

• Medical Lab
• Monitor Room
• Shrinking Violet's Quarters
• Landing Deck

Equipment used.

• Video Dream Scanner
• Hypno Beamer
• Cruiser Lx-4
• Flight Ring
• Illusion Meter

Planets Visited

• Klorra

Robots Killed: 1

Notes:
Page 1:

• Violet is hooked up to a dream scanner, would this not come in handy for dream girl when she has a dream and is trying to figure out what it means, but no I do not think this equipment is ever used again.

Page 2:

• Brainiac does not answer Violets question and just sends her off for food.
• Grell draws a hot looking Saturn Girl.

Page 3:

• Stalker B-5 breaks into Shrinking Violet's bedroom

Page 5:

• Probably not the first time Shrinking Violet has had goo ejected on her.
• Well Brainy this is another fine mess you have gotten us into.

Page 6:

• Dead Robot

This is an okay story not as good as the first in this issue, but it has one of my favorite troupes of Legion Comics, For being such a Smart Man Brainiac-5 does some really stupid things.

I know I usually do Member Profiles in separate posts but I thought I would do a quick one here on this stories spot light Character:
Member Profile: Shrinking Violet

Real Name: Salu Digby

Home Planet: Imsk
Known Relatives: Arn Digby (Father)
Height: 5'2"
Weight: 105 lbs
Hair: Black
Eyes: Blue
Boy friend: Duplicate Boy
1st App: Action Comics 276
Created By: Jerry Seigel and Jim Mooney
Powers: To shrink down to subatomic level

Notes:
Shrinking Violet like all members of her race has the power to alter her size to as small as an atom. Violet is a long time member of the team but has been used sparingly over the years, at this point in Legion History she is known for being Duplicate boy's girl Friend and for being the object of a Crush from Colossal Boy. Like most members of team she is fleshed out more in latter runs, Like being and expect in hand to hand combat and changing her sexual orientation, but that is a ways away.
Currently She is a member of the Espionage Squad.

Next time:
Superboy # 215 where we visit a members home world and meet a Legion Sibling.

 

Superboy 213 Starring the Legion of Super-Heroes

Cover Date December 1975, Cover Price .25 cents. " The Jaws of Fear" Art: Mike Grell, Story: Jim Shooter.
 In the Legion Council Chamber, Members of the Legion of Super-Heroes are discussing team issues, while out side the room a man is bypass the iron clad security of the Legion Headquarters in a variety of ways. He walks on air with anti grav shoes, he changes into a beam of light and even into a gas form to avoid the security devices. He appears in the Legion council Room, and introduces himself Benn Pares the greatest burglar in the galaxy. This does not sit well with the Legion and hot headed Wildfire tackles him to the ground but he vanishes out of his grasp, and reappears across the room. Brainiac-5 says he has never heard on him and that there is no Benn Pares in their Files Burglar of otherwise. Of course he was never heard of he is the best, and has never been caught or even left a clue. Benn tells them he has gotten bored and needed a new challenge so he has decided to steal the Legion;s Miracle Machine within 48 hours. The thief then walks out of the building with no one trying to stop him. Acting Leader Brainiac-5 sends Chameleon Boy and Superboy to check on the miracle machine to make sure it is still there. Saturn Girl had tried to use her telepathic powers or Pares, but all she learned is that he has a sixth sense which wars him of traps and alarms and some unique powers to over come them. She also caught a vague thought of huge jagged white gates, somewhere in space sector 14. Superboy and Chameleon boy return with the miracle machine still sealed in its cube on inertron, the other Legionnaires report that the security systems check out A-okay. They plan to guard it tonight, and Brainiac reminds them of how dangerous the machine is, if used by an untrained user.
  The Miracle Machine was entrusted to the Legion by the Controllers (think guardians of the universe, except Pink and tall instead of short and blue.) The machine converts thoughts into reality, any think the user thinks of happens, if used incorrectly it could enslave the whole galaxy or worse. Lightning Lad suggest that they just destroy it, the team spends time arguing about it until Brainy puts it to a vote. We do not see the vote but afterwards Superboy and Ultra Boy tear the inertron cube to unpack the Machine. The super strong teens then use there powers to smash the machine but nothing happened they could not even dent it. The energy based members of the team, Wildfire, Lightning Lad, Sunboy, Ultra Boy and Superboy used there powers on the machine to no effect. They talked about other options but they decide to guard the machine in the headquarters. Superboy packs it back up while Shrinking Violet, Phantom girl and Chameleon Boy, use their powers and try to pierce the additional defenses that Brainiac-5 devised and fail.The team spends the night in the vault with the machine, but in the morning they find that they have been robbed, not the Miracle Machine but of the clock that was on the vaults wall. Pares is toying with the Legion proving he can steal anything from under their noses. The team have another meeting and decide to follow up on the lead to Space Sector 14, leaving Superboy behind to guard the machine. Superboy monitors the team using his super vision, as the Legion cruiser flies through sector 14. They find a lot of nothing, until they come across a giant Galactosaur. The galactosaur has huge white jagged teeth, they must be the white gates that Saturn girl saw in Pares's mind. The Legion head for the beasts mouth, meanwhile inside the creatures moth a capsule is firmly anchored to its jawbone, inside Benn Pares plots to steal the miracle machine that very night. A buzzer goes off signaling that the Galactosaur is opening its mouth, but Pares had wired the nerves so that only he can open the jaws, he guesses Saturn girl is using her mental powers to have the creature open it's mouth. And he would be correct, inside the ship Saturn Girl is concentrating on the creature, while Cosmic boy flies the ship closer. At the same time Ultra boy is freaking out. Years ago  while joyriding in a space ship young Jo Nah was swallowed alive by a radioactive space dragon. A science police ship blasted him free but he never forgot the terror of those hungry fatal fangs closing behind him. The radiation form the beast made him ultra human , but now years later his eyes widen in fright at the duplication of that deadly drama. He yells at his team mates to turn around and accidentally knocked Saturn girl out. Pares is regaining control of the monster and is closing the massive jaws around the Legion's space craft. Back on earth Superboy is watching the whole thing and wishes that he had his hands on Pares. Just them Superboy is inside Pares hideout with the thief in his hands, thinking that he is too late to save his friends he punches Pares out. While Superboy thinks his friends crushed Ultra Boy is using his Super Strength to keep the jaws from closing, he had pulled himself together and left the ship at super-speed, to try and stop the creature from killing his teammates. Unfortunately Ultra boy can only use one of his powers at a time and while he is using his strength he can not use his invulnerability and he will die himself in the cold vacuum of space. Praying for a miracle they get one, a red and blue one, Superboy using super-speed grabs Ultra boy and the ship and makes it free of the monsters jaw. Back on earth out side the medical center Brainiac-5 tells Superboy and Shrinking Violet that Ultra boy will be fine in about a weeks time. Violet asks how he managed to pop up at the right time. As they fly back to headquarters Superboy tells her that when they were trying to destroy the machine they must of accidentally turned it on and while he was on guard duty in the vault he desperately wished that he could help and the machine picked up on his super-thoughts and reacted. Violet said that they should of used the machine to capture Pares in the first place, but Brainy reminds the minuscule maid that, that is the ultimate danger, they cannot allow it to make them lazy.

Bits of Legionnaire Business
Roll Call:

• Brainiac-5 (acting Leader)
• Saturn Girl
• Chameleon Boy
• Superboy
• Cosmic Boy
• Lightning Lad
• Wildfire
• Phantom Girl
• Shrinking Violet
• Ultra Boy
• Sunboy

Villain

• Benn Pares

Legion Equipment

• Miracle Machine
• Legion Cruiser
• Flight Ring

Rooms in the Headquarters

• Legion Council Chambers
• Vault

Notes:
Page 2:

• In the Legion Council chambers the team is arguing about something probably about where to order lunch from.
• We see an intruder using a vast array of abilities to sneak pass the Legion's defenses.

Page 3:

• Benn Pares the self proclaimed greatest burglar in the galaxy, boast that he is going to steal the Miracle Machine right under the Legion's noses. This is where he went wrong he should of just took the machine and be done with it, but we would not have an issue if the villain does not make a fool out of himself.

Page 5:

• We see the team using their powers on the miracle machine with Brainiac-5 directing traffic, why? Because he has no useful powers himself.

Page 6:

• We see the three least power full members (after Brainiac-5) try and fail to get by the defenses.

Page 7:

• Again Pares is an idiot, he sneaks back into the vault and does not take the machine but the Legion's fancy wall clock.

Page 8:

• We see the Galactosaur, a giant mineral eating space beast.

Page 9 and 10:

• Ultra Boy freaks out, he must of seen Jaws one to many times as a kid, I know that movie scared the hell out of me, to this day I am afraid to swim int he ocean. I wish Brainy said the line " I think we are going to need a bigger cruiser."

Page 10:

• We get a quick recap of Ultra Boy's origin, and then he knocks out the one member of the team that is needed for this mission.
• Superboy is a peeping Tom or is that Thom in the 30th century?

During this period of the Legion I enjoyed the Shooter stories more than the Bates, but this one not so much. It was one of Jim's weaker efforts, the Villain was poor and all this issue did was to show Ultra Boy's phobia of getting eaten.

Next time: I will get to the back up tale, "Trapped to live free to die!

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 "Hero For A Day"

"Hero For A Day" Written by Cary Bates and Art by Mike Grell.

   Sun boy, Shrinking Violet, Star Boy, Cosmic Boy and Wildfire welcome Flynt Brojj to Legion headquarters. Flynt won a day at the Legion Headquarters by raising the most money for the United Planets charity drive. Sun Boy and Cosmic Boy lift Flynt up and fly him inside, there Saturn Girl gives him his own flight ring to use for the day. It is a little big on the smallish teenager, but he is beaming with pride. Out of all of the wondrous things in the Legion headquarters to show Flynt first they bring him to the Parcel Receiving Dock. Where they show them a transporter that is connected to the Federal Postal satellite orbiting earth. The parcels are screened and then beamed down to headquarters. But one of the packages turns out to be a Tulvian Witch wolf, the deadliest beast in the solar system. Sun boy and Cosmic Boy grab Flynt and hightail it out of there. watching from a window they start to tell Flynt that the witch wolf gives off invisible poisonous radiation, but Flynt already new that, and that the three of them may already be fatally stricken. Flynt tries to be brave as the other Members show up stating that one of their enemies must of found out the wave length of their postal teleportation channel and used that information to beam a Witch Wolf into the headquarters. The radiation is spreading every second there is no wall thick enough to stop it soon the rays will seep out of the room through the citadel and contaminate the rest of metropolis. They decide to reset the teleportation controls to beam the brute to a deserted asteroid, but the wolf will be ready for them so they decide to go one at a time. Cosmic boy tries first but once in the room he tries to use his magnetic powers on the controls but they are turn back on him. Wildfire is about to go next when Flynt drops his flight ring without noticing. Wildfires blasts are hurtled back at him. While that is happening Flynt can not believe what he sees. He tries to tell Sun boy what he sees but the hot head cuts him off just as Shrinking violet is making her attempt. She finds her powers are being reversed and she is enlarging to her normal height hitting her head and blacking out while doing so. Saturn Girl arrives and tells Sun Boy that Mon-El and the others are minutes away. Sun Boy is just about to go in when Flynt rushes the door. Sun Boy goes to stop him when Saturn Girl hold him back and tells him they must let Flynt go inside. Flynt enters the wolf's cage and the Witch wolf suddenly disappears, Flynt plan worked the spell is broken. Saturn Girl explains that she telepathically picked up Flynt's thoughts  so she knew he had the solution. All this time they were fighting an empty cage, the wolf was never there they were victims of a mass hypnotic spell. The hypnotic spell was tied to the Flight Rings, and when Flynt dropped his he was able to see through the spell. There is no radiation poison, it was all done with the power of suggestion. Wildfire says their next mission is to find out who almost suggested them to death, Sun Boy say that they still have an honored guest to entertain. Saturn Girl and Shrinking Violet start the entertainment by each giving him a great big kiss.

Bits of Legionnaires Business
Roll Call:

• Saturn Girl
• Sun Boy
• Cosmic Boy
• Wild Fire
• Shrinking Violet
• Star Boy

First App.

•  Flynt Brojj

Rooms in the headquarters

•  Parcel receiving dock

Legion Equipment

•  Legion Flight Rings

Notes:

Page: 1

•  We meet Flynt Brojj a charter named after 2 real life Legion fans

Page 2:

•  I smell plot device when Saturn girl gives Flynt the smallest ring they have and it is still too big.
• Parcel receiving dock, come on at least take him to the monitor room.

Page 5:

• Plot device paid off when Flynt drops the Ring.

Page 8:

• Flynt saves the day, and what does he get, a three some with Saturn girl and Violet, at least that is how I read it.

Nice tribute to 2 fans by making them a character in one of stories, not sure how flattering it is to be portrayed as a short nerdish looking character, but nice to see fans getting noticed.

 

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.



Superboy # 208 Starring the Legion of Super-Heroes



Superboy # 208 Starring the Legion of Super-Heroes "Vengeance of the Super-Villains"
Cover Price: .50 cents, Cover Date April 1975. Story: Cary Bates Art: Mike Grell.
   In the 20th century it is morning in the town of Smallville U.S.A. the house of Jonathan and Martha Kent are preparing for breakfast like many families do, but unlike other families on earth the Kents have two Legionnaires to feed. Superboy (Clark Kent) the adopted son of the Kents has invited his Teammate Mon-El home to spend her leave. The two teens of steels eat as much food as poor Martha Kent can make. Mon-El thanks the Kents for their hospitality but is sad that he cannot visit his own parents.
  1000 years in the future on the far flung planet Rimbor Legion member Jo Nah Ultra Boy is visiting his own parents, Crav and Mytra Nah. Crav is cooking vegi steaks on the grill while Jo relaxes.
   Back at the Legion Headquarters on earth in Metropolis, Brainiac-5, Saturn Girl and Timber Wolf are getting ready for a special ceremony Honoring Dr Lark Kenrik who is responsible for uniting the Planets who formed the united federation of Planets, presenting him the coveted Universal Trophy. The threesome are examining the trophy to make sure it has not been tampered with by an enemy power. Sun Boy who is acting Leader while Mon-El is on leave oversees the preparation. Sun Boy is hopeful that Mon-El will return before the ceremony.
 In Smallville Mon-El and Superboy are getting ready to leave, when Jonathan Kent who seems to be in a Hypnotic trance fires a strange ray at the two heroes. The ray forces the legionnaires to fight among themselves until they knock each other out. Jonathan and Martha react like nothing is wrong and go about their business.
 On rimbor Ultra Boy is feeling groggy due to the paralyzing drug his parents put in his drink and he passes out not understanding how his parents turn against their own son.
  In Metropolis at a secret chamber Sun Emperor acting leader of the Legion of Super-Villains revels in the fact that Superboy, Mon-El and Ultra Boy has been successfully detained, and they are ready to start Phase two. Listening to Sun Emperor is Lightning Lord, brother to Lightning Lad. Nemesis Kid former member of the Legion of Super-Heroes with the power to duplicate his opponents weakness and take advantage of it. Spider Girl a beauty with expanding deadly hair. Radiation Roy who can paralyze his enemies with a host of lethal charges. Missing from the gathering is Chameleon Chief who is caring out his end of the plan.
Back at the Legion Headquarters Chameleon Boy and Chemical King are on guard duty while Sun Boy frets about Mon-El, Superboy and Saturn Girl being late getting back from leave.  Saturn Girl tells Dirk (Sun Boy) to cool up and that they will be along soon.
 On Rimbor Ultra Boy is trapped in a radiation bubble while his parents play a board game oblivious to his plight.
 Back in the Past Mon-El and Superboy trapped in the same type of bubble deduce that it was created by Radiation Roy a form legion reject and current member of the Legion of Super-Villains.
 In a store room in the Legion's headquarters the priceless Universal Trophy seems safe, but all is not what it seems the trophy's stand turns into Chameleon Chief. The Legion checked the trophy for booby traps but not the stand. Using a Nitro-Glyc beam he turns the trophy into a bomb. Then he uses his Powers to change a create into a copy of the stand he disguised him self as so that there is no evidence that the trophy has been tampered with.
Later the automated refuse disposal begins with robots picking up boxes of trash when out of nowhere Lightning Lord grabs one of the boxes that turns out to be Chameleon Chief. Who tells him all is set to begin phase 3.
 We are back again on Rimbor where Ultra Boy's parents free him from the bubble an awaken from their trance not aware of anything that has transpired. Ultra Boy realizes there is noway he can get to earth in time, to stop the Super-Villains plans.
 20th Century earth, Jonathan Kent brings in a strange device and activates it as Martha Kent frees the boys from the bubble. They fill in the confused Kents about what is going on but nobody knows what that strange box does. The twin titans find out when they enter the time stream when they are slowed down by interference in the stream coming from the box that Jonathan Kent unwillingly built, they think they will not be able to stop the Super-Villains but hope that Sun Boy and the others can.
 Back in 30th century Metropolis the Villains watch on a monitor Dr. Kenaik being honored by Sun Boy and the Legion, they are waiting from the doctor to touch the trophy and cause the explosion that will Kill him and several other members of the legion, eliminating the Galaxy's most esteemed emissary for peace and discrediting what is left of the legion, but when he does nothing happens.
  The Villains turn to Chameleon chief for explanation but the Chief is really Chameleon boy, Cham boasts that the Chief has been locked in the brig since last night. Sun Emperor orders his team to get the out numbered hero. All of sudden bursting through the wall is other members of the Legion Of Super-Heroes. Colossal Boy, Star Boy, Karate Kid, Lightning Lad, and Princess Projectra. They were led to the secret headquarters by a homing device worn by Chameleon boy. Princess P used her illusion powers to take out Nemesis Kid. Lightning Lad stops Lightning Lord. Star Boy avoids Spider Girl's killer hair by using his powers to make her super heavy. Karate kid takes out Radiation Roy quite easily. Colossal Boy knocks Sun Emperor out. It turns out that Chameleon boy who was standing guard last night found and stopped Chameleon chief, and took his place. It was Sun Boy who figured out that all three of their missing members had x-ray vision, and would of spotted the booby trapped trophy. Once every thing is done and the villains are taken away Ultra Boy, Superboy and Mon-El finally arrive.

Bits of Legion Business"
Roll Call:

• Superboy
• Mon-El (Leader)
• Sun Boy (acting Leader)
• Brainiac-5
• Timber Wolf
• Saturn Girl
• Chameleon Boy
• Chemical King
• Colossal Boy
• Karate Kid
• Lightning Lad
• Star Boy
• Princess Projectra
• Shadow Lass.

Villains:

• Sun Emperor
• Lightning Lord
• Spider Girl
• Radiation Roy
• Nemesis Kid
• Chameleon Chief

Planets visited:

• Rimbor

Legion equipment used

• Flight Rings

Places in Legion Headquarters

• courtyard
• store room

1st appearances

• Sun Emperor

Notes
Page 2:

• Jonathan and Martha Kent look like they are in their late 30's or early 40's, I believe they were de-aged in a previous Superboy story.
• Superboy and Mon-El fly around in the house in costume, where is Lana Lang who is always peeping in the Kent's windows?
• Martha must of had to been cooking for hours to keep up with the way the boys eat at super speed.
• Mon-El tells the Kent's that vacations can be lonely without his own parents to visit.  Not sure why Mon-El who is from the 20th century can not travel through time and visit with his parents.

Page 3:

• Saturn Girl looks like she preening for the camera

Page 8:

• Sun Emperor looks just like Sun boy except for brown hair, wearing almost the same costume. Many years later we will get a very different looking Sun Emperor.

Page 11:

• Chameleon Chief is not a member of Chameleon Boy's Race. They look similar but the Chief can change the shape of other objects as well.

Page 19:

• Great Battle page, the Team takes out the Villains in one page of action.

 I will not go into my feelings on time travel again, but I liked almost everything else about this story.
My favorite part was the fight at the end of the story, each Legionnaire takes out a Villain in a single panel, today that fight would be a whole issue it self, this was well done by Bates and Grell.
My only problem in this story was the introduction of the Sun Emperor, who is meant to be a Sun Boy analog, but I think this is taking too literal, He looks exactly like Sun Boy and I wish a little more thought was put into him and his design. Many years Later Keith Giffen would redesign him, with better results.
  I like the use of the Kent's and the Nah's, the parents of the Legion are shown very rarely but used well in this issue. I also enjoyed how Bates and Grell used 14 members of the team but it did not feel like they were stuffed into the story. It was very logical the member of the team that showed up at the Super-Villains headquarters were not the ones that were shown on the monitor.
 Next issue we get the Return of writer Jim Shooter, while this will be his first issue of Superboy Jim wrote the Legion's adventures in Adventure comics back in the sixties when he was just a Teen himself. But do not worry Cary Bates lovers, Mr. Bates writes a fun little back up next issue also.

Next time: Member Profile Sun Boy