Finally got the Legion Tabloid off of Ebay (Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl wedding) my original copy got damaged many years ago and the archives have not gotten to that yet. This means I will be trying to continue my coverage at least until the Wedding. But since I have not posted in over two years it might be a while.

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 Starring the Legion of Super-Heroes #222

 

Superboy # 222 Cover Dated Dec 1976 Cover Price 30 cents "This Legionnaire is condemned" Story: Cary Bates, Art: Mike Grell and Bob Wiacek.  

 

All around 30th century Metropolis strange sounds are causing strange things to happen. The Science Police ask the Legion to take care of it because it is the work of one of their own members, Tyroc. Four of the heroes disguised as picnickers in the park capture him and turn him over to the Science police. Later the heroes return to police headquarters with evidence and a suspect. They play a recording of Tyroc's voice powers that caused he disturbances that Tyroc allegedly did and the man who used the recordings to discredit Tyroc and the Legion. Tyroc and the Legion leave and return to their ship. In the ship it is explained that no recording could duplicate Tyroc's powers and that the prisoner that was turned over was actually Chameleon Boy in disguise. Tyroc leaves the ship and uses his powers to create more havoc, but what he is really doing is using his sonic powers to secretly search for the Bomb that has been planted, Tyroc finds the bomb the finger prints on the bomb leads them to Fenton Pike, a disgruntle janitor at SP headquarters who was going to use the device to blackmail the SP. When the Legion shows up to capture him he triggers the bomb but it fails to go off because  team had already dismantled it. The Legion takes the bomber into custody and Tyroc goes on TV to explain to the public that this has all been a ruse to capture the bomber.

 

Roll Call:

• Superboy
• Brainiac-5
• Cosmic boy
• Chameleon Boy
• Mon-El (Leader)
• Shadow Lass
• Star Boy (not in issue)
• Tyroc
• Ultra Boy
• Princess Projectra (left of main roll call)

Page: 1

• Roll call is wrong Star Boy is not in this issue and Projectra is and is left off the list.
• Place Page shows a black man throwing a rock at a chained Tyroc. I thinking that if they showed a white man throwing the rock it could of been a problem. Actually the page show more black people protesting Tyroc than white.

Page 2:

• We see the sound effect and damage but no Tyroc.
• SP visit the HQ to complain about Tyroc.

Page 3

• Another sound effect and then sticky rain
• The Legion tell the SP that Tyroc is unstable
• Statues
• Tyroc wants the Legion to relocate to Marzal

Page: 4

•  More Sound Effects and the trees are now tentacles.
• Superboy, Ultra Boy, Shadow Lass and Princess Projectra disguised a 4 people on a picnic.

Page 5:

• More Sound Effects and we finally see Tyroc in the story proper.
• Superboy flying out of control thanks to Tyroc.

Page 6:

• Tyroc flies into a wall and the Legion arrest him.
• Tyroc in a Cell wearing a Hannibal Lecter mask.

Page 7:

• The Legion brings a suspect to the police.

Page 8:

• The suspect turns out to be Chameleon Boy

Page 9:

• Shadow Lass seems to be the only one who does not know what is going on.

Page 10:

• Tyroc uses his sonic powers to search for a bomb.

Page 11:

• Tyroc on tv, He's the man.

Good News: This is the Last Tyroc story for a while.

Bad News: This is a Tyroc story.

Good News: This is the Last Cary Bates story

Bad News: This is a Cary Bates story.

As I have said in the past I do not hate Cary Bates he has written some amazing stories for Superman, the Flash but for the Legion not so much.

As for Tyroc I think he was a good Idea that was not executed properly. He was not written out here but when Levitz and Conway come on the book in a short while, they have nothing for him. It wasn't until much later when Levitz return to writing the Legion in the 2000's that he got a handle on the character. He did some cool things with his powers.

 

2nd story:

"Death of a Legend" Jim Shooter: Writer, Mike Nasser & Bob Layton artists.

While the Legion cruises flies through space, Superboy, Light Lass and Timber Wolf watch the exploits of Questar as he defeats a monster. The team lands on Zentor to attend a ceremony Honoring Questar King of heroes. Questar had the crowed and Ayla (Light Lass's real name) wowed. When out of the ground a gigantic monster appears. The Leader of the Zentor tells the team that the monster appears once every ten years. They had asked Questar to destroy the monster in the pass but the hero told them he was busy. This time they tricked him into being there when the monster appeared. The Legion offer to help Questar and he accepts because he was a fake and made up his taped exploits. Superboy tries to take the monster out but under Zentor's yellow sun he has only half on his strength. Light Lass and Timber Wolf are not that much help either. The Monster punches Superboy and he goes flying and just as he is about to step on the other two Legionnaires an energy ray reflects off a metal wall and strikes the monster. Then a Red Cape figure strikes the figure at the back of the next and takes the figure down just like in the Visi tape of Questar. They think it was Questar but it was Superboy using Questar's methods. The beast vanishes and Questar appears to let them know that he got rid of the beasts. He does have powers but he is really a coward. The Zentor Leader is about to arrest Questar as a fraud until Superboy reminds him that he conned Questar as well. They apologize to each other and every one is happy.

 

Nice back up tale Questar is a con man but he was interesting, I would of like to have seen more of him but this is his only appearance to date.

 

Next Time

Superboy 223 the Time Trapper.

 

 

 



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.

Superboy # 220 Starring the Legion of Super-Heroes " Dream Girl's Living Nightmare"

"Dream Girl's Living Nightmare" Story: Cary Bates, Art: Mike Grell & Bob Wiacek

Legion Cruiser Lx-811 is en route to earth from a mission in another Galaxy, carrying Chameleon Boy, Brainiac-5 and a sleeping Dream Girl. Dream Girl awakes with an orgasm like scream telling them to stop the cruiser and that they must not go any further. Dream Girl dreamed of the beloved Primor of Demeros II on his way to deliver an important address is killed. They pull into orbit of Demeros and Dream Girl tells them that she did not see the murderer but she does remember that the murder weapon has 3 circles. Brainiac and Chameleon argue, Brainy says they can't stop it, Dream Girl's predictions always come true. But Chameleon wants to try anyway. They get some information on the Primor and Chameleon gets Brainy to lend him his force-field belt. Chameleon puts on the belt and morphs into a duplicate of the Primor. Cham thinks that he can go to Demeros and have the blasts bounce off the force field belt and that will match Dream Girl's Vision. In the Studio the Primor is about to give his address, Cham is stopped by guards but he now understands the dream but they won't let go. The three circles that Dream Girl saw were the Visi camera and the camera operator turns it on the Primor and he fires and the Primor is dead. Cham breaks free of the guards and finds that the dead Primor is not the man he is disguised of but another. The Real Primor appears and tells Cham it was a ruthless dictator who proclaimed himself the new Primor locking the old one away. Cham turns back to his normal self and flies away thinking that Brainiac was right there are some forces in the universe not even a Legionnaire should tamper with.

Roll Call:
Chameleon Boy
Brainiac-5
Dream Girl
Another quick back up story not much to give page by page notes on. The art as always was great Dream Girl look hot as hell and the Primor that Cham morphed into look good. Nice way to show that Dream Girl's powers don't always show what she thinks it shows, but this point has been made several time, but I liked it anyway.

Next time: The first appearance of our favorite Bondage couple Gimbor and Charma.

Superboy # 220 Starring the Legion of Super-Heroes.

Superboy # 220 Starring the Legion of Super-Heroes " The Super Soldiers of the Slave Maker"
Cover Dated Oct 1976, Cover Price .30 cents. Art: Mike Grell & Bob Wiacek Story: Jim Shooter.
 The Legion is called to the Planet Murgador whose inhabitants are slaves of the planet Tharrg. Coming to free them the Legion are attacked by the people of Murgador, who tell the Legion to leave. The leader of the slave group tells the team that there is bomb at the core of the planet that will go off if they rebel. The heroes go back to the ship and talk about what to do, but Phantom Girl takes matter into her own hands and slips through the ship and into the planet. The rest of the team blasts towards Tharrg. The whole planet is one big Military installation. They are attacked and fight their way to the Citadel's throne room. While the Tharrg leader talks the team see Phantom Girl on the screen approaching the bomb. The Slave master tells the team that they will have to obey him or he will blow up Murgador. Dinda the leader of the slaves calls one of the underlings on Tharrg to warn them that the Legion is trying to free Murgador. The underling goes to tell his master and is hit into silence by Superboy. At the same time Phantom Girl is trying to disarm the bomb, see makes her hand immaterial and goes into the bomb but activates an alarm. She grabs wires and pulls. Back on Tharrg the alarm goes off and Superboy ties to reach the switch but the Slaver pushes it and the screen goes off. Ultra Boy loses his cools and attacks the Leader but Mon-El and Superboy pull him off. As they try to calm Ultra Boy down Superboy's belt alarm goes off and he takes off to Murgador. He returns moments later with Phantom Girl in his arm. Superboy explains that when Phantom Girl pulled the wire she turned off the monitor as well as the bomb. After they dismantled Thargg's military they return to Murgador and tell Dinda they are free, She apologies for trying to ruin their plan and the team head back to the ship and go off into space.
Roll Call:

• Superboy
• Mon-El
• Wildfire
• Lightning Lad
• Ultra Boy
• Phantom Girl
• Element Lad

Page 3:

• Wildfire is hit with a brick.

Page 4:

• Cool Thunder clap from Lightning Lad.

Page 6:

• Phantom Girl slips through the ship.

Page 8

• The Legion kick ass.

Page 10:

• Superboy slaps a Lizard bitch.

Page 11:

• Ultra Boy loses his shit.

Page 12:

• Phantom Girl and Ultra Boy reunite and go looking for some soft light and Barry White.

Good issue not much happens but they all can't be a 12 page fight, but next issue we get the debut of an awesome villain.

Next time the 2nd story from this issue.