Steven Howell Wilson's Blog, page 24

“Mutiny of the Legionnaires” (Adventure Comics #318 – March, 1964)

Sun Boy becomes a tyrant and sets several of his colleagues adrift to die in space. Now that’s an attention-grabber! This story is all over the map, plot and character-wise, but it does have a saving grace in its introduction of an actual thought-provoking topic.

Light Lass’s costume has yet to change—it still has lightning bolts coming down the shoulders. Guess it took her a while to settle on an image that went with her new powers. And is this, in fact, the first Legion story without Saturn...

The Colonel’s Plan

Tonight begins the first calendar year I’ve spent without my father. It seems appropriate, then, to begin sharing the several dozen letters I’ve written him since he left us. They’re all about the same thing–the completion of the house he designed, and partially built, starting back in 1967. He lived in it, unfinished, for 49 and a half years. Now it’s being finished, so I’m telling him about that process. Along the way, I’ll tell you about the house, the man that built it, the family that li...

Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Read – “The Menace of Dream Girl” (Adventure Comics 317 – February, 1964)

Saturn Girl, clearly in charge of the team for once, summons several Legionnaires back from missions in space so that they can have a quorum for their regular meeting. Two of the recalled Legionnaires have been absent from the book for a long time. Star Boy hasn’t been seen him since his first appearance in Adventure Comics #282 in March, 1961—an almost-three-year absence. Matter-Eater Lad has been gone for over a year, last appearing in Adventure Comics #304, January, 1963.

The two are clad...

Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Read – “The Renegade Super-Hero!” (Adventure Comics #316 – January, 1964)

This issue looks to be especially geared towards new readers. The cover promises an origins and powers feature, and the opening page has Superboy providing introductions, including the names and powers of several members, on the first page. He does this in alleged conversation:

“Hello, Phantom Girl! I see you’re practicing your power of walking through walls!”

Phantom Girl is finally included in a story, speaking and everything. And it’s good, in her case, that she gets such an intro. Readers...

Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Read – “The Legionnaires’ Super-Contest!” (Adventure Comics #315 – December, 1963)

The Legionnaires leave Earth to give a presentation at a conference, satisfied that all is well because their wrist monitors are tied into the Universe Monitor at their clubhouse. It shows them, ostensibly, everything that’s going on all over the universe. It was a gift from the people of Thar in return for all the help the Legion has given them. It’s never mentioned in the story that the people of Thar are Polar Boy’s people.

Clever alien criminals, planning to loot all of the glass on Earth...

Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Read – “The Super-Villains of All Ages” (Adventure Comics #314 – November, 1963)

On the cover of this issue, the villain proclaims that he will destroy all 18 members of the Legion. Hmmm…. There are 20. Maybe he’s not counting Superboy (to whom he’s speaking) and Supergirl? In addition to quoting a number that isn’t necessary and getting it wrong, the cover presents one of the most confusing scenes in the story, as I’ll explain in a bit.

The Legion had pretty well taken over the covers of Adventure Comics as of #311. Superboy still got the odd cover to himself, but the L...

“The Condemned Legionnaires ” (Adventure Comics 313, October, 1963)

So “the girl Legionnaires” all come down with a fever which turns their skin crimson. What else it does isn’t really specified, but the illness is apparently fatal, and Superboy, of all people, tells the girls they’re doomed and have to go to the quarantine world. Not really Superboy’s style, telling people they’re just gonna die.

Phantom Girl is back in this issue, but doesn’t say a word. She turns red and sits in a wheelchair. Readers who missed her one appearance years back don’t even have...

God Bless Us Every One

For some people, today is about eating, drinking and giving each other gifts.

For some people, today is a sacred day, the day when we celebrate the birth of God’s son, who came to save us from our own worst natures.

For some people, today is about feeling excluded, feeling lonely, experiencing depression. Although the claim that suicide rates spike at Christmas appears to be a myth, a time when joy is a publicly traded commodity can be painful from someone who feels left out.

Christmas, like...

Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Read – “The World of Doomed Olsens!” (Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #72 – October, 1963)

The Collector has come for Jimmy Olsen!

 

No, not him

Nor him.

Certainly not him! I’m talking about this guy:

Not sure why he looks like a stereotypical devil, but that’s kind of a Curt Swan touch. Swan is on pencils for this story, with Jerry Siegel scripting. The Legion’s appearance is limited to a handful of panels at the end, this being primarily a Jimmy Olsen adventure. There are two significant Legion happenings here, however.

First, Jimmy is inducted as an honorary member—the first...

The Super-Sacrifice of the Legionnaires! (Adventure Comics #312, September, 1963)

He’s aliiiiiiiiiiive!

Well, he is by the end of the story. Seven months after his death, and after many, many dropped hints, Lightning Lad returns to life in this issue. With Mon-El returning from his native world of Daxam, bringing the sad news that his people’s technology cannot restore the fallen Legionnaire, the Legion becomes obsessed with finding a way to restore life to a boy who was quick-frozen to death. They consult their library and find every reference to every technique known for...