Legion Obscura #152

[Jef Peckham]

Hi gang!

One new book this week. Details follow the

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LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES (VI) 10

It's the climax of the Durlan Assassins story. But first, Green Mon-el
finds outhe is the new Legion Leader. He protests that he can't come back
and take charge, until he finds out who has been elected Deputy, to which he
replies "I'll be back as soon as I can." Yes, Brainiac 5 is the elected
Deputy. In a nod to the three-boot team, this Cosmic Boy doesn't trust this
Brainy either. Did Paul Levitz really like that adversarial team dynamic of
the Three-Boot? I sure didn't.

Anyway, Brainy takes (at least) temporary charge, and has Cham investigate
the conclusion he reached last issue back on Durla about who was behind all
of this. Cham takes Phantom Girl and Yera with him over to the Brande
estate. After sneaking (breaking) in, Cham assumes Brande's shape to bypass
retinal scanners to get into Brande's computers only to find 'Brande' is
already logged in. The one they are pursuing is here!. Big fight with his
aunt ensues. (Naturally, the Legion wins.)

Tidbits: Why did Chameleon Boy, Brande's son and heir have to break into
his old man's place? Surely it came to him as the heir. It is revealed
that Durlans are a cold-blooded species, unlike his mostly mammalian
teammates. We find out that Dawnstar can't track phasers like Phantom Girl,
which drives her nuts, and may explain why she can't track what the Durlans
did with Chief Zendak. Meanwhile, Dawnstar recovers, and rather than help
look for Zendak, she goes off looking for whatever it was that attacked her
and Wildfire a few issues back. Perhaps this leads into the upcoming Legion
of Super-Villains Special?

Someone actually answered one of my trivial questions from last Obscura, and
was correct. The Infinite Man first appeared in SUPERBOY AND THE LEGION OF
SUPER-HEROES #233.

Until next time,
Archive Lad
Jef Peckham
j1peckham#earthlink.net
(Replace the #, dummy!)

[YKW]

Post by Jef Peckham
He protests that he can't come back
and take charge, until he finds out who has been elected Deputy, to
which he replies "I'll be back as soon as I can." Yes, Brainiac 5 is
the elected Deputy. In a nod to the three-boot team, this Cosmic Boy
doesn't trust this Brainy either. Did Paul Levitz really like that
adversarial team dynamic of the Three-Boot? I sure didn't.

In fairness, "real Brainy" has gone completely nuts at least twice (three
times if, as it appears, the current Supergirl is going to be shoehorned
into the original's place in a "new" Crisis yet to come, and all that
happened in the original post-CoIE stories proceeds as before from that
point).

Threeboot Rokk wouldn't have let "real Brainy" within ten parsecs of
=that= team with the original's issues. Even "real" Rokk =should= have
trouble with him, having been around for all of his breakdowns while
spending essentially zero time with him in either an intellectual or
recreational capacity; he has little on which to base trust, and much on
which to base doubt. Really, it's only the web of both spoken (e.g.,
Reep, Drake) and unspoken friendships (e.g., Jo, Nura, Imra) with a
handful of other core members that have kept Querl around the "real"
team.
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-- The One, 14 Oct 08

[Ken Arromdee]

Post by YKW
In fairness, "real Brainy" has gone completely nuts at least twice (three
times if, as it appears, the current Supergirl is going to be shoehorned
into the original's place in a "new" Crisis yet to come, and all that
happened in the original post-CoIE stories proceeds as before from that
point).

The most serious case of him going insane was caused by Pulsar Stargrave, not
his inherent weakness.

"Brainiac 5 is mentally unstable" is up there with other Legion misconceptions
like "Saturn Girl planted a post-hypnotic suggestion for Superboy to forget
his future". Someone did a web page for Silver Age misconceptions; I ought to
write one for Bronze.

[Yeechang Lee]

Post by YKW
In fairness, "real Brainy" has gone completely nuts at least twice
(three times if, as it appears, the current Supergirl is going to be
shoehorned into the original's place in a "new" Crisis yet to come,
and all that happened in the original post-CoIE stories proceeds as
before from that point).

I can't argue with you about _Superboy_ #204. Ken's already mentioned
Pulsar Stargrave's influence on Brainiac, however. I wouldn't call
what happened to Brainy in v3 #18 his going insane; he has a very
emotional reaction to his longstanding love's death, made all the
worse--not better--by expecting its coming for so many years.

Post by YKW
Really, it's only the web of both spoken (e.g., Reep, Drake) and
unspoken friendships (e.g., Jo, Nura, Imra) with a handful of other
core members that have kept Querl around the "real" team.

That's too harsh. Brainiac is one of the longest-serving members, has
served as leader, and is the team's science (and often medical)
expert. There isn't a single member who hasn't dealt with him in some
capacity, personal or professional, while it's quite possible that,
say, Magnetic Kid never worked once with Lightning Lad because he left
active duty when Pol and the other new members joined in v3 #14.

[David Goldfarb]

Post by Jef Peckham
Tidbits: Why did Chameleon Boy, Brande's son and heir have to break into
his old man's place? Surely it came to him as the heir.

Also, why in the galaxy is a Durlan using biometric security?

Post by Jef Peckham
We find out that Dawnstar can't track phasers like Phantom Girl,
which drives her nuts, and may explain why she can't track what the Durlans
did with Chief Zendak.

Well, no. The reason she can't track Zendak is just what everyone has
been saying: Zendak is dead. We saw the Durlans kill him in issue 5.

[Jef Peckham]

Post by David Goldfarb

Post by Jef Peckham
Tidbits: Why did Chameleon Boy, Brande's son and heir have to break into
his old man's place? Surely it came to him as the heir.

Also, why in the galaxy is a Durlan using biometric security?

Post by Jef Peckham
We find out that Dawnstar can't track phasers like Phantom Girl,
which drives her nuts, and may explain why she can't track what the Durlans
did with Chief Zendak.

Well, no. The reason she can't track Zendak is just what everyone has
been saying: Zendak is dead. We saw the Durlans kill him in issue 5.

Actually, we saw a sound effect in the panel where one Durlan changed into
Zendak's form. We didn't actually see him dead.

Jef Peckham

[David Goldfarb]

Post by Jef Peckham

Post by David Goldfarb
Well, no. The reason she can't track Zendak is just what everyone has
been saying: Zendak is dead. We saw the Durlans kill him in issue 5.

Actually, we saw a sound effect in the panel where one Durlan changed into
Zendak's form. We didn't actually see him dead.

I've got the issue right here in front of me. The action happens in
three panels.

Panel 1: Zendak is covered in tentacles. One of them takes his gun out
of its holster.

Panel 2: The gun is held to Zendak's back. Zendak says "Argghh" (with
a dying fall -- but, in fact, there is no sound effect as such, only
the dialog balloon) as a massive bolt of energy comes out of his front.

Panel 3: Zendak is lying prone on the ground with a gigantic smoking
hole in his back, and the Durlan who shot him tells three other Durlans
to "dispose of the corpse".

I don't see how it could be *any* more clear that Zendak is dead. He's
kicked the bucket, shuffled off his mortal coil, rung down the curtain
and joined the choir invisible. This is an ex-Zendak.