Help a Legionnaire

[Briel]

I collected The Legion of Super-heroes back during the Giffen/Bierbaums era up to like #30, than stopped due to budget. I started again when I discovered that my favorites Abnett and Lanning were on the book. Actually I came late (Legion Lost).

Here is my confusion. No book in DC was damaged more by The Crisis than the Legion, and I missed any Zero Hour fixes wich probably caused more damage. So the actual question is why no one remembers anything from the Giffen series? Are these all the clones? I didn't even realise that there were problems until I saw everyone meeting Timber Wolf for the first time. All these resets make me wish the Legion was an Elseworlds book, and just ignored all the other parts of DC damaging their continuity.

I love this book, I am just trying to get a point of reference. Help please!

[OrionM31]

Zero hour had merged the two togheter. (the clones and the original legion) I still don't have the entire Zero hour comics as I, just like you am trying to find back issues at local comic shops. :) Now with the new Legion comics that came out, it's almost as if they rebooted once again. (I guess it would be called a Reset, then a reboot) :)

OrionM31
(Owner of a Legion Flight ring) (Non-working) (DANG it all!) :)

[duncan2222]

Orion is correct. Zero Hour basically wiped out everything we knew about the 30th century, so DC destroyed some 30+ years of LSH history. That being the case, the "reboot" started everything over again. They started from the very beginning, when Cosmic Boy, Live Wire, and Saturn Girl met for the first time and saved the life of R.J. Brande. Triad (who, in the previous reality had lost one of her bodies and become known as Duo Damsel) and Apparition (known as Phantom Girl in the original reality) joined soon after.

The creators followed the original LSH timeline to a certain extent, but also made many changes. Live Wire lost his arm and gained a mechanical one, but this time it was in battle with his brother Lightning Lord. In this reality, Dreamer (formerly Dream Girl) and Mysa (the White Witch) are not sisters. In this reality, Dirk Morgna (Sun Boy) never joined the team. Tenzil and Chuck were never known as Matter-Eater Lad and Bouncing Boy. Leviathan (formerly known as ######## Boy) was killed in battle against Dr. Regulus. Ferro Lad (now known as just Ferro) and Invisible Kid are still alive.

It was the creators' way of getting rid of some of the corny stuff that was written in the 50's and 60's and make the team more modern. It was very frustrating for longtime readers like myself. It took a long time to reintroduce many key players and the reboot completely destroyed many of the relationships (Live Wire and Saturn Girl as a married couple with twins, Violet and Spark, etc.). The art became very cartoony for quite some time and, as I understand it, the book was close to cancellation due to low sales numbers. Only in recent years has the LSH achieved its former glory, in my opinion.

Anyway, Crisis didn't mess up much at all compared to Zero Hour!!!

And Orion! Let me know if you ever want to get rid of that LSH flight ring! I missed 'em the first time around and have been wanting one for years! :)

[duncan2222]

Leviathan (formerly known as ######## Boy) was killed in battle against Dr. Regulus.

That word was supposed to be C_olossal. I can't BELIEVE that word can't be typed here. Yay, censorship... :rolleyes:

[Tarnish]

Yep Zero Hour stopped me reading the Legion back in the day. I just couldn't go from the mature gritty feel it had going right into the "Shiney Happy Innocent Heros" rebooted feel. I also came ack with Legion Lost but have been lucky enough to keep up via friends that didn't leave the series.

Tarnish

[Briel]

Thanks guys. I like the new version here because it's in between the gritty and happy shiny, it's just right. I can see doing a complete restart, because when Crisis erased Superboy and Supergirl, it just left too many holes in important stories. The only shame is that Levitz/Giffen were to The Legion what Claremont/Byrne were to The X-Men, and while I can always go back and read them, it is sad to know they are gone from continuity.

I am still getting caught up on Legion Lost (punks refuse to give us a TP). Is Wildfire Drake Burroughs? Tying in with this: Is Shikari's race essentially the replacement for Dawnstar's people? This seems to be he case, from Brainy's reference to Shikari and Wildfire hanging out.

[clixhunter]

yeah, i think shikari is the new dawnstar. and wildfire is the merger of two heros....both had energy powers and both got "killed" fighting mordru before legion lost. ones name was drake and the others name was burroughs....so i guess you can say yes he is drake burroughs. (that is the name they've adapted to him in the comic)

i agree, i miss a lot of old legion stuff....but will always be a legion fan....ive never stopped reading them...even in the picture perfect bright shiny years.

[OrionM31]

But It don't work duncan2222!!! :) It was working until I read th el9ittle disclaimer that they put on the box.

WARNING! Does not allow wearer to fly.

<sigh> :LOL:

[Briel]

More questions:

1) Is there still a Time Trapper?

2) Is the Valor series now erased from continuity? I was thinking of collecting it.

3) Is Validus still the future son of Garth and Imra unbeknownst to them? Or not covered yet?

[OrionM31]

1) I believe there is, I could be wrong, he could have been taken out when the Zero Hour happened.

2) I don't think it was, since without Valor, there would be no seeded Worlds for the Legionaires to be born from. I have the entire series and it is an interesting read.

3)This as far as I know has not been covered, and since Live Wire had passed on? I don't think it will happen. But as we seen before, there is always a chance for the dead to rise again. :)

I have been reading LSH since it was Superboy and the Legion of super heros, if that tells you anything. :)

[duncan2222]

Briel,
1) Yes, the Time Trapper is still around. There haven't been any major stories involving him/her/it over the last few years, but he/she/it is still around, lurking at the end of time. I know that he has appeared to XS while she was traveling through the time stream (and then he wiped out her memory of meeting him) and he also gave the HERO Dial to Lori Morning for some reason. There is speculation that Lori Morning will eventually become Glorith, who may eventually be come the Time Trapper, but it's pure speculation at this point. I honestly don't think the writers know what to do with such a powerful villain.

2)As far as I understand it, the Valor series is intact. Valor (Lar Gand) was written as the son of one of the Daxamites who appeared in the Invasion! mini series and sacrificed his life. Afterwards, Lar came to Earth and started to make his reputation as a hero (first as a member of L.E.G.I.O.N. and then as a solo act) and then was forced to go into the Bgztl Buffer Zone (previously known as the Phantom Zone) due to his acquiring lead poisoning, which is fatal to Daxamites. In the 30th century, the modern day Superboy (who was visiting the LSH at the time) helped the LSH release him from the Zone, although the galaxy did not know that he was the original Valor, as many worlds worshiped him as a god because he helped colonize so many worlds in the 20th century. The LSH decided to keep his status as a religious icon quiet. So as far as I see it, the Valor series is intact and very applicable to Lar's past.

3)Nothing about the background of Validus has been revealed since the reboot. He's just some big monster who is strong and can shoot mental lightning and, for some reason, hangs out with the Fatal Five's Tharok. There has been no reference to him being related to Garth and Imra in this reality, which is a shame, because I thought it was a very clever sub-plot idea that made total sense. And with Garth being "dead" (yeah, right...), it doesn't seem as though they'll be pursuing that storyline in the near future.

Hope this helps!

[Briel]

Thanks again. It's kind of neat to watch this series reinvent itself. I am probably going to get all of Valor eventually. The only thing I miss from years ago, is Spark as Light Lass. I thought it was a more interesting power. Especially since her brother had lightning already.

[Briel]

Oops. One more question. Which issue begins the Abnett/Lanning run? I have been a big fan of this writing team for years. Knights of Pendragon was cool, and they wrote my favorite Punisher multiparter Eurohit. I think one if not both were involved with Fate as well. A character I liked.

[Briel]

I kind of miss the Emerald Empress being classy and sexy although evil. This new trailer trash version just didn't sit well. She's not even green.

Is Laurel Gand gone from continuity, or just somewhere else?

Sorry for all these questions, but I am really getting back into this book!

[rouge2]

DnA (as they're sometimes called) started with a very underwhelming robot story (Legionnaires #78) that was (to be kind) very uneven and is only uselful in laying the groundwork for the Robotica stuff. They really got started with the Blight storyline "Legion of the ####ed", around LSH 122 & Legionnaires #79. This lead to the Widening Rifts storyline that ended both books and launched "Legion Lost", then "Legion Worlds, and finally the new "Legion" series. The only problem I've had with their writing so far has been the launching of one epic after another. Honestly, I was getting sick of the Earth being overrun and the Legion shattered every six issues. Thankfully, they seem to have gotten much better at pacing things, but still have a ways to go in my opinion.

Answers to so questions:

The Time Trapper's still around. They had a big blowout fight with him in a story just before the Dark Circle stuff that showed plenty of "alternate" Legions (i.e. previous versions like the 5-year gap and the Cockrum guys) existing with the Trapper manipulatiingthem all. It kind of introduced Hypertime before it became "Official". It was a good arc with excellent ideas, but poorly executed.

Spark was Light lass for one issue during the "Trapped in the 20th Century" run. Genesis was responsible so it's best forgotten.

Laurel Gand (Andromedea) is in continuity although she's been severely (and some would say needlessly) revamped a few times. First she was a hot-headed xenophobe who almost betrayed the Legion to Daxamite racists, then she became a nun to atone for her sins, then she was inexpicably altered by the Time Trapper into a short spunky, smiley-pants. Several other Legionaires we're changed (*cough*ruined*cough) at the same time supposedly to help against some big catastrophe, but it never really panned out (that I can remember).

[Briel]

Thanks again. Even when I disagree with te changes, I do love how The Legion is ever-changing and evolving. Sometimes more happens in one issue than in several issues of multiple books of the X-Men. I like fringe books that don't get locked into place. Supes, Spidey, Bats, and The X-Men have become victims of their sales. Right under the radar, but still with healthy sales is the place to be. Where writers, artists, and editors go wild.

Looking forward to the return of one of my two most favorites, Karate Kid. Dreamer is my other. I still like a lot of the old style names best though. She'll always be Dream Girl to me. I know most of the boys, kids, and lasses have been changed due to popular demand, but I always thought it was kind of cool.

Last question. I promise. L.E.G.I.O.N.
Did Vril Dox and co. still happen, or all erased now? Forgive me, I never read Zero Hour.

[rouge2]

L.E.G.I.O.N is still in continuity and still acknowledged by the LSH. Vril is historically thought of as Brainiac 2 and his son Brainiac 3. There wasn't another Brainiac unitl Querl's Mother was dubbed Brainiac 4 (she later left Colu and her infant child to go on to form the Dark Circle). And, of course, Querl became Brainiac 5.