Legion of Super-Heroes v3 #59 – Comics Archeology

Legion of Super-Heroes v3 #59 (1989)
written by Paul Levitz
pencils by Keith Giffen & Mark Bright
cover by Steve Lighle

Last standalone issue before the conclusion of Volume 3, and it’s a throwback.

We begin with Invisible Kid II reflecting on how bad things have been for the Legion lately.

It’s also time to vote the next Legion leader.
And once again I have to say: it’s BOTH bad luck AND terrible leadership.

This is causing Invisible Kid II to reflect on the previous sad times of the Legion, in particular on the Legionnaires who have died. Helped by having a bunch of statues around representing them.

This is a good scene! Really highlighting the fact that while absolutely NOTHING was done with Invisible Kid II for so long, he’s not a bad character.

And that’s the setup for the main focus of the issue, which is an extended flashback to an older era and starring the original Invisible Kid.

Specifically, someone has been messing with the new Legion headquarters, and it’s up to Invisible Kid to investigate this ghost.

I know who he can call.

All versions of Invisible Kid are geniuses, but it’s worth noting that the original remains linked to biochemistry. Unlike the Reboot version, who is very much an expert on all sciences.
It’s also worth noting that Invisible Kid is thinking about shortening the time between elections, an in-universe reference to the fact that elections would eventually be done more or less after one year of real time publications.

A very subtle visual indication of how this is a more simple time: there’s only ONE statue of a deceased Legionnaire in the past, while in the present day the room is cluttered with them.
(well both scenes are set in the future, but you know what I mean)

Even invisible, though, the kid is no match for the ghost.

He’s keeping the ghost a secret from the other Legionnaires, in a nice callback to Saturn Girl’s earliest terms.

Maybe Invisible Kid isn’t the only one to get hit in the head, because Saturn Girl has a truly baffling comment.
What do you mean by “how can you not know what attacked you”… is the concept of a sneak attack not a thing on Titan???

The other highlight of the issue is a rare appearance of Chemical King, set before he technically became a member.
This is important because it links Chemical King to Invisible Kid, and there’s a story in the next era that really plays on this. And it’s unquestionably the best Chemical King story ever written.

Again, yet another example of a Legionnaire that was hurt by not being given anything to do.
The idea that Chemical King’s powers could easily kill him if he doesn’t control them is FASCINATING, and the first panel alone is already more interesting than 99.9% of his scenes during his membership.

Invisible Kid is even the reason why Chemical King eventually joined!

Of course ANY discussion of ghosts involving the Legion makes it mandatory to bring up The Ghost Of Ferro Lad. It’s not supposed to be here, because he haunts the original HQ and this is the second one.

That was just a false alarm: it’s Chemical King trying to help.
Not really sure how the alarm system works on chemical reactions, but okay.

There might be no ghost, but there IS an intruder.

The flashback is interrupted by a visit from Night Girl.

This of course leads to a discussion about Polar Boy’s leadership, which includes YET ANOTHER confirmation that he was terrible on the job.
Because while that was already a theory, we have an official confirmation that the reason all Legionnaires have new costumes is because HE imposed them.
So let me get this straight.
The new costumes were introduced after #51. Which means that after one Legionnaire nearly died (Mon-El), one half-died (Duo Damsel), one was prosecuted BY POLAR BOY and resigned (Brainiac 5)… AND multiple members leaving abruptly in the recent past (Star Boy, White Witch, Shadow Lass)… AND the Legion was being heavily scrutinized by the United Planets…
During ALL THAT, Polar Boy’s priority was giving everyone new costumes that everyone hates???
Can you blame Night Girl for wanting nothing to do with this???

Also what are you talking about a “sympathy vote” for Sensor Girl because of the Emerald Empress business? They didn’t kick her out of the team for STRANGLING NEMESIS KID WITH HER BARE HANDS, do you seriously think they need to show support for UNWILLINGLY killing the Empress???

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but at this point I would vote for Chemical King as leader.
Even dead he couldn’t possibly do a worse job than Polar Boy.

The intruder escapes, but he later returns for the Miracle Machine.

Except this is NOT the real Miracle Machine. That’s a nice trap!

If only he had waited the 70s before trying to get into the Legion headquarters, because EVERYONE was sneaking in in the 70s.

This Iron Man knockoff has enough weaponry to be a threat to the two Legionnaires…

…if he wasn’t distracted at the worst moment.

But then the intruder is saved by Quanto, who you might remember from Adventure Comics #374 if he was interesting. I completely forgot about him.
When you’re in the same team as Black Mace and YOU are the least interesting villain, that’s saying something.

And so we end the flashback with the question: was it once again The Ghost Of Ferro Lad?

Naah. Bust be a coincidence.

You might expect Invisible Kid II to have been listening to the whole story, but no, he was just sitting around.

And in the epilogue, we learn that Sensor Girl won the election.
With a surprising Legionnaire taking second place.

Sadly, this time around we don’t learn who each individual Legionnaire voted.
But I’m reasonably sure nobody voted for Polar Boy.
Possibly not even Polar Boy himself.

Legion significance: 1/10
Technically speaking we learn several things about Chemical King, but since he’s dead that has only a very slight influence on a single story.
We also have a new leader, but with Volume 4 awaiting that doesn’t amount to anything.

Silver Age-ness: 6/10
Thanks to the whole “maybe it was a ghost, maybe it was coincidence” thing.

Does it stand the test of time? 8/10
A very enjoyable throwback and one last time to reminisce about the past before tragedy strikes.
Not to mention the chance to rest our eyes from the latest Giffen style.
Having said that, the resolution is a bit unsatisfying: not the ghost thing, that’s a classic, but the fact that the Quanto reference wouldn’t be picked up.
At this point Levitz must have known what they were going to do with the last storyline, right? Presumably he also knew he wouldn’t be writing for Volume 4?

We are legion
18 active Legionnaires
7 reserve members
7 resigned members
1 on sick leave (Mon-El)
12 deceased members
45 people have been members
50 people have been rejected

We might not have an insight on how the Legionnaires voted, but we know how the readers voted!

You know what that means: utterly pointless data analysis!

Sensor Girl won the election with just 12.9% of the votes
Polar Boy lost re-election with 2.3% of the votes
Sensor Girl received 31 times the amount of votes Tellus received
Every single Legionnaire in the active roster (at the time the election started) received at least 1 vote
A third of the candidates had already served as the Legion leader for an extended period of time at least once (Element Lad, Saturn Girl, Dream Girl, Brainiac 5, Wildfire, Polar Boy and Ultra Boy). Out of them, I believe only Element Lad and Saturn Girl have served twice.
Out of the 24 Legionnaires who received a vote, 6 are no longer in the Legion by the time the election ends. This includes two who are in the top ten most voted, Dream Girl (5th place) and Brainiac 5 (6th place).
The six resigned Legionnaires received 25% of the total votes. Discarding their votes brings Sensor Girl to 17.3%
What did poor Ultra Boy do to deserve the same number of votes of Polar Boy?
I know what White Witch did to deserve the same number of votes of Polar Boy: she left throwing a tantrum in the middle of a crisis

Interesting letters: the letters are dominated by discussions about the new costumes.

They are, unsurprisingly, a divisive topic. Although while this is 1989, if Tom thinks having jackets and pockets is unique… he’s going to change his mind in the 90s.

And to be clear, I don’t mind the jackets and pockets: there are several costumes that incorporate them that I really like (just not those from this volume).
But look at Dawnstar’s new awful costume and tell me with a straight face that that thing is “sensible”.