Legionnaires #23

Legionnaires #23 (1995)
by Tom Peyer & Jeff Moy

Some of the best Legion moments have been the breather issues where we get to see the heroes off-duty. Having two series allows for a whole issue dedicated to just that.

We begin with Brainiac 5 being distracted by Andromeda throwing a tantrum.

The occasion is Invisible Kid interrupting a Star Wars marathon that the other Legionnaires are apparently watching simultaneously with a concert…

…to give them the new rings.

I cannot emphasize enough just how much the Jeff Moy artwork MAKES this series.

The following splash page is great. Not only it gives us a good look of Legion HQ from above, showcasing how it’s shaped like the Legion symbol, but it also gives all the Legionnaires a distinctive personality in how they react to the ability fly.

There’s a ton of little touches in that page alone.
Like Cosmic Boy being a pro at it, since his powers already allow him to fly, as compared to Shrinking Violet who is hesitant to go all in like the others.
Just look at these three: they’re all happy about it but Kinetix looks a bit scared, Apparition is definitely more relaxed, and XS is being Jenni.

Not really sure why Triad’s priority is attempting antigravity twerking though.

You might have expected Brainiac 5 to be the one to create the rings, but he still plays a part.
Remember the antigravity metal from Legionnaires #20? I told you to keep it in mind!

Certainly a 12th level intellect won’t be bothered by feelings of jealousy for the attention of dumb teenagers, right?

The only other Legionnaire not having any fun is Andromeda, who is not thrilled of sharing the place with those aliens.

In fact the only reason she doesn’t bolt back to Daxam is it would mean going to school.
Notice the detail of her armband: it’s there because she’s constantly wearing the invisible TransSuit™ that protects her from lead poisoning.

Cosmic Boy didn’t get the memo that this was going to be a breather episode.

The girls are ready to hit the town… and the boys just want to play videogames.

Well at least Andromeda is trying to make friends.

All the girls (minus Saturn Girl) dress up for a night in the town, in the latest 2995 fashion.
For no particular reason, I remind you that Spark is officially 14 at this point and everyone else is presumably either 14 or 15.

Considering she can do this, it’s no wonder Kinetix will go through more costumes than any other Legionnaire.

The girls get to know each other a little better: remember that while they’re in the same team, they have BARELY interacted up to this point.
Also note that Metropolis has grown big enough to incorporate entire other cities over the centuries; that’s been consistent since the pre-Crisis days.

Critics of the Reboot dismiss this incarnation by calling it the “Archie Legion”, due to the emphasis put on the Legionnaires being teenagers.
While it’s certainly overblown, this is by far the most teenage the Legion has ever felt.
But there’s a whole spectrum here: Spark is written as the more juvenile one (she might also be the youngest), XS isn’t far off, Kinetix is the boy-crazy one, and for obvious reasons Triad runs the whole scale depending on which body we’re talking about.

Everyone could see that XS has a gigantic crush on Cosmic Boy.
Except, of course, Cosmic Boy himself.

The girls didn’t aim low: they went straight for the star attraction of the city.

The joke’s on them: this is actually a golf club.

Certainly the Legionnaires, as galaxy-wide celebrities, will get admitted without trouble right?

Throughout the scene, Kinetix keeps changing Violet’s dress.

This is a VERY exclusive club!

Too bad that Apparition gets busted by her mother.

Her mother doesn’t have the best relationship with the Legion. It’s only going to get worse throughout the series.

Does the fact that Bgztlians can’t normally phase through each other come into play later? Apparition and her mother are nearly the only ones we ever see, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t.

Out of all the girls, I believe only XS comes from a loving family without personal drama.
We’ll explore Triad’s past rather soon.

The night has already been ruined and it hasn’t even started!

To be honest, Spark, you don’t come across as particularly patient either.

There hasn’t been a real action scene the whole time; the closest thing is a fish-looking alien being attacked.

When Andromeda catches up to the guys who attacked the alien, she is shocked to see them wearing a white triangle symbol.
Eh, it’s probably not important.

Andromeda decides to let them go, without telling anything to her teammates.

The only Legionnaire who has a chance to get into the club is Shrinking Violet, but only because Kinetix messes up the transmutation and gives her a skimpy outfit.

Don’t think too much about the club being willing to let a 14 to 15 year old inside wearing that outfit.

In other plots, we get a flashback to the origin of the lightning twins…

…courtesy of a nightmare Live Wire is having, before Cosmic Boy informs him about the rings.

Cosmic Boy wasn’t trying to rule him back into the Legion… I think he just misses his friend.
Not that Live Wire is in a rush to return, at least for now.

I wonder if Live Wire had different ideas if he knew Saturn Girl is getting dangerously close to Cosmic Boy.

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Legion significance: 8/10
The Flight Ring is introduced, and that final Andromeda scene is the beginning of a storyline that will define both her and another Legionnaire.

Silver Age-ness: 1/10
The Legionnaires are not yet THE celebrities of the Galaxy, but they should be by far the most famous teenagers everywhere and we’ve already established that they’re legally adults… so the fact that they still have to get past the bouncer is at least a tiny bit Silver Age.

Does it stand the test of time? 10/10
Having a second regular series where you can do character building like this is the secret weapon of the Reboot. Every Legionnaire feels distinct and unique, from looks to attitude to even body language. And you actually believe these kids WOULD hang out together when they’re off-duty (with Andromeda being a bit of an asterisk).
The artwork does a great job making this world feel alive, adding tons of little touches and easter eggs. Whenever we get a breather like this issue it’s always a treat, and this one of the best examples in the entire Legion history.
The 5YL Legionnaires TRIED to pull off something like this, but its characters were just too unlikeable for it to work. Turns out that you CAN write teenage characters without making them insufferable horndogs, who would’ve thought?

Moy Tongues: 11
Adding 3 other tongues by the usual suspects Triad and Spark.

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Who did it better?
It’s interesting to see that Brainiac 5 is typically the sole inventor of the Flight Ring in all adaptations but not in the comics.
Back in Adventure Comics #305, its anti-gravity metal was invented by Mon-El in disguise…

…and Brainiac 5 would use it to create the rings in Adventure Comics #329.
So we’re reversing the two: instead of building the rings from a material someone else created, in the Reboot Brainiac 5 is the one to create the metal and Invisible Kid is the one to put it to good use.
While I prefer Brainiac 5 as the primary inventor, I’m giving this one to the Reboot for two equally important reasons:
A) it makes good use of the Brainy-Kid dynamic
B) it doesn’t show up in the same story that features the idiotic Bizarro Legion

We don’t even see them get into the club, but I firmly believe the Reboot girls dance better than the originals.

I told you that I would find a way to work that panel into EVERY continuity.

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We are legion

• 13 active Legionnaires (4 volunteers, 9 drafted)
• 1 resigned member
• 1 deceased member
• 15 people have been members
• 2 Legion leaders (Leviathan, Cosmic Boy)
• 2 members have been rejected

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Interesting letters: we have a very long letter by Wendy Hunter (it takes up half a page).
She brings up an interesting point: IS the series rushing through this early era?
I disagree on needing to spend too much time with only the three founders: the Legion’s large membership has long been one of its selling points and one of the things that even people who don’t read the series know about it.

I do agree that Kid Quantum came and went way too fast, but otherwise the series is doing exactly what Wendy suggests: it will mix and match different characters and situations from the previous era.
Also I would have to point out that the Legion membership swelled up VERY quickly in the original continuity as well.

The Legion will completely ignore L.E.G.I.O.N. and the continuity problems Phase causes, until they retcon her origin AGAIN.

I have to partially agree with Mark here. While the original Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad were solid characters throughout their history, the pre-Crisis Cosmic Boy has been THE disappointment of the entire retrospective for me.
While the original did have his moments in the 80s, and even some in the 5YL era, give me the Reboot Cosmic Boy any day.