Legionnaires #26 (1995)
Written by Tom Peyer & Tom McCraw
Pencils and cover by Jeff Moy
Looks like someone’s not paying attention to the action scene.
Something that I have not pointed out yet is that issues typically start with the roll call of the Legionnaires appearing in the story, at both sides of the teaser page.
Since this issue includes both the Legion AND Workforce, some of them need to share space.
I bring this up because the page has a neat sight gag with Spider-Girl choking Ultra Boy with her hair! Also, an EXTREMELY rare case of a guy providing a Moy Tongue.
We begin with a mysterious figure showing up to check on Saturn Girl, after her injuries at the end of LSH #69.
The issue jumps around plots, but for reviewing purposes I’m going to cover each plot on its own.
In the Saturn Girl plot, we have a VERY rare appearance of her father (I think; he could be Triad’s father, something even more rare).
The mysterious figure arrives at Saturn Girl’s room, which she is sharing with Triad.
Later, Cosmic Boy shows up to deal with the situation just in time to see Saturn Girl recover.
This is Aven, Saturn Girl’s mentor.
Great job, Aven.
That will continue next time. The other ongoing plot is Spark’s secret admirer.
Jeff Moy was just BORN to draw XS.
This is interrupted quite brutally by Apparition’s mother.
Remember that she also has phasing powers, so it’s hard to keep her away.
That’s followed by the main plot of the book: Apparition’s totally-not-a-date with Ultra Boy.
That’s interrupted by McCauley, who convinces her to come along Workforce’s latest case.
Poor Live Wire. If at this point he decided the Legion didn’t care about him, would you blame him?
The job is stopping some guys in power armor from handling toxic waste.
At this point I’m willing to bet that McCauley doesn’t run ANY legitimate business, just illegal stuff.
Specifically these guys are with the White Triangle, who seem to have spread their influence across Earth given how often they show up.
Karate Kid has had enough of this.
Working together, the two teams manage to avoid a disaster.
This was a step too far for Live Wire, who quits Workforce immediately.
It is notable that the others don’t join him immediately… at least not officially.
Retroactively, I think this IS the moment when both Ultra Boy and Karate Kid resign, but it’s not stated outright.
Meanwhile, we learn something new about Chameleon.
I don’t need to tell you why that’s huge news.
And finally, we reconnect to the Annual where Kinetix lost her powers.
She’s still in the team, however, because it benefits President Chu.
The issue ends with Andromeda crashing into Legion HQ.
Legion significance: 7/10
All of these plots are ongoing, so it’s hard to pinpoint this issue specifically. Most are going to last quite a bit, plus Aven will show up from time to time throughout the Reboot.
Silver Age-ness: 0/10
Nothing past your regular superhero story.
Does it stand the test of time? 9/10
This is kind of the default mode for A LOT of the early Reboot. We are bouncing from plot to plot, giving at least half the team something to do while advancing the overall story.
Not really much else to say without spoiling how the plots will develop, and I’ve run out of new ways to praise Jeff Moy’s AWESOME artwork.
Moy Tongues: 13
Including our very first case of a guy doing it! But also:
Who did it better?
Nothing comes to mind.
We are legion
- 12 active Legionnaires (3 volunteers, 9 drafted)
- 1 sick leave (Saturn Girl)
- 1 resigned member
- 1 deceased member
- 15 people have been members
- 2 Legion leaders (Leviathan, Cosmic Boy)
- 2 members have been rejected
Interesting letters: considering that the Retroboot will eventually throw away the entire Reboot to bring back “the original Legion”, I find it fascinating to see how many longtime readers were perfectly fine with a new continuity in the 90s.
Something that the Reboot is infamous among the Legion fandom is its insistence on dropping MOST of the boy/girl/lad/lass codenames.
Even its detractors have to admit that the Reboot doesn’t come up with codenames as bad as those Aldrin is suggesting (except the XS ones).
Moy really does draw adorable Legion ladies! As if they’re not enough, as Aven is entering the hospital, there’s a cameo by Chinese Amazon Shampoo (from Ranma 1/2).
And a Jawa. Utinni!
I’d say there’s at least a bit of Silver Age-ness in how Aven kind of pushed his way into Imra’s room refusing to tell anyone why he was there until it was too late for Cosmic Boy to not interrupt him. He’s not a secret agent or something, he’s a well-known Titanian figure and should have easily been able to get permission through official channels with the Legion’s full knowledge to come and heal Saturn Girl.