ACTION COMICS 384 (1970)
by Jim Shooter & Win Mortimer
We have reached the 70s! We are already halfway through the Action Comics era.
We begin with Dream Girl, well, dreaming.
Specifically, she dreams about Mon-El’s death.
He will die within the next 5 days. And since Dream Girl’s visions always come true, there’s not much that the Legion can do.
Mon-El seems to be taking this remarkably well.
As it’s often the case, Jim Shooter gives us a little insight on the specifics on how the Legion tech works.
One interesting point that will become VERY important about 15 years later is that Mon-El’s serum includes Kryptonite.
Also interesting: he needs to take the serum every eight hours, and he typically carries with him at least two extra doses.
Which makes him completely forgetting about the serum in Action Comics #379 even worse!
I’m starting to think that publishing the Legion Bulletin was a really bad idea if it can leads to everything being leaked to the public.
But at least Mon-El gets to showcase one of his essential qualities: his never-give-up attitude that puts even Superboy to shame!
And it kind of makes sense: Mon-El has been a ghost for 1,000 years already, why would he be afraid of dying?
He’s eager to get a mission, ANY mission. And Karate Kid gives him one that will last three days.
Shadow Lass is DEFINITELY not happy about it.
Dream Girl has yet another premonition. Mon-El will still die as scheduled, but now she knows how.
Mon-El returns early from his mission, and in stark contrast with how he was acting before it looks like he has fully accepted when he’s going to die.
Superboy even plans to save Mon-El by kidnapping him in his sleep and take his place, but he fails.
In spite of Dream Girl’s vision, though, Mon-El does actually manage to stop the invasion without dying!
Except… this isn’t Mon-El. It’s a descendant of his brother, who just happens to look exactly like him!
Eltro Gand actually took out Mon-El during his mission. And apparently he just made things WORSE.
This is supposed to be a tragic moment, but Mortimer’s artwork makes it laughable!
So Eltro took out Mon-El on a planet where he would’ve been completely safe (I assume, since Eltro met him before taking the serum)… and then transported him to an asteroid where he was promptly killed by lead? Way to go, Eltro!
At least he’s kind enough to take Mon-El to the Legion HQ to resuscitate him.
I’m not kidding and I’m not skipping anything. The Legion has this thing in its HQ and it’s never used again.
Oh come on, this was the perfect opportunity to kill Proty II and you missed it!!!
Legion significance: 0/10
This is Eltro Gand’s only pre-Crisis appearance, for obvious reasons. He’s the basis for a character with the same name during the immensely confusing “Glorithverse” timeline (don’t ask, it’s a LOOOOONG story).
Silver Age-ness: 6/10
Mon-El just happens to have a descendant that is identical to him despite being born 1,000 years later. And he just happens to learn about the news of Mon-El’s death just in time. And he just happens to meet him at the right time. And he just happens to take him out. And he just happens to know about the resuscitating tech of the Legion.
Yeah, a lot of things just happen in this story, and they mostly suck.
Does it stand the test of time? 2/10
The page with Mon-El’s inner monologue is the only saving grace, as it gives us a fascinating look inside his head. Too bad the other 10.5 pages are pretty bad, and once again the ending comes absolutely out of nowhere.
We are legion
26 Legionnaires
2 reserve members: Kid Psycho, Insect Queen
3 honorary members: Elastic Lad, Pete Ross, Rond Vidar
1 resigned member: Command Kid
1 expelled member: Nemesis Kid
2 deceased members: Dynamo Boy, Ferro Lad
How much Legion is too much?
The total number of characters who have been members is 35.
Interesting letters: considering what was published in Lois Lane, it’s no wonder that DC writers had this image about marriages.
