Superboy and the LSH #252 (1979)
by Gerry Conway & Joe Staton
This effectively starts the Gerry Conway run that will last until #278, with few interruptions.
For archival purposes issues from #252 to #258 are still going to be listed in the same era, since I somewhat arbitrarily decided to split the eras when “Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes” gets renamed as simply “Legion of Super-Heroes”.
Conway’s first priority is attempting to fix the mess from the previous saga.
Despite her presence on the cover, Dream Girl doesn’t have a very big role in the story.
We begin with her going inside Matter Eater Lad and discovering he has a thing for horses.
He should talk to Supergirl about it.
Just kidding, it’s actually an attempt to cure M.E.L. from his madness. I guess with help from Saturn Girl, otherwise Dream Girl entering his dreams makes no sense.
(it makes little sense regardless, but still)
This plan could use some work.
30th century health care at its finest.
And then SUDDEN FLAMING HORSES!!!
These are the Starburst Bandits. In addition to being a fantastic name for a rock band, they’re actually a serious threat.
We don’t hear the Starburst Bandits speak, but apparently they’re extremely alien. That really helps to make them cool despite a somewhat goofy look.
Back to the story, we learn the Starburst Bandits really get around the Galaxy.
The Legion is pretty bummed by all the recent mess.
In the middle of all this we learn that R.J.Brande has gone bankrupt.
Wait, didn’t we learn this several issues ago already!?
Turns out the Starburst Bandits have been stealing “synthetic neutronium”…
…and Saturn Girl reads their minds to know they plan to steal the same stuff FROM THE CORE OF EARTH’S SUN.
Okay, that’s just AWESOME. Neutronium is a real thing, by the way. In real life the Sun is nowhere near dense enough to have neutronium, but I can excuse this comic imagining the Starburst Bandits are actually after the Sun’s core.
Obligatory “why these guys were able to hurt Superboy” scene.
The Legion prevents the Starburst Bandits from carrying out their plan by crashing the Legion Cruiser against their ship! That’s a cool moment, but they could’ve used Wildfire.
And so we end with Sun Boy curing the Sun to prevent it from blowing up as a consequence of the Starburst Bandits’ activities.
Legion fans who know what happens to Sun Boy in the Five Years Later era are dying inside right now.
Legion significance: 0/10
I wouldn’t have minded the Starburst Bandits as recurring villains, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Silver Age-ness: 6/10
The bad guys are trying to steal a piece of the Sun!!!
Does it stand the test of time? 7/10
A bit disjointed in places, but a step in the right direction. This was probably a one-shot story reworked to fit after the events of the previous issue, considering the M.E.L. and Brainiac 5 stuff has nothing to do with the rest. The story moves a little too quickly for my tastes (Superboy figuring out the neutronium connection is flimsy, as is the use of Dream Girl and Saturn Girl’s powers), but it’s still an enjoyable story.
We are legion
22 Legionnaires
5 reserve members
2 on sick leave (Brainiac 5 and Matter-Eater Lad)