Secrets of the Legion of Super-Heroes #1 (1981)
by E. Nelson Bridwell (plot), Paul Kupperberg (script) & Jim Janes (pencils)
This is a three-issue miniseries that supposedly provides an update to the readers about the origins of the team and its lore, which at this point was already quite extensive.
While you might expect this would have little new information, it actually includes several retcons and will later have a major revelation.
We learn on the very first page that R.J.Brande is sick. This features every single active and reserve Legionnaire (even Supergirl and Tyroc showed up!). The final page has a list of all Legionnaires which include Blok, but since he doesn’t show up in person I’m going to assume this takes place before he’s formally a member.
R.J.Brande is currently sick of Mentor Figure Disease, and remembering his connection to the Legion is going to be the framing device to narrate everything again.
You might think this could be done by the Legionnaires themselves narrating the flashbacks, but nope, we need to have the bad guys infiltrating the headquarters AGAIN.
Honestly at this point why don’t they just keep the door open!?!?
Random things of interest: not only 14 year olds are considered adults on Braal, they look 24!!!
Either Saturn Girl’s mother had telekinesis or Titan has mind-controlled antigravity bottles.
At this point all retellings of Lightning Lad’s origin remember to include his brother and sister in the flashback, and the Lightning Beasts have a somewhat consistent look.
Sooo… how does one “look like a telepathic Titan” again????
Nothing really new for the origin story. Understandable, since Bridwell was the one to write it in Superboy 147.
It is kind of telling that while Cosmic Boy and Saturn Girl have their own reasons to agree to Brande’s proposition, Lighting Lad just kind of goes along because the others did.
The Quintile Crystal incident from DC Super-Stars #17 is also brought up.
But now we go into the minutiae of the Legion (on this site??? What a shock!).
For starters, we are explicitly told once again that Triplicate Girl and Phantom Girl are the first non-founders to join the Legion.
The first bit of new information has this early team fight Lucifer Seven, who despite having an awesome name is very generic. And that’s when Marla, a.k.a. the dude from the first Ultra Boy story, is brought up as… a consultant, I guess?
And it’s Phantom Girl, appropriately enough, to be inspired by Superboy’s use of the Phantom Zone Projector ™ on how to save the day.
I’m not entirely sure she really needed to see the tape to get the idea, but still, interesting use of her powers. It’s not used all that much but her power technically speaking isn’t becoming intangible, it’s phasing between one dimension and the other… intangibility is just a byproduct.
Lucifer Seven is actually the guy behind the Concentrator ™, the weapon from Adventure Comics #321, the first “proper” Time Trapper story.
Honestly I would’ve preferred to learn the Concentrator ™ was a weapon by the Controllers… it would’ve fit nicely with the then-canon idea of the Time Trapper being a rogue Controller, plus Lucifer Seven doesn’t really seam like a guy capable of building something like that.
Here is where we reach our first retcon. Brande supplies the Time Bubble ™ to the Legion; later stories will indicate he got it from Brainiac 5.
That’s not the retcon. It’s the idea that the Legion recruited Supergirl BEFORE they recruited Superboy!
This means Action Comics #267 takes place BEFORE Adventure Comics #247.
That’s… iffy. Supergirl mentions several times in that story that the Legion has recruited Superboy before her. While it is possible this take place in a different order from the Legion’s perspective, it still doesn’t serve much purpose. Plus it would mean that the Legion would then have no chance but proceed to recruit Superboy, since history could not be changed.
That story wasn’t clear on who joined the Legion once Supergirl was disqualified (for a very stupid reason), but we are now told it was Chameleon Boy.
Both Colossal Boy and Star Boy were also members before Superboy. While I don’t think there’s anything that outright contracts this… what’s the point????
The flashbacks end when we learn that Marla is one of the two people that have infiltrated the HQ, and Brainiac 5 wonders: is he implying that one of the Legionnaires tried to murder Brande?
Secrets of the Legion of Super-Heroes #2 (1981)
by E. Nelson Bridwell (plot), Paul Kupperberg (script) & Jim Janes (pencils)
Poor Tyroc, trying his best to get back into the comic.
When is Wildfire NOT in a punching mood?
For whatever reason, Bridwell seems adamant in placing all the early Supergirl stories featuring the Legion BEFORE the Superboy ones.
Since we are recapping the origins of all Legionnaires, at this point Brainiac 5’s origin had become needlessly complicated by the decision to turn the original Brainiac into a robot.
But this is a chance for an extremely rare glimpse into the full genealogy of Brainiac 5, which goes:
Vril Dox (Brainiac 1), Vril Dox II (Brainiac 2), Pran Dox (Brainiac 3), Kajz Dox (Brainiac 4) and finally Brainiac 5 (Querl Dox).
We’re also reminded of the origin of Shrinking Violet and finally, FINALLY the Legion recruits Superboy. Who was originally the fourth person to join; the idea that Triplicate Girl and Phantom Girl joined earlier pre-dates this miniseries, but now Superboy is the TWELFTH to join.
And that’s the only reason given for screwing up the continuity… the Legion didn’t feel worthy of Superboy to offer membership until later in their career. Why, Bridwell, why!?!?!?
We then go through the origins of all other Legionnaires. Bridwell screws up Karate Kid’s, because “Kirau Nezumi” was the name of KK’s father, NOT of his sensei.
After Projectra’s origin, Wildfire demonstrates he’s just about as engaged in this story as I am.
Saturn Girl also has had enough of this…
…and drops the bombshell of this miniseries.
So basically 99% of this story could’ve been skipped with a paternity test.
At least we got a sweet two-page spread of the Legion HQ.
Secrets of the Legion of Super-Heroes #3 (1981)
by E. Nelson Bridwell (plot), Paul Kupperberg (script) & Jim Janes (pencils)
The cover feels like there’s a new threat that comes out of nowhere, which is kind of what happens.
So why is Marla going through the various origins and backgrounds of all Legionnaires? Because he needs a relative of Brande to save his life.
This is dumb. Leaving aside the obvious idea of running a paternity test (was it really THAT far-fetched an idea for 1980???), we know from Superboy #206 that the 30th century has cloning technology! Can’t they make a clone of Brande and take its blood? Or if they can’t because Brande’s blood is contaminated, they can make clones but not check the DNA of the Legionnaires???
Wildfire tells us he can’t be Brande’s son… because he’s adopted. Nevermind the fact that it’s contradicted by other stories, but WTF does that mean!?!? If you’re adopted and you don’t actually know your biological father it would make you the PERFECT suspect, not the other way around!
Although to be fair, if he WAS Brande’s son it wouldn’t solve anything because he has no blood to donate.
Ah, so it WAS Tyroc in the first issue’s splash page. It also confirms my idea that he has resigned and he’s not a reserve at this point.
But then the Science Police calls the Legion to warn them about a star about to go nova!
Kind of weird choice in people to bring with you, Wildfire. I guess Shadow Lass could shield the power from the light of the nova and Element Lad might, I don’t know, create a shield of Inertron… but what is Chameleon Boy going to do? And why not take at least Mon-El with you?
Exactly like Tyroc, Dawnstar is dismissed as a relative of Brande because neither was born on Earth and neither one is white.
I do like that they also consider the dead Legionnaires and their relatives. What I don’t get is why they completely dismiss the possibility they are related to Brande because, again, nobody is running any sort of test.
Things are so desperate that the origins of the Substitute Heroes are analyzed, and even the honorary members. You know things have hit rock bottom when you get to “I wonder if Jimmy Olsen could save us?”.
It’s at this point that Marla realizes the entire premise of the whole story has been completely useless the whole time.
Then Saturn Girl has finally had enough and decides to straight up reading Brande’s mind. COULDN’T SHE DO IT THREE ISSUES AGO!?!?
At least the whole thing links back to the supernova plot, because a vital clue on how to prevent it from exploding is inside Brande’s mind.
So basically the only one to actually do something useful in the entire story is Saturn Girl. AGAIN.
So after a while Marla puts two and two together: Chameleon Boy is the son of R.J.Brande!
Brande is cured with a transfusion and the star is repaired before it can explode, but the Legion’s benefactor has some explaining to do.
You might be thinking “Wait, we have seen Chameleon Boy’s mother”, but it was actually his aunt.
So… yeah. Brande is a shapeshifter stuck in human form, and one of the reasons why he has founded the Legion was the chance to stand by his son.
Except how the heck did Brande know his son would one day try to join????
Legion significance: 8/10
Brande being the father of Chameleon Boy actually plays an important role later on.
Silver Age-ness: 4/10
As a retelling of mostly Silver Age stories.
Does it stand the test of time? 2/10
I’m sure this is useful for someone who wants to learn about the Legion’s history and can’t get his hands on the reprints (or follow this site!)… but overall it’s quite a waste of pages.
95% of the miniseries is people standing around and explaining stuff that the other people in the room should already know, or at the very least should be able to read on a computer screen.
There’s absolutely no sense of urgency, even when the supernova plot is introduced.
The dialogue is very bland and interchangeable (other than a couple of Wildfire jokes), and even with the flashbacks there’s basically zero action.
I’m fine with the idea of Brande being the father of a Legionnaire, although I would’ve preferred if HE didn’t know about it until now… it lessens the idea of him financing the team because it’s the right thing to do, which was a big part of Brande’s charm.
What I really, REALLY don’t like is screwing with the chronology of Legion stories. Legion history is already complicated as it is, what is accomplished by having Supergirl join the team before Superboy???
We are legion
21 Legionnaires
6 reserve members
1 on sick leave (Matter-Eater Lad)