Legion of Super-Heroes #272 (1981)
by Gerry Conway & Steve Ditko
cover by Jim Janes & Dick Giordano
The cover asks who will be the next Legionnaire. Perhaps the only one on the cover that has appeared before?
We begin with Wildfire testing Blok’s powers, without much success.
It’s audition time again! It’s been AGES since the last time, more precisely since Superboy 218.
Spoiler alert: none of these guys will ever amount to much. They’ll hang around the Legion Academy, but they’re extremely forgettable. Interestingly, these were ALL created by Legion fans.
These days the auditions are more complicated than the old “just show your power once” standards. For example, you have to complete an obstacle course.
Blok’s approach is… well it’s very Blok.
Interesting that Wildfire is still in charge of the Legion Academy. He and Dawnstar are the Legionnaires with the shortest membership, but I guess that’s the point.
This is an opportunity to completely overhaul Blok’s origin story; most of what we got from #253 is glossed over or retconned.
He comes from a planet where animals never evolved, which is colonized by humans and named Dryad… because they focus on the fact that only trees grow here and don’t give a crap about the rocks. I have to give Conway credit, that’s quite creative!
If I had to use a single word to describe Blok it would probably be “wholesome”. Come on, how can you not love this guy?
(okay that’s technically one of his ancestors and not Blok himself, but the point stands)
Once Wildfire interrupts the tale to continue the audition, we cut to the Starbust Bandits from #252 who are still in jail for trying to steal a piece of the Sun’s core.
How will these incredibly powerful aliens with phenomenal cosmic technology escape? With the oldest trick in the book!
The discussion between Lightning Lad and Wildfire is very well done: both have strong points regarding Blok’s membership.
Plus it’s clear Wildfire has given his role more thought than he lets on.
Blok continues to narrate his origin. The canon is not very consistent about how his people age, or even if they do, but interestingly he was just a kid by the time the Legion showed up.
This is how the origin reconnects to the earlier Blok stories, once the Legion relocates the population to save them from the death of their star.
The audition will have to wait, because it’s time to deal with the Starbursts Bandits. Although the trainees suspect this is just a test.
Blok’s powers are not entirely consistent. His ability to absorb energy or mass seems to come and go, but his troubles with the Flight Ring do come up sometimes.
I looked forward to the return of the Starburst Bandits, who were AWESOME in their first appearance… but the fight scene is incredibly underwhelming. Is it just me or Ditko seems to be phoning this in?
Blok has been given a prominent role, but let’s give the other candidates their time to shine!
Yeah… not exactly a grand entrance, guys. That is their ONLY “contribution” to the fight.
Especially when all Blok needs to do to secure a win is just calmly take a walk.
And so we end with Blok being the first Legionnaire to join in the 80s.
Legion significance: 8/10
Blok is a fan-favorite for many Legion readers, myself included. The rejects will eventually join the Legion behind the scenes during the Five Year Gap, like so many minor characters, but we’ll never see them do anything.
Silver Age-ness: 2/10
Blok still hating the Legion still kind of work due to his more alien way of thinking, but that prison escape was hilarious.
Does it stand the test of time? 6/10
Blok’s origin is competently done, but did we really need a whole issue? The other applicants are incredibly dull (they don’t even get to use their powers!), and both the Starburst Bandits and Steve Ditko are a severe disappointment.
We are legion
With the addition of Blok, the Legion currently has 22 active members out of a total of 39 people who have ever been members. The Legion rejects however…