Legion Awards: Great Darkness Saga

As you might imagine I have a lot to say about this short era: not only it’s unquestionably the most famous Legion storyline, but it’s also how I discovered the Legion in the first place.
Every Legion fan has read this one and has an opinion on it. The GDS set the standard for the Legion in many different ways: scope, complexity, artwork, even expectations on sales.
This is going to be a looooong award session, so let’s start with the awards to this era as a whole.

Legion significance: 10/10
It couldn’t possibly have any other score. While there aren’t as many direct consequences as you might expect, the Legion will be under the shadow of the GDS for the longest time (pun intended).

Silver Age-ness: 4/10
Relatively low as it’s to be expected from the 80s, but a huge bump is provided by the finale.

Does it stand the test of time? 9/10
It has problems, as discussed below, and in many ways it’s overrated. But it does feel like a modern storyline, juggling a huge cast and a great number of subplots. Its most often cited weakness is the finale, but some of the logistics (especially the Daxamites) don’t hold well to a closer look.
Despite this, you could do ALMOST everything in a comic published today.

Before the awards themselves, something special for such an important saga.
I’ve asked the wonderful folks of Legion World their opinion of the GDS, and these are the results: 58% of those who voted consider it among the best Legion stories (which is also my opinion), with an additional 21% thinking it’s THE best Legion story.

As it’s to be expected, it’s a polarizing story. Here are some of the comments (edited for brevity) from Legion World members:

I don’t like it. The story starts out promisingly enough, but soon degenerates into one tedious fight after another against the Servants. And just when it looks like it might get good again, the Sorcerers Planet sequence falls flat — we’re not even SHOWN key events.
Ann Hebistand

I did not care for the whole end bit with the New Genesian child or whatever (In a Legion story arc, I want the *Legion* to be the ones who win the day, not a miracle baby I’ve never heard of and will never see again.) But other than that, I really liked most of the rest of it. Every time I see Darkseid touted as the biggest of big bads against the Justice League, I feel like ‘the Legion did this better.’
Set

I have to say, I would place it among the very best – but I chose it being overrated because I feel some fans give it more credit than it deserves. So in the end, I did love it and think it’s great, I just think some others praise it too much.
Invisible Brainiac

There was a lot of great characterization here across the board, which is what people remember the most. It showed that you could create intelligent superhero/scifi multi-issue arcs that were pretty epic in scope. I think several stories, even in Levitz’s run, are better than this, but it holds the place it does in fandom for what it represents about the Legion.
Gaseous Lad

Every time I read it, I love it all over again. As epic as everything is, I think it’s that the characters are so alive and not overlooked amid all the chaos. I honestly don’t think I’d be the Legion fan I am if I came in to the fold at any other time.
Paladin

GDS is flawed in certain ways, but it made it exciting to be a Legion fan at the time. GDS was part science fiction, part mystery, part super-hero, and part character drama. It weaved all of these genres together as well as the various subplots.
He Who Wanders

GDS was one of those stories that no matter your knowledge of the Legion it swept the reader along and they wouldn’t resist. While there may be single issues that I rate higher, as a multi-part story it represents to me exactly how good the Legion can be.
Harbinger

And now, ladies and gentlemen: the Legion Awards!

BEST LEGIONNAIRE

Winner: Saturn Girl
I swear I’m not actively trying to give her a positive trophy every single time! But she’s the only one who stays level-headed throughout the story despite being involved in personal drama. Her being tempted to cheat on her husband is written WAY better than Light Lass’ jealousy. But unlike her sister-in-law, when the time comes to get serious, Saturn Girl continues to be the epitome of professionalism and keeps the drama to her solo story.

Runner-up: Dream Girl
Her winning the election comes as a surprise; if the letters page is to be believed, also to the authors. But while it would be unfair to give her too much credit for the Legion winning the GDS, she proves herself more competent than anybody expected. She’s also the one saving everyone’s life on the Orando mission thanks to some creative use of the Flight Ring and clever psychology.

Third place: Shadow Lass
Not only her reaction to one of the Servants being a clone of her ancestor was interesting, but she’s also surprisingly important to the whole story. Her powers are one of the reasons Darkseid is awakened, she provides a clue to his identity, and she even plays a small part in Highfather’s endgame.

Honorable mention: Invisible Kid II
He stays invisible for the most part (pun intended), but his plan to discover the identity of The Master would’ve worked if Darkseid wasn’t that terrifying. And while his immediate promotion to full member strains credibility, he gets commended for his courage by both Brainiac 5 and Superboy.

WORST LEGIONNAIRE

Winner: Chameleon Boy
Causes an interstellar diplomatic incident on a stupid mission that almost gets his whole team killed and misses most of the action. Not your best moment, Cham.

Runner-up: Light Lass
Talk about a drama queen. Her reaction to what happened on the asteroid is infuriating considering nothing happened, and it really shows how toxic her relationship with Timber Wolf really was.

Third place: Element Lad and Ultra Boy
Both were so focused on the election at the worst possible moment that they are equally deserving of this. Is it really the time to compete when you discover your new enemy is stronger than both Mordru and the Time Trapper!?

Dishonorable mention: Kid Psycho
Everybody shows up for the big fight… EVERYBODY… except Tyroc and Kid Psycho. For once I’m willing to cut Tyroc some slack since he’s in another dimension, but what is Kid Psycho’s excuse? He’s supposed to be the secret weapon to be used only in the most dire situation, but if he doesn’t show up even for Darkseid, what’s the point? The Wanderers bothered to show up! THE WANDERERS!!!

PARTICIPATION TROPHIES

Last minute arrivals: Superboy and Supergirl
Superboy barely does anything at the start, but his return with Supergirl to deliver the final blow to Darkseid is very satisfying.

Eternal supporting characters: Bouncing Boy and Duo Damsel
They’re never the deciding factor, but you have to admire that these two (three?) are always there to give their support and characterization.

Best new couple: Colossal Boy and Shrinking Violet
Their relationship has just been established but they already have a fantastic chemistry, which is particularly impressive since we’ll soon discover that REDACTED.

Best old couple: Princess Projectra and Karate Kid
It’s a bit overshadowed by the GDS, but these two have one of the most significant changes in the status quo since their first appearance.

Taking one for the team: Mon-El
The poor guy just can’t catch a break. Not only he’s the one to be knocked out by Darkseid… once he wakes up, I wouldn’t want to be the one telling him what happened to his planet!

Never catching a break award: Lightning Lad
Seriously, the only good thing in his life is being married to Saturn Girl: absolutely everything else seems to be causing him nothing but trouble!

MOST IMPROVED LEGIONNAIRE: Brainiac 5
He’s been quite unimpressive in the last few eras, but Levitz has found his voice for him. His confrontation with Computo is well executed, he’s taking responsibility for the crazy stuff he did in the Omega storyline, and his last scene with Supergirl is just wholesome.

BEST NEW LEGIONNAIRE: White Witch
She shows up at the very end, but she really steals every scene she’s in. Magic has always been part of the Legion’s universe, but White Witch brings a new perspective. And her personality feels distinct enough to give her a niche nobody else fills.

WORST NEW LEGIONNAIRE: Invisible Kid II
To be clear, he’s not a bad character! But him being granted instant full membership feels undeserved, and while he does make a great impression at the start of the GDS, he’s sidelined pretty quickly to the point of really becoming invisible.

BEST VILLAIN

Winner: Computo
Yes, he (it?) beats even Darkseid! The terror that his return causes is just as chilling, but unlike Darkseid this is a threat on a personal and emotional level. Admittedly he’s not exactly a complex character, but when you’re THIS terrifying, do you really need anything else?

Runner-up: Darkseid
Sorry man, you’re awesome but you don’t quite get the top spot.

Third place: the Servants
None of them is really compelling enough. But collectively they are very scary!

Honorable mention: Khundia
While no individual Khund is particularly threatening, their planet is just a terrifying place.
(scraping the bottom of the barrel for this one, I know, but you try finding enough villains for all categories!)

WORST VILLAIN

Winner: Composite Superman II
Yep! World’s Finest 284 was published during this era, and while its chronological placement is dubious at best, it counts. And I think we can all agree that the second Composite Superman, a.k.a. Amalgamax, sucks to the nth degree.

Runner-up: Mordru and Time Trapper
Not their finest moment, although at least Time Trapper will be retconned to being someone else.

Third place: R’Xalim
What a waste of a great character design and backstory.

Dishonorable mention: Pharoxx and Hagga
They’re fine villains for the Orando storyline, but so much more could’ve been done with them.

MOST INFLUENTIAL STORY

Winner: Legion of Super-Heroes #294
The finale will have huge consequences down the line, and Darkseid’s shadow (pun intended) will continue to plague the Legion for many incarnations.
Runner-up: Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #1
The whole Computo situation, the debut of the new Invisible Kid, and the formal re-introduction of Shvaughn Erin.
Third place: Legion of Super-Heroes #288
Princess Projecta being crowned will have a huge influence. Plus if Chameleon Boy hadn’t stranded the team on that asteroid, A LOT of stories would’ve turned out differently!
Honorable mention: Legion of Super-Heroes #293
While not exactly being the center of many stories, the devastation of Daxam will be revisited.

BEST STORY

Winner: Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #1
Taken as a whole, the five parts of the Great Darkness Saga should probably rank higher. But no single issue gets to the same level of quality and pathos of the annual.
Runner-up: Legion of Super-Heroes #293
My favorite part of the saga. Say what you will about the plot holes that will be caused by the exchange between Daxam and Apokolips… Darkseid switching them is to this day one of the coolest and most terrifying things I’ve seen in a comic book. Plus I have a soft spot for how the Superman Servant is defeated.
Third place: Legion of Super-Heroes #294
The finale gets as epic as possible, with an appearance by ALMOST everybody even remotely connected to the Legion!
Honorable mention: Legion of Super-Heroes #289 (Part 1)
While Light Lass is extremely annoying in this, the rest of the relationship drama on the asteroid is interesting and the search for the missing Legionnaires is compelling.

WORST STORY

Winner: Legion of Super-Heroes #289 (Part 2)
This is heartbreaking for me, since this is the first complete Legion story I’ve ever read… but in retrospect, it’s a mess. The story doesn’t accomplish anything except stalling the Matter Eater-Lad situation, the villain is a waste of potential, and Brainiac 5’s solution depends on the garden having the exact type of flower needed. Ugh.
Runner-up: Legion of Super-Heroes #291 (Part 2)
Specifically the re-drawn version. The original wasn’t all that spectacular but it served its purpose; why re-draw it in a much worse way!?
Third place: Legion of Super-Heroes #287 (Part 2)
The prologue of the GDS didn’t need to be its own story, it could’ve easily been integrated as a subplot. The artwork sure doesn’t help it.
Dishonorable mention: World’s Finest #284
This is a much worse story than any of the above. But it’s inside this era only because of the publishing date, and its chronological placement is dubious. Choosing this as the worst story would be a copout.

MOST SILVER AGE PANEL

MOST MEME-WORTHY PANEL
Shrinking Violet defeating the villain sliding into his pants.

BEST ALIEN DESIGN: Chameleon Boy’s lawyer

BEST TECHNOBABBLE

WORST TECHNOBABBLE

BEST REACTION SHOT
Shadow Lass after learning about the first Computo story.

WORST REACTION SHOT

BEST PANEL
This panel from Legion of Super-Heroes 291 (Part 2) manages to do so much. It’s exposition, it’s showing the love between characters, and that artistic choice with the asteroid inside Lightning Lad’s silhouette is fantastic. Too bad this get botched when Giffen re-draws it!

WORST PANEL
I get that Matter-Eater Lad is currently insane, but who decided the best way to show it was drawing him smashing 20th century toys?

WORST RENAMING
“Composite Superman” was goofy, yes, but it was a billion times better than “Amalgamax”.

BEST BEARD: Star Boy

BEST SPLASH PAGE
The last page of Legion of Super-Heroes #288 would make one kickass poster!

MOST FANSERVICE PANEL
This is an equal opportunity trophy, so Mon-El wins this one.

WORST FANSERVICE PANEL
Please tell me she’s wearing something underneath those bubbles.

BEST COVER: Legion of Super-Heroes #293
What a way to integrate the logo into the action!

WORST COVER: Legion of Super-Heroes #292
It’s just bland, plus it brings into the spotlight the weakest part of the whole storyline: the McGuffin Baby.

COSTUMED AWARDS

BEST RETURNING COSTUME
Saturn Girl’s new costume is indistinguishable from the classic one, but it’s a worthy return. The pink swimsuit had its moments, but it was harder to take her seriously.
(this is not counted among Saturn Girl’s total amount of awards)

BEST NEW COSTUME

Winner: White Witch
Do you even remember how she used to look like?

Runner-up: Cosmic Boy
This is basically THE classic Cosmic Boy costume. He sure took his time to get it!!!

Third place: Dev-Em
Pretty generic, yes, but so is Dev-Em. And this is an improvement over his older costume.

Honorable mention: Shadow Lass
She wears a uniform taken from Takron Galtos for the second half of the storyline for basically no reason. It’s not a bad look for her.

WORST NEW COSTUME

 Winner: Darkseid
WTF is he wearing!? No wonder he didn’t want anyone to know it was him!!!

Runner-up: Karate Kid
At first I thought this abomination was just his regular clothes, but then he shows up in the final fight against Darkseid wearing this abomination.

Third place: Blok
What is up with this getup!? He looks like a He-Man supporting character!

HALL OF FAME (combining all eras)

7 good trophies
Saturn Girl (3 times Best Legionnaire winner, 1 time Best New Costume, 1 Best Legionnaire third place, 2 participation trophies) continues to be the team’s MVP.
6 good trophies
-Lightning Lad (Best Legionnaire runner-up, Best Legionnaire third place, 4 participation trophies)
-Shrinking Violet (Best Legionnaire third place, Most Improved Legionnaire, 4 participation trophies)
-Duo Damsel (1 Best Legionnaire, 1 Best Legionnaire runner-up, 1 Most Improved, 3 participation trophies)
-Bouncing Boy (6 participation trophies)

HALL OF INFAMY (combining all eras)

4 bad trophies
-Tyroc: Worst New Legionnaire, Worst New Costume, 2 Worst Legionnaire Third Place. No good or participation trophies.
3 bad trophies
-Light Lass: Worst Legionnaire, 2 times Worst Legionnaire runner-up
-Chemical King: 3 times Worst Legionnaire runner-up
-Chameleon Boy: once Worst Legionnaire, once Worst Legionnaire runner-up, once Worst Legionnaire third place