Legionnaires 3 #3 (1986)
written by Keith Giffen (plot) & Mindy Newell (dialogue)
pencils by Ernie Colon
Ernie Colon’s artwork has been the least spectacular part of the miniseries so far, but that’s one damn good cover.
This issue is going to focus on Saturn Girl and Cosmic Boy, with the latter asking himself the same question of the readers: how much can the Time Trapper drag this out?
Saturn Girl is taking this the hardest: her son is still a prisoner, and the two have been separated from Lightning Lad.
Cosmic Boy is acting tough, but he’s blaming himself for getting them into trouble.
He’s pretty convinced that she’s had a mental breakdown, but… nope, she was just bored.
He’s not completely useless, though: he has a plan to escape this dungeon, which involves the (metallic?) parts of the costume that he keeps on his wrists and ankles.
I’m not entirely sure WHY he removed them, though. He explains that he needs to concentrate all his magnetism in one spot, but… couldn’t he do that WITH the metal things he carries around? If that causes problems, why does he have them on his costume!?
Despite that weird detail, it’s a neat use of Cosmic Boy’s powers: just because there was no metal for him to use inside the cell doesn’t mean he couldn’t reach underground!!!
Too bad the moment is a bit ruined by the artwork, because WTF is up with those running poses!?
Meanwhile, the Time Trapper is dealing with the nurse he hired kidnapped to handle the Legion baby.
I don’t get why Saturn Girl is so worried about this guy, clearly he has her son’s well-being in mind.
So far, the Time Trapper’s base has been a rather generic sci-fi setting without much flair.
And then the Legionnaires arrive at Mindf##k Central here.
Yeah, that’s, uhm… that’s about anyone’s reaction, really.
Back on Earth, Lightning Lass is dealing with a being almost as terrifying as the Time Trapper: Saturn Girl’s motormouth aunt.
Note her snipe remark at her niece’s choice of codename; based on this, and on her not showing any sign of having telepathy, leads me to believe the aunt is not from Titan.
It’s still weird to see the Legionnaires using Brainiac 5’s holographic projector to disguise themselves, instead of Satun Girl’s mind powers.
You’d think the Time Trapper would get mad at his soldiers for letting his prisoners escape, but he’s not even killing them. Not by himself at least.
The Legionnaires manage to capture the Time Trapper’s main henchman…
…with Saturn Girl basically torturing him to get the location of her kid!!!
I appreciate the sentiment, Cosmic Boy, but I think you’re being too harsh. He’s treating this as if she was killing the henchman, but A) it’s not that clear B) Saturn Girl should have enough control over her telepathy to get the information, so WTF!?
An argument could be made that MAYBE she’s so upset about her baby that she’s lost control of her power, or that the henchman has enough willpower to resist a standard mind-probe, but… look at this guy!!! Forget telepathy, a light breeze would send him into panic mode!
I do like the idea that everyone is secretly just a little bit scared of Saturn Girl, though.
One of the surprises I’ve had during my entire retrospective was just how unremarkable Cosmic Boy was for DECADES. But he’s finally getting a decent characterization.
I wonder if Saturn Girl is hearing his entire mental monologues. She IS still Saturn Girl after all.
Saturn Girl is scary, but it’s Cosmic Boy who unleashes THIS THING against the Time Trapper’s soldiers.
Okay now I want to see that movie.
The bumbling henchman has taken up way too much space in this miniseries, but it was worth it for this little gem here.
He leads the Legionnaries to the nursery, and Saturn Girl has had enough.
See why she’s scary? At any moment you could start beating the crap out of your buddy without knowing why.
The Legionnaires finally arrive at the nursery, expecting to see the Time Trapper keeping the kid hostage…
…he wanted Lightning Lad. The baby was just the bait.
I’m sure he’ll be fine.
Legion significance: 3/10
Other than the fact that Lightning Lad was the real target, everything else is fundamentally unimportant for the main plot.
Silver Age-ness: 2/10
The entire gag with the nurse is too dark for the Silver Age, but I can see the sniveling henchman there.
Does it stand the test of time? 6/10
It’s fine, but even slower than the previous issue. Focusing on just two of the three founders was a good idea, especially by pairing the two who have rarely been the focus together.
But 95% of the story just focuses on Cosmic Boy, resulting in an uneven story. Is Saturn Girl really as broken as he thinks? Or is he misunderstanding? I think he overreacted to the interrogation scene.
The Time Trapper continues to be the highlight of the series. He’s primed to go full Doctor Doom at any moment, but there’s an eerie tranquility to him… he doesn’t seem bothered or angered by anything, which make his murders much more impactful by contrast.