Justice League Europe Annual #2 (1991)
written by Keith Giffen & Gerard Jones
pencil by Curt Swan & lots of people
cover by Kevin Maguire
We don’t talk about the co-writer.
The issue has NINE different artists, with each one focusing on a different chapter.
The Legion story is penciled by Curt Swan himself.
The framing device is that the members of the Justice League Europe have been scattered across time. The one to reach the 30th century is Blue Jay, a minor hero from another Earth that has moved to the regular DC one.
The gimmick behind his Earth is that it was populated by equivalents of Marvel heroes; since Blue Jay can shrink and grow wings, he’s kind of the equivalent of Wasp.
You better believe I’m including rejects for the membership count. As usual I will only include those that receive a name, though, since we don’t know if the others participate or are the audience.
Since it looks like Blue Jay teleported, the Legionnaires are eager to recruit him.
Notice Lightning Lad has a robotic arm, so this is set some time after Adventure Comics #332.
The 5YL era has an obsession with the Legionnaires having ridiculous codenames, which is a gross overestimation. Just a couple of rejects had dumb names, not everybody!
Still confused about his time travel, Blue Jay admits that his power is less spectacular.
You better believe I’m including Aphid Girl in the count. Saturn Girl wouldn’t talk badly about a random superhero if it wasn’t related to an audition.
Which means Blue Jay is the first person rejected from the Legion without even applying for membership.
Polar Boy is always on the lookout for new Substitute members.
Blue Jay doesn’t actually join the Subs though, since he’s brought back to the 20th century.
Legion significance: 0/10
Looks like the Legionnaires don’t remember meeting Blue Jay. Can you blame tham?
Silver Age-ness: 10/10
I can totally see this happening in the Silver Age. Unlike other Giffen uses of the “ridiculous heroes” concept, it’s not particularly mean-spirited.
Does it stand the test of time? 10/10
It’s a cute gag that you can do at any point of the Legion’s history.
We are legion
62 people have been rejected.
Adding Insulation Lad, Faucet Girl, Aphid Girl and Blue Jay.
Of course they don’t remember him…it didn’t actually happen, it was just a possible future that Waverider “read” for him. At least he got an actual mini-story, as opposed to his teammate the Silver Sorceress.
Brainiac 5 introduced the flight rings in Adventure 329, before Lightning Lad acquired the robot arm. Perhaps the Legion had a surplus of flight belts they wanted to get rid of.
What seems more out of sync with me is Saturn Girl’s acknowledgement that Blue Jay looks “kind of old.” The Legion had strict rules about members not being over the age of 18 when they joined. Supergirl was initially rejected when she was *temporarily* aged to adulthood thanks to red kryptonite.
Anyway, it looks like a fun parody.
The 5YL era desperately needed more light-hearted bits of inconsequential fun like this.
Insulation Lad and Faucet Girl would’ve gotten in, but the Legionnaires had already finished remodeling the downstairs bathroom.