Legionnaires #24 (1995)
by Tom Peyer & Jeff Moy
In case you forgot how the last issue ended.
Investigating the assault on Triad, the other Legion girls investigate a lead.
Turns out that the white triangle is a symbol for xenophobes, and the comic is not pulling any punches here. Especially with that “kill Durlans during birth” graffiti.
Everyone is obviously angry about the situation, but Shrinking Violet particularly so.
Here’s hoping that Earth WILL become civilized in the next thousand years, Jenni.
A connection is made to the Planet Hell plot. Props to my readers for pointing this out in the comments at the time.
Violet DOES make a connection to the thugs they met previously, but she’s too shy to make any accusations towards Andromeda.
As for the Triad who was beat up… it’s not looking good.
Triad’s people are not going to be of any help. We’ll soon see why.
Jeff Moy’s artwork works extremely well despite the massive tonal shift from the whimsical previous issue. Actually, I think it makes the scene even MORE effective.
Up to this incarnation, Triplicate Girl and Triad were basically the only member of their race that we truly knew. So instead of just saying that EVERYONE on her planet works the same way, the Reboot does something different.
The pre-Crisis status quo of all being essentially clones is still the standard on the planet, but Triad is different.
This puts a great strain on her parents, who just don’t understand her.
Throughout the flashback we see pictures of Valor / Mon-El: while multiple planets in the Reboot worship him as a god, Triad’s planet is particularly faithful.
That’s obviously going to be important when *spoiler alert* Mon-El joins the Reboot.
Triad’s father is not the ONLY man from this planet who will abandon a Legionnaire after their birth, so I wonder if they were going to reveal that they are half-siblings.
No spoiler in the comments for those who have no idea what I’m talking about.
Triad’s relationship with her mother isn’t any more healthy.
Few things emphasize just how much Triad’s three bodies are different people as her thinking that “only one of her” mourned the death of their mother.
We finally have some good new for Triad, as her grandmother is the only one to understand her.
…because she ALSO has different personalities for her bodies, as she explains in her deathbed.
The great secret of her planet is that they developed their power to better deal with their emotions…
…but their society forces them to hide and constrain their emotions.
It’s not the most tragic backstory of a Legionnaire, but it’s among the saddest.
For obvious reasons this issue doesn’t have a lot of jokes, but this one made me laugh.
Brainiac 5 believes that the only way to save Triad is if all three of her bodies fuse at the same time.
Unfortunately getting all three to work together is easier said than done.
I’ve waited to use the terminology until it got properly introduced in-universe, but from this point I’ll refer them with their nicknames whenever it’s clear which Triad we’re talking about.
Triad-Violet is impulsive, brash and flirty.
Triad-Orange is hesitant and shy.
Triad-Neutral is exactly what you thing she is.
Did you think that the sadness in Triad’s backstory ended with the dead grandma?
This is a not-so-subtle allegory for conversion therapy, something that I don’t think was particularly well-known in mainstream media in 1995.
I can’t speak from experience, but from what I’ve seen and read over the years… yeah it’s awful stuff.
On the VERY slim chance that this wasn’t deliberate, it’s still scary how it tracks.
Triad managed to escape from the mental institution, running into a familiar face.
How can you possibly not love Reboot R.J.Brande?
But does he have a darker side?
Of course he doesn’t, he’s R.J.Brande.
If you don’t also want to hug that teddy bear with moustache, we can’t be friends.
Time to attempt the merge another time, if only Triad-Violet and Triad-Orange could work together.
This is one of the many reasons why Triad is an amazing character. The whole personality stuff could have led to the three bodies being stereotypes… but no, they’re still separate PEOPLE.
The merging works, saving all three. Brainiac 5 is ecstatic about it.
In any continuity, Brainiac 5 remains a mystery within an enigma beneath a lab coat.
Soooo… happy ending right?
Right?
Legion significance: 10/10
This basically sets the tone for ALL of Triad’s characterization, and as mentioned… we’re not done dealing with the white triangle.
Silver Age-ness: 0/10
Even if a Silver Age writer wanted to tackle the subject, I very much doubt it would have been accepted back then.
Does it stand the test of time? 10/10
An underappreciated masterpiece. Given the subject matter it could easily have come off as preachy, but subtlety makes it more effective.
While Triad is obviously the focus… or maybe I should say Triad ARE the focus… there’s a lot of other great characterizations. From Saturn Girl being proud of Violet become more assertive, to Violet reverting to her shyness when she realizes what Andromeda has done, to Brainiac 5 being simultaneously cold and caring. And course to Brande being at his Brandest.
The Legion Awards for this era are going to have a lot of strong contenders, but don’t be surprised if this one shows up on the podium.
“Don’t call me Brainy”: 4
Who did it better?
It’s unfair to compare this origin to Triplicate Girl’s, who didn’t really HAVE one.
The biggest contrast is with the SW6 Triad, who in addition to looking exactly like the Reboot version was the one to properly introduce the three separate personalities… and ended up making them walking stereotypes like nearly everyone else in that series.
We are legion
- 13 active Legionnaires (4 volunteers, 9 drafted)
- 1 resigned member
- 1 deceased member
- 15 people have been members
- 2 Legion leaders (Leviathan, Cosmic Boy)
- 2 members have been rejected
Interesting letters: the other side of the coin of having two Legion books.
You’re going to need more coins.
We have a letter talking about Zero Hour was Crisis for the Legion, which was the only title to have skipped the Crisis for the most part.
I wonder if Joe eventually returned to the series, but I find it interesting that while he talks about getting rid of 40 years of Legion history… he mostly talks about things that only happened in the 5YL era.
Of course in MY opinion the Legion is infinitely better without Kent Shakespeare, Furball, Sun Boy’s suicide, the destruction of the Moon and the Earth, Batch SW6, Blok’s tasteless death and Laurel Kent’s nonsensical retcon. Even if it DOES mean missing the good parts as well.
Considering that the Reboot managed to last for 10 years (longer than any incarnation after the original) while maintaining 2 regular books for the majority of that time, I’d say Joe was in the minority.
One of the black spots of the Reboot, however, will be the lack of same-sex relationships (despite what fans wants to see in the subtext). The 90s were not ready I guess.
Beau has a lot of suggestions for the Reboot, but the sixth is interesting.
Thanks to having two books, the Legion will manage to both participate AND avoid company-wide crossovers!
Spot on for the 10 year window before the next reboot, that’s impressive.
Hands down one of the best Legion origins ever. The parallels to conversion therapy were obvious. They were also a metaphor for any young person who feels constrained by society’s unreasoning conformity. Lu’s situation parallels that of Mekt Ranzz, who, not being a twin, was regarded as “different” in his culture. Fortunately, Lu’s situation had a much better outcome. It’s a pity Mekt didn’t have a loving grandmother or R.J. Brande to look after him.
R.J. is just the best, and this version is the best of the best.
I get where Joe was coming from. I also mourned the loss of 40 years of continuity, but issues like this one were prime stuff. Just the look on Imra’s face when she realized what a truly good man R. J. Brande is was worth the price of admission.
And we’re still in the set-up phase. There’s massive pay-off coming down the line.
Is that a Moy tongue or a piece of cookie hanging out of her mouth in the second panel of the little Luornus sitting around the table?
It looks like it could be her tongue, but I think it’s not clear enough to qualify.
I find it difficult to believe that Brainy couldn’t find any medical history of partial Carrgite reintegration. I mean, surely there have been similar incidents where one Carrgite body has been badly hurt? Or is Luornu unique (funny word considering… y’know, three of her) like she was in the original continuity? Did other Carrgite triads just all get the injuries of one, or die? Sorry if I’m asking questions with obvious answers, but I didn’t read this series; I was on comics hiatus for most of the 90s.
It’s not spelled out, but given Brainy’s dislogue and Triad’s reaction my understanding is that Carggites never do partial integration and that when one body dies it’s a given that all three die. Luornu seems to be “special” only in the sense that she manages to tolerate more pain, has more willpower and a better control of her native abilities.
Not surprising since she’s Legion material.
Way to capture a new generation of readers!
This is the best way to show what it means ‘lights and shadows’ in a world that spells ‘all is magnificent’ while reminding us it is FAR from perfect.
I hoped the Triad had a telepathic link other than empathic, but I guess it would’ve spoiled the suspense of the ‘whudunit?’