Legion of Super-Heroes v3 #48 (1988)
by Paul Levitz & Greg LaRoque
cover by Ken Steacy
Despite not getting the cover, this is the last issue with Greg LaRoque as penciler.
We begin with Duo Damsel informing the rest of the conspiracy that Tellus is close to figuring out the mystery. Great job from LaRoque in showcasing Saturn Girl’s disappointment!
There’s also the problem of Sensor Girl knowing something is up.
However Brainiac 5 is sure that his new Kirby technology is ready to proceed with the plan.
There’s still the problem of powering this mysterious machine, which requires a power source that is not available anywhere on Earth.
So it’s up to Mon-El, the last member of the conspiracy.
This requires Mon-El to find a white dwarf star…
…and BRING IT HOME.
The fact that the white dwarf star is THAT small is ridiculous: yes they are extremely small… compared to stars! That thing should be the size of Earth!!!
Now if that was a neutron star it would be SLIGHTLY more believable, but those things still have a diameter of at least 10 kilometers!
The conspiracy has nothing to fear from Tellus.
It’s Sensor Girl that decides to take action.
The most extensive explanation of how Sensor Girl’s powers work that we will ever get.
Element Lad recognizes that the Legion mood is changing. That will CERTAINLY be the case after #50.
And then SUDDEN STAR!!!
Yes, Mon-El just BROUGHT A FREAKING STAR TO EARTH!!!
I don’t doubt that Brainiac 5 can build something that can hold a star, but HOW IS EARTH NOT ON FIRE???
Excellent question, Mon-El!!! Wouldn’t it have been more safe to bring the equipment to the star instead of the other way around?
Still, we get a badass boast from Brainiac 5.
Too bad even his tech can’t handle a full star.
This scenario would be far more believable if Brainiac 5 used the force field to contain the star!
That leaves the rest of the Legion to deal with this mess.
Dream Girl got a rotten deal with her time as leader… she started strong with the Great Darkness Saga but she was stuck with unimpressive results.
But watch her immediately take charge and use the various Legion powers to great effect!
Not a great look for the conspirators.
This is getting to the core of what is creating so much friction within the Legion: the old guard is doing whatever it wants, unchecked by the others, and the new recruits are too timid to do much.
That’s also why this was the absolute worst moment to elect Polar Boy as a leader, because he’s either completely absent like now or he’s not respected enough to make a difference.
In other plots, Starfinger is planning to get his hands on a Flight Ring.
Which means that Chameleon Boy, who I remind you is the only Legionnaire currently on the case, decides to sneak into the Science Police headquarters…
…to create a fake Flight Ring that Starfinger won’t be able to use to kill the Legionnaires.
The Science Police picked a bad moment to suddenly become competent.
Too bad Chameleon Boy is in the 30th century. If he was in the 20th he would absolutely get his own solo book because he’s just incredible on his own!
But Starfinger still gets a Flight Ring to use…
…courtesy of Colossal Boy, apparently.
Legion significance: 7/10
The conspiracy is going to be massively important, but since we won’t really learn what it’s all about until next issue it’s relatively low.
Silver Age-ness: 10/10
Mon-El brought an entire star to Earth!!!
Does it stand the test of time? 9/10
Much like the previous issues, a lot of your enjoyment is going to depend on whether you like to see a dysfunctional Legion. I normally don’t, but I still think in this case it works.
As much as I’ve made fun of the sheer absurdity of Mon-El’s feat, that’s the kind of comic book nonsense you’d expect in a superhero universe.
Chameleon Boy’s solo mission is great: I still don’t care about Starfinger, but watching Cham be supremely confident and effective is very satisfying.
We are legion
24 active Legionnaires
6 reserve members
12 deceased members
Interesting letters: the Legion election is coming up, and we get a full ballot!
I know I have several readers who were Legion readers at the time… has any of you ever submitted an actual ballot?
