Legion of Superheroes #122

'Legion of the Damned Part One'

Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art:Oliver Coipel
Inks: Andy Lanning
Colors: Tom McGraw
Lettering: Comiccraft
Editor: Mike McAvennie


Data Download:

Earth, a technological paradise, heart of the star-spanning United Planets, the hope of the future made real...until now, when the planet and people have been laid waste and barren by the sudden invasion of a previously unknown alien race named the Blight.

Survivors are few, scarce and scared. Former Legionnaires Live Wire, Chameleon, XS help former Science Police office Shvaughn Erin in gathering these survivors together in hopes of bringing them to a Resistance base so they can be lifted off-world. But this recent patrol is suddenly attacked by a Blight patrol, led by their Hunter-Killers, former Legionnaires who appear to mind-controlled at best, darkly possessed at worst, in this case, Ultra Boy, Karate Kid and Umbra Sprite. Live Wire seeks to stave off his former comrades in hopes of buying the refugees a chance to escape but it quickly becomes futile. The humans are rounded up, XS and Officer Erin captured and Live Wire apparently killed by a pleased Ultra Boy using a nasty Blight weapon.

Only Cham survives, despaired and alone. The others are taken to the Blight's main hub for processing while Cham, fearful that he may be being tracked, leads any potential old teammates to the ruins of the Science Police HQ instead of the safety of the Resistance base. There, he is attacked by a Blighted Legion squad led by Star Boy. Cham uses his ingenuity and guile to escape capture (barely escaping an enraged Star Boy) when he comes to the dire conclusion that, even though it goes against the Legion code, lethal force may now be his own option available.

He's about to put that option to the test when he sees a new group approaching him, only to be completely surprised when he sees that it's Cosmic Boy, Brainiac 5, Monstress, and Apparition instead, Legionnaires thought to be dead since the beginning of the Blight invasion a month ago. Cos has his own questions, mainly, 'What the grife is going on?!"



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Quantum discussion:

 As with the best of stories, we start in the middle. DnA do a great job of thrusting the unsuspecting reader into a totally new and frightening environment, with little background on actual specifics. With narration boxes, they create a strong sense of dread and hopelessness, as the few Legionnaies left standing due what little they can to help the helpless. But it's also the shock of seeing former teammates attacking them, not only helping the alien invaders but in some ways, even enjoying it. It adds to the overall oppressive feel of what has happened to Earth and humanity.

DnA actually introduce the Blight earlier in Legion of Superheroes Secret Files and Origins #2, within a short story where a team of Legionnaires accidentally encounter a Blight ship (though they don't know that at that time) and crash-land upon a moon whose suffered the eventual fate of any world that's felt the touch of these invaders, decay and eventual destruction. Those Legionnaires barely escaped that world but it was a small glance of the horror to come.

DnA offer some good character moments here, from Garth's dedication to help the survivors above his own safety to XS trying her own best while overcoming her own fears. But the prime moments are given to Cham who, through his morphing abilities may be the ultimate survivor, seeing his comrades fall in battle or worse made to serve these dark horrors, becomes demoralized and feeling useless. But he doesn't quit, won't quit even in the face of this overwhelming devastation, a Legionnaire to the last. His small prayers of hope are seemingly answered when he finds Cos and his team alive and well. But this shows that DnA have a good grasp on what makes these characters tick and what makes them a formidable force against any foe.

Coipel's art heightens this darkness greatly, aided by McGraw's coloring. This is evident in the Blighted Legionnaires, with their disturbing armor pads and glowing red eyes. The menace is impressive. But Coipel also shines in the small moments, such as the panel of Cham kneeling, holding Garth's Legion ring, enhancing the small narration of Cham sobbing softly over his inability to save his friends.

There's the old adage that in order to create, you must first destroy. DnA have gotten off to a shockingly good start, leaving we the readers wondering what is going on and what, if anything, can be done about it?

Legionnaires #79

'Legion of the Damned: Damned If We Do!"

Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art: Oliver Coipel
Inking: Andy Lanning
Coloring: Tom McGraw
Lettering: Comic Craft
Editor: Mike McAvennie


Data Download:

Cham fills in Cosmic Boy and his team (Brainiac 5.1, Monstress, Apparition) about the Blight Invasion. They came through the stargate network and seemed unstoppable. Any resistance was quickly overwhelmed and once reaching planet side, the Blight's energy tendrils quickly ensnared the majority of Earth within 5 hours. Even now, a month later, they have little information in the way of who they are or what they really want. Brainy is fascinated by their high level of bio-technology, Tinya is apprehensive when she learns that Ultra Boy is Blighted, Cos is in disbelief, and Monstress wants to strike back.

Meanwhile, in the Blight's main hub (nicknamed the Stem due to it's organic-looking nature), XS is being sorted for processing. No one knows what happens within the Stem for no one has ever returned or escaped from it (not even the Legion squad led by Invisible Kid that infiltrated the hub some time ago). Elsewhere, Tinya dreams, recounting how her team, tasked with a previous rescue mission, missed the invasion. The Blight's invasion disrupted the entire stargate network,forcing Cos and his team to take the long way home via light drive after completing their mission.  Upon entering Earth's system, they made their way to the Legion Outpost station only to find it deserted. They discover the wasted state that Earth is currently in and manage to track down the only Legion source they can, Cham's flight ring. But they set off an alarm and barely escape before a Blight energy tendril annihilates the Outpost. With Brainy's help, Cos decides their only real option to infiltrate the Stem.

Meanwhile, XS is awake within his fluid cell, her metabolism helping her overcome the sedatives she was given. As she's being moved, she sees what appears to be Legionnaires strung up from the ceiling, with umbilical devices attached to them, given the sense that they are some kind of food. Horrified, Jenni is relieved to hear a faint yet familiar telepathic voice, Saturn Girl! Bursting free, Jenni swiftly rescues Imra in hopes of escaping. But she's too weak after her ordeal and desperate to relay what she's learned about the Blight's true motives telepathically. She injects this knowledge directly into Jenni's mind.

Outside, Cos begins their infiltration only to see a large squad of Blighted Legionnaires emerge, as if they were expecting them. Seeking cover, Cos is dismayed to see that this team may be out for their blood.


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Quantum discussion:

Aside from the confusing canon problems, a typical issue when writing the Legion is the sheer size of the team. Every fan has their favorite character whom they want to see get some decent page time which is daunting to accomplish when you only have 22-24 pages a issue. Levitz worked around this issue by focusing a small group on a main plot line while inserting a page or two of different sub-plot material featuring other characters, plots of which he would steadily work through as the issues progressed.

It's a fair approach to writing this type of team and it's a method that DnA adopt early on. By focusing on a small grouping, they are able to better explore the differing reactions and ideas of this new threat. Here with Cos' team, the reactions run the gamut. Cos, the nominal leader, is bewildered, unsure of what to do against this level of threat. Brainy, as usual, is only interested in the logical side of this puzzle though one wonders if this is also in some way to cover up any direct emotional reaction to the destruction that has reigned down upon his adopted home and teammates. Tinya's main concern is about Ultra Boy, Jo Nah. Whatever else that may have happened, if she can reunite/rescue Jo, then everything else can be fixed as readily. Monstress, recently new to the team and having found a new home where she can accepted despite her background and appearance, is ready to do any and all that is required to save it. DnA present a fair and interesting balance here among the characters in this instance.

Coipel's art again is amazing in it's starkness. From the flashbacks of the invasion itself to the dark disturbing confines of the Stem. But he does well too with emotional aspects of this part of the story. Tinya's frantic pleas and impatience in wanting to return to home and Jo, there's a small wonderful scene where she's trying to comfort Cham when he tells her about Jo being Blighted. In a small shot, she simply removes her hand from his with the next panel showing her whispering softly 'No..' as he continues. It's a small moment but highly effective and believable which is why it works so well.

DnA also start in with the hard sci-fi, ably assisted by having Brainy around to espouse theories. These moments can also lend to some good humor when we see the scene of Cos' team trying to determine the best way to gain entry into the plant-like Stem. Brainy offers a brief suggestion which Monstress wants re-spoken normally.  When Brainy launches into an explanation that perhaps only a botanist could fully understand,  he responds to his teammates' dull and confused looks by saying, 'It's a plan, isn't it?!'

Xs may know the truth but will she be able to tell anyone? And can Cos and his team face off (and perhaps win) against their Blighted comrades? The invasion continues...

The Abnett & Lanning period was the only time I ever got into the Legion. I came on during the "Damned" storyline, drawn in by Coipel's fantastic art, and followed it through till the next reboot. I still have most of the issues (I think I missed a few at the beginning), but it'd be fantastic if they could collect it in an omnibus.

Legion of Superheroes #122

'Legion of the Damned: Damned If We Don't!'

Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art: Oliver Coipel
Inks: Andy Lanning
Colors: Tom McGraw
Letters: ComicCraft
Editor: Mike McAvennie

Data Download:

XS (Jenni Ognats) is struggling to contend with mental visions she is experiencing of the history of the Blight as a result of the telepathic download she just received from a now unconscious Saturn Girl. Blighted Legionnaires are appearing as reinforcements to capture them, forcing Jenni to run faster than she ever has in hopes of escaping not only them, but also of the Stem itself. Jenni does it barely even while carrying Imra but soon the visions overwhelm her allowing other Blighted Legionnaires to catch up to her. Frightened at the thought of failing, she almost gives in only to see that she has bought enough time for Imra to awaken who promptly mind-stuns her former teammates. Cosmic Boy and his team find Imra and Jenni and together, they leave for safety in a nearby Resistance cell hideout.

Once there, they review what they've learned about the Blight. An ancient race, hailing from an advanced civilization whose technological prowess allowed to them to conquer nearly every conceivable mortal need except one: death. Searching for immortality, this forgotten race instead conducted experiments that transformed their race into a state of living decay; they could live forever but only at the expense of feeding off the life energies of planets and other races. Thus began their terror across the stars which intensified when the Blight discovered the Doda, a living lattice network of energy tendrils that could traverse vast stellar distances. The Doda were similar somewhat to the Blight in that in it's travels, the network briefly grazed upon the life energies of worlds that it passed with little harm. The Blight corrupted the Doda and turned them into their mode of transportation, allowing their dread reach to expand across the universe.

Cos hatches a plan and soon the renewed team is able to lure a Blight patrol into a trap, with Brainiac able to retrieve a Blight ID device which they can use to better infiltrate the Stem. Cos intends to reluctantly take out the Doda in hopes of vastly undermining the strength and mobility of the Blight while unaware of two things: whatever the Blight's main goals are, M'onel seems to be a vital part of their plan while Imra may have an agenda of her own whether of her own free will or by Blight design is unclear...





Quantum discussion:

Power and pride, the heart of the downfall of the Blight. Pride in their own self-perceived superiority which led them towards seeking the power to overcome death. DnA give their villain a frightening motivation, not just to overthrow your world but to consume it utterly and everyone within it for their own selfish existence. The Legion is reduced to mere power sources(batteries to borrow from Neo if you will) with M'onel apparently being the most powerful one which has singled him out for an even worse fate.

Jenni Ognats (a descendant of Barry Allen) has always had motivational problems ever since she first joined the team. Her idea of self-worth has ever been low and she's struggled with being a proper Legionnaire and hero. Here, she reaches deeper than she ever has in trying to save herself and Imra and though she initially succeeds, DnA do not let off her the hook so readily. A small panel or two where Jenni is exhausted but also disbelieving that she accomplished something that everyone thought impossible: she escaped the Stem. Imra's resultant smile and praise over 'We did Jenni. We did' is just the confirmation Jenni needed in herself and her capabilities. This is expounded upon further when Jenni sees Cham who, while glad they are alive, is upset that he failed them earlier and feels responsible for their capture. Jenni reassures him that he wasn't and expresses her own relief in seeing him with a tearful hug. It's a powerful moment, a sliver of hope in the midst of this darkness.

It's also interesting that so far, the book had been getting some mixed reviews from fans. Some didn't like where the Legion was apparently going and some thought Coipel's art (among his earliest for the Big Two) was 'ugly' or 'crude' . But this was apparently editor McAvennie's intention all along. Sales of both Legion titles were flattening and story arcs were in danger of becoming endlessly repetitive. With fan focus on the Legion's Silver and Bronze Age past, McAvennie decided the best thing for the title and team was instead focus ahead on the future and new ground. He believed that DnA were the perfect creative duo to jump-start this new plan and their first instinct upon looking over the franchise was to take the Legion out of their well-worn comfort zone, the United Planets. The Legion would now have to fight and strive for what they wanted and believed. And the biggest fight yet was about to happen. 

Legionnaires #80

'Legion of the Damned: Damned For All Eternity!'

Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art: Olivier Coipel
Inks: Andy Lanning
Colors: Tom McGraw
Letters: ComicCraft
Editor: Mike McAvennie


Data Download:

The Blight reveal their final plan: Using M'onel as a power catalyst, they plan to use the Doda energy tendril network which now spreads across the galaxy in draining the life force from within it, killing all known life while they use that energy to finally free themselves from their decayed immortal existence.

Unaware of this, Cos and his team begin their new infiltration of the Stem with Cham (posing as a member of the Blight) using their stolen ID device while the others appear to be his 'prisoners'. They are let in successfully but things quickly go awry when Imra feels the immense mental anguish of M'onel and realizes what's about to happen. With all attempts of subtlety abandoned, Cos and the others storm off in search of M'onel. As the team attacks, Ultra Boy appears to stop them. Feeling heartbroken over what has happened to him, Tinya pleads with him to fight this, use their bond and love to fight the Blight's programming. Jo starts to hesitate when Tinya uses her phasing ability to disrupt the tech armor Jo is wearing, causing both pain and momentary unconsciousness.

Meanwhile, Cos, Saturn Girl, Brainiac, Cham and XS find the central control where M'onel is being held and used. Cos is able to fling the Blight leader away but before he can shut down their main device, Imra mentally knocks him out! Shocked, Cham prepares to take out Imra whom he believes is still under Blight taint when Jenni intervenes. She trusts Imra and begs Cham to do the same thing, that in these dark times it's hard to trust former comrades but if he can't trust Imra, then trust in her instead. Cham relents and collapses.

But Imra has a plan, one she conceived of when she first learned of the Blight's past and it involves the Doda. By corrupting this innocent entity for their own dark uses, the Blight have actually halted the natural evolution of the Doda, part of the reason behind their own desire to graze harmlessly upon the life forces of the worlds it passed. Imra intends to free the Doda and communicating telepathically with M'onel, tells him that she intends to use his energy instead to finish the Doda's evolutionary path. 

With the process started, the Blight leader tries to stop them only to be grabbed by a newly freed Ultra Boy who throws the leader into the tendril energy stream. The energy revitalization explodes the top of the Stem as it quickly spreads from Earth towards those other UP worlds entwined by the Blight and beyond to the rest of the Doda network, with the any Blight caught within it reduced to smoke and ash. Imra is overwhelmed by the beauty of this cosmic entity freed to fulfill it's own destiny.

Moments later, she is found by others, XS smiles in relief to her as Blighted Legionnaires now find themselves freed (yet scarred). Imra is especially happy to see Garth Ranzz emerge from the remains of the Stem, worn out but alive after all. As the team comes together, Cos reminds them that the true work now begins, that the Legion is still needed as we pull out to see the remaining devastation....


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Quantum discussion:

For the second time in this story, a Legionnaire considers the Final Option. Before it was Cham willing to use lethal force even against his former teammates and here it's Cos deciding in that to weaken the Blight, the Doda may have to be eliminated. That's how desperate the situation has become, that survival may mean compromising certain principles. So it's a relief and a joy to see when Imra reverses Cos' plan to instead free the Doda from their captivity. Yes, the Blight may have been completely destroyed in the end but given the severity of their crimes and destruction, no one seems to be complaining.

For while the immediate threat may be over, DnA do a fine job in showing the consequences of this catastrophe. No one is left unscarred from this encounter, especially those Legionnaires who were Blighted. These consequences will linger for quite awhile through DnA's run. Meanwhile, Tinya's encounter with a Blighted Jo Nah was particularly poignant, she's scared to see Jo in this state, her pleas to resist this, use their love to overcome this darkness. He wavers but the programming may be too strong until she takes a further step to help them both. Coipel shows Tinya's hopes and fears very well in this emotional moment.

The moment between Jenni and Cham was equally poignant. Throughout this adventure, we've seen the strength and bond of their being teammates and comrades as Cham questions his ability to protect others while Jenni dealt with her own perceived inadequacies of being a true hero. Both have come through this tragedy stronger and now Jenni calls upon that trust for Cham to believe her when she says Imra is no traitor, a hard thing to do in this time of possessed friends. Whom can you trust after all? 

So we come to the end of this four-part adventure wherein the Legion's future looks bleak yet hopeful. By the end of this story, fan response had slowly grown more positive. Though still tentative about the overall direction, the story strengthened and the art improved. In the early days of the Interweb, word of mouth praise started to bloom.

But then DnA announced where the Legion was going and that long strange journey starts next...

Legion of Superheroes #124

'Widening Rifts Part 1: Childhood's End'

Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art: Angel Unzueta
Inks: Jaime Mendoza
Colors: Tom McGraw
Letters: ComicCraft
Editor: Mike McAvennie


Data download:

Garth Ranzz can't sleep. At least without having nightmares about his capture by the Blight who used choke-weed against him, as the bio-weapon immobilized him and drew him down into the depths of the root system of the Stem, there to be digested and broken down into organic sustenance and energy for the hub. He was freed, along with other prisoners (such as Invisible Kid) when the Blight were destroyed but Garth is still haunted by their memory. And he's not the only one.

Garth awakens to find Star Boy fretting as medics work to calm Nura (Dream Girl) whose prophetic dreams only seem to be intensifying despite the Blight's defeat. Thom believes the best choice for him and Nura is to return to Xanthu along with the rest of the Amazers team. As Garth heads for Operations center of what was the Resistance HQ, he encounters Umbra who is shaken to her core by her time spent in servitude to the Blight as one of the Blighted Legionnaires. She's haunted and scared by being touched by such a cold & dread intellect and yet how part of her seemed to enjoy being a part of such an entity.  She screams at Garth to leave her alone.

Garth arrives at the control center to seen UP President RJ Brande having a heated discussion via comms with his VP, Winema Wazzo (Apparition's mother). Apparently, the remnant of the UP Council have decided to quarantine Earth and the seven other worlds directly affected by the Blight's invasion. That means the stargate network will remain closed so no relief efforts of any kind can quickly arrive to these devastated worlds. This despite Brande's claims that the stargate network is still functional and that relief supplies are desperately needed. Wazzo, trapped on Earth as well, is mindful of the need but feels the risk is too great to open the gates back up so soon. When Brande interjects that the Legion is confident that the Blight threat is ended, Wazzo resumes her long-standing belief against the UP using children as a line of defense, especially in light of how some of those children were used as Blighted soldiers/hunters.  Wazzo summons Brande to an impromptu Council session even as he informs her that he's already sent a Legion squad to double-check the safety of the local stargate.

As such, Invisible Kid, Element Lad, Brainiac 5.1 and Chuck Taine take command of a used Science Police outpost station and head towards the stargate. Upon arriving, they find other starships waiting to use the stargate but Brainy is disturbed by what he finds, something is definitely wrong with this stargate.

Meanwhile, at the Council session, Brande faces accusations that his stargate network made the UP more vulnerable to the Blight. Brande counters that the stargates allowed for the UP to grow and stabilize in the first place due to it allowing swifter travel across interstellar distances. But some Council members believe that access to the stargates should be more restrictive, a security measure they think the inventor of stargate technology should have foreseen.

The Legion continues their efforts in spreading the limited relief supplies available to the surviving populace. But fear and greed soon appear as a near riot breaks out with the Legion as part of the cause since some survivors still look upon those that were Blighted with dread and suspicion. Their reaction was strong enough to cause Imra to confess later to Garth that upon resolving these immediate problems, she intends to resign as Legion leader.

Back at the Council session, Brande's hated business rival, Leland McCauley arrives from his Moonbase with a potential solution. Some time ago, McCauley, in an attempt to upstage his rival, formed his own team of adventurers, the Workforce.  He offers their services to the UP over the Legion, stating that he has purged the team of all adolescents, with only experienced adult operatives in his employ. Wazzo acquiesces, letting McCauley send a Workforce team to rendezvous with the Legion squad (who is ordered to stand down) at their new outpost near the stargate.

The Workforce shuttle docks at the outpost as Lyle tries to get permission from Brande to open this stargate which they think has been deliberately  sabotaged in some manner. But Brainy just took matters into his own hands as he speeds towards the stargate in a spacesuit as his readings suggest that the gate is about to implode....



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Quantum discussion:


DnA show through strong characterization that the road to recovery from this invasion is going to be a long one. Survival and safety are still high priorities and seeing how these desires is splitting the Legion is interesting. Some, like Star Boy, feel that Earth is no longer safe and wish to return home even though without the stargates being open, such a trip may take weeks instead. Others, like Tasmia, are having a very difficult time in adjusting to their former lives and states. Imra is feeling the strain as leader in trying to help the populace with their needs while dealing with their understandable fears and apprehension over their appearance.

The main focus though is on Brande and his efforts to get relief for Earth. But Wazzo is able to use the long-standing indecision among the UP Council about using the Legion (who are seen as just kids) to her advantage, made worse when McCauley offers up his now all-adult team instead. The Legion is struggling to rebuild, both publicly and privately and yet old habits and grudges are hampering their efforts now that the overriding threat is over. But Brande has always been the ultimate rule-breaker, the risk-taker and that just may be what is needed if the dangers that Brainy discovers about the sabotaged stargate come to fruition.

Unzueta's art is strong and while his work may not be as 'rough' looking as Coipel's, with Mendoza's inking, they manage to convey a portion of the same grit style that has accompanied the titles of late. Fitting, given that we are still dealing with a devastated bleak environment.

What is happening to the stargate? Can it be salvaged or is it too late? How will the Legion squad handle the adult Workforce team that just arrived?  And has Brainiac finally gone a step too far? Some interesting questions that DnA have set up for answering in the next installment.