Chris and Reggie's Cosmic Treadmill, Episode #70
Christmas With the Superheroes #1 (1988)
"Wanted: Santa Claus - Dead or Alive!"
"The Man Who Murdered Santa Claus!"
"The TT's Swingin' Christmas Carol!"
"Star Light, Star Bright... Farthest Star I See Tonight!"
"Twas the Fright Before Christmas!"
"The Silent Night of the Batman"
Writers - Denny O'Neil, Len Wein, Bob Haney, Paul Levitz, E. Nelson Bridwell & Mike Friedrich
Pencillers - Frank Miller, Dick Dillon, Nick Cardy, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Curt Swan & Neal Adams
Inkers - Steve Mitchell, Dick Giordano & Murphy Anderson
Letterers - Ben Oda
Colorists - Glenn Whitmore, Helen Vesik & Jerry Serpe
Editors - Len Wein, Julius Schwartz
Cover Price: $2.95
Keeping our Christmas on Infinite Earths... in July festivities rolling along, today I'm sharing Reggie and my first Holiday special... DC Comics' Christmas With the Superheroes #1 from 1988.
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This was one of our longer episodes... as we were looking at like skatey-eight hundred creators and a half-dozen stories. This was also my longest ever blog post to that point... and, actually, it very well still might be! I still haven't published that "full-length" Bizarro World piece yet, so I think this one still might take the length-crown!
With that said... Just as with yesterday, if podcasts ain't your thing, there is a text-n-pics variation on this discussion that you can check out if you decide to click the cover below! While you're at it, you might wanna check out my discussion of Christmas With the Superheroes #2 (1989)!
Legion of Super-Heroes #281 (November, 1981)
"Madness is the Molecule Master"
Plotter - Roy Thomas
Script - Paul Levitz
Penciller - Steve Ditko
Inker - Bruce Patterson
Colorist - Gene D'Angelo
Letterer - Ben Oda
Editor - Mike W. Barr
Cover Price: $0.60
Still being a complete Legion neophyte, it's not terribly often that I get inspired to chat up a book simply from its cover. In seeing the issue in particular, I couldn't help but to be curious... I mean, it's the Legion... in the present... or, ya know... Smallville in the late 60's/early 70's.
Having a bit of trouble truly "connecting" with stories occurring in the far-flung future (outside of character pieces, anyway), this kinda story might be more my speed.
Cracking it open to find Steve Ditko art is... curious. I'm sure we'll discuss that more below.
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We open with a... confused Superboy flying over a field in Smallville. Ya see, he's not entirely convinced that he's actually Superboy. Due to what the Legion called a "memory overlay", he believes himself to be Ultra Boy! He flashes back to showing up in the future under the guise of the hero Reflecto to save the Legion... Jo Nah's main squeeze Phantom Girl in particular. This was likely Superboy's first trip back to the future since his "conditioning" during Legion of Super-Heroes #259 (January, 1980)... buuuuut, I could be/probably am completely wrong about that. He continues his flashback... recalling traveling back to the present with the Legion via a Time Bubble... only to get badda-binged by the Time Trapper, which left them stranded in the 20th Century. Oh, and also... the gang materialized in the middle of an atomic bomb test, so the military is after them as well!
Superboy flies over to a mountain (in Kansas?) and cuts it to pieces. You might be thinking "that seems pretty pointless and random", and, for the most part you'd be right! However, he's doing so to illustrate that he can use several superpowers at once (and he's not even wearing a Legion Flight Ring)... meaning, he couldn't possibly be Ultra Boy, who can only use one superpower at a time.
After reassembling (!) the mountain, he thinks to himself that while the Legionnaires might be stranded in the present... relying on his "Ultra Boy memories", he knows he has the power to break the time barrier. And so, he attempts to return to the future where he can be of aid to the rest of the Legion. But, not so fast kemo sabe... the Time Trapper's already put the kibosh on all that nonsense.
We shift scenes to the Kent farm house, where the time-lost Legionnaires are holed out. Luckily Ma and Pa are on vacation... though, hopefully not in the Caribbean. The gang includes Blok, Lightning Lad, Dawnstar, Karate Kid, Phantom Girl and (in a costume I don't recognize in the slightest) Saturn Girl. They're all bored, and hungry... and want to hit the town to grab some eats. Unfortunately, they're all dressed like people from the future... or are covered in rock... or have wings protruding from their back.
There's a sudden knock at the door. Lightning Lad fears this to be the Time Trapper... but, I dunno... I don't think he's the type'a dude to knock before entering a room. Saturn Girl scans... and er, looks out the window. We learn that this is the Kent's nosy neighbor... looking to sell Girl Scout Cookies? Really? Okay. Anyhoo, they answer the door... and the nosy woman sticks her head in... accusing the kids of being up to no good. They lie and tell her they're in costume to rehearse for a school play... but she's not buying it.
Luckily Clark enters the room, and lambastes her for not acting "neighborly"... unluckily, he forgot to put his glasses on before doing so, which proved to only set her off more that something wonky was amiss. After she leaves, Clark blames his inattention to detail on his Ultra Boy memories. Once the "dust" settles, the gang... minus Dawnstar and Blok, head into town to do a little grocery shopping. I should probably mention that the boys are all wearing Clark's clothes... while the girls are still in their skimpy uniforms. They're quite the sight.
Heading down Main Street... or whatever it's called, they come to Kent's General Store. Before them, they see the military has set up camp on the street to try and find Superboy... remember, they "interfered" with that nuclear test upon arrival. While they plan their next move, the Legionnaires hear a (presumably shrill) voice... it's Lana Lang, and dammit she's got questions! Having been to the future, she recognized the Legion of Super-Heroes... but isn't sure why they'd be hanging around with Clark Kent. That is... unless he's, oh you don't think... do you? They more or less tell her to beat it... and she storms off in a huff.
Back at the Kent house, Dawnstar is... for some reason... enjoying a shower. While bathing, she hears an explosion. She and Blok head out to see what's what... and do so right in plain view of the nosy neighbor.
We learn that the ka-boom originated from the Molecule Master, irritating android from the future. He's making a real nuisance of himself... and cuts quite the gaudy figure to boot. Clark attempts to use his penetra-vision, er... x-ray vision to take a look into the baddie's head, finding much of it to be encased in (un-see-through-able) lead. There's another point for him actually being Superboy and not Ultra Boy!
Saturn Girl recalls that the Molecule Master had originally been sent by the Time Trapper to procure a whatzit called the Miracle Machine... and suggests he might be behind this attack as well. Molecule Master is all "no duh"... and a fight is on!
Things look pretty dire right out of the gate... the Molecule Master appears to have the Legion's number. Clark decides it's time to "supe up"... and begins doing so right in the middle of the street! Whoops. Thankfully, he remembers that Superboy's civilian identity is actually a secret, and so he ducks into an alley to change clothes. He emerges in perhaps the most Ditko-y panel I've seen in awhile!
After the Molecule Master proved to be able to hold off the heroes one at a time, it's decided (or duh-cided, because really now... this is a no-brainer) that the super kids all attack at once!
And they do! Causing the baddroid to implode... which sends the Legionnaires flying, right to the feet of the waiting military... who begin snatching them up with the quickness.
We shift down the road a way to Phantom Girl recovering. She is with a downed Dawnstar and Superboy... and the soldiers are headed their way. She is unsuccessful in her attempts to rouse her teammates... and worse yet, unable to access her phasing powers to facilitate an escape. And so, she refocuses... and attempts to transport the trio to her home world of Bgtztl (gesundheit!). Whattaya know, it works!
We wrap up with Blok, Karate Kid, Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl being loaded into the back of a truck by the military. The General Ross looking fella sees a bunch of gears and machine bits (likely the remains of the Molecule Master) scattered, and doesn't think much of them. We conclude with the Time Trapper celebrating his pending victory.
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Well, that was certainly fun... and weird!
Not sure why, but I wasn't expecting this to be as "involved" as it was. I mean, the Superboy/Ultra Boy memory mix-up is pretty interesting, but also kind of obtuse if you're not following along with the series. Still makes for a fun story though, so that isn't a complaint.
I certainly appreciate how Superboy is acting protective of Ultra Boy's squeeze Phantom Girl... that's a cool and (relatively) subtle way of playing up his Ultra Boy-ness. Actually... ya know what? Thinking about it... I really like the way they did this. Having Superboy test his powers to see how many he can handle at once... using his x-ray vision and noting that he cannot see through lead... all that on top of being there for Phantom Girl... really well done!
Seeing the Legionnaires in the present is often a treat, and not entirely for the fish out of water aspect of it all. Like I mentioned in the preamble, I have trouble connecting with stories in the future... I feel like there are no (or lesser) stakes... and it feels like it's too easy for things to be "undone" without much in the way of consequence. Having the Legion in the (nebulous) "present" grounds them for me in a way where I can actually "invest".
We get a bit of "comedy" here... with the classic sitcom nosy neighbor poking about the Kent House. She came across as annoying as I believe she was intended... though, I'm not sure why she would think Clark not wearing his glasses were a sign that things were wonky. I mean, as a dude who wears glasses from the moment he wakes up to the moment he goes to bed... if someone were to see me without them, they'd probably assume "contacts" or "must've left them on the nightstand" and not "you must be up to something"... but, whattayagonnado? She served her purpose... assuming she had one.
Now, the art. It's Steve Ditko... and perhaps the most Ditko-y Ditko I've seen in quite some time. While it's a lot of fun seeing him draw characters like Superboy (who I never realized he drew), it just didn't feel "right". Not sure why... perhaps I'm projecting. I never saw Ditko as drawing the mainstream characters at DC... always the odd fringe folks. Maybe that's how people felt when Jack Kirby came over too... I dunno. It's not bad by any means (though, that panel where Superboy emerges from the alley is a bit "iffy"), but for whatever reason I can't make it "fit" in my own head. Call it artistic dissonance... call it me being a goofball. Dunno.
Overall... I had a lot of fun with this issue... more than I'd ever expected. It's weird, every time I finish with an issue of Legion it's like I can't wait to dive into another... and then I don't for several weeks/months! I'd definitely recommend checking this out... it's a fun story, and for the novelty of seeing Ditko draw Superboy I'd say it's worthwhile. This has been collected as part of The Steve Ditko Omnibus, Volume 2 (2011) and is available digitally.
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Letters Page (featuring Barbara Randall?):
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All-Star Comics #62 (September-October, 1976)
"When Fall the Mighty"
Plot - Gerry Conway
Script - Paul Levitz
Art - Keith Giffen & Wally Wood
Colors - Carl Gafford
Letters - Ben Oda
Cover Price: $0.30
Strangest thing... remember last week when we discussed Justice League of America #124? It ended with a blurb introducing an ongoing series starring the "Super Squad"... which I had absolutely no knowledge of. I thought perhaps it was something DC had planned, and just never followed through on...
It was brought to my attention that the Super Squad would appear in All-Star Comics for a short time, and would be comprised of the younger Earth-2 heroes. Fair enough... maybe I'll have to keep an eye out for those, I sez to myself.
Fast-forward a couple days, and I'm in the middle of my resorting and filing project before we move house this Fall, and as I'm flipping through my JSA box, whattayaknow... I find a few issues of All-Star Comics... featuring the Super Squad!
Let's check one out!
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We open with the members of the Justice Society gathered around the body of Dr. Fate. He is hooked up to, and being kept alive by some sort of massive contraption. Turns out he's been (mortally?) wounded by the villainous Vulcan. Dr. Mid-Nite has located the damage with an infra-red scope, and the Star-Spangled Kid is "willing" the cosmic rod to... do something to help keep Fate going, it isn't quite clear. Power Girl is (wo)manning the console, and sees an ankh appear in Dr. Fate's mind.
Hawkman and Green Lantern approach, and take a few panels to discuss Dr. Fate's origin. Alan suggests that perhaps if they were to go to Egypt, they might find some "hidden knowledge" with which they might save Kent. Hawkman thinks it's a... decent idea, but he has other things he needs to attend to. Wildcat jokes that he's off to "feed his widdle parakeet"... he's kind of a jerk in this story. Anyhoo, as Lantern and Hawkman head out, they run into Flash and (the retired) Hourman. The concoct a plan, Alan and Jay are Egypt-bound, Rex is going to remain with Dr. Fate, and Hawkman's... gonna head home to feed his widdle parakeet.
We shift to the private museum of Shiera and Carter Hall, where there appears to be an intruder lurking about. After a brief look at Wildcat being sexist toward Power Girl, we return to the museum... the intruder comes across a crate... surrounded by a puddle of melted amber.
Turns out this crate housed the man-monster Zanadu! It wraps his red-hot hands around the intruder, Dr. Arthur Kliburn's throat. The resulting scream wakes Shiera Hall a few rooms over. She rushes in, however, upon seeing the threat, decides discretion might be the better part of valor. Unfortunately, Zanadu nabs her before she can escape... and the pair vanish!
We pop back in on Jay and Alan as they are traveling over the water. Alan is especially bloodthirsty at this juncture, stating that he needs "something to fight... something to kill!". Back with the Society, Wildcat is still being sexist... it's kinda his thing. Power Girl breaks a vase, which transitions us to Hawkman discovering the crate of melty-amber.
Hawkman opens his little "chest compact" to alert the Justice Society of the situation... we see Power Girl, Hourman, and Wildcat receiving the call... we also see another person getting the call. It's a man with graying hair sitting at his desk at the Daily Star newspaper. Hmm...
In a brief aside, we meet a cloaked man in an Egyptian bazaar. He is looking to buy a gourd full of some sorta mystical fluid, however, the vendor isn't looking to sell... he's more in the mood for a trade. The vendor wants the cloaked man's white horse... and so, there's no deal. I'm gonna assume that this fella is the Shining Knight, but I can't say for sure.
Back at the brownstone, Hawkman is filling the folks in on the amber menace and the disappearance of his wife. From here we get one of those awesome cross-section pictures of the brownstone itself! It's always great to see these... wish they'd do them more nowadays. Anyhoo, as Hawkman blibba-blabbahs, (the Golden Age) Superman arrives!
There's a bit of an awkward confrontation between Superman and Power Girl. She joined up with the Justice Society "against his orders". Seems Power Girl's "thing" right now is arguing with everybody. Fair enough, I guess. Hawkman grows irritated at the bickering... and suggests they cut it out and follow him, if they're "still interested in justice, that is". Poor Hourman is told to stay back on guard duty... which leads Rex to reconsidering whether or not he made the right call deciding to don the costume once more.
We shift half a world away... Tokyo, Japan. We rejoin Zanadu and an entranced Shiera Hall, as the former pontificates his plan to "loose the forces of chaos" and destroy Japan! As the Society arrives, they find that the people of Tokyo have all been paralyzed. Superman and Power Girl leap into action.
The Kryptonian cousins confront Zanadu... which the man-beast thinks is pretty laughable. He draws a wave of lava from a nearby volcano (I'm not sure which one)... and bathes the Man of Steel in it. The lava hardens... and an inert Superman falls to the ground.
Power Girl don't take too kindly to that... unfortunately, she finds herself sinking into the ground below. The issue ends with Zanadu possessing Wildcat with a strange tune... which turns him against Hawkman!
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Decent enough issue. Nothing mind-blowing, but good fun.
It's strange, it kinda feels like they're going for the complete opposite of what folks think of when thinking about the Justice Society. Early on in the issue there is a caption (of Hourman's thoughts) which reads "The JSA you remember was quieter, more professional". That's kinda what I always think too, especially for a Society of this vintage. It seems to me that they went out of their way to make this feel as different as possible from expectations. I am still something of an All-Star neophyte, so this might be old hat (or complete bunk) to many reading.
In the "not so quiet" "not so professional" department... boy, there was a lot of bickering here. If it wasn't Wildcat being a boilerplate sexist, it was Power Girl complaining picking fights with everybody about not being taken seriously. I actually sympathized with Hawkman when he was fed up and all "alright, already... let's go do Justice-y things!"
It was neat to see the Golden-Age Superman... a Superman who couldn't fly, but instead leaps! So cool to see that. I'm not sure if I'm just seeing things here, but it also felt like he was drawn in a more Golden Age style... eyes closed when speaking and whatnot. Actually, I noticed the "closed eyes" thing for several characters during this story. Neat callback, if in fact it was!
The threat of Zanadu seems kinda "monster of the week" to me. I always have a difficult time getting invested in baddies like this... as I've mentioned a bunch of times already, it's generic "one off" villains that kept me from really getting into DC Comics when I was a kid. Not sure why, but it hurt my level of investment.
Overall, a fun enough issue... and despite my minor quibbles, one I'd recommend tracking down (if you're interested in the JSA or Golden Age). As luck would have it, this adventure is included in SHOWCASE Presents: All-Star Comics, Volume 1 and is also available digitally.
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Letters Page:
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Legion of Super-Heroes #306 (December, 1983)
"Born Under a Lucky Star"
Writer/Co-Plotter - Paul Levitz
Co-Penciller/Co-Plotter - Keith Giffen
Guest Co-Penciller - Curt Swan
Inker - Larry Mahlstedt
Letterer - John Costanza
Colorist - Carl Gafford
Editor - Karen Berger
Cover Price: $0.75
Time for a little Legion-Learning... and today we're going to meet Star Boy. I gotta say, it's weird referring to a fella in a full beard as Star Boy, but we'll go with it.
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We open with Star Boy and Wildfire discussing the ongoing election for the next leader for the Legion of Super-Heroes. Star Boy recognizes that his relationship with Dream Girl kinda hit the skids since she was elected last time around, and so he's hopeful that she won't get a second term. He plans to vote for Ultra Boy, and is displeased to hear that Wildfire intends to vote Dream Girl. Even worse, Thom suggests that Dream Girl would only run again if her precognitive powers made it clear that she would win.
From here, Thom goes on a bit about another reason he's sure Dream Girl will win... because of how unlucky he always has been. This leads us into a flashback wherein Star Boy shares the story where he first displayed his density-affecting powers... an event which cost his family their observatory!
Thom's mother noticed the odd gesture the lad made with his fingers before they began to plummet, and suggests he might have been the cause of the whole thing. From here, Thom's young life changed forever... he became something of a test subject, doctors poked, prodded, and studied him to see what made his powers "tick".
Wildfire comments that the power of increasing mass doesn't really lend itself to a career in superheroics... and so, Thom shifts his story ahead a few years to explain. Ya see, when he hit a certain age, and reached his fill of "living" in doctor offices and science labs, he made a run for it! He commandeered a spaceship, and as he fled... wound up in the tail of a comet. He managed to steer the ship back homeward, crashing it in front of his parents house! Due to the wonky effects of the comet, he would emerge from the smoldering wreckage without even a scratch. From here it's only natural that he'd apply for Legion membership.
Back in the present, some ballots have arrived. It's really cool how they do this... we can see the individual Legionnaire "logos" to signify who they cast their votes for. As it stands at this point, Ultra Boy has three votes, Dream Girl has one... and, most surprisingly, Element Lad has three write-in votes! Despite Nura's lack of votes, Star Boy is still convinced she'll win.
After the brief aside in the present, Thom continues his tale. He mentions that when he first joined, he was the most powerful member the Legion had... which is really saying something considering Superboy was there. He talks about a specific instance on the planet of Takron-Galtos where the Science Police were building their headquarters, and training facility... and also a prison. Not that great a prison either, because the prisoners managed to break out and take over the entire place! Star Boy was volunteered to serve as a one-man rescue squad... and he arrived with a(nother) crash!
In the present, more votes have been tabulated. As it stands, Ultra Boy is at four, Dream Girl has rallied up to four, and Element Lad remains with his three write-ins..
Thom sees Dream Girl's influx of votes as another example of his rotten luck, and returns to his story to share yet another. While he was on Takron-Galtos, his comet-granted invulnerability powers vanish! He is left with only his density/mass thang, and so in a last-ditch effort, he uses it to bring the roof down on the prisoners... and himself! He wakes up in a full body cast, and is greeted by then-leader of the Legion, Saturn Girl, who informs him that he still has a place on the team.
More votes have been cast... bringing our totals to six for Ultra Boy, and five apiece for Dream Girl and Element Lad... keeping in mind that Element Lad's votes are write-ins, he's looking pretty good!
From here, Thom shares the story of his first meeting with Dream Girl. She joined the Legion after having a dream of seven Legionnaires dying in an accident... which turned out to be seven android doubles instead. Man, everyone had a robot in their likeness back in the day! She also used "science" to alter Lightning Lass' powers to make her less redundant with her brother. She would become Light Lass, the Lass who can make things Light! Dream Girl then resigns as she feels she only became a member due to a trick.
However, that (obviously) wouldn't be the last time Star Boy and Dream Girl's paths would cross. On the planet of Karak, Star Boy would be attacked by Kenz Nuhor, Dream Girl's ex-boyfriend who refused to marry him due to her love for Thom. In an act of self defense, Thom winds up killing Kenz... an act which would get him kicked out of the Legion.
As he leaves the Super-Hero Clubhouse, he is approached by Dream Girl who suggests he join her in the Legion of Substitute Heroes... and so, he does!
He would remain a Sub until a crisis occurred wherein a planet was surrounded by the dust of Green Kryptonite. Superboy and Supergirl had to name a couple of replacements for the mission... and they would choose, ya ready for this... Sir Prize and Miss Terious! They would wind up being Star Boy and Dream Girl (duh) wearing lead suits. They would eventually reveal themselves and be granted membership once more.
Back in the present, the final votes are counted... and Thom is shocked to see that... Dream Girl lost! Element Lad would win with seven write-in votes! Star Boy celebrates feeling that perhaps his luck is starting to change.
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I think I might just be on the right track to Learning the Legion. Most of the Legion issues I've covered here were spotlight-style stories which feel so much less overwhelming and intimidating than I feared. These stories also "go down smoother", they're easier to follow and don't really leave me scratching my head.
So, let's talk Star Boy. My familiarity with the character comes from the post-Infinite Crisis Justice Society of America volume where he was... a bit off. He heard voices and whatnot... and from what I can recall, was used as a sort of tragic and humorous character. That's really not the fella we meet today. Here we meet a sort of "woe is me", self-loathing, kind of unpleasant fella.
My main takeaway from this issue is... why does Star Boy want so badly for his girlfriend to lose the election? Granted, I just pulled this issue, and read it without context... but, his attitude here makes him come off like a grade-A selfish jerk. I mean, Wildfire even says that she's been doing a good job in the role... it just really paints Thom poorly in my view. That very well could be the point, I can't say for sure. It's not a bad thing or anything... it doesn't make it a bad story, it just shows me that this fella might be a tad on the unlikable side.
It's funny... it feels like every third issue of Legion I check out features an election... or the results of an election. I'm not sure how often the elections occur, or if they're on an actual "schedule". It's just funny to me that I can't seem to escape them.
The art here was really neat... I enjoyed the use of Curt Swan for the flashbacks. I love when they do stuff like that... makes it feel like we're actually experiencing a flashback, rather than simply being told a story.
Overall, despite thinking Thom comes across like kinduva jerk here, I really enjoyed this one. These "spotlight" issues might just be the ticket to my finally Learning the Legion. This one is available digitally.
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Letters Page:
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