5YL Legion Q&A: itsokimasenator — LiveJournal
I’ve been enjoying an in-depth exchange in the comments section with Legion aficionado Dennis Lee and figured it would be a good idea to move the discussion onto an actual new blog post so more people could look over the topics we’re addressing. So here are some of my answers to Dennis’ latest series of questions…
Q: In LSH v.4 # 1, p. 4, pn. 7, who’s hitting Polar Boy in the holovid? It looks a little bit to me like the mutated version of Timber Wolf (Furball) but not quite. Minor question, but I’ve been wondering for a while.
TB: I don’t think we ever had a specific identity in mind for that Furball-like character socking Polar Boy there in #1, just an action shot playing up a hapless image of a Legionnaire Earthgov and its servile media wanted to discredit. I suppose it’s possible Keith had something in mind for a battle between Polar Boy and Furball that he’d planned to eventually depict, but that seems like a stretch since I can’t think of a reasonable scenario where the two of them would have been fighting each other since they were always on the same side.
Q: I liked the introduction of an “anti-Daxamite weapon” in # 2 (p. 15), as one problem I had with Mon-el in the past is his seeming invincibility (though I do like the character). In LSH v.2 Annual # 1, a Levitz-Giffen issue that I did really like, Computo has to resort to red solar rays combined with neutralizing the anti-lead serum, an attack hardly open to most villains.
TB: Yeah, we didn’t really bother to think through exactly how an “anti-Daxamite” weapon would work, but clearly adversaries of Laurel Gand and Valor would be looking for any weaponry they could figure out that would give them a fighting chance against Daxamites.
Q: I did think Saturn Girl’s telepathic abilities were sorely missed; would have liked to see her involved with the team; but I guess she was married with kids at that point. But then, Rokk and Lydda had a child on the way?
TB: As we hinted at in the series and explained more clearly in the “2995” Mayfair Sourcebook, the former Saturn Girl was raising twins, had another set of twins on the way, was helping nurse husband Garth back from being very serious ill with the Validus Plague, and was co-managing the Lightning Ring Plantation, which was playing a vital role in addressing widespread famine in the U.P. So really a lot of motivation for Imra to stick with what she was doing even as the Legion re-assembled. (And yes, Rokk & Lydda were expecting their first child as the series starts.)
Q In # 4, the Time Trapper says that, regarding his control of the time stream, “there was one exception. But he has been punished.” Is this referring to Superboy, re: v.3 # 38? That was my guess, but I really wasn’t sure.
TB: I believe the Time Trapper was referring to Ultra Boy, who’d played the same role in the initial timeline as he did in the Glorith timeline (as seen in the U-Boy story in Legion Annual #1, which was originally plotted out with the Trapper as the adversary rather than Glorith). And Jo’s punishment in both cases was the loss of Phantom Girl.
Q: In # 6-7, I did like the ultimate resolution where a de-powered Rokk is able to negotiate the release of Mysa (and Rond); but one thing that’s always bothered me was Cham going in intending to use “Daggle family charm” to negotiate the release. Was the idea that Cham intended to take the same strategy Rokk ultimately adopted? Otherwise, it seemed ill-advised, to confront such a powerful foe in a badly outmatched state…Was that KG’s idea, to have Cham walk in with that dubious strategy?
TB: Yes, it was Keith’s initiation when he penciled those pages that Cham was confident he could successfully negotiate with Mordru. Yes, it seems hubristic, but keep in mind that by this point Cham had been successfully guiding Brande Industries, one of the galaxy’s most successful and most important conglomerates, through the Great Collapse, and in doing so was following in the footsteps of his highly charismatic and successful father, R.J. Brande. Cham’s confidence in his negotiating prowess was somewhat based on a long record of successes for father and son.
Q: In re-reading the run a number of years ago, I saw Rokk as having at least two major contributions to the team: that negotiation with Mordru; and strategy in the battles against the Khunds in # 15-18; both nice uses of the depowered character.
TB: Good point, and in retrospect I’m glad we were thoughtful enough to show Rokk’s leadership during the Khund Wars issues, since there didn’t turn out to be that many more opportunities to show his leadership abilities and value to the team once he’s lost his powers.
Q: Re: Celeste — was the idea that her power came from the Guardians of the Universe (green lanterns’ mentors), as suggested in the flashback where a power ring is seen? That was always confusing to me.
TB: Yes, the intention was that Celeste was imbued with the surviving powers of a Green Lantern ring and/or the Green Lantern Corps. If you’re able to contact Al Gordon, inker and co-plotter of the series (he’s on Facebook), Celeste was his creation and Al could more accurately describe the intended origin (which I believe got more explanation in her Who’s Who entry and “2995” section).
