Sunday, February 15, 2015

Comic Book Consideration Presents: History of the Legion Adventure Comics 336: Starfinger Saga Part 2





       Hello everyone and welcome to the first issue of the re-branded From the vault. I decided to change the name to better reflect what I was doing in regards to the Legion comics and examining their growth and universe. As such when we last left off the Legion was facing one of their greatest battles against Starfinger. He had magic rings on each finger that made him as powerful as all the Legion members and was going after a magic space rock that made people young again. His way to get things to bend to his will is to destroy the 30th century's Seven Wonders of the World.
        The action itself begins with the Legion members hit by Starfingers power lock ability being fixed. During this same time due to the Knowledge of Starfinger being a Legion member the group begins to distrust each other. After a time looking for Starginger he is spotted going towards the next wonder of the world with his target being the Global tunnel. The tunnel is a hole that goes right through the center of the Earth. Starfinger flies into the hole and the Legion members guarding follow him. However, as they reach him they realize it is a decoy of a fake rocket painted to look like Starfinger. Above the real Starfinger destroys the bore laser.
     

       This begins to cause the tunnel to collapse on the Legion members inside and for the Earthquake to soon be detected at the Legion clubhouse. During this same time something starts to happen at the hale of fame guarded by Ultra Boy.
        Ultra Boy tries to prevent Starfinger from destroying the figures of Earth's past but can't keep up with the falling statues and is crushed under the statues.  As Legion members get to him some think he is dead. Luckly, Saturn Girl comes to the scene and with her powers helps us to learn that he is fine and switched his powers to invulnerability just in time. Superboy who has also come adds he can repair the damage in time. After this they search once again for Starfinger and set extra guards at the last three wonders. Brainiac 5 also makes a breakthough on stopping stargingers rays and creates Inertron shields for the Legion to use. The shields are soon given out just in time as the members guarding the reversed waterfalls come under attack from Starfinger.
        During the attack he does damage the pumps at the waterfalls but is chased off by the Legion and their new shields before he does major damge. Luckly, Light Lass helps to keep the water moving. During the chase some of the guards and 6th and 7th wonder also move to engage and soon the Legion has Starfinger surrounded and force him to the ground.


      On the ground they pin his arms and take his mask off to reveal Lighting Lad as Starfinger. They look him over and see that his arm has been changed to let him made the rays. Saturn Girl also senses something is not right with him and that he has been hypnotist which they soon break him out of. The real Starginger had been Dr. Hanscom who was the one treating Lighting Lad all along. His base is also protected by inertron. It turns out the legion had been guarding his base the entire time as its in the 7th wonder of the world the Fusion-Powersphere. The Legion learns that the Rejuvium has been given over to Starfinger and so Superboy flies into the tunnel under the base and confronts the doctor.


       There the doctor points out he will destroy the rock if Superboy comes any closer. Superboy stops him by point out that his invulnerability and that that the doctor would not destroy something he so wanted. The doctor gives in and the the comic ends with him going to the prison planet and the Legion working to rebuild the 7 wonders.
        Now that the plot of the issue is done lets turn and look at the wider impact the story had on the Legion. Overall both the story and evil villain had little impact on the Legion following this story. However, it did continue the trends that existed in Legion comics during this period of destruction from the inside and the worry of double agents. This was the second Legion comic from 1965 that dealt with this issue. Overall, I believe this steams from the period of the cold war and the fear in the Cold War of fifth column agents working to destroy the United States within.
        In the end this Legion comic was not bad picking up after the last issue and showing how the steaks for the Legion were beginning to grow. it also helps to grow a better understand of the 30th century and what Earth looks like. All in all another classic Legion tale from the silver age.