A Comic a Day: Secret Origins #37

Secret Origins #37

February 1989

Cover art by: Ty Templeton

Story: The Secret Origin of Legion of Substitute-Heroes

Writer: Ty Templeton

Pencils: Ty Templeton

Inks: Van Bruggen

We all know the Subs' origins. A bunch of Legion rejects decide to form their own group and lend a hand when they can. This version has a lot of humor injected into it by Ty Templeton. I found the self-deprecating Stone Boy particularly priceless. The art was really good as well. The beginning part looked like he was trying to do his spin on Giffen, and the later pages had more of his own style. The text piece in the back does explain that the Substitutes weren't always used for laughs, and they used to be pretty serious.

Story: All Those Light Years Ago!

Writer: Craig Boldman

Pencils: Mike Parobeck

Inks: Ken Branch

Whoa is the writer here our own Craig Boldman? He has mentioned writing comics before. If so very cool.

Anyways this is a completely new origin for Dr. Light (well back then anyways). As Dr. Light is a scientist at S.T.A.R. Labs who is selling their secrets to get himself out of some financial problem. He and his partner Dr. Jacob Finlay are working one light technology.

Unbeknownst to Light is that Jacob has been using their inventions to create a new superhero. He learns this when Jacob busts him for stealing from S.T.A.R. Jacob lets Light go when he sees who he has captured. Light finally figures out who the new Dr. Light is, you know after Jacob calls him and practically tells him so.

The next day as they prepare some more tests, Light kills Jacob with a piece of equipment. Did he do it on purpose or was in an accident? Light does find the suit Dr. Finlay was using and decides to embark on a career in crime.

A really good story, and this a character who was fully open for a rewrite of his origin to tie it into the DC universe more. I really like that we learned that Dr. Light is truly afraid of the dark as this is when Jacob's ghost will come to haunt him, and he has the power to kill Light as well. He enjoys watching Light fail more though. Also, he whispers “ideas” to Dr. Light that he knows are terrible.

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  • The Legion of Substitute Heroes were never taken too seriously their entire careers! Turning into a statue, making plants grow, fire-breath and changing colors were hardly the stuff of legends. They worked because the readers were always rooting for them to win and they really wanted to do good!

    As for Doctor Light, DC tried an origin before in DC SUPER STARS #14 (Ju'77) where he fought a pre-Brave & Bold #34 Hawkman, then just Wingman Katar Hol.

    Here, the conceit was that his partner Jacob became a super-hero (albeit not a good one) called Doctor Light when Arthur's real name was Doctor Light! Also Arthur decides to destroy the Justice League because the ghostly wannabee tells him that the JLA will track his killer down so Arthur goes after them before they can come after him. Which makes no sense in any of the Doctor Light stories before or after this one. Not even a retconned "Original" Doctor Light appearance with the early JLA.

    But this was part of Doctor Light's "loser" phase, Post-Crisis, leading up to his run and first demise in Suicide Squad.

     

  • It made not have made much sense, but I rather liked it. The hero Dr. Light, I believe it may have been to early to really judge him as it seemed he was just beginning his career before he got axed....or vaporized I guess.

    Another bit I forgot to mention above that I thought was really good was we see Dr. Light returning to his apartment in costume after getting thrashed by some hero, and talking to one of his neighbors.

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