Legion of Super-heroes #273
March 1981
Cover art by: Rich Buckler & Steve Mitchll
Story: A Murderer--Among Us?
Writer: Gerry Conway
Pencils: Jimmy Janes
Inks: Frank Chiaramonte
Marte Ida Allon, Colossal Boy's mom and president of the United Planets, tells the Legion that they must disband because they are harboring a fugitive. Ultra Boy was originally accused of killing An Ryd, but it was determined that Brainiac 5 was the actual culprit. He was insane at the time. There must be a trial! Brainy quits.
Chameleon Boy decides he is going to find out who the REAL killer is. Ultra Boy thinks Cham is implying it is him, so he gets all bent out of shape. Cham tells him to chill, and leave him to his investigation. Chameleon Boy and Star Boy go back to the scene of the crime at a hotel room on Rimbor. Cham with the powers of the Rigellian Seeker-Hound determines that Brainiac 5 was never even in the room, so he can't be the killer. The pair are then ambushed by an unseen assailant. Before he is knocked out Chameleon Boy does let the reader know that it is someone who faked their death.
Phantom Girl and Ultra Boy have also arrived on Rimbor doing some sleuthing of their own. They bribe an official to look at some records. They also figure out that Brainy never made it planetside. Once they finish they hear the same guy they bribed being attacked. When they respond they find out the killer is none other than Pulsar Stargrave!
Pulsar Stargrave for those who don't know is actually the original Brainiac who came to the 30th century to complete his “destiny”. If you believe him he got bored in our time and came here. I reckon he got bored of getting his butt handed to him by Superman time and again.
Pulsar has set this whole thing up to frame Brainiac 5 because he rejected Pular's offer to rule the universe together. He is now devoted to crushing Brainy. Phantom Girl and Ultra Boy attack, but are easily taken out by the villain. They did last a little bit longer than Chameleon Boy ans Star Boy, so props to them on that.
When the heroes awake they are all pretty injured and Ultra Boy has apparently died. Since I read this more than 30 years after it came out, this had no impact on me. He gets better. Brainiac 5 arrives and tells them he will take on Pulsar Stargrave on his own. The others make only a cursory attempt to stop him. They are injured, but none offer to help.
Brainy knows exactly where to meet Pulsar Stargrave, the location that the Legion accused Ultra Boy of An Ryd's murder. Pulsar shows up and immediately attacks, but his powers are no match for Brainy's force field. He then extends his force field to encompass both of them. Brainiac 5 tells him that nothing Pulsar can do will free him of the new prison. The field will last for centuries and even though Brainy will be dead Pulsar will go insane. Which makes me wonder: when Brainiac 5 dies won't Pulsar be able to figure out how to turn the thing off? Regardless, Pulsar gets fuming mad and goes nova to break out. It doesn't work, but the action does destroy him. Brainiac 5 the walks out, because he had put another field around himself.
Even if the cover is misleading I love it simply for the tear running down Brainy's face.
Overall, I liked this one. The main plot was finished up this issue, and the art was perfectly fine. A really solid superhero comic, and sometimes that is all that I need.
Replies
It was actually a long story arc where the Legion, and more importantly Phantom Girl think that Ultra Boy is truly dead. A key character in his revival is someone from the Legion's past and future at the same time!
I also liked the art here. A quite realistic hero anatomy made this seem like 'real people' and different from my other DC comics of that time which seemed all in the Curt Swan fashion.
Did the Ultra-Boy being dead mystery eventually dovetail into the Reflecto issues..?
Philip Portelli said:
Correct.
Now that's a trade waiting to be released...?
Travis Herrick (Modular Mod) said:
Yes but with a twist!
Travis Herrick (Modular Mod) said:
Outside of the new stuff they don't really do LSH trades outside of "The Great Darkness Saga".
Richard Mantle said:
But The Legion Archives have the most volumes.
It would be at least 3 more volumes until this stoy is reached
True, but only one new one has been printed in about a decade, and DC does put out other trades every once in a while, but those are few and far between.
Philip Portelli said:
20 plus LSH reprints...maybe from when they got their own title?
Travis Herrick (Modular Mod) said: