Legionnaires #21 (1995)
by Tom Peyer & Jeff Moy
Beginning the “Planet Hell” storyline, with our first look at Workforce.
Speaking of Workforce, Live Wire has already joined the team and will provide us with his perspective.
It’s a team with a VERY different dynamic from the Legion.
The first familiar face re-introduced with Workforce is Spider-Girl, whose entire characterization is still being horny.
In fact all the members of Workforce are characters we have already seen… except Inferno.
She’s clearly inspired by both Sun Boy and to a much lesser extent the minor villain Beauty Blaze, but other than that she’s her own character.
In this story she feels like a throwaway character, and she was likely intended as such, but she will play a surprising role later in the series.
She’s also ruthless, something in common with the rest of Workforce but to a much larger extent.
Workforce has two problems right now: it’s not acting like a team, and McCauley wants to micromanage them despite being terrible at it.
The last two remaining members of Workforce are a surprise. The first is Evolvo Lad, who gets his debut here instead of being with the Heroes of Lallor.
The other is Karate Kid. He gets the worst introduction here, being knocked out without doing anything… despite the fact that he will develop into a great character later.
He also feels quite out of place in the team: everyone else clearly has loose morals (even Ultra Boy kind of qualifies this early on), but given Karate Kid’s later characterization it’s quite a stretch.
Workforce just BARELY completes the mision, making Live Wire regret his decision.
And that concludes the Workforce portion of the issue, because this is when the main plot begins.
Not your best first impression with the team, Brainy.
The mission involves Planet Hell, a space super-prison.
Something has gone wrong with the technology securing the place, and the Legion has been called to help.
Well technically they called Brainiac 5 to help: the rest of the team is the support.
Given the name “Planet Hell”, you might have some expectations on how it looks; you’re probably thinking it’s a lava planet.
Instead it’s INSIDE A STAR, protected by a force field!!!
The scenes set on Planet Hell have a very cool coloring choice, making it look more saturated than usual. It doesn’t look like any other setting I’ve seen in comics, although the digitally recolored version I’m using for the review doesn’t do it justice.
I’m shocked that a place called Planet Hell makes people insane.
There’s something deeply disturbing about this place. You would typically expect something like this to be set somewhere dark and gloomy, but because of the premise its brightness creates a unique contrast.
While Brainiac 5 is busy calling the shots, Sparks attempts to strike a conversation… without much results. Their friendship will evolve into one of my absolute favorite parts of the Reboot.
He’ll soften up a bit on being called Brainy. Not too much of course, or he wouldn’t be Brainiac 5.
This place has top-notch security…
…for anyone who isn’t a Legionnaire.
Sparks is clearly the most emotional Legionnaire. In her defense, she’s fourteen.
Also, it’s not that hard to be on edge in this place.
The Legion gets some unexpected visitors…
…who set up a mass evasion, ending the issue on a cliffhanger.
Legion significance: 5/10
Most of the members of Workforce will play a role.
Silver Age-ness: 4/10
In addition to the inherent silliness of Evolvo Lad, we have A PRISON INSIDE A STAR.
Does it stand the test of time? 8/10
Planet Hell is one of my absolute favorite settings of ANY Legion story. I also like having around a team that is different enough from the Legion to emphasize its strengths, although this issue a bit heavy-handed in that regard: I’m having trouble believing someone like McCauley wouldn’t fire all of them immediately.
This is also the “proper” introduction of Brainiac 5 in the team dynamic. He starts off as kind of unpleasant, but I like how the Legionnaires making fun of him feels deserved but at the same time it doesn’t go overboard. Notice that, as soon as Brainy makes it VERY clear that he’s offended by the comparison with the original Brainiac, the subject is dropped… except by Sparks, who just tries to understand what’s up with him and how to become friends.
Needless to say, but the way Brainiac 5 will slowly warm up to his teammates will be one of my favorite aspects of the Legion in general.
Another minor complain is that this is like the third story in a row where Triad does absolutely nothing (besides providing Moy Tongues). Once was fine and kind of realistic, but this could become a problem. Thankfully her characterization will REALLY kick off soon.
Moy Tongues: 4
Who did it better?
We’ve had non-Legion 30th century teams before, with the Heroes of Lallor and the Wanderers.
Despite my complains about being too blatantly terrible as a team, the Workforce works better than both. It’s a study in contrast: Brande created the Legion for the ideal, McCauley created Workforce for money.
I never really cared for Evolvo Lad; I think he works here just as well as he did on the Heroes of Lallor (although his best scenes are yet to come).
I wasn’t a big Spider-Girl fan (not the Legion one at least), but even I have to admit that even at her most annoying the 5YL version was vastly superior to this.
To date, that’s the SECOND time I noticed something that the 5YL did better than the Reboot (the first was Matter-Eater Lad). I doubt I will ever find a third.
Inferno and especially Karate Kid are separate cases that will warrant an extended look next time.
We are legion
- 10 active Legionnaires (4 volunteers, 6 drafted)
- 1 resigned member
- 1 deceased member
- 12 people have been members
- 2 Legion leaders (Leviathan, Cosmic Boy)
Interesting letters: this is the first letters page of the Reboot.
Which doesn’t have a name yet.
This issue has letters commenting the End Of An Era storyline of the old continuity, with the acknowledgment that Legion history had become a mess…
…that even fans had trouble keeping straight.
All the letter writers are still under the impression that the original Legion continuity would continue after End Of An Era.
Which makes me wonder, at which point were readers made aware that the series would be completely rebooted?
