I picked this issue for several reasons:
First, it is the introduction of Invisible Kid II, Jacques Foccart, and his sister Danielle who would later become a hero named Computo. Second, this is the reintroduction of Shvaughn Erin, a character first introduced by Levitz in Earthwar, but no one seemed to run with. Officer Erin became an important supporting character through Levitz's run, somewhat in the 5YL storyline, and again in the Reboot.
At first glance, the cover looks interesting with 5 Legionnaires being attacked by a young girl. Imagine my surprise when I find out Saturn Girl and Wildfire have very little role to play in the story.
I'll pull out a few pages but you can also follow along in your hymnal. The issue opens with the roll call and Ofr. Erin walking approaching Legion HQ. She triggers some defense (who walks up to Legion HQ without clearance?) and runs into Wildfire and Dawnstar who ready to peace out for some R&R. This obviously is a foreshadow to the technological nightmare that awaits. Acting leader Element Lad starts to acquaint her. He mentions her appearance dearing Earthwar for readers who didn't catch it and then explains they are upgrading outdated systems, because Keith Giffen took over as artist and decided to bump the tech look of the Legion up a couple hundred years, or "half a millennium due" as Element Lad says. They spy Brainy with the young girl from the cover along with Dream Girl and Mon-El with a young man who is her brother. Continuity mention of Mon-El having a science background. Brainy's internal dialog starts the set up. "I swore never to use that circuity again...but this time I'll control it." Well, shit, literally within the same page all hell breaks loose. Dream Girl, worst precog ever, gets zapped by an energy surge. She didn't see that one coming. And surprise, surprise, the little girl awakes with strange beams coming out of her eyes. That didn't take long!
Next page is spent with Cosmic Boy marveling over his new costume sewn by Light Lass (continuity nod). Good to know Butterick and McCall's are still around. Cosmic boy speaks out loud to himself how everything is magnetizing to him and how bad it's going to get.
Next page is Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl who are dealing with some type of explosion just as Saturn Girl was going to make dinner. Nice to see Legion women don't neglect their traditional gender roles 1000 years in the future. Also, Imra cries to Garth, "Save me!" So much for the first female Legion leader.
Next page, is Sun Boy and boring Star Boy who barely deserve half the page.
Back to the main plot and we see Element Lad and Ofr. Erin trying to ascertain the situation. Element Lad gives the worst dialogue ever, "but it's rotten to be leader and locked out!" Meanwhile, Danielle Foccart starts speaking in a weird voice. Mon-El, the most powerful member, just stands there, frozen somehow, and we find what's going on is that Danielle is now possessed by Computo, one of Brainy's biggest inventions to go awry. Computo was known for killing one of Triplicate Girl's selves, forcing her to become Duo Damsel. She didn't mind so much at the time. More on that later because the Legion have to fight Brainy's hubris again!
So, I won't go page for page like this. This issue starts to define some key plot devices that Levitz uses during his runs: Brainiac's arrogance that results in some terrible outcome, and showing how tough a villain is by having them take out Mon-El right away.
Worthless page. Then another worthless page with Duo Damsel boo-hooing how Computo took her other body. This issue continues with Shadow Lass joining Element Lad and Ofr. Erin to do nothing. We now see Colossal Boy and Shrinking Violet get owned along with other Legionnaires being taken down one by one. Some worthless exposition and then we get to my (least) favorite scene. Light Lass, Ultra Boy and Phantom Girl. Phantom Girl makes some comment to Light Lass about being an incurable domestic and she is attacked by a vaccuum cleaner. OK, this is going a bit too far. Phantom Girl, who obviously is being punished for questioning stereotypical gender roles, is now too big an idiot to remember she could simply phase and stop the vaccuum. Her idiot boyfriend goes to assist and for some reason is not invulnerable and he gets taken out by an explosion.
Oh look, who is that mysterious character? Lead-in to Great Darkness Saga. One page of Chameleon Boy reflecting on his previous storyline and has nothing to do with the A-plot of the story. Dawnstar and Wildfire rescue Colossal Boy and Shrinking Violet. So going back to the A-plot, we have Brainy slipping Jacques a telepathic plug so he can communicate with him telepathically. Now, Lightning Lad sent Saturn Girl, the resident telepath, to tend to Cosmic Boy. It seems to me that Levitz sent her off because she could mind link Brainy, Element Lad, and everyone else and they could probably finish this story in 2 more pages. But where is the drama with that?
And... Brainy wants Jacques to take the original Invisible Kid's serum not knowing what effect it would have. Jacques, after several pages of wasted dialog, decides to take the serum! Brainy's highly advanced shield falls to Computo's barrage and Mon-El strain's against his paralysis to use his heat vision for an impossible trick shot to reveal a hypo so Jacques can use it on his sister. And he does! Day saved!
More wasted dialog about how Brainy is a failure. 12th level intellect defeats himself! Brainy decides to resign in shame and name the new Invisible Kid as his replacement. Seriously, Brainy would nominate someone who had no desire to be a Legionnaire who barely knows his powers to take his place. I'm beginning to think he isn't so smart after all.
Wildfire, the hothead, becomes the voice of reason and says Jacques shouldn't just be admitted; they should take Lamprey or Nightwind if they are so short staffed. The idiot Legionnaires decide to reject Brainy's resignation and vote inexperienced n00b in. Looking back, Levitz obviously had a lot of ideas for Jacques after his introduction and so it's no wonder he wanted a new character in. I also have to take his inclusion with a grain of salt because at the time, there were NO persons of color in the Legion. Tyroc was hated by Levitz and I feel there was more of a push for diversity and inclusion in comics, even back then. I'm not sure a Black man who uses his power to hide his Blackness is the best example, but that my friends, is a whole nother blog post.
Overall, Levitz tries to hit all the buttons to prove to readers he knows his Legion history and will use it to move the series forward. He creates a new, but familiar character, with Invisible Kid. This issue is essentially a king-sized issue of the series, highly tied into into continuity and not a stand-alone story as many annuals tended to be at Marvel. For the story itself, it was pretty bland. It seems to take place in the course of approximately 15 minutes by my guess. Levitz tries to elevate the risk and the tension by having all these characters taken out of the fight, but they do a lot of idiot moves, or they just end up ineffectual, like Blok and Timber Wolf who I didn't even touch upon because they do nothing.
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