Adventure Comics 308
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Contents
The Return of Lightning Lad
Plot Synopsis
While visiting Lightning Lad’s tomb, the Legionnaires notice his body moving in its glass coffin. As they open the coffin, they discover that Lightning Lad has mysteriously revived! However, Cosmic Boy suspects that Lightning Lad may have lost his powers while in his coma, and decides to test him. Sun Boy, too, believes that Lightning Lad is powerless, but covers for his friend by secretly using his powers when Lightning Lad is called on to use his.
The Legionnaires are asked by the Science Police to raid the Thieves Planet, a notorious hideout for criminals from all over the galaxy. They capture a ship of three-headed criminals from Hydra World who are transporting stolen animals. One such creature, a small Protean from Antares, imitates Chameleon Boy; impressed, Cham adopts the creature as his pet and names him Proty.
The Legionnaires learn the general location of the Thieves Planet from the Hydra men, and find the planet behind an invisibility force field. They land and pretend to be criminals in order to infiltrate the world, but their identities are discovered by the Master of Thieves World, a sphere of electrical energy that reads minds. The Master imprisons the Legionnaires in a “jewel jail,” but the heroes escape when Chameleon Boy persuades Proty to imitate a ray gun so they can fool the guard. However, it is Lightning Lad who defeats the Master by revealing that he has lighting powers, after all.
“Lightning Lad,” however, turns out to be a female imposter – the real Lightning Lad’s sister, who had taken her brother’s place in his coffin. Sun Boy suspected the truth when he saw that she had no Adam’s apple or tan on the back of her neck, where here long hair had been. But he didn’t know that Lightning Lad’s sister had also gained powers from the lightning beasts of Korbal. She kept her powers secret until after her brother’s death, when she decided to carry on his work.
She is then admitted to the Legion under the name Lightning Lass.
Critique
The Silver Age Legion had its moments of greatness. This isn’t one of them. From the faulty premise to the creative team’s inattention to detail, “The Return of Lightning Lad” is one of the Adventure era’s sillier offerings.
Motivation and logic problems are rampant. If Lightning Lass wanted to replace her brother in the Legion, why not try out like everyone else? Why go to the trouble of pretending to be him – a ruse that couldn’t have lasted very long, regardless? Why does Cham need Proty to imitate a ray gun, when he can do so himself, or imitate a bird and fly through the opening in the door. (In fact, Cham never does use his powers in this story; perhaps Cos and Sun Boy suspected the wrong Legionnaire of being powerless!) Why do the Legionnaire, who are well-known and celebrated throughout the galaxy, infiltrate Thieves World in their own costumes?
Perhaps the story’s only saving grace is found in Sun Boy’s touching loyalty to his friend, Lightning Lad. Even though Sun Boy must know that he cannot protect his “powerless” friend forever, he tries anyway. Sun Boy’s single-minded dedication, going beyond all reason, is a theme that would be revisited again in a far more serious story, in Adventure #318: “The Mutiny of the Super-Heroes.”
This story is noteworthy for the introduction of Ayla Ranzz (though she is never referred to by this name in the story), known as Lightning Lass/Light Lass (and other codenames). Ayla would become one of the most intriguing characters throughout Legion history, but you’d never know it from her implausible introduction.
Roll Call
Legionnaires
Featured roles:
- Bouncing Boy
- Brainiac 5
- Chameleon Boy
- Cosmic Boy
- Lightning Lass (appears disguised as Lightning Lad for most of story; joins the Legion)
- Sun Boy
Supporting role:
- Lightning Lad (in flashback to his origin and death; also appears as a corpse)
Cameos:
Villains
- Master of the Thieves Planet
- Other thieves
- Three-headed aliens from Hydra World
- Pyramid men of Altair
- a member of the ant race of Canopus
Supporting Characters
- Proty (retroactively referred to as Proty I, following the introduction of Proty II)
Other Characters
- Science Police Commissioner
- Jon Arvol, a scientist
Planets and Settings
- Korbal (wild planet where Lightning Lad and Lightning Lass got their powers; seen in flashback)
- Thieves Planet
- Hydra World (mentioned only)
- Altair (mentioned only)
- Canopus (mentioned only)
Technology, Gadgets, and Other Neat Stuff
- The Legion Flag
- Autom guards of Thieves World
Alien Wildlife
- Lightning beasts of Korbal
- Vegan living top
- Sirian phantom beast
