The Legion #37 - Phase 1, Collect Underpants. Phase 3, PROFIT

Released August 11, 2004
DC Comics, Color
23 Pages

For No Better Reason Part Three - A Sense of Confinement

Gail Simone - Writer
Dan Jurgens - Layouts
Andy Smith - Finishes
Sno Cone - Colors

Stephen Wacker - Editor

Synopsis

If you've been wondering about that other Legion mission going on at Karahdia during the events of the last couple issues, we now find a little out about that, as we open with Spark making her way back to the team - they are fighting a species of large bugs that evolve based on some kind of secretion.  They have advanced quickly over the last few days to understand advanced technology and try to kill each other.  The Legion decides to make themselves a target of the warring factions. She joins Triad, Star Boy, her brother, Kid Quantum, Cosmic Boy and Invisible Kid.  Superboy and M'Onel are in reserve in orbit. Chuck briefs Saturn Girl on the situation.  Gear gives the quick summary of the situation - over an hour since the tech blackout and the Legion Cadets are there helping the Legion regain control from a group of meta terrorists.

In Metropolis, Trudy diaries what's going on.  Brainy seems to have recovered his senses and is getting things back in order as Vi and Ultra Boy fix up the environment. Brainy assigns Cham the duty of finding the metas attacking them with the Cadets.  Jo gives some hard news to Tinya about her mother.  

At Devil's lair, she tortures Timber Wolf into turning over the access codes to Legion World.  Devil and her crew believe the world to be corrupt and the Legionnaires defenders of a corrupt system.  

On Oasis One, Karate Kid confronts Piter and the other convicts. In the plaza, Trudy tends to an ailing Gym'll while Vi fixes things and Cham deduces that the Legionnaires - not Chu were the targets.  Devil returns to Canary and Dreamer without the information, but Canary notices that Devil's outfit is torn. In the other apartment we see that Brin is still alive, and has a piece of Devil's outfit to trace her scent.  Back on the prison, Karate Kid dispatches all the escaping prisoners, including Piter, as the Persuader looks on. Jo and Vi head to the prison and meet Val.  

In the plaza, Cham and team are under attack by Lantern and Arrow, when Nightwind calls up her powers and disrupts Arrow's plans. Cham leads them into a diversion and Infectious Lass takes out Arrow and Lantern.  

Devil explains her plan to kill all the Legionnaires. 

Commentary

The ending of this issue, meaning the reveal of Devil's plans, reminded me of the South Park episode that spawned the "Phase 1 - Collect Underpants, Phase 2 - ???, Phase 3 - Profit" meme.  We've seen the Phase 1, and she just told us the Phase 3 - killing the Legionnaires, but the Phase 2 - how you actually end up getting the Legion World codes to then dispatch the Legionnaires, seems incredible vague.  Still, we do get more insight into her goals - they are indeed nihilists of a sort who don't believe in the UP, its government, its philosophy or anyone who supports that, which means the Legion.  So they want to see it all come down.  

This aspect of the story actually resonated quite a bit with me as I read it, as I heard this similar philosophy on display with people I know in 2016 here in the states.  And without getting too deep into US politics (that way madness lies), people made certain choices that impacted the entire world because they wanted to "burn it all down."  So I see here people who don't care about the implications or repercussions of their actions in order to get what they want, even if what they get is a bagful of nothing only to see others suffer. In other words, it hit home. 

It was interesting to see the rest of the team on the other mission, but I'm kind of scratching my head as to why it was there.  It just seemed to highlight where everyone else was (we knew) and it just enabled Imra's team to get an idea of what was going on back home. Maybe they'll address that on the next issue. And why wasn't Kinetix on that mission?  It's literally a mission about evolution.  You'd think Wacker could have said something to Gail and mention that for a rewrite.   Also, Spark's (and Garth's) uniforms look different.  But its good to see Garth in his normal costume.

But the story moved forward pretty well.  The Legionnaires are regaining their footing, Karate Kid really has a stand out moment, and Cham gets to take command of a squad for the first time in a LONG time.  Having Nightwind assist and Infectious Lass(!) take out these two pests was fun to watch.  Trudy continues to evolve, despite having less to do aside from write in her Journal, and her keeping distance between her and Jo/Tinya was a nice touch.  I'm still not convinced Winema's dead. 

The Jurgens/Smith art was good - its been growing on me this last issue for sure.

A few other items:

Where the hell is Umbra?

The Canary/Devil relationship seems more than a little controlling and disturbing.  But Canary's attention to detail makes me wonder if there's more to her than meets the eye.

So, I love Jurgens' Violet, but I do have to question the idea of having her in such a short dress.  I guess it was done before on her date with Chuck, but that was a recreation night, not a formal event.  

Nice bit with the L ring imprint on the prisoner's cheek in Val's fight.  And Double Header!  I'm sure there are more familiar faces here. 

Glad to see Vi getting large AND small in the same book for once.   

Cute how the Cadets with Cham only two could do anything effective.  The unintended consequence of Chuck sending in the kitchen sink to save the day.  We have seen other cadets though.  I can see why Babbage wouldn't be sent, but I know there are definitely others.

How does Devil know so much about the Karahdian mission?  

Grade - B-. The plot moved pretty well and good drawings, but this odd plot of Devil's is making me give it a little side-eye.