The Legion of Super Heroes v5 #10 - TRAITOR!

Released September 28, 2005
DC Comics, Color
30 Pages

Cover Title - Traitor!

Mark Waid - Writer
Barry Kitson - Penciller
Drew Geraci - Inker
Sno Cone - Colors
Stephen Wacker - Editor

Synopsis

The Battle of Helegyn has been won by the Legionnaires and they've taken Elysion prisoner. Dream Girl demands he explain their plans as everything an hour hence is black. Brainy orders a meeting in the plaza, and the other Legionnaires corral the kids. Cos and Brainy let everyone know what the stakes are and reunite for the cause of the coming battle.

Inside HQ, we get an explanation of how Helegyn ended; Shadow Lass and Element Lad lured Elysion to the icy half of the tidally locked world, where he passed out and was captured. Projectra arrives and notes that Elysion is wearing Brin's jacket.  Saturn Girl interrogates Elysion to get the plans. Invisible Kid is enthusiastic, but the whole team can't stand him. Val takes him aside and explains that he needs to show more integrity. Lyle blames narcing on Cos' lab break in on Shrinking Violet/Atom Girl, who Val explains is mythical. Lyle escorts Elysion to a prison cell.

Projectra asks what is going on, and Cos sums up the plot in about three panels. Brainy and Dreamy try to figure out why she can't see into the future. Brainy posits that Lemnos has somehow cloaking the future. He offers to fix her power. Cos explains the plan - split the team into three groups, one for Terra Firma's base, one for Trxxl and one for Dormir, with a small group remaining on Earth. Projectra appeals to join an away team to go out fighting. Elysion baits Lyle and Brainy keeps working to help Dreamy, which she thinks is sweet. 

In Otherspace, Lemnos presses a button, which signals several suicide bombers in Legion plaza to detonate themselves. Bedlam ensues in the plaza while a final bomber comes to the cell and detonates himself, freeing Elysion. Brainy tries to signal the other teams, but Elysion has destroyed the transmitter. Science Police are trying to help the situation on the plaza, but unwittingly pens them all in. Brainy, Dreamy and Lyle do what they can to rescue individuals while Elysion rips the plaza apart. In 90 seconds Brainy says something humorous then Dreamy can't see the future.  

Lyle gets hurt in the debris, and Nura sends Brainy to help him - but Lyle may have broken his humerus. 

Elysion annihilates Legion HQ.  Brainy and Lyle make their way out of the rubble to see Elysion headed to UP HQ. Lyle thinks he sees Dream Girl, but its another girl with similar hair and clothes. 

Brainy finds Dream Girl crushed to death in the rubble.

Commentary

Well damn.  This particular issue, to me, is as impactful as the reboot's Legionnaires Annual 2. We get a summary of  how the prior battle ended up, but still moving the plot forward, centered around Nura's inability to see the future.  Of course, no one even thinks of the fact that its because she won't be part of it.  Elysion's plan to be caught on purpose is diabolically brilliant and the suicide bombers are chilling. The only thing that didn't really sit well with me was the team's continued dumping on Lyle. That whole thing is getting old. But other than that the attack on HQ and the inevitability of what was going to happen when the humorous/humerus mention happens is  shocking.  This plot MOVES while also conveying a TON of information, and the taking away of one of the few characters of this version that I liked genuinely hurt at the end. But best of all, the end of the book makes you do what all good comic book stories do - want to pick up the next issue immediately.

Art here is amazing.  Kitson's spread of the takedown of Legionnaire HQ is as breathtaking as it is devastating.

A couple other notes:

Apparently Legion HQ used to be some kind of government facility.  I'm thinking an old SP building or prison.

We finally get teased with other mysterious new worlds for the other Legion teams. 

Grade - A+.  A fantastic issue all around, and the best of this series so far.