Legion of Super-Heroes #22 – “Dead End” – Paul Levitz/Greg LaRocque/Mike DeCarlo
This one starts with Universo hypnotizing some guy to go out and cause mayhem. After his new pawn leaves, a Science Police officer almost catches Universo lurking around, but Universo mesmerizes him too and we see that Universo has been masquerading as Vid-Gupta, the aide to Earth President Desai (and maybe Desai’s brother too, I can’t remember). Across the galaxy, a contingent of Legionnaires is on Labyrinth, the new prison planet. Labyrinth is in a binary system and Brainiac 5 has devised a
way to draw energy from one of the stars to power a planet-wide force-shield. Chameleon Boy explains it to Sensor Girl, but he’s surprised she isn’t already aware of it. Sensor Girl knows her teammates are suspicious of her and curious as to her true identity. On Earth, the guy Universo hypnotized shows up at Metropolis University and starts destroying the place, yammering on about how technology sucks and he wants to return Earth to a natural state. His rampage brings a lot of the building down, trapping Rond Vidar and another professor under some rubble. Some Legionnaires (Brainiac 5, Sun Boy, Tellus, Wildfire, and Magnetic Kid) show up to help and end up fighting the 
guy. His energy-absorption suit works even against Wildfire and he takes off while the Legionnaires are trying to keep the building from collapsing. At Legion Headquarters, Mon-El realizes his anti-lead serum is only effective for about twenty hours now, whereas it used to last for 48. He worries it might stop working altogether and he’ll have to return to the Phantom Zone. I wonder if Levitz is setting up Mon-El’s departure because he knows Superman’s history is about to be revamped? The Legionnaires take Rond Vidar to hospital (where we see his doctor is under Universo’s control) and go back to HQ to discuss the university attack. Brainiac 5 realizes the attacker (who they’re
calling the Restorer) has been using stolen tech to power his suit, which drains energy for power. Brainy figures his next target will be a fusion power sphere, since it holds so much energy. On Labyrinth, the Legionnaires finish setting up the prison and prepare to leave. Sensor Girl senses someone aboard their ship and orders Timber Wolf to rip open a computer panel where the intruder is supposedly hiding. On Earth, Restorer strikes at the fusion power sphere in London, but Ultra Boy, Tellus, and Dawnstar are waiting for him. He gives them a 
bit of a fight, but Tellus ends up ripping the suit right off him and Ultra Boy freezes him with super-breath. When Tellus tries to read Restorer’s mind, Restorer’s psyche turns inward and destroys itself rather than yield up any info. Later Chief Zendak reports to President Desai about Restorer, but afterwards we see Desai discussing things with Vid-Gupta (who we know is really Universo). Whatever Universo’s master plan is, he seems satisfied with the progress, since the Legionnaires think Restorer has been dealt with and Rond Vidar is out of the picture.
Noticeable Things:
- There’s an interesting little exchange between Lightning Lass and
Shrinking Violet where Violet says she’s changed her whole life and wonders if Lightning Lass can say the same. The conversation is a bit strange, but I think this is the beginning of Lightning Lass and Shrinking Violet’s romance; I assume Levitz couldn’t come right out and say what he wanted, so he had to be oblique about it.
New Teen Titans #20 – “Past Imperfect” – Marv Wolfman/Eduardo Barreto/Romeo Tanghal
This one starts with Cheshire in South Africa, killing a prominent black leader and leaving evidence it was done by communists (which would give the white government an excuse to crack down on the black opposition in the name of protecting the country from Commies). Cheshire receives her pay from a government official, but sets him up to take the fall for the murder as a communist spy. Cheshire goes to see her mentor Wen Ch’ang and we find out she’s obsessed with whoever fathered her child. In New York, Wonder Girl explains to the group she gathered last issue (Speedy,
Flash, Robin, Hawk, and Aqualad) that she needs help protecting government officials at a US/USSR summit on nuclear arms. There’s been a threat that someone wants to screw up the peace talks and that Cheshire may be involved. Robin and Flash are willing to help, Aqualad is so despondent over Aquagirl’s death in the Crisis that he doesn’t care what he does, Speedy is reluctant but finally agrees, and Hawk is eager to kick some Commie ass, even though they’re supposed to be protecting the Soviets. (Since Dove died in the Crisis, Hawk has really gone over the top, turning into a walking reactionary 
cliché.) Wonder Girl takes her new Titans to a resort in Switzerland, where the peace conference is scheduled for the next day. They check out the place and decide to relax, which gives us a few more insights into some of the characters. Wally’s disease is in remission but now he can only run at the speed of sound, no faster. He’s taken on the mantle (and costume) of Flash to honour Barry Allen, who died in the Crisis. Wonder Girl is worried about her ability to lead this group, since her previous leadership of the Titans resulted in the team basically breaking up. They hear noises outside and Flash finds Cheshire and some thugs setting a bomb. Cheshire seems prepared to face the Titans,
but wasn’t expecting Flash to be there. He takes him out with a seeker-round that wounds his shoulder and yells for her men to clear out before the bomb goes off. That gives the Titans time to clear the building, although the explosion stuns most of them. Wonder Girl thinks it strange that Cheshire would be so stupid as to warn them about the bomb, and Cheshire actually does seem relieved that none of the Titans were killed, so she’s definitely playing a deeper game. Hawk takes out some of Cheshire’s men and is ready to start killing them if they don’t talk. Wonder Girl grabs Cheshire but is forced to let her go to stop Hawk. She so pissed off at Hawk’s kill-crazy attitude that she almost crushes his chest while giving him shit. Robin pulls her back and she decides she’s had enough and quits the team, leaving Robin in charge. 
Robin follows her, reminding her that he’s not Dick Grayson, he’s just a kid and the team needs her. Cheshire takes off, leaving a message with Flash: “Cheshire remembers.” That doesn’t mean anything to the others, so they regroup and prepare to head up the mountain to the peace conference the next day (except Flash, whose wound means he has to stay behind). They meet King Faraday on the mountain and he reminds them how important the peace talks are. Robin and Speedy hang back and Robin mentions how Speedy seemed bothered by Cheshire’s message, like he knew what it meant. Cheshire shows up and decks Robin and we find out what her hidden agenda is: apparently Speedy was working undercover for the American government when he hooked up with Cheshire (although she says she loved him) and fathered her child. Now she wants him dead.
All-Star Squadron #57 – “Kaleidoscope” – Roy Thomas/Mike Clark, Rick Hoberg, Arvell Jones, Richard Howell/Vince Colletta, Alfredo Alcala
This is basically just three stories to update us on the whereabouts of another three missing JSA members. The JSA were thrown into hyperspace, where each of them ended up visiting a parallel version of the planets in our solar system, based on classic (though I use the term loosely) stories from the 40s. There’s a framing device about the All-Stars recovering from the Crisis (which they seem to have forgotten) and looking for the missing JSAers using Dr. Fate and Dr. Occult’s magic. I won’t go into great detail on the stories, since
they’re happening in a parallel universe, plus they’re probably apocryphal after the Crisis anyway. The first story has Atom landing on a lush Mars right out of John Carter (and he has physical greater abilities because of the low gravity, also like John Carter). Atom ends up helping one group against another who are trying to steal their water. The second story has Starman on Jupiter, which is populated by people wearing metal armour to protect against the cold and high gravity. They tell Starman that the Great Red Spot is actually an entity that feeds on the planet itself. By building a giant version of his Cosmic Rod, Starman sends the Great Red Menace spiralling off into space, 
saving the planet. The third story features Wonder Woman landing on (where else?) Venus. She helps the winged Venusian women (who seem to worship Aphrodite) save their wingless men from some brutal warriors who came in on a meteor. After numerous combats and treacheries, Wonder Woman triumphs and the Meteor Men end up being taught their place by the Venusians. The Venusian Queen Desira thanks Wonder Woman (which what looks like a kiss on the neck, although the text says she’s magnetizing Diana’s earrings … yeah right) before sending her homeward. Back in the framing story, Sandy and Hawkgirl wonder about Sandman and Hawkman (whose extra-planetary adventures we’ve already seen) but vow to keep fighting the Nazis no matter what.
Infinity Inc #26 – “Come Helix or High Water” – Roy and Dann Thomas/Todd McFarlane/Tony DeZuniga
Last issue, Infinity Inc investigated some shark attacks near San Pedro and found more than they bargained for, with giant megalodons rampaging around and destroying their plane. The new Wildcat (Yolanda Montez) stowed away on the plane and ended up being captured by the guy behind the shark attacks, a huge shark-man called Carcharo. Carcharo knows Yolanda’s secret identity and hints that he knows other things about her. She’s not impressed and tries to escape, but Carcharo recaptures her. At Infinity Inc headquarters, Star-Spangled Kid is giving Jade and Silver
Scarab shit for screwing up their mission and probably getting Yolanda eaten by giant sharks. (Nuklon stayed at San Pedro behind to look for Yolanda … I think he’s kinda sweet on her.) Star-Spangled Kid’s anger is mostly at himself for not being a good enough leader, but he spreads it around pretty well. Silver Scarab and Northwind talk to their parents in New Feithera, but a storm cuts the conversation short. Silver Scarab and Fury have an argument (which has been happening a lot since they got married) and Scarab ends up at home where he finds a belated wedding present … a strange crystal 
dagger that he immediately takes a shine to. Brainwave Jr. prepares to lead Northwind and Fury back to look for Yolanda and Green Lantern wonders about the relationship between his daughter (Jade) and Brainwave, son of a super-villain. At San Pedro, Nuklon is freaking out about Yolanda, but hopes she might still be alive since her remains aren’t in the wrecked plane. The others show up and some birds tell Northwind that the sharks headed for the Channel Islands, so they head out that way. Carcharo brings Wildcat to an island, still hinting that she was his main target (even though there was no way he could’ve predicted that she’d stow away of Infinity’s plane). Wildcat is startled to find four members of Helix (Mr. Bones, Tao Jones, Windwalker, and Penny Dreadful) on the island, but she’s blown away when they tell her she’s one of them … and Carcharo is her cousin. Bones tells
Yolanda how her mother and Carcharo’s mother were sisters, involved in Dr. Love’s twisted experiment to conceive super-powered kids. But Yolanda’s mother and aunt ended up in Mexico, so they weren’t raised with the rest of Helix, although Dr. Love kept track of them. When Carcharo was born as a mutated fish, his mother killed herself and tried to drown him, but he ended up being raised by fish (!), while Yolanda was raised by her mother, who returned to the States. The story would explain why Yolanda has super-powers, but she doesn’t believe it … or maybe doesn’t want to believe it. The Infinitors show up and a fight starts. The teams are pretty evenly matched, but Fury ends up capturing Bones, who orders his teammates to retreat and leave him behind. The Infinitors aren’t happy that Carcharo and the other Helix members got away, but at least they got Yolanda back.