Legion of Super-Heroes #39 – “The One That Got Away” – Paul Levitz/Greg LaRocque, Curt Swan/Mike DeCarlo, Romeo Tanghal
This one starts with Gigi Cusimano (of the Science Police) contemplating something that’ll change her life. We’re not told exactly what it is, but she’s thinking about settling down, she’s holding what looks like a ring box, and she gets a call from Sun Boy urging her to accept his “once in a lifetime” offer … sounds like a marriage proposal, doesn’t it? Gigi’s torn over what to do and starts thinking about her days as a cadet at the Science Police Academy, which takes us out of the framing story and
into the main tale, told in flashback. Gigi met Gim Allon at the Academy and they quickly started a relationship, going everywhere together. While on a break from the Academy, Gim was almost hit by a falling meteorite. He was fine, but the meteorite’s radiation changed his body in some unknown way. Gigi didn’t care, she was just glad he was okay. At the hospital where Gim was recovering, another patient (Char Burrane) escaped from the wing where prisoners were held. Later, Gigi and Gim were hanging out at a resort when some gambler had his money stolen. Gigi and Gim nosed around and Gigi found 
out Burrane was the thief. He knocked her out and tried to take off with her, but Gim suddenly grew to fifteen feet high and grabbed the elevator they were in. Burrane dumped Gigi and got away while Gim rescued her. Yeah, Gim Allon is Colossal Boy, for those of you who didn’t already know that. Naturally, Gim was pretty freaked out by his new powers and worried they might be separated after graduation. Gim figured he had to prove he could still be a good SP officer, so they decided to track down Burrane and bring him in. Using SP computers, they realized Burrane was spending his stolen money at places that sold the same drugs he was given in the hospital, so they staked
out a store and waited. Sure enough, he showed up and they captured him, but that just brought Gim’s powers to wider attention. Talking with Gim’s parents, his mom mentioned the newly-formed Legion of Super-Heroes and suggested Gim try out for them, since they were associated with the Science Police. They went to Earth and Colossal Boy (as he now called himself) was accepted into the Legion (and apparently gave Chameleon Boy his code name). There were only a handful of Legionnaires then: Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, Triplicate Girl, and Phantom Girl … although it looks like Brainiac 5 and Shrinking Violet are sitting off to he side, so maybe they were 
members too. Colossal Boy joining the Legion pretty much spelled the end for his relationship with Gigi, and her getting posted to Takron-Galtos (a prestigious assignment for a rookie) cemented it. By the time she came back to Earth, the spark was gone and she and Gim were just friends. In the present, Gigi calls Sun Boy to turn down his offer (which was just for a date) and we learn that her big decision is whether or not to accept a promotion to Chief and take an assignment on Mars. Ultimately, she chooses to take the promotion, not wanting to let another golden opportunity slip away. This issue kinda reads like filler; not that it’s bad, but its digression from the ongoing storyline (and the different art team) makes me think it was done to give the regular artists a break.
New Teen Titans #36 – “Beauty and the Wildebeest” – Marv Wolfman/Eduardo Barreto/Romeo Tanghal
This one starts with Changeling, Starfire, and Wonder Girl trying to apprehend a new villain called Starburst, but they seem to be having a bit of trouble. The fight is watched by some guy in a suit (whose face we never see) and we learn that he’s contemplated hiring the Titans in the past, even though they’ve disrupted some of his business dealings. Starfire ends up short-circuiting Starburst’s suit and has to save him from splattering on the sidewalk. The businessman takes all this in and goes to his engineers, asking them to make a human-like robot. They don’t have the tech, but are
able to use motion-capture to control a robotic suit, which the businessman finds interesting. At Titans’ HQ, they hang out and discuss their public image. We find out Raven’s newly-awakened emotions include love … she’s got the hots for Dick (Robin) Grayson. It looks like she’s manipulating his emotions to keep him from moving in with Starfire, but their love (or her sex appeal) overcomes that for the moment. The Titans go out to dinner, but get an alert about a break-in nearby. It’s the businessman in a battle-suit calling himself Wildebeest. He fights the Titans, goading them (especially Starfire) into chasing him. He 
switches places with a robot being remotely-controlled and Starfire blows the robot up, with everyone freaking out for a minute because they think she killed a real person. Wildebeest is manipulating the Titans and doesn’t give them any time to think, robbing a museum only minutes later. Naturally, they assume it’s another robot, which is what Wildebeest wants them to think (although Wonder Girl has her suspicions). They do better this time and Raven almost breaks through to Wildebeest’s mind, but he pounds her. That makes Nightwing goes nuts and he jumps Wildebeest. Wildebeest manages to switch with another robot, which blows up and injures Nightwing. While healing herself, Raven realizes the depths of Nightwing’s feelings for her and seems surprised; to
me, it looks like she’s manipulating his emotions to make him care about her, but maybe she’s doing it unconsciously. Nightwing is taken to STAR Labs and Raven goes there to heal him. They get a report about Wildebeest causing havoc and go out to get him, Starfire ready to blast him (thinking it’s another robot) for hurting Nightwing. Wildebeest switches places again, but this time with an actual person in another suit, and Starfire kills the guy (who was about to sue the businessman for breach of contract). The Titans (except Dick and Raven) are all arrested and Wildebeest figures he’s committed the perfect murder and set Starfire up to take the fall.
Suicide Squad #6 – “Hitting the Fan” – John Ostrander/Luke McDonnell/Bob Lewis
Last issue, the Suicide Squad went into Russia to bring out a dissident writer named Trigorin. They found her, but it turns out she doesn’t want to defect, thinking she can get more attention if she stays in the Soviet Union (which is why Gorbachev was thinking about releasing her). While debating the issue, Nightshade, Nemesis, and Enchantress are surprised by an orderly who yells for the guards. Seconds later the hospital room blows up, as Nightshade warps herself, Nemesis, and Trigorin outside, where Flag, Deadshot, and Penguin
are waiting. She tells Flag that Enchantress went nuts and that Trigorin doesn’t want to go with them. Flag sees troops coming and tells Deadshot to take Enchantress down, but not kill her. Deadshot creases her skull with a bullet, knocking her out, and Nemesis tricks her into transforming back to June Moone. They steal a Russian truck (with Deadshot wasting a bunch of soldiers as a distraction) and Trigorin gives them shit for making her a fugitive, which will take the impact out of her writings about resisting the Communist regime. Deadshot blows away some pursuers with a rocket launcher and they decide to salvage some of the escape plan by heading back to the train station at Gorki. They disguise Trigorin so she can use Nightshade’s forged ID, then scout out a boxcar for Nightshade and Nemesis to stow away in. 
Nightshade’s warping powers are getting weaker because she’s tired and half-frozen, but she manages to get herself and Nemesis into the boxcar, while the others board in the same disguises they used for the trip in. Nemesis and Nightshade discuss her feelings for Flag and Nemesis admits he’s jealous, but says it’s up to her who she has feelings for. They get back to Moscow and Nightshade summons enough strength to warp them all back to the Embassy. Their reception isn’t too warm, as some petty functionary named Twilliby gives them shit for bringing Trigorin out against her will. Twilliby tells them their mission (which the State Department was unaware of in the first place) has been disavowed by the American government and that they have thirty minutes to turn themselves over to the Russians … or Twilliby will do it himself.