Analysis Notes
| General |
This issue is part of the Genesis event, in which
Ares attempted to corrupt the Source and caused a universe-wide crisis
of faith. As a side-effect, several characters lost their powers,
and a few found theirs changed. Genesis #1 indicated that
Spark and Ultra Boy were affected, but it turned out to only be Spark,
who gained gravity-affecting powers, a lá the preboot Light Lass. (Genesis itself
was pretty roundly panned.) |
| Most of the characters who went into the Source found
their powers or their faiths changed or tested in some way. No
direct hint of this occurred with Saturn Girl. On the other hand,
her powers had recently undergone a major philosophy shift, and she had
only started to come to terms with that in the previous issue. It
is possible that the trip into the Source helped to stabilize things
for her. |
| Except for the scene in 5:1, this issue occurs during Genesis #4,
pages 12-16. |
| One of the core parts of this issue is Metron probing
Saturn Girl’s memories of her trip inside the Source so that he
can learn about it. On the surface, this makes little sense, since
Metron himself was part of the group that entered the Source, marking
this is a major editorial gaffe. But the burp can be explained
by that fact that Metron, as an immortal, experienced the Source in a
way different from how a mortal would, so his probing of Saturn Girl
is a means of more fully rounding out his experience with the Source. |
| 1:1 |
Note that Jo and Tinya’s lips are phasing through
each other. Tinya is trapped in a phantom state due to the death
of her body at the hands of a White Triangle Daxamite in Legionnaires
Annual #2. |
| 2/3 |
It is unclear where this battle is taking place. The
white background would indicate that it is inside the Source, but that
is impossible. The floating stone head appears to be an artifact
from the Source Wall, however. Presumably this is near the Source
Wall, perhaps some crumbling part of it, and the white backgrounds are
due to a nebula or gas cloud or some similar stellar phenomenon. |
| Triad is using tri-jitsu. |
| Role call images do not count as panel appearances. |
| 4:2 |
Apparition gained the ability to affect
machinery by phasing through it in Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #< >. |
| The para-demons are shocked at having been teleported. |
| 5:1 |
The heroes in silhouette are Donna Troy (between Captain
Marvel and Martian Manhunter), Warrior (to the right of Martian Manhunter),
Queen Hippolyta (above Spark), and Arzaz (between Prysm and Atom). |
| This scene occurs just prior to Genesis #3, page
18. |
| Coloring error: Spark’s Mother Box is colored blue. In
fact, several of the characters do not seem to be wearing Mother Boxes
on their arms at all. |
| 5:2 |
The airborne Legionnaires are (left to right) Apparition,
Ultra Boy, Triad, Spark, Ferro, Brainiac 5, and Gates. |
| 6:1 |
Banyo-seeds would be the seeds of the
banyo fruit. Postboot, one was seen in < >; preboot, an accident
involving the peel of a banyo fruit caused the death of heroine Leeta-87. |
| Spark’s Mother Box is missing. Maybe it was
destroyed when she crashed into the Source Wall in Genesis #3,
page 18:2? |
| 6:3 |
Does Mother Box not like Brainy, or did Saturn Girl prompt
it to shock him? |
| 6:4 |
Ferro has been wrapped up fighting para-demons for the
past several hours. This is the first time that being in outer
space has had a chance to sink in. |
| 8:2 |
It isn’t clear whether Brainy’s agape expression
is due to Metron’s pronouncement at the end of his dialogue, or
if Metron’s identity has completely stunned him. |
| 8:4 |
“The one in red” is Ultra Boy. |
| 9:3 |
The silhouetted Legionnaires are (left-to-right) Spark,
Gates, and Triad. |
| 10:1 |
Gravity control is only puny if it is poorly used. That’s
a standard for many Legion characters: working together to use their
powers in great ways. |
| 10:2 |
Spark’s powers actually changed in Genesis #1. No
mention of that being made here is symptomatic of the poor editorial
work that surrounded the Genesis event. |
| 10:5-7 |
This counts as three panels. |
| 10:6 |
This is a flashback to Legion of Super-Heroes v4
#96. |
| 11:1 |
Cosmic Boy wears his flight ring on his left hand, despite
the overloading of that finger with the location of where a wedding ring
would sit. Invisible Kid does likewise. |
| 11:5 |
Brainiac 5 met his ancestors Brainiac and Vril Dox in Showcase ’98 #11-12. |
| 12:1 |
That is a neon sign advertising Tiffany Cross’ palm
reading/psychic business. |
| 12 |
Presumably Bgztlian’s have a natural ability to sense
the location of their own touchstones. |
| 13:1 |
Mantis may indeed be too powerful for the Legionnaires. On
the other hand, neither of their leader types (Cosmic Boy and Saturn
Girl) were in this group, which would reduce their effectiveness. And
of course, this is occurring during the universe-wide crisis of faith
brought on by Genesis, which can’t help matters any. |
| 14:3 |
Ayla is using her new gravity powers. |
| 15:3 |
Brainiac 5: the world’s mightiest suck-up. |
| 15:4-5 |
In his awe of Metron, Brainy temporarily forgot about
the need to acquire a Mother Box. |
| 18:2 |
The characters in silhouette are (left-to-right): Cosmic
Boy, Spark, one of the Triads, Ferro, Apparition, and the other two Triads. |
| 19 |
Ultra Boy appears to have used the pod’s energies
to power himself up. Perhaps this is another power of his: ultra
power absorption? Alternately, given that his powers come from
consuming the internal radiations of a space whale, Mantis’ power-pod
may work on a similar basis, and if Jo were to stay in the pod long enough,
the special powers gained from it might become permanent like his standard
ones. |
| 20:2 |
“I’ve got more power in my little finger than
you’ve got in your entire body.” |
| 20:3 |
“Light Lass” was the preboot Ayla’s name
when she had gravity powers; the SW6 clone of her went by the name “Gossamer.” The “Hero
Formerly Known as Spark” is a dig at recording artist Prince’s
name change. |
| Saturn Girl’s Mother Box is missing. Metron
may have taken it with him in 15:4. |
| 21:2 |
This Mother Box is larger than the one Saturn Girl has
strapped to her arm, but it is not tracked separately. |
