Analysis Notes
| Cover |
The December 1997 issues of all DC Comics were “big
head” covers like this, part of the “Faces of the DC Universe” theme. This
cover was also seen on the “Faces of the DC Universe” poster. |
| General |
C.O.M.P.U.T.O.’s voice apparently comes through the “possessed” characters’ mouths,
but it counts as dialogue only for C.O.M.P.U.T.O. |
| C.O.M.P.U.T.O. is tracked for panel appearances any time
a “possessed” character appears. The “possessed” character
also gets a panel appearance. |
| 1 |
Roll call images do not count as panel appearances. |
| C.O.M.P.U.T.O. is made up of Triad-Neutral, Iron and Platinum
of the Metal Men, Veridium’s responsometer, a Mother Box, and the
innards of several Omnicoms. Triad, Iron, and Platinum are pretty
much just add-ons, mobility and weapons systems. |
| 2:1 |
C.O.M.P.U.T.O. is using Platinum to shoot spears. |
| 2:5 |
This info of C.O.M.P.U.T.O.’s comes from Shvaughn’s
files (see 11:1). The accuracy of the minutiae of it is doubtful;
Gates has been seen to teleport when he cannot see, when guided by Saturn
Girl’s telepathy. |
| 3:4-5 |
C.O.M.P.U.T.O. used a Boom Tube to teleport away. |
| 4:3 |
This crash site is in between Metropolis and Happy Harbor,
per Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #98. The intact ship is Captain
Comet’s cruiser; the crashed one was the Team 20 airship (built
from one of Blue Beetle’s bugs). |
| 5-6 |
This scene is one of the few times we not only see Ultra
Boy switching between powers but actually (potentially) paying a price
for doing so. |
| 5:1 |
This does not count as an appearance for Tiffany Cross,
since we cannot see her. |
| 7 |
As will eventually become clear, Apparition and Phase
are two-thirds of Tinya Wazzo (who is half-Bgztlian and half-Carggite),
separated at birth and raised apart. Phase was eventually sent
back in time and joined L.E.G.I.O.N. in its early days. Apparition
was raised by her mother, unaware of her “triplicate girl” status;
her body was killed but her soul survived thanks to Ultra Boy’s
ultra-energy. Once joined, the two will have only one body between
them. |
| The fate of the remaining third of Tinya is unknown. She
is presumably still in the hands of the Luck Lord who acquired her as
an infant. |
| 8:1 |
This is undoubtedly a few miles away from Happy Harbor,
but still in the general vicinity. Given C.O.M.P.U.T.O.’s
knowledge of Gates’ powers, it may be just a short distance beyond
his limit. |
| 8:4 |
Notice the method of travel that C.O.M.P.U.T.O. is using. In
the previous issue, it disabled the Legionnaires via their flight rings,
and undoubtedly discarded Triad-Neutral’s so it couldn’t be
used as a tracking device. |
| 8:5 |
This is the Batcave. |
| Oracle’s identity is known to the “Batman Family,” but
her image usually appears as a computerized image, not as Barbara Gordon. It
is unclear whether this is an art mistake or not. |
| 9:1 |
In addition to Brainy’s comment about him not being
susceptible to mental defects — which longtime readers are immediately
suspicious of, given his preboot bout of madness — Brainy is also
making a digging comment about Saturn Girl’s recent mental domination
and animation of Cosmic Boy. |
| Note the flight rings on the table. C.O.M.P.U.T.O. won’t
use them against the Legionnaires again, although the Legionnaires use
them again later in this issue, perhaps after Brainiac 5 makes some sort
of adjustment to them. |
| The responsometers belong to Platinum and Iron. (This
does not count as a panel appearance for them.) |
| Triad was separated like this before,
in < >. |
| 9:4 |
Brainy’s head counts as a separate panel. |
| Although the white space between Brainy’s head and
the word balloon is probably a coloring error, it might also be intended
to be Koko. |
| 9:6 |
Actually, “blame” never does get assigned, or
at least punishment for it never occurs. |
| Koko is probably just scratching himself, but given his
tendency to reflect Brainy’s moods and actions, maybe Koko is flipping
Rokk off. |
| 10:1-2 |
Without their responsometers, Iron and Platinum are basically
just malleable material for C.O.M.P.U.T.O. to manipulate via Veridium’s
responsometer. |
| 10:4 |
Shvaughn’s last update to her computer was occurring
in Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #98 when C.O.M.P.U.T.O. destroyed
it. For whatever reason, she must not have had a chance to enter
the Genesis-specific information during Superboy v3 #45
or that issue. |
| 10:5 |
Oracle certainly will have an extensive file on the Legionnaires. S.T.A.R.
Labs might, the Metropolis S.C.U. probably has something, and the D.E.O.
(Department of Extranormal Operations) probably gleaned from everything
except Oracle to create theirs. (The last is likely to focus mostly
on powers and limitations; see DCU Heroes Secret Files #1 for
sample information on Inferno from their files.) But none are unlikely
to have quite the level of information and currency that C.O.M.P.U.T.O.
demonstrated. |
| 11:1 |
“Stuff”: data files, psychiatric opinions, and
in the case of “Koko and the band of white monkeys,” perhaps
fanfic. |
| 11:3 |
Impulse’s unpredictability could be exactly what
is needed against C.O.M.P.U.T.O. |
| 11:4 |
Note that Impulse, with his speed, can keep up with Brainy’s
mind, and vice versa. Despite the control issues, Brainy actually
feels a certain kinship with Impulse. (And this is expanded by
the fact that either he or his mother apparently had a hand in Bart’s
30th century VR environment.) |
| 12:1 |
Tiffany is holding the touchstone. |
| 12:4 |
I suppose you can’t just jettison the core, like
they would do on Star Trek, can you? |
| 13:3 |
With Impulse flitting around behind her, it’s no
wonder Saturn Girl is having troubles scanning the area. |
| In the previous scene, Triad-Purple was showing the worse
effects of separation, but here, it is Triad-Orange. They are probably
being affected in waves, perhaps varying with what emotions C.O.M.P.U.T.O.
is forcing through Triad-Neutral. |
| To have arrived in anything resembling time, Superboy
must have been in Metropolis. Flying in from Hawai’i would
have taken him quite a while. |
| 14:1 |
None of these men appear to be Cassidy, from page 12. |
| 14:2 |
“Homer” refers to Homer Simpson, a cartoon character
who works at a nuclear power plant. |
| 14:4 |
This counts as an appearance for Impulse. |
| 14:5 |
Impulse and Robin had previously teamed up in Robin
Plus #1. Notice further, though, that the pairing of these
two plus Superboy is the basis of the Young Justice team which would
start after the Legionnaire returned to the 30th century, and would
in fact be headquartered in JLA Mountain just like the Legionnaires
were. |
| 15:1 |
Both Triads are shaky when flying. |
| 16:1 |
This counts as an appearance for Impulse. |
| 17:2 |
Brainy apparently set Koko down somewhere safe and out
of the way. (Of course, the real answer is that we have switched
artists since the previous scene, causing a continuity burp.) |
| 18:1-3, 18:5 |
Despite being in silhouette, these count as appearances
for Iron and Platinum, since their positions in C.O.M.P.U.T.O’s
formation remains constant. |
| 18:2 |
It isn’t clear how C.O.M.P.U.T.O. managed to teleport
like this. Presumably a Boom Tube application, but there is no
telltale sound effect, and the short distance of the teleport is unlike
that technology. Instead, perhaps C.O.M.P.U.T.O. emitted some sort
of an illusion to fool Impulse. |
| Some details on Impulse may have been in Shvaughn’s
computer files. |
| 18:5 |
Koko must have scampered along and caught up to Brainy. |
| 19:4 |
Fat face: Brainy must be retaining water. |
| 19:5 |
Brainy has not yet learned the trick of protecting himself
with a second field while he is inside his field with a villain. (He
did that trick in the preboot with Pulsar Stargrave.) |
| 20:4 |
Left to right, this is one of the Triads, Robin, Saturn
Girl, the other non-C.O.M.P.U.T.O. Triad, Spark, and Impulse. |
| 21:1 |
Compare to 20:1: Brainy’s force shield belt should
be damaged here. |
| Note that Cosmic Boy’s chest disks are on the outside
of the Iron/C.O.M.P.U.T.O. shell covering him. They are removable,
and are kept on by Rokk’s own powers. |
| Observe the gender pairings of Iron /Cosmic Boy and Platinum/Triad. Also
note that Iron is paired with the magnetic-powered Cosmic Boy. |
| 22:1 |
Note how shaken Saturn Girl is. She may still have
some connection to Cosmic Boy, and his possession by C.O.M.P.U.T.O. and
subsequent teleportation has momentarily stunned her. |
