Friday, October 31, 2008

Adventure Comics #375

Adventure Comics #375 (On Sale: October 31, 1968) has a cover by Neal Adams.

"The King of the Legion" is by Jim Shooter and Winslow Mortimer. The Legion receives a message from an unseen source challenging their mightiest member to combat in a tournament on another planet. Several Legionnaires including Superboy and Mon-El believe that they are the mightiest and should meet the challenge. It is agreed that a contest shall be used to determine which Legionnaire will serve as the mightiest.
Twelve Legionnaires join the contest, while the others officiate. The Legion then receives word that their allies the Wanderers have temporarily been turned evil by the Nefar Nebula. To settle their contest, the participants agree to compete by apprehending the Wanderers.

In the first round, Karate Kid captures Quantum Queen, beating out Ultra Boy and Sun Boy. Chameleon Boy prevails over Saturn Girl and Chemical King in defeating Ornitho. Superboy easily beats Brainiac 5 and Timber Wolf by stopping Immorto. However, the biggest surprise happens when Bouncing Boy captures Dartalg after Mon-El and Element Lad neutralize each other.

The contest continues in the second round where Superboy outmatches Karate Kid in stopping Elvo. Chameleon Boy and Bouncing Boy match up against Psyche. She appears to have beaten them both by causing them to hate one another. However, somehow Bouncing Boy prevails and defeats her. Cham is injured and taken back to headquarters to recuperate. In the final match-up Superboy and Bouncing Boy square off against Celebrand, who surrenders to the rotund hero making him the winner.

The Legion is shocked by the result of the contest, but bow to Bouncing Boy as the winner. He is then teleported away to serve as the mightiest Legionnaire. Moments after he disappears the real Bouncing Boy walks into headquarters leaving the others to wonder who really won the contest. Reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 8 HC.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

1 comment:

Shar said...

Great issue- -I liked that so many Legionnaires were involved in the story and that Saturn Girl, true to her competitive nature, was among the contestants (the lone female, IIRC). But I was less than enthused about Win Mortimer's pencils...it took me a while to get used to him on the LSH.