Why I Loved the LSH?

In 1991, when I first entered Gallaudet as a freshman, never did I meet a loyal fan for Legion of Super-Heroes, affectionately known to the fans as LSH. I was aware of its loyal fan base for the futuristic books set in 30th Century -- but I was never a particular fan of futuristic books because the future they often portrayed is clean, beautiful and all that. But these LSH fans (I distinctly remembered them: Clyde, Elliott and DeNisco) insisted that it is not what it is all about. Years later, when I realized my favorite characters were portrayed in LSH more frequently, I had to buy and read these back issues. They were simply great.

The 30th Century (between 2974 to 2995) saw that the countries on Earth has unified as one world government known as EarthGov, also allied to the United Planets scattered throughout the universe. Sounds like a perfect utopia?

But not with LSH's vol. 4 (Issued from 1 to 65, check the timeline if you want to), written by Tom & Mary Bierbaum and Keith Giffen. IN fact, they made this particular series very dark and tragic before the DC Comics decided to wipe the future timeline off with its stupid Zero Hour storyline.

I was impressed with the storyline -- the dialogues were pretty real and funny. For instance, when Ayla Ranzz met a younger clone of herself, Ayla Ranzz, she said, "I can't believe I was so beautiful!" The younger clone smiled and hugged her back, "I can't believe I will be so beautiful!"

There are issues that simply shocked you to no end. IN fact, some of the issues did not prepare you for shocking revelations like Shvaughn Erin. For many years, many LSH fans knew that there was this Science Police Officer Shvaughn Erin had an infatuation with LSH member's Element Lad, known as Jan Arrah.

In one particular issue where the Dominators infilitrated the EarthGov and started to attack its people across the world -- the Dominators triggered the sudden destruction of Luna which killed millions of people on the planet in LSH #18, prompted its citizens to revolt against the Dominators once and for all. Shvaughn Erin needed the medications to conceal her secret but since the world was in chaos, she could not obtain the pills called ProFem.

What is it? It is sex-change pill. C'mon, don't be so shocked. In 30th Century, anything is possible -- you might not need the surgery to do the trick.

Shvaughn Erin was transformed back to Sean Erin, which pissed off many LSH readers. But that did not stop them both at all.

About a month after Earth announced its victory over the Dominators as they fled back to its homeworld, Elia, the city of Tokyo suddenly collapsed into the ground. Thousands of people died. People wondered why. The scientists discovered that the high unstable substance known as proton jelly, a toxic chemical that were used in the 24th Century -- about 500 years before. Earth often dumped the proton jelly in the space before the United Planets passed a decree that banned the space debris. So in 2300s, someone decided to bury the proton jellys beneath our planet.

Slowly, that toxic substance caused a mineralogical virus which overwhelmed everywhere else in the planet. 4 billions of Earthlings were evacuated in the sky. 94 cities were able to save itself and flow up in the space, others failed and crashed. People could not believe that a month after its victorious over the Dominators, Earth is going to go off no matter what. Some people chose to stay. Some people could not bear to leave Earth. It was not 30th Century's fault but someone else in the 2300s that did this to them. But what can they do about it?

As you can see the picture on this entry, these people left on Earth stood and waited, all in unity regardless of their ethnic backgrounds, for their final moments on the planet. Then it was done deal. Earth exploded into nothingness as 94 domed cities floated by. By then, 2 billion of people has perished when Earth ceased to exist.

However, I loved the LSH vol. 4 series because it attempts to be realistic as much as can be. And it was fun riding it out with Keith Giffen and the Bierbaums. However, in that pivotal issue where Earth ceased to exist, a character named Devlin wrote a subtle message for all.

What he wrote applied to us all as of today, like it or not.

It isn't fair. After all we've gone through. After all we've triumphed over. It just isn't fair.

But then, life isn't fair, is it?

Well, no. In fact, life is fair, really. It sets out some clearly defined rules and challenges humankind to fashion its heaven within those rules. And in those rare moments when we realize heaven is all around us and always has been, we've got a chance. But when we decided we've got a better idea -- that we can cajole, threaten, sneer, resent, whine and hate life into being something different from what it is -- that's when the battle is lost.

That's when life stops being fair.

Tom & Mary Bierbaum were right on this account. Treat this Planet with kindness or it will not do you right. Simply as that.

Cheers,

R-