Posted - December 2, 2012 | Updated : August 27, 2015

Legion of Super-Heroes 2

Legion of Super-Heroes No. 2

The Legion Espionage Squad's cover is blown and they have been challenged openly by armed soldiers. Not a problem for the Legionnaires. Resistance against the Legion escalates alarmingly by the arrival of a Daxamite. A what, you say? A Daxamite. Daxamites are like Kryptonians - like Superman - under the right situation they have the power of Superman. Mon-El, the Legion's most powerful member, is a Daxamite. Most Daxamites don't achieve this level of power because to Daxamites lead is like Kryptonite. But this Daxamite, the one called Renegade, has used a serum to get over his lead-based weakness. Add to that he seems to be a nationalist-fanatic-military-a-hole-type and the team has got a situation.

Cham, team leader, immediately goes to plan B, or rather, plan U. As in Ultra Boy - the heavy hitter they brought along in case something like this happens. Ultra Boy is powerful, but not against a Superman-level foe. Everyone, except the ghostly Phantom Girl is captured. P.G. immediately calls Legion HQ for help. As a result we are given information on who among the Legionnaires can successfully go up against a full-powered Daxamite. There are only two. Here's the first:

Mon-El

And here's the second :

Element Lad

Before Mon-El arrives, writer Paul Levitz does a little bit of tension building. The Legion Espionage Squad is totally helpless against Renegade - they can't even whisper without his super-hearing picking up on it. He's the answer to what if Superman becomes as villain? Anyway, they cut it really close before the cavalry arrives. Mon-El smashes in to take on Renegade. The look on Phantom Girl's face when the most powerful Legionnaire runs interference is priceless :

Phantom Girl sees Mon-El arrive for the rescue

We are treated to an incredible one-page fight scene. Just look at this :

The best fight scene in this collection

I can almost feel the blows.

With that, Renegade is restrained - for now.

The other parts of the issue feature Brainiac 5 being Brainiac 5 - experimenting on Glorith in the multi-lab and taking care of team organization while Legion leader Mon-El goes after Renegade. We also have an ill-advised attempt by Polar Boy to attract Comet Queen - how you can get it on with somebody seemingly made of metal and fire I have no idea.

Issue no. 2 ends with the prime movers of events since the first issue, as Dominator ships fill the skies over Panoples.