Legion of Super Heroes: The Substitutes

Okay, another Legion of Superheroes post. Since we're at four posts and counting, I guess I'll give Legion episode reviews their own tag. The Substitutes was the best episode yet! It was time for open auditions and everybody around the galaxy was invited to show off his or her powers and get a shot to join the Legion. I like that Superman and Brainiac 5 are unfailingly polite to these painfully earnest second-stringers and that Bouncing Boy is genuinely supportive. Also, Continuity porn with Lightning Lad greeting Matter Eater Lad (they met in the Champions episode)!

Most of the auditions go disastrously, and afterward, we see all the subs outside, talking about why they were rejected, and Color Kid was like, "Stupid! I turned Superman Lime Green! That was dumb! If I had made him Forest Green, I *know* I would have gotten in!" Lily said she'd rather be Color Kid than Triplicate Girl and I'm not sure I disagree.

Like a couple other characters Color Kid got a subtle redesign from his look in the comics.  Specifically, his rainbow insignia is reminiscent of the LGBT Rainbow flag. Coupled with some outrageously camp delivery of certain lines, ("Hellllo, you still need to get past me!"), I have to assume that's a deliberate choice, and after watching the episode several times, I can't decide if I'm pleased by the positive portrayal of a gay superhero on a kid's show or disappointed that that the portrayal is so stereotypical.

Later on, the Legion gets stuck out in space fighting off the monsters eating the ionosphere, so it's left to the subs to protect the planet. They encounter this "villain" named Starfinger, whose power is to create little teddy bear things that go out and fetch him stuff. He wears a pair of mechanical gloves that have a different power in each finger, and at one point he makes a reference to his "Ten finger salute" in his ridiculous Christopher-Lambert-in-Highlander accent. I love Starfinger.

Starfinger also loves Starfinger

He throws one of his furries at Color Kid, who tries to stop it by changing it different colors as it flies towards him. "Some chartreuse should stop you!" "No? How 'bout magenta!" *Gulp * "Taupe?" *panicked* "Lavender?!" the thing bops him on the nose and bounces off with a silly sound. I swear, I'm enjoying this show more than Lily is.

Starfinger is dismissive of the subs.  Brainiac 5 calls him a "third-rate nuisance" (A nice moment: The subs call in requesting help.

Calling the Legion

Brainy: "What's the emergency?" The Subs: "Starfinger is on a crime spree in New Metrpolis!" Brainy: "I repeat, what's the emergency?")

Stuck in the phone booth

All of the characters are pretty fun. The episode was really deeply silly, but when our group watched it last night, our ages ranged from 4 to 39 and we each found something to enjoy.