Random Happenstance

Being that I'm getting on in years, I remember when Image Comics first started, and reading new books like Cyberforce and WildC.A.T.s, both of which wanted to be X-Men so bad. So much so that I don't recall either of them reading like anything was set up: both teams are already built at the start of the story, with mysterious backstory to be backfilled later. They wanted to be X-Men, without having to do all the pesky set-up work. Today's book, seems to have the opposite problem, if I can articulate it. From 2012, Legion Lost #7, "When Katia Cries--!" Written by Tom DeFalco, art by Pete Woods. 

This was a New52 launch title, but took it's title from a 2000 miniseries that gave some new life to the group. I don't think any of the previous lost were missing again, though: seven Legionnaires, picked to live in a house...wait, that's not right. They were sent back from the 31st century to stop the terrorist Alastor from releasing a virus; but were cut off from the rest of the team and I believe presumed dead. Arriving in New York this issue, the team had already failed to stop Alastor from releasing "hypertaxis," even if what it would do seems unclear; and was trying to figure out what to do next. Some members wanted to try to return to the future, others to be more "proactive," and some are distracted from that discussion entirely: the telepath Tellus makes contact with a young woman in trouble, but she was in fact in a coma after a texting-and-driving accident. Timber Wolf catches a street hustler that had seen the team's true looks, then follows a tip to take down a drug warehouse and confiscate their cash so the team didn't have to keep psychically cheating people. 

The Legion used to go back to the past all the time back in the Superboy days, but had much fewer (if any) non-human team members. Chameleon Girl could 'pass' (when her powers were working) but Tellus and Gates had a harder time; and Wildfire and Dawnstar were conspicuous as well. That seems like poor planning, even if Tellus could usually cover for them. 

This was supposed to be a reboot, but like WildC.A.T.s and Cyberforce, this wasn't like the team was brand-new. Originally the Legion debuted in 1958; then Timber Wolf in 1964 (although he wouldn't join the team until 1968's Adventure #372, with the ill-fated Chemical King) then Wildfire in 1973 (he wouldn't join until 1974!) and Tyroc in 1976 and Dawnstar in 1977. (Did the latter two join in their first appearances? Maybe?) This 'relaunch' was seven issues in, but all those guys were there from the start! DC probably didn't want to have to go back to Legion: day one. 

The Legion has a bad--and frankly, somewhat undeserved--rep for being an impenetrable quagmire of continuity, but every time they try to get rid of it...they don't really want to jettison all of it. They want to try and keep the interpersonal relationships that took so long to build up and maybe clear out some of the deadwood. Or, throw out everything and start over; which I kind of think the current Legion book is doing since I don't recognize the characters now. If it works for them, I wish them well.

Ah, I feel like I've beat this dead horse before, but it's more interesting to chew on than this particular issue; sorry.