LSH v4 #15 annotations: The Battle of the Khundish Bulge

Annotations for Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #15

• On sale date: December 11, 1990
• It's OK, I'm a Senator: https://itsokimasenator.livejournal.com/4476.html
• Legion of Substitute Podcasters episode 571 (September 23, 2019)
• Timeline: approximately Jan. 11-15, 2995

(This issue has no title. I suggested for the podcast that we call it either "The Battle of the Khundish Bulge" or "Saving Private Brainy".)

Anyone recognize the names Galt, Kiritan, or Braden in relation to Legion fandom at the time?

• Page 1 panel 3 – Jan, Bounty, and Celeste are off to Earth while Brainy is on Talus.
• Page 1 panel 7 – Jo is in the past, which explains in retrospect why he’s seeing all those Khundish antiques
• Page 3 panel 3 – the Vran is a crocodile-like beast on Vorn, where the Lallorian Beast Boy fled to and was later killed (ADV 339). But crocodile-skin underwear?
• Page 4 panel 1 – First appearance of Projectra in this series, we find out through Mrs Exposition that Orando has been returned to this universe. You’ll recall that Orando left for another dimension in LSH v3 #5 after the LSV war in late 2985 (revised timeline); the Sourcebook says that Projectra/Sensor Girl resigned from the Legion in 2991, two years into the Great Collapse, to help bring Orando back into the regular universe. Projectra hasn’t been seen since LSH v3 #63 at the end of the Magic Wars.
• Page 4 panel 3 – Marte Allon was last seen in LSH v3 #47, and now she’s an Orandoan Minister and on a first-name basis with the Queen. (The Battersea section is named after a district in SW London where Interlacker Rob Rundle lived)
• Page 5 – Khundish invasion fleet, I guess they were cloaked or something? (Sydenham Hills are named after a park in London near where Rob Rudderham shared an Interlac membership with Jules Langley.)
• Page 7 panel 1 – Field Commander Galt, General Kiritan. Tom Bierbaum in IOKIAS mentions “There's a power struggle among the Khund generals between a principled warrior who believes in an honorable code of warfare established by Zaryan and another dishonest general who's a scheming opportunist” so we’ll keep an eye on that.
• Page 7 panel 2 – The “Red Terror” is a new thing for the Legion, but it has been a real thing in our world. 
• The last six weeks of the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution in 1794
• In the late 1910s and early 1920s, it was was the official Bolshevik policy of extreme violence aimed at crushing all political opposition during the Russian Civil War
• in 1918 it referred to policies in the Finnish Civil War
• in 1919 a series of atrocities by the Hungarian Soviet Republic 
• in 1930 in clashes between the French Foreign Legion and the Vietnamese
• in the late 1930s it refers to various acts of violence committed in Spanish Civil War 
• in 1941-42 it refers to a period in Yugoslavia during World War II
• in 1966-67 refers to mass violence by the Red Guards in China during the Cultural Revolution
• in 1977-78 it was a violent political campaign to annihilate the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party in Ethiopia
• Page 9 panel 1 – Projectra, Marte Allon have been captured
• Page 10 panel 2 – we haven’t been officially introduced yet, but that’s King Jonn of Pasnic (only seen prior to this in SBOY 193). You’ll recall that King Jonn was mentioned in the Omnicom entry back in issue 8 as head of the United Resistance Militia. The Sourcebook gives this date as January 12, 2995.
• Page 10 panel 3 – a look at a map of the galaxy, later seen in the 2995 Sourcebook.
• Tharn – current residence of Mordru
• Pasnic – seen in the War Between the Nights and the Days (SBOY 193)
• Braal
• Aktar – Homeworld of Gooba, who won a dinosaur-throwing contest in the Interplanetary Rodeo, held on Rorbis, marking him as something of an expert in the use of repeller-ray gloves (ADV 323)
• Skor – World on which its Science Foundation invented a radium-capsule that could restore frozen cells to life, if not permanently damaged, but it failed to revive Lightning Lad (ADV 312)
• Arok - AROK-1 and AROK-2: Twin worlds connected by a long, tubular structure, a model of which was seen on display at the Interplanetary Fair (ADV 326)
• Orando
• Talok VIII
• Venegar 
• Xolnar – World on which Shrinking Violet was serving a solo mission (ADV 309), later revealed to be the home planet of Legion reject Rainbow Girl
• Earth
• Weber’s World
• Page 12 panel 1 – Gallan is a world seen on the Legion’s Emergency Board (ADV 327). 
• Page 13 – Venegar, home planet of the former Emerald Empress
• Page 14 – Vi takes an arrow to the knee.
• Page 16 – the Talok VIII Hill People were the enemies of the City People and that’s where we met Lady Memory back in Tales #318
• Page 16 panel 4 – The Hill People are promised War Masks, which we just saw don’t work against the Red Terror. The Hill People are in trouble.
• Page 17 panel 1 – Orando and Venegar have fallen, now Preztor. Preztor was seen in ADV 328 as the homeworld of Command Kid, who had been taken over by a demon who then tried to join the Legion, but he was exorcised by the presence of gold. 
• Page 18 panel 1 – Turns out Xolnar is now the home planet of the UP Militia Academy, led by Chuck and Luornu Taine, who were formerly in charge of the Legion Academy. UP Militia Braden mentioned (looks like a Martian?)
• Page 18 panel 4 – That’s Jed Rikane, formerly known as Power Boy, a Legion Academy member. Last seen in LSH v3 #14.
• Page 18 panel 5 – the woman is Berta Haris, formerly known as Nightwind, a Legion Academy member. Last seen in LSH v3 Annual 3 (with Cosmic Boy and the new Subs).
• Page 20 panel 2 – we last saw Grev and Talok VIII back in issue 4, when Mon-El got resurrected and he came back to find Tasmia. But that was wiped out in the Mordruverse so this is the first post-Mordruverse appearance. Prior to issue 4, his last appearance was in LSH v3 #47. We last saw Lady Memory in Tales #319.
• Page 20 panel 6 – first post-Mordruverse appearances of Valor and Tasmia. Not counting issue 4, they were both last seen in LSH v3 #61.
• Page 21 panel 4 – Is Cham being fed wrong information to keep UP forces on Talok and not on Xolnar, or is the spy not aware of what’s going on? In either case, it’s an ambush on Xolnar. RIP Nightwind.
• Page 22 panel 2 – Jo realizes he’s back in time. Recall that we had heard earlier that Rimbor’s first civilization died out, now he’s in between those periods (roughly 2000 BC on Earth).
• Page 23 panel 4 – a list of cities with anti-Dominator uprisings. Don’t make any travel plans to go to any of these places in the next few issues.
• Page 24 – Circe wants Dirk to make a pro-Dominator speech. I thought she’s painted up like a probe, but Tom in IOKIAS says “we get a glimpse into the dysfunctional relationship between Dirk (Sun Boy) and Circe, the bitchy Science Police officer who lured Dirk into serving as a front man for the power brokers who've secretly taken over Earthgov. In this issue we get another scene where Circe has impersonated one of the Legion ladies for a bedroom session with Dirk, which is apparently one of the perks Dirk is getting for collaborating with this corrupt government.” So she must be painted up like Shadow Lass then.
• Announcement of the wedding of Grev Mallor (of the City People) to Kahnya Nahtahnie (Lady Memory of the Hill People) on 4/11/2993 and the wedding date of 8/14/2993

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Here's what we know of the timeline to date. I'm color coding them based on whether the date appeared in the 2995 Sourcebook (yellow), it's a confirmed date that was given in the comic (green), or an estimated date based on keeping track of events and days (blue). Bold text is something new added this issue.

• 2/17/89 – Mekt admitted to Labyrinth Penal Institute (LSH v4 #10)
• 6/23/89 – Magic Wars end (LSH v3 #63 – date as given in the 2995 Sourcebook)
• October 2989 – the Great Collapse
• 4/13/90 – Communique from Earthgov President Wellington, trying to legally disband the Legion, with Imra, Rokk, and Cham “currently out of the picture” (LSH v4 #1) 
• April 2990 – Validus Plague ravages Winath; former Legionnaire Brainiac 5 helps (LSH v4 #3)
• TBD 2990 – Earthgov secedes from the United Planets, and the Science Police Earth splits from the Science Police Proper. (LSH v4 #2). Since then, “resistance forces have opposed Earthgov since the introduction of repressive measures… but with little success to date.” (LSH v4 #13)
• 4/12/91 – Tinya goes missing (LSH v4 #2)
• 5/8/91 – Search for Tinya called off; Sun Boy is leader (LSH v4 #2)
• 5/27/91 – Mekt released from Labyrinth, rehabilitated (LSH v4 #10)
• 6/9/91 – Planned date of wedding of Tinya and Jo (LSH v4 #2)
• TBD 2991 – Garth and Imra, having left the Legion, start the Lightning Ring Plantation (LSH v4 #3)
• 1/21/92 – Rebirth Summit (LSH v4 #1) 
• 7/6/92 – LSH leader Polar Boy disbands the Legion, mentions Black Dawn which “cost” the Legion (LSH v4 #1); Mordru coronated as the Supreme Teacher of Sorceror’s World (LSH v4 #6)
• TBD 2992 – Brek Bannin arrested for insurrection (LSH v4 #11)
• 4/11/93 – Announcement of upcoming wedding of Grev Mallor (of the City People) to Kahnya Nahtahnie (Lady Memory of the Hill People) on Talok VIII
• 8/14/93 – wedding of Grev Mallor and Kahnya Nahtahnie 
• 10/22/94 – Raid on anti-government terrorists, but ringleader Vidar (aka Universo) is not captured; Cham tells Marla he’s leaving (LSH v4 #1) 
• 10/23/94 – Cham begins to recruit members for the new Legion, first approaching Rokk; Vi leaves the Imsk army for Winath; Dominator agents help Roxxas escape from Labyrinth (LSH v4 #1)
• 10/25/94 – Attack on Jo and Kono on Rimbor; Loomis and Lydda en route to Kathoon (LSH v4 #2)
• Fri 11/21/94 – Blok is killed by Roxxas the Butcher [Sourcebook] (LSH v4 #3)
• Thu 11/27/94 – Mordru crushes Rond Vidar’s ring; Rokk and Cham finally meet up with Jo and decide to go to Tharn to rescue Mysa; Dominators and Shvaughn Erin watch the tape of Roxxas and Blok, whose body is delivered to Winath; Mon-El resurrected (LSH v4 #3)
• Fri 11/28/94 – Mon-El goes to Talok VIII, then Shadow Lass and Mon-El visit Brainiac 5, then Mon-El destroys the Time Trapper (LSH v4 #4)
• Sat 11/29/94 – Mordruverse (LSH v4 #5)
• Sat 11/29/94 – Cham, Rokk, Jo, Kono, and Furball arrive on Tharn and are captured by Mordru; after being hired by Earthgov to find Blok’s killer, Celeste, Devlin, and Bounty leave for Trom (LSH v4 #6)
• Sun 11/30/94 – Celeste, Devlin, and Bounty meet Jan on Trom (LSH v4 #6); with the help of Laurel Gand, Rokk’s crew rescues Mysa and Rond from Mordru but are teleported to Grocz; Celeste, Devlin, Bounty, and Jan leave Trom for Winath (LSH v4 #7)
• Mon 12/1/94 – Rokk, Cham, Jo, Kono, Furball, Rond, Laurel, and Mysa travel from Grocz to Zirr (LSH v4 #8)
• Tues 12/2/94 – Rokk, Laurel, and Rond take some R&R time on Zirr with baby Lauren, while the others go to Winath; Marla reminisces (LSH v4 #8); on Cygnus IV, Roxxas watches a holo of Laurel Gand; Celeste, Devlin, Bounty, and Jan arrive on Winath (LSH v4 #9)
• Wed 12/3/94 – Rokk and Rond arrive in the morning, having left Laurel behind on Zirr; everyone (Rokk, Rond; Cham, Jo, Kono, Furball, Mysa; Celeste, Devlin, Bounty, Jan; Brainy, Garth, Ayla, Vi, Imra) is on Winath when Roxxas attacks; Bounty, Mekt, Cham, and Celeste are seriously injured, while Jo disappears and is presumed dead; Earthgov linked to Roxxas; Tenzil arrives on Earth (LSH v4 #10)
• Thu 12/4/94 – On Winath, Roxxas is on the loose, and kills a doctor and nurse in the Bloomfield Free Clinic. On Earth, Tenzil participates in the Batcave dig, meets with Shvaughn and Brek (who is released for the first time since incarceration 2 years prior), has dinner with Prosecutor Jakobi, then falls asleep. (LSH v4 #11)
• Fri 12/5/94 – Tenzil and Brek in court; Holo Scene news article on the trial (LSH v4 #11); Celeste is healed by a green glow; the former Legionnaires team up to capture Roxxas, who reveals Dominion control of Earthgov (LSH v4 #12)
• Wed 12/10/94 – All-points bulletin on Persuader, who meets Kent Shakespeare in on Quarantine trying to attack Char Burrane Jr. (LSH v4 #12) Persuader is defeated by Kent and SP Captain Gim Allon, who then takes Kent to Toonar. (LSH v4 #13)
• Thu 12/11/94 – Kent leaves Toonar for Winath; Laurel fights Khunds in deep space; Tenzil and Brek on Gnogg. (LSH v4 #13)
• Sun 12/14/94 – The Legion is formally reinstated
• Mon 12/16/94 – Tenzil, Brek, and Calorie Queen are taken to Tartarus by Prince Evillo; Tenzil banished to the Realm of Darkness
• Thu 12/25/94 – Garth, Cham, and Rokk remotely survey Talus
• Fri 12/26/94 – Tenzil and Sugyn return from the Realm of Darkness, only to hear that Tenzil has been declared dead and his Senate seat vacated.
• Sat 12/27/94 – Loomis writes his report on Talus’ suitability for being the new HQ; Tenzil leaves Brek behind on Tartarus and heads for Winath
• Sun 12/28/94 – The reformed Legion establishes headquarters on the asteroid world of Talus
• Sat 1/3/95 – Tenzil Kem rejoins the Legion
• Sun 1/11/95 – Orando falls to the Khunds
• Mon 1/12/95 – The Legion agrees to team with the United Planets Militia to beat back a Khundish invasion that threatens the heart of the United Planets.
• Tues 1/13/95 – Cham meets with a Khundish double agent; Venegar falls to the Khunds, who then make a deal with the Hill People of Talok VIII
• Wed 1/14/95 – the UP Militia tries to decide if Xolnar or Talok VIII will be attacked next
• Thu 1/15/95 – Valor and Shadow Lass appear on Talok VIII; Khunds attack Xolnar; Circe wants Dirk to give a pro-Dominator speech
• April 2995 – Imra & Garth’s twins due (LSH v4 #3)

Unknown dates:

• Black Dawn: something big and bad happened. Polar Boy says “you know what that cost us”. Sun Boy was a previous leader. By the time it happened, Chameleon Boy had left the Legion and “watched everything fall to pieces” (LSH v4 #1). Timber Wolf was irradiated during Black Dawn, eventually turning him into Furball. Char Burrane (Starfinger II) was somehow involved. (LSH v4 #12)
• Rokk and Loomis are injured at Venado Bay on the Braal side, and Rokk lost his powers. Salu was somehow involved on the Imsk side. Imsk won, as the army is occupying Braal. (LSH v4 #1) She says that Braal attacked Imsk, and they were just defending themselves. She was head of security on the damper project and knew what it would do, but fought against it (not hard enough, in her admission). (LSH v4 #10)
• Kent Shakespeare and Gim Allon are both ex-Legionnaires, but it’s unknown when or under what circumstances they left. (LSH v4 #12)