LSH v4 #50 annotations: The Final Bierbaum issue

    Annotations for LSH v4 #50

• On sale 10/05/93
• It's OK, I'm a Senator: https://itsokimasenator.livejournal.com/24373.html
• Legion of Substitute Podcasters episode 671 (August 23, 2021)
• Timeline: August 6-9 and (roughly) Sept 13, 2995

Notes:

• This is the final issue of LSH written by the Bierbaums, though they still have 6 issues of Legionnaires left.
• This issue came out only two weeks after #49 for some reason; from August to December they got 7 issues in 5 months and had just 2-3 weeks between issues, but then after that went back to the regular schedule. The publishing schedules for Legionnaires and Valor did not change in that time. Zero Hour wasn’t until after issue 63, so they had a year to roll up the series, I don’t see why they’d add two more issues to a series they were going to reboot in a year anyway.
• Pages 1-2 were written by Tom McCraw, who wrote the second half of the story (from page 27-on)
• Page 1: Recall that J’onn was shown to be in the 30th century when he appeared at the wedding of Bouncing Boy and Duo Damsel on Mars back in SBOY 200, and he was just an Easter egg by artist Dave Cockrum (along with Tars Tarkas of Barsoom, from the Edgar Rice Burroughs “John Carter, Warlord of Mars” series). He did not appear in the 30th century again until this storyline, but he was said to have met the Legion of another timeline in the DC 1M Martian Manhunter book. In retrospect, he’s one of the few direct links to the 20th century DCU that Giffen and the Bierbaums had – I can only think of Mon-El/Valor and Darkseid off the top of my head (plus the clone of Lobo).
• Page 1 panel 3: you can read “KE” in interlac behind Rokk. This doesn’t match up with any known person buried on Shanghalla (Condo Arlik/Chemical King, Andrew Nolan/Ferro Lad, Lyle Norg/Invisible Kid, Luornu Durgo/Triplicate Girl, Val Armorr/Karate Kid, Pol Krinn/Magnetic Kid, Blok, Dirk Morgna/Sun Boy, Leeta-87, Braino of Myrnah, Hate Face, Mog Yagor of Vasmeer, Nimbok of Vaalor, and Beast Boy of Lallor). However, we have never seen the graves of Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superboy or Drake Burroughs/Wildfire.
• Page 3: Tenzil left Tartarus no earlier than 8/6, so figuring a day of travel, this is on 8/7
• Page 7 panel 5: That’s Troy “Tyroc” Stewart that Sean is talking to
• Page 8: in the IOKIAS notes, Tom says that the team is just returning from the Mordru Arises storyline 
• They spent some time on Shanghalla reburying their dead on 8/6
• Tenzil arrives on Titan and the others arrive on Talus on 8/7
• Page 9 panel 5: Laurel is conveniently forgetting about how she kissed Brainy a couple issues back when she thought they were going to die.
• Page 11: this is the Earthgov Artifact J-1-WRTZ container that Sussa Paka stole waaaaay back in issue 27 (3/26/95), but we’ve never found out what it was.
• Page 18 panel 2: Tenzil has been in the Senate for 13 years, which means he was first elected in 2982 (he was drafted on 9/16/81). Note that 2982 is the year that started with Dawnstar joining and ended prior to their battle with Omega.
• Page 22: Sean Erin left New Earth on page 8 and arrives on Pasnic on page 22. That’s fast! This must be some time on 8/8.
• Page 25 panel 1: Tenzil and Eve arrived on Titan on 8/7, and she had 24 hours to get married, so the wedding was on 8/8. Holos probably sent out on 8/9.
• Page 25 panel 6: the traditional wedding sticks are sticks with statues of yourself at the end, as seen on the cover of ADV 337.
• Page 25 panel 8: the Planetary Chance Machine was last seen in issue 41 when the SW6 Legionnaires were refurbishing the old Clubhouse (June 11, 2995)
• Page 26: this is the end of the Bierbaum chapter, next page starts the section written by Tom McCraw

• Page 27: several weeks later – back in issue 48, I estimated that “several weeks earlier” was 5 weeks, so let’s use that here too. In this issue, Tenzil sent out his wedding holos around 8/9, though the Legionnaires on Colu story probably took place on 8/10-12. However, Zero Hour was said to have happened on Sept 1st in the 20th century, although I suppose that doesn’t formally constrain things in the 30th century.
• Page 31 panel 1: Kent and Celeste are listed as “on assignment” (they were both last seen on Quarantine fighting zombies in issue 48). With Kono also gone, there are none of the Giffen/Gordon/Bierbaums new characters left except for Devlin.
• Page 42: One of the very first things the new team does is bring back Wildfire, who was arguably one of the most popular Legionnaires and who the Giffen/Bierbaum team refused to bring back
• Page 43 panel 1: Note that there are 3 BIONs here
• Page 47 panel 3: who’s that watching the Legionnaires?

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Cutting down the timeline to just the last few entries since it was getting so long. I'm color coding them based on whether the date appeared in the 2995 Sourcebook (yellow; text in yellow is as written in the Sourcebook), it's a confirmed date that was given in the comic (green), or an estimated date based on keeping track of events and days (cyan). Bold text is something new added this issue. Italics are unknown dates.

• Wed 7/29/95: Jacques and Drura join the team; Mysa is possessed, and goes to Tharn to confront Mordru (LSH v4 #43), but she is defeated and is absorbed into Mordru. Using this power, he raises armies of the dead in a number of worlds in both UP and Khund space. The Legion agrees to help the Khunds, but they insist that the Legion take on four new Khundish members (LSH v4 #44).
• Sun 8/2/95: The Legion fights Mordru’s zombies on Sklar, Talus, Trom, and in space (LSH v4 #45). On Talus, the Legionnaires fight their own dead, and new Khund Legionnaire Bloodclaw is killed before the team halts Mordru’s magics on the planet. Jan fights the dead Trommites on Pasnic (LSH v4 #46). The Legionnaires bring the fight to Mordru on Tharn, losing the Khund Firefist in the process (LSH v4 #47). The dead on Talus are defeated, but during the fight Timber Wolf returns to the 30th century with Jamm (LSH v4 Ann #4). With the help of Devlin O’Ryan and the spirit of Amethyst, Mordru and Mysa are separated and Mordru is defeated (LSH v4 #48). 
• Mon 8/3/95: Jamm takes the Legionnaires on a prodigious trip before being returned to his own time (LSH v4 Ann #4).
• Tues 8/4/95: The Legion leaves Tharn for Khundish space, where Flederweb and Veilmist are forced to rejoin the Khundish forces. Jan recovers on Pasnic, while Amethyst and Mysa ponder the future (LSH v4 #48).
• Wed 8/5/95: Tenzil travels to Tartarus and with the help of Polar Boy and friends, they rescue Eve and defeat Evillo (LSH v4 #49). 
• Thu 8/6/95: Tenzil and Eve depart Tartarus for Titan (LSH v4 #49); the Legion rebury their dead on Shanghalla, and Wildfire is resurrected there (LSH v4 #50).
• Fri 8/7/95: the SW6 Legionnaires spend the weekend at the Atlantis Dome on New Earth (Legionnaires #7); Tenzil and Eve arrive on Titan; the rest of the group arrives on Talus from Shanghalla (LSH v4 #50).
• Sat 8/8/95: the SW6 Legionnaires encounter the race of Devil-Fish in the Atlantis Dome (Legionnaires #7); Tenzil and Eve get married; Jan almost dies; Kono leaves; Sean arrives on Talus (LSH v4 #50).
• Sun 8/9/95: the SW6 Legionnaires leave the Atlantis dome on New Earth (Legionnaires #7); Tenzil sends out holos of his wedding from the day before (LSH v4 #50).
• Mon 8/10/95: Several Legionnaires leave New Earth for Colu (Legionnaires #8).
• Tues 8/11/95: Brainiac 5 thinks of leaving the Legion and remaining on Colu (Legionnaires #8).
• Wed 8/12/95: Brainiac 5 returns to New Earth with the rest of his team (Legionnaires #8).
• Wed 9/13/95 (estimated): “Several weeks later” after Tenzil’s wedding,  Dawnstar returns to Starhaven; three BIONs attack the Legion on Talus; Universo convinces Relnic and King Jonn that the Legion is helping the Khunds attack UP space (LSH v4 #50).