Legion of Super-Heroes #292 (October 1982--w: Paul Levitz; a: Keith Giffen/Larry Mahlstedt) brings us to the third part of the Great Darkness Saga. And I have to say that as I re-read this story with the intent of writing about it, I'm more and more impressed with just how expertly it's constructed in terms of its relatively complex plot.
Dream Girl, newly elected as head of the Legion, has had one of her predictive visions. In this one, the Legion fights the as-yet-unidentified bad guy on the magical Sorcerer's World, where the Legion will lose. Dream Girl hopes to prove her vision wrong--something that has never happened before.
The ensuing action is expertly presented. Various factions of the Legion are arriving seperately, so it's a ship containing Ultra Boy, Mon-el, Phantom Girl and Shadow Lass that first encounters the Servants of Darkness before they can hook up with the others. Later on, Wildfire will have his own encounter with the Servants (and lose another containment suit) before the Legionaires are able to gang up on them.
During this extended melee, Mon-el flies into the space warp used by the servants, hoping to go one-on-one with their Master. In an issue full of great moments, this might be the best one. Mon-el recognizes the Master, but--despite having Superboy-level powers--Mon-el is zapped into a coma. But not before the Master draws an important bit of information out of the hero's mind.
It's a very dramatic moment--both in terms of writing and art. A few attentive readers may have guessed by now that the villain is Darkseid, but all we know for certain is that he is a known villain and someone who's identity is a true shock to Mon-el.
Several other plot threads are advanced as well. Back at Legion HQ, the computer has deduced the identity of two more of the Servants--clones of a Guardian of the Universe and Superman. Again, we are presented with dramatic new information in an effectively dramatic fashion. Soon after this, Lightning Lad decides to put out a general alarm for all available Legionaires to report for duty. Whomever the Master is, all hands will need to be on deck to deal with him.
Back on Sorcerer's World, the Legionaires are forced to retreat back to Teacher's Island, where the most powerful sorcerer's hang out. Those guys are trying to create a spell to defeat the Master and they pour so much power into the effort that two them die. The results of that spell? A baby pops up through a space warp.
The Master easily smashes through a force field and seems about to finish everyone off. But that bit of information he got from Mon-el convinces him to change his mind. He leaves the Legion and the sorcerers alive to witness his eventual triumph as he disappears to carry out his revised plan.
So the story feeds us more information about the Master without giving too much away, while introducing the idea that yet another bit of information as become relevant--without telling us yet what that might be. And what the heck is a baby supposed to do to help beat the Master? He's cute enough, but pure cuteness is rarely enough to win a fight.
The Great Darkness Saga really is an expertly constructed story, gradually giving us enough information to keep us sort-of satisfying while ramping up the tension regarding what we don't know yet.
Next week, we'll look at a TV adaptation of a show I've never seen.
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