Legion of Superheroes (Episode 3: Legacy)
by: Average Joe 2 years, 3 days, 21 hours, 7 minutes ago
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Warner Bros.
The Legion is introduced to a new villain that has a lot in common with the Man of Steel’s arch-nemesis.
Legion of Superheroes continues to impress me on a weekly basis with not only the beautiful animation of the show, but with the depth given to the each of the characters. In “Legacy” Superman meets a billionaire named Alexis who spends her time entertaining herself by rolling around New Metropolis in giant robots.
Succumbing to her charm, Superman actually ditches his duties with the Legion (patrolling New Metropolis with a now disappointed Braniac) and instead opts to spend time playing video games with Alexis in her “office” that would make any kid (or adult for that matter) green with envy.
Once he realizes that he’s been irresponsible and almost cost the team their lives, Superman confronts Alexis and tells her that he can’t spend all of his time with her. Apparently Superman doesn’t have a lot of experience with women because saying this would sit well with NO woman, spoiled billionaire or not….Lois wouldn’t have taken that for one second.
Now feeling that the Legion is standing between her and spending time with Superman, Alexis attacks the Legion’s HQ in an attempt to destroy the “competition.”
While I’m not real big on these stories that take a futuristic approach to classic villains I did like this episode for one reason: the character depth. Since he was plucked from the 21st century it’s obvious that Superman has felt out of place in New Metropolis. Sure he’s made a home for himself alongside the Legion, but at his core Superman is still out of his element. What I find interesting about this show is how it never allows Superman to be Clark Kent. We’ve all heard the classic line “Clark Kent is who I am, Superman is what I can do” which sums up the character perfectly.
While I understand that the Legion is the Legion, robbing Superman of his alter ego is robbing him of his essence. Clark Kent is the man, and Superman is just the symbol of hope for people to look up to. I found it interesting how Superman expressed his feelings of loneliness despite being surrounded by the Legion. Perhaps it’s his longing to be around humans that is making Clark (not Superman) homesick. For me this is great because it adds depth to the character and shows that he’s much more than just a Man of Steel…at his core he is human. I hope this is something the writers continue to expand on as the season progresses, maybe even perhaps featuring an episode in which Superman/Clark gets to go back to the 21st century?
I guess only time will tell, but in the meantime I am really enjoying the show for what it is.