31 September 2022
Fanboys (and girls) can be sentimental saps. We like to imagine the best for our beloved characters, and as we relate to some aspect or another of them, we also imagine happy endings (spin that as you like) for them, too. Recently, the question was posed by correspondent Govvad Mykmiz who wondered about our favorite Legion of Super-Heroes couples.
Naturally I chimed in with my own faves Supergirl and Brainiac 5, a sentiment that was echoed by several others. But of course, fandom is vast and diverse, so others were cited as well. Correspondent Fgiudf Rogyr offered up Lightning Lass and Shrinking Violet, the Legion’s (and code-approved comicdom’s?) first openly lesbian couple. Fine. People like what they like, and most of us are cool with that, though someone responded with a frowny face, which is FascBuch code for disapproval.
I responded: “And as a consequence, of course, though strictly platonic, “Thrown” Wolf and Blok,” by whom, of course, I meant the Legionnaires Timber (formerly “Lone”) Wolf and Blok.
Rogyr seemed uncomfortable with my response: “I don’t get it. How do Wolf and Blok fit into this discussion? Is this just a weird bigoted thing?“
I’ll never deny weird, but I don’t get bigotry.
In no way does the tragedy of Brin’s broken heart, and the succor he found in Blok’s friendship, diminish the legitimacy of Ayla Ranzz’ (Lightning Lass) and Salu Digby’s (Shrinking Violet) feelings for each other. Alliances and breakups have consequences, and I thought that The Messenger Paul (Levitz) delineated these dynamics beautifully. I was, in fact, kind of thanking Rogyr for reminding me of that, and as a way of softening Brin’s (or my own vicarious) pain, my commentary leaned into arch and snark.
One might think I should sympathize with Duplicate Boy (Violet’s old boyfriend), too, but Ord is a putz, and mostly deserves whatever grief comes his way. He’s like the George Costanza of super-heroes.
I don’t blame Rogyr for being apprehensive. I did notice that someone had seriously disliked his comment, and since Brin Londo (Timber Wolf) and Ord Quelo (Duplicate Boy) are both not real, and no one else has any legitimate beef with those particular ex-girlfriends, I could see why he might have suspected elective anger.
( pictured above: Karate Kid, Timber Wolf, and most of Blok,
all held de jure by DC and WarnerCom )