| "The Terra Mosaic" | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Publication date | January – Late November1992 |
| Genre | |
| Title(s) | Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 4, #25-36 |
| Main character(s) | Legion of Super-Heroes Dominators Legion of Substitute Heroes Universo |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Keith Giffen Tom and Mary Bierbaum |
| Penciller(s) | Jason Pearson and others |
| Inker(s) | Al Gordon Karl Story et al. |
| Editor | Michael Eury |
"The Terra Mosaic" is astory arc that was published byDC Comics, and presented inLegion of Super-Heroes vol. 4, #25-36 (January – Late November 1992). It was written byKeith Giffen andTom and Mary Bierbaum, and was pencilled primarily byJason Pearson. The story arc takes place during the "Five Years Later" period of theLegion of Super-Heroes' original continuity. It features the introduction of "Batch SW6" — time-displaced duplicates of the regular, adult version of the Legion — who become key participants in a war to free Earth from the control of theDominators.
In the year 2995, teenageDaily Planet journalist Devlin O'Ryan, who has been accompanying the recently reconstitutedLegion of Super-Heroes,[1] is seriously wounded by Dominion soldiers.[2] While hiding inMetropolis, he encounters 20 teenagers who appear to be the members of the Legion, from the time period immediately following the team's first encounter withUniverso.[3][4] It becomes apparent that the group was part of a secret Dominion project called Batch SW6, and that their last memories are from 17 years in the past. After Devlin convinces the skeptical Legionnaires that Earth is now under the covert control of the Dominators, team leaderInvisible Kid (Lyle Norg) accepts his suggestion that the group join the underground resistance,[5] led byJacques Foccart (the former Legionnaire who became the second Invisible Kid) and Universo. During a brief skirmish, Devlin learns that he has themetahuman ability to reflect energy.
In an attempt to retrieve Batch SW6, the Dominators unleash B.I.O.N., an advanced android with the powers of the Legionnaires. The unit instead engages the adult Legion at their headquarters on the planet Talus. B.I.O.N. is eventually defeated, andBrainiac 5 discovers that it was created using theComputo matrix.[6] While attempting to liberate underground Dominion chambers beneath Metropolis, the resistance (which includes former members of theLegion of Substitute Heroes) discovers numerous metahumans, including assassin/teleporter Monica Sade. They also discover a critically wounded Dirk Morgna (the formerSun Boy),[7][8] who had been presumed dead.
Earth President Tayla Wellington finally grows tired of collaborating with the Dominators. When she pleads with other worlds for assistance, a Dominion soldier assassinates her during a live galaxy-wide video broadcast. After rioting breaks out across the planet, the Dominators openly attack several cities from space, killing thousands. As a result, theUnited Planets declares war on the Dominion, hoping to reclaim Earth. When the SW6 Legionnaires discover that Universo has been secretly working with theDark Circle, they leave his compound and join Jacques Foccart's faction of the resistance. Dirk Morgna's lover Circe and Legion associate Bounty infiltrate Earthgov headquarters,[9] where they are later joined bySussa Paka (Spider Girl). Meanwhile, Jan Arrah (the formerElement Lad) learns that his former loverShvaughn Erin is transgender after she is deprived of the medicine she had been using to become male.
The Earth-based Dominion troops find their resources cut off when their homeworld Elia is attacked by an unknown alien force. The SW6 Legion works withTroy Stewart (the former Tyroc) and the resistance to stage a massive ruse which permits them to rescue the freedom fighters trapped at the underground chambers in Metropolis. However, Grinn — a resistance member loyal to Universo — activates the chambers' self-destruct device, killing the metahumans in the Dominion pods. In the ensuing explosion, the SW6 versions ofKarate Kid,Princess Projectra andChameleon Boy are killed. A furious Sade kills Grinn. Searching the wreckage, the young Legionnaires locate several survivors, including sorcerer Xao Jin, Jacques' younger sisterDanielle Foccart, the feline metahuman April Dumaka, and the Crystal Kid. As the Dark Circle agent working with Universo is about to signal his allies to attack Earth, Universo uses his hypnotism powers to force the man to shoot himself in the head. Circe (the former commander ofScience Police Earth) uploads a virus into the Earthgov computer network, eventually purging the entire Dominator military intelligence database.
Upon meeting the adultValor,[4] Sade chastises him for not using his abilities to quickly defeat the Dominators and end the war. He tells an unconvinced Sade that the people of Earth must win the war for themselves, to preserve their collective spirit. Jan Arrah comes to the same conclusion at first, but then changes his mind and joins the fight. The SW6Laurel Gand captures Pinnacle Command,[4] the Dominion field commander. Her teammates discover the adult Dirk Morgna — who survived the destruction of the chambers, but remains in pain as he burns alive. With a global uprising in process and the Presidential Palace in resistance hands, U.P. officials convince Pinnacle Command to surrender
Earth is named a United Planets protectorate, and the U.P. Council names Jacques the planet's acting president. Pinnacle Command is taken to Weber's World to stand trial forcrimes against humanity. At Legion headquarters on Talus, Bounty tries to apprehend Sade and secure the billion-credit bounty on her head, but Sade critically injures her in a shootout. The adult Brainiac 5 confirms that Bounty was an alien entity inhabitingDawnstar. Horrified by the continuing agony experienced by Dirk, Circe kills him and herself. Privately, Universo and billionaire Leland McCauley take delight in using the war to advance their agendas.
The SW6 Valor attempts to travel back in time to determine which Legion is the "real" one.[10] After his younger counterpart in the 20th century is murdered by Glorith,[11] he replaces him to keep the space-time continuum from collapsing.[12] Mere weeks after the liberation of Earth, the planet is destroyed in a disaster reminiscent of the destruction ofKrypton in the 20th century. Two billion people are killed.[13][14] The surviving 94 cities are reconstituted as New Earth. WithReep Daggle (the former Chameleon Boy) serving as adult advisor, the SW6 Legion settles on New Earth, excavating the original Legion Clubhouse and using it once again as their headquarters. April Dumaka, Danielle Foccart, and Xao Jin join their ranks as Catspaw,Computo, andDragonmage. A number of the SW6 Legionnaires adopt new code names.[15] Meanwhile, Troy Stewart becomes president of New Earth when Jacques Foccart resigns from office and rejoins the adult Legion.[16]
In the aftermath of theInfinite Crisis miniseries, most of the Legion's original continuity is restored,[17] but the events of the "Five Years Later" era are not. Thus, the events of "The Terra Mosaic" areapocryphal. Despite it, the Legionnaires from the "Five Years Later" era appear briefly when multiple versions of the Legion battleSuperboy-Prime, theTime Trapper, and theLegion of Super-Villains.[18]
