"Of course you realize, this means WAR."
"He might have been scrawny, he might have been looney...But he was a friend to the Legion in one of our darkest hours!"
— Lightning Lass
Legion of Super-Heroes/Bugs Bunny Special: The Impostor Superboy is a one-shot crossover published in August 2017, featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes and Bugs Bunny as part of the DC Meets Looney Tunes crossover event. Two versions of the same story are included in the issue: the first, written by Sam Humphries and illustrated by Tom Grummett, is a homage to the 70's Legion; the second one is written and drawn by Juan Ortiz in the style of the Adventure Comics tales.
Brainiac 5 is driving himself crazy to find a cure for Supergirl, who is dying after contracting an alien illness during a battle involving Mordru and the Sun-Eater. Brainiac goes so far as to build a new Computo, much to the horror of his teammates, who still remember how the original mobile A.I. tried to kill them all. Brainiac dismisses their concerns, insisting that Computo 2 cannot betray them because it has been programmed to love, and reveals that he needs an atom called Illudium Phosdex to create a cure, but Illudium Phosdex has been extinct since the middle of the 24th century.
Dream Girl then reveals she just had a vision where Supergirl was saved by someone who looked just like Superboy. The Legion takes her words as a sign that Superboy can help them find Illudium Phosdex, so that Brainiac orders Computo 2 to use the Time Cube to go back to the 21st century and bring Superboy here. Computo 2 seems weirdly hesitant, but it leaves after a bit of prompting.
Computo 2 arrives in past Smallville and quickly locates young Clark Kent. However, he feels reluctant to contact him for some reason. Right then, his interest is piqued by a certain talking rabbit called Bugs Bunny who is lovingly growing his carrots in a nearby field. Computo observes Bugs for a while, and then abudcts the rabbit in his sleep.
Back in the 31st century, the Legionnaires, who are waiting for Superboy, are very shocked when the returning Time Cube delivers a talking, loony rabbit. As trying to figure out why Computo 2 failed his assignment, Brainiac asks Bugs's help to obtain samples of Illudium Phosdex. Bugs is willing to help until he sees Brainiac's rack-like "examination chair", whereupon he decides to hightail it out. As the Legion is trying to fight/talk Bugs into staying, Validus storms their base, in answer to a silent signal.
Tropes:
- A.I. Is a Crapshoot: Brainiac 5 builds an A.I. called Computo 2 to help him find a cure for Supergirl. Unfortunately, Computo 2 falls in love with his creator and attempts to murder Supergirl and all Legionnaires.
- Art Imitates Art: The cover is another homage to Adventure Comics #247: The Legion of Super-Heroes!, replacing Superboy and the Legion's founding trio with Bugs Bunny, Lightning Lass, Ultra Boy and Brainiac 5 (who states that "[they're] not THAT desperate!").
- Artistic License – Chemistry: The Legion needs an atom called Illudium Phosdex to cure Supergirl, but it has been extinct since the 24th century. Of course, atoms are not given specific names -let alone that one- and they do not go extinct.
- The Big Damn Kiss: In the second version, it is said that Kara and Querl's kiss echoes throughout time and space.Brainiac 5 and Supergirl embrace. Once again, love proves to be the most powerful emotion in the universe.
Brainiac 5: "Welcome back, my love!"
Supergirl: "Your love brought me back."
It is a kiss that is felt throughout time and space. - Big Eater: Several times the story shows the Legionnaires' inner thoughts. As his partners are always worried about some personal issue, Timber Wolf is always thinking about eating, either steaks or cheesburgers or pizza...
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: When Brainiac 5 builds a second Computo, Timber Wolf reminds him that they are not supposed to recycle subplots. Likewise, the Legionnaires sometimes complain about the story's unsubtle homages (Superman holding Supergirl's body in his arms, Superbugs imitating the cover of the first Action Comics...)
- Broad Strokes: The story is supposed to evoke the Legion's classic continuity, what with to references to Pre-Crisis stories and whatnot, but the details don't quite fit into that continuity: Supergirl gets sick as fighting Mordru (whom she never faced in classic continuity) and wears her 70's costume, but Superboy/Super Bugs wear the high-collared, trunkless 2016 Superman suit, Lightning Lass gets her lightning powers (which she did not get back until 1984), Night Girl is a full-fledged Legionnaire (which she became in 2007)...
- But Now I Must Go: After helping the Legion defeat Validus, disable Computo 2 and cure Supergirl, Bugs Bunny returns to his century and his carrot garden.
- Conscience Makes You Go Back: Bugs Bunny tries to take advantage of the chaotic battle between the Legion and Validus to sneak back to his own time, telling himself those kids can surely look after themselves, and it is not like he could help out...Then he curses his bothersome conscience, uses one of his special carrots to turn himself into Super Bugs, and goes back to the battelfield.Bugs Bunny: "Those nutty kids can take care of themselves! I'm just minding my own business, right? Besides, there ain't nuthin' a Rabbitus idioticus americanus like myself can do...Right" (pause) "Logis-ti-cally speakin', sometimes it's real inconvenient havin' a conscience, ya know."
- Converse with the Unconscious: While Kara is lying unconscious on the med bed, Brainiac holds her hand, asking her to hang on and promising to save her.
- Covers Always Lie: The cover features Bugs Bunny getting annoyed at the Legion dismissing his candidacy for membership because "they are not so desperate". In the proper story, neither the Legion nor Bugs are in the slightest bit interested in him becoming a Legionnaire.
- Crossover: Bugs Bunny is dragged to the future of the Legion of Super-Heroes.
- Duck Season, Rabbit Season: Ultra Boy wants to stop Bugs from leaving. One panel later, Bugs has tricked him into demanding that Bugs leaves at once.Ultra Boy: "Hold on a minute! If Brainiac says there's a chance you can save Supergirl— Then you aren't going anywhere!"
Bugs Bunny: "Ohhhh, yes, I am."
Ultra Boy: "No, you are not."
Bugs Bunny: "No, I am not!"
Ultra Boy: "Oh, yes you are!"
Bugs Bunny: "Imma gonna stay right here!"
Ultra Boy: "Absolutely not! You're leaving right now!" - Extinct in the Future: After meeting Bugs, Sun Boy mentions that rabbits are extinct on Earth in the 31st century.
- Feed It a Bomb: In the second story, Bugs Bunny disposes of the powerful but mindless monster Validus by shoving a giant dynamite cartridge disguised as a giant carrot into his mouth.
- The Ghost: The Legionnaires talk at length about their friend and comrade Superboy, who inspired all of them and will assuredly help them save Supergirl because he is so brave, noble and heroic...and still he only shows up in one panel as Clark Kent, never getting involved in the proper story.
- Go Fetch: When Brin "Timber Wolf" Londo wants to catch Bugs, the latter looks over the former, notices his wolf-like traits, pulls a giant bone out of nowhere and throws it out of the window. Timber Wolf enthusiastically leaps after it, forgetting that Brainiac's lab -where they are standing in- is not located at the ground level.Timber Wolf: "Listen up, you scrawny beast! I'm going to tear you to shreds if you don't—"
Bugs Bunny: "Mama...! Sit, Fido! Who's a good boy?! Fetch the bone, bowser! You ready?!"
Timber Wolf: "Throw it! Please, throw it!" - Hammerspace: Lampshaded. When Bugs Bunny pulls a giant bone (it's larger than Bugs himself!) out of nowhere (needless to say, Bugs does not even wear any clothes) to distract Timber Wolf with, Lightning Lass wonders where he even got it from and starts believing that Bugs must have teleportation powers.
- Heroic BSoD: The story starts with Brainiac 5 having a breakdown and throwing his lab equipment around because he cannot find a cure for Supergirl's deadly Rigel fever.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Supergirl is dying due to infecting herself with Rigelian fever to save the Legion from Mordru.
- Love Makes You Evil: Brainiac 5 reassures his teammates that the newest Computo will never turn on them because he has been programmed to love. Shortly after Computo 2 attempts to kill them all because he loves Brainy and is jealous of Supergirl.
- Meanwhile, in the Future…: The story constantly switches back and forth between "Meanwhile in the 31st century" and "Back in the 21st century".
- Murder the Hypotenuse: Computo 2 falls in love with his creator Brainiac and attempts to murder the latter's lover's Supergirl out of jealousy.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Computo 2 manipulates Validus into breaking into the Legion HQ and take the Legion down before commanding him to murder an unconscious Supergirl. Computo's attempt on Kara's life fails, but he feels so guilty when he realizes that his actions have hurt Brainiac that it decides to self-destruct.
- Mythology Gag:
- The cover is a homage to the Adventure Comics #247: The Legion of Super-Heroes!, the super-team's first story.
- The first panel has Dream Girl mumbling about "homages" while dreaming a figure clad in a Superman costume is holding Supergirl in his arms, in the famous Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 pose.
- Light(ning) Lass got Rigel Fever in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #207.
- Saturn Girl uses the expression "cool up" in the next issue.
- Bugs got Superman powers when he ate super carrots in 1943 Super-Rabbit.
- Illudium Phosdex, the rare atom which went extinct in the 24.5th century, is a plot point in the Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century cartoon.
- Timber Wolf reminds Brainiac that the Levitz Law regulates how often they can recycle subplots. Paul Levitz wrote what is generally considered the best Legion of Super-Heroes's run.
- A flashback panel reminds that Computo attempted to murder the Legion in Adventure Comics #340: "Computo The Conqueror".
- When Bugs Bunny arrives, Timber Lond suggests sending him to the Legion of Super-Pets.
- Bugs pulls off a Rabbit Fire "Duck Season, Rabbit Season" trick on Ultra Boy.
- Bugs Bunny lifting Validus overhead and slamming him into one machine mirrors the Action Comics #1, prompting Computo 2 to complain about another homage.
- Never My Fault: Played with. Computo 2's first reaction when he is rightfully blamed for sabotaging the plan to save Supergirl's life is to blame Brainiac 5, since he became jealous of Supergirl because he fell in love with Brainiac because Brainiac programmed him to love. However, Computo feels guilty anyway for hurting Brainiac, so he self-terminates.
- No-Sell: Computo 2 disables the Legion by psychologically fueling their angst, which makes them easy pickings for Validus' attacks. When he tries it on Bugs Bunny, though, Bugs only pretends to be affected for one minute before backhanding Computo into a wall, cheerfully declaring that he is looney enough to be immune to angst attacks.
- Oh, Crap!: Bugs freaks out when he realizes he has woken up in the wrong place and century.
- Outside-Context Problem: Neither the Legion nor their enemies can deal with Bugs Bunny because he is a gag character who cheerfully and shamelessly runs on cartoon physics, whereas they are super-hero comic-book characters; hence, they are forced to pretend that their universe does not break the laws of physics whenever it is plot-convenient. Thus, they are overwhelmed by Bugs manipulating minds without even trying, pulling things out of nowhere, manifesting new and sudden powers, and ignoring reality whenever it suits him.
- Rule of Three: Bugs Bunny has three glowing special carrots which allow him to turn into Super-Bugs. He is forced to use them up through the story.
- San Dimas Time: The Legion needs to develop a cure for Supergirl's deadly illness, but the necessary compound has been extinct for over five hundred years. Brainiac 5 insists that one of them must travel to the past and return quickly because they are running out of time; it never occurs to Brainy that he could travel to the past together with one team and his portable lab equipment, look for samples of Illudium Phosdex and develop a cure leisurely, and return exactly one second after their departure.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Bugs first tries to run off when he sees Brainiac's so-called "examination chair", which leads him to believe that Brainy intends to dissect him. Then the Legion is assailed by Validus, and Bugs tries to run back to his own time again rather than get involved in a battle between super-beings, but he decides that abandoning those kids would not be right.
- Sickbed Slaying: Computo 2 attempts to murder Supergirl while she is lying unsconscious in the Legion HQ's infirmary, first by sabotaging the attempts to find a cure for her illness, and later by manipulating Validus into attacking her.
- Tempting Fate: When Brainiac admits he has built a second Computo, Lightning Lass asks if he has already forgotten that the original Computo attempted to kill them all. Brainiac says he does not care, and the new Computo cannot betray them because he has programmed him to love. Before the story is over Computo 2 attempts to kill the Legion, specially Supergirl, because he has fallen for Brainy.
- Time Travel: Brainiac 5 orders Computo 2 to travel to the 21st century and bring Superboy. Computo brings Bugs Bunny instead, who is not happy to be dragged out of his time.
- Waking Up Elsewhere: After spending the most part of the story lying unconscious on a hospital bed after falling sick and passing out during a prior battle, Kara wakes up asking what happened to her, to Mordru, and if the Legion won.
