Welcome to Crazy Comic Book Moments, where we examine a classic comic book image, with little-to-no context. Today, we examine 1965’s Adventure Comics #332. Take a look!
- • The villain here gets a dual upgrade. He's not just Moby Dick, he's the Moby Dick of Space. And he's not just the Moby Dick of Space, he's the Super-Moby Dick of Space. Double glow-up!
- • Also, let's not elide over the fact that he's a huge outer space whale with magenta batwings, though his bumps have the unfortunate effect of making him look like a giant space pickle. Somehow Super-Gherkin of Space doesn't have the same ring to it.
- • Below our Space Gherkin, we've got Lightning Lad of the Legion of Super-Heroes, who a.) evidently lost an arm to Super-Moby Dick (did he eat it?), b.) had it replaced with a shiny metal arm that looks like it was repurposed from a suit of armor, and c.) is swearing revenge on Super-Moby Dick and shaking his new metal fist at him. So very much to unpack...
- • Superboy is warning his friend not to kill Super-Moby Dick as Leginonnaires don't take lives. Which is fair, but raises a lot of questions... Is Super-Moby Dick just a whale that lives in outer space? If so, does that mean Legionnaires can't kill ANY animal, space-based or otherwise? If the Legion had a long lunch at an Outback Steakhouse, does that mean they'd all have to be drummed out? These are the questions the Super-Moby Dick of Space has forced us to consider.
If you want to see more of Lightning Lad and the Legion of Super-Heroes in action (albeit not battling hungry space whales), check out the Legion of Super-Heroes cartoon, as well as the team's appearance in Justice League vs. The Fatal Five or one of their many beloved comic series.