Secret Origins (1986) 8 (1)

Secret Origins (1986) 8

Nov 1986

The Shadow of the Past

by Paul Levitz, Tom Mandrake, John Workman, Carl Gafford, Robert Greenberger

Tasmia Mallor (aka Shadow Lass) is called upon by the people of her city on Talok VIII to live up to her grandfather Sarven Mallor’s reputation and help them to drive away the Yakka-Mahor, a mountainous people who are threatening to attack the city.

Shadow Lass eventually becomes a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes but her future teammates don’t enter the picture until the last few pages of this story, after she has dealt with the Yakka-Mahor. 

Shadow Lass first appeared in Adventure Comics 365 (Feb 1968) in a story written and drawn by Jim Shooter and Curt Swan. I believe that this issue of Secret Origins is the first time that her origin story has been told. 

The only appearance in this story of the uniform that Shadow Lass is shown wearing on the cover is on the final page of the story. 

This is the first origin story for a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in this series. There will be more. 

This is a very unremarkable story. It feels very paint by numbers. There are no character moments in it. The only thing that makes it stand out is the fact that it is the first time that Shadow Lass’s origin has been told. Paul Levitz has written some great stories but this is not one of them. I have to wonder if this wasn’t thrown together at the last minute. 

There is a letters page in this issue but there are no notes from Paul Levitz or Roy Thomas about Shadow Lass on the letters page.