Matthew at Legion Abstract wrote an excellent analysis of the WnK Legion's Invisible Kid. I posted a lengthy comment in response to one aspect he raised about the nature of Lyle's behavior.
Because I put more thought into that 1 comment than I have on any single post on TPCM to date, I'm posting my comment here as well. (Hey, I'm lazy; this is an easy way to generate another post!!)
I'm not posting the text of Mattew's article because a) I haven't asked his permission and b) it would make this one hell of a long post. This post is comprehensible without having read Matthew's, but you really should read his. (So pop over to his site and READ IT DAMMIT!)
Re: The nature of Lyle’s behavior. I think looking at it as a reaction to “child abuse” and in response to “father” issues is close to the mark but a bit too specific. Instead, I would suggest his behavior is a general result of his feelings of social impotence and under-appreciation and are passive-aggressive in nature. (DISCLAIMER: I’m not a behavioral expert so bear with me).
It’s pretty well-established, outside of Brainiac 5, Lyle is the most intelligent Legionnaire (Even though Triplicate Girl called Sun Boy “scary smart”, I don’t think she meant so in terms of sheer intellect). Lyle’s father exploited his intelligence to get an invisibility serum for the SP. Brainy recruited him, not solely for his power (maybe not even primarily), but his intellect. The opening page of LSH #7 supports this suggestion on Brainy’s true thoughts: a) Brainy has Lyle in his lab assisting. Brainy isn’t going to let anybody near his systems who won’t be of real help. b) Brainy calls Lyle a “gathering of carbon”. Brainy reserves his most biting comments for those with abilities he genuinely respects (see reactions to Light Lass, Star Boy and Dream Girl).
How is Lyle treated despite his intelligence? As he puts it in LSH #4, “See what sucks about accomplishment is that sometimes parents focus on it and not you. Doesn’t matter how unique or bright or colorful you try to be – you’re only as good as you’re last grading period.” His treatment by the other Legionnaires has been similarly dismissive: Ultra Boy’s “So my dog could find you” (LSH #1) in regard to his self-endowed powers; Light Lass’s “Well, I think he’s cute.” comment, complete with hair ruffling that makes Lyle seem like the team’s new puppy; and Cosmic Boy’s “Shut up. And pay attention as I demonstrate to you what teamwork is.” after discovering Lyle’s concealment of his dad being a SP chief.
Lyle’s reactions follow a classic passive-aggressive pattern. Some of the panels you feature support this: Lyle faces people and situations in which he’s relatively powerless. He “provokes” [sic] in many instances not overtly and in a way that elicits a strong negative response. This behavioral pattern allows Lyle the luxury of trying to assert himself, while maintaining his self-perception of being an under-appreciated victim. Furthermore, you may be correct in your assessment that “his power matches the desire of an abused child to hide, to disappear, to not be there anymore” [sic], but I view Lyle’s power as more a metaphor of his own feelings of social impotence and lack of recognition by those around him. Lyle feels “invisible”, especially to those from whom he craves recognition the most.
Lyle is being portrayed as the “low man on the totem pole” in the series. I use that phrase specifically because of its slang meaning and ironic true meaning. The slang meaning: Lyle’s at the bottom of the Legion’s social order. People regard him as a “kid” even in a group of kids; he’s not trusted because of his powers and his deceptions; and even after he’s the one who figures out the key to stopping the Lemnos invasion, the only person who gives him real credit (or at least verbally expresses it to him) is another relatively socially-isolated member, Shrinking Violet. The phrase’s ironic meaning: in Native American cultures, the totem’s lowest figure is one of the more important (being created by the chief artisan). Lyle is one the more important members of the team; the stories so far make this quite clear. And I completely agree with you that we’re seeing him mature in his interactions with people. Waid is giving us an excellent (albeit gradual) tour of Lyle’s development as a strong team member.
There you have it gentle readers, the first TPCM post that was actually serious!! (With the exception of one lame joke; see Editor's Note.)
Editor's Note: The post title is a joke on the error you get in MS Excel when you create a formula that includes a reference to the cell containing the formula. Since this post has a link to Matthew's post, which has a comment containing a link back to this site, it's a circular reference. (Can you tell I work in Excel too much? And yes, jokes you feel the need to explain really can't be that funny!)
