For anyone who doesn't know, that was in LEGION OF SUPERHEROES
(fourth series, "Five year Gap" run, 1989) issue 5.
You'll notice I didn't include that story in my most-loved run of LEGION issues (second series, issues 285-306).
It didn't bother me so much that Giffen killed off Karate Kid, as the fact that it was done so cheaply and unfeelingly. It was a chore to read.
By Giffen's own account in the interview, that was at a point where he'd grown bored with the LEGION series, and that it was not his best work.
Giffen continued to do (2nd series) 307-314, and (3rd series) 1-5, but it was in this weird pseudo-Alex Toth art style, and issues 1-5 swiped a few pages from Driullet's LONE SLOAN/DILIRIOUS series in HEAVY METAL.
Giffen came back like 4 years later and did more LEGION work toward the end of the 3rd series (1988-1989), but it just wasn't the same.
But far worse waited for the LEGION in the 4th series "Five Year Gap" storyline, and the abandonment of 35 years of continuity after issue 61 of that series, with the "Zero-Hour" storyline. As loyal and devoted to continuity of the series as Legion fans are, I'm surprised the editor and other creators of that continuity departure haven't joined Salmon Rushdie in permanent hiding for the rest of their lives.
