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Legion of Super-Heroes (1958 team)
Encyclopedia
The 1958 version of the Legion of Super-Heroes (also called the original or Preboot Legion) is a fiction
al superhero
team in the 31st century of the . The team is the first incarnation of the Legion of Super-Heroes
, followed by the 1994
and 2004
rebooted versions. It first appears in Adventure Comics
#247 (April 1958) and was created by Otto Binder
and Al Plastino
.
was the featured series in Adventure Comics
in the late 1950s. In Adventure Comics #247 (April 1958), he was met by three teenagers from the 30th century: Lightning Boy
, Saturn Girl
, and Cosmic Boy
, who were members of a "super-hero club" called the Legion of Super-Heroes. Their club had been formed with Superboy as an inspiration, and they had time travel
led to recruit Superboy as a member. After a series of tests, Superboy was awarded membership and returned to his own time.
Although intended as a one-off story focusing on Superboy, the Legion proved so popular that it returned for an encore in Adventure Comics #267 (December 1959). Lightning Boy had been renamed Lightning Lad, and their costumes were very close to those they wore throughout the Silver Age of Comic Books
.
The Legion's popularity grew, and they appeared in further stories in Adventure Comics and Action Comics over the next few years. The ranks of the Legion, only hinted at in those first two stories, were filled with new heroes, such as Chameleon Boy
, Invisible Kid
, Colossal Boy, Star Boy, Brainiac 5
, Triplicate Girl, Shrinking Violet, Sun Boy
, Bouncing Boy
, Phantom Girl
, and Ultra Boy
. Even Supergirl
was recruited as a member.
The story of the Legion's founding was not revealed until a decade had passed since the first appearance. In Superboy #147 (June 1968), readers learned for the first time that the initial three members to appear, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, and Cosmic Boy, had used their powers to save billionaire
R. J. Brande
from an assassination
attempt. Impressed with their skills and courage, Brande encouraged the three to form the nucleus of what would become the Legion, and he would bankroll the Legion for years to come.
The creators of the early Legion stories included Superman
co-creator Jerry Siegel
, Otto Binder
, Al Plastino
, George Papp
, Curt Swan
, Jim Mooney
, and George Klein
.
In Adventure Comics
#300 (September 1962), the Legion received their own regular feature, cover-billed "Superboy in 'Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes'". While they would share space with Superboy solo stories for a couple of years, they eventually displaced Superboy entirely as their popularity grew. Superboy, however, continued to appear on every cover, even if only briefly, or barely, mentioned in the story.
It was this run which established the Legion's general workings and environment. A club of teenagers
, they operated out of a clubhouse in the shape of a yellow rocket ship
inverted as if it had been driven into the ground. The position of Legion leader rotated among the membership, sometimes through election, and sometimes by more arcane methods. From time to time, the editors of the Legion stories would allow readers to vote on the leader.
Each Legionnaire had to possess at least one natural superpower (i.e., powers from devices were disallowed), in particular a power which no other member possessed. Despite this, several members had overlapping powers, particularly Superboy
, Supergirl
, Mon-El
, and Ultra Boy
. Some issues included comical moments where candidates with bizarre, useless, or dangerous abilities would try out for membership and be rejected. Five of these flawed candidates went on to form the Legion of Substitute Heroes
.
The Legion was based on Earth, and protected an organization of humans and aliens called the United Planets
. The regular police force in the UP was the Science Police
.
Many of these early stories were "gimmick" tales, revolving around someone trying to trick the Legion, or a member of the Legion being controlled or injured in some way so that they turned against their comrades. Tie-ins with the Superman stories appeared from time to time, with Jimmy Olsen
and Pete Ross
becoming "honorary members," and Lana Lang
becoming a reserve member. Superboy's pet Kryptonian dog Krypto
became a founding member of a Legion of Super-Pets
, serving alongside Supergirl's pets Streaky the Super-Cat and Comet the Super-Horse, as well as Beppo the Super-Monkey, a Kryptonian monkey which had stowed away in the infant Kal-El's
rocket that took him to safety from exploding Krypton
. Characterization was often skimpy, but this sort of story was common in DC Silver Age
comics.
Creators of the early Adventure Comics stories included Jerry Siegel
, Edmond Hamilton
, and John Forte
. A watershed moment for the Legion came with Adventure Comics #346 (July 1966), which was written by 14-year-old Jim Shooter
. A Legion fan, Shooter submitted a quartet of stories to DC. In an era before comic book artists and writers received regular credits on their work, Shooter—ignorant of the creation process behind the stories he enjoyed—submitted full-page layouts on typing paper, complete with captions and dialogue bubbles. DC, at the time ignorant of Shooter's age, was impressed enough with his efforts to arrange for veteran artists Curt Swan
and George Klein to fix up the layouts for publication. Those first four stories introduced several of what would become longtime characters in the series, including Karate Kid
, Princess Projectra
, Ferro Lad
, Nemesis Kid
, the Khund
s, and Universo
and his son Rond Vidar
.
Soon thereafter, Shooter became the regular writer of the Legion stories, with Curt Swan, and later Win Mortimer
, as artist. Shooter brought more characterization and action to the Legion, an approach which was working well for competitor Marvel Comics
, and moved away from gimmickry. As it turned out, Shooter was an early participant in a gradual revolution of storytelling at DC over the next decade.
Shooter wrote the story about Ferro Lad's death—the first "real" death of a Legionnaire (although Lightning Lad had been believed dead for a while before)—and introduced many other enduring concepts, including the Fatal Five
, Shadow Lass
, the Dark Circle
, Mordru
, and the "Adult Legion", a conjecture regarding what the Legionnaires would be like when they grew up.
However, the Legion's golden age did eventually end, and their last appearance in Adventure Comics was #380 (May 1969), when they were displaced by Supergirl.
, Cary Bates
, and George Tuska
.
The first sign that the Legion's popularity would revive appeared when young artist Dave Cockrum
, (who would go on to fame as the artist and co-creator of Marvel's "all-new, all-different" X-Men
), began drawing the series, beginning with Superboy #188 (July 1972). Cockrum was a prolific designer of eye-catching superhero costumes, and began revising the outfits of many Legionnaires. Many of these new outfits endured for much of the next fifteen years.
One of the most notable stories during this time was Superboy #195 (June 1973), in which a hero whose body was made of energy, who originally called himself ERG-1, applied for membership in the Legion, and quickly thereafter appeared to give his "life" on a mission. The hero would return, however, and his character was renamed Wildfire
. He later became one of the more popular Legionnaires.
The Legion returned to cover billing on a book when Superboy became Superboy starring the Legion of Super-Heroes with #197 (August 1973). (Although the cover of the issue read "Superboy starring the Legion of Super-Heroes", the indicia inside the book at that point indicated that the book's title was still officially just "Superboy"). Crafted by Bates and Cockrum, the feature proved popular and saw such events as the wedding of Bouncing Boy
and Duo Damsel (formerly Triplicate Girl). Cockrum was replaced on art by Mike Grell
as of issue #203 (August 1974) which featured the death of Invisible Kid. Several of the Legionnaires' costumes were changed and updated during this period, with some of the heroes' outfits, including those worn by Saturn Girl
, Shadow Lass
, and Cosmic Boy
, becoming especially skimpy. Shooter returned during this period and wrote his swan song on the title with a tale involving the Time Trapper
and new villain Pulsar Stargrave
.
With #231 (September 1977), the book's title officially changed to Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, and the book became a "giant-size" title. At this point, the book was written by longtime fan Paul Levitz
and drawn by James Sherman (inked by a variety of artists, notably Jack Abel
and Bob McLeod). In #241–245 (July–December 1978) Levitz and Sherman (and then Joe Staton
) produced what was to that time the most ambitious Legion storyline: Earthwar, a galactic war between the United Planets and the Khunds, with several other villains lurking in the background.
Issue #239 (May 1978) featured a well-received story titled "Murder Most Foul", in which Ultra Boy is framed for murder. Written by Paul Levitz and illustrated by Jim Starlin
, the mystery was resolved in S/LSH #250–251 (April–May 1979). However, Starlin was so unhappy with the editing, particularly the decision to divide the story into two parts, that he removed his name from the project, and the artist was credited as "Steve Apollo".
During this period, Karate Kid was spun off
into his own 20th Century-based self-titled series, which lasted 15 issues.
Levitz left the book, to be replaced by Gerry Conway
.
and collectors as "v2", or volume two. (There was a four-issue Legion of Super-Heroes series in 1972 and 1973, officially volume 1, or "v1," which consisted solely of reprints. Volume numbers are conventional in the magazine
industry in order to distinguish identically titled successor magazines with different enumeration
s).
Jimmy Janes took over the art chores in a lengthy tale by Conway, and then Roy Thomas
, involving Ultra Boy's disappearance during a mission, and his long odyssey to rejoin the team. This story told the tale of the Legionnaire Reflecto
(only glimpsed during the "Adult Legion" stories in Adventure Comics), featured villainy by the Time Trapper and Grimbor the Chainsman
, and saw Superboy rejoin the team.
story, Paul Levitz returned to write the book with #284. Pat Broderick
and Bruce Patterson
illustrated the book for a short time before Keith Giffen
began on pencils, with Patterson, and then Larry Mahlstedt, on inks. Their clean style and flair for drawing high-tech gadgetry made "Gifstedt" immediately popular, which was enhanced by the five-part "Great Darkness Saga," which ran from #290–294 (August–December 1982), featuring a full assault on the United Planets and a surprise supervillain
behind it all.
Another introduction during this time was the "Interlac
alphabet", a one-to-one substitution cipher
for the standard English alphabet. Various background signage and displays used the alphabet to carry in-jokes and other visual easter eggs
for astute readers.
The Legion celebrated issue #300 (June 1983) by revisiting the "Adult Legion" storyline through a series of parallel world
short stories illustrated by a number of popular Legion artists from previous years. The story served to free up Legion continuity from following the "Adult Legion" edict of previous issues.
Giffen's style changed abruptly a few issues later, to a darker and sketchier style inspired by Argentinian
artist José Antonio Muñoz
. This occurred shortly before DC launched a new Legion series, along with new New Teen Titans and Outsiders
series, on higher-quality Baxter paper. The existing Legion series, renamed Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes with issue #314, continued running new material for a year, then began reprinting stories from the new Legion of Super-Heroes volume 3 (often referred to as "v3" by fans) with issue #326. Tales continued publishing reprints until its final issue, #354 (December 1987).
The new series was launched in August 1984 with a five-part story featuring the Legion of Super-Villains
. Giffen left in the middle of the story and was replaced by Steve Lightle
, who stayed on the book for a year. During this time, he designed costumes for several Legionnaires, and for longtime member of the Legion of Substitute Heroes, Polar Boy
.
Greg LaRocque
began a lengthy run in #16 (November 1985), including a crossover with John Byrne's recently-rebooted
Superman titles
in #37 and #38. The crossover was the first of several attempts by DC editors to explain the origins and fate of Superboy and his history with the Legion, in light of the revisions to the DC Universe
caused by Crisis on Infinite Earths
that removed Superman's career as Superboy from his personal history. In the crossover, the Legion's Superboy was revealed to have come from a parallel "Pocket Universe" created by the Time Trapper
. The crossover ended with Superboy's death. The story also demonstrated the continuity paradoxes that resulted from such attempts as a statue for Supergirl in the Legion's memorial for deceased members, shown in #38 during Superboy's funeral, vanished by #51, as per DC editorial's edict that Superman was to be the only survivor of Krypton
. Because of the edict, the pre-Crisis Supergirl never existed at all in the post-Crisis timeline.
Levitz' run ended with the return of Giffen and a four-part story, concluding in #63 (August 1989), focusing on the decline of science
and the rise of magic
, and the consequent wreaking of havoc upon the United Planets. Although the forces of good prevailed, both the UP and the Legion were left in shambles, with the pieces to be picked up in the next series.
Giffen took over plotting as well as penciling with the Legion of Super-Heroes volume 4 title which started in November 1989, with scripts by Tom and Mary Bierbaum and assists by Al Gordon. Five years after the Magic Wars, the United Planets is a darker place and the Legion a distant memory. However, a group of former Legionnaires worked to re-form the Legion in this harsh new universe, in which Earth was ruled by the alien Dominators
.
Shortly after this storyline began, the decision was made to retroactively remove Superboy almost completely from Legion involvement, leaving a question of where the Legion's inspiration came from without the influence of Superboy. (Regarding Superboy, Giffen and the Bierbaums said that they had many story ideas revolving around him, but that Superboy's removal from Legion continuity precipitated from higher-ups in the DC editorial ranks.) The writers' solution was a massive retcon, in which Mon-El serves in the role of paragon, having acted as a 20th Century hero named Valor. Also added were the characters Laurel Gand — a parallel for Supergirl — and Kent Shakespeare (a.k.a. Impulse) in order to further fill the void. Issue #5 featured an alternate universe
story in which this restructuring was effected, and the Time Trapper was replaced in continuity by his onetime underling Glorith
.
Giffen skipped plotting on several issues for reasons that weren't made clear. This resulted in the Bierbaums writing several fill-in stories, which caused the cohesiveness of the book to suffer. This period also included several retcon
s. One was that Lightning Lad's body had been housing the consciousness of Proty, Chameleon Boy's Protean "pet," ever since his resurrection years before, and another was that former Science Police liaison Shvaughn Erin was actually a formerly male transsexual who continually used a drug to maintain her female identity, while her longtime beau Element Lad
was of ambiguous sexuality, and would not have required her to be female (see Element Lad and Homosexuality).
One major storyline during this period was the discovery of Batch SW6, a group of clone
s of the early Legion, circa their Adventure Comics days. Keith Giffen's original conclusion for the storyline, revealed in interviews, was that the clones would have eventually been revealed to be the real Legion, and the ones whose adventures had been chronicled since the 1950s, were actually the clones; the older characters would then leave United Planets space to head up their own title as a new version of the Omega Men
. Giffen's other conclusion was to have the two Legions fight in a "battle royal", during which several characters from both teams would die. The characters destined to die would have been randomly selected from a hat, and the surviving characters would form a new, fused Legion team. In the end, neither conclusion to the SW6 storyline was used. Instead, there were now two Legions, and a parallel title, Legionnaires, was launched, starring the "SW6" Legion, whose origins were not resolved until the Zero Hour crossover by a different writing team. The series was lighter in tone than the main Legion book, and was written by the Bierbaums and drawn by Chris Sprouse
Giffen left the book after a storyline which involved the destruction of Earth, and the Bierbaums continued writing chores, overseeing the return of several classic characters. When the Bierbaums left, writer Tom McCraw took over and made a number of changes, such as forcing several Legion members underground, which required them to take on new identities and costumes, and bringing back long-absent Legionnaire Wildfire.
. As part of the Zero Hour
company-wide crossover, the Legion's original continuity came to an end with Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 4) #61 (September 1994). It is revealed at the end of the Final Crisis Legion of 3 Worlds mini-series that the original team inhabits an alternate universe parallel to the one currently featured in mainstream DC continuity.
The "Lightning Saga
" crossover in Justice League of America
(vol. 2) #8–10 and Justice Society of America
(vol. 3) #5–6 reintroduces the original Legion. However, Superman has statues of this version of the Legion in the Fortress of Solitude
, though he has not seen them since the end of the Crisis on Infinite Earths
, and later recalls Lightning Lad's death and resurrection. The crossover ends with the return of Wally West
, his wife
and their twin children to Earth. The Legionnaires—with the exception of Starman, Karate Kid
, and Una (one of Triplicate Girl's three selves)—return to their future.
This version of the Legion next appeared in the "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes
" storyline in Action Comics
#858–863. In the year 3008, the Earth's sun
has turned red and several failed Legion applicants who were born on Earth (Radiation Roy, Tusker, Spider Girl
, Golden Boy, Storm Boy, and Eyeful Ethel) have banded together to form the Justice League of Earth under the leadership of Earth-Man
(formerly known as Absorbancy Boy) after the latter claims that Superman was a human who gained his powers from "Mother Earth". Earth-Man uses the claim to have Earth secede from the United Planets and ban all aliens from Earth, resulting in several Legionnaires going underground. With the help of Superman, the Legion eventually restores the Sun to its normal state and defeats Earth-Man and the Justice League of Earth just as the United Planets is about to attack the Earth.
The Legion next appeared in the 2008–2009 Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds limited series, written by Geoff Johns and drawn by George Pérez
. The mini-series featured the original Legion and Superman teaming up with the "Reboot" and "Threeboot" incarnations of the Legion to fight the Time Trapper
and a new incarnation of the Legion of Super-Villains
(led by Superboy-Prime
).
, this version of the Legion is featured in the Adventure Comics
ongoing series, currently in its second volume. This Legion also appeared in the 2010 "Brainiac and the Legion of Super-Heroes" storyline. A new Legion of Super-Heroes ongoing series was launched in 2010, written by Paul Levitz
and drawn by Yildiray Cinar
, featuring the post-Infinite Crisis version of the team.
robotic shell, Dream Girl's abilities being derived from the Dreaming
, Karate Kid's death and resurrection, and the Legion fighting against separatism and xenophobia
as well as crime—are not consistent with the Legion of Super-Heroes' history.
Geoff Johns has stated that this incarnation of the Legion shares the same history as the original Legion up to the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, with Clark Kent having joined the team as a teenager (under the name Superboy
) prior to the start of his career as Superman. It is revealed at the end of the Final Crisis Legion of 3 Worlds mini-series that the post-Infinite Crisis team inhabits New Earth, the principal Earth in current DC continuity.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
team in the 31st century of the . The team is the first incarnation of the Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
, followed by the 1994
Legion of Super-Heroes (1994 team)
The 1994 version of the Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 31st century of the DC Universe. The team is the second major incarnation of the Legion of Super-Heroes after the 1958 version and followed by the 2004 version. It first appears in Legion of Super-Heroes The 1994...
and 2004
Legion of Super-Heroes (2004 team)
The 2004 version of the Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 31st century of the . The team is the third major incarnation of the Legion of Super-Heroes after the 1958 and 1994 versions...
rebooted versions. It first appears in Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 and then revamped from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman...
#247 (April 1958) and was created by Otto Binder
Otto Binder
Otto Oscar Binder was an American author of science fiction and non-fiction books and stories, and comic books...
and Al Plastino
Al Plastino
Al Plastino is an American comic book artist best known as one of the most prolific Superman artists of the 1950s, along with his DC Comics colleague Wayne Boring...
.
Superboy's supporting cast
SuperboySuperboy (Kal-El)
The original Superboy is a fictional superhero who appears in DC Comics. The name of Superman as a boy, Superboy has adventures that occur in the relative past to those of Superman and take place predominantly in his hometown of Smallville...
was the featured series in Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 and then revamped from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman...
in the late 1950s. In Adventure Comics #247 (April 1958), he was met by three teenagers from the 30th century: Lightning Boy
Garth Ranzz
Lightning Lad , also known as Live Wire, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. He has the superhuman ability to generate electricity, usually in the form of lightning bolts. He is a founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries...
, Saturn Girl
Saturn Girl
Saturn Girl is a fictional character appearing in DC comic books. A talented telepath from the 30th century, Imra first appeared in Adventure Comics #247 as a founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
, and Cosmic Boy
Cosmic Boy
Cosmic Boy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #247 . He is a founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, and was the original leader in all incarnations of the Legion...
, who were members of a "super-hero club" called the Legion of Super-Heroes. Their club had been formed with Superboy as an inspiration, and they had time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
led to recruit Superboy as a member. After a series of tests, Superboy was awarded membership and returned to his own time.
Although intended as a one-off story focusing on Superboy, the Legion proved so popular that it returned for an encore in Adventure Comics #267 (December 1959). Lightning Boy had been renamed Lightning Lad, and their costumes were very close to those they wore throughout the Silver Age of Comic Books
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
.
The Legion's popularity grew, and they appeared in further stories in Adventure Comics and Action Comics over the next few years. The ranks of the Legion, only hinted at in those first two stories, were filled with new heroes, such as Chameleon Boy
Chameleon Boy
Chameleon Boy , also known as Chameleon, is a DC Comics superhero, a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. He first appeared in Action Comics #267 .-Silver Age:...
, Invisible Kid
Invisible Kid
Lyle Norg is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe, and a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. He was the first to assume the name Invisible Kid.-Lyle Norg:...
, Colossal Boy, Star Boy, Brainiac 5
Brainiac 5
Brainiac 5 is a fictional character who exists in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Universe. He is a long standing member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Brainiac 5 is from the planet Colu...
, Triplicate Girl, Shrinking Violet, Sun Boy
Sun Boy
Sun Boy is a fictional character, a superhero in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Comics universe. Sun Boy is a Legion of Super-Heroes member with the ability to unleash internal solar energy to whatever degree he wishes, from enough to light a single candle to enough to melt nearly any...
, Bouncing Boy
Bouncing Boy
-Fictional character biography:Bouncing Boy is a fictional character in the DC Comics Universe, a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century. He is Chuck Taine of Earth, and he has the power to inflate like a ball and bounce. He received his powers when he accidentally drank a super...
, Phantom Girl
Phantom Girl
Phantom Girl is a fictional comic book superhero who appears in books published by DC Comics. In the Post-Zero Hour continuity, she is known as Apparition, and is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries...
, and Ultra Boy
Ultra Boy
Ultra Boy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in DC Comics. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Universe. Ultra Boy gained these powers when the space-speedster he was flying was swallowed by an ultra-energy beast , exposing him to...
. Even Supergirl
Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)
Kara Zor-El is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and related media, created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino. As Supergirl, Kara Zor-El serves as the biological cousin and female counterpart to DC Comic's iconic superhero Superman, created...
was recruited as a member.
The story of the Legion's founding was not revealed until a decade had passed since the first appearance. In Superboy #147 (June 1968), readers learned for the first time that the initial three members to appear, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, and Cosmic Boy, had used their powers to save billionaire
Billionaire
A billionaire, in countries that use the short scale number naming system, is a person who has a net worth of at least one billion units of a given currency, usually the United States dollar, Euro, or Pound sterling. Forbes magazine updates a complete list of U.S. dollar billionaires around the...
R. J. Brande
R. J. Brande
Rene Jacques "R. J." Brande is a fictional DC Comics character in the 30th and 31st centuries with the Legion of Super-Heroes.-Pre-Crisis:Originally a Durlan named Ren Daggle, Brande was frozen in human form by the deadly Yorggian fever...
from an assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
attempt. Impressed with their skills and courage, Brande encouraged the three to form the nucleus of what would become the Legion, and he would bankroll the Legion for years to come.
The creators of the early Legion stories included Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
co-creator Jerry Siegel
Jerry Siegel
Jerome "Jerry" Siegel , who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, and Herbert S...
, Otto Binder
Otto Binder
Otto Oscar Binder was an American author of science fiction and non-fiction books and stories, and comic books...
, Al Plastino
Al Plastino
Al Plastino is an American comic book artist best known as one of the most prolific Superman artists of the 1950s, along with his DC Comics colleague Wayne Boring...
, George Papp
George Papp
George Edward Papp was a U.S. comic book artist. Best known as one of the principal artists on the long-running Superboy feature for DC Comics, Papp also co-created the Green Arrow character with Mort Weisinger and co-created Congorilla along with writer Whitney Ellsworth.Papp began his comic...
, Curt Swan
Curt Swan
Douglas Curtis Swan was an American comic book artist. The artist most associated with Superman during the period fans and historians call the Silver Age of comic books, Swan produced hundreds of covers and stories from the 1950s through the 1980s.-Early life and career:Curt Swan, whose Swedish...
, Jim Mooney
Jim Mooney
James Noel "Jim" Mooney was an American comic book artist best known as a Marvel Comics inker and Spider-Man artist, and as the signature artist of DC Comics' Supergirl, both during what comics historians and fans call the Silver Age of comic books...
, and George Klein
George Klein (comics)
George D. Klein was an American comic book artist and cartoonist whose career stretched from the 1930s and 1940s' Golden Age of comic books...
.
Starring in Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 and then revamped from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman...
#300 (September 1962), the Legion received their own regular feature, cover-billed "Superboy in 'Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes'". While they would share space with Superboy solo stories for a couple of years, they eventually displaced Superboy entirely as their popularity grew. Superboy, however, continued to appear on every cover, even if only briefly, or barely, mentioned in the story.
It was this run which established the Legion's general workings and environment. A club of teenagers
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
, they operated out of a clubhouse in the shape of a yellow rocket ship
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
inverted as if it had been driven into the ground. The position of Legion leader rotated among the membership, sometimes through election, and sometimes by more arcane methods. From time to time, the editors of the Legion stories would allow readers to vote on the leader.
Each Legionnaire had to possess at least one natural superpower (i.e., powers from devices were disallowed), in particular a power which no other member possessed. Despite this, several members had overlapping powers, particularly Superboy
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
, Supergirl
Supergirl
Supergirl is a female counterpart to the DC Comics Superman. As his cousin, she shares his super powers and vulnerability to Kryptonite. She was created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino in 1959. She first appeared in the Action Comics comic book series and later branched out...
, Mon-El
Lar Gand
Lar Gand, known primarily as Mon-El , is a fictional character in DC Comics' universe who is associated with the Legion of Super-Heroes, Superboy, and Superman...
, and Ultra Boy
Ultra Boy
Ultra Boy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in DC Comics. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Universe. Ultra Boy gained these powers when the space-speedster he was flying was swallowed by an ultra-energy beast , exposing him to...
. Some issues included comical moments where candidates with bizarre, useless, or dangerous abilities would try out for membership and be rejected. Five of these flawed candidates went on to form the Legion of Substitute Heroes
Legion of Substitute Heroes
The Legion of Substitute Heroes is a group of fictional characters in the future of the DC Comics universe. The "Subs", as they are often called, are a group of rejected applicants to the Legion of Super-Heroes who banded together, hoping to prove to the Legion that their powers were not as useless...
.
The Legion was based on Earth, and protected an organization of humans and aliens called the United Planets
United Planets
In the , the United Planets is a fictional governing body, traditionally depicted as active in the 30th and 31st century.-History of the published versions of the United Planets:...
. The regular police force in the UP was the Science Police
Science Police
Science Police is a fictional law enforcement agency in the . They were referred to as "World-Wide Police" in their first appearance in the 30th century. They were featured in a four issue limited series titled Legion Science Police. In the 30th and 31st centuries, the Science Police serves the...
.
Many of these early stories were "gimmick" tales, revolving around someone trying to trick the Legion, or a member of the Legion being controlled or injured in some way so that they turned against their comrades. Tie-ins with the Superman stories appeared from time to time, with Jimmy Olsen
Jimmy Olsen
Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character who appears mainly in DC Comics’ Superman stories. Olsen is a young photojournalist working for the Daily Planet. He is close friends with Lois Lane, Clark Kent/Superman and Perry White...
and Pete Ross
Pete Ross
Peter Joseph "Pete" Ross is a fictional character who appears in the Superman comic books published by DC Comics. He was introduced in Superboy #86 .-Pre-Crisis:...
becoming "honorary members," and Lana Lang
Lana Lang
Lana Lang is a fictional supporting character in DC Comics' Superman series. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist John Sikela, the character first appears in Superboy #10...
becoming a reserve member. Superboy's pet Kryptonian dog Krypto
Krypto
Krypto, also known as Krypto the Superdog, is a fictional character. He is Superman's pet dog in the various Superman comic books published by DC Comics. Krypto's first appearance was in a Superboy story in Adventure Comics #210 in March 1955...
became a founding member of a Legion of Super-Pets
Legion of Super-Pets
The Legion of Super-Pets is a fictional team of super-powered pets in the pre-Crisis DC Universe. Members include Krypto the Super-Dog and Streaky the Supercat...
, serving alongside Supergirl's pets Streaky the Super-Cat and Comet the Super-Horse, as well as Beppo the Super-Monkey, a Kryptonian monkey which had stowed away in the infant Kal-El's
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
rocket that took him to safety from exploding Krypton
Krypton (comics)
Krypton is a fictional planet in the DC Comics universe, and the native world of the super-heroes Superman and, in some tellings, Supergirl and Krypto the Superdog. Krypton has been portrayed consistently as having been destroyed just after Superman's flight from the planet, with exact details of...
. Characterization was often skimpy, but this sort of story was common in DC Silver Age
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
comics.
Creators of the early Adventure Comics stories included Jerry Siegel
Jerry Siegel
Jerome "Jerry" Siegel , who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, and Herbert S...
, Edmond Hamilton
Edmond Hamilton
Edmond Moore Hamilton was an American author of science fiction stories and novels during the mid-twentieth century. Born in Youngstown, Ohio, he was raised there and in nearby New Castle, Pennsylvania...
, and John Forte
John Forte
John Forte was an American comic-book artist, active from the early 1940s on, best known as one of the primary pencilers of DC Comics' early Legion of Super-Heroes stories....
. A watershed moment for the Legion came with Adventure Comics #346 (July 1966), which was written by 14-year-old Jim Shooter
Jim Shooter
James Shooter is an American writer, occasional fill-in artist, editor, and publisher for various comic books. Although he started professionally in the medium at the extraordinarily young age of 14, he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comics' ninth...
. A Legion fan, Shooter submitted a quartet of stories to DC. In an era before comic book artists and writers received regular credits on their work, Shooter—ignorant of the creation process behind the stories he enjoyed—submitted full-page layouts on typing paper, complete with captions and dialogue bubbles. DC, at the time ignorant of Shooter's age, was impressed enough with his efforts to arrange for veteran artists Curt Swan
Curt Swan
Douglas Curtis Swan was an American comic book artist. The artist most associated with Superman during the period fans and historians call the Silver Age of comic books, Swan produced hundreds of covers and stories from the 1950s through the 1980s.-Early life and career:Curt Swan, whose Swedish...
and George Klein to fix up the layouts for publication. Those first four stories introduced several of what would become longtime characters in the series, including Karate Kid
Karate Kid (comics)
Karate Kid is a fictional character, a superhero in the future of the DC Comics universe, and a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. He is a master of every form of martial arts to have been developed by the 31st century...
, Princess Projectra
Princess Projectra
This page discusses the humanoid version of the character. For the post-Zero Hour/pre-Threeboot version, see Sensor.Princess Projectra is a fictional character, a superheroine in the DC Comics universe. She lives in the 30th and 31st centuries, and is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
, Ferro Lad
Ferro Lad
Ferro Lad is a fictional character, a comic book superhero and member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century of the . He is Andrew Nolan of Earth...
, Nemesis Kid
Nemesis Kid
Nemesis Kid is the alias of Hart Druiter, a comic book supervillain in the DC Comics universe. He lives in the future, comes from the planet Myar, and is an enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
, the Khund
Khund
The Khunds are a fictional alien race in the DC Universe, notable for extreme violence. They first appeared in Adventure Comics #346 , as enemies of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century.-Fictional history:...
s, and Universo
Universo
Universo is the name of a fictional Legion of Super-Heroes supervillain in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Comics universe.-Pre-Zero Hour:...
and his son Rond Vidar
Rond Vidar
Rond Vidar is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #349 , and was created by Jim Shooter, Mort Weisinger and Curt Swan.-Fictional character biography:...
.
Soon thereafter, Shooter became the regular writer of the Legion stories, with Curt Swan, and later Win Mortimer
Win Mortimer
James Winslow "Win" Mortimer was a comic book and comic strip artist best known as one of the major illustrators of the DC Comics superhero Superman...
, as artist. Shooter brought more characterization and action to the Legion, an approach which was working well for competitor Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, and moved away from gimmickry. As it turned out, Shooter was an early participant in a gradual revolution of storytelling at DC over the next decade.
Shooter wrote the story about Ferro Lad's death—the first "real" death of a Legionnaire (although Lightning Lad had been believed dead for a while before)—and introduced many other enduring concepts, including the Fatal Five
Fatal Five
The Fatal Five are fictional characters, a supervillain team of the 30th century in the DC Comics universe. They were created by Jim Shooter and first appeared in Adventure Comics #352 as enemies of the Legion of Super-Heroes....
, Shadow Lass
Shadow Lass
Shadow Lass is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Adventure Comics vol. 1 #365 , and was created by Jim Shooter and Curt Swan.-Fictional character biography:...
, the Dark Circle
Dark Circle
The Dark Circle is a fictional criminal organization in publications from DC Comics.-Fictional history:The Dark Circle first appeared in Adventure Comics #367 as an insurgent group planning to conquer the United Planets in the 30th century. It was composed of only five people and armies of clones...
, Mordru
Mordru
Mordru is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Comics' main shared universe.Mordru is the most prominent Lord of Chaos who is fated to survive even after the end of the universe, although he is usually shown as a powerful wizard...
, and the "Adult Legion", a conjecture regarding what the Legionnaires would be like when they grew up.
However, the Legion's golden age did eventually end, and their last appearance in Adventure Comics was #380 (May 1969), when they were displaced by Supergirl.
Back-up feature
The early 1970s saw the Legion relegated to the status of back-up feature. First, the team's stories were moved to Action Comics for issues #377–392 (June 1969–September 1970). These stories were usually written by Shooter and drawn by Mortimer, and were frequently vignettes in which only one or two Legionnaires appeared. Following that, the Legion began appearing occasionally as a backup in Superboy, starting with #172 (March 1971), with writer and artists E. Nelson BridwellE. Nelson Bridwell
Edward Nelson Bridwell was a writer for Mad magazine and various comic books published by DC Comics. One of the writers for the Batman comic strip and Super Friends, he also wrote The Inferior Five, among other comics...
, Cary Bates
Cary Bates
Cary Bates is an American comic book, animation television and film writer.-Biography:Bates began submitting ideas for comic book covers to DC Comics at the age of 13, and a number of them were bought and published, the first as the cover to Superman #167...
, and George Tuska
George Tuska
George Tuska , who early in his career used a variety of pen names including Carl Larson, was an American comic book and newspaper comic strip artist best known for his 1940s work on various Captain Marvel titles and the crime fiction series Crime Does Not Pay, for and his 1960s work illustrating...
.
The first sign that the Legion's popularity would revive appeared when young artist Dave Cockrum
Dave Cockrum
David Emmett Cockrum was an American comic book artist known for his co-creation of the new X-Men characters Nightcrawler, Storm, and Colossus...
, (who would go on to fame as the artist and co-creator of Marvel's "all-new, all-different" X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
), began drawing the series, beginning with Superboy #188 (July 1972). Cockrum was a prolific designer of eye-catching superhero costumes, and began revising the outfits of many Legionnaires. Many of these new outfits endured for much of the next fifteen years.
One of the most notable stories during this time was Superboy #195 (June 1973), in which a hero whose body was made of energy, who originally called himself ERG-1, applied for membership in the Legion, and quickly thereafter appeared to give his "life" on a mission. The hero would return, however, and his character was renamed Wildfire
Wildfire (comics)
Wildfire is a fictional character, a DC Comics superhero in that universe's 30th and 31st centuries. Created by Cary Bates and Dave Cockrum, the character debuted in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #195 .-Publication history:...
. He later became one of the more popular Legionnaires.
Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes
Bouncing Boy
-Fictional character biography:Bouncing Boy is a fictional character in the DC Comics Universe, a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century. He is Chuck Taine of Earth, and he has the power to inflate like a ball and bounce. He received his powers when he accidentally drank a super...
and Duo Damsel (formerly Triplicate Girl). Cockrum was replaced on art by Mike Grell
Mike Grell
Mike Grell is a comic book writer and artist, known for his work on books such as Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Jon Sable Freelance.-Early life:...
as of issue #203 (August 1974) which featured the death of Invisible Kid. Several of the Legionnaires' costumes were changed and updated during this period, with some of the heroes' outfits, including those worn by Saturn Girl
Saturn Girl
Saturn Girl is a fictional character appearing in DC comic books. A talented telepath from the 30th century, Imra first appeared in Adventure Comics #247 as a founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
, Shadow Lass
Shadow Lass
Shadow Lass is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Adventure Comics vol. 1 #365 , and was created by Jim Shooter and Curt Swan.-Fictional character biography:...
, and Cosmic Boy
Cosmic Boy
Cosmic Boy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #247 . He is a founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, and was the original leader in all incarnations of the Legion...
, becoming especially skimpy. Shooter returned during this period and wrote his swan song on the title with a tale involving the Time Trapper
Time Trapper
The Time Trapper is a fictional character, a supervillain in stories published by DC Comics. The Time Trapper's main enemies are the Legion of Super-Heroes...
and new villain Pulsar Stargrave
Pulsar Stargrave
Pulsar Stargrave is a fictional supervillain featured in DC Comics as a foe of the Legion of Super-Heroes.-Pre-Crisis origin and character biography:A native of the planet Colu, Stargrave originally claimed to be the father of Brainiac 5...
.
With #231 (September 1977), the book's title officially changed to Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, and the book became a "giant-size" title. At this point, the book was written by longtime fan Paul Levitz
Paul Levitz
Paul Levitz is an American comic book writer, editor and executive. The president of DC Comics from 2002–2009, he has worked for the company for over 35 years in a wide variety of roles...
and drawn by James Sherman (inked by a variety of artists, notably Jack Abel
Jack Abel
Jack Abel a.k.a. Gary Michaels was an American comic book artist best known as an inker for leading publishers DC Comics and Marvel Comics. He was DC's primary inker on the Superman titles in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and inked penciler Herb Trimpe's introduction of the popular superhero...
and Bob McLeod). In #241–245 (July–December 1978) Levitz and Sherman (and then Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Joe Staton is an American illustrator and writer of comic books.-Career:Staton started his work with Charlton Comics in 1971 and gained notability as the artist of the super-hero book E-Man...
) produced what was to that time the most ambitious Legion storyline: Earthwar, a galactic war between the United Planets and the Khunds, with several other villains lurking in the background.
Issue #239 (May 1978) featured a well-received story titled "Murder Most Foul", in which Ultra Boy is framed for murder. Written by Paul Levitz and illustrated by Jim Starlin
Jim Starlin
James P. "Jim" Starlin is an American comic book writer and artist. With a career dating back to the early 1970s, he is best known for "cosmic" tales and space opera; for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock; and for creating or co-creating the Marvel characters...
, the mystery was resolved in S/LSH #250–251 (April–May 1979). However, Starlin was so unhappy with the editing, particularly the decision to divide the story into two parts, that he removed his name from the project, and the artist was credited as "Steve Apollo".
During this period, Karate Kid was spun off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
into his own 20th Century-based self-titled series, which lasted 15 issues.
Levitz left the book, to be replaced by Gerry Conway
Gerry Conway
Gerard F. "Gerry" Conway is an American writer of comic books and television shows. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics vigilante The Punisher and scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man...
.
Their own title
Superboy departed from the Legion due to a plot of a villain, and the book was renamed simply Legion of Super-Heroes with issue #259 (January 1980). These issues are referred to by fandomFandom
Fandom is a term used to refer to a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of sympathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest...
and collectors as "v2", or volume two. (There was a four-issue Legion of Super-Heroes series in 1972 and 1973, officially volume 1, or "v1," which consisted solely of reprints. Volume numbers are conventional in the magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
industry in order to distinguish identically titled successor magazines with different enumeration
Enumeration
In mathematics and theoretical computer science, the broadest and most abstract definition of an enumeration of a set is an exact listing of all of its elements . The restrictions imposed on the type of list used depend on the branch of mathematics and the context in which one is working...
s).
Jimmy Janes took over the art chores in a lengthy tale by Conway, and then Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
, involving Ultra Boy's disappearance during a mission, and his long odyssey to rejoin the team. This story told the tale of the Legionnaire Reflecto
Reflecto
Reflecto is a fictional superhero from DC Comics who first appeared as a statue of a dead Legion of Super-Heroes member in Adventure Comics #354 in the "Adult Legion" story, which purported to depict the Legion farther in the future than the regular Legion series...
(only glimpsed during the "Adult Legion" stories in Adventure Comics), featured villainy by the Time Trapper and Grimbor the Chainsman
Grimbor the Chainsman
Grimbor the Chainsman is a DC Comics supervillain featured in the pages of Legion of Super-Heroes. Grimbor first appeared in Superboy #221 .-Pre-Crisis:Grimbor is a master craftsman able to create confining devices that didn't fail...
, and saw Superboy rejoin the team.
Paul Levitz
Following the Time TrapperTime Trapper
The Time Trapper is a fictional character, a supervillain in stories published by DC Comics. The Time Trapper's main enemies are the Legion of Super-Heroes...
story, Paul Levitz returned to write the book with #284. Pat Broderick
Pat Broderick
Pat Broderick is an American comic book artist known for his work on the Micronauts. Broderick also pencilled the four-part Batman: Year Three storyline, written by Marv Wolfman, which detailed the first meeting of Batman and Tim Drake.-Early career :Fresh from high school in Tampa, Florida,...
and Bruce Patterson
Bruce Patterson
Bruce Patterson was a Scottish cricketer. He took his first two wickets in a competition in June 2004 against Holland. He participated in three One-day internationals in May 1999 and played List A cricket from 1988 to 2002...
illustrated the book for a short time before Keith Giffen
Keith Giffen
Keith Ian Giffen is an American comic book illustrator and writer.-Biography:Giffen was born in Queens, New York City....
began on pencils, with Patterson, and then Larry Mahlstedt, on inks. Their clean style and flair for drawing high-tech gadgetry made "Gifstedt" immediately popular, which was enhanced by the five-part "Great Darkness Saga," which ran from #290–294 (August–December 1982), featuring a full assault on the United Planets and a surprise supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
behind it all.
Another introduction during this time was the "Interlac
Interlac
In the DC Comics fictional universe, Interlac is the designated communication language of the 30th century United Planets.In its basic form it is a simple one-to-one substitution cipher. The Interlac alphabet corresponds perfectly to the twenty-six letters of the Latin alphabet and the numbering...
alphabet", a one-to-one substitution cipher
Substitution cipher
In cryptography, a substitution cipher is a method of encryption by which units of plaintext are replaced with ciphertext according to a regular system; the "units" may be single letters , pairs of letters, triplets of letters, mixtures of the above, and so forth...
for the standard English alphabet. Various background signage and displays used the alphabet to carry in-jokes and other visual easter eggs
Easter egg (media)
Image:Carl Oswald Rostosky - Zwei Kaninchen und ein Igel 1861.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Example of Easter egg hidden within imagerect 467 383 539 434 desc none...
for astute readers.
The Legion celebrated issue #300 (June 1983) by revisiting the "Adult Legion" storyline through a series of parallel world
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
short stories illustrated by a number of popular Legion artists from previous years. The story served to free up Legion continuity from following the "Adult Legion" edict of previous issues.
Giffen's style changed abruptly a few issues later, to a darker and sketchier style inspired by Argentinian
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
artist José Antonio Muñoz
José Antonio Muñoz
José Antonio Muñoz or simply Muñoz is an Argentine artist. He is most notable for his influential black-and-white artwork...
. This occurred shortly before DC launched a new Legion series, along with new New Teen Titans and Outsiders
Outsiders (comics)
The Outsiders are a fictional DC Comics superhero team. As its name suggests, the team consists of superheroes who allegedly do not fit the norms of the mainstream superhero community, namely the Justice League....
series, on higher-quality Baxter paper. The existing Legion series, renamed Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes with issue #314, continued running new material for a year, then began reprinting stories from the new Legion of Super-Heroes volume 3 (often referred to as "v3" by fans) with issue #326. Tales continued publishing reprints until its final issue, #354 (December 1987).
The new series was launched in August 1984 with a five-part story featuring the Legion of Super-Villains
Legion of Super-Villains
The Legion of Super-Villains is a team of fictional supervillains that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. They are adversaries of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the future...
. Giffen left in the middle of the story and was replaced by Steve Lightle
Steve Lightle
Steve Lightle is an American comic book artist, working primarily as a penciller.-Biography:Lightle was interested in comic book art at a young age....
, who stayed on the book for a year. During this time, he designed costumes for several Legionnaires, and for longtime member of the Legion of Substitute Heroes, Polar Boy
Polar Boy
Polar Boy is a fictional character, a superhero from the 30th century of the DC Universe, initially suggested by reader Buddy Lavigne of Northbrook, Illinois in the letters page of Adventure Comics #304, January, 1963.-Fictional character biography:...
.
Greg LaRocque
Greg LaRocque
Greg LaRocque is an American comic book illustrator.Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, LaRocque worked as an assistant teacher at the Professional Institute of Art while still a teenager. He started his art career in the advertising field...
began a lengthy run in #16 (November 1985), including a crossover with John Byrne's recently-rebooted
The Man of Steel (comic book)
The Man of Steel is a six-issue comic book limited series released in 1986 by DC Comics, several months after the twelve-issue limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths completed. The Man of Steel was written and penciled by John Byrne and inked by Dick Giordano.-Overview:The mini-series was...
Superman titles
Superman (vol. 2)
Superman was an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics superhero of the same name. The second volume of the previous ongoing Superman title, the series was published from cover dates January 1987 to April 2006, and ran for 228 issues...
in #37 and #38. The crossover was the first of several attempts by DC editors to explain the origins and fate of Superboy and his history with the Legion, in light of the revisions to the DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
caused by Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
that removed Superman's career as Superboy from his personal history. In the crossover, the Legion's Superboy was revealed to have come from a parallel "Pocket Universe" created by the Time Trapper
Time Trapper
The Time Trapper is a fictional character, a supervillain in stories published by DC Comics. The Time Trapper's main enemies are the Legion of Super-Heroes...
. The crossover ended with Superboy's death. The story also demonstrated the continuity paradoxes that resulted from such attempts as a statue for Supergirl in the Legion's memorial for deceased members, shown in #38 during Superboy's funeral, vanished by #51, as per DC editorial's edict that Superman was to be the only survivor of Krypton
Krypton (comics)
Krypton is a fictional planet in the DC Comics universe, and the native world of the super-heroes Superman and, in some tellings, Supergirl and Krypto the Superdog. Krypton has been portrayed consistently as having been destroyed just after Superman's flight from the planet, with exact details of...
. Because of the edict, the pre-Crisis Supergirl never existed at all in the post-Crisis timeline.
Levitz' run ended with the return of Giffen and a four-part story, concluding in #63 (August 1989), focusing on the decline of science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and the rise of magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
, and the consequent wreaking of havoc upon the United Planets. Although the forces of good prevailed, both the UP and the Legion were left in shambles, with the pieces to be picked up in the next series.
"Five Years Later"
Dominators
The Dominators, collectively known as the Dominion, are a fictional alien race from the outer cosmos of the DC Universe. They are highly technologically advanced, and live in a rigid hierarchical society, in which one's caste is determined by the size of a red circle on one's forehead...
.
Shortly after this storyline began, the decision was made to retroactively remove Superboy almost completely from Legion involvement, leaving a question of where the Legion's inspiration came from without the influence of Superboy. (Regarding Superboy, Giffen and the Bierbaums said that they had many story ideas revolving around him, but that Superboy's removal from Legion continuity precipitated from higher-ups in the DC editorial ranks.) The writers' solution was a massive retcon, in which Mon-El serves in the role of paragon, having acted as a 20th Century hero named Valor. Also added were the characters Laurel Gand — a parallel for Supergirl — and Kent Shakespeare (a.k.a. Impulse) in order to further fill the void. Issue #5 featured an alternate universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
story in which this restructuring was effected, and the Time Trapper was replaced in continuity by his onetime underling Glorith
Glorith
Glorith of Baaldur is a fictional villainess appearing in stories published by DC Comics. Her primary foe is the 30th century team known as the Legion of Super-Heroes, and she was a major presence in Legion of Super-Heroes...
.
Giffen skipped plotting on several issues for reasons that weren't made clear. This resulted in the Bierbaums writing several fill-in stories, which caused the cohesiveness of the book to suffer. This period also included several retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
s. One was that Lightning Lad's body had been housing the consciousness of Proty, Chameleon Boy's Protean "pet," ever since his resurrection years before, and another was that former Science Police liaison Shvaughn Erin was actually a formerly male transsexual who continually used a drug to maintain her female identity, while her longtime beau Element Lad
Element Lad
Element Lad is a fictional character in the 30th and 31st centuries of the , a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. A native of the planet Trom, he has the power to transmute chemical elements.-Pre-Zero Hour:...
was of ambiguous sexuality, and would not have required her to be female (see Element Lad and Homosexuality).
One major storyline during this period was the discovery of Batch SW6, a group of clone
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
s of the early Legion, circa their Adventure Comics days. Keith Giffen's original conclusion for the storyline, revealed in interviews, was that the clones would have eventually been revealed to be the real Legion, and the ones whose adventures had been chronicled since the 1950s, were actually the clones; the older characters would then leave United Planets space to head up their own title as a new version of the Omega Men
Omega Men
The Omega Men are a fictional team of extraterrestrial superheroes who have appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Green Lantern #141 , and were created by Marv Wolfman and Joe Staton....
. Giffen's other conclusion was to have the two Legions fight in a "battle royal", during which several characters from both teams would die. The characters destined to die would have been randomly selected from a hat, and the surviving characters would form a new, fused Legion team. In the end, neither conclusion to the SW6 storyline was used. Instead, there were now two Legions, and a parallel title, Legionnaires, was launched, starring the "SW6" Legion, whose origins were not resolved until the Zero Hour crossover by a different writing team. The series was lighter in tone than the main Legion book, and was written by the Bierbaums and drawn by Chris Sprouse
Chris Sprouse
Chris Sprouse is an American comic book artist.-Biography:Chris Sprouse was born in Charlottesville, Virginia. At the age of 3 he moved with his family to New Delhi, India where he first discovered comics as he was unable to play outside due to the dangerous amount of snakes in the house yard...
Giffen left the book after a storyline which involved the destruction of Earth, and the Bierbaums continued writing chores, overseeing the return of several classic characters. When the Bierbaums left, writer Tom McCraw took over and made a number of changes, such as forcing several Legion members underground, which required them to take on new identities and costumes, and bringing back long-absent Legionnaire Wildfire.
Zero Hour
In 1994, DC editors decided that after 36 years, the team's continuity would be entirely rebootedReboot (continuity)
The verb reboot, in media dealing with serial fiction, means to discard much or even all previous continuity in the series and start anew with fresh ideas...
. As part of the Zero Hour
Zero Hour (comics)
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time is a five-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1994. In it, the former hero Hal Jordan, who had until then been a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, mad with grief after the destruction of...
company-wide crossover, the Legion's original continuity came to an end with Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 4) #61 (September 1994). It is revealed at the end of the Final Crisis Legion of 3 Worlds mini-series that the original team inhabits an alternate universe parallel to the one currently featured in mainstream DC continuity.
Post-Infinite Crisis
The Lightning Saga
"The Lightning Saga" is a comic book crossover story arc that took place in DC Comics' two flagship team books: Justice League of America and Justice Society of America. It was written by Brad Meltzer and Geoff Johns, and illustrated by Ed Benes, Dale Eaglesham, and Shane Davis...
" crossover in Justice League of America
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
(vol. 2) #8–10 and Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
(vol. 3) #5–6 reintroduces the original Legion. However, Superman has statues of this version of the Legion in the Fortress of Solitude
Fortress of Solitude
The Fortress of Solitude is the occasional headquarters of Superman in DC Comics. Its predecessor, Superman's "Secret Citadel", first appeared in Superman #17, where it was said to be built into a mountain on the outskirts of Metropolis...
, though he has not seen them since the end of the Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
, and later recalls Lightning Lad's death and resurrection. The crossover ends with the return of Wally West
Wally West
The Flash is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first Kid Flash and the third Flash....
, his wife
Linda Park (comics)
Linda Park is a fictional character in the DC Universe. She first appeared in Flash #28. Linda is Korean-American...
and their twin children to Earth. The Legionnaires—with the exception of Starman, Karate Kid
Karate Kid (comics)
Karate Kid is a fictional character, a superhero in the future of the DC Comics universe, and a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. He is a master of every form of martial arts to have been developed by the 31st century...
, and Una (one of Triplicate Girl's three selves)—return to their future.
This version of the Legion next appeared in the "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes
Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes
"Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes" is a comic book story arc from DC Comics by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank, featuring the Superman character and the return of the pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths Legion of Super-Heroes...
" storyline in Action Comics
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
#858–863. In the year 3008, the Earth's sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
has turned red and several failed Legion applicants who were born on Earth (Radiation Roy, Tusker, Spider Girl
Spider Girl
Spider Girl is a fictional character in DC Comics.The character was first mentioned as a concept in the letters page of Adventure Comics when a fan suggested a character with the power of super-strong prehensile hair....
, Golden Boy, Storm Boy, and Eyeful Ethel) have banded together to form the Justice League of Earth under the leadership of Earth-Man
Kirt Niedrigh
Kirt Niedrigh is a fictional character, a semi-reformed supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Created by Cary Bates and Mike Grell, Niedrigh is a former hopeful for the Legion of Super-Heroes under the guise of Absorbancy Boy...
(formerly known as Absorbancy Boy) after the latter claims that Superman was a human who gained his powers from "Mother Earth". Earth-Man uses the claim to have Earth secede from the United Planets and ban all aliens from Earth, resulting in several Legionnaires going underground. With the help of Superman, the Legion eventually restores the Sun to its normal state and defeats Earth-Man and the Justice League of Earth just as the United Planets is about to attack the Earth.
The Legion next appeared in the 2008–2009 Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds limited series, written by Geoff Johns and drawn by George Pérez
George Pérez
George Pérez is a Puerto Rican-American writer and illustrator of comic books, known for his work on various titles, including Avengers, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman.-Biography:...
. The mini-series featured the original Legion and Superman teaming up with the "Reboot" and "Threeboot" incarnations of the Legion to fight the Time Trapper
Time Trapper
The Time Trapper is a fictional character, a supervillain in stories published by DC Comics. The Time Trapper's main enemies are the Legion of Super-Heroes...
and a new incarnation of the Legion of Super-Villains
Legion of Super-Villains
The Legion of Super-Villains is a team of fictional supervillains that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. They are adversaries of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the future...
(led by Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime, also known as Superman-Prime, or simply Prime, is a DC Comics superhero turned supervillain, and one of several alternate Supermen. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #87 , and was created by Elliot S...
).
, this version of the Legion is featured in the Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 and then revamped from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman...
ongoing series, currently in its second volume. This Legion also appeared in the 2010 "Brainiac and the Legion of Super-Heroes" storyline. A new Legion of Super-Heroes ongoing series was launched in 2010, written by Paul Levitz
Paul Levitz
Paul Levitz is an American comic book writer, editor and executive. The president of DC Comics from 2002–2009, he has worked for the company for over 35 years in a wide variety of roles...
and drawn by Yildiray Cinar
Yildiray Çinar
Yıldıray Çınar is a comic book artist known for his work on the American comic book Noble Causes.-Early life:Çınar was born in Turkey. In 1994 he graduated from Anadolu Fine Arts High School in Ankara, where he studied fine arts and graphics...
, featuring the post-Infinite Crisis version of the team.
Differences
Several revelations—Wildfire's containment suit being built out of the Red Tornado'sRed Tornado
Red Tornado is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Justice League of America #64 , and was created by Gardner Fox and Dick Dillin.-Publication history:...
robotic shell, Dream Girl's abilities being derived from the Dreaming
The Dreaming (comics)
The Dreaming is a fictional place, a comic book location published by DC Comics. The Dreaming first appeared in the Sandman vol. 2 #1, , and was created by Neil Gaiman and Sam Kieth. The Dreaming is the domain of Dream of the Endless....
, Karate Kid's death and resurrection, and the Legion fighting against separatism and xenophobia
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
as well as crime—are not consistent with the Legion of Super-Heroes' history.
Geoff Johns has stated that this incarnation of the Legion shares the same history as the original Legion up to the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, with Clark Kent having joined the team as a teenager (under the name Superboy
Superboy (Kal-El)
The original Superboy is a fictional superhero who appears in DC Comics. The name of Superman as a boy, Superboy has adventures that occur in the relative past to those of Superman and take place predominantly in his hometown of Smallville...
) prior to the start of his career as Superman. It is revealed at the end of the Final Crisis Legion of 3 Worlds mini-series that the post-Infinite Crisis team inhabits New Earth, the principal Earth in current DC continuity.
See also
- Legion of Super-HeroesLegion of Super-HeroesThe Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
- Legion of Super-Heroes (1994 team)Legion of Super-Heroes (1994 team)The 1994 version of the Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 31st century of the DC Universe. The team is the second major incarnation of the Legion of Super-Heroes after the 1958 version and followed by the 2004 version. It first appears in Legion of Super-Heroes The 1994...
- Legion of Super-Heroes (2004 team)Legion of Super-Heroes (2004 team)The 2004 version of the Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 31st century of the . The team is the third major incarnation of the Legion of Super-Heroes after the 1958 and 1994 versions...
- List of Legion of Super-Heroes members
- List of Legion of Super-Heroes publications