The Greatest Hero of Them All
Encyclopedia
"The Greatest Hero of Them All" is a story arc that was published by DC Comics
, and presented in Superman vol. 2, #8, Action Comics
#591, and Legion of Super-Heroes
vol. 3, #37–38 from August through September 1987. It was written by Paul Levitz
and John Byrne, and pencilled by Byrne, Greg LaRocque
and Mike DeCarlo
. The story arc was DC’s first attempt to correct the inconsistencies in Legion history created when the original Superboy
was removed from mainstream DC continuity in the Man of Steel limited series.
In the aftermath of the Zero Hour and Infinite Crisis
miniseries, this story is no longer canonical.
and his girlfriend Night Girl
(of the Legion of Substitute Heroes
) have returned from a journey to 20th century Earth, where they were attacked by the Time Trapper
and found history altered such that Superman
never had a teenage career as Superboy
. Brainiac 5
, Ultra Boy
, Sun Boy
, Cosmic Boy, Night Girl, Blok
, Invisible Kid (Jacques Foccart)
and Mon-El take a Time Bubble in an effort to breach the Trapper’s "Iron Curtain" and reach his Citadel at the End of Time. However, the Trapper redirects them to 20th century Smallville, Kansas, the home of Superboy. Several of the Legionnaires try to blend into town wearing 20th century clothing when they are recognized by Pete Ross
, Superboy’s best friend and an honorary Legionnaire. After Pete makes a passing reference to Superboy saving Smallville from "red skies" and an energy wall, the Legionnaires arrive at the Kent General Store, where Mon-El and Ultra Boy are reunited with Jonathan and Martha Kent. Later that evening, Superboy (as Clark Kent
) arrives at the Kent farm. He surprises the Legionnaires by using the Phantom Zone
Projector to freeze them in time-stasis. Realizing that something is amiss, Pete locates the remaining Legionnaires, who enter the Time Bubble and escape into the time stream, just as Superboy arrives to attack them.
Just over a decade later, Brainiac 5, Sun Boy, Blok and Invisible Kid arrive in Smallville, almost immediately attracting the attention of Superman. The Legionnaires attack him, occasionally calling him Superboy. However, Superman does not recognize them, and knows of no one named Superboy except Superboy-Prime
, who has not been seen since the Crisis
. When Superman has no recollection of meeting and being inducted in the Legion, it becomes apparent that he is a separate individual from the Boy of Steel. Suddenly, Superboy arrives, places the Legionnaires in time-stasis and returns to his own time. Superman follows, barely able to keep up with the faster Superboy. From his Citadel, the Time Trapper observes the transpiring events. He also recalls how he created a "pocket universe
", with its own Earth, its own Krypton
and its own Kal-El. In this pocket universe, Kal-El became Superboy at the age of eight, and it is to this universe that the Trapper has directed the Legion whenever they have travelled through time.
In the pocket universe, Superman encounters Pete Ross and the Kents (who initially assume that he is their Superboy, aged due to exposure to red kryptonite), but is soon attacked by Superboy, the subsequent fight being relatively even as Superboy's greater raw power is countered by Superman's superior experience. Jonathan Kent attempts to stop Superman using multiple varieties of kryptonite
, but they are ineffective because Superman hails from a parallel universe. However, Superman soon deduces that Superboy has been continually holding back, giving Superman opportunities to win their battle. Superboy and the Legion depart to rescue the other Legionnaires and face the Time Trapper. They leave Superman behind, fearful of the consequences to history if he is killed or otherwise unable to return.
Superboy explains to the Legionnaires that the Time Trapper protected Earth in his era from destruction during the Crisis, and promised to keep it safe in return for Superboy's cooperation in defeating the Legion. When they find the Trapper, they engage him in battle, inadvertently smashing the machine that protected the pocket universe Earth from the effects of the Crisis. With the red skies and antimatter returning (and with Brainiac 5 unable to repair the machinery), Superboy replaces the damaged unit with his own body. The gambit works and the Earth is saved, but the Boy of Steel is gravely weakened. With the Trapper having now made time travel perilously unsafe, Superboy flies the Legionnaires back to the 30th century, carrying the Time Bubble himself. Shortly after their arrival, Superboy dies in Mon-El's arms. The entire Legion mourns his passing, remembering him as "the greatest hero of them all."
of that world is tricked into releasing Krypton
ian criminals General Zod, Quex-Ul and Zaora from the Phantom Zone
. They proceed to lay waste to the planet, eventually killing its entire population. Having been summoned from the regular universe by Luthor and Supergirl, Superman executes the genocidal
killers using green kryptonite, and brings Supergirl (a protoplasm
ic duplicate of Lana Lang
) with him back to his own Earth.
(one of the three founders who invited Superboy to join), Brainiac 5 (who now realizes that all of his theories about time travel are incorrect), Mon-El (who regards Superboy as a brother), and Duo Damsel (who considers Superboy to be her first love, having once had an unrequited crush on him). The four secretly enter into a conspiracy to attack and destroy the Time Trapper at the End of Time. With the assistance of Rond Vidar
(who reveals himself to be the Green Lantern
of Sector 2814), they barely succeed. However, another one of Duo Damsel's three bodies is killed, leaving her with only one.
limited series, it released John Byrne's 1986 limited series The Man of Steel. Under the new chronology, Clark Kent did not begin his career as a costumed superhero until adulthood. This created major inconsistencies in Legion history, for not only did Superboy join the team as a teenager, but he serves as the primary inspiration for the founding of the Legion itself. In order to resolve this discrepancy and preserve as much of Legion history as possible, the "Greatest Hero of Them All" story arc was crafted, establishing that Superboy was a different being from a different universe, and that the Legion had not previously journeyed to the mainstream universe seen in post-Crisis continuity.
, Tom and Mary Bierbaum
and Al Gordon
revised the team's history, such that the Time Trapper was replaced in continuity by his former underling Glorith
. In this new timeline, Lar Gand became an intergalactic legend in the 20th century, adopting the codename Valor instead of Mon-El. Glorith would later banish Valor to a 1000-year imprisonment in the Phantom Zone (renamed the Bgztl Buffer Zone). As a consequence of these changes, the "Greatest Hero of Them All" story arc was rendered non-canonical.
In 1994, DC released the Zero Hour: Crisis in Time limited series, as a means of resolving several paradoxes in the DC timeline. Subsequently, Legion continuity was completely rebooted, and the Post-Zero Hour
team that was introduced thereafter had no connection of Superman or Superboy, with Valor once again serving as the team's inspiration. Another reboot in 2004 would introduce a third version of the Legion
, one inspired by the costumed heroes of the 21st century, but not Superman in particular.
. Among the resulting changes is the restoration of much the Legion's pre-Crisis history
. Once again, Superman is the legendary hero who serves as the inspiration for the Legion. As in the original Legion story, the three founding members journeyed to the past to invite the teenage Clark Kent to join the team. However, he only uses the name Superboy in the 31st century as a Legion member, and his 21st century career as a superhero does not begin until he reaches adulthood.
collection Superman: The Man of Steel, Vol. 4 (ISBN 1401204554).
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, and presented in Superman vol. 2, #8, 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...
#591, and 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....
vol. 3, #37–38 from August through September 1987. It was 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 John Byrne, and pencilled by Byrne, 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...
and Mike DeCarlo
Mike DeCarlo
Mike DeCarlo is an American comic book artist.He has worked on such diverse titles as Batman, Cartoon Network Block Party, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Fantastic Four, Simpsons Comics, and adaptations of the Warner Brothers stable of cartoons .-External links:...
. The story arc was DC’s first attempt to correct the inconsistencies in Legion history created when the original 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...
was removed from mainstream DC continuity in the Man of Steel limited series.
In the aftermath of the Zero Hour and Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
miniseries, this story is no longer canonical.
Plot
In the 30th century, Cosmic BoyCosmic 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...
and his girlfriend Night Girl
Night Girl
Night Girl is a fictional character in the 30th century of the DC Universe. She is a member of the Legion of Substitute Heroes, and of the most recent incarnation of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
(of 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...
) have returned from a journey to 20th century Earth, where they were attacked 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...
and found history altered such that 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...
never had a teenage career as 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...
. 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, Cosmic Boy, Night Girl, Blok
Blok (comics)
Blok is a fictional character, a superhero in the 30th century of the DC Comics universe. He has a massive, stony body possessed of incredible strength and endurance.-Fictional character biography:...
, Invisible Kid (Jacques Foccart)
Invisible Kid (Jacques Foccart)
Jacques Foccart is a comic book character, a superhero in the DC Comics universe and the second to assume the name Invisible Kid. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries...
and Mon-El take a Time Bubble in an effort to breach the Trapper’s "Iron Curtain" and reach his Citadel at the End of Time. However, the Trapper redirects them to 20th century Smallville, Kansas, the home of Superboy. Several of the Legionnaires try to blend into town wearing 20th century clothing when they are recognized by 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:...
, Superboy’s best friend and an honorary Legionnaire. After Pete makes a passing reference to Superboy saving Smallville from "red skies" and an energy wall, the Legionnaires arrive at the Kent General Store, where Mon-El and Ultra Boy are reunited with Jonathan and Martha Kent. Later that evening, Superboy (as Clark Kent
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
) arrives at the Kent farm. He surprises the Legionnaires by using the Phantom Zone
Phantom Zone
The Phantom Zone is a fictional prison dimension featured in the Superman comic books and related media published by DC Comics. It first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 , and was created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp...
Projector to freeze them in time-stasis. Realizing that something is amiss, Pete locates the remaining Legionnaires, who enter the Time Bubble and escape into the time stream, just as Superboy arrives to attack them.
Just over a decade later, Brainiac 5, Sun Boy, Blok and Invisible Kid arrive in Smallville, almost immediately attracting the attention of Superman. The Legionnaires attack him, occasionally calling him Superboy. However, Superman does not recognize them, and knows of no one named Superboy except 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...
, who has not been seen since the Crisis
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...
. When Superman has no recollection of meeting and being inducted in the Legion, it becomes apparent that he is a separate individual from the Boy of Steel. Suddenly, Superboy arrives, places the Legionnaires in time-stasis and returns to his own time. Superman follows, barely able to keep up with the faster Superboy. From his Citadel, the Time Trapper observes the transpiring events. He also recalls how he created a "pocket universe
Pocket universe
-In science:A pocket universe is a concept in inflationary theory, proposed by Alan Guth. It defines a realm like the one that contains the observable universe as only one of many inflationary zones.-In fiction:...
", with its own Earth, its own 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...
and its own Kal-El. In this pocket universe, Kal-El became Superboy at the age of eight, and it is to this universe that the Trapper has directed the Legion whenever they have travelled through time.
In the pocket universe, Superman encounters Pete Ross and the Kents (who initially assume that he is their Superboy, aged due to exposure to red kryptonite), but is soon attacked by Superboy, the subsequent fight being relatively even as Superboy's greater raw power is countered by Superman's superior experience. Jonathan Kent attempts to stop Superman using multiple varieties of kryptonite
Kryptonite
Kryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
, but they are ineffective because Superman hails from a parallel universe. However, Superman soon deduces that Superboy has been continually holding back, giving Superman opportunities to win their battle. Superboy and the Legion depart to rescue the other Legionnaires and face the Time Trapper. They leave Superman behind, fearful of the consequences to history if he is killed or otherwise unable to return.
Superboy explains to the Legionnaires that the Time Trapper protected Earth in his era from destruction during the Crisis, and promised to keep it safe in return for Superboy's cooperation in defeating the Legion. When they find the Trapper, they engage him in battle, inadvertently smashing the machine that protected the pocket universe Earth from the effects of the Crisis. With the red skies and antimatter returning (and with Brainiac 5 unable to repair the machinery), Superboy replaces the damaged unit with his own body. The gambit works and the Earth is saved, but the Boy of Steel is gravely weakened. With the Trapper having now made time travel perilously unsafe, Superboy flies the Legionnaires back to the 30th century, carrying the Time Bubble himself. Shortly after their arrival, Superboy dies in Mon-El's arms. The entire Legion mourns his passing, remembering him as "the greatest hero of them all."
Superman
Following Superboy's disappearance from the pocket universe Earth, the Lex LuthorLex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
of that world is tricked into releasing 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...
ian criminals General Zod, Quex-Ul and Zaora from the Phantom Zone
Phantom Zone
The Phantom Zone is a fictional prison dimension featured in the Superman comic books and related media published by DC Comics. It first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 , and was created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp...
. They proceed to lay waste to the planet, eventually killing its entire population. Having been summoned from the regular universe by Luthor and Supergirl, Superman executes the genocidal
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
killers using green kryptonite, and brings Supergirl (a protoplasm
Protoplasm
Protoplasm is the living contents of a cell that is surrounded by a plasma membrane. It is a general term of the Cytoplasm . Protoplasm is composed of a mixture of small molecules such as ions, amino acids, monosaccharides and water, and macromolecules such as nucleic acids, proteins, lipids and...
ic duplicate of 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...
) with him back to his own Earth.
Legion of Super-Heroes
While the entire Legion mourns Superboy's death, four members are particularly outraged: Saturn GirlSaturn 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...
(one of the three founders who invited Superboy to join), Brainiac 5 (who now realizes that all of his theories about time travel are incorrect), Mon-El (who regards Superboy as a brother), and Duo Damsel (who considers Superboy to be her first love, having once had an unrequited crush on him). The four secretly enter into a conspiracy to attack and destroy the Time Trapper at the End of Time. With the assistance of 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:...
(who reveals himself to be the Green Lantern
Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
of Sector 2814), they barely succeed. However, another one of Duo Damsel's three bodies is killed, leaving her with only one.
The Man of Steel
When DC Comics decided to revamp the Superman mythos following the Crisis on Infinite EarthsCrisis 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...
limited series, it released John Byrne's 1986 limited series The Man of Steel. Under the new chronology, Clark Kent did not begin his career as a costumed superhero until adulthood. This created major inconsistencies in Legion history, for not only did Superboy join the team as a teenager, but he serves as the primary inspiration for the founding of the Legion itself. In order to resolve this discrepancy and preserve as much of Legion history as possible, the "Greatest Hero of Them All" story arc was crafted, establishing that Superboy was a different being from a different universe, and that the Legion had not previously journeyed to the mainstream universe seen in post-Crisis continuity.
Removal from the Superman family
Eventually, the DC editors determined that the connection between Superman and the Legion should be completely severed. Legion writers Keith GiffenKeith Giffen
Keith Ian Giffen is an American comic book illustrator and writer.-Biography:Giffen was born in Queens, New York City....
, Tom and Mary Bierbaum
Tom and Mary Bierbaum
Tom and Mary Bierbaum are an American husband-and-wife writing team, known for their work on the DC comic book Legion of Super-Heroes.-Biography:...
and Al Gordon
Al Gordon (comics)
Alan Gordon is a comic book creator primarily known as an inker and writer. He is best known for his 1990s work on DC Comics' Legion of Super Heroes and the Justice League Of America, Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four, and Image Comics' creator-owned WildStar.- Star Reach and Marvel :Gordon's career...
revised the team's history, such that the Time Trapper was replaced in continuity by his former 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...
. In this new timeline, Lar Gand became an intergalactic legend in the 20th century, adopting the codename Valor instead of Mon-El. Glorith would later banish Valor to a 1000-year imprisonment in the Phantom Zone (renamed the Bgztl Buffer Zone). As a consequence of these changes, the "Greatest Hero of Them All" story arc was rendered non-canonical.
In 1994, DC released the Zero Hour: Crisis in Time limited series, as a means of resolving several paradoxes in the DC timeline. Subsequently, Legion continuity was completely rebooted, and the Post-Zero Hour
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...
team that was introduced thereafter had no connection of Superman or Superboy, with Valor once again serving as the team's inspiration. Another reboot in 2004 would introduce a third version of the Legion
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...
, one inspired by the costumed heroes of the 21st century, but not Superman in particular.
Post-Infinite Crisis
A final major revamp to DC continuity occurs via the 2005–2006 limited series Infinite CrisisInfinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
. Among the resulting changes is the restoration of much the Legion's pre-Crisis history
Legion of Super-Heroes (1958 team)
The 1958 version of the Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional 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...
. Once again, Superman is the legendary hero who serves as the inspiration for the Legion. As in the original Legion story, the three founding members journeyed to the past to invite the teenage Clark Kent to join the team. However, he only uses the name Superboy in the 31st century as a Legion member, and his 21st century career as a superhero does not begin until he reaches adulthood.
Collected editions
This story is included as part of the trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
collection Superman: The Man of Steel, Vol. 4 (ISBN 1401204554).