Laurel Kent
Encyclopedia
Laurel Kent is a fictional superhero
in the DC Comics
universe. She first appeared in Superboy (vol. 1) #217 (June 1976).
continuity, Laurel was a candidate for membership in the Legion of Super-Heroes
. As a distant descendant of Superman
, she had only the power of invulnerability.
For most of her history Laurel Kent was a member of the Legion Academy training program, located at Montauk Point, where she was taught by Bouncing Boy
with his wife Duo Damsel. It is here that she became friends with other Legion hopefuls, including Dawnstar
(her roommate for a length of time), Jedediah Rikane, Shadow Lass
' cousin Shadow Kid, and later Comet Queen
.
and self-destructed. As this took place in the Pocket Universe created by the Time Trapper
, it is uncertain if this future will come to pass.
instead of Superboy).
Dynasty in the 31st century, where she operates as Superwoman. Her associates include Brane Taylor and Kent Shakespeare
-- the Batman and Superman of that era -- and Tom Wayne, the Robin from the Robin 3000 series. It is also revealed that she is once again going by the name "Elna", perhaps to distance herself from the Manhunter who impersonated her.
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 —...
in the DC Comics
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...
universe. She first appeared in Superboy (vol. 1) #217 (June 1976).
Original time line
In the pre-CrisisCrisis 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...
continuity, Laurel was a candidate for membership in 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....
. As a distant descendant of 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...
, she had only the power of invulnerability.
For most of her history Laurel Kent was a member of the Legion Academy training program, located at Montauk Point, where she was taught by 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...
with his wife Duo Damsel. It is here that she became friends with other Legion hopefuls, including Dawnstar
Dawnstar
Dawnstar is a fictional superheroine in comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Levitz and Mike Grell.- Fictional character biography :...
(her roommate for a length of time), Jedediah Rikane, 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:...
' cousin Shadow Kid, and later Comet Queen
Comet Queen
Comet Queen is a fictional superhero in the DC Universe. She was an ally of the Legion of Super-Heroes prior to Zero Hour.-Pre-Zero Hour:...
.
Post-Crisis
In Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 3) #42-#43 (Jan-Feb 1988), Laurel's original background was revealed as a fake. Instead of being a descendant of Superman, she was actually a Manhunter android from the 20th century, who had survived for a thousand years. Her powers in this era were shown to also include flight and heat-vision. When her Manhunter programming was accidentally activated, she flew off to the Manhunter base in the HimalayasHimalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
and self-destructed. As this took place in the 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...
, it is uncertain if this future will come to pass.
Post Zero-Hour
After Zero Hour the Legion of Super-Heroes were rebooted and Laurel Kent was no longer an acquaintance of the group - and, in fact, it may well be that she no longer exists at all. A new character, Laurel Gand, was introduced partially to fill her role as a descendant of the 20th century inspiration of the Legion (in that new timeline, it was ValorLar 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...
instead of Superboy).
Post Infinite Crisis
In Superman/Batman # 80 (March 2011), Laurel is revealed to be a member of the SupermanSuperman
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...
Dynasty in the 31st century, where she operates as Superwoman. Her associates include Brane Taylor and Kent Shakespeare
Kent Shakespeare
Richard Kent Shakespeare, occasionally codenamed Impulse, is a fictional character in the DC Universe. He became a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century, during the "Five Years Later" era...
-- the Batman and Superman of that era -- and Tom Wayne, the Robin from the Robin 3000 series. It is also revealed that she is once again going by the name "Elna", perhaps to distance herself from the Manhunter who impersonated her.
External links
- Laurel Kent Chronology at the DCU Guide
- Laurel Kent at Supermanica