League of Champions
Encyclopedia
The League of Champions is super hero team based in San Francisco and published by Heroic Publishing.
The group first appeared in a six issue mini-series published by Eclipse Comics in 1986 called simply "Champions", written by Dennis Mallonee with pencils by Carol Lay (in issue 1) and Chris Marrinan (issues 2 - 6). The line up consisted of the following:
Also appearing in the series was a wheelchair-using man who had been a hero under the name of Doctor Arcane, as well as his granddaughter, who becomes Lady Arcane. Another Champion, named Gargoyle, was referred to as being gone, but did not appear in the series. Also mentioned, but not shown, are the heroes Transpower, Dove, and Nightwind.
An ongoing Champions series was then published by Hero Comics (later Heroic Publishing), with the first issue dated September 1987. Hero also spun off the character Flare
into her own comic. Membership of the Champions (before it became the League of Champions) expanded in the seventh issue (Vol. 2, March 1988) with the addition of Flare's sister Sparkplug (see Sparkplug (comics)
) and Icestar's sister Icicle.
The team was also used as the example superhero team for the first three editions of the Champions
role-playing game, but creative differences caused a rift between Heroic Publishing and Hero Games
, leading to the role-playing game using a different team in later editions, and several of the characters in the League of Champions being retconned to change names and other details because they had originated with creators associated with Hero Games. ("Rose" became "Psyche"; "Marksman" became "Huntsman"; a mischievous character originally named "Foxbat" became "The Flying Fox".)
In 1992, The League of Champions teamed up with the Southern Knights
(originally published by Comics Interview) for a multi-part story called "The Morrigan
Wars".
The group first appeared in a six issue mini-series published by Eclipse Comics in 1986 called simply "Champions", written by Dennis Mallonee with pencils by Carol Lay (in issue 1) and Chris Marrinan (issues 2 - 6). The line up consisted of the following:
- FlareFlare (comics)Flare is a superhero whose adventures are published by Heroic Publishing. The character was originally created by Stacy Thain for a superhero role-playing game called Champions. She appeared in the six-issue run of the Champions comic published by Eclipse Comics, then in several of her own books...
, Terri Feran, with the abilities of strength and photonic energy. Created by Stacy Thain. - Icestar, John Grayson, with icing powers, created by Glenn Thain.
- Rose, Julie Rich, whose psychic abilities are also accompanied by the scent of the flower she's named for. Created by Tom Tumey.
- MarksmanHuntsman (Heroic Publishing)Huntsman is the adopted crime fighting identity of Donald Hunter, and is a member of the League of Champions. He was originally based on a character named Marksman created by Bruce Harlick for the role-playing game Champions....
, a former soldier with enhanced reflexes and various weapons produced through Henderson Electronics, the company he runs in his civilian identity of Donald Henderson. Created by Bruce Harlick. - Giant, who can increase his size and strength with a special harness he wears.
Also appearing in the series was a wheelchair-using man who had been a hero under the name of Doctor Arcane, as well as his granddaughter, who becomes Lady Arcane. Another Champion, named Gargoyle, was referred to as being gone, but did not appear in the series. Also mentioned, but not shown, are the heroes Transpower, Dove, and Nightwind.
An ongoing Champions series was then published by Hero Comics (later Heroic Publishing), with the first issue dated September 1987. Hero also spun off the character Flare
Flare (comics)
Flare is a superhero whose adventures are published by Heroic Publishing. The character was originally created by Stacy Thain for a superhero role-playing game called Champions. She appeared in the six-issue run of the Champions comic published by Eclipse Comics, then in several of her own books...
into her own comic. Membership of the Champions (before it became the League of Champions) expanded in the seventh issue (Vol. 2, March 1988) with the addition of Flare's sister Sparkplug (see Sparkplug (comics)
Sparkplug (comics)
Sparkplug is a female character published by Heroic Publications, based in part on the character "Poinettia" originally created by Stacy Thain for a superhero role-playing game called Champions. She is the sister of the heroine Flare, and her powers are electrical as opposed to Flare's light-based...
) and Icestar's sister Icicle.
The team was also used as the example superhero team for the first three editions of the Champions
Champions (role-playing game)
Champions is a role-playing game published by Hero Games that is designed to simulate and function in a four-color superhero comic book world. It was created by George MacDonald, Steve Peterson, Bruce Harlick, and Ray Greer....
role-playing game, but creative differences caused a rift between Heroic Publishing and Hero Games
Hero Games
Hero Games is the publisher of the Hero System, a generic roleplaying rules set that can be used to simulate many different genres, and was the co-developer of the Fuzion system.-History:...
, leading to the role-playing game using a different team in later editions, and several of the characters in the League of Champions being retconned to change names and other details because they had originated with creators associated with Hero Games. ("Rose" became "Psyche"; "Marksman" became "Huntsman"; a mischievous character originally named "Foxbat" became "The Flying Fox".)
In 1992, The League of Champions teamed up with the Southern Knights
Southern Knights
Southern Knights was a comic book created by Henry Vogel and published by Guild Comics, then published through its last issue by Comics Interview. It chronicled the adventures of a superhero team based in Atlanta, Georgia...
(originally published by Comics Interview) for a multi-part story called "The Morrigan
Morrígan
The Morrígan or Mórrígan , also written as Morrígu or in the plural as Morrígna, and spelt Morríghan or Mór-Ríoghain in Modern Irish, is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have once been a goddess, although she is not explicitly referred to as such in the texts.The Morrigan is a goddess...
Wars".