The
Legion of Super-Heroes is a
fictionFiction 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
superheroA 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 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in
Adventure ComicsAdventure 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 BinderOtto Oscar Binder was an American author of science fiction and non-fiction books and stories, and comic books...
and
Al PlastinoAl 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...
.
Initially, the team was closely associated with the original
SuperboyThe 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...
(
SupermanSuperman 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...
when he was a teenager), and was first portrayed as a group of
time travelTime 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...
ers who frequently visited him. In later years, the Legion's origin and back story were fleshed out, and the group replaced Superboy as the focus of their stories; eventually Superboy was removed altogether, except as an occasional guest star.
The team has undergone several major
rebootsThe 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...
during its publication. The
original versionThe 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...
was replaced with a
new rebooted versionThe 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...
following the events of
Zero HourZero 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...
and
another rebooted teamThe 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...
was introduced in 2004. A fourth version of the team, nearly identical to the original version, was introduced in 2007. As a result, Superman (both as an adult and a teenager) and the current version of Supergirl have been reincorporated into Legion history.
Original continuity (1958–1994)
SuperboyThe 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 ComicsAdventure 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 BoyLightning 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 GirlSaturn 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 BoyCosmic 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 travelTime 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 BooksThe 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 BoyChameleon 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 KidLyle 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 BoyThom Kallor is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, spanning many incarnations, all connected to the various incarnations of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
,
Brainiac 5Brainiac 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 BoySun 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-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 GirlPhantom 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 BoyUltra 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
SupergirlKara 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.
In
Adventure ComicsAdventure 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.
It was this run which established the Legion's general workings and environment. A club of
teenagersAdolescence 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 shipA 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. 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
SuperboySuperboy 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....
,
SupergirlSupergirl 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-ElLar 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 BoyUltra 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 HeroesThe 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 PlanetsIn 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 PoliceScience 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...
. The setting for each story was almost always 1000 years from the date of publication.
In
Adventure Comics #346 (July 1966),
Jim ShooterJames 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...
, 14-years-old at the time, wrote his first Legion story. Soon thereafter, Shooter became the regular writer of the Legion stories, with Curt Swan, and later
Win MortimerJames 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 wrote the story about
Ferro LadFerro 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...
'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 FiveThe 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 LassShadow 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 CircleThe 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...
,
MordruMordru 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.
The Legion's last appearance in
Adventure Comics was #380 (May 1969), when they were displaced by Supergirl. 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). Following that, the Legion began appearing occasionally as a backup in
Superboy, starting with #172 (March 1971), with writer and artists
E. Nelson BridwellEdward 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 BatesCary 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 TuskaGeorge 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...
.
Dave CockrumDavid Emmett Cockrum was an American comic book artist known for his co-creation of the new X-Men characters Nightcrawler, Storm, and Colossus...
began drawing the series with
Superboy #184 (April 1972), again increasing the team's popularity.
Superboy and their own title
The first comic book published under the title
Legion of Super-Heroes was a four-issue series published in 1973 that reprinted Legion tales from
Adventure Comics. In the same year, the Legion returned to cover billing on a book when
Superboy became
Superboy starring the Legion of Super-Heroes with #197 (August 1973). Crafted by Bates and Cockrum, the feature proved popular and saw such events as the wedding of
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. Cockrum was replaced on art by
Mike GrellMike 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. With #231 (September 1977), the book's title officially changed to
Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes and also became a "giant-size" title. At this point, the book was written by longtime fan
Paul LevitzPaul 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, although
Gerry ConwayGerard 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...
frequently wrote as well. In #241–245 (July–December 1978) Levitz and Sherman (and then
Joe StatonJoe 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 at that time the most ambitious Legion storyline: "
Earthwar"Earthwar" is a story arc that was published by DC Comics, and presented in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #241-245 . It was written by Paul Levitz, pencilled by James Sherman and Joe Staton and inked by Bob McLeod...
", a galactic war between the United Planets and the Khunds, with several other villains lurking in the background. During this period, Karate Kid was
spun offIn 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 full-time by
Gerry ConwayGerard 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...
.
Superboy departed from the Legion due to a plot of a villain, and the book was renamed simply
Legion of Super-Heroes starting with issue #259 (January 1980). Jimmy Janes took over the art in a lengthy tale by Conway (and later
Roy ThomasRoy 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
ReflectoReflecto 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 ChainsmanGrimbor 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 era
Paul Levitz returned to write the book with #284.
Pat BroderickPat 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 PattersonBruce 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 GiffenKeith 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. The creative team received enhanced popularity following "
The Great Darkness Saga"The Great Darkness Saga" is a five-issue Legion of Super-Heroes story arc written by Paul Levitz, with art by Keith Giffen and Larry Mahlstedt. Published by DC Comics in 1982, the arc first appears in Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 2, #290-294...
", which ran from #287; #290–294; and Annual #3, featuring a full assault on the United Planets by
DarkseidDarkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
.
The Legion celebrated issue #300 (June 1983) by revisiting the "Adult Legion" storyline through a series of
parallel worldA 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
ArgentinianArgentina , 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 MuñozJosé Antonio Muñoz or simply Muñoz is an Argentine artist. He is most notable for his influential black-and-white artwork...
. A new
Legion of Super-Heroes comic (the third publication under the title) was launched in August 1984. 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 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-VillainsThe 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 LightleSteve 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.
Greg LaRocqueGreg 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-rebootedThe 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 titlesSuperman 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 UniverseThe 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 EarthsCrisis 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 TrapperThe 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. Levitz's run ended with the return of Giffen and a four-part story, concluding in #63 (August 1989).
"Five Years Later"
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
DominatorsThe 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 completely from Legion history, leaving the question of where the Legion's inspiration came from without the influence of Superboy. The writers' solution was a massive retcon, in which Mon-El served in the role of paragon, with several more retcons to follow. Issue 5 featured an
alternate universeA 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 the restructuring took place, and the Time Trapper was replaced in continuity by his onetime underling
GlorithGlorith 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 which resulted in the Bierbaums writing several fill-in stories.
One major storyline during this period was the discovery of
Batch SW6, a group of time-paradox duplicates of the early Legion, circa their
Adventure Comics days. Keith Giffen's original intention for the storyline 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 adult Legion's secret programming would kick in, forcing them to fight the younger Legion and leading to a fight to the death with the victims names being picked at random out of a hat. Afterwards, the older team would explore the Vega System as a 30th century version of the
Omega MenThe 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....
while the younger team would act as the main Legion on Earth. Giffen's other ending was for several of the younger and older Legionnaires to die while liberating Earth from the Dominion. The older Legion would defend Earth while the younger Legion would act as the last line of denfense for the United Planets as the Omega Men. Instead, 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.
Legionnaires was lighter in tone than the main Legion book, and was written by the Bierbaums and drawn by
Chris SprouseChris 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, 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
WildfireWildfire 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:...
.
In 1994, DC editors decided that after 36 years, the team's continuity would be entirely
rebootedThe 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 HourZero 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).
Rebooted (1994–2004)
Following
Zero HourZero 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...
, a new Legion continuity was created, beginning with a retelling of the origin story starting in
Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 5) #0 and then continued in spin-off sister series
Legionnaires #0 (both released in October 1994). Lightning Lad was renamed Live Wire, and after the group's founding, a large number of heroes were added to the roster very quickly. Several members were given new code-names, and some new heroes were added, including
XSXS is a fictional character, a superheroine in the future of the DC Comics universe. A member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, she is the granddaughter of Barry Allen , and first cousin of Bart Allen .-Fictional character biography:Despite being the granddaughter of Barry Allen and the daughter of...
(the granddaughter of Barry Allen, the Flash),
KinetixKinetix, is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine in the DC Comics universe. The character is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century.-Fictional character biography:...
, and
GatesTi'julk Mr'asz, codename Gates, is a fictional character, a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the DC Universe. Like all natives of the planet Vyrga, Gates has a largely insectoid body...
.
While in some ways following the pattern of the original continuity, the new continuity diverged from the old one in several ways: some characters died as they had previously, others did not, and some Legion members spent time in the 20th century where they recruited Ferro. The Legion also started out having to earn the respect of the United Planets, which they did through two well-earned victories: successfully defending Earth from the White Triangle Daxamites, a group of Nazi-style racial purists; and exposing United Planets President Chu as the mastermind behind the Braal-Titan War, the Sun Eater hoax, the formation of the Fatal Five and the brainwashing of future Legionnaire Jan Arrah.
New writers
Dan AbnettDan Abnett is a British comic book writer and novelist. He is a frequent collaborator with fellow writer Andy Lanning, and is known for his work on books for both Marvel Comics, and their UK imprint, Marvel UK, since the 1990s, including 2000 AD...
and
Andy LanningAndy Lanning is a British comic book writer and inker, known for his work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, and for his collaboration with Dan Abnett.-Career:Lanning works primarily at Marvel Comics and DC Comics as an inker...
(nicknamed "DnA" by fans) came on board with penciller
Olivier CoipelOlivier Coipel is a French comic book artist, known for his work on books such as House of M, Legion of Super-Heroes andThor.-Career:...
to produce a dark story leading to the near-collapse of the United Planets and of the Legion itself. In the wake of the disaster, a group of Legionnaires disappeared through a spatial rift and the two existing Legion series came to an end. The
limited seriesA limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
Legion LostLegion Lost is a superhero team published by DC Comics.It was originally published as a 12-issue comic book limited series starring the Legion of Super-Heroes...
(2000–2001) chronicled the difficult journey of these Legionnaires to return home, while the ensuing limited series
Legion Worlds (2001) showed what was happening back in the United Planets during their absence.
A new series,
The Legion, was launched in which the Legion was reunited and given a new base and purpose. Written for its first 33 issues by DnA, the series was cancelled with issue 38. The most notable addition to the team during the title's publication was the post-"Crisis"
SuperboySuperboy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. A modern update of the original Superboy, who is a younger version of Superman, the character first appeared in Adventures of Superman #500 , and was created by writer Karl Kesel and artist Tom Grummett.Originally...
, a 21st century clone of Superman and
Lex LuthorLex 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...
who had previously been granted honorary membership.
"Threeboot" continuity (2004–2009)
Following a crossover with the Teen Titans in
Teen Titans #16 and the
Teen Titans/Legion Special, a new series was launched; written by
Mark WaidMark Waid is an American comic book writer. He is well known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America...
(who had previously rebooted the title following the events of
Zero HourZero 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...
) and penciled by
Barry KitsonBarry Kitson is a British comics artist best known as a penciler of major superhero comic books published by Marvel and DC.-Biography:Kitson's first professional work was Spider-Man for Marvel UK...
. This new series — the fifth series entitled
Legion of Super-Heroes — recreated the team from the ground up and uses the Boy/Lad/Girl/Lass/Kid names from which the end of the "Preboot" era and the prior reboot had moved away from using. The continuity is sometimes referred to as the "Threeboot" continuity by fans as it is the third incarnation of the Legion that has been published since 1958.
Initial issues of the current title reintroduced the characters and provided new and divergent origins for them. Most characters resemble their previous counterparts in costume and powers, with the most notable exceptions including
Chameleon BoyChameleon 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:...
, now called simply Chameleon and depicted as an androgynous creature,
Star BoyThom Kallor is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, spanning many incarnations, all connected to the various incarnations of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
, who in this version of the Legion is black, Colossal Boy, who is now a giant who shrinks to human size, and
Phantom GirlPhantom 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...
, who exists in two universes at once and has conversations with people in her own dimension while talking to Legionnaires at the same time.
The future universe of this Legion is an emotionally and mentally repressive society which involves human sexuality and contact being kept at arms' length as well as
Orwellian"Orwellian" describes the situation, idea, or societal condition that George Orwell identified as being destructive to the welfare of a free society...
surveillance of minors. The Legion's main goal is social reform as well as protecting people and inspiring them with the legends of superheroes of old, even though the team isn't appreciated by various government authorities.
The Legion is worshiped by thousands of "Legionnaires"; young people on various different worlds who worship the group in a
cultThe word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
-like manner. Some of the Legionnaires keep a constant vigil outside Legion headquarters.
Beginning with issue #16,
The Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 5) was retitled
Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes with
SupergirlSupergirl 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...
traveling to the future and joining the Legion. With issue #31, Tony Bedard replaced Waid as writer. The title reverted to
The Legion of Super-Heroes with issue #37 and
Jim ShooterJames 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...
became writer. The series ended with issue #50, in which the script was credited to "Justin Thyme", a pseudonym previously used by uncredited comic book artists.
Post-Infinite Crisis (2007–present)
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 AmericaThe 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 AmericaThe 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 featured the return of the original versions of Star Boy (now called Starman), Dream Girl, Wildfire, Karate Kid, Timber Wolf, Sensor Girl, Dawnstar, and Brainiac 5. Though several differences between the original and
Lightning Saga Legions exist, Geoff Johns 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 the teenage
SuperboyThe 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.
This version of the Legion next appeared in the "
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 ComicsAction 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 sunThe 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 have banded together to form the Justice League of Earth under the leadership of
Earth-ManKirt 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...
after he 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.
This version of the Legion next appeared in the 2008
Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds limited series, written by Geoff Johns and drawn by
George PérezGeorge 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 features the post-
Infinite Crisis Legion and Superman teaming up with the "Reboot" and "Threeboot" incarnations of the Legion to fight
Superboy-PrimeSuperboy-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...
, the
Legion of Super-VillainsThe 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...
, and the
Time TrapperThe 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 was revealed in the mini-series that the "Reboot" Legion came from Earth-247, which was destroyed in
Infinite CrisisInfinite 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...
, and the "Threeboot" Legion came from the reconstructed Earth-Prime. Geoff Johns stated that the intent of the mini-series was to validate the existence of all three versions of the team while simultaneously restoring the pre-
Crisis Legion's continuity as well. The incorporation of the three teams into mainstream DC continuity was also shown in
Action Comics #864 (June 2008). In the story,
BatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
recounts the
JLAThe 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....
and
JSAThe 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 ....
's battle alongside the original Legion to defeat Mordru, the "Reboot" team's assistance in destroying a
Sun-EaterA Sun-Eater is a fictional, artificially created living weapon in the DC Comics universe. It has played an important role in various storylines.-History:...
in the 20th century, and his own recent encounter with the "Threeboot" team.
, the post-
Infinite Crisis version of the Legion is featured in the
Adventure ComicsAdventure 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; in 2011, the stories featured the Legion Academy. This Legion also played a part in the "
Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton"Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton" is a 2010 crossover story arc in the various Superman comic book series published by DC Comics. It follows the events from World of New Krypton and leads directly into War of the Supermen....
" storyline in 2010, where the on-going continual events of "
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...
" concluded in its entirety. A new
Legion of Super-Heroes ongoing series started in 2010, written by
Paul LevitzPaul 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 CinarYıldıray 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.
Relaunch
Legion of Super-Heroes was relaunched in September 2011 with issue #1, along with a new spin-off called
Legion Lost.
While
Legion of Super-Heroes continues the adventures of the team from the previous volume,
Legion Lost features Wildfire, Dawnstar, Timber Wolf, Tyroc, Tellus, Gates, and Chameleon Girl stranded in the 21st Century on a mission to save the future; however, they must remain there after they fear they have contracted a pathogen that could destroy the 31st century if they return.
Alternative versions
Various alternative versions of the Legion of Super-Heroes have appeared in various DC comic books.
- The Legion of Super-Heroes appeared in a single panel in the Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come is a four-issue comic book mini-series published in 1996 by DC Comics. It was written by Alex Ross and Mark Waid and painted in gouache by Ross, who also developed the concept from an original idea...
limited series. The world depicted within Kingdom Come has been established as being Earth-22 in the DC Multiverse. This version of the team appears again briefly, in the closing pages of a story arc detailing the Earth-22 SupermanThe Superman of Kingdom Come is a fictional character, an alternate version of Superman in the DC Comics universe...
's sojourn with the Justice Society of AmericaThe 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 ....
in the 21st century (of Earth-0).
- An alternative version of the Legion appeared in Legionnaires
Legionnaires may refer to:*Spanish Legion*French Foreign Legion*Legionnaires' Movement in Romania, see: Iron Guard*Legionnaires' disease*Legion of Christ*Charlemagne's Legionnaires*Legion of Super-Heroes*Legionnaire...
Annual #1 in 1994. The annual, which was part of the 1994 "ElseworldsElseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...
Annuals" event, featured a version of the Legion based on King ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
's court.
- Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #5, also published in 1994, featured the Legion in a parody of The Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a 1900 novel by L. Frank Baum, which has been adapted into several different works, the most famous being the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland...
.
- Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #7, part of the 1996 "Legends of Dead Earth" event, showed Wildfire as the last survivor of the original Legion, forming a new team.
- The "DC One Million
"DC One Million" was a crossover storyline that ran through a self titled, weekly limited series and through special issues of almost all "DCU" titles published by DC Comics in November 1998...
" event, which featured characters based in the 853rd century, featured twenty-six teams called the Justice Legion. The Justice Legion L is based on the Legion of Super-Heroes, its members devoted to a version of the United Planets that has made a tour of the universe and is headed back toward Earth to "replenish its diversity." Among them are Brainiac 417 (a disembodied intelligence from the merged worlds of ColuColu is a fictional planet in DC Comics whose primary inhabitants are called the Coluans. Another name given for the planet was "Yod" , which has appeared only once in comics, was later pointed out in a letter by a fan...
and Bgztl), Cosmicbot (a metallic being who commands the world of BraalBraal is a fictional planet in the DC Comics universe. It is the homeworld of a race of magnetism manipulators. Its most famous resident is Cosmic Boy, a DC Comics' superhero and founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
— his magnetism holds the worlds together as they travel), the M'onelves (a super-powered collective of miniature beings from the bonded DaxamDaxam is a planet within the DC Universe. It is home to a race called the Daxamites, who are descended from Kryptonian colonists.-History:Daxamites were originally Kryptonians who left their homeworld in order to explore the Universe. They are an intensely xenophobic race, and are fearful of alien...
-ImskImsk is a fictional planet in the 30th century DC Universe. It is the homeworld of Legionnaire Shrinking Violet, as well as villain Micro Lad.-Imskians:All Imskians have the ability to shrink, as far as microscopic size...
), TitangirlTitan Girl is a name associated with two characters who have appeared in the Legion of Superheroes. They both have been telepaths from the moon of Saturn, Titan.-Titangirl of the 853rd century:...
(A living psychic manifestation of the telepaths of TitanTitan is a moon in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The moon is inhabited by a colony of telepaths.It is the fictional home world of Saturn Girl, Imra Ardeen. She is one of the most powerful telepaths in the history of Titan...
, Implicate Girl (Loosely inspired by Triplicate GirlTriplicate Girl is a fictional character, a superhero in the 30th and 31st centuries of the and a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. She has also used the aliases Duo Damsel, Triad, Una and Duplicate Damsel....
, she contains the entire planet Cargg inside her bindiA bindi is a forehead decoration worn in South Asia . and Southeast Asia...
-like third eye and can access any Carggite's skills), as well as an elemental darkness called the Umbra (from Talok VIII) and the Chameleon (a religious fundamentalist from the "Chameleon World," which was once known as Durla). The Justice Legion also includes secondary members like the Dreamer (the last precognitive of the dead world Naltor, who has a thoughtscreen in her forehead), the "Wildflame" (the comatose remains of the energy being WildfireWildfire 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:...
, involved in every successive generation of Legionnaires) and Cris Kend, the SuperboySuperboy 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....
of the 843rd Century — one thousand years in their past — summoned by Brainiac 417 to stop an apocalypse. The story of the Justice Legion L is in turn related one thousand years later to three youths known as Dav, Vara and Chec by Wildfire, released from a "containment rune." The three kids exist in a techno-agrarian society inside a tesseractIn geometry, the tesseract, also called an 8-cell or regular octachoron or cubic prism, is the four-dimensional analog of the cube. The tesseract is to the cube as the cube is to the square. Just as the surface of the cube consists of 6 square faces, the hypersurface of the tesseract consists of 8...
on Earth; when hospitalized for displaying possible delusions, they are empowered by Wildfire to become the Legion of the 863rd century.
- Legions from several timelines created by the 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...
encounter the "Reboot" Legion and fight each other.
- An alternative version of the Legion appeared during the "Absolute Power" arc of the Superman/Batman
Superman/Batman was a monthly comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular characters: Batman and Superman...
monthly series. Three members of the Legion of Super-VillainsThe 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...
, (Lightning LordLightning Lord is a fictional supervillain published by DC Comics. The older brother of Lightning Lad and Lightning Lass of the Legion of Super-Heroes, he first appeared in Superman #147 , and was created by Jerry Siegel and Curt Swan....
, Cosmic KingCosmic King is a fictional supervillain published by DC Comics. He debuted in Superman #147 , and was created by Jerry Siegel and Curt Swan.-Fictional character biography:...
and Saturn QueenSaturn Queen is a fictional comic book character owned by DC Comics. She debuted in Superman #147 , and was created by Jerry Siegel and Curt Swan.-Fictional character biography:...
), go back in time to change the course of history. They are later joined by Beauty Blaze and Echo. In the alternate timeline the three created, they used members of the Legion of Super-Heroes who were either brainwashed or converted to their cause as a way to protect their time bubble. Most of the members of this army are based on the original Legion from the 1970s. The only three who weren't among this army were Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, and Saturn Girl. At the end, the villains are taken back to the future by Brainiac 5Brainiac 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...
, Dream Woman, Cosmic ManCosmic 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...
, Chameleon ManChameleon 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:...
, Matter-Eater ManMatter-Eater Lad is a superhero in the DC Universe. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes and possesses the power to eat matter in all forms, as do all natives of his home planet, Bismoll...
, Lightning Man, and Saturn WomanSaturn 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...
.
- The Elseworlds two-part limited series Superboy's Legion
Superboy's Legion is a two-issue mini-series, published by DC Comics in 2001 under the Elseworlds banner. It was written and inked by Mark Farmer, with pencils by Alan Davis....
featured an alternative version of the Legion that was formed by Superboy. In the story, the infant Kal-El is stranded in the Asteroid BeltThe asteroid belt is the region of the Solar System located roughly between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter. It is occupied by numerous irregularly shaped bodies called asteroids or minor planets...
and he remains there in stasis until found in 2987 by R. J. BrandeRene 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...
, a thousand years after Krypton's destruction. At the age of 14, "Kal Brande", also known as Superboy, joins Cosmic BoyCosmic 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 Saturn GirlSaturn 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...
in forming "Superboy's Legion", later known as the Legion of Super-Heroes.
- In Static #14, part of the Worlds Collide
"Worlds Collide" is an intercompany crossover event presented in July 1994 in the Milestone Comics titles and the Superman-related titles published by DC Comics. A one-shot comic title of the same name was written by Dwayne McDuffie, Ivan Velez Jr...
crossover between DC ComicsDC 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 Milestone MediaMilestone Media is a company best known for creating Milestone Comics and securing an unheard of publishing and distribution deal with DC Comics and the Static Shock cartoon series. It was founded in 1993 by a coalition of African-American artists and writers Milestone Media is a company best known...
, the villain Rift combined Metropolis and Dakota, creating a futuristic amalgamation of the two. The combined city was home to a pastiche of the Legion called the League of Super-Teens. Static, RocketRocket is a fictional character a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. An original character from DC's Milestone Comics imprint, she first appeared in Icon #1 , and was created by Dwayne McDuffie and Mark Bright.-Publication history:...
, and Superboy were transformed into Static Lad, Rocket Gal, and Fabulous Boy. Other unseen members, mentioned by name, were Adhesive Lad, Burnrubber, Dough Boy III, Fabulous Man, Fan Boy, Fat Boy, Foxtrot Lass, Frat Boy, Hoot-Man, Itty-Bitty Girl, Kite Lad, Kodak Kid, Mall Hair Girl, Maniac 5, Phenomenal Lass, Procrastination Lad, Seltzer Lad, Sneeze Lad, Sterno Lad, Super Nazi-Fighter, and Very-Big Boy. Superman, HardwareHardware is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. An original character from DC's Milestone Comics imprint, he first appeared in Hardware #1 , and was created by Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan...
, IconIcon is a fictional superhero, a comic book character published by DC Comics. An original character from DC's Milestone Comics imprint, he first appeared in Icon #1 , and was created by Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan...
, SteelSteel , also known as the Man of Steel, is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Universe. First appearing in The Adventures of Superman #500 , he is the third character known as Steel and was created by Louise Simonson and artist Jon Bogdanove...
, and TransitThe Shadow Cabinet is a team of fictional superheroes created by Milestone Comics and published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Shadow Cabinet #0 , and were created by Dwayne McDuffie, Robert L. Washington III and John Paul Leon...
were also members. This team vanished when Dakota and Metropolis were separated.
- In the DC Universe: Legacies
DC Universe: Legacies are a 2010-2011 ten-issue comic book limited series written by Len Wein and published by DC Comics. It details the person an admirer of Golden Age of Comic Books-era, Silver Age of Comic Books-era, Bronze Age of Comic Books-era, and Modern Age of Comic Books-era superheroes in...
short storyline, a young Clark Kent is approached by the Legion of Super-Heroes to join their team and is given a Legion flight ring. However, Legions from multiple points further in the future arrive asking Clark for help. A fight breaks out as to which Legion receives Clark first. Clark rebukes the multiple Legions, returning the ring noting that it means something special to each Legionnaire and to come back when they can tell him what that special thing is.
Parody / Homages
- In the satire comic normalman
normalman is a limited series of American comic books created by Jim Valentino. It began in November 1983 as a four-page story in Cerebus #56 and #57 before being launched as a full-color 12-issue series which was published by Aardvark-Vanaheim before moving to Renegade Press. There was also a...
, there was a 33rd century team called the Legion of Superfluous Heroes. In their first appearance, Uranus GirlSaturn 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...
wanted to save normalmannormalman is a limited series of American comic books created by Jim Valentino. It began in November 1983 as a four-page story in Cerebus #56 and #57 before being launched as a full-color 12-issue series which was published by Aardvark-Vanaheim before moving to Renegade Press. There was also a...
, but Lighthead Lad pointed out they needed to do roll call first. They appear throughout the series doing roll call (they have a seemly endless list of members). A recurring gag was the comic would go back to them at random moments. Lighthead Lad lost his place (thanks to Yelling Girl) and was going begin the roll call again, only to be killed by the members of the Legion (who also died due to the resulting blast). It's revealed the Legion was in a time loopA time loop or temporal loop is a common plot device in science fiction in which time runs normally for a set period but then skips back like a broken record. When the time loop "resets", the memories of most characters are reset...
.
- In New Year's Evil: Mr. Mxyzptlk #1, Mxyzptlk
Mr. Mxyzptlk , sometimes called Mxy, is a fictional impish supervillain who appears in DC Comics' Superman comic books.He was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and first appeared in Superman #30 . He is usually presented as a trickster, in the classical mythological sense, in that he enjoys...
attempts to recruit a parody of the Legion, called the Logjam of Super-Heroes, from his comic book collection. Despite its many members, the only ones who were properly identified were Batter-Eater LadMatter-Eater Lad is a superhero in the DC Universe. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes and possesses the power to eat matter in all forms, as do all natives of his home planet, Bismoll...
, Beachball 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...
, Butler-Eater LadMatter-Eater Lad is a superhero in the DC Universe. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes and possesses the power to eat matter in all forms, as do all natives of his home planet, Bismoll...
, Butter-Eater LadMatter-Eater Lad is a superhero in the DC Universe. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes and possesses the power to eat matter in all forms, as do all natives of his home planet, Bismoll...
, Button-Eater LadMatter-Eater Lad is a superhero in the DC Universe. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes and possesses the power to eat matter in all forms, as do all natives of his home planet, Bismoll...
, Kid Kid, Kid Lass, Lightning Lice, Loud Kid, Mutton-Eater LadMatter-Eater Lad is a superhero in the DC Universe. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes and possesses the power to eat matter in all forms, as do all natives of his home planet, Bismoll...
, and Negative Lass.
- In 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...
# 107, a team of heroes called the Imperial GuardThe Imperial Guard is a team of fictional super-powered alien warriors in the Marvel Comics universe. The Imperial Guard serves the rulers of the Shi'ar Empire, both by enforcing Shi'ar Imperial law on all planets within the Shi'ar Galaxy and as the Emperor or Empress's personal guard...
appeared. Many of their members were based on members the Legion of Super Heroes. Members were Astra (Phantom GirlPhantom 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...
), Electron (Cosmic BoyCosmic 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...
), Fang (Timber Wolf), Hobgoblin (Chameleon BoyChameleon 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:...
), Impulse (WildfireA wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
), Magic (Projectra), Mentor (Brainiac 5Brainiac 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...
), Midget (Shrinking Violet), Nightside (Shadow LassShadow 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:...
), Quasar (Star BoyThom Kallor is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, spanning many incarnations, all connected to the various incarnations of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
), Smasher (Ultra BoyUltra 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...
), Starbolt (Sun BoySun 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...
), Tempest (Lightning Lad) and Titan (Colossal Boy). The team was led by Gladiator (Mon-El and SupermanSuperman 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...
).
- The one-shot The Legion of Stupid Heroes is an obvious parody of the Legion.
- SFA Spotlight # 5 has a Spider-Ham
Spider-Ham is a fictional character, an anthropomorphic funny animal parody of Marvel Comics' Spider-Man, created by Tom DeFalco and Mark Armstrong....
-style parody of the Legion called the Legion of Super-Furries. The members of which are funny animalFunny animal is a cartooning term for the genre of comics and animated cartoons in which the main characters are humanoid or talking animals, with anthropomorphic personality traits. The characters themselves may also be called funny animals...
parodies of various members.
- In Big Bang Comics
Big Bang Comics first appeared in 1994, with five issue mini-series , published by Caliber Comics. Their second series was published by Image Comics. Currently their titles are self-published.-Publication history:...
# 12, there is Legion-homage called the Pantheon of HeroesThe Pantheon of Heroes is a 30th superhero team based on the Legion of Super-Heroes.-Fictional History:The Pantheon is a team in the 30th century inspired by Ultragirl and were based in Ultiman's hometown Empire City. Their HQ was a space craft and later a citable. Each year, they have auditions...
. This team also come from the 30th century. Members are Angelfish, Anti-Matter Lad, Brain BoyBrainiac 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...
, Butterfly Queen, Clone Boy, Devil Boy, Dragon FistKarate 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...
, Galactic Lad, Golden Girl, Ghost GirlPhantom 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...
, Gravity GirlThom Kallor is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, spanning many incarnations, all connected to the various incarnations of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
, Jupiter Boy, Kid Warlock, Laughing Boy, Nature Boy, Photon, Snowstar, Tele-GirlSaturn 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 UltragirlSupergirl 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...
.
Superman: The Animated Series
Cosmic Boy, Chameleon Boy, and Saturn Girl made an appearance on
Superman: The Animated SeriesSuperman: The Animated Series is an American animated television series starring DC Comics' flagship character, Superman. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on The WB from September 6, 1996 to February 12, 2000. Warner Bros...
. In the 1998 episode "New Kids in Town", they traveled through time to stop
BrainiacBrainiac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #242 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
from destroying the Man of Steel at an early age.
Jason PriestleyJason Bradford Priestley is a Canadian-American actor and director. He is best known as the virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series Beverly Hills, 90210, a role which catapulted him to recognition in the early 1990s....
voiced Chameleon Boy,
Melissa Joan HartMelissa Joan Catherine Hart is an American actress, writer, television director, television producer, singer and businesswoman...
voiced Saturn Girl, and
Chad LoweCharles Conrad "Chad" Lowe is an American actor. He is the younger brother of fellow actor Rob Lowe. He won an Emmy Award for his supporting role in Life Goes On as a man suffering with HIV. He has also had recurring roles on ER, Melrose Place, and Now and Again...
voiced Cosmic Boy. As with pre-"Crisis" continuity, Superman was the inspiration to the team. This episode also features cameos of other prominent Legionnaires (shown on the left).
Justice League Unlimited
The Legion (featuring more of its membership), along with the
Fatal FiveThe 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....
, later appeared in a 2006 episode of
Justice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
entitled "Far From Home" with Googy Gress as Bouncing Boy and
Matt Czuchry as Brainiac 5. Supergirl was taken to the future to help fight the Fatal Five and free the Legion, and decided to stay and join the Legion after that was finished.
The other Legionnaires who appeared in this episode included
BlokBlok 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:...
,
Chameleon BoyChameleon 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:...
, Colossal Boy,
Cosmic BoyCosmic 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...
, Lightning Lad,
Phantom GirlPhantom 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...
,
Saturn GirlSaturn 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 LassShadow 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:...
,
Timber WolfTimber Wolf is a fictional character, a superhero in the 30th and 31st centuries of the and member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. He comes from the planet Zoon . His powers are enhanced strength, speed and agility...
,
Ultra BoyUltra 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...
, and
WildfireWildfire 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:...
. All had minor or cameo appearances.
The Legion also had a featured appearance in
Justice League Adventures #28.
Animated series
The
Legion of Super Heroes animated seriesLegion of Super Heroes is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation that debuted on September 23, 2006, based on characters appearing in the DC Comics comic book series. The series centers on the young Superman's adventures in the 31st century, fighting alongside a...
premiered on Kids' WB! (the Saturday Morning kids' block on
The CWThe CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
network) in September, 2006.
The show's premise is that the Legion travels back in time to recruit Superman in their fight against crime in the 31st century, but they go a little too far back and recruit Superman before he has had a chance to fully develop his powers. Superman, the inspiration for the Legion, now has to learn from them how to be a hero.
Season 1 focused on a "core" team consisting of Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Lightning Lad, Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl, Superman, and Timber Wolf, while other Legionnaires such as Cosmic Boy, Colossal Boy, Ferro Lad,
Matter-Eater LadMatter-Eater Lad is a superhero in the DC Universe. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes and possesses the power to eat matter in all forms, as do all natives of his home planet, Bismoll...
, and Triplicate Girl appeared in various episodes. Classic Legion villains such as the Fatal Five, Starfinger, and the Sun-Eater have appeared. Other Legionnaires, including Blok, Dream Girl,
Element LadElement 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:...
, Shrinking Violet,
Star BoyThom Kallor is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, spanning many incarnations, all connected to the various incarnations of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
,
Sun BoySun 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...
, and
TyrocTyroc is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Superboy #216 , and was created by Cary Bates and Mike Grell...
, made cameo appearances.
Season 2 takes place two years after the end of Season 1. New members such as
Chameleon BoyChameleon 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:...
have joined in the interim. Superman returns, older and wiser, as does Superman X, a clone from the 41st century, to help battle Imperiex.
Smallville
During Comic-Con 2008, it was announced that
Geoff JohnsGeoff Johns is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, where he has been Chief Creative Officer since February 2010, in particular for characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman...
would be writing an episode of Smallville titled "Legion", which would introduce the Legion of Super-Heroes into the series' continuity. The Legionnaires featured were the founding members
Cosmic BoyCosmic 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...
,
Saturn GirlSaturn 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 Lightning Lad (portrayed by Ryan Kennedy,
Alexz JohnsonAlexzandra Spencer "Alexz" Johnson is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Her debut album Voodoo was independently released on March 30, 2010....
and
Calum Worthy, respectively). The episode aired on January 15, 2009 and featured the three Legionnaires, starting with a brief battle with
the PersuaderThe Persuader is the name of three fictional characters featured in comic books published by DC Comics. Nyeun Chun Ti first appeared in Adventure Comics #352 , and was created by Jim Shooter and Curt Swan...
(portrayed by Fraser Aitcheson), and remaining through the episode to assist Clark in his fight against
BrainiacBrainiac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #242 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
. The episode featured Legion Flight Rings, and made mention of many future elements of the Legion, including
Brainiac 5Brainiac 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...
.
Cosmic BoyCosmic 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...
returns in the episode "Doomsday" to warn Clark of his predestinate death at the hands of
DoomsdayDoomsday is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman: The Man of Steel #18 , and was created by writer-artist Dan Jurgens. IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time ranked Doomsday as #46...
and inform him that the Legion is ready to fight the beast if Clark sends him to the 31st century. Clark however refused, claiming that the creature was his responsibility. In Season 10 Episode 4, the show's 200th episode,
Brainiac 5Brainiac 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...
appears to Clark and takes him through his past, present and future as part of his training. He was portrayed by
James MarstersJames Wesley Marsters is an American actor and musician. Marsters first came to the attention of the general public playing the popular character Spike, a platinum-blond yobbish English vampire in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series, Angel from 1997 to 2004...
.
Toys and games
Various Legionnaires and associated villains have been issued in toy format:
- Action figures, beginning with the Super Powers Collection
The Super Powers Collection was a line of action figures based on DC Comics superheroes and supervillains that was created by Kenner Products in the 1980s.-History of the Line:...
(1986), and continuing through DC DirectDC Direct is the collectibles division of DC Comics, the Time Warner subsidiary that publishes comic books and licenses characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Batman, Batgirl and Hawkgirl. DC Direct produces statues, props, replicas and prints for the direct market, a...
(1999–present) and DC Universe: Justice League Unlimited Fan Collection (2009). Mattel's DC Universe Classics line will offer a Legion of Super-Heroes Twelve-Pack in August 2011.
- McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
Happy MealA "Happy Meal" is a meal specifically marketed at children, sold at the fast-food chain McDonald's since June 1979. A toy is typically included with the food, both of which are usually contained in a small box or paper bag with the McDonald's logo....
figures (set of 8, based on characters from the animated series, 2007).
- HeroClix
HeroClix is a collectible miniatures game that uses the Clix system. Originally designed and produced by WizKids, it is now owned and marketed by NECA. Players construct teams of comic book heroes, villains, and other characters from popular video games such as Street Fighter, Gears of War, and Halo...
, with the characters representing a cross-section of continuity from the Silver Age to today.
- Trading cards representing various continuities and published by various companies (1966–1996).
- Vs. System cards as part of the collectible card game.
See also
- Bizarro Brainiac
Bizarro Brainiac is a character in DC Comics. Bizarro #1 created this doppelganger of Brainiac to live on Bizarro World. Since Brainiac shrank the city of Kandor, his Bizarro counterpart felt compelled to do the opposite, and expanded a city in Antarctica, creating Big City.ReferencesBizarro...
- List of Legion of Super-Heroes members
- List of Legion of Super-Heroes publications
- 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...
(futuristic in-story language)
External links