The Death of Ferro Lad
Encyclopedia
"The Death of Ferro Lad" is a story arc that was published as "The Fatal Five" by DC Comics
, and was presented in Adventure Comics
#352-353 (January–February 1967). It was written by Jim Shooter
, with art by Curt Swan
and George Klein
. The story arc includes the first appearance of the villainous Fatal Five
. It is also notable for featuring the first "permanent" death of a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes
.
watch a Science Police
documentary on its most wanted villains, who have been dubbed the "Fatal Five
": the Persuader
, a paid assassin and enforcer whose Atomic Axe can slice any type of matter or energy; Tharok
, a brilliant half-human/half-robotic criminal mastermind; the Emerald Empress
, who seized control of the planet Vengar after stealing the mystical Emerald Eye of Ekron; Validus
, a powerful gigantic creature who projects mental lightning from his brain; and Mano
, a mutant who destroyed his home planet Angtu with the energy that emanates from his right hand. Hours later, the Legionnaires receive word that "It" is approaching Earth. As Superboy
explains to recent members Princess Projectra
and Ferro Lad
, "It" is a massive cloud-like object called the "Sun-Eater
". Capable of completely devouring the energy from stars, thereby destroying all life in entire star systems, the Sun-Eater represents a major threat. Astronomers have determined that the Sun-Eater is on a direct course for Sol
, Earth’s sun.
Short-handed and unable to recruit assistance from other heroes in the galaxy, the five Legionnaires decide to seek aid from the Fatal Five, who would also die if the Sun-Eater cannot be stopped. Cosmic Boy
locates Tharok, who joins him after being promised a full pardon. Superboy rescues the Emerald Empress as she is about to be executed on the planet Craggok; she accompanies him, bringing a small chunk of green kryptonite
with her. Sun Boy
travels to Bismari and obtains Validus' release the day before his scheduled execution. On Jupiter
's twelfth moon, Princess Projectra successfully recruits the Persuader. Ferro Lad rescues Mano just as the villain’s right hand is about to be amputated in space (which would have resulted in his death).
Mano launches a failed attempt to form an alliance with the Emerald Empress. She unsuccessfully tries to convince Superboy to help her conquer her home planet, even after using the kryptonite as a means of persuasion. Soon after, Tharok reveals his plan to destroy the Sun-Eater: Tharok will temporarily increase the powers of all the heroes and villains. Sun Boy will use his solar powers in open space to lure the cloud away from Sol. The Persuader will use his Atomic Axe to divide the Sun-Eater into eight smaller sections, and the others will destroy the individual pieces. Later, the five villains meet in secret and band together as a formal group, bent on conquering the galaxy.
When the plan is implemented, seven of the heroes and villains manage to weaken the Sun-Eater, but fail to completely destroy any of the sections. Even Superboy fails when the Sun-Eater blasts him with red solar radiation. Ferro Lad tries to reach and destroy the cloud's core, but is rebuffed by an energy blast and does no damage to the cloud at all. The Sun-Eater reforms, prompting Tharok to construct an Absorbatron bomb, which can destroy the cloud if it is detonated at the core. Since Tharok had no time to build a propulsion device, one of them must carry the bomb to the core and detonate it manually — an act which would result in that person's death. Superboy is about to take the bomb, but he is still weak from the red sun rays. Ferro Lad punches Superboy, grabs the bomb and speeds toward the cloud. Reaching the core, Ferro Lad detonates the bomb, destroying both the Sun-Eater and himself.
The Legionnaires offer full pardons to the members of the Fatal Five, but they attack and quickly overcome the heroes. Tharok commands Validus to destroy them, but he refuses and turns on the villains. When Validus' mental lightning strikes the Persuader's Atomic Axe, the Fatal Five disappears. Later, the other Legionnaires return from their distant mission. Unable to recover Ferro Lad’s remains, the team sends a missile in memoriam to him to the cemetery planet Shanghalla
. The Legionnaires promise never to forget his sacrifice.
(Hal Jordan
). Later, he joins the Legion as Ferro, and accompanies them when they finally discover a way to return to their own time.
miniseries, most of the Legion’s original continuity has been restored. The story of the Sun-Eater and the death of Ferro Lad is once again part of Legion history.
animated series Legion of Super Heroes
.
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, and was presented in Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 and then revamped from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman...
#352-353 (January–February 1967). It was written by Jim Shooter
Jim Shooter
James Shooter is an American writer, occasional fill-in artist, editor, and publisher for various comic books. Although he started professionally in the medium at the extraordinarily young age of 14, he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comics' ninth...
, with art by Curt Swan
Curt Swan
Douglas Curtis Swan was an American comic book artist. The artist most associated with Superman during the period fans and historians call the Silver Age of comic books, Swan produced hundreds of covers and stories from the 1950s through the 1980s.-Early life and career:Curt Swan, whose Swedish...
and George Klein
George Klein (comics)
George D. Klein was an American comic book artist and cartoonist whose career stretched from the 1930s and 1940s' Golden Age of comic books...
. The story arc includes the first appearance of the villainous Fatal Five
Fatal Five
The Fatal Five are fictional characters, a supervillain team of the 30th century in the DC Comics universe. They were created by Jim Shooter and first appeared in Adventure Comics #352 as enemies of the Legion of Super-Heroes....
. It is also notable for featuring the first "permanent" death of a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
.
Plot
At their headquarters, five members of the Legion of Super-HeroesLegion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
watch a Science Police
Science Police
Science Police is a fictional law enforcement agency in the . They were referred to as "World-Wide Police" in their first appearance in the 30th century. They were featured in a four issue limited series titled Legion Science Police. In the 30th and 31st centuries, the Science Police serves the...
documentary on its most wanted villains, who have been dubbed the "Fatal Five
Fatal Five
The Fatal Five are fictional characters, a supervillain team of the 30th century in the DC Comics universe. They were created by Jim Shooter and first appeared in Adventure Comics #352 as enemies of the Legion of Super-Heroes....
": the Persuader
Persuader (comics)
The 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...
, a paid assassin and enforcer whose Atomic Axe can slice any type of matter or energy; Tharok
Tharok
Tharok is a DC Comics supervillain and an enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes. He is the leader of the Fatal Five. Tharok and the Fatal Five were introduced in Adventure Comics #352 , and were created by Jim Shooter....
, a brilliant half-human/half-robotic criminal mastermind; the Emerald Empress
Emerald Empress
The Emerald Empress is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain that is an enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes and a member of the Fatal Five...
, who seized control of the planet Vengar after stealing the mystical Emerald Eye of Ekron; Validus
Validus
Validus is a fictional DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes and a member of the Fatal Five.-Fictional character biography:...
, a powerful gigantic creature who projects mental lightning from his brain; and Mano
Mano (comics)
Mano is a fictional character that is a DC Comics supervillain living in the 30th century and, as a member of the Fatal Five, a foe of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
, a mutant who destroyed his home planet Angtu with the energy that emanates from his right hand. Hours later, the Legionnaires receive word that "It" is approaching Earth. As Superboy
Superboy (Kal-El)
The original Superboy is a fictional superhero who appears in DC Comics. The name of Superman as a boy, Superboy has adventures that occur in the relative past to those of Superman and take place predominantly in his hometown of Smallville...
explains to recent members Princess Projectra
Princess Projectra
This page discusses the humanoid version of the character. For the post-Zero Hour/pre-Threeboot version, see Sensor.Princess Projectra is a fictional character, a superheroine in the DC Comics universe. She lives in the 30th and 31st centuries, and is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
and Ferro Lad
Ferro Lad
Ferro Lad is a fictional character, a comic book superhero and member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century of the . He is Andrew Nolan of Earth...
, "It" is a massive cloud-like object called the "Sun-Eater
Sun-Eater
A Sun-Eater is a fictional, artificially created living weapon in the DC Comics universe. It has played an important role in various storylines.-History:...
". Capable of completely devouring the energy from stars, thereby destroying all life in entire star systems, the Sun-Eater represents a major threat. Astronomers have determined that the Sun-Eater is on a direct course for Sol
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
, Earth’s sun.
Short-handed and unable to recruit assistance from other heroes in the galaxy, the five Legionnaires decide to seek aid from the Fatal Five, who would also die if the Sun-Eater cannot be stopped. Cosmic Boy
Cosmic Boy
Cosmic Boy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #247 . He is a founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, and was the original leader in all incarnations of the Legion...
locates Tharok, who joins him after being promised a full pardon. Superboy rescues the Emerald Empress as she is about to be executed on the planet Craggok; she accompanies him, bringing a small chunk of green kryptonite
Kryptonite
Kryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
with her. Sun Boy
Sun Boy
Sun Boy is a fictional character, a superhero in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Comics universe. Sun Boy is a Legion of Super-Heroes member with the ability to unleash internal solar energy to whatever degree he wishes, from enough to light a single candle to enough to melt nearly any...
travels to Bismari and obtains Validus' release the day before his scheduled execution. On Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
's twelfth moon, Princess Projectra successfully recruits the Persuader. Ferro Lad rescues Mano just as the villain’s right hand is about to be amputated in space (which would have resulted in his death).
Mano launches a failed attempt to form an alliance with the Emerald Empress. She unsuccessfully tries to convince Superboy to help her conquer her home planet, even after using the kryptonite as a means of persuasion. Soon after, Tharok reveals his plan to destroy the Sun-Eater: Tharok will temporarily increase the powers of all the heroes and villains. Sun Boy will use his solar powers in open space to lure the cloud away from Sol. The Persuader will use his Atomic Axe to divide the Sun-Eater into eight smaller sections, and the others will destroy the individual pieces. Later, the five villains meet in secret and band together as a formal group, bent on conquering the galaxy.
When the plan is implemented, seven of the heroes and villains manage to weaken the Sun-Eater, but fail to completely destroy any of the sections. Even Superboy fails when the Sun-Eater blasts him with red solar radiation. Ferro Lad tries to reach and destroy the cloud's core, but is rebuffed by an energy blast and does no damage to the cloud at all. The Sun-Eater reforms, prompting Tharok to construct an Absorbatron bomb, which can destroy the cloud if it is detonated at the core. Since Tharok had no time to build a propulsion device, one of them must carry the bomb to the core and detonate it manually — an act which would result in that person's death. Superboy is about to take the bomb, but he is still weak from the red sun rays. Ferro Lad punches Superboy, grabs the bomb and speeds toward the cloud. Reaching the core, Ferro Lad detonates the bomb, destroying both the Sun-Eater and himself.
The Legionnaires offer full pardons to the members of the Fatal Five, but they attack and quickly overcome the heroes. Tharok commands Validus to destroy them, but he refuses and turns on the villains. When Validus' mental lightning strikes the Persuader's Atomic Axe, the Fatal Five disappears. Later, the other Legionnaires return from their distant mission. Unable to recover Ferro Lad’s remains, the team sends a missile in memoriam to him to the cemetery planet Shanghalla
Shanghalla
Shanghalla is a fictional planetoid in the 30th century . Its name appears to be a portmanteau of Shangri-La and Valhalla.Shanghalla is a memorial planetoid for the greatest heroes of the Galaxy. The deceased former members of the Legion of Super-Heroes are buried there alongside other great...
. The Legionnaires promise never to forget his sacrifice.
Final Night
In post-Zero Hour continuity, a faction of the Legion is stranded in the 20th century, and the Sun-Eater approaches Earth in that era. Andrew Nolan (Ferro Lad) is among the Earth heroes native to that era. He attempts a suicide mission to destroy the Sun-Eater, but his life is saved by ParallaxParallax (comics)
Parallax is a fictional comic book supervillain in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks for Green Lantern vol...
(Hal Jordan
Hal Jordan
Harold "Hal" Jordan is a DC Comics superhero known as Green Lantern, the first human shown to join the Green Lantern Corps and a founding member of the Justice League of America. Jordan is the second DC Comics character to adopt the Green Lantern moniker...
). Later, he joins the Legion as Ferro, and accompanies them when they finally discover a way to return to their own time.
Post-Infinite Crisis
In the aftermath of the Infinite CrisisInfinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
miniseries, most of the Legion’s original continuity has been restored. The story of the Sun-Eater and the death of Ferro Lad is once again part of Legion history.
Collected editions
In 2009, The Life and Death of Ferro Lad (ISBN 1-4012-2193-9), a hardcover collection of the Silver Age appearances of Ferro Lad, was released.Television
In 2007, the story was adapted as "Sundown", a two-episode story on the CWThe CW Television Network
The 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...
animated series Legion of Super Heroes
Legion of Super Heroes (TV series)
Legion 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...
.