That Legion of Super-Heroes Thread

[Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man]

I am really hoping that we will get a new Legion of Super-Heroes in the next year, and I hope they will stick with one version for more than a year or so before moving on to another one. I think that is one of the things that has really hurt the Legion in the past twenty years. They haven't been allowed to stick with any version for very long.

In the meantime, we can talk about the Legion incarnations of the past right here. Of course, I'm starting this one to talk about something I have read recently...

[Captain Comics]

Sharp insight, 'Tec. Those similiarities hadn't occurred to me. As you say, it's likely no coincidence, given that the same writer was involved in both.

I do hope we get both teams back -- I miss 'em. Earth 2 just wasn't a proper substitute for the grizzled vets of the JSA, and the sheer optimism of the LSH is needful in today's environment.

Oh, in case anyone interested hasn't heard, the Young Justice cartoon is returning. DC will use a third season as part of its launch of a streaming service, along with a live-action Titans. The downside of this is that Young Justice seasons 1-2 and the entire runs of Justice League and Justice League Unlimited will leave Netflix soon.

Young Justice was essentially a parallel-Earth story (Earth-16, I think) where Batman turns Justice League sidekicks into a covert ops team. It had some surprising takes on familiar characters, and introduced a couple that are making their way into "mainstream" stuff, like Miss Martian. Here are the members, as per Wiki:

Original Team

• Dick Grayson (voiced by Jesse McCartney) is Robin, the protege of Batman and a young genius who uses high-tech gadgets and security hacking. During the hiatus between season one and two, he sets aside the Robin identity to become Nightwing.
• Kaldur'ahm (Khary Payton) is Aqualad, an original character and the protege of Aquaman from Atlantis, who can breathe underwater and use hydrokinesis, the ability to increase the local specific density of water and then manipulate its shape.^[7]
• Wally West (Jason Spisak) is Kid Flash, the protege of The Flash. He is capable of running at hypersonic speed.^[6]
• Superboy (Nolan North) is a kryptonian-human hybrid who is a genomorph clone of Superman, and shares several of his abilities. He later takes the human name of Conner Kent.
• M'gann M'orzz or Megan Morse (Danica McKellar) is Miss Martian, the niece of Martian Manhunter. Like her uncle, she has telekinetic and telepathic abilities as well as flight, camouflage, and shape shifting.^[14]
• Artemis (Stephanie Lemelin) is the protegee of Green Arrow, although she initially pretends to be his niece to the Team, and a highly athletic expert archer.^[15] She takes on the identity of Tigress during season two.

Later season one additions

• The Sphere, a sentient machine from the distant planet of New Genesis, who can take various forms. It is usually used by them as transport, but often fights alongside them as well. It develops a strong relation with Superboy.
• Wolf (Dee Bradley Baker) is an oversized wolf who becomes Superboy's pet and a member of the team after being freed from mind control during one of their missions.
• Roy Harper (Crispin Freeman) is Red Arrow, formerly Speedy, another protege of Green Arrow who initially declines joining the Team, but ultimately does before becoming a member of the Justice League.
• Zatanna (Lacey Chabert) is the daughter of Zatara and a skilled magician. She leaves the team to join the Justice League during the hiatus between season one and two.
• Raquel Ervin (Kittie and later Denise Boutte) is Rocket, who is capable of kinetic energy manipulation, usually to create a shield.

Season two additions

• Jaime Reyes (Eric Lopez) is Blue Beetle, a superhero of Mexican descent who became infected with an alien scarab that provides him with a powerful armor, but is often in conflict with Beetle's own interests.
• Garfield Logan (Logan Grove) is Beast Boy. He is initially introduced in season one as an ordinary child who becomes Miss Martian's adoptive brother. During the hiatus between season one and two, he acquires shape shifting abilities similar to hers and joins the team.
• Tim Drake (Cameron Bowen) as the new Robin, who joins the team after the previous one, Dick Grayson, becomes Nightwing.^[16]
• Karen Beecher (Masasa Moyo) is Bumblebee, a girl who possesses bee-like wings, use sonic force blasts and can shrink to an insect-like size. She originally appears briefly in season one.
• Mal Duncan (Kevin Michael Richardson) is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant and Bumblebee's boyfriend. He later takes the identity of Guardian. He originally appears briefly in season one.
• La'gaan (Yuri Lowenthal) is Lagoon Boy, an amphibious citizen of Atlantis highly skilled in water and capable of gaining size like a puffer fish.
• Barbara Gordon (Alyson Stoner) is Batgirl, another protegee of Batman. She originally appears briefly in season one.
• Cassie Sandsmark (Mae Whitman) is Wonder Girl, a protegee of Wonder Woman who possesses superhuman strength, speed, flight, durability, as well hand to hand combat skills.
• Bart Allen (Jason Marsden) is Impulse, a time traveller from the future and the grandson of The Flash. He travels to the present during season two in order to alter history and save Earth from an upcoming apocalypse. Like his grandfather, he can run at hypersonic speed; he can also use it to create strong vibrations using his hands.^[17]
• Virgil Hawkins (Bryton James) as Static, a young man abducted and experimented on by aliens in season 2, who gains the power to magnetize objects from it. He joins the Team in the final episode of season 2.

[Detective 445]

Some more possible hints:

At the conclusion of The Button we see Jay Garrick briefly appear to help out Batman and the Flash before he is pulled back to wherever he is being held. Jay seems to indicate to the heroes that he can be freed like Wally West was if they remember his name. But of course they immediately forget his name. 

In The Lightning Saga, the Legion members were restored to their former selves when the name of Lightning Lad was spoken to them.  Then they set about using a lightning rod to resurrect someone who turns out to be Wally West.

The lightning rod is the same one used to resurrect Lightning Lad in Adventure Comics #312.

At the conclusion of The Button, Barry theorizes that Jay couldn't be freed because Barry was not the "lightning rod he needed."

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

There's a new image from San Diego that's going around today, of the various Dark Matter characters... as well as an unannounced team of four that includes Mister Terrific, Plastic Man, Metamorpho, and a woman in a white costume who could very well be Phantom Girl. Speculation is it's a new Outsiders title written by Jeff Lemire, who's been known to put the Legion into things before (see his run on Justice league United). 

To be fair, though, Plas and Mr. T are also both wearing black and white costumes, so the woman who might be Phantom Girl could very well be someone else. Though PG's powers would certainly fit the Fantastic Four vibe the team is giving off.

Anyway, here's a link to Tom King's photo of the main image, and here's a link to a photo of the far left, where Tinya (or whoever) was cut off from King's original photo. 

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

And she's been confirmed as Phantom Girl! The four characters are The Terrifics, a new team written by Jeff Lemire and drawn by Ivan Reis. (Although their new uniforms were designed by Doc Shaner, who'll hopefully do some interiors for the title, too.)

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

Jeff, there's a DC #1 Comixology sale going on through tomorrow that includes Legion of Superheroes Vol. 1: A Hostile World, which collects the first 7 issues of the New 52 series. That might be a cheapish way to check it out!

[Jeff of Earth-J]

I read issue #23 of the post-New 52 series last night. Man, I missed a lot in the previous 23 (including #0) issues! I really must make a point of slotting this series in to my “project list” sometime soon (but I would want to re-read the 16 issues of the pre-New 52 series first). It’s hard to believe the DCU has been Legion-less for four years.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

You should also probably consider reading the relevant issues of the Adventure Comics revival, too -- there's a story from the Legion's early days, but then, more pertinent, is a story that introduces the new Legion Academy members -- some of whom become Legionnaires by the New 52. 

Jeff of Earth-J said:

I read issue #23 of the post-New 52 series last night. Man, I missed a lot in the previous 23 (including #0) issues! I really must make a point of slotting this series in to my “project list” sometime soon (but I would want to re-read the 16 issues of the pre-New 52 series first). It’s hard to believe the DCU has been Legion-less for four years.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Yeah, I've got those, too. IIRC, the Adventure Comics series led into the Legion series (rahter than crossing back and forth).

[Detective 445]

Decided to grab the last two Legion series in trade form off Comixology. For anyone wondering they pick up after Legion of Three Worlds and line up as follows:

LSH (2010)

Volume 1: The Choice (issues 1-6)

Volume 2: Consequences (issues 7-10 Annual 1, Adventure 521-522)

Volume 3: When Evil Calls (issues 11-16, Legion of Super Villains 1, Adventure 523-529)

LSH (2011)

Volume 1: Hostile World (issues 1-7)

Volume 2: Dominators (issues 0, 8-14)

Volume 3: Fatal Five (issues 15-23)

[Jeff of Earth-J]

That's handy. Thanks!

[Randy Jackson]

Something I've been thinking about recently: I'm going to assume that Brainiac Five's force field is based on the same technology as the original Brainiac's, which as I recall was quite strong.

I've read a lot of Legion comics in my day, but I'm definitely more familiar with the Silver/Bronze age versions. So I'm trying to remember if Brainiac Five ever attempted to use his force field in an offensive manner. Sure, he used it to defend himself and others, but did he ever tinker with the tech so he could project fields whereever he wanted a la Sue Storm?

[Luke Blanchard]

In the Supergirl story "Brainiac's Blitz" from Action Comics #339 the villain attempts to use it to kill Supergirl. He says "at full strength, it can annihilate anything ...even her!", and he uses it to destroy her kryptonite cage.

In Legion of Super-Heroes #303 Brainiac 5 uses his force shield to contain the Emerald Empress's Emerald Eye, but it's a strain. In #311 he contains Computo in it.

In Adventure Comics #348 Brainiac 5 fist-fights a robot with it on, which is a form of using it offensively.