Legion of Three Worlds (or "Which Universe Are We in Now?")

Let's get right into it. To begin, these are the "three worlds" in question...

EARTH-1:

EARTH-247:

EARTH-PRIME:

To further set them apart, each of these Legions is closely associated with a different inspiration...

EARTH-1 - (Clark Kent):

EARTH-247 (Conner Kent):

EARTH-PRIME (Supergirl):

And, of course, there are other versions as well...

"FIVE YEARS LATER":

"NEW 52":

"REBIRTH" (Jon Kent):

Which Universe Are You In?

It used to be easy. There was "Earth-1" and "Earth-2" and that was pretty much it. In order to determine in which universe a story is set, there are several key questions which must be answered. Among them...

Did Clark Kent have a career as Superboy?
Did Lex Luthor live in Smallville as a boy or did he first meet Superman as an adult?
Was Wonder Woman a charter member of the JLA? Was Black Canary? Cyborg?
Who killed Thomas and Martha Wayne, and was the killer ever caught?
Who is the Time Trapper?

It used to be that big, sweeping, universal changes were obvious: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Zero Hour, Flashpoint. But now they sneak up on you if you're not paying attention. (Frankly, sometimes I think DC's writers and editors don't even know.) I remember reading a Superman story one time and BAM! There was a reference to Superboy. When did that happen? (John Byrne had eliminated Clark Kent's career as superboy back in 1986.) Since Flashpoint, universal shake-ups have happened so fast I can't even keep track of them: Convergemce, Rebirth, Infinite Frontier, Dark Multiverse, Generations Shattered, Generations Forged. Those are only the ones I can remember off the top of my head; I'm sure there are others I have missed.

I would like to construct some sort of flow chart or Venn diagram which would quickly identify in which universe a DC story is set. Unfortunately, as I mentioned, I myself have lost track in recent years. I do have a theory, though (you knew I would), and it involves the Time Trapper. Brainiac 5 has postulated that the Time Trapper has always been "a sentient alternate timeline rebelling against ours." I believe that each individual DC Universe has its own version of the Time trapper. Many different people have stepped in to fill that role over the years: Rokk Krinn, Barbara Gordon, the Superboy of Earth-Prime, others. Perhaps the most shocking is the identity of the Time Trapper of DC's current "All In" Universe...

I didn't know about the "sentient timeline" bit...

That's from Legion of Three Worlds.

A Saturn Girl would show up and I'd think, "Now which one is this again?"

See, that's one of the things I like about Legion of Three Worlds... or came to like. I've read it a couple of times over the years, including yesterday. It's not something that's easy to pick up on the first time through (especially when reading on a month-to-month basis), or even the second. But the more often I read it, the more I come to appreciate it. Alloow me to quote from Scott Koblish's foreword to this week'scollected edition:

"I don't have to tell you, dear reader, that the Legion of super-Heroes has an immense cast--the team itself vacillating between 25 and 45 active mebers, not to mention all the various villians the plague the Legion, from the Fatal five to the League of Super-Assassins. Taking on the Legion would be a daunting task for anyone.

"In these pages, George tripled that.

"In his hands, it looks effortless. Masterful. If you look closely, every one of his Braniac 5s is physically different, and they exhibit clear and different behavior: the first one is haggard and exasperated; the second version of Querl Dox exhibits considerably colder and more cuastic behavior than the other two. Each Lightning Lad looks different, every version of Saturn girl. Different jawlines, eye shapes, noses, haircuts. George painstakingly planned and plotted these characteristics and then dove right in, never failing to maintain the identifying features of a cast that grew exponentially with every issue."

Maybe now, in post-Doomsday Clock...

I forgot Doomsday Clock in my list of various "crises"!

I hate it far less than the Time Trapper being Superboy-Prime...

I like the idea of Superboy Prime being the Time Trapper, but that (as they say) is what makes horseraces.

It's not that I don't love the Legion, but as you say, it's easy to lose track.

Personally, I think DC jumped the track with Zero Hour. Until then, they had a consistant, continuous 36-year history from 1958 through 1994. And Legion fandom was unique as well. No other fan base was a loyal. But Zero Hour changed all that. As much as I liked the post-Zero Hour Legion (now designated the "Legion of Earth-247"), and I did like it, I'm sure it signaled a "jumping off" point for many loyal fans. That Legion, too, was replaced (after a mere 11 years) by the one now known as the "Legion of Earth-0." I'm sure that move cost some readers as well. My personl favorite (21st century) version is the one introduced by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank in Action Comics #858.

This Legion stayed around for several years (until it, too, was replaced) and, AFAIAC, represents the return of the original "Legion of Earth-1." Yes, it cuts the "Five Years Later" version (popular with many fans, including myself) out of continuity, but by that time the damage had already been done and this move helped to repair it.

Replies

Captain Comics May 10, 2025 at 1:10pm

It's been a long while since I've followed a Legion series, so I didn't know about the "sentient timeline" bit (which is a great idea -- it explains all those different Trappers). I only know about the Doomsday bit above from you, Jeff. I never read it.

It's not that I don't love the Legion, but as you say, it's easy to lose track. Heck, I was losing track in "Legion of Three Worlds." A Saturn Girl would show up and I'd think, "Now which one is this again?" Maybe now, in post-Doomsday Clock, we'll get a definitive one that I'll enjoy (until the next crisis).
Philip Portelli May 10, 2025 at 2:04pm

Sorry, no way he's hiding all those spikes under that hood!

But I hate it far less than the Time Trapper being Superboy-Prime and far, far less than it being Cosmic Boy!
Jeff of Earth-J May 10, 2025 at 3:19pm

I didn't know about the "sentient timeline" bit...

That's from Legion of Three Worlds.

A Saturn Girl would show up and I'd think, "Now which one is this again?"

See, that's one of the things I like about Legion of Three Worlds... or came to like. I've read it a couple of times over the years, including yesterday. It's not something that's easy to pick up on the first time through (especially when reading on a month-to-month basis), or even the second. But the more often I read it, the more I come to appreciate it. Alloow me to quote from Scott Koblish's foreword to this week'scollected edition:

"I don't have to tell you, dear reader, that the Legion of super-Heroes has an immense cast--the team itself vacillating between 25 and 45 active mebers, not to mention all the various villians the plague the Legion, from the Fatal five to the League of Super-Assassins. Taking on the Legion would be a daunting task for anyone.

"In these pages, George tripled that.

"In his hands, it looks effortless. Masterful. If you look closely, every one of his Braniac 5s is physically different, and they exhibit clear and different behavior: the first one is haggard and exasperated; the second version of Querl Dox exhibits considerably colder and more cuastic behavior than the other two. Each Lightning Lad looks different, every version of Saturn girl. Different jawlines, eye shapes, noses, haircuts. George painstakingly planned and plotted these characteristics and then dove right in, never failing to maintain the identifying features of a cast that grew exponentially with every issue."

Maybe now, in post-Doomsday Clock...

I forgot Doomsday Clock in my list of various "crises"!

I hate it far less than the Time Trapper being Superboy-Prime...

I like the idea of Superboy Prime being the Time Trapper, but that (as they say) is what makes horseraces.

It's not that I don't love the Legion, but as you say, it's easy to lose track.

Personally, I think DC jumped the track with Zero Hour. Until then, they had a consistant, continuous 36-year history from 1958 through 1994. And Legion fandom was unique as well. No other fan base was a loyal. But Zero Hour changed all that. As much as I liked the post-Zero Hour Legion (now designated the "Legion of Earth-247"), and I did like it, I'm sure it signaled a "jumping off" point for many loyal fans. That Legion, too, was replaced (after a mere 11 years) by the one now known as the "Legion of Earth-0." I'm sure that move cost some readers as well. My personl favorite (21st century) version is the one introduced by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank in Action Comics #858.

This Legion stayed around for several years (until it, too, was replaced) and, AFAIAC, represents the return of the original "Legion of Earth-1." Yes, it cuts the "Five Years Later" version (popular with many fans, including myself) out of continuity, but by that time the damage had already been done and this move helped to repair it.
Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod) May 10, 2025 at 4:53pm

I've yet to read all of those Superman issues with the Time Trapper (and the upcoming ones with the Legion), but I'm looking forward to them.

I'm an enormous 5 Years Later fan... and totally fine with it being shoved out of continuity. While I'd be interested in seeing further adventures of that Legion, it definitely feels like a dead end for the group. (Especially the last part, right before the Zero Hour reboot, where they took on new identities and some Khundish members). The Johns/Frank Legion definitely seems to be a continuation of the Levitz/Giffen heyday, maybe picking up right after the Magic Wars story that closed out their run.

I think, if push comes to shove, my least favorite Legion is what you've labeled Earth Prime. But I haven't revisited those stories in ages, and I definitely liked those early issues; I remember it hitting a rough patch when Jim Shooter started writing it again. I should re-read those issues, and the Bendis/Sook issues, again.

I'll definitely be getting Legion of 3 Worlds with my next Instocktrades purchase, so I'll be rereading it again soon. It'll be good to see all that gorgeous Perez art get the treatment it deserves.
Jeff of Earth-J May 10, 2025 at 6:34pm

To further set them apart, each of these Legions is closely associated with a different inspiration...

...and the Legion of EARTH-66 was inspired by Robin, the Boy Wonder.

This reply was deleted.