Or - “When The Girl Next Door Comes From Another Dimension…”

In our Hero Histories to date, we’ve seen martyrs and martinets, rockmen and rubber boys, 12th level geniuses and 20th century rejects, but today’s Hero History subject is one of the most relatable of the various Legionnaires throughout the years.  Her story is very familiar, a girl from a good family who leaves home and ends up bonding with a kid from the wrong side of the tracks.  Her story becomes inextricably intertwined with that of her longtime beau, encompassing one of the Legion’s longest-running and most successful romances, and the depth of love is as impressive as his super-powers in many ways.  She’s the sweetest, the calmest of Legionnaires, even at times when all seems lost, and the nature of her powers allow her a sense of serenity that most LSHers can only dream of.  In short, she’s the Legionnaire I’d be most likely to fall in love with, and, I have to say this…  her classic costume showcases one of the finest derrieres of the 31st century.  This, then, is your Hero History of Tinya Wazzo of Bgztl…  Phantom Girl!

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Or - “Bruce Banner Malibu Barbie, Anyone?”

Astute Spoilerites may have noticed that at the very bottom of each Hero History, tucked under the seemingly endless links, there’s a coming attraction for the next episode.  It’s my old-school television roots showing…  In any case, the last Hero History promised a little bit a Tinya in your life, and I was well into gathering my research for her story, when something happened.  Something important, something that caused an immediate change in plans.  In order to explain the significance of this event, I need to tell you the story of “The Hero History That Did Not Want To Be Told.”  Many weeks ago, I broke down my outline of Legionnaires and the order in which I wanted to indoctrinate them to their moment in the sun.  Way back in March, I completed my Sun Boy history, and turned to the next hero in rotation…  only to find that I didn’t own her last appearance.  But of course, I WORK in a comic store, so this shouldn’t be too hard, right?  Nope.  The issue was neither in our back issue bins or in the storage area we call the cave.  I asked Deon to order me the collected TPB, but it’s out of print.  I then went to my second line of the defense, a fellow comic store owner in Lawrence.  No dice.  Having checked my friendly local comic book shop, I went to Mile High Comics online.  Out of stock.  Then, wonder of wonders, I found a copy on Ebay…

…only to lose the auction at the last minute.  Another ray of hope came when a new agent came to my team in June, and he, a fellow comic fan, mentioned in passing that he had a copy…

…but when he went to find it, he found that his home had been broken into and many of his comics stolen, including the one I needed.  Yesterday, I spent SIX hours in the comic shops of Kansas City, only to find my efforts in vain.  This issue was destined to evade me.  Last night, I bumped into an old friend online, and lo and behold, she had the issue, and within twenty minutes had given me the images I needed.  After all this folderal, I felt that I must immediately put together her much-delayed and seemingly cursed Hero History before a catastrophic hard drive failure or a plague of locusts struck.  She joined the team on a lark, and soon made herself beloved amongst her fellows, standing by the team in one of their darkest hours, and dying like she lived, as a champion of hope.  This, then, is your Major Spoilers history of Candi Pyponte-Le Parc III of Xanthu…  Monstress!

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Or - “That’s Right…  Sandy Makes The Cut, Atmos Doesn’t.  My Rules, I Make ‘Em Up.”

When making my final, official, multi-reality, complete roster of the Legion of Super Heroes, I ran afoul of a few conundrums.   Should I count one-issue plot devices like Command Kid or Dynamo Boy as LSHers?  Should I treat the post-reboot Umbra, Leviathan, Alchemist, et al as separate entities from the pre-Crisis Shadow Lass, Colossal Boy, and Element Lad? Could I give the likes of Chemical King or Monstress, with their short tenures, the same kind of gravitas that I hope to impart to Mon-El and Cosmic Boy??  (Your mileage may vary, but I’m trying, Ringo.  I’m tryin’ real hard to be the shepherd…)  And what about Legionnaires whose tenures have gone undocumented, like those during the 5 Year Gap era of the team?  Do they count?  The main thrust of my decisions came down to one important question:  Does the character in question feel like a Legionnaire?  Did he she or it embody that which edifies, elevates, and enlightens?  Could Character X honestly stand alongside Bouncing Boy, Matter-Eater Lad and Tyroc, much less Brainiac 5 or WIldfire?  I’ve been very open from the beginning about the fact that there will be no history of Atmos or Nemesis Kid (at least as Legionnaires…)  I just can’t bring myself to take a character who manipulated his way onto the team and into Nura’s bed by using his “super-roofie” powers, and brought nothing to the Legion save invisible armpits.  Same goes for Val’s murderer.  You may argue that each has his moments, and I agree, but so do many supporting Legion characters (Flynt Brojj, Karate Kid’s sensei, R.J. Brande, etc.) who don’t qualify. Call it “personal continuity,” if you need a name.  And in that vein, today’s Hero History entrant is an unusual case.  She served alongside the team without ever really seeming to belong, and her unpleasantness and snark weren’t the attitude you expected from a member of the LSH.  Yet, somehow, she proved herself to the team, and to me, and was allowed to wear the much-vaunted Legion crest and flight ring.  This then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of the girl who might be Sandy Anderson of Earth…  Inferno!

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Or - “Finally, We Find Out What The Deal Is With “That Little Spaceship Guy!”

The Legion of Super-Heroes, throughout the decades, has taken influence from a lot of sources, and often those influences have had as much in common with Star Trek and it’s ilk as it has had with the Justice League or the Avengers.  Certainly the 30th century setting of the team has allowed the Legion to have had more non-human members (Blok, Tellus, Gates, even Dawnstar and Wildfire are quite obviously NOT your average super-goober) than any other super-team, and today’s entrant is one of the most inhuman of all.  Gates may not have been a humanoid, but at least he’s a SOLID.  Of all the Legionnaires, he/she/it brought a truly alien viewpoint to the team, along with an awesome sense of fun and a genuine humor seldom seen since Bouncing Boy and Matter-Eater Lad left the team so many years ago.  Though short in tenure, and small in stature, today’s Legionnaire entrant nonetheless made a mark on the team (and a marked change in one of the most tenured LSHers) that could not be ignored…  This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of  of Teall…  Quislet!

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Or - “Some Are Born To A Legacy, Some Have Their Legacy Thrust Upon Them…”

Last time ’round, we looked at a hero who was a literal younger brother of one of the founding Legionnaires.  This week, we look at a metaphorical brother of one of the earliest Legionnaires.  Lyle Norg’s death stands among the Legion’s greatest tragedies, and for many years the LSH was without an invisible member.  It took the return of one of the team’s greatest nemeses to create a situation where Lyle’s serum could once again save the day, with a little boost of courage, some tenacity, and a heap of filial affection.  This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Jacques Foccart of Earth…  Invisible Kid!

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Or - “More Than Just The Kid Brother…”

One of the things that really sets the Legion of Super-Heroes apart from other books, historically speaking, was the fact that the characters were allowed to age.  As the teens of the Legion grew up, they paired off, married, reproduced, and had lives.  Unlike most comic characters, the Legionnaires were allowed to organically grow and change.  So, it was natural that, eventually, even the founding members would leave the team.  But when Legion founder Cosmic Boy retired, another ferromagnetic hero stepped into the fray to replace him, and found his path to be a difficult walk through the shadow of big brother.  Still, he managed to distance himself from the spectre of a successful sibling, and eventually saved his team during one of it’s darkest hours.  This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Pol Krinn of Braal… Magnetic Kid!

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Or - “If You Had Powder Blue Skin, You’d Probably Show Off Too…”

Talok VIII is an anomaly in the worlds of the Legion. It’s a hidden, backwater world of swords and sorcery, the kind of place that Red Sonja or Claw the Unconquered wouldn’t feel at all out of place, and it’s favorite daughter has a tendency to dress in a manner that would befit Sonja as well. As with last week’s entrant, she was that rarest of Legionnaire stories, a hero so successful that she was offered LSH membership in the middle of a mission. She was also a part of the Legion’s longest and most successful romance, standing by her man in the face of madness, death, even the unraveling of their very universe. Like the darkness she manipulates, today’s historical subject inspires fear in some, and a deep calm in others. She’s loyal, powerful, and chockful of surprises, a feat in itself for a woman wearing less fabric than my average pair of socks. This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Tasmia Mallor of Talok VIII… Shadow Lass!

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Or - “The Fair Witch Project.”

The Legion of Super-Heroes covers a lot of different takes on heroism, but the one thing that they all seem to share is the affinity for science.  From the “ultra-energy” that imbues Jo Nah, to Wildfire’s transformation to pure antimatter, to the accident that empowered Lighting Lass and her brother, the vagaries of science (or at least the strange comic book version thereof) have served as the origin of many Legionnaires.  Indeed, with the bright and shiny future setting, that’s as it should be.  So today’s Historical subject is an anomaly from the get-go, holding the honor of being one of the only Legionnaires to start out as a villain, as well as being the first full-fledged magician in Legion history.  She stood down with the most powerful creatures in the galaxy, matched up in courage with the greatest heroes the Legion has to offer, and did it with style and grace.  This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Mysa Nal of Naltor…  The White Witch.

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Or, “No, this guy was never an Avenger nor a woman named Rita…”

In some of my previous Hero Histories, I talked a little bit about how Golden Age characters might make an appearance and never be seen again, or they could last through to today. While that was meant to be aimed at actual characters, it holds true for good names a well. You might recognize this week’s Hero History as a name belonging to one of Hank Pym’s various alter egos. Maybe you know it as a young ex-criminal named Rita DeMara who went to the future and on the way back was killed by a mind-controlled Iron Man. Or maybe you even know the pulp-era inspired character published by Shooting Star Comics. But, I can almost bet that you don’t know about the 1940’s crime writer who donned a yellow and black cape and fought crime as, The Yellowjacket!

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Or, “This Rockman has absolutely nothing to do with Megaman…”

The Golden Age was a time of wonder in the comic book industry. New heroes where popping up at dozens of new publishers every week, and if the idea could translate to paper, it was given a shot. Some were never seen after their first appearance, others lasted for decades. Oddly enough, some characters were forgotten and not seen in new adventures for over fifty or more years. The peculiar Rockman, Underground Secret Agent, is one of those recently “re-discovered and re-imagined” heroes of the past.

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Or - “The Thirtieth Century’s Answer To Donny And Marie…”

One of the unavoidable biases inherent in our Terra-centric translation of the events of the various 30th Centuries has been the fact that many more Legionnaires come from Earth than from any other planet.  With Karate Kid, Wildfire, Sun Boy, both Invisible Kids, Bouncing Boy, Ferro Lad, Tyroc, as well as a host of shorter-lived Legionnaires, Sol III holds the record for gestating LSH members, but planet Xanthu (home of Star Boy, Monstress, Atmos, 50% of the rebooted Wildfire, and today’s dual entrants) has a strong heroic tradition of it’s own.  Heck, in some early LSH stories, the team is shown to have their headquarters on Xanthu rather than Earth, though I can’t say for sure if those references are in any way considered canonical.  Though today’s historical subjects weren’t the most long-lived of Legionnaires, and to be honest, sometimes they weren’t the most likable, but both took the challenge of joining the galaxy’s greatest hero team seriously.  One of them inspired the Legion to become a stronger organization, and the other LED the team during some of its’ darkest hours.  This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of James and Jazmin Cullen of Xanthu… Kid Quantum!

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This week, as we continue our look at the “forgotten” heroes of the past, we find another hero who learned his powers from Tibetan monks. This time he is not as steeped in Buddhism as our previous entry, The Green Lama, but he spent more time in training. He also has one of the most recognized, yet unknown cover appearances of the Golden Age. I mean how many other covers have a nearly naked man, in chains, biting a cobra!

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Or - “In Small Things, We Reveal Ourselves As We Truly Are…”

One of the things for which the 30th Century has never lacked is strong female characters.  From the steely nature of Legion founder Saturn Girl, to the tenacity of Dream Girl, to the self-determination of Dawnstar and beyond, the females of the LSH are every single iota the match for their male colleagues.  But with that many dominant personalities on one place, someone is bound to end up in the shadows.  Today’s Historical subject spent the greater part of her Legion career in the shadow of her own relationships, from her first teenage crush, to a relationship with her polar opposite, (power-wise, anyway) to her involvement in the Legion’s first openly homosexual relationship, she’s been defined as much by her other half as by any intrinsic aspect of herself.  But that doesn’t lessen the impact she has had on the team, nor does it in any way eclipse her heroism.  There’s an old cliche that comes to mind about good things and the relative size of their packaging that comes briefly to mind before sensibly departing, but it’s point is still valid:  Size needn’t matter.  This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Salu Digby of Imsk…  Shrinking Violet!

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Not Llama. LAMA.

Om mani padme hum… the Green Lama strikes, for Justice!

The Green Lama, a Westerner who wears the robes of a Tibetan Buddhist monk, recently returned to the public eye as one of the mysterious protagonist in the Dynamite Entertainment comic series, PROJECT: SUPERPOWERS. Although the concept of the series is well publicized, the use of characters whose copyrights have slipped into the public domain, few people know the full history of the individual characters. Today I decided to research The Green Lama, who has one of the most varied of these histories, which ran from the pulp magazines, to comics, to radio, and back to comics.

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Or - “Further Adventures In A World Without Tom Welling…”

Today’s Hero History marks a watershed in our examination of the history of the Legion.  For the first time, we’re actually going to be looking at THREE different women, bound by a common origin and name, but who are NOT precisely the same character.  Previous Hero Histories have dealt with Legionnaires who might as well have been different individuals between Legion incarnations (Element Lad and Triplicate Girl come to mind) but today’s entrant takes that to the extreme.  In her tenure(s) with the LSH, she showed courage unparalleled, ingenuity without peer, and a heroic core that had to overcome some rather large interpersonal difficulties.  She also had a penchant for thong/loincloth uniforms years before every single female member of Youngblood went the same way, proving herself to be an innovator…  for good or for ill.  This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Laurel Gand of Daxam…  Andromeda!

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