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 - “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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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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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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Or - “Living Proof That The Powers Do Not Always Make The Hero…”

In a very real way, to study the history of today’s subject is to study the history of the Legion itself.  Initially a smiling young teen with what I’ll charitably call “limited” superhuman abilities, she was at the center of one of the LSH’s first great tragedies.  When the team began growing up and dealing with responsibility, she was the first Legionnaire to marry and take on an adult role.  When the team began actively recruiting and training young heroes, she took on a leadership position, and was crucial (even after having been INACTIVE for years) to one of the team’s most difficult missions.  Her sense of self (selves?) may have been occasionally suspect, but her sense of heroism and her willingness to put herself in harm’s way to protect her teammates and friends make her memorable.  Add to that the fact that she overcame a crush on the archetypical teen idol stereotype in a red cape to find true and long-lasting love with Bouncing Boy (who even I, BB’s biggest fan, realize isn’t exactly crush-fodder) reveals the character underneath that Eve Arden haircut.  She’s a study in contrasts, a walking diorama of internal conflict, and she’s not afraid to wear purple and orange together.  This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Luornu Durgo of Carggg…  Triplicate Girl!

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Or -  “My Initiative Is Simple:  No Legionnaire Left Behind!”

In the early 1980’s, Marvel Comics began printing up their “Official Handbook of The Marvel Universe,” an in-depth, encyclopedic examination of events, people and places in Marvel history.  DC soon followed suit with their “Who’s Who In The DC Universe,” which took a different tack, essentially covering the high points of a character’s publishing history, as well as one-upping Marvel’s static costume shots with a full-size collage of the character’s history and heroic feats.  It was here that I first encountered today’s Historical subject…  As a Legion fan, I was fascinated by the fact that one of their members existed entirely in the lacunae of my Legion knowledge (which at that time consisted of reprints of the first five years of Adventure Comics and most of what happened after Tyroc joined in the 220’s.)  His story sounded exciting, and his eventual fate was fascinating, and I resolved to find every appearance of this “Lost Legionnaire.”  Little did I know that I’d only be hunting down a dozen or so comics.  But as even the youngest child can tell you, quantity is not the same as quality (unless you’re talking about toys or candy) and he will stand alongside his teammates as a testament to the Legion’s central tenet:  Heroism is about people, and every person has something to contribute.  This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Condo Arlik of Phlon…  Chemical King!

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Or - “A Bright Enough Light Can Hide The Shadows Within…”

The study of the history of the Legion of Super-Heroes inevitably leads to the study of many unusual superhero archetypes and attitudes. Whereas most teams consist of six or seven clearly defined characters, a group the size of the Legion has room for Wildfire’s snarkiness, for Dawnstar’s occasional narcissism, for the roguish charm of Ultra Boy, for Shadow Lass’ antisocial tendencies, even for Quislet’s complete disregard for convention. It also leaves room for your classic cocky womanizer, smart but not the smartest, charming but not the most so, certainly heroic but hardly a paragon. It’s kind of ironic that the Legionnaire with the smartest costume (one that lasted for over 40 years with virtually no changes) and the most heroic look is one of the most troubled and tragic LSHers of them all. This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Dirk Morgna of Earth… Sun Boy!

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Or - “The Thirst For Power Isn’t Always A Selfish Endeavor…”

Even when you take into account the length and breadth of my comic knowledge, and my love of the Legion, there’s inevitably going to be somebody who is my least favorite.  (My Top Ten fave-raves?  1) Blok.  2) Matter-Eater Lad.  3) Bouncing Boy.  4) Wildfire.  5)  Pre-Crisis Ferro Lad.  6) Ultra Boy.  7) XS.  8) Tyroc.  9) Polar Boy.  10) Mon-El.)  Still, the entire point of the Hero History exercise, other than serving as an outlet for my creative/didactic urges, is to identify that which makes each hero uniquely awesome, and none deserve (perhaps even NEED) this treatment more than today’s subject.  I’ve mentioned before how certain Hero Histories were more difficult than I expected, but his one was easier than I thought.  I honestly expected myself to be among those needing to be converted to see the light, but the during the perusal of her history found myself reminded of the very point that makes the Legion great: Everyone has something to contribute.  This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Zoe Saugin of Aleph…  Kinetix!

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Or - “Making The World Safe For Skin-Tight Red Hotpants…  Thank Rao!”

In the 70 years since the advent of Superman, there have been a great many superheroes, with varying raisons d’etre.  Some came to cash in on trends, some to break new ground, some to irritate, some to ingratiate, and some to infiltrate.  But today’s entrant seemingly comes from the basest of all creative wells: protection of copyright.  Like Jessica Drew, Carol Danvers, Kathy Kane, and others, our hero du jour is a female version of an existing hero.  Unlike any of those others, she managed to carrying her own book on at least FIVE occasions (though that does raise the point that it was cancelled FOUR times) and was a fixture of the DC Universe for decades.  Many of the Legionnaires possessed powers on her level, but few matched her for sheer tenacity and dedication.  Though her beauty was legendary, her mind was a match for Brainiac 5 himself, and her dedication to protecting innocents led to one of the most tragic moments in comic history.  This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Kara Zor-El of Argo City…  Supergirl!

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Or - “Overlook Him At Your Own Peril…”

Lyyyyle Nooorg!  Lyyle Norg!  Riding through the laaaand…

Lyyyyle Nooorg!  Lyyle Norg!  With a beige headbaaaand!

Sometimes I write little bits of doggerel to fill in the spaces and format the images in Wordpress, but that one cracks me up so completely, I thought I’d leave it in.  Of the many Legionnaires over the years, there have been a seemingly inordinate number of what the superhero RPG community calls “bricks.”  Mon-El, Tom Welling, Andromeda, Supergirl, Thunder, Ultra Boy, Kent Shakespeare, even my beloved Blok fall into the category of “Legionnaires Whose Job It Is To Hit $#!+ Really Hard.”  But as we have seen previously, the ranks of the LSH also include many whose powers are of a more subtle bent, and none more so that today’s entrant.  It’s fitting that of all the Legionnaires, his motives are among the least obvious.  Not merely content to make his entire body disappear, he managed to keep his past likewise unseen.  His resume includes runs as a spy, an inventor, and Legion leader, and he managed to keep an entire relationship under the radar of the Legion (and the readers.)  Though his story may have ended (if things in comics can be said to end) in tragedy, his legacy lived on.  This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Lyle Norg of Earth…  Invisible Kid!

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Or - “You Waste 10 Lifetimes In A Cosmic Peepshow & See How Normal YOU Are…”

In this, the fiftieth anniversary year of that futuristic bunch of super-teens known as the Legion of Super-Heroes, we’re continuing our in-depth look at children of the future (teach them well, and let them lead the way to kick the behinds of the Fatal Five.)  We turn our sights today to the man who was, quite possibly, the most powerful hero alive in the pre-Crisis DCU.  When Superman could fly through suns, move the Earth out of orbit, and see thousands of miles in any direction, and do virtually ANYTHING at all…  Now, imagine meeting his big brother!  Imagine a stronger Superman, with no Kryptonite weakness, with the mind of a scientist, with a stronger education, but without all the “Boo hoo!  My mommy and daddy were vaporized and now the last fragments of my ancestral home are poison to me blah blah blah fishcakes.”  He called the Legion home for decades, but before that he spent centuries as a phantom overseeing the universe, adding a fierce knowledge of history to his list of assets.  More power than the man who was more powerful than a locomotive, the Man Of Tomorrow’s day after, this, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Lar Gand of Daxam…  Mon-El!

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