The Legion of Super-Heroes holds a special place in my heart, as it was the catalyst for my 50-year comic book reading and collecting journey. My love for this team has only deepened over the years. While I've enjoyed every iteration and reboot of the Legion, it's the Silver and Bronze Age team that remains my favorite. Every month, I eagerly awaited their next adventure, often losing track of time as I delved into the details—memorizing not only the names but also the home planets of each character in the expansive cast!
In this tour, we'll explore the evolution of the Legion from 1958 to 1989, tracing how the team’s roster shifted over the years. Strap in tight, because this is going to be a long ride!
The year is 1958, the issue is Adventure Comics #247, and the story is called, "The Legion of Super-Heroes." This tale was written by Otto Binder, and it is doubtful that when he penned it he could have imagined the legacy that followed it.
Superboy is taunted by three teenagers who make it clear they know his secret identity. Shortly after his encounter with each of them, they meet up with him again and reveal that they are from the future. They discard their current-era clothing to reveal their costumes, each having their names boldly displayed on their upper chest. They are Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Lightning Boy. They belong to a "...special club, whose members perform super feats"! They request that he accompany them back to the future and try out for membership in their club. After pulling yet another prank on the Boy of Steel during his membership trial, the team ultimately extends him a membership to their team. While the reader is only introduced to the three founders of the team, there are a couple panels in the story that make it clear that there are indeed other existing members.
COSMIC BOY (already a member)
Real Name: Rokk Krinn
Powers: Magnetic Manipulation
In Adventure Comics #247, it’s established that he is already a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Later, it’s revealed that he is one of the three founding members who helped create the team.
In this first appearance, his powers are described as magnetic eyes, a result of special serums, and he wears a clear, bubble-style helmet. However, this concept is quickly revised: the helmet disappears, and his magnetic abilities are shown to emanate from his body, typically focused through his hands. It is also later revealed that all beings from his home planet possess these abilities.
SATURN GIRL (already a member)
Real Name: Imra ArdenHome Planet: Titan, a moon of Saturn
She is already a member of the team when she first appears in Adventure Comics #247. She is later revealed to be one of the Legion's three founders. All the inhabitants of her home planet share her abilities, but Imra's abilities are among her world's strongest.
When he debuted in Adventure Comics #247, he was called Lightning Boy. Additionally, his powers were manifested by hand claps. On his second outing, he had replaced "Boy" with the more phonetically harmonious "Lad", and his powers are internally generated, typically emitted from his hands.
Before we go further, we need to make a quick pit stop in our tour to explain how this journey will proceed. As we move forward, members 4 through 16 will be presented in the order they have been canonically established to have joined the group. This can conflict with when the characters first saw print. This canonical order was created to explain the other background members shown in Adventure Comics #247. The accepted canonical order in which members joined the team has been established in several publications including Superboy #147, Legion of Super-Heroes #300, the All-New Collector's Edition #C-55, and the 2995 Sourcebook, among others.
TRIPLICATE GIRL (already a member)
Real Name: Luornu Durgo
Home Planet: Cargg (sometimes Carggg)
Powers: Able to split herself into 3 separate bodies
Triplicate Girl was the first hero to join the founding three. Because her world has triple suns, this somehow imbued all the people on her planet with the ability to split into 3 bodies. The bodies can function independently, but when they recombine their memories are shared.
Phantom Girl's home world is a planet that exists in the same place as Earth but in a different dimension. Residents of Bgztl can phase between the dimensions and can become intangible at will while on Earth. In later years, it was implied that Bgztl might be part of the Phantom Zone.
Phantom Girl had the longest uninterrupted tenure as a team member than any other Legionnaire during their original incarnation.
CHAMELEON BOY (already a member)
COLOSSAL BOY (already a member)
STAR BOY (already a member) Real Name: Thom Kallor Home Planet: Xanthu Powers: Able to temporarily increase the mass and density of any object or person
Real Name: Kara Zor-El / Linda Danvers
Powers: Power(s): Super strength, speed, hearing, vision, and breath; flight; invulnerability; heat vision Supergirl joins the Legion of Super-Heroes in Action Comics #276 (May 1961). Supergirl is the cousin of Superman who had made her debut in Action Comics #252 two years earlier.
BRAINIAC 5 (admitted) Real Name: Querl Dox Home Planet: Colu
Just a quick note from your guide! It is at this point that the chronological order of Legion's membership aligns with its canonical order!
MON-EL (admitted)
Mon-El first appeared in Superboy #89 (June 1961). Initially, Superboy mistakes Mon-El for a long-lost brother, as they share the same superpowers. However, while Superboy is vulnerable to kryptonite, Mon-El is harmed by lead. After Mon-El is fatally exposed to lead, Superboy places him in the Phantom Zone to save his life, vowing to find a cure.
Unfortunately, no cure is found, and Mon-El remains trapped in the Phantom Zone for 1,000 years. It isn’t until Saturn Girl and Brainiac 5 develop an anti-lead serum that Mon-El is freed. He is then accepted into the Legion of Super-Heroes in Adventure Comics #305 (Feb. 1963).
Mon-El is from Daxam, a planet located in the same solar system as Krypton, which explains his similar powers under Earth’s yellow sun.
ELEMENT LAD (admitted)
Real Name: Jan Arrah
Home Planet: Trom
Powers: Elemental transmutation and molecular reconstruction
Jan's membership in the Legion was proposed by Saturn Girl, who insisted they trust her judgment and admit him, despite not knowing the full extent of his abilities. He was accepted and given the mysterious title of "Mystery Lad." This takes place in Adventure Comics #307 - April 1963.
On his home planet of Trom, every citizen had the power to manipulate elements, a gift that had flourished for generations—until the ruthless villain Roxxas arrived. Seeking to exploit the Tromians' powers for his own wealth, Roxxas demanded their compliance. When the people of Trom refused to become his pawns, he exterminated them all. Only one boy survived—Jan. Desperate to remain unnoticed, but determined to use his abilities for good, Jan fled his shattered home and sought refuge among the Legion of Super-Heroes under his new alias.
But Roxxas wasn’t finished with Jan. After discovering his survival, the villain tracked him down, attempting once more to coerce him into a life of crime. This time, however, Jan wasn't alone. With the help of the Legion, he outsmarted Roxxas and brought him to justice.
With Roxxas vanquished and the weight of his past lifted, Jan finally revealed the truth: he was the last survivor of Trom. He was rechristened as Element Lad. Like several other new Legionnaires before him, Element Lad is admitted to the team and then not seen again for over a year.
LIGHTNING LASS (admitted) Real Name: Ayla Ranzz Home Planet: Winath Powers: Electrical creation and manipulation
Following the death of Lightning Lad, the members of the Legion of Super-Heroes often wondered if there might be a way to revive him. In Adventure Comics #308 (May 1963), it seemed as though that possibility had become reality, as Lightning Lad appeared to return from the dead.
As the issue unfolds, however, it is revealed that this "revived" Lightning Lad is actually his twin sister, Ayla, who had disguised herself as her brother, deceiving the Legion to honor her departed brother. Once the truth comes to light, the Legion welcomes Ayla into their ranks on her own merits, acknowledging her as "Lightning Lass".
Ayla had been with her brother when they were both exposed to the Lightning Creatures on the planet Korbal, which granted them similar powers. (Later versions of this origin story would add another sibling, Mekt, who would go on to become the villain Lightning Lord.)
STONE BOY (declines membership) Real Name: Dag Wentim Home Planet: Zwen Powers: Able to turn his body to solid stone
The people of Zwen developed the unique ability to turn to stone as a survival mechanism, allowing them to hibernate through their planet's six-month period of darkness. Dag, known as Stone Boy, hoped to join the prestigious Legion of Super-Heroes. However, because he became immobile in his stone form, the Legion deemed his powers too limited and passed on offering him membership.
Undeterred, Stone Boy joined four other rejected candidates to form the Legion of Substitute Heroes, an auxiliary team that assisted the main Legion when needed. In Adventure Comics #315, the Legion decided to reward the Subs for their consistent heroism by hosting a contest to determine which member would earn a spot in the "real" Legion. After winning the competition, Stone Boy was offered membership. Yet, in a surprising turn, he chose to decline the offer and remain with his fellow Substitute Heroes.
DREAM GIRL (admitted)
BOUNCING BOY (resigns) In Adventure Comics #321 (June 1964) Bouncing Boy loses his ability to inflate after he's accidently exposed to a matter-shrinking projector. Now "slender," he is somehow unrecognizable to some of his fellow LSH members... despite the fact he is wearing the same costume! Forced to give up his membership, he is extended a permanent place in the Legion Reserve.
UNKNOWN LEGIONNAIRE In Adventure Comics #327 (Dec. 1964) there is a single panel that recognizes a former Legionnaire who joined the team under false pretenses. This act is illegal, so he was sent to a prison planet. Who this former member was, what his powers were, when he was admitted, and when he was expelled is unknown.
SIZE LAD
As part of an elaborate scheme to fend off an impending invasion, the Legion pretends to marry off Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl, and Phantom Girl and Ultra Boy. Since the Legion Constitution forbids having married members, they pretend to resign. Using this pretense the Legion holds auditions for possible new members right away. (Adventure Comics #337 - October 1965)
Three of the potential invaders from the planet Murra infiltrate the Legion by auditioning and being extended membership. It seems the Murrians have created pills that can grant individual super powers. How convenient!
Of course, the membership of these new inductees is revoked once this Legion scheme helps them discover where Murra is located. The Legion defeats the Murrian villains, avoiding the impending invasion of Earth.
(In a wee bit of irony, Blackout Boy has the powers of future member Shadow Lass, and Magnetic Kid will be the code name used by another future Legionnaire.)
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TRIPLICATE GIRL (dies) In Adventure Comics #340 (Jan. 1966) Brainiac 5 finishes building the world's most intelligent mobile robot which he names Computo. Sadly, Computo's sentience was more than Brainiac 5 anticipated and Brainy soon finds himself a prisoner of his new creation. Computo sets out to imprison the most intelligent citizens to absorb as much knowledge as possible. When the Legion arrives to battle Computo, Triplicate Girl is captured and incinerated. The team retreats to regroup. During this time they hold a burial for their fallen comrade on Shanghalla, a cemetery satellite for fallen heroes from around the universe In the following issue of Adventure Comics, the team finds out that Triplicate Girl had replicated before the encounter with Computo. The robot had killed one of her copies, but the other two remained alive. They had every intention of remaining in the Legion but changed their code name to Duo Damsel. The team eventually defeated Computo... for the time being.
Star Boy embarks on a vacation to the planet Karak, only to be confronted by Kenz Nuhor, a man who has followed him there. Kenz, hailing from Naltor, had once hoped to marry Dream Girl (Nura Nal). But Nura rejected him, choosing Star Boy instead. For Kenz, this betrayal can only mean one thing—he must kill Star Boy. While attempting to defeat Kenz, Star Boy is incapacitated when his own power is used against him. In an effort to save himself, Star Boy uses a gun to kill Kenz. While his act was one of self-defense, the Legion is taken aback because killing is against their Constitutional rules. A trial is held, with Superboy defending Star Boy and Brainiac 5 prosecuting on behalf of the Legion. Brainiac 5 argues that Star Boy could have incapacitated Kenz without resorting to lethal force. After deliberations, the vote ends in a narrow 10-9 decision, and Star Boy is found guilty, leading to his expulsion from the Legion.
As Star Boy leaves the Legion Clubhouse, he is greeted by Dream Girl, now a member of the Legion of Substitute Heroes. Polar Boy offers him a spot on their team, and Star Boy accepts, ready for a new beginning. This tale played out in Adventure Comics #342 (March 1966).
In an interesting continuity twist, writer Edmond Hamilton chose to have Honorary Member Jimmy Olsen cast one of the 19 votes in the trial, rather than Reservist Bouncing Boy.
Adventure Comics #346 (July 1966) marks the debut of Jim Shooter, a 14-year-old comic fan from Pennsylvania, as a new DC writer. In his first published story, Shooter introduced four new members to the Legion of Super-Heroes. PRINCESS PROJECTRA (admitted) Real Name: Projectra Home Planet: Orando Powers: Illusion Creation Projectra is a member of the royal family of Orando. She is a member of the ruling class of Orikalls, who are spiritual mediums. During her birth ceremony, a witch endowed her with the ability to cast life-like illusions. Projectra's illusions affect all five senses of those they are aimed at. Having a royal on the team often played to the Legion's favor in instances where access to funds or interplanetary diplomacy were necessary.
NEMESIS KID (admitted) Real Name: Hart Druiter Home Planet: Myar Powers: Ability to spontaneously develop powers to defeat a single opponent Nemesis Kid's powers are the result of exposure to alchemical potions. They give him an advantage when facing a single foe. However, when faced with multiple opponents his powers might provide him with teleportation abilities allowing him to escape, or they can simply fail to provide him with any adequate advantage. Nemesis Kid is one of four applicants admitted to the Legion in Adventure Comics #346 (July 1966),
FERRO LAD (admitted)
Real Name: Andrew Nolan Home Planet: Earth Powers: Ability to convert his body to organic iron Andrew and his twin brother Douglas were both born with deformed faces that were considered so grotesque that they were forced to wear iron masks to cover them in public. The two were also born as mutants, with the ability to convert their bodies to living iron, thus making them super strong and nearly indestructible. When Jim Shooter created the character (first appearing in Adventure Comics #346), he intended for Ferro Lad to be African-American. However, DC editor Mort Weisenger vetoed this aspect of the character, citing the potential loss of distribution in the South as the reason.
KARATE KID (admitted) Real Name: Val Armorr Home Planet: Earth Powers: Master of all known forms of martial arts The last of the four new characters created by Jim Shooter in Adventure Comics #346 (July 1966) was Karate Kid. Karate Kid was raised by Japan's greatest hero, Sensei Toshiaki, who trained him in martial arts. Though he possesses no actual super power, using his vast skills he was able to defeat Superboy in a one-on-one combat during his Legion audition. Karate Kid has traveled throughout the universe to learn all known forms of martial arts.
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NEMESIS KID (expelled) After the four new Legionnaires were admitted to the team in Adventure Comics #346, Garlak, the Warlord of Khund, taunted the Legionnaires claiming that he had placed a spy in their ranks. Initially, Karate Kid is suspected of being the spy, but ultimately it turned out that Nemesis Kid was the traitor in the Legion's ranks. He's expelled from the team and later joins the Legion of Super-Villains. This takes place in Adventure Comics #347 (Aug. 1966)
SUPERBOY AND SUPERGIRL (Honorably Discharged)
When 30th-century Earth's magnetic field becomes filled with green kryptonite dust, the Legion has to discharge Superboy and Supergirl from active membership for their safety. Until the threat to their health has passed or been resolved, the Super cousins must avoid traveling to this era in their future. This takes place in Adventure Comics #350. Before Superboy and Supergirl travel back to their respective eras, they tell the Legion who they would like to have replace them on the team.
SIR PRIZE MISS TERIOUS (both admitted)
As the story continues into the pages of Adventure Comics #351 there are major changes that take place before the tale comes to its conclusion. STAR BOY DREAM GIRL (officially readmitted) Sir Prize and Miss Terious finally reveal themselves. They are really Star Boy and Dream Girl, both former members of the Legion, and current members of the Legion of Substitute-Heroes, As members of the Subs, they both have a flight ring, explaining their ability to fly. By utilizing their powers in unique ways, they were able to appear to have the powers of Kryptonians. Apparently the Legion's leader, Invisible Kid, felt that both heroes had paid for their past misdeeds, and he requests that they remain members of the Legion of Super-Heroes.
SUPERBOY
In Adventure Comics #352 and #353, the Legion finds themselves trying to defeat a sun-eater. Sun-eaters are a giant cloud like entities that surround suns and devour them, thus killing any and all life within the solar system that the sun supplied heat and light for. In this tale, a sun-eater is headed to our Milky Way galaxy.
The team tries many ways to redirect or destroy the sun-eater to no avail. The scientific villain known as Thorak builds an "absorbatron bomb" that is capable of defeating the sun-eater, but the bomb must be transported into the center of the sun-eater. Ferro Lad valiantly volunteers to fulfill this task. Before anyone can stop him, he's on his way to dispose of the bomb in the center of the sun-eater. He dies in the blast that incinerates the sun-eater.
Biron the Bowman possesses unparalleled skill with the ancient weapon of the bow and arrow, while Blockade Boy has the extraordinary ability to transform his body into an indestructible wall. Together, they are quickly inducted into the Legion of Super-Heroes with little ceremony.
They make their debut in Adventure Comics #364 (January 1968), which, for better or worse, serves as a swan song for the Legion of Super-Pets. This concept, once a fun and lighthearted addition to the Legion’s ranks, was increasingly at odds with the more mature storytelling and sophisticated themes the series was embracing at the time.
As the story unfolds, it’s revealed that Biron the Bowman is actually Comet the Super-Horse—temporarily transformed into a human by a passing comet—and Blockade Boy is none other than Proty II, Chameleon Boy’s shape-shifting pet. The two had infiltrated the Legion to resolve tensions between their respective teams. However, by the story’s end, they resign from the Legion and return to the Super-Pets, marking the end of their brief foray into the Legion’s ranks.
Real Name: Tasmia Mallor
Home Planet: Talok VIII
Powers: Able to generate fields of darkness
Shadow Lass first appeared on the cover of Adventure Comics #354 (March 1967), in an imaginary tale featuring the potential future "Adult Legion." In this storyline, an adult Superman travels 1,000 years into the future to reunite with the Legion of Super-Heroes, a team he hasn't seen since his youth. The issue provides updates on most of the Legion members, as well as statues commemorating fallen heroes, including one dedicated to a mysterious member named Shadow Woman. In this early appearance, Shadow Woman is depicted with Caucasian skin.
A year later, Shadow Lass was officially introduced in Adventure Comics #365 (February 1967). This time, she is depicted as a hero known as the Shadow Champion from her home planet, Talok VIII, and her skin is now colored light blue.
The Legion is dispatched to Talok VIII to investigate why the peaceful world has become warlike and aggressive. There, they join forces with Shadow Lass to battle the Fatal Five, who have taken control of the planet. After freeing Talok VIII from the mental influence of the evil Thorak, Shadow Lass is sworn into the Legion. She later plays a key role in helping the team thwart the Fatal Five's attempt to seize control of Earth.
When Colossal Boy's parents are turned to glass and abducted by villains seeking information on how the training is conducted at the Legion Academy, a training branch established by the Legion to prepare possible members of the team.
Not wanting his parents to be hurt or killed, Colossal Boy intentionally fails at a mission so he'll be sent to the Academy for more training. While there he takes notes on the Academy's methods. His behavior becomes suspicious to Ultra Boy who eventually brings him up on charges of treason. Following a Legion trial, Colossal Boy is expelled from the team in Adventure Comics #371 (August 1968).
He is readmitted to the team in the following issue, once the circumstances of his parent's abduction become known, his betrayal of the Academy is forgiven.
CHEMICAL KING (admitted)
Real Name: Condo Arlik
Home Planet: Phlon
Powers: Ability to retard or speed up chemical reactions
Chemical King is a mutant born with the extraordinary ability to manipulate chemical reactions. For much of his childhood, he lived in isolation, focusing on mastering control over his powers. As a young teenager, he joined the Legion Academy, determined to become a full-fledged member of the Legion of Super-Heroes.
Though his first official appearance is in Adventure Comics #371 (August 1968), Chemical King was initially seen as a statue in the "Adult Legion" storyline over a year earlier.
In Adventure Comics #372, Chemical King is chosen, along with another Academy member, to infiltrate a Super-Villain School. After successfully helping the Legion thwart the villains' plot to train new criminals, Chemical King is rewarded for his bravery and skill by being granted membership in the Legion of Super-Heroes.
TIMBER WOLF (admitted)
Real Name: Brin Londo
Home Planet: Zoon
Powers: Enhanced strength, speed and agility
Timber Wolf, originally known as Lone Wolf, was one of two Legion Academy members sent undercover by the Legion to infiltrate a school for training supervillains in Adventure Comics #372 (September 1968). After the success of this mission, he was inducted into the Legion of Super-Heroes.
Brin’s first appearance came in Adventure Comics #327 (December 1964), when several Legion members helped him uncover the truth behind his false memories. He had been led to believe that he possessed superpowers because he was an android. It was revealed that his identity had been stolen by an android named Karth Arn. The truth came to light when Brin discovered that he, not the android, was the original human, and that his superhuman abilities had been the result of experiments conducted by his father.
Over time, Brin's physical appearance mutated, often taking on a more feral, wolf-like form, further reflecting the savage aspects of his powers.
With the admittance of Shadow Lass, Chemical King, and Timber Wolf... the Legion of Super-Heroes boasted a staggering membership of 26 active heroes.... not to mention the Reserve members, Honorary members, Substitute Legion members, and Legion Academy attendees. The brand risked becoming out of control so DC drafted a story to tamp down on the ever-increasing cast of Legionnaires!
SUPERBOY (resigns)
In Action Comics #387 (April 1970), the Legion is reminded that Earth laws prevent the team from having more than 25 members, lest they lose their tax-exempt status! The Legion is befuddled on how to avoid paying taxes on the many gifts they are given by those they help. So what better way to resolve the issue than by having a computer identify which member is the least helpful.
Before a computer can select which Legion member should be given the boot, Superboy decides to resign his active membership on the team.
BOUNCING BOY
DUO DAMSEL (both resign)
In Superboy #200 (February 1974) Bouncing Boy discovers that he has lost his powers yet again. But he also realizes that he's more committed to Duo Damsel than he is to being an active Legionnaire. After dating for quite a while, Bouncing Boy finally asks her to marry him, and Duo Damsel accepts.
The Legion had a long history of confirming that it did not allow its members to be married. As a result of the Legion's Constitutional rule, both members resign from active duty. Both assume Reservist status.
SUPERBOY (rejoins)
The next team membership alteration occurred seemingly off-panel. After Duo Damsel and Bouncing Boy's wedding and resignation, Mon-El states that he's going to ask Superboy to return to active membership.
In Superboy #201 (April 1974) the Lad of Steel is noted as being the temporary Legion Leader in Mon-El's absence, confirming that he's an active member again.
WILDFIRE (admitted)
Real Name: Drake Burroughs
Home Planet: Earth
Powers: Anti-energy blasts, super strength, energy absorption, and super speed
Originally using the name ERG-1 (Energy Release Generator 1), Wildfire debuted in Superboy #195 (June 1973). In this story, he auditioned for membership but was originally denied a slot on the team because he didn't demonstrate a power not already duplicated by existing members. Ultimately he sacrificed himself to save several Legionnaires.
In Superboy #201 we discover that he did not actually die, and his anti-matter "body" simply required a new containment suit to hold his energy form together. After defeating the Molecule Master and demonstrating his unique anti-energy blasts, he was awarded membership in Superboy #202 (June 1974).
INVISIBLE KID (dies)
Invisible Kid is crushed to death by Validus, a member of the Fatal Five, in Superboy #203 (August 1974). Unlike some Legionnaire deaths that were predicted in the infamous "Adult Legion" tale, Invisible Kid's demise came out of the blue. Fans of the Legion were shocked that this former team leader lost his life with no fanfare at all.
In Superboy #204 (October 1974), Supergirl travels to the future to officially resign from the Legion of Super-Heroes, marking an interesting moment in her history with the team. A couple of oddities stand out in this story. First, in Action Comics #387 (April 1970), Superboy had already resigned from the Legion, even though Supergirl had offered to step down herself due to her decreased activity. However, Superboy insisted she remain a member, citing her relationship with Brainiac 5 as a key reason. Ironically, despite this decision, Supergirl didn’t actually participate in any Legion adventures between that issue and Superboy #204!
Another strange element is how the Legionnaires react to Supergirl's resignation as though she’s been absent for ages, when, in fact, she had recently attended the wedding of Bouncing Boy and Duo Damsel, just four issues earlier!
Following a battle with five disgruntled Legion applicants who were denied membership solely because their powers were duplicated by existing members, Matter-Eater Lad is served a summons. Politicians on his home world of Bismoll are drafted, and he's been selected to be a Senator. He resigns in Superboy #212 (October 1975) to redirect his focus on politics.
In the "Adult Legion" tale published several years earlier, M-E Lad was predicted to become President of his planet.
In this new series, Karate Kid travels back to the 20th century as part of a challenge issued by King Voxv, Princess Projectra’s father. The challenge is meant to test Karate Kid’s worthiness to eventually become the Princess’s consort, adding a personal and heroic layer to his journey.
Karate Kid's official resignation from the Legion of Super-Heroes takes place in Karate Kid #1 (April 1976). The Legion had lost four members in just twenty months.
Dawnstar hails from Starhaven, a planet colonized in the 23rd century by a group of Native Americans. These settlers underwent controversial scientific experimentation—whether voluntary or not—resulting in bio-engineered wings and the ability to survive in space without the need for protection or oxygen. The inhabitants of Starhaven also gained the remarkable ability to travel faster than light. Dawnstar herself was born with metahuman tracking abilities that allow her to detect and follow subjects across lightyears of space, as well as chart vast stretches of interstellar distances.
At the end of her initial mission, Wildfire asks if she would be interested in joining the Legion. By the time she reappears just three issues later, she is officially recognized as an active member of the team.
Chemical King was a scarcely-seen member of the team, often appearing as nothing more than a background character. Between his introduction in 1968 and death in 1977 he was an active participant in a Legion mission just eight times. Many writers didn't have a grasp on how his powers worked, and on one occasion (Superboy #195) he was portrayed using Element Lad's powers rather than his own.
SUPERBOY (unofficially resigns)
After learning the details of his foster parents' eventual deaths (something the team had worked to keep secret from him), Superboy questions coming back to the future where he will constantly be reminded of these facts. Saturn Girl uses her powers to implant a suggestion in his mind that he remain in the past.
Less than 4 years after his introduction, Tyroc resigns from the team as he realizes that the use of his powers is negatively affecting his dimensional island home of Marzal. This occurs in Legion of Super-Heroes (vol 2) #265 (7/1980).
In what I consider one of the most convoluted and poorly executed storylines in Legion history, Superboy’s return to the Legion is a chaotic mess of time travel, mind control, and an unnecessary new identity.
Here’s the quick breakdown—try to keep up. Ultra Boy, presumed dead, has actually been flung into the time stream. Somehow, his subconscious hijacks Superboy’s mind in Superboy’s own timeline. Ultra Boy, now in Superboy’s body, travels to the 30th century. However, due to a mental command from Saturn Girl, who had earlier told Superboy not to return to the future, Ultra Boy is forced to assume a new identity—Reflecto. (Reflecto is a character from the "Adult Legion" storyline, a future Legionnaire prophesied to die in battle.)
The Legion meets Reflecto, teams up with him, and they fight side by side. But when Reflecto gets injured, the Legion uncovers the truth: it’s really Superboy—well, his body at least! Saturn Girl, more concerned about how Superboy returned to the future than why he’s pretending to be someone else, sends a few Legionnaires to the past to investigate.
The story eventually reveals Ultra Boy as the key to the whole mess. His body is found, his consciousness is returned to it, and Superboy is restored to his usual self. And just to add insult to injury, the Legion decides to erect a statue of Reflecto in the Hall of Fallen Heroes, as if the whole debacle wasn’t bad enough. Spoiler alert: that statue never appears again.
Finally, in a bizarre turn, Saturn Girl erases Superboy’s memories of how his parents died, ending the arc with readers asking one question. Why didn’t she simply do this two years ago instead of imposing that “stay in the past” command?
What a complete mess of a storyline—clearly designed just to shoehorn in Reflecto, and return Superboy to active membership.
Following the death of King Voxv, it is expected that his daughter, Princess Projectra, will inherit the throne. However, her cousin Pharoxx, with the backing of her former mentor and grandmother, Hagga, plots to seize the crown. With the help of the Legion of Super-Heroes, Princess Projectra triumphs over her treacherous cousin and claims her rightful place as Queen Projectra.
It is decreed... By virtue of her noble bloodline, her courageous deeds, and her unwavering right to rule, Projectra is declared Queen of Orando, sovereign of all she surveys. Long may she reign.
In a pivotal moment, the Legion loses both their royal teammate and her lover when Karate Kid resigns from the Legion as well, to take on his new role as Royal Consort.
These significant changes to the Legion's roster are detailed in Legion of Super-Heroes (Vol. 2) #288 (June 1982).
INVISIBLE KID (II) (admitted)
Real Name: Jacques Foccart
Home Planet: Earth
Powers: Invisibility
Jacques sought the help of the Legion, specifically Brainiac 5, when his sister, Danielle, fell gravely ill due to a rare brain dysfunction. During her treatment, however, Danielle fell under the sinister control of Computo, a malevolent artificial intelligence originally created by Brainiac 5. Computo's rampage had previously resulted in the tragic death of one of Triplicate Girl's three bodies.
To combat this new threat, Brainiac 5 used the Legion's advanced telepathic earplugs to guide Jacques to the hidden location of the last vial of the original Invisible Kid’s (Lyle Norg) invisibility serum. After taking the serum, Jacques gained the ability to become invisible and used his newfound power to resist Computo's influence, relying on his strong will and bravery. His successful intervention earned him a place in the Legion as a reward. He assumed the codename used by his predecessor, Invisible Kid.
Jacques later discovered that under extreme stress, his body would trigger an unpredictable "fight or flight" response that allowed him to teleport—sometimes to distant locations or even alternate dimensions. Unable to control this volatile ability, Jacques sought the expertise of the Legion’s physician, Dr. Gym'll, who ultimately used science to remove the dangerous power from his physiology.
WHITE WITCH (admitted)
Real Name: Mysa Nal
Home Planet: Naltor
Powers: Sorcery
The White Witch is Dream Girl's sister and a powerful ally to the Legion of Super-Heroes. Years before joining the team, the Legion encountered her when she was temporarily transformed into the villainous Hag by the dark influence of Evillo. After being freed from his control, she regained her true form as the White Witch—a heroine who would go on to aid the Legion in numerous battles.
Mysa, as she is known on her homeworld of Naltor, is a rare anomaly among her people. Unlike the rest of her species, who possess precognitive abilities, Mysa was born without this gift. To compensate for this, she dedicated her early years to mastering various forms of sorcery. Through relentless study and practice, she became one of the most formidable sorceresses of her era. The mystic arts she mastered altered her appearance, turning her skin white and her eyes a deep red with small antennae.
After playing a crucial role in the defeat of Darkseid during the catastrophic Dark Wars, where she aided the Legion in their struggle, Mysa accepts an invitation to formally join the team, cementing her place as one of its most powerful and enigmatic members.
Light Lass grows disillusioned with her role as a Legionnaire, feeling increasingly disconnected from her purpose and unsure of her future. She realizes she needs time away from the team to reflect and re-evaluate her life. In an effort to find clarity, she asks her boyfriend, Timber Wolf, a fellow Legionnaire, to join her on this personal journey. However, Timber Wolf is deeply committed to the Legion and reluctant to leave. Unable to reconcile their differing paths, Light Lass makes the difficult decision to end their relationship. She returns to her home planet of Winath, seeking solitude and introspection as she decides what comes next for her. (Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 2) #296 - Feb. 1983)
The marriage between Queen Projectra and Karate Kid was tragically brief. Just 13 months after their wedding and their resignation from the Legion of Super-Heroes, Karate Kid made the ultimate sacrifice to save the planet Orando.
While the newlyweds were on their honeymoon, the Legion of Super-Villains seized Orando, taking control of the planet and its feudal society. Their plan was to transport the entire planet to another dimension and rule it forever. Although the Legion of Super-Heroes successfully defeated the Super-Villains, Karate Kid tragically lost his life in the process.
This poignant chapter unfolded in Legion of Super-Heroes (Vol. 3) #4, dated November 1984.
LIGHTNING LASS (readmitted)
She resigned from the Legion of Super-Heroes as Light Lass, seeking a simpler life on her home planet, Winath. However, shortly after her return, she was abducted by her evil brother Mekt (Lightning Lord) and imprisoned by the Legion of Super-Villains. During her captivity, she was tortured, which reignited her original lightning powers.
With a newfound understanding of the responsibility her powers bestowed upon her, she chose to return to the Legion, adopting the name Lightning Lass to fight for the weak and powerless. Her return occurs in Legion of Super-Heroes #7 (Feb. 1983)
COSMIC BOY
Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad had initially planned to return to active duty with the Legion of Super-Heroes, but after becoming parents, they reconsidered. Both resigned from the team, and soon after, Cosmic Boy followed suit, also stepping down. Believing it was time for the Legion to embrace new, younger talent, Cosmic Boy recommended his brother Pol, a promising trainee from the Legion Academy, as his replacement.
This historic departure of all three founding members of the Legion took place in Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 3) #12 (July 1985).
With their resignations, the Legion’s roster dropped to 18 members, leaving Phantom Girl as the longest-serving active member.
With membership at a staggering low, the Legion holds an open audition for new members. In Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 3) #14 (Sept. 1985) there are five new inductees, the most at a single time in Legion history.
MAGNETIC KID (admitted)
Home Planet: Brall
Powers: Magnetic Manipulation
Pol is the younger brother of Legion founder, Cosmic Boy. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #355 way back in August 1965. Like all citizens of the planet Brall, he has the power to manipulate magnetism.
Pol idolized his older brother and eventually enrolled in the Legion Academy to hone his abilities and skills. When his brother resigned from active duty, Magnetic Kid became one of five new members admitted to the Legion to fill its dwindling ranks.
TELLUS (admitted)
Real Name: Ganglios
Home Planet: Hykraius
Powers: Telepathy and Telekinesis
Tellus comes from a planet where the inhabitants all communicate telepathically. His home world is comprised of methane waters so he requires a special facial helmet to survive in the more common oxygen-based worlds.
Tellus lacks the supreme skill of Saturn Girl's telepathic abilities but is more proficient than most of his species. He gains formidable control of his powers as his tenure and exposure to outside beings increases.
QUISLET (admitted)
Powers: Possessing and animating inanimate objects
Quislet is an energy being from a dimension where its inhabitants lack sex or gender, though his Legion teammates refer to him using male pronouns. His species, the Teallians, typically function with a hive-mind mentality, but Quislet was an outlier, yearning for independence and individual exploration.
In their pursuit of knowledge, the Teallians constructed the Trans-D-Vessel, a ship designed for interdimensional exploration. Quislet was chosen to pilot it, but instead of following orders, he stole the vessel and fled through an interdimensional portal, seeking freedom beyond his home. After escaping, Quislet auditioned for membership in the Legion, eager to broaden his understanding of the multiverse.
Quislet has the ability to animate inanimate objects, but anything he inhabits will break down and disintegrate once he departs, leaving only traces of his energy behind.
Home Planet: Tharr
Powers: Cold and Ice Generation and Manipulation
The planet Tharr is one of the most inhospitable worlds in the galaxy, known for its extreme heat. In response, the residents of the planet’s hottest valley developed cryokinetic abilities, enabling them to counteract the searing temperatures. Among them was Polar Boy, a young hero who harnessed this power and used it to audition for the prestigious Legion of Super-Heroes. Initially, his abilities were deemed insufficient, and he was rejected.
Refusing to give up, Polar Boy formed the Legion of Substitute Heroes, bringing together other rejected candidates. This new team supported the Legion when needed and provided its members with a place to train, refine their skills, and prove their worth.
Over time, Polar Boy’s mastery over his powers became an invaluable asset. His control and determination led to the disbandment of the Subs, and he was finally offered a place on the main Legion team, solidifying his place among the galaxy’s greatest heroes!
SENSOR GIRL (admitted)
Real Name: Unknown
Home Planet: Unknown
Powers: Unknown
The fifth new member to join the Legion of Super-Heroes in Legion of Super-Heroes (Vol. 3) #14 was the mysterious Sensor Girl. Little was known about her identity or powers, but Saturn Girl, a trusted leader within the Legion, strongly advocated for her membership, claiming that Sensor Girl "has the best of reasons to deserve a place on the team." Based solely on Saturn Girl’s endorsement, Sensor Girl was officially inducted into the Legion.
For over a year, the mystery of Sensor Girl's true identity captivated both the Legion members and readers alike. The question "Who is Sensor Girl?" lingered in the minds of all. The truth was finally revealed in Legion of Super-Heroes (Vol. 3) #25 (August 1986), when it was disclosed that Sensor Girl was, in fact, the Legion's former member, Queen Projectra.
Projectra’s powers had been dramatically enhanced through the ancient blessings of her ancestors, the Orikills. In addition to her natural ability to create illusions, she gained the extraordinary ability to see through and manipulate the perceptions of others. Her heightened senses allowed her to perceive the world with remarkable clarity, far beyond that of ordinary humans.
Believing that her powers were most effective when shrouded in mystery, Projectra chose to conceal her true identity as Sensor Girl, reasoning that this would make her a more formidable ally in the fight against the Legion's enemies. She continued to serve as Sensor Girl throughout the remainder of the original Legion's run. She also abdicated her rule over Orando, devoting all her time to the Legion.
SUPERGIRL (dies)
Though not an active Legion member at the time, Supergirl's death certainly impacted the team and a statue of her was erected in the Hall of Heroes. Supergirl sacrificed her life to save the Earth in Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 (October 1985).
STAR BOY (resigns)
When his home planet's current hero, Atmos, suddenly goes missing the Legion attempts to find him, but fails in their quest. As a result, the Tribune of Xanthu enforces the planet's legislation and commands Star Boy to stay and take over as the planet's hero and defense.
Just two years after she and her husband resigned from active membership, Saturn Girl felt called to rejoin the team. She returns in Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 3) #35 (June 1987).
SUPERBOY (dies)
As a direct consequence of the Crisis on Infinite Earths maxi-series and the subsequent retroactive reworking of Superman’s origin—where it was established that Superman was never Superboy—the history of the Legion of Super-Heroes underwent significant changes. It was revealed that the Superboy who had originally joined the Legion was not the traditional version of Superman from Earth-1, but rather a counterpart from a pocket universe, one created by the manipulative Time Trapper. This revelation fundamentally altered the team's history and their interactions with this particular version of Superboy. In Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 3) #38, dated September 1987, the tragic death of this pocket universe Superboy was depicted, underscoring the lasting consequences of the Crisis events on the Legion's continuity.
DUO DAMSEL (dies) Following the death of Superboy, Legion Reservist Duo Damsel joins with Brainiac 5, Saturn Girl and Mon-El in a mission to exact revenge on the Time Trapper. The Time Trapper continues his vendetta against the Legion by killing yet another body of the former Triplicate Girl. This tragic event occurs in Legion of the Super-Heroes (vol. 3) #50 (September 1988).
QUISLET (resigns)
In Legion of Super-Heroes (Vol. 3) #58 (March 1989), during a battle with the Emerald Empress, she scoffs at the Legion, remarking that she never imagined encountering beings more foolish than humans—until she met Quislet. In a fit of disdain, she commands her Emerald Eye to destroy him. However, what the Eye actually obliterates is the ship that Quislet relies on to survive in the human dimension. With his vessel destroyed, Quislet is forced to return to his home dimension of Teall, leaving the Legion behind.
However, their journey takes a tragic turn when they are ambushed by a group of Khundian warriors. Despite his best efforts, Mon-El is pushed to his absolute limits during the fierce confrontation, exhausting the last of his strength in battle. Shadow Lass, ever devoted and determined, tends to his wounds and stays by his side as they make their way back to Earth.
Sadly, Mon-El's condition deteriorates further, and despite her best efforts, he succumbs to his injuries on their return trip. This tragic moment is chronicled in Legion of Super-Heroes (Vol. 3) #61, published in June 1989.
Another heartbreaking moment in the Magic Wars storyline was the tragic death of Magnetic Kid. As the conflict between magic and science reached its apex, the Legion of Super-Heroes fought desperately to preserve the universe. In this dire struggle, Magnetic Kid made the ultimate sacrifice, giving his life to ensure that the Sorcerer's World could be opened. This pivotal act allowed the Legion to access the heart of the growing threat and gave them a fighting chance to stop it.
Magnetic Kid’s courageous and selfless decision marked a profound moment in the saga, highlighting the depth of his character and his unwavering commitment to the Legion’s mission. His sacrifice occurred in Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 3) #62, dated July 1989.
Following Magnetic Kid's death, there would be only one more issue of the Legion of Super-Heroes. In Legion of Super-Heroes #63, the group encounters the spirit of the planet who begs them to allow the powerful villain Archmage to destroy the planet.
When Archmage destroys the planet, it eliminates all magic in the universe. It also robs Archmage of his tether to the universe and he too fades from existence. The threat was over, and the Legionnaires discussed plans to regroup and rebuild.
The Legion of Super-Heroes and all related characters, names, and elements and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of DC Comics, Inc.
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