THE LEGION OF SUBSTITUTE HEROES MEMBERSHIP TOUR

The Legion of Substitute Heroes (often called the "Subs") is a DC Comics team of 30th/31st-century super-powered teenagers rejected from the main Legion of Super-Heroes due to seemingly limited or impractical powers. They banded together to prove their worth as backup support.

The team has evolved through several iterations across numerous reboots with fluctuating rosters and tones, from earnest backup heroes to outright jokes, and then back toward more serious or reformed versions. 

On this tour, we will explore the team itself and look at all the heroes who have served as members. 

 

THE ORIGINAL LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES MEMBERSHIP TOUR

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 ORIGINAL TEEN TITANS MEMBERSHIP TOUR

When I began my comic book journey at the ripe age of 9 (in 1973), I gravitated much more to group-themed titles.  The Legion of Super-Heroes was my first exposure to the medium, and from there, I quickly branched out to the Justice League of America, the Fantastic Four, and one of my all-time favorite groups... the Teen Titans.

When this group's adventures first started being chronicled, the characters were very early teens.  But by the time I was first exposed to the Teen Titans, they were hip and community-minded older teens, some in college, teaming to battle social injustice in addition to villainy.  Their group had several members who had no actual superpowers, and their ranks also included the first African-American character I saw represented in comic books.  As a child growing up in a very non-diverse small community in Maine, I found them all thrilling. I wanted to be one of them when I grew up!

Over the decades, there have been numerous iterations of the Teen Titans or simply the Titans.  This tour will only be limited to the members and history of the original volume of the Teen Titans, published by DC Comics from 1964 through 1978.  

THE FANTASTIC FOUR MEMBERSHIP TOUR

One of my earliest childhood memories is when I absconded with a copy of a Fantastic Four comic book that was included on the magazine counter in my dad's Barber Shop.  I hid it away in my room and read it over and over.  I was fascinated by the people in special uniforms who were exhibiting different superpowers!  I actually got scolded for removing it from Dad's business.  But since his Barber Shop was actually the front room of our house... it wasn't that big of a problem!

My brief exposure to the Fantastic Four spurred a desire for other visually exciting stories, so I used my first allowance to buy my own comic book!  It was a DC comic featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes.  I was hooked!  And while my young, pre-teen self gravitated more to DC, I never gave up on my Fantastic Quartet published by Marvel Comics.  I faithfully collected Fantastic Four and Marvel's Greatest Adventures (a title that reprinted older Fantastic Four tales) from the early 1970s through the mid-2000s.  

One of the unique things about the Fantastic Four was that its membership shifted and changed over time (one of the things I also loved about the Legion).  In this tour, we will take a look at all the (many more than four) heroes who have been members of the Fantastic Four. 

THE ORIGINAL JUSTICE SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP TOUR

The Justice Society of America holds the distinction of being the first superhero "group" or "team" ever published in comic books.  Their first appearance was in All-Star Comics #3 (January 1941).  The team's adventures were published through the end of the DC Golden Age, with their last adventure published in February 1951.   

When DC's Silver Age began in 1956, it wasn't long before the Justice Society made a grand return!  In this tour, we will look at all the Justice Society of America members from the team's debut through the publication of DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths maxi-series, which forever altered the Society's continuity.

THE DOOM PATROL MEMBERSHIP TOUR (Part II)

The Doom Patrol is a team of misfits and outcasts who band together to battle evil and help mankind using powers they have been gifted with (or cursed with, based on one's point of view).

The original Doom Patrol premiered in 1963.  Since that time, there have been numerous versions of the team that DC Comics has published.

Here at The Eggman's Comic Book Tours, we've already taken a look at the first two versions of this offbeat team.  As we continue this tour, we'll look at the additional heroes who were members of more updated versions of the Doom Patrol beginning in 2001 through 2018.  This is Part II of our look at the membership of the Doom Patrol.  Fasten your seatbelts and let's put this tour into motion!

THE DOOM PATROL MEMBERSHIP TOUR (Part I)

In 1963, two new superhero teams made their debut.  Each consisted of members who were outcasts from society, and both teams were led by a man in a wheelchair.  One of these teams was the X-Men, published by Marvel Comics, debuting in X-Men (vol. 1) #1 with a cover date of September 1963.  The other group, published by DC Comics, was the Doom Patrol.  This team made their debut in My Greatest Adventure #80... three months before the X-Men.

The Doom Patrol, like the X-Men, has had many incarnations.  The Doom Patrol has never garnered the popularity of its Marvel counterpart team, but it has certainly had its share of popular publication periods over the years.  In this tour, we will look at the various individuals who have been members of the Doom Patrol, in six various rosters, from 1963 through 2020. 

Because of the longevity and accumulated membership of various Doom Patrols, this tour will be broken into two legs!  The first leg commences here...

THE SILVER-AGE FLASH'S ROGUE GALLERY TOUR

DC Comics has a multitude of superheroes in its stable.  With the possible exception of Batman, the hero with the best array of villains has consistently been the Flash.  

On this tour, we will take a look at the Rogue Gallery of the Silver/Bronze Age (Barry Allen) Flash.

THE ORIGINAL JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA MEMBERSHIP TOUR

The Justice League of America debuted in 1960.  The original team's adventures would continue to be published, uninterrupted, through 1987.  Members would come and members would go.  This tour will examine every single modification to the line-up throughout the team's original 27 year run.