The Legion of Super-Heroes

[kybearfuzz]

I've always enjoyed the Giffen-era "Legion of Super-Heroes" from back in the 1980s. I loved the artwork. It was the era when I started reading the Legion, learning about how each Legionnaire had to have one unique power to belong, sometimes with heroes only having one power.

Sometimes the heroes had some pretty weak powers. Duo Damsel was one of those, having the ability to split into two identical selves, each having no other power. While in reality, it would be a very cool and practical power, being able to get so much more done. In the comic book world, it hardly put her at Superman levels. Still she was a favorite of mine.

One of my favorite quotes was from Duo Damsel.

"The best part of the LSH is how heroes with relatively weak powers can combine to become highly effective."

I enjoyed how a hero with a single power could be useful in certain circumstances. So for fun, in the comments, tell me your power and your "kid, boy, girl..." code-name. Remember, you have to have a power no one in the Legion has to be eligible to be Legionnaire.

Mine would be "Replay Lad," who had the power of psychometry, allowing him to see past events when he touched objects or people. And of course, he could fly using the Legion flight ring.

Comments

[notmypresident.livejournal.com]

The best part of the LSH is how heroes with relatively weak powers can combine to become highly effective.

Oh, you knew I was going to chime in on this one!

Luornu's comment about the Legion was an aspect of the title that I thought writers after the Giffen/Levitz era completely ignored. Even I knew as a kid that members like Matter-Eater Lad were silly, and yet it was heartening to see how he and others like him could actually work together to achieve success. If you go back and read the early Adventure Comics run, there were plenty of stories like this.

It's been a sad couple of years for me to have no Legion title, but I don't think Dan DiDio/Jim Lee understand the essential concept of the group. So maybe it's a good thing that the Legion has been a no-show in the New 52 (or whatever it's currently called).

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

Oh I thought you would! :)

The Levitz/Giffen era was one of the best, story-wise and artwork-wise. This was before Giffen's art style went sloppy.

I was hoping that things were heading toward good things in the last Legion series round (though the Legion Lost thing was a bit screwy).

Someone commented on Facebook that the Legion was supposed to part of the DC Rebirth, but I've not seen anything myself on it. I would love to see it take place with our original group and pray they don't try to reboot again.

[notmypresident.livejournal.com]

Did you read Abnett/Lanning's mini-arc "Legion of the Damned"? That was right before the original Legion Lost (not that ridiculous attempt to make the Legion interact with current titles by stranding several members in our present). I thought it was particularly good, given that A&L wanted to do something majorly different. I even came to like Legion Lost (again, the original), despite hating the whole Element Lad "twist." I felt bad for Levitz when they brought him back. Too many expectations. Of course, the best work he did was the one-off with Giffen returning to showcase Shrinking Violet and Lightning Lass vs. the new Emerald Empress.

Anyhoo, enough geekness. I know that Geoff Johns is a big fan of the Legion, so I too have high hopes that they'll somehow get a new series or title out of rebirth. I've got my Legion ring on and my fingers crossed.

[dendren.livejournal.com]

*The Levitz/Giffen era was one of the best, story-wise and artwork-wise. This was before Giffen's art style went sloppy.*

omg... this is so true. The Levitz era including the earlier Giffen art (before he changed his style so much) is the total classic Legion for me. But the sloppy Giffen style was SO hard for me to get through when he took over with the 5 year's later thing. Legion dropped to one of my least favorites during his 5 years later series. I just couldn't get past the art which made an already somewhat abstract take on them even more hard to follow. But I re-read them all a year or so ago and did enjoy it much more than the first time around. But the art is just so distracting for me :(

I miss the Legion. I'm trying not to get my hopes up around this whole rebirth thing in the DCU, but so far the pieces I've seen are starting to make me think the awful last 5 years of new 52 may actually be replaced by a good chunk of the DCU I loved. Hopefully that will carry over to Legion too.