Silver Age Lad
Part-time member living in another century
posted
Every Group or even a single hero has its/his/her iconic symbols. Superman's 'S' through to the Titan's Tower.
The Legion seems blessed with more that most but which are true icons and which would you rather have ditched?
my list of the iconic symbols I have identified:
Flight Rings. Now so much part of Legion mythos that their development is being retconned to be much earlier than was originally shown. Every Legion continuity has had them.
The yellow and red 'rocket' headquarters. In the mid sixties Jim Shooter moved the Legion out of the original HQ and over the next twenty years the Legion had a number of HQs. But every Legion since the mid nineties has had the upside down rocket as a base and it is now part of Legion folk-lore.
L belts. Introduced in Legionnaires and now pretty much accepted as standard. I love Phantom Girl having a 'P' belt instead though.
Boy/Girl/Lad/Lass codenames. Surely the most iconic symbol of all. Would Ultra Man, Saturn Woman (or some derivative thereof) really be right for the Legion. Garth is Lightning Lad no matter what Mark Waid tried to do.
The Legion Flag. Dating back to the sixties, is the Legion flag unique?
Long Live the Legion. Not quite as well known as 'Avengers Assemble' but up there with the best.
Interlac. Apart from Klingon, what other ficticious language is so well know. with it's own font available!!!
Monitor Board symbols. Introduced way back and still recognizable today.
Time Bubbles. Not as iconic as the Tardis or a De Lorean but a firm third.
One aspect of the Legion that has not become truly iconic is the uniforms. Each era has generated new designs that have their own supporters. Only the sixties Adventure Comics and the Cockrum disco outfits seem to have met with majority approval.
What do you think?
[ September 21, 2010, 08:26 AM: Message edited by: Silver Age Lad ]
-------------------- "Our devotion to each other was unexplainable" "You were kids" "No Batman, we were Legion"
From: Ancient Kingdom of Northumbria, UK | Registered: Aug 2007
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posted
I think the Cockrum costumes are iconic, as well as the Legion cruiser designed by Cockrum, of course I started reading the Legion with SLSH #197 so I might be biased.
I myself could do without the L-belts.
I agree about the upside down rocket ship headquarters being iconic, but I liked later Legion headquarters just as much.
I would like to for the Legion to grow up a little and move past the Boy/Girl/Lad/Lass codenames,But it has not worked in the past, still it seems like they should be hanging out with Superman now instead of Superboy.
Flight rings,Long Live the Legion,Interlac,Monitor Board symbols,Time Bubbles and the Legion flag, I agree that they are iconic.
I would like to add Legion Tryouts and Leader elections.
-------------------- I tried to rip their soul out.I tried to make them forget Superman. But they won't.
From: Kentucky | Registered: Oct 2005
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Set
There's not a word yet, for old friends who've just met.
posted
Other possibilities;
Elections for leader Few super-groups have had elections for leaders, and even fewer have had reader-solicited votes, with the writer(s) pretty much surrendering a degree of creative control to their readership.
Tryouts A classic of the Legion, pretty much from day one, with their hazing of Superboy, and one that's always put a smile on my face, with both the Baxter issue that added Sensor Girl, Tellus, Quislet, Polar Boy and Magnetic Kid to the team, and the Shooter/Manupul issue that added Gazelle, Night Girl, Sizzle and Turtle, being among my absolute favorite issues of their respective runs.
From your list, I could do without the 'L' belts (the Flight Rings already serve as a unifying L-themed accessory), and the 'Lad/Lass' names, but the others are classical goodness that I love, even the dorky upside-down rocketship (although I also approve of the Legion eventually outgrowing it and moving on to posher digs).
Registered: Aug 2006
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posted
I really don't think of the Legion Flag as being that iconic. I like the L belts, but would not be heartbroken if they were gone.
I would say that some of the costumes are pretty iconic. Ultra Boy's, Lightning Lad's, Cosmic Boy's, Brainiac 5's, Dawnstar's, Wildfire's, Dream Girl's, Star Boy's star field costume, and actually both of Saturn Girl's. There may have been changes artist to artist and over the years, but the basic design and color scheme remained.
-------------------- Five billion years from now the Sun will go nova and obliterate the Earth. Don't sweat the small stuff!
From: Boston | Registered: Aug 2003
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quote:Boy/Girl/Lad/Lass codenames. Surely the most iconic symbol of all. Would Ultra Man, Saturn Woman (or some derivative thereof) really be right for the Legion. Garth is Lightning Lad no matter what Mark Waid tried to do.
To me Ultra Man, Saturn Woman, Shadow Woman, Sun Man etc... just doesn't do it for me. Star Man is about the only one that works for me. I don't care if they're in their mid to late 20s gimme the boy/girl, lad/lass code names.
quote:Interlac. Apart from Klingon, what other ficticious language is so well know. with it's own font available!!!
quote:I think the Cockrum costumes are iconic, as well as the Legion cruiser designed by Cockrum, of course I started reading the Legion with SLSH #197 so I might be biased.
I recall that when I first started going to local comic cons around the time of SLSH #197-200 I met a long time Legion fan who didn't like the new costumes.
Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
I'm happy to ditch the lad/lass/kid codenames for the Adult Legion.
The term "Interlac" for an intersteller language goes back to early sci fi pulps, I believe. The font is, of course, original with the Legion.
The statues of the dead are also pretty iconic.
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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future king
Excuse me but can you please direct me to the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles?
posted
I wouldn't ditch a thing! Warts and all this is MY Legion ... why on Earth would I want to change anything about it? I like and have liked every iconic item mentioned above, it's all part of the lore for me so changing even a little bit of it is wrong somehow. It would take away from the Legion's greatness in general (and yes "being great" means having flaws as well).
From: ontario | Registered: Feb 2007
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Adventure era: Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Matter-Eater Lad, Mon-el, Sun Boy and Ultra Boy.
Cockrum era: Colossal Boy, Karate Kid, Lightning Lad, Phantom Girl, Star Boy, Timber Wolf (at least his face) and Wildfire.
-------------------- I tried to rip their soul out.I tried to make them forget Superman. But they won't.
From: Kentucky | Registered: Oct 2005
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Faraway Lad
Senator of the UP. Permanent Ambassador to the Court of Saint James
posted
By Icon’s I think I mean something you see and then instantly think Legion of Super Heroes, rather than just generic “super heroes”
So to me and in no particular order its
The Boy/Lad/Lass names
The Upside Down Rocket ship
Flight Rings but more than that, that L symbol.
Interlac
R J Brande and “that” origin story.
-------------------- Faithfull
From: Newcastle upon Tyne England | Registered: Jul 2003
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