Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Favorite Fatal Five Member Poll

Pick your favorite "classic" member of the Fatal Five, and your favorite "non-classic" member of the Fatal Five!

Here's my thoughts on the Fatal Five:

THAROK-- Should be deadlier, meaner, more feared. With a dose of crazy at war with logic and reason. Sometimes, he's the ultimate planner kind of bad guy, sometimes he's not. He always should be.

MANO-- the most underutilized. We need to see his deadly touch destroy something. Later versions have been sort of sympatheticish. I think keeping him cloaked in shades of gray would be a good thing.

PERSUADER-- The only time I've really gotten into him was during the late reboot when his daughter showed up. I sort of wish that'd be reflected in this version. DC's used his name and *an* axe (don't know if it's the full-fledged Atomic Axe of the 31st century or not) quite a bit in the last couple of years in the 'regular' timeline. That kind of annoys me, because I have little faith they'll connect the dots.

EMERALD EMPRESS-- the 31st century's prime villainess. I like the way she's been shown to operate on her own, which is something I'd like to see *all* the Fatal Five do... coming together for big, rancorous, huge plots. I'm curious about her return (if it is one) and hope she gets a storyline or two all on her own.

VALIDUS-- OK, I like him as a rampaging solo. Truthfully, I think of him as more on the level of the Atomic Axe and the Emerald Eye. He's Tharok's weapon. I think his spot as one of the 'five' should be go to someone capable of vicious planning all on their own.

CARESS-- She seemed pretty evil and full of potential. It'd be a kick if she and Mano were attracted to each other and could never touch, putting them in a bad mood all the time. They could be the evil counterpart to Wildfire and Dawnstar.

FLARE-- She's a good character, but didn't seem to quite have the killer kick needed to be a longterm Fiver, to me.

MENTALLA-- Doesn't really belong here. I guess if she came back from the dead and was really pissed off... nah, not even then. She's False Pretences Lass for the FF.

MORDECAI-- All I really remember about him is that he had a crush on Ayla. Which could easily be transferred to Validus. Added benefit of creepy, incestuous overtones that'd persist even if this Validus isn't biologically related to Ayla, Garth or Imra.

Candidates for membership in the FATAL FIVE: Quicksand, Titanor, a Brain Globe, Jungle Master, a new Starfinger (with Starlight and Starbright), an amped up Roxxas...

Just wanted to chime in to say to Mystery Lad that: Yes! Quicksand is an absolutely inspired inclusion in the Fatal Five. Good call.

I voted for the Empress because she's so damn sexy and so damn bad!

In the non-traditional poll, I chose Mentalla. Her tragic story is just so memorable that I still ache a little in my heart when I think about how it turned out.

I love the Mano/Caress attraction idea!

It would be an especially cool plot element for the "War of the Fatal Fives" storyline that internet posters have suggested for years!

Oh, by the way, I hope nobody was offended that I left out Emerald Empress II. I figured she was pretty much a nonentity, but she may very well have a Legion of fans for all I know!

Oh, and I mentioned this in another thread, but my vision of the Fatal Five is one where each member should be powerful enough to pose a threat to the Legion on their own.

I really like the fact that the reboot introduced Mano and had him take on the entire team before the Fatal Five was organized. I'd actually like it if that was the case for all Five of them.

I voted for Mano from the classic line-up but tried to bypass the second question, as I hated all the other recruits into the FF since the original five.
*sigh*
I picked Flare for question #2 just to finish the poll, not because I particularly liked her.

I didn't realise Cera Kesh was so popular!

Persuader is one of my favourite villains full stop; I think it's because one of the earliest Legion issues I remember owning was the one where Shadow Lass and Mon-El had to help Shadow Lad in his sexy fight against Persuader and Lady Memory.

That was a good comic because it had Sexy Grev being competent if not Legion-level competent, and Shady actually did something awesome aside from be carried around by Mon and hide people.

I think of the original Fatal Five, my favourites in descending order would be Persuader, Validus, Empress, Mano and Tharok.

Would like to see the new Fatal Five get some more play as well...I do really like the idea of a Mano/Caress relationship!

I love Sarya quite a bit, but the pure awesomeness of Validus edges her out slightly IMO.

Caress always felt like a great under-utilized lesser villain.

I agree with what EDE says though about the power level of each of the 5. They should be able to almost battle the entire Legion on their own. Thus, when all 5 are together, the threat level is through the space-roof!

Sarya.

And, uh, Mordecai, 'cause I like the name, not 'cause I remember the character at all. (Anyone know if he had powers, and, if so, what they were?)

Mentalla was a cool character, but not as a member of the Five. Caress was, IMO, lame. Flare was flying fire-shooting hottie #431 from Flying, Fire-Shooting Hottie-Fresh Farms, Ltd. (Anything she did, Beauty Blaze did better.)

And anyone is is not Sarya is not-Sarya. Full stop.

Tharok is a one man Dark Circle, with his clones and his off-handed creation of entire super-villain teams (with the League of Super-Assassins). He totally deserves more credit. I would love for him to take advantage of his half-cyborg state more often, and 'plug in' to mech-sized mechanical robots or even spaceships, to be a Validus-level threat all by himself, only to reveal that he was clone number 172, and ape the success of Dr Doom, through his Doombots.

Mano is already one step away from being Wildfire. Defining his power as being the result of being made of antimatter would flow pretty logically from his current situation, and make him more effective than having him run around trying to grope someone in a fight, which never works ('cause, it never has. His touch is 100% lethal, which is why, like the Persuader, he will never succeed in getting his hands on someone important).

The Persuader used to have a crime syndicate. I'd like to see that restored. Maybe his body armor also has some utility (a jet pack, at least?). Maybe he has a psychic link to the Atomic Axe, and it's no longer as easy to just take away from him at super-speed or with a ranged attack, because he can call it back to his hand. Maybe he's got a small army space-criminals at his disposal. Maybe he's taken over an entire city on Rimbor, and runs it from the city's underworld (it was always run by a crime syndicate, just the dude in charge now has an axe...).

Hasn't the psychic link with the atomic axe thing been done on occasion? I seem to remember a scene like you describe with him throwing it and then calling it back to himself. And, yeah, I like the idea of him heading a crime syndicate rather than just being an enforcer, as he's often depicted. I also really like the character of his daughter (whose name I can never remember), so I'd love to see her back in-continuity. Giving him other weapons in his armor as well might be interesting.

The reboot Mano was the way to do him, imo. Powerful enough to destroy a planet with a touch, but needing time to recharge to full power. He'd also be a lot more dangerous if they restored the speed and agility that he has in early appearances as well.

I always liked Mano best, partly because I understood and could sympathize with the feelings of isolation and alienation that led him to destroy his homeworld. (Guess it's a good thing I don't have a disk embedded in my palm . . . )

Persuader is my next favorite: In my first F5 story (SUPERBOY # 198), he mentally commands the axe while Superboy is holding it to swing around and strike Superboy in the head. So, yeah, there was a mental connection between him and the axe.

I never really had strong feelings about the other three, though I loved it that Tharok, for all his computer brilliance, was also rather dumb. In SUPERBOY # 190, Mon-El tricks Tharok into declaring himself leader of the Legion, which causes Validus to immediately turn on Tharok. Tharok still sports the damage from that encounter in # 198, when he and Mano linger around the empty lot of the time-displaced Legion hq too long . . . and both end up in the Legion brig when the hq reappears.

As for Levitz's F5 replacements, I don't remember any of them except Mentalla, so she wins by default.

What I would love to see is each member of the Five in a different part of the universe, doing horrific things on their own toward one common goal. This way we could see them individually and just how [pwerful they can be on their own.

Once they achieve that goal THEN they come together.

Yes, I'd pick her over the boring Sarya any day.
The only times I found Sarya interesting was when she formed her own team and when she had Jeckie blind the Eye and she died.
(Which was about the only time that I liked Jeckie, as well.)

I really liked Mordecai, too.
I remember him as superstrong, rather like Brin and Blok, combined.
He was a tragic figure but we didn't really get a chance to know him.

I kind of think that the 'not being able to touch' thingy has been done by Rogue/Gambit/Iceman in the comics and movies, respectively. And Mano can touch with his other hand and when he has his glove on, if I remember correctly.
I'd still put them together, just not for the same reasons.


And why does everyone want incredibly powered super villians but weak Legionnaires?
Isn't that a double standard of mega proportions and stacking the deck almost impossibly for writers?
Just wondering.

I never liked the origninal Fatal Five, so I like the idea of a new Empress based team.
I'd tentatively pick:
1. The Emerald Empress (I'd prefer Cera to Sarya.)
2. Beauty Blaze (I'd transfer Flare to the LSV where I think she'd be a great lovematch for Lazon.)
3. Saturn Queen (She's redundant in the LSV with Esper Lass present. Or visa versa, but I like SQ much better than EL.)
4. Starfinger (only because of Starlight and Starbright.)
5. Quicksand (Earth elementals can be so interesting and powerful.)
(The last 2 were already suggested by Mystery Lad, who's pretty right on, I think.)

All strong personalities so I think they'd have friction and pathos and quite a bit of power.

For me, it's because I like seeing heroes have to rely on their wits and skills moreso than their powers. Seeing Duo Damsel take on Mano and beat him when he literally has the power to destroy her with a touch is a way more interesting prospect to me than seeing Wildfire just blast him from afar...

I voted for Mano out of the first 5 but it was a close call between all of them. But Mano was one of the first Legion characters I noticed before I knew much about the Legion so I've always had a bit of a soft spot for him.

I voted for Cera out of the second lot because I really liked her arc in the SW6 stories. Was so delicious seeing her blast Dirk and Garth after they'd been so mean to her. Plus, it was nice seeing a comic character who wasn't all fit and beautiful like so many others are and instead had some weight and some pimples and dull hair.

VAlidus and Mordi...I have plans...

I understand.

I just think that there's only so many times that Ripley can realistically beat the Alien and then, I no longer believe it and the writers really don't either.

I always thought Mano had a lot of potential as a villain but it wasn't quite fulfilled.

The post-classic Five I didn't have any strong feelings about one way or the other.

Honestly, Sarya is about the only one (not counting Validus) that ever seemed to thrive on her own.

I liked Tharok v Mon-El in LW #1. But otherwise he needed Validus when out on his own.

I think he should come back with an army of Dark Man clones that he can control...

It would be really great if when the Fatal Five make their first appearance in the pages of the new Legion book, we get our old favorite classic line-up but each with a small improvement/add-on to their own unique powers. Just to make them that much scarier, and to keep things fresh for the new book.

I voted for the Emerald Empress. She's just so darn evil! and Hot! Plus, there's the air of mystery surrounding the emerald eye.

I voted for Mentalla on the non-classic side.