Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Mission Monitor Board Every 10 Years Forum The Hazards of Joining The Legion

I was rereading some back issues yesterday when it struck me that joining the Legion any time after the earliest of Adventure days (say pre #330) placed you in the category of cannon fodder in the eyes of the writers, or so it seems to me.

The list includes Legionnaires such as:

Karate Kid - killed by Nemesis Kid

Princess Projectra - consort killed, eventually turned into a snake by writers

Ferro Lad - poor kid never had a chance! Sacrificed to Sun Eater

Nemesis Kid - great potential but created to be a traitor

Timber Wolf - initally thought he was an android; then became addicted to a FRUIT! Found the love of his Life (Lass) who ditched him for Vi (sort of); eventually turned into Furball!

Chemical King - given an inferiority complex and eventually sacrificed to prevent a World War (just about the only significant appearance he made other than when he was inducted!)

Wildfire - actually killed off immediately; brought back to life because of the uproar from the fans for such an interesting charachter,

Tyroc - 'nuff said!

Dawnstar - falls in love with an energy being; possessed by an evil entity that cuts off her wings;

Quislet - poor litle guy was doing well and then, all of a sudden, poof! Gone just like that!

Tellus - from Legionnaire to Dark Circle

Polar Boy - all those years of trying and when he finally joins the world starts to fall apart around him, until even the LSH closes up shop on him!

Mysa - ends up married to Mordru!

Blok - killed off by writers for shock value

Magnetic Kid - killed off by writers because... well, just because.

Did I miss anyone? I think that's everyone that joined through the end of the Magic Wars and the only exception I can think of to my observation is Shady.

how about:

Lightning Lad: Killed, lost an arm, had a nervous break down, found to really be a sentient protomorphic blob, killed again

Element Lad: Turned into an insane genocidal god-like being

Triplicate Girl: Pre-boot slowly whittled away

Don't forget:

Kid Quantum I - Bought the ranch his first day on the job (post-boot)

Leviathan (Gim Allon) - Became a REALLY big corpse.

Monstress - fried by Element Lad.

Was also the victim of a really bad limited series.

BTW, I have never understood the dictum of TPTB that states that all solo Legionnaire series must be set in the 20th century...

How about:

Invisible Kid: crushed in a meaningless death because he supposedly had a weak or ineffectual power.

Matter-Eater Lad: turned into a morbidly obease reservist, drafted into politics, called back to eat an indestructable machine that Superboy could not put a dent in but supposedly he could chew through, dirven insane, turned into comic relief, and now seemingly misplaced somewhere

Bouncing Boy: lost his power, regained his power, lost his power, regained his power, lost his power, regained his power, lost his power, regained his power, lost his power, regained his power, now never had a power.

And how's this for cannon fodder:

Reflecto, Quantum Queen, Shadow Woman, Power Boy, and Galaxay: all dead before their first appearances

One has to wonder why they established the maximum membership of 25. Seems like they really needed a legion of characters to kill or maimn or abuse somehow!

That was the reason? I'd never heard that before.