Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Long Live the Legion! The Life and Death of Ferro Lad: Hard Cover

Not sure how this didn't already have a thread?

Anyhow


Omnicom Link about the book

That IMO is the most accessible and compelling story in Legion canon, even moreso than Great Darkness, which IMO requires knowledge of a lot of backstory to really get.


Any issues YOU would have added? I'm thinking of a "missing" adventure issue with KK, Projectra, and Ferro, though that was technically a Projectra story.

Even with that added to the classic Fe Lad appearances mentioned on the Omnicom site, that's a pretty skimpy HC... especially for $40.

There is also Volume 3 of Showcase Presents: The Legion of Super-Heroes coming in February.

You can pre-order it on Amazon for $26.39.


http://www.amazon.com/DC-Comics-Classic-Library-Legion/dp/1401221939

Needless to say, I am very pleased. I do agree with BB though as the Baxter issue should have been included.

I love these issues. The Ghost of Ferro Lad was the first Legion comic I remember buying as a kid.

In addition to the "missing adventure" from LSH (v. 3) 31 that was mentioned above, I would think that the adult Legion stories would be appropriate to add as well. The two-part story in Adventure 354 and 355 was written to follow up Ferro Lad's death (and first revealed his twin if I remember correctly), and LSH (v. 2) 300 was built around Douglas as well.

I always wish we had seen more of Douglas ...

What about the secret origins story that showed the young Andrew and Douglas growing up?

I would include Adv. 350 and 351. Ferro Lad had a small role in Adv. 350, and a prominent one in Adv. 351, including the Hag's portrait, foreshadowing his death.

good call on 351 but I'm failing on 354, 355 and the Secret Origins. My boxes are....boxed up. Can't get the ish's to refresh my memory.

Oh and wouldn't it be....something, if Shooter wrote a few additional pages to fix a wrong...

Know what I mean?

I believe it was issue #47 of Secret Origins that featured the origins of four Legionnaires who had died in the line of duty: Invisible Kid, Ferro Lad, Chemical King and Karate Kid.

I just wish we could get Curt Swan to redraw Adv. 346. That Shooter artwork is BAD!

Adv. 354 featured the adult Douglas Nolan fighting the adult Legion. Turned out he was a puppet of Saturn Queen's.He only appears in about 1 panel of the 2nd part of the story though.

Righting what wrong? Ferro Lad's death? A little late isn't it?

I think only 3 of the 4 dead Legionnaires were covered in that SO issue, Malvolio, but not sure which 3 right now. I think I Kid was left out, but heavily featured in Chem's origin.

I was thinking of, Ferro Lad's race.

Right, right... Shooter originally wanted him to be Black, well before Marvel created T'Challa, and the editor nixed it.

Allegedly. Personally I'm not sure about this. For a start is hands are always colored pink.

Even if is is true, a scene where Andrew explains "I had to hide my face from you becuase of my color" would be Tyroc origin level cringing.

IF Shooter wanted Andrew to be black then I applaud his stance but it didn't happen so let it go.

IMHO Barry Allen having a mixed race grand-daughter is a much more powerful - if more recent - message. It's great that Jenni is back in Lo3W.

It’s true and it was a topic of discussion so not long ago at Comic Book Urban Legends .

Shooter may not let it go, as there’s still opportunity to recreate FL as he intended him. And he said some time ago he was toying with the idea.

I don't need to see it, but I wouldn't mind it because there’s no way in Heck the Johnsboot Legion is going to have a living FL -- especially now the original’s death is being re-gloriified in hardcover –- and reboot Ferro was such a resounding dud it detracted from the legend.

Sorry but I'm still not convinced - there is no corroboration only Shooter's version.

Why were his hands pink?

It's in the discussions.

The editors wouldn't permit him to be black. I would suppose that would go for his hands as well as his face and probably all the little bits in between. And he wasn't wearing a mask to hide his race. He was wearing it because of disfigurement. If we can presume that Shooter is not making this up, and I think without evidence to the contrary that's only fair, I guess it would be only his hands and maybe scenes with family that would be any indication of race. Given the awkwardness in dealing with topics of race at the time, I'm sure a few seriously laughable thought bubbles probably also would have been used to indicate race. Monel, the man, just keeping me down.... Yo Princess, how about we go out for some ribs tonight.

Yeah, probably just as well they weren't able to make him black.

I’ll try to arrange a séance with Uncle Mort or his assistant Nelson Bridwell.

That's a pretty good point. I have some faith in Shooter himself, I think he would have struggled to make Andrew as authentic and real as he could manage.
I'm not sure at all that other writers would have taken the same care to make a black super hero sound like a real human being and not a stereotype. Can you imagine a dancing disco Ferro Lad? Ferro Lad and Tyroc trading "Black Power" quips back and forth? The inevitable debates and sugary-sweet "See? We CAN all get along!" scenes would have been much more than I could handle.

But... was he meant to be disfigured, or did Shooter only come up with that when he was forced to be white?

Actually, I just looked it up and in a strange coincidence, Black Panther and Ferro Lad first appeared at the same time: July, 1966.

Making Ferro Lad Black AND deformed would've been a REALLY bad idea, if that was the intention. I thought I read somewhere that Shooter intended FL's race to be a nonissue, but if so, why the mask?