Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Oblique Mention of Cosmic Boy on NPR

Tonight's episode of "Snap Judgment" on National Public Radio focuses on super-heroes. The middle segment makes a brief mention of a character who can be none other than Cosmic Boy. He is mentioned as having "magnetic eyes of super-power" in his first appearance--a power that the guest being interviewed describes as too esoteric to imagine. The powers which resonate with readers, he opined, were those which had some practical utility in real life, such as super-strength and invulnerability. Examples of heroes who didn't resonate with the public include 3-D Man and Bee Man--and the character with "magnetic eyes of super-power."

Of course, the guest failed to mention that Cos went on to emanate magnetic rays from every part of his body--chiefly his hands--and became a powerful master of magnetism like the X-Men's arch foe, Magneto.

It's always interesting when a Legion reference crops up in unexpected places, even if the character remains unnamed and the information misleading.

Magnetic eyes would have the same strength and range as magnetic hands, no? it’s probably just the fact that eyes are for seeing which makes it seem strange. But Cos’ original magnetic eyes were just as powerful as his later appearances!

When it's something you know a lot about, it just makes the flaws in someone's opinion immediately obvious.

In this case, let's just pick the most popular heroes there has ever been, ignore the other factors that makes them popular and dismiss other characters without that level of media exposure. Doctor Fate has esoteric , and shifting powers, but has remained popular through the decades to name but one. 3D Man had a place in popular history, and also had longevity through the likes of Triathlon. Cosmic Boy had popular golden age roots as well as magneto as HWW says.