Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Long Live the Legion! Which Legionnaire do fans relate with the most?

You know each team book has that one character fans relate with. A character like say...Spider-Man.

Who do you think it is in the Legion?

Obviously Invisible Kid seems to be getting the push on this title but I'm not 12 so I can't relate.

In the past I think Ultra Boy had that blue collar every day superman thing going on people could relate with.

I always related to Mon-El (that's how I learned to spell it; that's how I'll always spell it) more than any of the other Legionnaires.

He spent 1000 years in the Phantom Zone, so I imagined that he had had years to observe human fraility and deal with horrible loneliness.

Despite having powers exactly identical to Superboy's, he wasn't a copycat. In some ways, he seemed more mature than Superboy. Superboy had responsibility shoved at him at an early age; Mon-El had a brief time as a hero (I'm thinking Silver Age here), then suffered lead poisioning and had to sit in the Phantom Zone.

Mon-El, after his freedom, would have had the right to tell his rescuers, "thanks for the offer, but I have other plans", like Dev-Em did. However, he chose the Legion.

I always thought his relationship with Shadow Lass was wonderful, I deplored the physical suffering he went through and I admired his bravery throughout.

With my last memory of Mon-El, during the Giffen/TMB years (I stopped reading shortly after that), he could have stood aside given the Time Trapper's threat. But he determined that he had to take the risk, and that even if reality was undone when he destroyed the Time Trapper, that there would be another group of heroes to arise to finish the job that the Legion started.

I don't know if it was the right decision or not. (A great alternate universe could come from "what if Mon-El had second thoughts at that critical moment?) But he had great faith in "humanity" (although that might be a species-centric word in the 31st century) and never saw himself as somehow "indispensable". "I will do what I can, and the world will go on without me if I fall."

As a youth, I ID'd with Gim, and his unrequited love for Salu..
Later in teen years, I ID'd with Jacques; first - as the things that others made look easy didn't go as easily for me; and later - overthinking the pholosophy of everything.

dream girl.

but sometimes karate kid too.

the giffenn/levitz era hit me in my formative years...

WILDFIRE (big surprise) -- I identified with him and aspired to be him at the same time. Consumed with teen angst as I was, I also felt that there was fundamentally something wrong with me that kept me apart - that prevented me from really touching the world or others. His frustration was mine. While he literally exploded, I tended to implode (which was no less destructive). What I admired was that he was still a key player, always in the game (if not the first one at bat) and always pulled through for the team when it counted.

The wonderful thing about the Legion is that there's a character for everyone to relate to, and for fans to relate to more than one.

When I was growing up, the two I identified with most strongly were:

Mon-El (no surprise, given my user name) -- Everything Green Lad said holds true for me, as well. Plus, Mon was not only the older "brother" of Superboy, but he seemed to be the older brother of the Legion, as well. He was the guy everyone looked up to, the "cool" guy who quietly set the standard for the how the Legionnaires conducted themselves.

Lightning Lad -- Garth had the coolest power and coolest costumes (both the ADVENTURE-era one with the cape and the Dave Cockrum redesign). He also had to overcome personal tragedy (the loss of his arm, the loss of his parents, a brother becoming a criminal) that showed how even heroes have it tough. Plus, his relationship with Saturn Girl and brother-sister relationship with Light Lass created a little family within the Legion. For this reason, Garth always seemed to be the rock of the Legion (even more than Rokk!).

When I was a teenager, I thought I kinda looked like Sun Boy or Lightning Lad or Element Lad, the light haired guys. I mean, the other superheroes were too grown up and didn't look like me. So, getting to know the characters only added to my interest in them. As I became an adult, it seemed I related to Garth more than anyone else. I was very monogamous, got married, had kids, stayed home while my wife worked, etc. The good news is, I haven't suffered half the bad luck LL did!

Nowadays, I think of the Legionnaires more like kids, so maybe I'm getting to be like Brande! But BY DAMN! I'm too young for that!!

I relate to the Legionnaires with quieter powers, like Invisible Kid, Dream Girl, and Duo Damsel. It's pretty hard for me to imagine shooting lightning out of my fingers or glowing like the sun. I was a shy kid and grew up gay in a small town, so I often felt like I was invisible and sometimes wished I was. Predicting the future would've solved a lot of my problems, and I have a twin, so I can relate to the whole splitting into 2 people thing too. Funny, I never analyzed any of this before now. Of course I could also relate to DD's unrequited crush on Superboy. That's the story of my life, for God's sake! I was also one of the brightest kids in my class, so I could relate to Invisible Kid's genius too, although I'm no genius by any means...

Couldn't have said it any better!

The current incarnation of Cosmic Boy. I know what it's like having to be the mature and responsible one while everyone else is running around getting to be kids.

Aside from "my sister," obviously, someone of outward aloofness and formality but hidden warmth and loyalty ...

Mon-el always appealed to me, for many of the reasons noted by Green Lad and others. The eternal outsider, even when he was back in his own flesh and immersed once more in the wider world.

Timber Wolf and Blok had an easy repartee and an unexpected friendship (as portrayed by Levitz) that often reminded me of many of my own highly unexpected friends.

As for resonance in general, I'll amend a comment from C.S. Lewis for today's occasion, especially since I'm going on Saturday to see a movie based on his books ...

"When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am [47], I read them openly. When I became a man, I put away childish things -- including the fear of childishness and the desire to be grown-up."

Cool guys nice reponses. I also relate to Mon-El as well to a certain degree. I guess on a superficial level (i don't mean physically) I am more like Jo Nah...but "deep down inside" I can be like Mon-El.


Now who do you think most fans relate with?

Back when I was choosing a character to name myself after, I was close to picking Lyle Norg rather than Tim Drake. Lyle tends to be the Legionnaire I feel closest to.

However, when I read Legionnaires #0 and saw Tinya worrying about her overbearing mother, her own incompetence, and basically everything else, I fell in love. This insecure, nervous child-becoming-an-adult was suffering through the same angst that I was (I think I was 13 at the time). After Tinya died and came back from the dead, she rapidly turned into a horrible character and stayed that way until the next reboot, but I've been a huge fan of most other versions of her.

Perhaps my favorite Legionnaire of all is Shady, but I don't identify with her personally.

I couldn't have said it better.

The subs always seemed a bit like sole mates to me the fact that the cool kids shuned them for pretty crappy reasons (Who the hell did triplicate girl or bouncing boy sleep with?)
Also I really respevted the fact that they had the balls to turn around and start there own club really impressed me, then Polar boy finally made the grade and ended up leading the team (Arguably worst leader ever but still leader) is the ultimate Cinderella story.

as for the A team I guess I identified most with Jan because he was a bit of an outsider and almost alone when surrounded by people also with his blonde sometimes curly hair he was like the closest thing to a cartton version of me.

Silver Age Era : Mon-El for all the reasons stated above.
70's : Wildfire
80's to last series : Valor/M'onel

Judging by comments on this board, in letters pages, and elsewhere over the years, I'd say Ultra Boy is a common character for people to relate to.

I think the fact that he has a built-in limitation of using one power at a time, even though he's one of the most powerful Legionnaires, makes him appealing to many. Also, he's often been portrayed as "Jo Average": he could be working class or a jock, or just about any "normal" guy. He's smart, but not an intellectual (though he's sometimes portrayed as dimmer than he should be). He's tough, but not independent. For example, he needs help from Phantom Girl (ADV. # 316) and Chameleon Boy (SUPERBOY # 239).

He's also a character whose muscles have been emphasized in artwork, giving him a very powerful (and perhaps sexy) presence. (As an aside, I remember showing my copy of SUPERBOY # 197 to several friends when I was a child, with the idea that we were going to play Legionnaires. One friend was immediately drawn to Ultra Boy for no other reason than his muscles.)

A close second character for fans to relate to might be Timber Wolf, with his feral appearance and loner personality -- traits that made his "clone," Wolverine, immensely popular.

Saturn Girl because she's a great team leader and the best legionnaire in my childhood.
And Projectra, for all her story: princess, queen, warrior, lover, Sensor Girl identity.

Brainiac 5. As I to, am a brilliant master of logical reasoning.

A brilliant master of logical reasoning who can't spell "too."

I used the Canadian way of spelling it.

As the name probably indicates, I identified with Timber Wolf (Cockrum/Grell era). Alone, quiet, cool hair, "that crazy agility no Legionnaire could match"; I loved that he stood out as the loner even in such a large group.

Plus even though he had a lover at one point, he ends up hanging out with the big rocky guy, everyone else questioning his lack of social skills...sigh...yeah, that's me.

I never would have put the moves on Saturn Girl though; Chemical King was more my type.