Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Long Live the Legion! Reimagining the Legion

With this reimaginig of the Legion, I was wondering if anyone else thought about how (his/her favorite) character(s) are going to be reimagined this time around. Colossal Boy is now from a planet of giants; Star Boy is black (African-American? Or something completely different from what we as 21st century inhabitants consider black/African-American?); Chameleon looks to be more androgynous now than ever; and Element Lad promises to become the Legion’s resident “mage” (one of the coolest ideas for the character I’ve ever heard!)

One thing I always enjoyed about the pre-ZH Legion was how Levitz and other writers created richly detailed backgrounds for the characters and their surroundings. I LOVED how Titan was a planet of telepaths; Bgtzl, the phantom planet; Starhaven, a planet of winged Amerinds seeking a return to their spiritual roots and nature.

I, for one, wonder what Projectra and Orando are going to be like this time around. Will she still be a princess from a medieval-style planet founded by magic-wielders from the Sorcerer’s World? Or will she be more of a “high-tech” princess, with the formality of royal training paired with an understanding of the scientific, high-tech universe around her?

I also wonder how Dream Girl and Shadow Lass are going to portrayed. Will Naltor be a planet of pre-cogs? I hope so... I loved that concept pre-boot, and was disheartened when Dreamer was re-introduced into post ZH continuity as a one-of-a-kind precognative narcoleptic. And as much as I liked Umbra and her spunky (?) attitude, I hope this time she’s portrayed more as a warrior rather than just a bitch. I’d like to see her portrayed more in the Lyrissa Mallor mold - calm, collected, as well as being a fierce warrior. Will she even be a Talokian champion? Will she even be from Talok VIII?

Just a few random thoughts I have as I eagerly await the return of the Legion. This comic is going to ROCK!

Any comments are greatly appreciated and welcome.

I'm not sure, E. I'd need to see a little more. What I've heard about Chameleon makes him(?) seem really interesting to me. I'm also curious about whether or not Rokk is the natural leader he's been in past incarnations. And I really want to see what Ayla will do with her powers that shows she's something of a powerhouse.

You bring up some cool points E.

Projecta and Orando while cool...seemed a bit off to me as a kid. Might not be her fault? It may be White Witch's fault or Dream Girl's.

Zerox, Naltor, Orando, magic and ladies with white hair?

I think the postboot did good not making Dream Girl and White Witch sisters. And I agree snake Projecta..er...sucked.

This long ramble is just to say I hope we have just ONE magic person. If that is Element Lad...so be it. But Projecta as well?

I did read they might be attracted to each other...similiar backgrounds?

As for my favorite Legionnaire Ultra Boy? He's a classic he never changes. In every boot he's the mainstay. BUT he might not be with Tinya anymore. Give him a blonde or red head!

Jorge

I think there are somethings that shouldn't be toiled with, especially the starcrossed lovers like Tinya and Jo.

When a character of long standing changes, what is it that annoys us - or that we enjoy?

In the post-boot, Invisible Kid was given some personality - most people seemed to think it was a change for the better. Certainly beat being dead....

The snake, on the other hand, was met with widespread outrage. Was it the fact that Jeckie had become a snake or that she had (also) acquired a sicky-sweet personality? We know that this time around, she is royalty once again - but what if she were a street child, an abandoned or runaway pauper with a snarly attitude?

Something else else like changing Star Boy to a black race strikes me as a superficial change - it may or may not have any impact on the actual personality.

Some character - or physical - changes can be so extreme, relative to history, that the reaction is revulsion. I'm trying to think of a Legion character - or any comic book character - that was radically changed for the better, from a fan standpoint.

An affable, cheery Brainiac 5 would be a disappointment - as his 5.1 phase tended to be - although he isn't looking too affable on the cover, so we're probably safe with that one.

I think I would have a hard time adapting to a Shadow Lass who acted the shrinking violet, although that personality might go well with someone who can hide herself in shadows. Whether she is a planetary champion, or from Talok, doesn't seem as important as keeping her warrior personality.

I did not like Snake projectra but I was glad that Invisible Kid (lyle) got another chance to shine after his death pre crises. I read the inside of issue one and it appears that Ayla has dated both ultra boy and sun boy at one time. therefore this is a Reboot. Unless someone tells me that there was a time when she dated them and gives me issue numbers.

I think I'm the only one who liked the Sensor snake, I prefered the naga-form, becuase of the physical feminity it had. I really enjoyed her sweet caring desposition. I also like the fact that she had a codename, I never cared for the name "Princess Projectra" because it made her sound like a He-Man/She-Ra character.

If WILDFIRE ever gets reintroduced, I can't imagine they'll tinker with his personality too much since it's so much a part of the character and is easy to categorize (as opposed to say, Ayla's or Val's). His personality is also an offshoot of his name and the angsty part of him is directly tied to his origin and very nature.

Granted, it's possible for other personalities to extend his circumstances but even if they keep the "impulsive hothead" persona I hope they still make him as heroic, self-sacrificing and vulnerable as he's always been rather than an out and out jerk in the Guy Gardner mold.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
[QB] When a character of long standing changes, what is it that annoys us - or that we enjoy?
The snake, on the other hand, was met with widespread outrage. Was it the fact that Jeckie had become a snake or that she had (also) acquired a sicky-sweet personality?

What offended me, as a huge fan of Projectra, was that there was no need for it, and there was never a valid reason given for such a drastic change. If, for example, the preboot Projectra had disguised herself as a snake, or there was some kind of snake association with that character, I would not have been as outraged as I was; it might have been a natural progression of her character. But to reintroduce her into continuity AS Projectra, was a slap in the face to me as a long time Legion fan. Sensor’s personality also grated on my nerves; there was nothing regal, commanding or mystical about a giant snake to me.

We know that this time around, she is royalty once again - but what if she were a street child, an abandoned or runaway pauper with a snarly attitude?

I always thought there was room in the post ZH Legion universe for both Sensor and Projectra. Projectra, instead of being a royal illusion-casting princess from Orando, could have been a mystical clairvoyant medium from the planet Avalon; her Sensor Girl powers preboot were essentially clairvoyant abilities, and it was established more than once that Projectra could speak to the dead. So, no, Projectra did not have to be a princess or attached to royalty, as long as some aspect of her mystical background was retained for me to enjoy that aspect of the character.

I'm interested in general how "magical" characters are or are not introduced into the new Legion. I'm on record as not liking magic very much magic in my Legion, but I'm open to it if it is done well--Levitz did a GREAT job when he re-introduced the White Witch as a Legionnaire during the Great Darkness.

I think much of the anger about Jeka/Sensor/Snake stems from the fact that Princess P. was an interesting Legionnaire from the moment she first appeared. The narrative arc of her relationship to Karate Kid, her ascendancy to the throne of Orando, her rejection of the throne to rejoin the Legion. She just had a great story, and usually a great personality to match that story, not to mention a costume that made the boys and girls drool! Sensor, while an interesting idea, perhaps, just never remotely lived up to the pre-boot Jeckie.

I'll go on record too for not pushing the UB/PG relationship. It was shallow in Levitz's run, poignant, as loss always is, TMK, and overpoweringly nauseating for almost the entire reboot. I guess any sufficiently large group of young people will end up with one enduring romance mature-beyond-its-years, but, as in real life, I found their relationship annoying. DnA looked as if they were actually taking the relationship in an interesting direction, but it became just another sub-plot that they never delivered on.

Anyone who has read the previous incarnations of the Legion probably assumes that UB and PG will end up together someday (if this Legion lasts long enough), so Waid and Kitson might as well make it as interesting as possible.

I really look forward to seeing believable and entertaining relationships develop between Legionnaires. I always found the classic character parings (LL/SG, UB/PG, even PP/KK) a little arbitrary.