Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Long Live the Legion! Best Single Legion issue ever?

Just curious what responses this'll get.

To reiterate: no arcs. You can take an issue FROM an arc, but you can't say "this led into something good" - the one you pick has to treated as if there was no previous or following issue.

OK, without much thought--because that should always be avoided--I want to say Legion Lost 8.

It probably didn't have as much impact when it was first released, as speculation likely predicted it's entire plot. But, I read Legion Lost all together well after its release, and that issue certainly stands out.

Again, without thinking too much, for me it would be a toss-up between the Legend of Valor issue where he seeded all the worlds, and the issue where Invisible Kid died (that one affected me).

V4 number 5 I think, without going up to the loft to find it, it's the issue where Glorith, Andrew Nolan and Rond Vidar re-shape the universe away from Mordru.

That was my first real encounter with the Legion and still my favourite.

I have to pick a story not an issue, only because the issue had two stories. "Soljer's Private War" which I think was in S/LSH 205. only because I can still remember that story verbatum even after all these years.

"Soljer's Private War" was actually in # 210, Almost New Kid. I agree ... it's a great story.

Thanks HWW, its times like this that I really regret selling my collection.

My own favorite single issue was SUPERBOY/LEGION # 239 -- Jim Starlin's tale of Ultra Boy being framed for murder. It was so very different from any Legion story I'd read up to that time. It was a murder mystery, for one thing. And it was set up so that, although you knew Ultra Boy was innocent, you understood that it was the Legion's duty to bring him in. That set up one of the best chase scenes and fight scenes in any Legion comic ever.

I've said before that Ultra Boy was never one of my favorite Legionnaires, but here I could really sympathize with the plight he was in. Then, there was Chameleon Boy -- portrayed as an enigmatic detective but also a loyal friend.

Starlin's art also rocked over anything the Legion had had since the days of Mike Grell and the few Jim Sherman issues in which he wasn't inked by Joe Staton.

It's a pity that Starlin had a falling out with DC afterwards; the continuation in S/LSH # 250-251 didn't live up to the potential of this first part.

Actually I found #251 to be one of the most memorable issues ever. I was still rather new to the Legion, having discovered it during the Earthwar Saga (#241-245), and I was fascinated by the fact that Wildfire seemed to really grow beyond the "hothead" image we usually think of. The last couple of pages, with Drake in a new containment suit (after singlehandedly blowing up Legion HQ in a fruitless effort to stop Omega) talking with Superboy about what a shambles the team was now in and that they would persevere.

I know this was a two part story, but for me it felt like a single issue, because I had missed getting #250, and it took me a few years to find it and add it to my collection (this was back before a comics shop opened in my town...).

Like Semi, the most memorable stories for me involved the deaths of Legionnaires. The death of Lyle is one, another is the issue with Val's death and Jeckie exacting retribution (what a stunning climax!) on Nemesis Kid.

Well this changes day-to-day.

Today I would say my favorite Legion story was not actually in a Legion book.

The Secret Origin #47 issue of Chemical King, Ferro Lad, and Karate Kid.

A perfect comic. Great cover, art, pacing, and heroism.

Very well done, and a definite heart puller. Reading the "secret origens" knowing full well the whole story. Touching.

I agree about that final scene with Wildfire and Superboy, Omni Craig. I don't know why I feel the overall story was a letdown. I think it would have worked better as a single issue, instead of as a two-parter. If memory serves, it was originally scheduled for a tabloid edition, but DC cancelled the tabloids and put it out as two issues of the regular comic, instead. As a result, there's some padding involved. Also, Tenz was pulled in out of left field to save the day. I feel we should have been given some foreshadowing of his involvement.

But the story did have some good points. I remember trying to figure out who the "bad guy" was before reaching the page where it was revealed. I scoured every panel looking for clues, until I finally noticed Brainy smiling oddly in one ...

"Best" is always ambiguous in something such as this, but I'll take it as "personal favorite": "LSH" v2 n311.

The front story was ingenious enough as it was, with Brainy blowing up and then rebuilding Legion HQ. But the back story (of equal length, not a "backup") nearly broke my heart: how Wildfire and Dawnstar nearly lost their shared love, but managed -- for the time being -- to find it.

I think I'll have to say vol. 2 number... well, I think it's either 298 or 299, I'm too lazy to look. The one that has the White Witch's first one-on-one fight, against a very unlucky Khundian warrior. I still laugh when I remember it.

I have to agree with Gray here.

Best is such a subjective word it can be difficult to grasp hold of. And whilst I can appreciate other stories for the quality of the art or the story telling why my view on the “best” issue should have any particular value is another question. Indeed some of the best stories have not necessarily been my favourites?

So doing what a lot of you have done and going with a gut reaction I find myself bringing “Soljers private war” forward as a favourite issue, not really sure why this one sticks in my mind so much. All I know is I thoroughly enjoyed it and it has stuck with me ever since.

Also I have an idea for a retelling of the story which would fit nicely into a much larger historical story of the future that I would love to get down on paper one of these days

And that WASN'T intentional..

Grey's choice -- the Dawnstar/ Wildfire story is definitely among my fav stories, but the fact that it's only half the issue prevents me from selecting it for this topic.

The first one that comes to mind is the "dinner with Mordru" issue. If I remember the events correctly, that issue also had the great Vrykos/ Laurel Gand brawl (which was pretty much her first appearance), Mysa's struggle to regain herself and Rond's rescue from that horrific torture. And hey, puffy shirts...

It's a touch choice...so many great issues for so many great reasons.

I'd have to say Issue 4 of the current run. It was fast paced, but not a fast read. The beginning sequence with Gates in captivity literally sent chills up my spine (I liked it so much that when I finally broke down and bought some original pages....I bought page 1 - 3...my wife should be happy I didn't find page 4 to cap it off). And then later...the sequences with Ra's Al Ghul taking his sweet time with MonEl with a REVOLVER sent even more chills.

We got to see Triad really show that she's leadership material. We got to see some touching moments (Gates and Brainy's interaction...the way Brainy carried him on his shoulders...that really sticks out in my mind). We got to see XS and Starboy had survived, and how they had adapted their use of power....not to mention more movement forward towards a huge showdown between the Legion and Robotica.

It was smack dab in the middle of an arc, but you could just feel it in the air that the Legion was coming back together. It had a similar feel that V4 Issue 1 had for me ("Remember the dream") but with more clarity, Coipel art and more action than I could take in with one reading.

And 4...count them 4...cliffhangers in one issue. The next 2 months were hell waiting for resolution. DnA did a fine job in keeping this fanboy salivating for the next issues.

I confess the single issue that sticks with me the most is Legion of Superheroes vol 3 issue 4, where Mon-El has a final showdown with the Time Trapper.

I'd come into the LSH with the "5 years later..." series with at best a casual knowledge of the Legion and their history and it was this book that not only made me commited to sticking with this series, but made me start tracking down back issues.

Honorable mention goes to the issue in Superboy & the LSH where Element Lad tracks down Roxxas, one of the few LSH stories I'd read as a kid.

Following on from that I always thought issue with Time Trapper vs the Infinite Man was amazing.

Oh, and of course the issue where WILDFIRE relates his origin to the trainees is definitely one of my fav single issues of all time!

After thinking about this for a couple of days, I still can't decide. All the ones mentioned so far are great stories, and I could think of a few more, but one single favourite? Impossible for me!

I'd have to say my favourite issue would be Legion Lost #12. It had everything...an intense battle, the insanity of one of the noble/powerful Legionnaires killing one of his friends (although I do have my doubts as to whether Jan was the real Progenitor--I'm aiming towards Singularity as his first look has the same glowing eyes, bulky shoulder pads and bulky boots as the figure sitting on the Rosette throne in Imra's "coma" dream), a sacrifice of a Legionnaire (& one of the founders of the Legion to boot) to enable his friends to escape, the merging of said insane Legionnaire with an unstoppable monster, said Legionnaire who sacrificed himself narrates his own death (I think he's somehow alive--time will tell), Chameleon & Saturn Girl holding their own against the Progenitor, great quotes from Ultra Boy, Saturn Girl, Ultra Boy, Live Wire, Chameleon...I could go on but I gotta amscray.

Either:

The issue right after the Great Darkness Saga

V4 Annuals One and Two (?)--The retcon of Valor/Mon-El and the retcon of Ultra Boy--the best of what TMK had to offer

V4 When the Legion and Earth drive away the Dominators (before the place blew up...)

V2 300 was pretty good too.....

I was going pick Adventure 367, but for my money Superboy & the Legion #239. I would have liked to have seen more Jim Starlin art on the Legion.