Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Reading the Legion: Archives #1

That one flew right by me, but it's spot on. Perhaps there will be indications in future stories that Kara didn't think much of Tinya.



Well, when you put it like that, I may have to reconsider. It would have been better with flying purple dinosaur jets, though.

When Post-Crisis Linda Danvers* gets sent to the Silver Age in place of Kara for various complicated reasons, which aren't important right now, Superman realises she's not actually his cousin. That means there's only one thing for him to do.



...whoops, wrong panel . Of course, I meant this one:



[*FTR, I preferred pre-PAD Matrix.]

Attn: Superboy's Lampshade fans!

Note that it almost made a TV debut in 1961!

Good thing he was at his desk to see the flashing light. Ma Kent must keep vigil when Kal's not home.

That scene also mentions a church social. I was thinking, reading these stories, that for small town America in the 50s and 60s, there's a remarkable absence of church attendance. Maybe in the non-Legion stories?

The Boy with Ultra-Powers!

There's something about statues in these comics. It continues to this day with the fallen Legionnaires' statues getting bigger and bigger. I'm reminded of the toppling of Sadam Hussein's statue by this opening page. Will mankind ever lose its love of statuary?

At the time, would readers have figured that Ultra Boy was from the Legion's time, or were spandex-clad youths showing up in Smallville from all corners of the galaxy?

Marla and Jo arrive in Smallville on the train. No doubt they traveled from their time bubble in the Gobi Desert. Oh, later we learn that the time globe is parked outside Metropolis, so the electrical interference problem must have gotten fixed.

If these texts were being spoken aloud, what effect would the ellipsis have? "No one must suspect we are ... (drum roll? ominous sound? confused sigh?) DIFFERENT!" And what a set up line for a story about two gay guys in Smallville in 1962.

Yet another time-spanning communication device, the cosmicscope.

It appears that Rimbor isn't up to speed on Earth history, since Jo has been tasked with discovering Superboy's identity. Jo sure is clean cut, compared to how he'll be portrayed in later years. I guess it will be quite a while before we see Marla again. I still can't get over their almost-matching costumes.

That Pete Ross is one enterprising youngster. Two jobs, one at school and one in Kent's store! Plus he's a noble guy, protecting Superboy's identity, and courageous, refusing to give in to a robber's threats. Yet all he gets is a coin from the future and an invite to a Legion meeting.

Three Superboy robots crammed in a closet! Kal assumes one of them saved Pete from the robber; do they just take off and patrol on their own?

Aww, poor Krypto. Always trying to help and all too often abused. There's Jo having a laugh about it; maybe he does have a bit of street gang in him after all. Nosy too, looking into Pete's safety deposit box.

Another Superboy signalling device, a flag. If you're not the White House, Pentagon or Chief Parker, you use the flag, not the flashing table lamp. Smallville's too small for a bat-signal type of device, which probably wouldn't show up in the daytime anyways.

Considering HWW's point that a focused plot is a better story, this certainly ranks as a better story. Everything that happens is related to discovering or hiding Superboy's secret identity. It's quite toned-down, in terms of space age/future craziness, but very coherent and smooth-flowing.

"The Boy with Ultra Powers" is among my favorite Silver Age stories for a variety of reasons. First, it introduces Ultra Boy, who is in my top five favorite Legionnaires. Second, it is one of the best Pete Ross stories of them all, and Pete Ross is among my favorite supporting characters ever. And lastly, how I got the issue means a lot to me in terms of the LMB itself.

The last bit is a quick story: after discovering how to use the mysterious website known as eBay, I began hunting down old Legion issues back in 2003. I ended up in a bidding war over Superboy #98 that was getting rather epic when my nemesis realized who I was, though I remained ignorant. Showing the classic nobility he is rightfully known for, the gentlemen stepped back and allowed me to win the issue! That great man is, of course, the noble Faraway Lad, who I had just met a few weeks earlier for the first time. So I always think of him when I read it.

But back to Pete: there is something so noble and heroic to me about the non-super good people who protect Superman. The prime examples are Batman and Perry White in the Silver Age, but for Superman when he was a boy, that falls role falls to Pete. Even more, he did it without anyone knowing, simply because it was the right thing to do. Even at the ripe old age of 31, that evokes a preteen appreciation in me for a best friend who has my back out if true altruism. In this story, where the Legion become the first people to ever learn of Pete's small bit of heroism, and the reward him for it with Honorary Membership, it just makes the whole thing all the more powerful. I truly wish Pete had a similar role in today's Superman stories, and that he maintained his honorary Legionnaire status.

Btw, I love the Pete / Jo friendship. It's one of my favorites, as shown here and in two months in Superboy #100, when Jo comes back to help Pete (not included in this Archive). I want that to also exist in this continuity.

And how about my boy, Jo? Like Dirk, one of most handsome characters yet seen. He has a certain rebellious bit about him from the onset. He's dressed like a baseball player which is cool. He shows some cleverness which TMK smartly would play up later (btw, I find "ultra jock" to be a stupid portrayal of him).

Also, cool first appearance by Marla Latham. Am I correct that we never learn his complete role in Legion lore until TMK? Or does Superboy #147, clear that up in the origin?

Lets start the running tally now on Jo's powers? For those of us who believe he was only intended to have vision powers at first, this issue supports that theory. No sign of super-strength or invulnerability here.

Again Seigel shows his ingenuity in his plots, as characters make false assumptions, and the interactions become pleasantly complex. Pete believing Superboy saved him; Jo thinking Pete is Superboy; Superboy assuming a robot saved Pete. It's all just so great to watch unfold.

Also love the parallel of Jonathan Kent helping Clark as Marla helps Jo.

I notice usually when Supes needs to throw a boulder, there is usually a hole in a dam or a volcano that needs to be covered.

"By the three purple moons of Rimbor...!"

Great scene where Ultra Boy and Superboy learn the truth about each other. It's kind of Hitchcockian in how the tension builds and then is fully realized, leaving the characters to address it at last.

We've talked at length about Jo's origin reflecting the biblical Jonah. But most important: how utterly awesome is the space serpent! Phenomenal art by Swan in that panel! His most impressive thing yet!

All in all, I love this story. I think its the all time best "super powered teen visits Smallville" story.

Now: onwards to Adventure #300!!!

Poor Ma Kent...she stands vigil all at the lamp and then has to watch for the flag a night while Clark sleeps!

Actually that line stood out for me because I remember seeing something awhile back that commented on how rare depictions of church attendance were on TV at the time, even in the "wholesome" sitcoms of the era (the major exception being the Andy Griffith Show, where it was often a major part of the plot).

Superboy #98

I'd actually forgotten a lot of the details of this story, so it was kind of a fun re-read!

I always get the vibe that "Ben" and "Gary" are supposed to seem like foreign agents when they first show up.

That's really a comparatively easy "initiation test" for Ultra Boy. No elaborate pranks played on him or anything else!

You can't tell me for a minute that Marla isn't from a previous generation of super-heroes with an outfit like that!

Pete is the total star of this story! Even more so than the new Legionnaire! I love the whole sequence of U-Boy suspecting him as being Superboy!

Kent's Store must be pretty successful, given that they've hired Pete as an extra employee and are being robbed by a crook with a pretty fancy gat!

You've got to love how Supers just casually saves Smallville from a massive flood with the boulder! I get a kick out of Supes constantly worrying that the mysterious stranger has powers greater than his, just because he can melt lead!

Poor Krypto, again!

I love the whole sequence of the two of them discovering each other's secret identities. Just brilliantly written.

Mr. Lemley, having another of his heart attacks! Ultra Boy to the rescue! You've got to wonder if Pete hadn't got locked in the vault if Marla/U-Boy would've left without Supes ever finding out what their story was.

The Ultra-Energy beast is pretty awesome!

I always think the coin that they give Pete is another future-signal device, because that's how it's portrayed in LSH #300.

Anyway, the foreshadowing of Pete attending a Legion meeting, and the "startling circumstances" under which Superboy will see Ultra Boy again, makes me think that there's an untold story being referenced there!

Anyway, this is possibly my favorite of the pre-Adventure #300 Legion stories. I kind of wish we'd seen more of "Gary Crane" in Smallville (as well as other Legionnaires taking on secret identities in the past).

I don't believe Marla shows up again until Secrets of the Legion, though Mort promises a story with him in one of the Adventure-era lettercols!

Was Ultra Boy ever again portrayed as this powerful? He attack characters with Daxamite-class invulnerability and set them on fire just by looking at them!

And the subtext of this story just screams. How often does Superboy check under other kids' clothing for their "costumes"?

I was wondering about the power-level thing, as well. Forget being able to see through lead... actually being able to hurt Kryptonian/Daxamite-class characters with your heat vision is pretty impressive!

Marla appears in Superboy and the Legion # 239 (pre-Secrets), the Jim Starlin story in which Ultra Boy is framed for murder. He had a much more antagonistic role to play than in Superboy # 98.

Agreed. This is a very good story with a clear "threat" to Superboy, antagonists with mysterious motives, and effective use of misdirection and surprise.

On re-reading it, though, I was somewhat underwhelmed. Since I know how the story turns out, there was little to keep me engaged, unlike with "Superman's Super-Courtship," in which I so badly wanted to root for Kara even though I knew she would fail to find a wife for Superman. Ultra Boy, in this story at least, does not engender that kind of sympathy, and it's hard to know who to root for.

Pete Ross, as Eryk points out, is really the "star" of the story. But once UB figures out he isn't Superboy, Pete sort of becomes superfluous to the story. It could really be anyone who gets locked in that safe.

The story also relies too heavily on coincidence, even for Silver Age story. Mr. Lemley just happens to have a heart attack. Pete just happens to get locked in the safe. Superboy can't open the safe without setting off the explosives. (Good thing, UB's penetra-vision can through the lead of the safe.) Things are resolved a little too neatly and conveniently.

But there is a lot of good in this story, as well. The scene in which UB and Superboy figure out each other's identities is, as Eryk said, brilliant. And the writer does an effective job of making UB and Marla seem threatening when nothing they ever say or do is truly evil.

Although not one of my favorite early Legion stories, "The Boy with Ultra-Powers" is certainly a solid tale.

By the way, Jo-Nah's name is spelled with a hyphen here. I don't think it's ever spelled that way again. Later writers (or Mort) probably wanted to keep the name uniform with those of the other Legionnaires, but I love the idea that Rimborian culture (like Kryptonian) used hyphenated names.

Well, from a narrative perspective it sort of has to be Pete in order to resolve the original reason why Ultra Boy thought that Pete was Superboy, namely the fact that he acted suspicious/had an accelerated heart beat when asked if he knew who Superboy was. By allowing Ultra Boy to discover that Pete secretly knew Supes's identity, it clears up what otherwise would've been left as a mystery from Jo's point of view.

Though I have to agree that that is a really convenient heart attack Mr. Lemley has! Without it, Jo and Marla would simply have gone home to the future, and Supes would never have found out who that weird kid with the costume under his clothes was! (At least not until the next Legion meeting...)

Awakened in the middle of the night, so let's go ahead with...

Adventure #300

So, the Legion really begins in earnest with this tale, which begins their regular feature in Adventure Comics, will last for 80 issues, consistently hold a place as one of DC's better selling titles, only to be pushed out when the soon-to-be-retired Mort Weisinger wants to cut his workload.

They're still alternating between the Legion being set in the 21st vs. 30th centuries, but I'm pretty sure this is one of the last set in the 21st. We see the Legionnaires' fondness for statues, and get a nice roll call of many of the members and their powers. Notably absent are Phantom Girl, Brainiac Five, Triplicate Girl, Colossal Boy, Ultra Boy, and Star Boy. Of those, I believe the latter four had only appeared once up to this point. Brainiac Five had only been seen in Supergirl stories up to this point, and has yet to meet Superboy.

It's nice and convenient that the Cosmic Boy statue had its name/power hung around the neck, so it would fit in the picture!

The four members at the Legion meeting: Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, and Sun Boy, thus confirming Sun Boy's early importance as the only non-founder in this story. Note the chemistry set in the background of the meeting!

Nice sequence with the Legionnaires' powers going wild, which also serves to give a brief background and origin for each character.

Cosmic Boy's origins is changed from "special serums giving me magnetic eyes" to the more familiar "evolution gave people the power to magnetically battle [Braal's] metal monsters!"

Sun Boy's "accident in my father's lab" story is repeated from "The Secret of the Seventh Super-Hero", as is Lightning Lad's "Lightning Monster on the planet Korbal" origin from the LSV story. And the "everyone on Saturn can perform amazing mental feats" is also repeated from the LSV story, though the reference to "Evil Saturnians" using their powers to hurt others seems a little jarring given that tale's emphasis on the fact that there is no crime on Saturn!

Nice Superboy-summoning lever!

In one page we get an introduction of the two elements from Superboy's time that will play a role in the story: Lex Luthor and his desire for vengeance, and Mon-El in the Phantom Zone. Mon-El already looks so sad and brooding in the Phantom Zone viewer!

Nice quick HQ repair there, Supes!

Leginnaires are firmly established as having anti-gravity belts in this story. Sun Boy uses his to melt the Polar ice caps!

The "World-Wide Police", who travel in really uncomfortable looking crafts, sure seem to be awfully eager to exile the Legionnaires from Earth!

Urthlo, the first of many villains whose schtick is basically to affect the Legionnaires powers in some way!

Even though Cosmic Boy was clearly chairing the meeting earlier, we see Imra once again basically taking over the leadership of the team in the actual emergency!

Wonder if that's the same Phantom Zone projector the Chameleon Men got from the "Museum of Forbidden Weapons" a couple of stories ago?

Mon-El kicking ass!

Jeepers! That's some amazing work diagnosing Mon-El, figuring out his body chemistry and how to solve the lead poisioning problem, via telepathy!

Poor Urthlo! I kind of feel sorry for him after reading his one-page origin story! Too bad he never appeared again!

Wow! The Legionnaires appreciate Mon-El so much, they wave the usual initiation test to let him join! Too bad he has to go back in the Phantom Zone!

And Next Issue: "the most astounding super-heroes adventure of them all", namely "The Secret Origin of Bouncing Boy!"

This is a story I've grown to like more and more over time. Not one of my favorites of the "Tales of the LSH" series, but a solid beginning to the series.

Also of note this issue: in the Superboy story, Clark and Lana are teleported by one of Professor Potter's crazy machine to a planet filled with crazy wildlife. One of the creatures there are these weird chameleon creatures... strange, protoplasmic blobs that imitate the shapes of whatever they see! Seems like an early appearance of the Proteans of Antares to me!

(Will catch up on last several posts later this morning during boring continuing education class, but I've been too amped not to post this...)


Adventure Comics #300 arrives en force, as the Legion gain their own feature at long last. I often see this as the half way point of the Silver Age, with the Legion taking the lead on Adventure, other series now becoming leads (Hawkman, Aquaman, Metal Men, the Atom), "new look Batman" on the horizon and Marvel now starting to show the fires of a new revolutionary style of superhero. Putting all that aside, the road to #300 has been building steam for sometime. The issue arrives in Sept 1962; next month in October 1962, the Legion appears in three separate titles and stories. There's a lot to be said for momentum driving a series rather than a some editor trying to force it through.

"The Face Behind the Lead Mask" (again with the masks!) is a fitting story as it features Urlthro, a direct connection to Lex Luthor, ipso facto a direct connection to a Superman foe. It gives the story a transitionary feel as the Legion joins Superboy as a co-lead, and then subsequently assumes to total lead role. And they certainly do just that--the series becomes almost entirely set in the future, focusing on Legion lore and 30th century bits of business.

The major establishing factor of that is the arrival of artist John Forte. Forte is my favorite of all the Silver Age Legion artists, and we speak at length of him in the Artists Forum (will add link); Ex provides a great link to a website about him. He adds a subtly alarming sci-fi eeriness to his art that oddly fits the far future, while at the same time providing glamorous walk on characters fitting of a Grace Kelly / Cary Grant picture, and lush Art Deco architecture appropriate for 1962. It's a wonderful style that helps firmly begin establishing the look and feel of the Legion (for example: Tinya will soon stop being a constant phantom). This issue includes Al Plastino drawing over Forte's work for Superboy and Lex's faces--a common thing in Supermen comics in the 50's and 60's, even to Jack Kirby--which also gives it that transitionary feel. Soon enough that would not be necessary.

The other major "transition" in this story is the one Mon-El undergoes, as he transitions from a supporting character of the Superman titles to a full on member of the Legion. That begins here, as his early saga is coming close to its conclusion now. They should really make a Mon-El Archive or Showcase.

Some highlights:

- the cover itself is incredible, and one of those commonly redeveloped covers in comics. It's probably second only to Adv #247 in terms of being iconic. The inclusion of Mon-El must have excited fans in a big way.

- the first page Re-establishes many of the Legionnaires not seen as often, such as Violet (confirmed joined), Lyle and Chuck. Vi and Chuck's appearances are still so cliche it's funny. Note Dirk makes the opening splash with the founders--this may be the last "founders all together" splash for awhile. Garth takes a much more noble look via Forte, while Cos appears much more plain. Imra shows her cunning by being the only one not preoccupied with Superboy, instead looking at Urlthro to figure out his secret.

- the 4 lead Legionnaires each re-explain their origins on pages 2-3, again reiterating this is like a clear new start.

- the first incarnation of the Science Police, the Worldwide Police, appear. Siegel purposely shows them as adding a layer of tension here, though they are not bad by any means; they truly hope the Legion can succeed.

- it's always a pleasure to see Superboy battling side by side with the Legion: not the center of attention, just another Legionnaire doing his duty.

- Imra doesn't hesitate to order Superboy around! And then: calm down Clark! Sheesh, no need for name calling. I note Garth sticks right up for her, too.

- in fact, Imra shines in a major way in this story, as always. Clever as hell; pushy and confident; intelligent and scientific; and totally beautiful. She truly is iconic!

- is this the first time Mon can really strut his stuff power wise since his initial story? It definitely has an awesome feel to it.

- er, Superboy seems to momentarily forget how time travel works when he suggests he'll cure Mon as Superman. So does Luthor with his reason for making Ulthro "Adult".

- sometimes I wonder if my car and other devices have hate tapes in them.

All in all...the Legion has arrived. And it's pretty awesome!

My favorite homage to that cover is the SW6 one, which changes the boxes *just so*.

I might be tripping madly, but I want to say that there's a version of that cover later during the Levitz/Giffen years with Invisible Jacques and the White Witch among the 'box' Legionnaires, that I like.

But my memory is pretty dodgy, and I might be making the whole thing up...

There's an unwritten story of how the various police forces of the 30th century eventually became the Science Police (or merged into an existing SP force). The WWP officers do seem pretty eager to exile the Legionnaires; maybe they don't like the competition.

Despite the clunkiness it gives the story, it was probably a good idea for readers to have the Legionnaires recount their origins.

Saturn Girl sure is the brains of the operation in these early stories. I wonder why she wasn't shown in later years to be hanging out in the lab with Brainy, instead of Dream Girl.

Luthor should have made his adult version better looking. Maybe he's not as egotistical as I thought.

Did Urthlo possess the first remote control? You know how people say that smart phones were inspired by Star Trek, maybe whoever invented the TV remote read this story as a child!

We're lucky that relaxation tapes became popular in the 1980s, not hate tapes!

That's a different version of the phantom zone projector than we saw in earlier stories. I like to think that there were a few made by different people, good and bad, throughout the ages.

That's twice (in this Archive alone) that Superboy vows to find a lead antidote when he becomes Superman. He never did; Mon-el had to wait 1000 years for that. Did Superman suffer regrets over this?

Oh boy, am I going to miss that flashing signal-lamp!

It's LSH #301! Element Lad, White Witch, Violet, Colossal Boy, Shady, Timber Wolf and Cham in the center panel. (Don't have time to scan it right now)

The three mentioned thus far:

I was thinking more along the lines that Ultra Boy would have assisted Superboy in freeing whoever was trapped in the safe and, therefore, had a reason to tell Superboy his origin and motives.

But you're correct that UB wouldn't have known about Pete's connection to Superboy.