Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Legion Academy Graduation

So who do you think deserves to graduate to the Legion?

The graduating class looks to be Power Boy, Lamprey, Nightwind and Crystal Kid.

I've seen nothing of the classic group to indicate that any of them are any more or less suited to become Legionnaires.

5YL Nightwind seems to have been a favorite, and 5YL Crystal Kid a bit of a chump, but those characterizations aren't in continuity.

I'd prefer for either all of them or none of them to become Legionnaires, and wouldn't mind seeing all four of them on some other team, where they could have their own focus.

Given that they've stayed the distance, however many years of Academy training they've passed, I think all four of them *deserve* to be admitted. They've certainly worked a hell of a lot harder to qualify for Legion membership than any of the actual Legionnaires. (Not that 'time served' or 'passed the class' should be the standard for heroism...)

Powerwise, Nightwind and Lamprey have always appealed to me. I like that they have a built-in friendship going on as well, and won't necessarily be *immediately* paired off with an unattached male character and never seen again save as an appendage of said male or have a storyline that doesn't involve their relationship with said boyfriend. [Example: Dawnstar. 'Welcome to the Legion! Hook up with Wildfire and spend the next 20 years stuck in a Romeo-and-Juliet star-crossed lovers storyline...']

Characterwise, Power Boy, all the way. He's got a great personality, and has clearly put in the effort, and has 'hard-luck hero' written all over him. He's just about guaranteed to never be admitted, since super-strength is the second most common superpower in the universe (after gigantic boobs).

I like the later depictions of Crystal Kid's powers as creating crystal constructs (a la Kole or Krystalin or a sideways version of Iceman), but don't much care for his original powers of turning himself and other people into indestructible crystal. (The team has already had 'body of hard stuff' characters with Ferro and Blok.) I know zip about his personality, other than the Giffens-idea-of-funny depiction of him in the 5YL as a whiny loser that everybody tries to ditch.

In Adventure 524, there were a few more shown than the 4 Set mentions.
With the four, there was another squatting on the floor, perhaps it's variable Lad but perhaps it's not.

And in hologram form, I think, there's 4, possibly 5 others, one of whom is Mandalla.
Can anyone else identify the others?
(Edit: Shadow Lad was mentioned, and the Westerner on another thread.)

Further, in the lower left hand panel, at the bottom with Lu and Rokk, just in front of Rokk is a mass of long, black, curly hair.
It could be Lydda with her hair down, I don't know but she's never been shown with curly hair before.

I bring these possibilities up mostly because I would like more options for nominations and because I'd like to think that there are more cadets at the school than the 4 graduating and the handful of freshmen.
Also, Phil drew them so I hope they mean something to that part of the story.

Power Boy, Lamprey, Night Wind, Crystal Kid, Shadow Lad (if he's still around) and of course Comet Queen all deserve Legion membership...LONG OVERDUE for ALL!!!

I would love membership for Comet Queen because she represents fangirls everywhere. The others I wouldn't mind with the exception of Power Boy. I prefer the New God who uses that codename.

But, . . . I think that and would be great in the new JLE.
And perhaps, if she's also from Earth.
imo

Mandalla is from Takron-Galtos, assuming her Who's Who history holds up!

I see.
She's from the prison planet.
Since it was originally a Science Police Academy site, perhaps her parents were from Earth.

I wonder if SP's retain their Earth citizenship?

I only wonder because of the developments in the last year or so in the Superman books, where the Science Police were shown to have begun on Earth in the 21st century.

She's actually the child of a prisoner. Her father is rumored to be Titanian. I assume the orange-skin comes from her mother.

Nightwind and Comet Queen would be my choices (I know CQ's not in the graduating class, but she's still one of my favourite characters in the Legion universe). Nightwind specifically would add a bit of raw power to the Legion ladies that is missing at the moment. Except Ayla, every other current female Legionnaire has powers on the subtle or esoteric side. It'd be nice for ONE of them to stand a chance against a superpowered enemy alone...

For some reason, I really like the idea of Lamprey going off to be a hero somewhere like Poseidonis or something similar...Power Boy I don't really see having a shot at all, as already pointed out the Legion aren't exactly hurting for superstrong guys...

Last thought for now...I think having Shadow Lass recalled to her home planet for a while to actually BE its protector and Shadow Lad joining to replace her could be interesting too. I wouldn't mind seeing how he gets on with the rest of the Legion..

Absolutely!
Great idea!

I think Rokk's comment from the recent Legion annual (never being a Legionaire around when you need one)is a hint that we may be seeing some new members which is a good thing. Polar Boy, Tellus, Sensor Girl Magnetic Kid and Quislet were the last members added so it is time. I'm guessing that Jed will not make it into the Legion but I hope I'm wrong. Plus, with Mon-el off in space the Legion needs to add another powerhouse. I also think both Lamprey and Night Wind add unique powers to the Legion....Crystal Kid..?

My only problem with that is that the Legion already has a shortage of females. On the other hand, it would solve Earth Man's involvement with Tasmia.

I just noticed in the pull away shot that it wasn't just Jed, Tayla, Berta and Bobb there in that line up, but also Urk, off to the side a bit.

I wonder if he's also a graduate?

Or was he just hanging around?

The only problem with new members coming into the Legion is that it means even more lack of panel time for someone’s favourite. And thus more complaints about how X should be shown more and how people are sick of Y being a panel hog.

I think it would be great if Urk were the only graduate to make it into the Legion.

I think the Legion should greet him with enthusiasm, with Cosmic Boy stating "...and everyone knows what a great power he has."

The only problem with new members coming into the Legion is that it means even more lack of panel time for someone’s favourite. And thus more complaints about how X should be shown more and how people are sick of Y being a panel hog.


Yes but that's always going to be a problem.
And new members is a tradition

Oh I agree, we (ie the fans) will never speak with one voice for long if indeed ever.

But you have made me think, just how often over the last 50 years have we actually had new members join from the academy? As opposed to turning up to try outs, being co opted or drafted to the Legion because of planetary politics?

In the end we got:-

Comet Queen - Mind Wiped and turned on Legionnaires.

Glorith - Vanished along with Mysa and "Blok" with the Sorcerer's World.

Dragonwing - A female Fire Lad with some aggression issues.

Chemical Kid - Still learning to use his powers, after initially not seeing beyond how to use some of them to his own advantage.

I think the reaction to their lack of experience/ maturity resulted in Levitz testing the waters with Otaki and Mwindaji from the Academy later in the run.

Chemical Kid also became a pretty big spaz while on the team. Always going "Ulp!"

In the original Preboot the Academy graduates were:

Timber Wolf
Chemical King
Dawnstar
Magnetic Kid
Tellus

And 5 Year Gap members

Nightwind (the last official graduate)

The others joined after the Academy closed if I remember right, and at least some of them at a time when the Legion was desperate for new members:

Karate Kid II
Crystal Kid
Visi-Lad

Ahhh the Legion Academy. Not the best success rate with graduates...

A lot of work went into developing the Legion Academy, I guess mostly by Paul Levitz. I wonder if they were contemplating a spin-off book at some point.

The Legion World Academy members - Babbage, Retro, Flying Fox Lad or whatever we called him - were sadly under-utilized. Some of them were called to emergency duty later in the series but I don't recall that they ever graduated.

Had sales on both books been good enough, they may well have done.

That the Acedemy students were dropped into the main team would suggest they were popular in their spin off and that Levitz really felt that the main team badly needed some freshness, and to capture that popularity.

Of course, then he gets some criticism for them not being ready for the main team and the amount of panel time devoted to them. Also that older graduates were overlooked at the same time.

It seemed like he was attempting to both increase diversity (with Chemical Kid, Dragonwing, Glorith and Harmonia Li all being non-white) and add some more powerful lady Legionnaires.

Unfortunately, he also ended up poisoning the well a bit by having Earth-Man/Green Lantern shoehorned onto the team (whether that was his choice or came from higher up, I have no idea).

Something else else makes me think that Earth Man was considered to be a way of stirring things up by those concerned. I can't remember where I think I read that though

The GL thing was an unnecessary mess. Having him return as Legion leader made it even worse. The whole vying for leadership subplot took up far too much room too. All of which contributed to it stalling a bit.