A Legion of Very-Heroes occurs as team of comic book superheroes in the future, featured in DC Comics. Many comic book series all about a team use utilized that title too. A team has been closely associated sustaining Superboy and first appeared around Adventure Comics #247 (April 1958). Rather numerous superhero risky venture, their stories typically contain elements of science fiction, but come further truly fantasy stories.

Original continuity (1958–1994)
A supporting cast for Superboy
Superboy was a featured series within Adventure Comics in the late 1950s. Around Escapade Comics #247 (April 1958), he was met by triad stripling from either a 30th century: Lightning Boy, Saturn Girl, and Cosmic Boy, who were members of the "super-hero club" known as a Legion of Extr-Heroes. Their club got been formed by owning Superboy as an inspiration, & it experienced time traveled to recruit Superboy as a member. Fallowing the series of tests, Superboy was awarded membership & returned to his have period.

Although arranged as a of these-off story focusing within Superboy, a Legion proved therefore popular that it returned for an encore in Dangerous undertaking Comics #267 (December 1959). Lightning Son got been renamed Lightning Lad, & their costumes were super around people it bore throughout a Silver Age of Comic Books. In their third appearance, by using Supergirl in Action Comics #267, it was claimed that a Legionnaires therein story were youngsters of the ones Superboy experienced antecedently met, & that the Legion existed in the 21st Century rather than the 30th. Sooner or later these details were retconned away.

A Legion's popularity grew, & it appeared inside farther dangerous undertaking inside Adventure Comics & Action Comedian across a next pack years. A ranks of the Legion, sole hinted at inside people number 1 2 stories, were full-clad by using freshly heroes like Chameleon Boy, Invisible Kid, Colossal Boy, Star Boy, Brainiac 5, Triplicate Girl, Shrinking Violet, Sun Boy, Bouncing Boy, and Phantom Girl. It potentially recruited Supergirl as a member (Action Comics #267 & #276).

Despite appearing around all about a xii stories when you took this time period, the story of the Legion's creation was non revealed until the decade got passed. Around Superboy #147 (June 1968), for a number one time readers learned that a first 3 members to pop up, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl & Cosmic Son, got based the Legion once it utilized their powers to save billionaire R.J. Brande from an assassination attempt. Impressed using their skills & bravery, Brande would bankroll a Legion for years to are.

A creators of the early Legion stories involved Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel, Otto Binder, Al Plastino, George Papp, Curt Swan, Jim Mooney, and George Klein.

Starring in Adventure Comics
Around Risky venture Comics #300 (September 1962), the Legion eventually received their have regular feature, handle-billed "Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes". When it would part space by using Superboy solo stories for two or three of years, it yet displaced Superboy completely when their popularity grew. Superboy, yet, continued to come out in each handle, potentially if only briefly mentioned in the story or even non mentioned the least bit.

It was this process which established a Legion's general workings & environment. a club of adolescent, it operated away from the club in the shape of the yellow rocket ship anatropous when in case it got been caused into the ground. A position of Legion leader rotated among a membership, for instance across election & for instance by extra arcane methods. (Now and then a editors of the Legion stories would allow readers to vote on the leader.)

From each a single Legionnaire experienced to possess at least one natural extr-world power (i personally.e., powers from either gear were disallowed), particularly a single power which there are no more member possessed. (Despite this, many members experienced overlapping powers, particularly Superboy, Supergirl, Mon-El and Ultra Boy.) Some issues involved comic moments in which candidates using outlandish, useless or even unsafe abilities would test for membership & become rejected. (Two or three one blemished candidates went on a form the Legion of Substitute Heroes.)

A Legion was according to Globe & protected an organization of man & aliens known as a United Planets. A regular constabulary in a Higher was the Science Police.

Several one early stories were "gimmick" tales, revolving about soul trying to trick the Legion, or even even a member of the Legion existence controlled or hurt somehow and then that he turned against his comrades. Stark tie-link by using a Superman stories appeared on occasion, by owning Jimmy Olsen, Lana Lang and Pete Ross all becoming "honorary members". Characterization was typically lean, & a select few characters—like Bouncing Son & Matter-Eater Lad—were ridiculous. Around fairness, these rather stories were green inside DC Silver Age comedian, & several one stories come love by long-period Legion fans.

Creators of the early Adventure Comics stories involved Jerry Siegel, Edmond Hamilton and John Forte.

The watershed moment for the Legion come using Dangerous undertaking Comics #346 (July 1966), which was written by then 14-season-old Jim Shooter. The Legion fan, Shooter submitted the quartet of stories to DC. Around an era prior to comedian book creative persin & writers received regular credits on their operate, Shooter—ignorant of a average creation run behind the stories he enjoyed—submitted good web page layouts in typewriter paper, complete by owning captions & dialogue bubbles. DC, at a instance ignorant of Shooter's age, was impressed plenty by having his efforts to arrange for veteran creative person Curt Swan & George Klein to fix higher a layouts for publication. Victims 1st 4 stories introduced many longtime Legion elements, including Karate Kid, Princess Projectra, Ferro Lad, Nemesis Kid, the Khunds, and Universo and his son Rond Vidar.

Shortly thenceforth, Shooter became a regular writer of the Legion stories, by owning Curt Swan (& later on Win Mortimer) as creative person. Shooter brought supplementary characterization & action to the Legion, an approach which was working swell for competition Marvel Comics, and moved out of gimmickry. When it turned out, this Shooter was an early participant within a gradual revolution of storytelling at DC above the next decade.

Shooter wrote a story all about Ferro Lad's dying—a number 1 "real" dying of the Legionnaire (although Lightning Lad experienced been believed dead awhile prior to)—& introduced several more enduring construct, including a Fatal Five, Shadow Lass, the Dark Circle, Mordru, and a "Adult Legion", a conjecture on what the Legion would become rather whenever it grew higher.

Still, a Legion's golden age did sooner or later prevent, & their previous appearance around Adventure Comics was #380 (Could 1969), when it were displaced by Supergirl.

Back-up feature
A early 1970s saw the Legion relegated to the status of back-higher feature. Number 1 it appeared inside Action Comedian from either #377–392 (June 1969–September 1970) featuring more stories by Shooter & Mortimer, normally vignettes sustaining sole of these or even 2 of the Legion appearing. These were notwithstanding in good order character-caused stories, like unusual for their team in this regard.

Ensuing that stint it began appearing now and then as a backup within Superboy starting by owning #172 (March 1971) with creators including E. Nelson Bridwell, Cary Bates, and George Tuska. However shortly signs of revival appeared, when immature creative person Dave Cockrum (who would last in to fame when a creative persin on Wonder's "all-new, all-different" X-Men) began drawing the series using Superboy #184 (April 1972). Cockrum was a prolific designer of eye-attention-getting superhero costumes, & began revising the outfits of several Legionnaires, numerous of which endured for very much of the next Xx years.

A virtually all notable story when you took this instance was Superboy #195 (June 1973), in which the hero whose system was processed of energy applied for membership in the Legiin, & on the face of it gave his life on the mission. A hero would last in to be Wildfire, one of the virtually all popular Legionnaires.

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes
the Legiin returned to handle-billing on a book whilst Superboy became Superboy & a Legion of Very-Heroes sustaining #197 (August 1973), even to save slipping sales on the title. Created by Bates & Cockrum, a feature proved popular & saw such cases when a wedding of Bouncing Son & Duo Damsel (at one time Triplicate Girl) (#200), & a dying of Invisible Child (#203). Many of the Legionnaires' costumes were changed & updated in the cycle of this period, using a bit of of the female heroes' outfits—particularly that worn by Saturn Girl, Dream Girl, and Princess Projectra—becoming especially skimpy.

Cockrum was replaced in art by having #210 (August 1975) by Mike Grell, who would as well turn into a fan preferred despite introducing the ill-famed "black bustier" costume for Cosmic Boy. Shooter returned & wrote his last hurrah on a title by having the tale involving the Time Trapper and a freshly villain, Pulsar Stargrave.

By having #231 (September 1977), the book became the "giant-size" title, at this point written by longtime fan Paul Levitz and drawn by James Sherman (inked by a kind of creative person, notably Jack Abel and Bob McLeod). Around #241–245 (July–December 1978) Levitz and Sherman (then Joe Staton) produced what was to that instance a virtually all challenging Legion plot line, Earthwar, a astronomic war between a United Planets & a Khunds, sustaining many more villains lurking in the background.

S/LSH #239 (Can 1978) featured the easily-received story entitled "Murder Most Foul", where Ultra Son is framed for execution. Written & illustrated by Jim Starlin, he resolved a mystery left at the prevent of the story inside S/LSH #250–251 (April–Might 1979), although supposedly he wwhen then unhappy sustaining a redaction & a guide to decompose his drawn-out tale into deuce area that he flushed his title from either a plan, & was credited as "Steve Apollo". All the same, each stories were popular tales in the Legion work.

In a cycle of this period, one of the Legionnaires spun off into his have 20th century-based title, known as Karate Child, which lasted Xv issues.

Levitz left a book to exist as replaced by Gerry Conway, a controversial guide among comedian fandom. However illustrated by Staton, a book led as much as a next major vary in the title's appearance.

Their own title at last
By owning issue #259 (January 1980), Superboy departed from a Legion due to the plot of a villain, & the book was renamed just Legion of Super-Heroes. These issues come referred to by fandom and collectors as 'v2', or even volume deuce. (There was the 4-issue Legion of Extremely-Heroes series when you took a 1970s which is officially volume 1, or even 'v1', however it consisted entirely of reprints. Volume prices come conventional in the magazine industry in order to distinguish identically highborn successor magazines sustaining different enumerations.)

Ironically, this fell midmost of what is widely considered to exist as the moo point in the Legion's history. A Conway stories were does'nt super easily-received, & typically seemed to lack ambition. Fans typically cite #260–261 (February–March 1980), featuring the "Space Circus of Death," or even #268's "Life after Life after Life" (October 1980, written by J. M. DeMatteis), in which Legionnaires battle Dr. Mayavale, as the nadirs of this era. Jimmy Janes took over a art task by using #273 (March 1981), early in the drawn-out tale by Conway so Roy Thomas involving Ultra Boy disappearing in the period of a mission & his hanker odyssey to rejoin the team. This story told a long-awaited tale of the Legionnaire Reflecto (only glimpsed inside a period of the Adult Legion story in Adventure Comics), featured villainy per Instance Trapper & Grimbor the Chainsman, and saw Superboy rejoinside a team in #282 (December 1981).

Resulting this story, Paul Levitz returned to write a book.

Paul Levitz Legion
Pat Broderick illustrated the book for the short when prior to Keith Giffen and Larry Mahlstedt took over a art task. Their filtered style & flair for drawing high-hi-tech gadgetry processed the babies immediately popular, & this was enhanced per 5-a portion Great Darkness Saga which ran from #290–294 (August–December 1982), featuring the to the full assault on the United Planets & a surprise supervillain behind it all.

A Legion celebrated issue #300 (June 1983) by revisiting the Adult Legion story across the series of parallel world short stories illustrated by a total of popular Legion creative person of times retiring.

Giffen's style changed dead two or three issues late to the darker & unelaborated style divine by Argentinian artist José Munoz. This occurred at the same time by using DC's shift to launch the pair of "Baxter format" comedian books (a more was a popular New Teen Titans) on higher-quality Baxter paper. A extant Legion series was renamed Tales of the Legion of Extremely-Heroes for a year prior to it began reprinting stories from either a fresh Legion of Extr-Heroes volume Threesome (Another time known as 'v3' around fandom.)

When Levitz wrote virtually all of the stories in the period of this period, there were many memorable fill-ins by Mindy Newell.

A series launched (August 1984) with a 5-a portion story featuring the Legion of Super-Villains. Giffen left in the midst of the story & was replaced by Steve Lightle. Lightle's elaborate style healthy a book swell, however he just remained on the book for a year. Despite this, he designed costumes for many freshly Legionnaires world health organization were introduced, notably a longtime member of the Legion of Substitute Heroes, Polar Boy.

Greg LaRocque began a prolonged begaround in #16 (November 1985), including a crossover by using John Byrne's recently-rebooted Superman titles in #37 & #38. A crossover was DC's number one of numbers of tries to teach you a origins & fate of Superboy, & his history by owning a Legion, inside weak of the revision to the DC Universe caused by Crisis on Infinite Earths. (Perchance fittingly, the crossover likewise number 1 demonstrated a continuity paradoxes that inevitably resulted from either such tries; a statue for Supergirl in the Legion's memorial for gone members, shown around #38, experienced vanished by #51, when by the DC column's so-recent edict that Supergirl experienced never existed the least bit in the post-Crisis timeline.)

Levitz' do ended sustaining the go to of Giffen & a 4-a share story, concluding inside #63 (August 1989), focusing on the decline of science and the rise of magic wreaking havoc sustaining a United Planets. Although a forces of serious prevailed, two a Higher & a Legion were left a shambles, the pieces to exist as picked higher in the next series.

Although Levitz substantially changed the Legion & its characters & greatly altered a tone of the series from either what experienced never to return prior to, his rerun was highly popular & was a high-a river mark in the Legion's history.

Five years later
Giffen took across plotting also when penciling a Legion of Very-Heroes within volume Four ('or even 'v4') starting within November 1989, with scripts by Tom and Mary Bierbaum. 5 years when the Magic Wars, a United Planets occurs as darker place & a Legion a distant memory. All a same, the class action of previous Legionnaires worked to re-form the Legion therein coarse fresh universe, where Globe was ruled per alien Dominators.

Shortly when this plot line began, a guide was processed to retroactively dislodge Superboy nigh entirely from either Legion involvement, allowing a wonder of in which the Legion's inspiration for innovation come from either forgoing Superboy. A writers' guide was to recast Mon-El therein role, as a 20th century hero known as Valiance, & likewise added a characters Laurel Gand—a parallel for Supergirl—and Kent Shakespeare (a.k.the. Impulse) to further fill a void. Issue #5 featured the parallel globe story where this restructuring was established.

This series wwhen erratic, as Giffen missed plotting many issues for reasons that were non totally clear. A Bierbaums wrote fill-inside stories, however a overall cohesiveness suffered. Legion fandom was split in their reactions. A bit of felt that a stories challenged a children; others felt that a Bierbaums were desecrating the Legion's bequest. Controversial plot line involved various revelations (typically according to longstanding fandom theories) that turned Legiin history on its head. 1 was that Lightning Lad's person got been housing a consciousness of Proty, Chameleon Son's protean "pet," ever since his resurrection years prior to. the second was that previous Science Police liaison Shvaughn Erin was actually a transsexual and that her longtime beau Element Lad was gay.

a major plot line was the discovery of "Batch SW6", the class action of clones of the early Legion, circa their Adventure Comics days. Apparently a intent wwhen that these would one of these days become revealed as a rattling Legion, & a ones whose dangerous undertaking got been chronicled for then yearn were actually the clones. Instead, there were okay, 2 Legions & the parallel title. Legionnaires, was launched, sustaining art by Chris Sprouse, starring the SW6 Legion. It was a lightly title than the independent Legion book.

Giffen left a book fallowing a plot line which exposed the destruction of Globe (#38, December 1992), & a Bierbaums continued, overseeing a go to of many classic characters, like Wildfire and Amethyst. Whenever a Bierbaums left, writer Tom McCraw took over & processed the total of changes, including forcing many Legiin members underground, requiring the babies to choose on recently identities. Within 1994, DC's editorial department decided that a team's continuity should become rebooted. Following of the Zero Hour company-wide crossended, 35 years of Legion continuity came to an prevent, to become began over from either a super beginning.

Rebooted (1994–2004)
From the beginning
By using Legion volume Tetrad #0 & Legionnaires #0 (two October 1994), the fresh Legion was created away from altogether material, beginning by having a variation on the classic origin story. Lightning Lad was renamed Live Wire, and fallowing a class action's introduction, the prominent total of heroes were added to the roll super quickly. Many more members were renamed, & a select few fresh heroes were added, including XS (a descendant of the Flash) and Gates.

around winks to the recently throwaway continuity, the total of old, dear Legionnaires were saved around inside different capacities. Chuck Taine (world health organization got been a hero Bouncing Son in a old continuity) became the Legion's maintenance engineer, & Tenzil Kem (world health organization experienced been Matter Eater Lad) became a Legion's chef. Rond Vidar—world health organization experienced been the boy of villain Universo, an honorary Legionnaire, & a Green Lantern in the last continuity—mass produced two or three tokenish appearances as a colleague of Brainiac Five.

When in a few manner ensuing a pattern of the original continuity, there were some major deviations. Occasionally characters died when it got antecedently, however others did does'nt. A bit of Legion members spent instance in a 20th century, in which it recruited the member Ferro. Overall, it was a successful & easily-received link to to the times of the teenage Legion defending the shining first from either the forces of evil.

"DnA" Legion
Notwithstanding, Legion sales began to flag. Newly writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning—often referred to as "DnA", the tag it unremarkably utilized for interviews—come in board using penciller Oliver Coipel to produce the dark story leading to the touching-collapse of the United Planets & of the Legion itself. In the wake up of this disaster, the class action of Legionnaires disappeared across the spacial rift & them existent Legion series come to an prevent.

A limited series Legion Lost (2000–2001) chronicled a hard journeying one Legionnaires to go to to their at home, when the following limited series Legion Worlds (2001) showed what was happening back in the United Planets during their absence.

Eventually, the freshly series, A Legion, was launched where the Legion is reunited & given a freshly base & purpose. Written for its number 1 33 issues by DnA, a series was cancelled by using issue 38.

"Threeboot" (2004—)
Ensuing the crossover with the Teen Titans in Teen Titans #16 & a Teen Titans/Legion Favorite, the newly series was launched, written by Mark Waid (making him a number one individual to reboot the equivalent title twice) & penciled by Barry Kitson. This freshly, fifth series has recreated a team over again, using a Boy/Lad/Girl/Lass/Kid list, which the late "preboot" & (prior) reboot got moved out of.

More elements of this versiin that differ from either last incarnations include a fact that a Legion is non appreciated by government authorities, & that hundreds to thousands of immature population on several different worlds use at times get "Legionnaires", worshipping the heroes around a cult-like manner, using numbers of maintaining the constant vigil outside Legion headquarters.

the first of the Legion is largely a emotionally & mentally repressing society using mortal sex along by owning call for saved at arms' length along by owning Orwellian surveillance. A Legion is non actively working towards a ostensibly easily-meaning government's overthrow however further interested around reform when it act to protect population when attempting to inspire others by owning a legends of superheroism of old.

Initial issues of a rebooted title develop been slowly reintroducing the characters, providing freshly &, typically, wildly diverging origins. Largely a characters resemble their sooner counterparts (including, around a few subjects, their costumes) using notable exceptions existence Chameleon Son, world health organization is depicted as an androgynous creature, and Star Boy who in this version of the Legion is nigrify. This hwhen led to occasionally confusion among fans, as Star Son is significant inside James Robinson's Starman. Brainiac Five appears to exist as virtually unchanged from either sooner incarnations of the character.

Appearances in other media
Cosmic Sin, Chameleon Son, & Saturn Girl produce an appearance on Superman: The Animated Series. In the episode "New Kids in Town", it travel across period to prevent Brainiac from destroying the Human of Steel at an early age. Jason Priestley voiced Chameleon Boy, Melissa Joan Hart was Saturn Girl and, Chad Lowe voiced Cosmic Boy.

A feature film The Karate Kid used (and invite) a title of a Legion member, although a film itself has there are no more connection to the character or even the Legion.

The Legion of Extremely-Heroes cartoon is in the works, to become written by Allan Heinberg, acclaimed creator of Young Avengers and writer of the popular teen drama The O.C..

Appearances
This names is inside approximate chronological choose & excludes reprints in which known. Escapade Comics #247, 267, 276, 282, 290, 293 Action Comics #267, 276, 283, 287, 289–290 Superboy volume I, #86, 89, 93, 98, 117 Dangerous undertaking Comics #300–380 Superboy volume Ace #147 (origin, appeared when you took a Dangerous undertaking dog) Action Comics #378–387, 389–392 Superboy volume Unity, #172, 176, 185, 191, 195 Superboy & a Legion of Superintendent-Heroes #197–258 Superboy & a Legion of Very-Heroes tabloid A Legion of Extr-Heroes volume Deuce, #259–313, Annual #1–3 Secrets of the Legion of Superintendent-Heroes #1–3 Karate Child #1–15 Tales of the Legion of Superintendent-Heroes #314–325 A Legion of Substitute Heroes Favorite #1 Legionnaires Triad #1–4 ''World health organization's World health organization in the Legion of Extr-Heroes #1–7 Cosmic Son #1–4 A Legion of Extremely-Heroes volume Triad, #1–63, Annual #1–4 A Legion of Very-Heroes volume Quatern, #1–61, Annual #1–5 Legionnaires #1–17 Timber Wolf #1–5

Fallowing a reboot: A Legion of Very-Heroes volume Foursome, #0, 62–125, Annual #6–7 Legionnaires #0, 18–81, Annual #2–Three 1 Legends of the Legion #1–4 Legion Science Police #1–4 Titans/Legion of Extremely-Heroes: Universe Ablaze # One–4 Inferno #1–4 Legion of Extr-Heroes Secret Files #1 Legion Wasted #1–12 Legion Worlds #1–6 A Legion #1–38 Adolescent Titans/Legion Special

One - Legionnaires Annual #1 is an "Elseworlds" story, which is part of neither a pre-reboot nor post-reboot Legion continuity.

Fallowing a "reimagining": Teenage Titans/Legion Special Legion of Extr-Heroes'' volume Five. #1—