Newarama ranks the 10 greatest Legion of Super Heroes stories of all time

[caj]

Rarely do I ever agree with these lists but admit it's always fun reading them. They got some right and left off some others. Where is 'Who Is Sensor Girl?'

https://www.newsarama.com/45628-the-...ries-ever.html

10. Legion of Super Heroes #0 - Zero Hour reboot
9. Legion of Three Worlds (groan)
8. An Eye For An Eye - Legion vs the Legion of Super Villains
7. Earthwar
6. Superboy #147 - The story of the origin of the Legion
5. Mordru The Merciless - love Jim Shooter but not one of my favorites
4. Legion Lost - the first one by Dan Abnett
3. The Death of Ferro Lad
2. Superman and the Legion of Super Heroes - you didn't think they would leave Geoff Johns off this list, did you?
1. The Great Darkness Saga - of course, what else would be #1

[Jim Kelly]

They put Geoff on the list twice. I'm qute happy with Mordru the Merciless. It's too bad they couldn't find it in their hearts to include something by Jerry Siegel or Edmond Hamilton, with John Forte. Not even Cary Bates and Dave Cockrum. But I'm not going to be depressed about it--it's not like what Newsrama says has any import to my life.

[Adset]

I've read all but Mordru the Merciless and the Death of Ferro Lad.

Is Legion of 3 Worlds not liked? I wasn't active on message boards during Final Crisis so I missed most of the reaction. I dug it.

[caj]

I would definitely add 'Who Is Sensor Girl' and 5-years-later #5 (the hourglass cover)

[Jim Kelly]

I would rather have a list that's representative of the whole history of the team rather than just one epoch. Of course, this list was about stories--but there it's a mixed bag because the origin by ENB in SUPERBOY 147 is just one short story, while the Great Darkness Saga is a multi-issue story.

To give Bridwell the cred, I'd probably pick the 3 issue SECRETS OF THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES which bulit on the origin and pulled together a lot of the continuity, while setting up things that Levitz and others could expand on.

The Great Darkness Saga is enough to represent all that Levitz and Giffen did. I'd give up Mordru the Merciless for the sake of the Sun-Eater Saga, to represent the Shooter epoch.

For Jerry Siegel, I'd take the two-part Computo story--which was one of the most important stories for the Legion's early days. For Cary Bates and Dave Cockrum, I'd pick the ERG-1/Wildfire storyline.

In regard to Geoff Johns, I'd skip Superman and the Legion and take Legion of Three Worlds. I'd keep Legion Lost for Dan Abnett. For TMK, I don't know--maybe the Glorith storyline (but I hardly remember it).

I'd keep Earthwar (even though it would give Levitz two stories on the list--but this was from his previous run), just for the sake of giving Jim Sherman and Joe Staton some credit.

The Zero Hour reboot seems too broad a category and just the number 0 issue seems too confined. But I never read much of the Mark Waid Legion (either run)--but he ought to be represented.

And I'd like to see something for Mike Grell, given he worked on the Legion for so long.

[caj]

For Jerry Siegel, I'd take the two-part Computo story--which was one of the most important stories for the Legion's early days.

I won't argue with that.

I do remember a write-up in Amazing Heroes where they talked about how casual Luornu was with losing a third of her self. It said her main concern was that she needed a new code name, which she coins on the spot and is later seen laughing it up. Paul Levitz rectified that with several instances of Luornu still dealing with the pain of that loss.

[Jim Kelly]

I'd rather think that Luornu didn't talk about her feelings, because she was a stoic and not given to talking about any trauma at the drop of a hat. The penchant for super-heroes to moan out loud about their problems was a symptom of a new trend in comics, where everybody had to be always telling you what they were feeling and the writer didn't trust the reader to work it out on their own just from the evidence in front of them.

However, I figure that this third self never really left Luornu--because all three of her selves would be in her mind--so it would be like a phantom limb, but in her case a phantom consciousness. I think that could have been an interesting thing to explore.

[kcekada]

And Eye for an Eye should be higher. I'd put it in at #2. Johns story was good, but sorry -- it doesn't deserve that high of a rank.

I think the Mordru 2-parter was an excellent story for its time -- very character driven, but also a great, powerful opponent.

I also think Computo 2-parter deserves inclusion over some of the others. That was one of the first comic books ever to feature the death of a character --- and Computo predates Ultron by a couple of years. Regarding's Luornu's lost -- I don't think there was any difference in personalties -- the three parts were identical to one. So it was more or less a loss of ability -- though admittedly, a rather huge loss.

Cockrum's run of Legion made me a fan of the team and the artist for life. Cary Bates' stories were pretty good, but I think 400 was a bit disappointing. The first appearance of Wildfire was short, but sweet. It's one of the best life-sacrificing stories in comics history.

From the Grell, era, I'd probably go with Invisible Kid. His sacrifice came pretty close on the heels of Wildfire's (who had been resurrected by then), but IK's was final, final. Also, Grell's first issue was one of his best efforts, IMHO. He was a bit too stylize and posey after that issue. He got much better by the time he did Longbow Hunters.

[Zero Hunter]

I would sub out Superboy 147 since really it is not that great a story and latter versions have done it better. I would slip in the Terra Mosaic from the 5 Years Latter Legion... (Legion of Superheroes issues 25-36). It was an epic battle for Earth against the Dominators and the culmination of the entire first 2 years of that series. It was a truly epic story.

[caj]

And Eye for an Eye should be higher. I'd put it in at #2. Johns story was good, but sorry -- it doesn't deserve that high of a rank.

Yeah, I'm surprised that An Eye For An Eye wasn't in the Top 5 at least. The thing about that story - and I love Keith Giffen - but the first two issues his art is so cartoony. Steve Lightle definitely saved that story and made it epic with his art in issues 3, and especially 4 and 5.

[Johnny Thunders!]

For me, when I first read the Claremont Byrne X-Men, I was of course floored, but I was also prepped by years of reading those great Legion/Superman digests and re-prints. I do love the 70's and 80's Legion, I love Legion Lost, and the Great Darkness Saga is a favorite, but my big Legion Stories are probably all from the 60's for me.

Here is a list of books I found off hand (beat up reprints and those great digests!): "The Legion Of SuperVillains" from Superman, "The Legion of Substitute Heroes", "The Super Sacrifice of the Legion" (Both by John Forte and Ed Hamilton) , The Fatale Five, The Adult Legion, The Ghost of Ferro lad, The Adult Legion, The Ghost of Ferro Lad, The Escape of the Fatal Five, and The Fight fo the Championship of the Universe (Curt Swan and Jim Shooter) are my top Legion stories, at least today, and they are all from the 60's. I don't think Curt Swan did better than his run with Shooter. I think in total, the stories are by Jerry Siegel, Ed Hamilton, Jim Shooter, John Forte, and Curt Swan. Sheldon Muldoff on inks here and there?