LOSH theory that could reconcile things for past and present Superboys

[magha_regulus]

What if Jon Kent is simply the first Superboy to join the Legion and Clark joins later when they are a bit more experienced? The Legion as currently depicted doesn't seem to be as far along in their teams development as usually depicted. Who's to say that Superman didn't recognize them because of a mental block from Saturn Girl or something? Or perhaps that was retconned by events in Doomsday Clock?

What do you all think? Would this work? I really want Clark Kent as Superboy in the Legion. Imagine Jon getting to meet his dad in the future as a younger, more inexperienced and brash kid. Wouldn't that be great?

[Kuwagaton]

Why not? Basically the one thing I think about is how odd it is to actively put Clarkboy back in continuity and then never use his connection when the Legion reboot finally comes around.

[sifighter]

Well there are two ways of doing this.

1. Legion of three worlds just got a fourth world. Have the other future legion's exist and just say that classic Legion of Superheroes became an alternate reality once reality had shifted so much but that Clark had joined that version of the team. Thereby establishing the current Legion as Jon's future.

2. Clark joined the Legion in its very early days before Jon did, and the Legion mind wiped him once they put the young Clark back in the past.

[Ascended]

According to Doomsday Clock Clark being in the Legion is back in continuity, and if I have to put up with the Kents being alive again, Johns can do me this one solid and give me back the Legion to go with it.

Anyway, I think young Clark joining the Legion after Jon is a viable work around for where we are. Jon's Legion are fairly inexperienced, while Clark's were usually more experienced than him. So it kinda fits, and the idea that the Legion erased Clark's memories has precedent (though I favor a more precise mindwipe that only erases sensitive knowledge and not the whole experience). And the idea ties stuff up in a fun timey wimey knot.

[manwhohaseverything]

Yeah! I don't think clark with legion is back. The parents are back and still no references off clark from legion in legion book. They could still do that like you said. But, it will be relationship in namesake.

[Jackalope89]

According to Doomsday Clock Clark being in the Legion is back in continuity, and if I have to put up with the Kents being alive again, Johns can do me this one solid and give me back the Legion to go with it.

Anyway, I think young Clark joining the Legion after Jon is a viable work around for where we are. Jon's Legion are fairly inexperienced, while Clark's were usually more experienced than him. So it kinda fits, and the idea that the Legion erased Clark's memories has precedent (though I favor a more precise mindwipe that only erases sensitive knowledge and not the whole experience). And the idea ties stuff up in a fun timey wimey knot.

I think Johns wanted to, but with more recent mandates and directions, I think it may have gotten scrapped.

[Adekis]

I don't see a problem with there just being multiple different Legions, and Jon gets one and Clark gets one.

I mean, I do see the problem with that, the problem is that Legion continuity is already a nightmare, but it wouldn't make anything worse; Legion continuity kind of hit a threshold of confusion sometime during the '90s, and I don't think any new complications are "worse". I mean in the New 52, the Legion in the Legion monthly title was different from the one in Action Comics, but by this point, Legion fans are just so used to whatever, you know?

I will say, I don't really like Bendis' Legion? So I'm not thrilled about the hypothetical idea of unifying it with any of Clark's Legions. The biggest example of something I don't like is probably that Cosmic Boy went from being a character from a world where everyone has powers, but suffering a severe economic depression, to being part of an elite part of his population that gets to have powers. In other words, he went from being a character rooted in poverty to being literally described as one of the 1 percent.

That's just one example of a thing I don't like about Bendis' Legion. Others include Ultra Boy being the son of a warlord instead of being a street punk, Ultra Boy's new costume being awful, and the fact that my pansexual icon son Element Lad is now drawn to resemble a stoned Bizarro. Many more complaints remain.

I wouldn't mind Jon just... having a different Legion than Superman.

It is messy though, I'll grant you that. I just happen to think that the Legion is not going to become less messy at this point.