Your favorite version of Legion of Super Heroes

[Jim Kelly]

Posting on this thread has spurred me to start re-reading the Legion again from the beginning in the Archives. With the early stories, I pretend that they aren't actually travelling through time but rather into the 30th century equivalent of a video game. There are different skins they can select, which explains why the details are inconsistent from story to story. The early Legion is just practicing scenarios with virtual versions of "Superboy" and "Supergirl" based on legend and surviving historical records. This explains why their first costumes, in the game (ADVENTURE 247), are a hybrid of Buck Rogers and 1950s fashion. I particularly like that Garth and Rokk are wearing pleated trousers. If I was designing costumes for the future--rather than going for space age designs--I would use fashions from the past as inspiration. Because in reality that's how fashion so often works--couturiers look at vintage and then apply those lines to their new creations. The Legion, especially Cosmic Boy, have a nostalgia for ancient history.

[caj]

Posting on this thread has spurred me to start re-reading the Legion again from the beginning in the Archives. With the early stories, I pretend that they aren't actually travelling through time but rather into the 30th century equivalent of a video game. There are different skins they can select, which explains why the details are inconsistent from story to story. The early Legion is just practicing scenarios with virtual versions of "Superboy" and "Supergirl" based on legend and surviving historical records. This explains why their first costumes, in the game (ADVENTURE 247), are a hybrid of Buck Rogers and 1950s fashion. I particularly like that Garth and Rokk are wearing pleated trousers. If I was designing costumes for the future--rather than going for space age designs--I would use fashions from the past as inspiration. Because in reality that's how fashion so often works--couturiers look at vintage and then apply those lines to their new creations. The Legion, especially Cosmic Boy, have a nostalgia for ancient history.

Glad it encouraged you to revisit the Legion. I was hoping the thread would remind people of how great the Legion is.

[Ropeburn]

This poll tells me Bendis has 7 accounts on here.

[caj]

Cockrum's female costumes were mostly based on mod fashion of the late 60s and very early 70s. You'd see cool young adults wearing clothes like that -- so it made the Legion seem cooler. I really didn't give much thought to how much skin was shown in Cockrum's issues -- even the bikini style costumes weren't that outlandish -- until Grell came along and considerably reduced coverage! Cockrum's designs for the men were more classic -- and many still hold up today.

As much as I liked Grell as an artist, his costume designs left a lot to be desired for the guys. Remember Colossal Boy in those shorts??? Horrible.

[Jim Kelly]

I wonder if anyone can help me with this obscure question about Durla.

In SUPERMAN'S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE 97 (November 1969)--"The Three Super-Sirens"--Superman encounters three shape-shiters from Durla. These guys seem to be from Durla in the 20th century--as there's no reference to time travel. However, Lois observes that Superman "once took a special serum to Durla to save that world from a plague!" Yet I can't find any such story. There is "The Red Kryptonite Menace" from ACTION COMICS 283 (December 1961) where the Man of Tomorrow has to deal with two Durlans from the 30th century, members of the Legion of Outlaws--but I don't see Superman saving Durla from a plague in that.

It could just be that Lois is referring to an untold tale of Superman. In which case the story in LOIS LANE 97 would be the first evidence of Durlans in the 20th century.

[EmeraldGladiator]

This poll tells me Bendis has 7 accounts on here.

I see what you did there, well played, lol.

[caj]

I wonder if anyone can help me with this obscure question about Durla.

In SUPERMAN'S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE 97 (November 1969)--"The Three Super-Sirens"--Superman encounters three shape-shiters from Durla. These guys seem to be from Durla in the 20th century--as there's no reference to time travel. However, Lois observes that Superman "once took a special serum to Durla to save that world from a plague!" Yet I can't find any such story. There is "The Red Kryptonite Menace" from ACTION COMICS 283 (December 1961) where the Man of Tomorrow has to deal with two Durlans from the 30th century, members of the Legion of Outlaws--but I don't see Superman saving Durla from a plague in that.

It could just be that Lois is referring to an untold tale of Superman. In which case the story in LOIS LANE 97 would be the first evidence of Durlans in the 20th century.

I don't recall that story being told. I know in the 1970s, if a story was referencing a past issue, the editor normally put a notation with the book and issue #. Not sure if they were doing that in the 1960s.

My best guess is that is was an untold tale but I'm not sure.

[Jim Kelly]

I don't recall that story being told. I know in the 1970s, if a story was referencing a past issue, the editor normally put a notation with the book and issue #. Not sure if they were doing that in the 1960s.

My best guess is that is was an untold tale but I'm not sure.

Yeah, I haven't run across any earlier story. And I've now read/re-read all the Legion stories from the first up to the beginning of the Cockrum run and there's no hint of Durla in the 20th century other than that story. Likewise, I've been reading a lot of Superman and Superboy stories from the 1960s and there's nothing I can find. So it just seems to be one of those loose threads that never went anywhere.

[Sutekh]

Yeah, I haven't run across any earlier story. And I've now read/re-read all the Legion stories from the first up to the beginning of the Cockrum run and there's no hint of Durla in the 20th century other than that story. Likewise, I've been reading a lot of Superman and Superboy stories from the 1960s and there's nothing I can find. So it just seems to be one of those loose threads that never went anywhere.

I can only think of a few 20th century Durlan appearances, and both seem to be well after this.

(I also vaguely recall a Legion story where they travelled back to ancient Greece and found a group of Durlans masquerading as the Olympian gods, but that was way pre-20th century!)

There were Durlans in the Invasion event.

There was at least one Durlan enemy in LEGION 89, IIRC.

[Timothy Hunter]

i put them in other of how i like them

Other Retroboot
Five Years Later Legion
Paul Levitz/Keith Giffen plus Baxter book
Zero Hour Reboot
New 52 Legion (Not the Legion Lost. I didnt like the end of the run. Poor Sun Boy)
Mark Waid Threeboot
Post Infinite Crisis (Like the new characters but there were not enough old lsh
Superboy & the Legion
Early Adventure Comics (Both Superboy and adventure are fun but it didnt aged well. Some are really silly now)

Current Bendis Legion (THIS IS NOT A LSH BOOK)

What's the difference between Post Infinite Crisis and Other Retroboot?

[caj]

i put them in other of how i like them

Other Retroboot
Five Years Later Legion
Paul Levitz/Keith Giffen plus Baxter book
Zero Hour Reboot
New 52 Legion (Not the Legion Lost. I didnt like the end of the run. Poor Sun Boy)
Mark Waid Threeboot
Post Infinite Crisis (Like the new characters but there were not enough old lsh
Superboy & the Legion
Early Adventure Comics (Both Superboy and adventure are fun but it didnt aged well. Some are really silly now)

Current Bendis Legion (THIS IS NOT A LSH BOOK)

Sun Boy fared just as bad, if not worse, in the Five Years Later Legion. Why were so many writers so rough on Sun Boy. He was a great character IMO.

[caj]

I also vaguely recall a Legion story where they travelled back to ancient Greece and found a group of Durlans masquerading as the Olympian gods, but that was way pre-20th century!

Yes, that was from the Annual #2 where Projectra and Karate Kid got married (1983)

[MajorHoy]

NOTE: This thread was begun in late July of 2020.
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With 109 people having voted so far, the poll shows:

* Paul Levitz/Keith Giffen plus Baxter book = 39 votes
* Superboy & the Legion = 15 votes
* Zero Hour Reboot = 14 votes
* Five Years Later Legion = 10 votes
* Early Adventure Comics = 8 votes
* Current Bendis Legion = 7 votes

All other options currently have fewer than seven votes.

[Thor-Ul]

I'm confused. I thought than the Legion continued after new52 as without any significant change, same as done with Batman and Green Lantern. Why the need to put them in a separated era? Levitz continued all his plots without a relevant change.

[Sutekh]

Sun Boy fared just as bad, if not worse, in the Five Years Later Legion. Why were so many writers so rough on Sun Boy. He was a great character IMO.

Yeah, he had the dubious honor of dying in two or three different boots (classic, most recently, 5YL, IIRC, and Threeboot, in Legion of Three Worlds, that I know of). Beginning to think his real name should have been Kenny...