Liquidman, Stormboy, Tree-Man, Telepathy Man, Shadowman
Othar of Thrann, the Super-World
In SUPERBOY 101 (December ’62), “The Valhalla of Super-Companions,” by Edmond Hamilton and George Papp, introduces a ragtag team of champions that could have rivaled the Legion of Super-Heroes.
A monacle-wearing, blue-skinned, bald, big-headed alien named Othar, along with his fellow super-scientists from the planet Thrann, puts everyone in Smallville, except Clark Kent, into a deep sleep and will not release them from their slumber unless Superboy agrees to go with the aliens to their Super-World. Then, aboard their space-ship, they travel to other planets in the cosmos, collecting other super-heroes, in the same way they collected Superboy. These other world super-beings are Liquidman, Stormboy, Tree-Man, Telepathy Man and Shadowman, each having the powers that their code-names suggest.
Travelling across the universe to the Super-World, Othar offers the Super-Companions the chance to live in peace on Thrann--not threatened by those things that could weaken and even kill them. And, other than Superboy, the champions all seem willing to remain on this far off world away from their loved ones. Othar proposes a competition to select one of them to be ruler of Thrann and leader of their group. After each performs exceptional feats, Superboy wins by placing in orbit a metal castle, called Valhalla, which will serve as the Super-Companions’ satellite headquarters.
Yet all is not easy with the team and the others soon grow weary of Superboy’s rule. A war ensues with the Boy of Steel fending off the attacks of his ex-Super-Companions. Witnessing the calamity, Othar issues a truce to the hostilities, stating that it was wrong to bring them to Thrann and proposes to return each of them to their home planet. Thus ends the Vallhalla of Super-Companions. In fact, the war was all a ruse concocted by the champions, as all of them would have rather been home than be on Thrann.
One complaint that some fans have made about the early Legion of Super-Heroes is that they were all mostly white characters, even if they were aliens. However, in the Valhalla of Super-Companions, other than Superboy himself, the other aliens are not white. Liquidman is mellow yellow, Stormboy is tangerine, Tree-Man is lime green, Telepathy Man is mulberry and Shadowman is a lavender-grey. On the other hand this Valhalla is an all boys’ club, in contrast to the Legion which had a growing amount of female representation in its ranks.
Addendum: ADVENTURE COMICS 371 (August 1968) reprints and makes certain changes to “The Valhalla of Super-Companions” to give it a connection to the Legion of Super-Heroes so it can appear under the Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes banner in that issue and with a new story title, "When Superboy Walked Out on the Legion." However, it's the same story, only with the panels moved to make room for two extras panels featuring Legionnaires--Ultra Boy, Sun Boy, Light Lass and Duo Damsel--and with a change in the final wording of Superboy's parting comment where he says,"Maybe someday we'll meet up again--with the Legion of Super-Heroes!"