Highlights from the careers of the 30th (and 31st) century’s greatest heroes…
By PETER BOSCH
February 27 is the 65th anniversary of Adventure Comics #247 (pub date Apr. 1958) in which Superboy first encountered Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy and Lightning Boy (later “Lightning Lad”), the three founders of the Legion of Super-Heroes. The Legion’s popularity grew and it would only be a few years before they were sharing Adventure with Superboy, and then not long after that they ousted him from his own Superboy comic.
Writer Otto Binder could not have possibly imagined that his simple tale of three teenagers from the future would become such an enormous success, but during these past 65 years, the Legion membership has grown and grown and GROWN! A few members have left, some have married, and some have died… but still the membership increases.
Here’s a 13 COVERS anniversary tribute:
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Adventure Comics #247 (Apr. 1958)
Curt Swan pencils, Stan Kaye inks
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Adventure Comics #300 (Sept. 1962)
Swan pencils, George Klein inks
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Adventure Comics #346 (July 1966)
Swan pencils, Klein inks
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Adventure Comics #354 (Mar. 1967)
Swan pencils, Klein inks
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Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-49 (Oct.-Nov. 1976)
Mike Grell cover
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The Legion of Super-Heroes #300 (June 1983)
Cover by various artists and inkers
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Legion of Super-Heroes #38 (Sept. 1987)
Bill Sienkiewicz cover
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Legion of Super-Heroes #41 (Mar. 1993)
Chris Sprouse pencils, Karl Story inks
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Legionnaires #43 (Dec. 1996)
Jeff Moy pencils, W.C. Carini inks
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Legion of Super-Heroes #100 (Jan. 1998)
Alan Davis pencils, Mark Farmer inks
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Justice League vs. the Legion of Super-Heroes #6 (Nov. 2022)
Scott Godlewski cover
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Who’s Who in the Legion of Super-Heroes #7 (Nov. 1988)
Cover by various artists and inkers
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Legion of Super-Heroes poster (1983)
Keith Giffen art
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MORE
— LEVITZ AND GIFFEN: When the LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES Was at Its Best. Click here.
— Why MIKE GRELL Was Happy to Work on LEGION — and Even Happier to Leave It. Click here.
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PETER BOSCH’s first book, American TV Comic Books: 1940s-1980s – From the Small Screen to the Printed Page, has just been published by TwoMorrows. He has written articles and conducted celebrity interviews for various magazines and newspapers. Peter lives in Hollywood.
February 27, 2023
The greatest hero of them all is a classic and still brings tears to my eyes!
February 27, 2023
Came here to say just that!
February 27, 2023
Love the Legion! There is a character for everyone in the group. And I think I’m one of the few who can find good in every reboot/version. Can’t wait to see what they do with the team next. Long Live the Legion!
March 4, 2023
Still a classic. Matter Eater Lad from the planet BISMOLL? Arms Fall Off Lad? Curt Swan art on Jim Shooter scripts? Doesn’t get much better.
February 27, 2023
I still have my Keith Griffen Legion poster.
February 27, 2023
Legion of Super Heroes to me was like DC’s version of the X-men.
February 27, 2023
The Legion predates X-men by 5 years, so X-men is Marvel’s version of X-men.
February 27, 2023
I realize that. I wasn’t saying who was first, or that the Legion was copied from X men. Just that they have similar qualities as young heroes with varied powers.
February 28, 2023
Long live the Legion!
February 28, 2023
Long Live the Legion.
March 3, 2023
It will always be the Legion for me. I take pride in being able to name damn near every member!
March 4, 2023
The Sun Eater Was The Most Important Ligoinar Story Of All Fatal 5 Death Of Ferro Lad