Tag Archives: Kent Shakespeare

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Hero History: Computo

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Or – “What’s REALLY In A Name?”

If you were to go to the dentist, open the door, and find a nameplate that reads “Dr. Hiram Rippedflesh, DDS,” you might consider postponing that appointment, right?  And, say,  if the first officers to respond to your call for help were Sergeant Lunatic and Detective Disemboweler, again, you’d probably have second thoughts about your situation, yes?  I imagine that general feeling is roughly how the Legionnaires must have felt when confronted by a girl choosing a nom de guerre that originally hung on one of the worst threats the team had ever faced, a murderous inhuman creature that nearly cost Brainiac 5 his mind, that came close to killing the second Invisible Kid, that DID KILL one of Triplicate Girl’s selves.  What possible reasoning could there be behind such a name, you ask?  How about “It just sounds cool!“  The 1990′s were a brave new world for the kids of the LSH, and few moments are as emblematic of that move away from history and into the bright and shiny future’s brighter and shinier future-er than the induction of today’s Hero History subject…  Once just a cute kid sister and plot device, she grew into a leader among the team, and a respected Legionnaire in her own right.  This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Danielle Foccart of Earth…  Computo!

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Hero History: Catspaw

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Or – “I Can Has Flight Ring?”

There are many subtle differences between the comic publishing industry in 1958, when the Legion debuted, and 1991-ish, when the ‘Legionnaires’ comic was published.  Aside from the obvious post-modern, technological blah dee blah, the major factor that separated the 90′s from the 50′s in comics terms was the existence of the X-Men.  The 600 pound gorilla of the comics world, our boys and girls in blue and gold caused rampant changes to nearly every comic book title extant, in the hopes of catching some of that proverbial ‘phat cash.’  Today’s H.H. subject is one of the characters who really shows that influence, for good or for ill, as the 30th century’s take on Wolverine, himself influenced by Legionnaire Timber Wolf. (Of course, Logan then influenced Wolfsbane and other feral hero types, who in turn influenced this character.  Can anybody say “Ouroboros?”  No?  Me, neither…)  Regardless of her roots, though, she’s more than just a T-Wolf stand-in, acting as a change of pace in character terms, much as her teammate Dragonmage did in terms of powers.  Driven by her instincts, motivated by her whims, she represents something unusual for the Legion: the animal perspective.  This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of April Dumaka of Earth…  Catspaw!

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Hero History: Dragonmage

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Or – “Magic And The Legion.  Two Great Tastes That Taste WEIRD Together…”

Throughout the history of the Legion of Super-Heroes, many of their members have gotten their powers from experimentation run wild (Sun Boy, Wildfire, Quislet, and even the Ranzz twins, in a way) whereas others have gained their powers from simple genetics (Dawnstar, Cosmic Boy, Matter-Eater Lad, etc.)  But for many years in the bright and shiny future, no one gained their abilities from manipulation of the mystic powers, from the hoary hosts of the neitherworld, or from the various powers beyond the pale.  When Mysa Nal, the White Witch, joined the original Legion, she was, in her own way, nearly as alien as Tellus or Blok, with her spell and her grimoires and such.  And it was quite a few years before another Legionnaire arose from the ranks of mysticism to take his place among the team.  One of the shortest lived LSHers of all, he nonetheless showed courage, character, and heroic ideals worthy of the decades-long membership of Colossal Boy or Brainiac 5. This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Xao Jin of Earth… Dragonmage!

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Hero History: Gear

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Or – “Robot ROLL CALL!“

The concept of “the bright and shiny future” is the key behind the popularity of the Legion over the years, but what that future entails has changed with each decade.  What started as a bunch of squeaky-clean teens in an upturned rocket ship had to evolve with the changing times, as the kids of the Legion and the readership aged.  When the Legion was rebooted in the 1990′s, the strange future where everybody was clean-cut and had a nice stable family upbringing had finally been thrown aside, and we got to see the Legionnaires recast in roles that were more like the other heroes of the age.  In that vein came today’s entrant, a hero whose powers were oh-so-90′s, the mecha-empath, a technokinetic hero who served as a sort of Swiss army superhero for the Legion’s slicing-dicing-and-even-cutting-tin-cans-with-it hours of need.  Though his time with the team was short, he nonetheless was a change of pace for the Legion, and at least his powers (thank Rao) didn’t come from freakin’ nanites.  (Bloodshot!  I’m lookin’ at you, pally!)  This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of I.Z.O.R. of Linsnar…  Gear!

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Hero History: Shikari

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Or – “An Old Tradition With A Brand New Face.  Well, Actually… NO Face.”

The Legion of Super-Heroes has, through the years, defied the archetypes of superhumans, redefining powers that we’d already seen in new ways.  During the early 60′s, when Sue Storm was a preening airhead with an astronaut’s wife’s haircut, Saturn Girl was leading the team.  In the 1970′s, the Legion pioneered a number of concepts ahead of their time, with the bodiless energy being known as Wildfire, and the strange and obscure powers of Tyroc and Chemical King presaging weird nebulous characters like Jack Hawksmoor and…  well, everyone written by Grant Morrison, really.  So, when a winged woman with the ability to exist in space and whose powers included the ability to seek out and find her target across interstellar distances showed up, the Legion was once again ahead of the curve.  Years later, during the rebooted Legion, this concept was remixed (with a little alternate dimension thrown in) giving us one of the most unusual and intriguing characters of the Legion’s second run.  This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of the Kwai known as the Lone Star of the Lost Galaxy…  Shikari!

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Hero History: Magno

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Or – “The Kind Of Heroism That Doesn’t Require Super-Powers.”

During the 5o years of Legion operations, many heroes have come and gone, and a great many of them have had limited tenures with the team…  But it should be noted that one of the least tenured Legionnaires, the boy called Ferro Lad, even to this day casts one of the longest shadows.  But few Legionnaires have had the deck stacked against them the way today’s Hero History subject has.  Even his own team leader had trouble seeing him as anything but a replacement Cosmic Boy, but he did everything in his power to change that assessment, and went through a series of setbacks and trials that forced him to redefine the kind of contribution that he could make.  Always upbeat, even in the face of tragedy, he helped to define the rebooted Legion as a separate entity from it’s Pre-Crisis counterpart.  This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Dirk Magz of Braal…  Magno!

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Hero History: Phantom Girl

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Or – “When The Girl Next Door Comes From Another Dimension…”

In our Hero Histories to date, we’ve seen martyrs and martinets, rockmen and rubber boys, 12th level geniuses and 20th century rejects, but today’s Hero History subject is one of the most relatable of the various Legionnaires throughout the years.  Her story is very familiar, a girl from a good family who leaves home and ends up bonding with a kid from the wrong side of the tracks.  Her story becomes inextricably intertwined with that of her longtime beau, encompassing one of the Legion’s longest-running and most successful romances, and the depth of love is as impressive as his super-powers in many ways.  She’s the sweetest, the calmest of Legionnaires, even at times when all seems lost, and the nature of her powers allow her a sense of serenity that most LSHers can only dream of.  In short, she’s the Legionnaire I’d be most likely to fall in love with, and, I have to say this…  her classic costume showcases one of the finest derrieres of the 31st century.  This, then, is your Hero History of Tinya Wazzo of Bgztl…  Phantom Girl!

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Hero History: Quislet

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Or – “Finally, We Find Out What The Deal Is With “That Little Spaceship Guy!”

The Legion of Super-Heroes, throughout the decades, has taken influence from a lot of sources, and often those influences have had as much in common with Star Trek and it’s ilk as it has had with the Justice League or the Avengers.  Certainly the 30th century setting of the team has allowed the Legion to have had more non-human members (Blok, Tellus, Gates, even Dawnstar and Wildfire are quite obviously NOT your average super-goober) than any other super-team, and today’s entrant is one of the most inhuman of all.  Gates may not have been a humanoid, but at least he’s a SOLID.  Of all the Legionnaires, he/she/it brought a truly alien viewpoint to the team, along with an awesome sense of fun and a genuine humor seldom seen since Bouncing Boy and Matter-Eater Lad left the team so many years ago.  Though short in tenure, and small in stature, today’s Legionnaire entrant nonetheless made a mark on the team (and a marked change in one of the most tenured LSHers) that could not be ignored…  This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Qu33.jpg of Teall…  Quislet!

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Hero History: Invisible Kid II

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Or – “Some Are Born To A Legacy, Some Have Their Legacy Thrust Upon Them…”

Last time ’round, we looked at a hero who was a literal younger brother of one of the founding Legionnaires.  This week, we look at a metaphorical brother of one of the earliest Legionnaires.  Lyle Norg’s death stands among the Legion’s greatest tragedies, and for many years the LSH was without an invisible member.  It took the return of one of the team’s greatest nemeses to create a situation where Lyle’s serum could once again save the day, with a little boost of courage, some tenacity, and a heap of filial affection.  This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Jacques Foccart of Earth…  Invisible Kid!

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Hero History: Magnetic Kid

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Or – “More Than Just The Kid Brother…”

One of the things that really sets the Legion of Super-Heroes apart from other books, historically speaking, was the fact that the characters were allowed to age. As the teens of the Legion grew up, they paired off, married, reproduced, and had lives. Unlike most comic characters, the Legionnaires were allowed to organically grow and change. So, it was natural that, eventually, even the founding members would leave the team. But when Legion founder Cosmic Boy retired, another ferromagnetic hero stepped into the fray to replace him, and found his path to be a difficult walk through the shadow of big brother. Still, he managed to distance himself from the spectre of a successful sibling, and eventually saved his team during one of it’s darkest hours. This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Pol Krinn of Braal… Magnetic Kid!

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Hero History: The White Witch

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Or – “The Fair Witch Project.”

The Legion of Super-Heroes covers a lot of different takes on heroism, but the one thing that they all seem to share is the affinity for science.  From the “ultra-energy” that imbues Jo Nah, to Wildfire‘s transformation to pure antimatter, to the accident that empowered Lighting Lass and her brother, the vagaries of science (or at least the strange comic book version thereof) have served as the origin of many Legionnaires.  Indeed, with the bright and shiny future setting, that’s as it should be.  So today’s Historical subject is an anomaly from the get-go, holding the honor of being one of the only Legionnaires to start out as a villain, as well as being the first full-fledged magician in Legion history.  She stood down with the most powerful creatures in the galaxy, matched up in courage with the greatest heroes the Legion has to offer, and did it with style and grace.  This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Mysa Nal of Naltor…  The White Witch.

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Hero History: Kid Quantum

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Or – “The Thirtieth Century’s Answer To Donny And Marie…”

One of the unavoidable biases inherent in our Terra-centric translation of the events of the various 30th Centuries has been the fact that many more Legionnaires come from Earth than from any other planet.  With Karate Kid, Wildfire, Sun Boy, both Invisible Kids, Bouncing Boy, Ferro Lad, Tyroc, as well as a host of shorter-lived Legionnaires, Sol III holds the record for gestating LSH members, but planet Xanthu (home of Star Boy, Monstress, Atmos, 50% of the rebooted Wildfire, and today’s dual entrants) has a strong heroic tradition of it’s own.  Heck, in some early LSH stories, the team is shown to have their headquarters on Xanthu rather than Earth, though I can’t say for sure if those references are in any way considered canonical.  Though today’s historical subjects weren’t the most long-lived of Legionnaires, and to be honest, sometimes they weren’t the most likable, but both took the challenge of joining the galaxy’s greatest hero team seriously.  One of them inspired the Legion to become a stronger organization, and the other LED the team during some of its’ darkest hours.  This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of James and Jazmin Cullen of Xanthu… Kid Quantum!

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