Thanks to The Legion Clubhouse podcast, I’ve spent a lot of time lately pondering the 30th Century, and I’ve come to an important conclusion: This whole super future teens thing could have some legs to it. There’s a whole rainbow of characters to consider when you think about who is the best Legionnaire, from Element Lad (last survivor of Trom), to Saturn Girl (the telepath from the moon of Saturn) to Gates (who is a snarky, socialist, teleporting bug-feller, a sentence which can’t help but be wonderful.) In short, there’s enough Legionnaires that anybody can have themselves a fave-rave, which leads us to today’s #247 query…
The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) would have a lot of trouble picking just one, so I’ll go with “Anyone Who Isn’t Atmos”, asking: Who’s the best Legionnaire of them all?
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Personally, I’m torn between the original Dream Girl and Threeboot Brainy.
I segregate in true Silver Age fashion: Chameleon boy and Comet Queen. I like the aliens and they look great.
I’ve always been a big fan of Chameleon Boy (or simply Chameleon as one incarnation was called, though I prefer the version originating pre-Zero Hour). I can’t really speak to him being the “best” out of the group, though, he’s just the one I LIKE best, but with his shape-shifting abilities I do think he’s one of the more formidable members even with his limitations.
Brainy. Original Brainy.
It’s a tough question. Brainiac 5 is my favourite character. Saturn Girl is the _best_ character. Superboy is the best _superhero_. But the best _Legionnaire_? I need to come up with a way to pin down just what that means. The names that are coming to mind first are Chameleon Boy and Polar Boy… but I’m not at all convinced that either of those are the best answer.
When it comes down to BEST the MVPs over the years are Brainy and Saturn Girl.
But when it comes down to favourites for me it’s always been a tie between Shady, Polar Boy and Tellus. Love the big gorilla-fish lug.
Jo-Nah Ultra Boy.
Whether it was the Silver Age, Archie Legion, 5 Year Gap or any other incarnation, he has been one of the best and most developed characters.
He had a real background before joining, and continued to develope where other Legionairres stalled. Not to disparage others but Wildfire was always an asshole, Invisible Kid 2 never advanced until 5YG and Saturn Girl got stuck in the Iron Butt Imra bit from the Archie Legion on.
Ultra-Boy used his street smarts as a legionairre, played dumb to only show he had a clue later. 5YG Jo was my favorite showing how resourceful he really was. Rimbor is a rough place and good writers show how rough he really is.
Good points, and I agree – Ultra Boy has always been my favorite!
Sun boy and timber wolf circa great darkness saga! Both at their full potential!
I see that Brainy is well represented, and yet he bears mentioning again. You just have to like the guy! But I do have a soft spot for Shrinking Violet, she’s just lovely.
Ferro Lad was the first “real” superhero death that stuck, predating all but Bucky Barnes. Timber Wolf was Wolvèrine before Wolverine existed. But my vote goes to Superboy, because without him there would’ve been no Legion, continuity mumbo jumbo be damned.
Element Lad. Boy, that was an easy question.
Would you say it was “elementary?”