Last Updated on Saturday, February 28, 2004

PRE-ZERO HOUR

1. What is the Legion of Super-Heroes?

   The Legion of Super-Heroes is a group of super-heroes that operate in the 30th century. The team was founded after teenagers Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Live Wire saved the life of billionaire R.J. Brande. The team quickly grew in size, with as many as 18 members at one point.

   The Legion of Super-Heroes first appeared in ADVENTURE COMICS #247 in 1958. In that story, Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Lightning Boy traveled into the past to offer Superboy a membership in their super-hero club known as the Legion of Super- Heroes. Their appearance was intended to be a one-shot story. However, fan reaction to the team was positive, and they made many appearances in various Superman titles until finally landing an ongoing series in ADVENTURE COMICS.

2. Where can I read stories about the Legion of Super-Heroes?

   DC Comics publishes two books about the Legion of Super-Heroes titled LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES and LEGIONNAIRES. Both titles are published monthly. Legion stories continue through both of the titles, and both titles carry a common "L" number on their covers that could assist new readers in following the story in the suggested order. For example, a story that started in LEGIONNAIRES #59 (L - 1998 part 7) might continue in LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #103 (L - 1998 part 8). The "L" numbering is similar to the triangle numbering that the Superman titles use.

3. Didn't the Legion titles recently reboot?

   Yes. The Legion titles underwent a reboot as part of the 1994 DC Comics crossover event entitled ZERO HOUR. As a consequence of the events in ZERO HOUR, the history of the Legion of Super-Heroes was erased. In LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #0, Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Live Wire each journey to Earth for various reasons and heroically save the life of billionaire R.J. Brande. The reboot was intended to make the Legion titles more accessible to new readers than they had been at any time for over a decade.

4. Which issues take place after the "Reboot"?

   The retold origin of the Legion is told in LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #0. LEGIONNAIRES #0 tells how the Legion gained its first new members after the original founders. LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #62 to the present and LEGIONNAIRES #19 to the present continue the stories of the Legion after the reboot ("post-Zero"). LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES ANNUAL #6 and LEGIONNAIRES ANNUAL #2, and all subsequent annuals, are also post-Zero issues.

5. Who are the current members of the Legion?

   As of LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #118, the following heroes had actively participated on a mission with the post-Zero Legion as members, although not all are active Legionnaires in current stories:

   APPARITION

   Tinya Wazzo of Bgtzl. All Bgtzlians possess the ability to make themselves intangible and phase through any solid object. Apparition was temporarily trapped in phantom form after escaping certain death by merging with Ultra Boy's body. Apparition's father is a Carggite (see Triad's entry below), and her recent merging with her Carggite "sister" Phase (of 20th century L.E.G.I.O.N.) restored her ability to become tangible. Apparition's mother, Ambassador Winema Wazzo is Bgtzl's representative to the United Planets. Apparition is married to Ultra Boy. She is a member of the Legion Espionage Squad.

   BRAINIAC 5.1

   Querl Dox of Colu. A descendant of the evil Brainiac that faced Superman on many occasions, Brainiac 5.1 possesses a 12th level intellect (as opposed to the 6th level intelligence of the rest of us). He has a force field apparatus that permits him to generate an almost impenetrable force field. He joined the Legion using the codename Brainiac 5, but was briefly in a strange anomaly which upgraded him to Brainiac 5.1. He had a crush on Andromeda. His mother, Brainiac 4, founded the Dark Circle.

   CHAMELEON

   Reep Daggle of Durla. Chameleon has the native Durlan ability to change his shape at will. He is able to analyze objects or life forms and shape his body into perfect duplicates. Chameleon was a religious leader on Durla, and he's a member of the Legion's Espionage Squad. Chameleon has feelings for Spark.

   COSMIC BOY

   Rokk Krinn of Braal. Cosmic Boy possesses the native Braalian ability to attract, repel, and otherwise affect metallic items. Cosmic Boy honed his skills as a champion magno-ball player. Cosmic Boy was the first leader of the Legion of Super-Heroes.

   ELEMENT LAD

   Jan Arrah of Trom. Element Lad is the last survivor of Trom, a reclusive planet whose residents all had the ability to transmute elements into other substances. Trom was negotiating to join the United Planets (an interplanetary governing body that includes many of the Legionnaires' home planets) at the time of its destruction at the hands of Daxamite terrorists. Element Lad was not on the planet at the time, and is believed to be the only surviving Trommite.

   FERRO

   Andrew Nolan of 20th century Earth. Ferro possesses the ability to transform himself to iron. While in iron form, he has super-strength and invulnerability. Ferro's face is disfigured and he wears a mask to conceal the disfigurement. Ferro's twin Douglas Nolan was killed in the 20th century. Douglas had similar powers to Andrew and used the codename "Ingot."

   GATES

   Ti'Julk Mr'Asz of Vyrga. Gates has the power to create teleportational disks that can transport itself or others a distance of up to 200 meters. Gates prefers to transport only within a line of sight. Gates was coerced into joining the Legion by his planet's government and is not a willing Legionnaire. He is one of the few free thinkers that his home world has produced. The origin of his powers is unknown.

   INVISIBLE KID

   Lyle Norg of Earth. A brilliant scientist particularly adept in the field of biochemistry, Invisible Kid invented a serum that permits him to turn any portion of his body (or all of it) invisible. He can also turn others invisible, but it requires effort. He used these abilities as a spy for Earthgov prior to joining the Legion. Invisible Kid served a term as leader of the Legion of Super-Heroes before resigning citing personal reasons. He founded and leads the Legion Espionage Squad.

   KARATE KID

   Val Armorr of the Omega Colony. Karate Kid has mastered a number of martial arts making him an extremely effective combatant. Karate Kid was a long time member of Leland McCauley's Work Force.

   KID QUANTUM

   James Cullen of Xanthu, now deceased. Kid Quantum was able to generate fields known as stasis fields that caused everyone within the field to cease movement. Kid Quantum used a Stasis Belt to augment his natural powers, and was killed when the belt malfunctioned on the Legion's first mission.

   KID QUANTUM II

   Jazmin Cullen of Xanthu. Kid Quantum II has the ability to generate fields known as stasis fields that have a variety of effects including the stopping motion within the field. Unlike her deceased brother, Jazmin underwent surgery to increase her powers and eliminate any reliance on a Stasis Belt or other artificial devices. Prior to joining the Legion, she was a member of the Xanthan super-hero team known as the Amazers.

   KINETIX

   Zoe Saugin of Aleph. Kinetix possesses psychokinetic the Legion, she was a which enable her to manipulate matter on a molecular level. She developed these powers after being exposed to an energy pool on Titan.

   LEVIATHAN

   Gim Allon of Mars, now deceased. Leviathan gained the power to grow to tremendous heights when an accident exposed him to a radioactive meteorite. Leviathan sacrificed himself to permit the Legion to escape a dying planet. Leviathan was the team's first deputy leader.

   LIVE WIRE

   Garth Ranzz of Winath. Live Wire acquired the power to absorb, generate, and project lightning after he, his twin sister Ayla (the Legionnaire Spark), and his older brother Mekt (the villainous Lightning Lord) were attacked by a pack of the lightning beasts that are native to the planet Korbal. He lost his right arm in a fierce battle with Lightning Lord. Live Wire left the Legion when his sister Spark joined the team, but eventually returned. Live Wire is dating Saturn Girl.

   MAGNO

   Dyrk Magz of Braal. Like all Braalians, Magno possessed the ability to attract, repel, and manipulate metallic objects. He lost these powers as a result of the final battle with Mordru. It is not known whether the power loss is temporary or permanent. Magno was inducted as a Legionnaire while Cosmic Boy was stranded in the 20th century. He served on monitor duty on the Legion Outpost.

   M'ONEL

   Lar Gand of 20th century Daxam. Like all Daxamites, M'Onel gains Superman-like powers when exposed to a yellow sun. In the 20th Century, M'Onel was known by the code name Valor, and had an impressive record of 20th century feats before exposure to lead (which is poisonous to Daxamites) forced Superboy to banish him to the Stasis Zone. Brainiac 5 was able to develop a serum that rendered Valor immune to lead, and he was released from the Stasis Zone in the 30th century. Valor is highly revered by many 30th century races, and in an attempt to remain anonymous, he took the Martian name M'Onel, which means "He who wanders". He may be distantly related to Andromeda.

   MONSTRESS

   Candi "Princess" Pyponte-Le Parc III of Xanthu. Monstress has super-human strength and invulnerability which intensify during rushes of adrenaline. Prior to joining the Legion, she was a member of Xanthu's super-hero team known as the Amazers.

   SATURN GIRL

   Imra Ardeen of Titan. All residents of Titan have telepathic abilities, but Saturn Girl possesses a higher level of telepathic ability than most Titanians. She is able to scan and read sentient minds, communicate non-verbally with others, and can gain limited control of another's mind or actions. In a battle with Dr. Psycho, the villain released some protective barriers in Saturn Girl's mind which augmented her powers substantially. She is dating Live Wire. She currently leads the Legion.

   SENSOR

   Jeka Wynzorr, Princess of Orando. Sensor is a mentalist that possesses the ability to control others' perceptions thereby creating realistic illusions that affect all senses of an individual or group of individuals. She is able to "read" others by scanning their perceptions. Sensor is a member of a snake-like race and was provided cybernetic arms when she joined the Legion.

   SISTER ANDROMEDA

   Laurel Gand of Daxam. Like all Daxamites, Sister Andromeda gains Superman-like powers when exposed to the rays of a yellow sun. A brief stay in a strange anomaly may have given her extra powers or altered her power; and such changes have not yet been fully revealed. She was once poisoned by lead but gained immunity when Brainiac 5 invented a serum that rendered her immune to the effects of lead. She voluntarily imprisoned herself for her unwitting assistance in some Daxamite terrorist activities, but was later pardoned. Sister Andromeda has since resigned from the Legion and joined a religious convent devoted to Valor. She may be related to M'Onel.

   SPARK

   Ayla Ranzz of Winath. Spark possesses the ability to absorb, generate, and project lightning. She acquired these powers after she, her twin brother Garth (Live Wire), and her older brother Mekt (now the villainous Lightning Lord) were attacked by a pack of lightning beasts that are native to the planet Korbal. Ayla's powers were temporarily transformed to the ability to reduce the effect of gravity on an object, but she apparently lost those powers when she regained her lightning powers.

   STAR BOY

   Thom Kallor of Xanthu. Star Boy was born with the power to increase the mass of other persons or objects. He gained new super-powers including strength, flight, super-speed, x-ray vision, and electric vision after accidentally flying his space cruiser through the tail of a comet, but recently lost those extra powers. He is dating Dreamer, a rejected Legion applicant.

   SUPERBOY

   Kon-El of 20th Century Earth. A clone created by the Cadmus project, Superboy has tactile telekinetic powers that enable him to manipulate anything he touches. Superboy was made an honorary member of the Legion during a visit to the 30th century.

   THUNDER

   Cecebeck of 90th Century Binderaan. When Thunder says the phrase "Captain Marvel," she is struck by a magical thunderbolt and she gains the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury. She was trapped in the 30th century after an attempt to pull her into the 20th century went awry. Soon after her arrival in the 30th century, the S.H.A.Z.A.M. artificial intelligence and the Rock of Eternity were destroyed. Thunder chose to stay in the 30th century as a Legionnaire until the Rock of Eternity was rebuilt, which it recently was. She has apparently returned to the 90th century. She became ill whenever she was in the presence of a chunk of the Rock of Eternity.

   TRIAD

   Luornu Durgo of Cargg. Triad is able to split into three separate bodies, each with its own personality. Although all Carggites can triplicate, most maintain identical personalities among their bodies. Triad became a legal ward of Legion financier R.J. Brande after she was shunned on Cargg because of her multiple personalities. Triad is a master of the Carggite fighting style Tri-Jitsu, and a member of the Legion Espionage Squad.

   ULTRA BOY

   Jo Nah of Rimbor. Ultra Boy has the powers of super-strength, invulnerability, flight, flash vision, pentra-vision, and ultra-speed but may use only one of these abilities at a time. He gained his powers after an accidental trip into the belly of a scavenging space whale. Ultra Boy recently married Apparition.

   UMBRA

   Tasmia Mallor of Talok VIII. Umbra can generate and control shadowy darkfields that are impregnable by any light source. Umbra herself is able to see when she is inside these darkfields, but most beings cannot. Umbra gained these powers in an ancient ritual in the Shadow Caves of her homeworld. Umbra applied for Legion membership at the insistence of her people after she disagreed with to have Talok VIII join the United Planets. Umbra seems to be interested in M'Onel.

   VIOLET

   Salu Digby of Imsk. Like all residents of Imsk, Salu has the power to reduce to sub-atomic size. In addition, she gained the power to grow to tremendous heights upon Leviathan's death. She is an expert martial artist, and uses her size-changing ability to accentuate her fighting skills. Salu recently overcame the powerful influence of the Emerald Eye of Ekron, which possessed her for a brief period and which was responsible for giving her the growth powers. She is a member of the Legion Espionage Squad. She used the codename "Shrinking Violet" until she received the growth powers, after which she briefly called herself "LeViathan" in homage to Gim Allon.

   XS

   Jenni Ognats of Aarok. XS has super-speed abilities, which she inherited from her grandfather, the Flash (Barry Allen), and her mother, Dawn Allen of the Tornado Twins. XS is prone to crushes on her male teammates.

1.1 Membership (pre-Zero Hour)

    NAME                 ALIASES                  DATE OF ADMISSION
    ===================  =======================  ==================
 1. Rokk Krinn...........Cosmic Boy/Polestar      6 January 2973
 1. Imra Ardeen-Ranzz....Saturn Girl              6 January 2973
 1. Garth Ranzz..........Lightning Lad/Live Wire  6 January 2973
 4. Tinya Wazzo..........Phantom Girl/Apparition  3 March 2973
 4. Luornu Durgo Taine...Triplicate Girl/         3 March 2973
                         Duo Damsel/Triad
 6. Reep Daggle..........Chameleon Boy/Chameleon  10 July 2973
 6. Lyle Norg............Invisible Kid            10 July 2973
 6. Gim Allon............Colossal Boy/Leviathan   10 July 2973
 9. James Cullen.........Kid Quantum/             15 August 2973
                         Soul of Antares  
10. Querl Dox............Brainiac 5/B5            5 September 2973
10. Kara Zor-El..........Supergirl (pre-Crisis)   5 September 2973
    Laurel Gand..........Andromeda (post-Crisis)  5 September 2973
12. Kal-El...............Superboy (pre-Crisis)    2973
13. Lar Gand.............Mon-El/Valor             4 December 2973
14. Jo Nah...............Ultra Boy/Green Dragon   1 April 2974
15. Thom Kallor..........Star Boy                 30 May 2974
16. Salu Digby...........Shrinking Violet/Virus   28 July 2974
16. Dirk Morgna..........Sun Boy/Inferno          28 July 2974
18. Chuck Taine..........Bouncing Boy             30 August 2974
19. Tenzil Kem...........Matter-Eater Lad         24 December 2974
20. Jan Arrah............Element Lad/Alchemist    5 March 2975
21. Ayla Ranzz...........Lightning Lass/          12 March 2975
                         Light Lass/Pulse/Gossamer
22. Nura Nal.............Dream Girl               20 October 2975
23. Val Armorr...........Karate Kid               8 December 2977
23. Projectra............Sensor Girl              8 December 2977
23. Andrew Nolan.........Ferro Lad/Ferro          8 December 2977
26. Tasmia Mallor........Shadow Lass              28 September 2978
27. Condo Arlik..........Chemical King            30 January 2979
27. Brin Londo...........Lone Wolf/Timber Wolf/   30 January 2979
                         Furball
29. Drake Burroughs......ERG-1/Wildfire/NRG       1 June 2981
30. Troy Stewart.........Tyroc                    9 October 2981
31. Dawnstar.............Bounty II                3 January 2982
32. Blok.................none                     10 October 2983
33. Jacques Foccart......Invisible Kid II         29 November 2983
34. Mysa Nal.............White Witch/Jewel        3 February 2984
35. Brek Bannin..........Polar Boy                1 February 2986
35. Ganglios.............Tellus                   1 February 2986
35. Quislet..............unpronounceable           1 February 2986
35. Pol Krinn............Magnetic Kid II          1 February 2986
--. Kal-El...............Superboy (post-Crisis)   4 July 2987
39. Berta Syke Haris.....Nightwind                17 March 2990
40. R. Kent Shakespeare..Impulse                  14 April 2990
41. Myg..................Karate Kid II            10 February 2991
41. Marak Russen.........Atmos                    10 February 2991
43. Stig Ah..............Reflecto                 28 May 2991
43. Myke-4 Astor.........Echo                     28 May 2991
43. Bobb Kohan...........Crystal Kid              28 May 2991
46. Staq Mavlin..........Fire Lad                 24 September 2992
47. Rhent Ustin..........Visi-Lad                 20 October 2991
47. Drura Sehpt..........Infectious Lass          20 October 2991
47. Ral Benem............Chlorophyll Kid          20 October 2991
47. Peter Dursin.........Porcupine Pete           20 October 2991
51. Dag Wentim...........Stone Boy                27 November 2991
51. Ulu Vakk.............Color Kid                27 November 2991
53. Myke Chypurz.........Storm Boy                15 March 2992
54. E. Davis Ester.......Calamity King            27 May 2992
55. Britta An'nan........Kono                     14 December 2994
55. Celeste McCauley.....Celeste Rockfish/Neon    14 December 2994
57. Devlin O'Ryan........Reflex                   11 June 2995
58. April Dumaka.........Catspaw                  13 June 1995
58. Danielle Foccart.....Computo                  13 June 1995
58. Tao Jin..............Dragonmage               13 June 1995
61. Sussa Paka...........Spider Girl/Wave         @ July 2995
62. Blood Claw...........none                     @ July 2995
62. Firefist.............none                     @ July 2995
62. Flederweb............none                     @ July 2995
62. Veilmist.............none                     @ July 2995

Honorary/Reserve Members:

 1. James Olsen..........Elastic Lad              @1 June 2975
 2. Peter Ross...........none                     1 April 2974
 3. Gnill Opral..........Kid Psycho               early 2977
 4. Lana Lang............Insect Queen             mid 2978
 5. Rond Vidar...........Green Lantern            mid 2978

Members admitted under false pretenses:

 1. Jeem Rehtu...........Command Kid              mid 2976  
 2. Vorm.................Dynamo Boy               mid 2976
 3. Hart Druiter.........Nemesis Kid              8 December 2977
 4. Yera.................Shrinking Violet II      mid-December 2983