Monday, October 05, 2009

Legion Chronological Roster: the Retroboot Legion

The membership of the retroboot Legion can be assumed to follow the membership of the original Legion up to the point of Crisis on Infinite Earths, for the most part. There are exceptions:
- Supergirl was never a member of the retroboot Legion
- Magnetic Kid may never have been a member of the retroboot Legion
- Star Boy was expelled from the Legion for killing Kenz Nuhor, just as in original Legion continuity, but may not have rejoined the team after that, or, if he did, may not have rejoined until much later
- Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl and Cosmic Boy may not have resigned from the Legion shortly before Crisis on Infinite Earths; if they did, they rejoined sometime after that

Between Crisis on Infinite Earths and the Lightning Saga, we know some things about changes to the Legion's membership, but not the order of them. Among the comings and goings
- Chameleon Girl joined
- Karate Kid II joined and later resigned
- Night Girl joined
- Karate Kid I rejoined

Lightning Saga: It's not clear who all is and is not a Legionnaire in this story. We see Karate Kid, Wildfire, Dream Girl, Starman, Dawnstar, Timber Wolf and Sensor Girl, and others are mentioned, like Lightning Lad, Brainiac 5, and Night Girl. Reading it, I couldn't tell if Starman was a Legionnaire or not. Plus, Legionnaires present in this story later disappear, like Dream Girl and Sensor Girl. (?)

Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes: By the end of this story, the Legion has an effective membership of Blok, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Girl, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dawnstar, Invisible Kid, Lightning Lad, Lightning Lass, Night Girl, Phantom Girl, Polar Boy, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet, Sun Boy, Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy, Wildfire. Other, missing, Legionnaires are considered to be on the team even in absentia. But I think the only way to do it is to treat them as being on a leave of absence or something until they're reunited with the team. I'm not treating Superman as a full-time member either. (19)

Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds: The Legion tracks down Mon-El and the White Witch in this series, although the White Witch doesn't stay with the team. Bouncing Boy and Duplicate Damsel return, and Gates and XS join. That makes 24 Legionnaires heading into Adventure Comics: Blok, Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Girl, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dawnstar, Duplicate Damsel, Gates, Invisible Kid, Lightning Lad, Lightning Lass, Mon-El, Night Girl, Phantom Girl, Polar Boy, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet, Sun Boy, Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy, Wildfire, XS. (24)

Adventure Comics #4.1 (Blok resigns to hang out with Mysa on the Sorcerer's World): Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Girl, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dawnstar, Duplicate Damsel, Gates, Invisible Kid, Lightning Lad, Lightning Lass, Mon-El, Night Girl, Phantom Girl, Polar Boy, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet, Sun Boy, Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy, Wildfire, XS. (23)

LSHv6 #1: Earth-Man joins. Chameleon Girl and Matter-Eater Lad are reserve members; Night Girl, Bouncing Boy, and Duplicate Girl are running the Academy; XS and Starman aren't around. Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dawnstar, Dream Girl, Earth-Man, Element Lad, Gates, Invisible Kid, Lightning Lad, Lightning Lass, Mon-El, Phantom Girl, Polar Boy, Quislet, Saturn Girl, Sensor Girl, Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet, Sun Boy, Tellus, Timber Wolf, Tyroc, Ultra Boy, Wildfire (26)

LSHv6 Annual #1 (between #9 and #10): Sensor Girl goes on leave of absence to fix Orando up. Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dawnstar, Dream Girl, Earth-Man, Element Lad, Gates, Invisible Kid, Lightning Lad, Lightning Lass, Mon-El, Phantom Girl, Polar Boy, Quislet, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet, Sun Boy, Tellus, Timber Wolf, Tyroc, Ultra Boy, Wildfire (25)

LSHv6 #11: Star Boy shows up. Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dawnstar, Dream Girl, Earth-Man, Element Lad, Gates, Invisible Kid, Lightning Lad, Lightning Lass, Mon-El, Phantom Girl, Polar Boy, Quislet, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet, Star Boy, Sun Boy, Tellus, Timber Wolf, Tyroc, Ultra Boy, Wildfire (26)

LSHv6 #16: Earth-Man dies. Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dawnstar, Dream Girl, Element Lad, Gates, Invisible Kid, Lightning Lad, Lightning Lass, Mon-El, Phantom Girl, Polar Boy, Quislet, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet, Star Boy, Sun Boy, Tellus, Timber Wolf, Tyroc, Ultra Boy, Wildfire (25)

Legion Lost v2 #1/LSHv7 #1 (Sept '11): Legion Lost group stranded in 21st century, Colossal Boy has quit, Academy students promoted, Quislet missing, Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl inactive with family, Harmonia a new member. Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Chemical Kid, Comet Queen, Cosmic Boy, Dragonwing, Dream Girl, Element Lad, Glorith, Harmonia, Invisible Kid, Lightning Lass, Mon-El, Phantom Girl, Polar Boy, Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet, Star Boy, Sun Boy, Ultra Boy (20)

I'll update this as events warrant. Anybody know anything I've forgotten to mention?

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19 Comments:

Anonymous Paul Newell said...

I'm pretty sure Starman mentions that he rejoined during the first "Legion of 3 Worlds". This was in the Starman back up in the Magog/JSA Special. This was also the adventure that he received the star suit from the 3 Brainiacs.

This would put his regaining membership some time before Superboy #199

5:24 AM  
Blogger Matthew E said...

Oh, okay. Hmm. Thanks.

8:29 AM  
Anonymous Darrell Lawrence said...

As for Supergirl being a member or not- From her perspective, the Legion has not asked her to join. Yet.

From the Legion's perspective, she may have been asked to and did join at basically their same time frame of the pre-crisis Legion.

In other words, it just hasn't happened yet in the 21st century.

7:33 PM  
Blogger Matthew E said...

That's an interesting idea. But I don't think that's what they're doing.

7:45 PM  
Blogger pibegardel said...

I must have missed it so: what evidence is there that Element Lad is Connor's teacher?
Second question: which are the dead Legionnaires now? Just Karate Kid?

12:44 PM  
Blogger Matthew E said...

1. He reveals himself on the last page of Adventure #1.
2. Members of the retroboot Legion who have died and stayed dead include Ferro Lad, Invisible Kid (Lyle Norg), Chemical King, Karate Kid (Val Armorr) and Karate Kid (Myg). (And of course Duplicate Damsel has had a couple of bodies killed but she's feeling much better now.)

4:36 PM  
Anonymous Darrell Lawrence said...

Matthew E said...
"That's an interesting idea. But I don't think that's what they're doing."

Maybe not right now, but a year from now? Two years? Who knows... some writer will do it eventually.

4:47 PM  
Blogger Matthew E said...

Uh... possible, yeah, but for some reason I really don't see it happening.

8:06 PM  
Blogger Meerkatdon said...

In Adventure #1, Starman implied (but did not say outright) that Quislet is one of the Legionnaires in the 21st century.

I don't have the issue at hand so can't check the exact quote. It was when he was talking to the birds.

Then again, in his current condition, how much can we trust anything Thom says?

8:15 PM  
Blogger Matthew E said...

I remember that part, but what Starman says works just as well if you don't assume that he's implying that. And I didn't really read it that way myself. So I'll wait for something a little stronger before I put it on the board.

9:35 PM  
Anonymous Darrell Lawrence said...

The latest Adv. preview over at DC's blog = http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2009/10/09/take-a-look-at-adventure-comics-3/ - shows a strong hint that the Lori girl in Kon-El's class could be Dream Girl.

2:06 PM  
Blogger Murray said...

As for Supergirl being a member or not- From her perspective, the Legion has not asked her to join. Yet.

From the Legion's perspective, she may have been asked to and did join at basically their same time frame of the pre-crisis Legion.

In other words, it just hasn't happened yet in the 21st century.


Whether the Legion goes there or not... *such* a cool idea! It would allow for all of those Supergirl appearances to have happened (not that there's a ton of them... but still) and for the Legion to have its history remain fairly seamless.

I wish, when continuity glitches (or editorial edicts) cause problems with stories, that we were just allowed to ignore the glitch until a solution presents itself. Eventually, one always does. Rather than bend over backwards trying to fit Kid Quantum and Laurel Gand and Valor into previous stories, just stop mentioning those particular stories until the wheel turn round once again, and allows those stories to be referenced.

12:10 PM  
Blogger Matthew E said...

And if a solution doesn't present itself, who cares? Are none of us comfortable with ambiguity, even in situations like this where there are no consequences to it for us?

11:57 AM  
Anonymous chip nanco said...

You stated that Karate Kid "died & stayed dead". Now would that be in "52" or when he originally died years ago? I don't know from issue numbers but it happened on Orando & I think it involved The LSV

3:22 AM  
Blogger Matthew E said...

I guess I mean Countdown for when Val died and stayed dead (not 52).

His death in LSH v3 (on Orando during a fight against the LSV) was permanent as far as the original Legion was concerned, but in retroboot continuity they found a way around it.

9:19 AM  
Anonymous Darrell Lawrence said...

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/superman-solicitations-april-2010.html

SUPERGIRL #52
On sale APRIL 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by STERLING GATES
Art by JAMAL IGLE & JON SIBAL
Cover by JOSHUA MIDDLETON
Continued from ADVENTURE COMICS #10! Supergirl meets Brainiac 5 of the Legion of Super-Heroes for the first time! But Brainy has not only already met Supergirl, he’s already loved and lost her. Confused? Not as confused as Supergirl! Plus, Brainiac unleashes a weapon that spells the end for New Krypton and only Superman and the Legionnaires can stop it!

Sounds like it may play out like I said :-)

12:21 AM  
Blogger Matthew E said...

Yeah, maybe, I guess.

I wonder if that's what Levitz is going to be doing with Adventure Comics: retelling the old adventures of the Legion with current-day Supergirl in them. Probably not.

10:32 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Is the Lightning Saga still in continuity for the Retroboot Legion? Levitz didn't mention it in his editorial article to readers in vol. 6 #1. He only mentioned the Original Legion run up to vol. 3 #63, Action Comics Superman & the Legion and Lo3W as the history of the current team.

Why didn't you mention the death of Rond Vidar (Green Lantern) in your membership changes for Lo3W? He was memorialized in issue #5 like a fallen team member.

8:36 AM  
Blogger Matthew E said...

I don't consider Rond Vidar a full member so much as a friend and ally. I mean, I see your point and agree with it, but for me it wasn't enough to go on.

As far as I can tell Levitz was keeping his retroboot continuity pretty loose. I think he wanted to be able to ignore whatever he wanted to ignore. Like, say, the Lightning Saga notion that Wildfire is walking around in Red Tornado's robot body. For your purposes and mine I think we can consider it to be in continuity.

9:17 AM  

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