The Legion of Super-Heroes FAQ

[Paul Newell]

Updated with info going up to Aventure Comics V2

[Adset]

I apologize if this has been asked and answered. I read through this thread but I didn't see it:

The three "Showcase" LoSH volumes (black/white ones) -- do they reprint every LoSH appearence chronologically? Are there some stories missing (through volume three)? They looked pretty comprehensive, but I wasn't sure.

[Matthew E]

I kind of think that there are some minor appearances that they leave out. But since the Showcases/Archives are my primary sources for knowing about stuff like that, I can't give you any concrete information about it.

[Paul Newell]

Yep, it's pretty much as Matthew says...Though my knowledge also comes from the Archives. In those, they don't include minor appearances.

[Ex_]

I want to start reading the legendary Levitz (and eventually Giffen) run on Legion, and I can't really get a firm grasp of when Levitz actually began. Where should I start? I have no qualms with collecting lots and lots of single issues, I'm just not sure what issues should be read, or if jumping on at #1 is enough to fully appreciate the Legion.

[Matthew E]

Start with #284, and don't forget to get that first Annual.

(Note: the run you're talking about, the one in the '80s with Giffen and Great Darkness and stuff, is actually his second run. He also wrote some Legion comics in the '70s with Jim Sherman and Joe Staton and I think Mike Grell on art; this would have been around #240; not sure of the exact issues, but he certainly did the Earthwar saga from #241-245.)

[witchboy]

I'm behind on my comic reading, I get the tpbs as I can afford them, and haven't read anything with the newest Legion yet ( but I am looking forward to reading them soon!).
I am about to start reading the 5 Year Later Legion issues I got on ebay ( and the Showcase book, I hope they keep putting those out), which as I understand is out of continuity now. I know during that time Element Lad's girlfriend was revealed to be taking a sex change drug and reverted to being a male, but EL prefered things that way so it worked out, and during that same era Lightning Lass and Violet were a couple. So that era of the Legion was very gay positive, but since the new Legion is from just before 5 years later, where does that leave our gay Legioners? Has there been anything mentioned about that? What about EL's gf/bf? She should still be transexual since the two timelines are divergent or whatever. Right?
I'm just curious and impatient to find these little details out.
Thanks for any info!

[TomB]

I just read the Lightning Saga and really enjoyed it except for one major problem I can't figure out.

How did the Legion members end up "trapped" with no memories? I get they had mental blocks but how did they come to the places they were found? What decided where they would end up? Also the member who ignites the memories is Starman who only has his memory because of his mental problems correct? If he wasn't meant to take the trip and a different Legionnaire went who would have started the cycle to remember the mission? They were on a tight schedule in regards to the storm so it's not like they had time to just have their memories come back.

Sorry if this is in the wrong place or has been explained or if I missed it somewhere.

Thanks.

[Matthew E]

witchboy: For Lightning Lass and Shrinking Violet, Paul Levitz had actually planted the seeds for their relationship during his run, which took place well before Five Years Later. It's possible that he could pick up on that again. This winter's Legion Annual features those two characters, so we should get some idea then how he's going to handle that. Certainly the way they were portrayed in last month's LSHv6 #6 suggests that they're more than friends.

As for Element Lad's girlfriend Shvaughn Erin, the idea that she was really Sean Erin was only ever shown in stuff that's now out of continuity. And there were other continuity shenanigans going on in the Five Years Later comics such that it can be argued that Shvaughn in this reality is strictly a woman. I expect that that's what Levitz is going to do, assuming he even decides to use Shvaughn as a character.

TomB: It's not entirely clear why they were trapped and scattered and mindwiped. I think there was some idea that the Time Trapper was responsible. I guess the "Lightning Lad" codeword was one of Brainiac 5's safeguards or something, but it didn't need Starman to do it; anybody who knew the password (in Interlac!) could have said it. A lot of what happened in that story was never sufficiently explained.

[Joe Acro]

I've looked and looked and I can't figure out who the girl is the upper right corner of this image.

Can someone help me out?

[Paul Newell]

That's Slipstream, aka one of Lori Morning's persona's thanks to the H dial.

[LEADER DESSLOK]

Whatever happened to SENSOR GIRL (AKA PRINCESS PROJECTRA)? That was another one of my favorite Legion epics. After Karate Kid was killed, Projectra found that her life was empty. She surrendered her throne and wanted to rejoin the Legion. I can't remember which female Legionaire helped her, but one heroine convinced her to take on another identity. The "Who is Sensor Girl?" story went on for about a year until the Emerald Empress exposed her secret!

It was a great time to be a Legion fan but I stopped reading it after the MAGIC WARS ended and when Keith Giffen's "Dark and Gritty" reboot began-- is Projectra (Sensor Girl) still around?

[Paul Newell]

Whatever happened to SENSOR GIRL (AKA PRINCESS PROJECTRA)? That was another one of my favorite Legion epics. After Karate Kid was killed, Projectra found that her life was empty. She surrendered her throne and wanted to rejoin the Legion. I can't remember which female Legionaire helped her, but one heroine convinced her to take on another identity. The "Who is Sensor Girl?" story went on for about a year until the Emerald Empress exposed her secret!

It was a great time to be a Legion fan but I stopped reading it after the MAGIC WARS ended and when Keith Giffen's "Dark and Gritty" reboot began-- is Projectra (Sensor Girl) still around?

Yep. She appears in the current Legion title.

[Matthew E]

Yep. She appears in the current Legion title.

Although, as of the recent Annual, she may be taking a leave of absence.

[OrganicUrban]

Hello,

I am sorry that I found my love for the Legion not until a few month back and now I try to collect as much trades as possible.

But now I have a little problem: It's about the Adventure Comics v2 2009 onwwards. I know that Superboy: the boy of steel collects the first issues of Adventure Comics, but how does it go further? I was getting lost between Krypton, Nightwing & Flamebird and Mon-El trades.

Can somebody help me through this? What trades I really have to buy?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Besides this, what volume or continuity can you recommend?
Original continuity • Post-Zero Hour • Threeboot • Post-Infinite Crisis ?

I love the current run but I am not so into the Silver Age era.


Thank you for your help!!!