LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES
| TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|---|
|
Fanfare: Legion Parodies
The parodies covered in this section are primarily from other publishers. This differs from the Legion Elseworlds page, which covers alternate Legions published by DC Comics.
+ The Archie Legion
The following image was not published, but is a fan-commissioned piece of art. What's notable is that it preceded the launch of the post-Zero Hour Legion—which came to be known as the "Archie Legion." It's drawn by popular Archie illustrator, Mike Worley. The date reads either 1991 or 1992.
The colorist, Scott Sharritt, is also known as "Lightning Lad," the co-owner of LegionWorld.net.
+ The Authority
A sort of "Wildstorm Legion" appeared in The Authority #27 (January 2002).
+ Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel Comics)
Clockwise from lower left: Charlie-27, Vance Astro,
Starhawk, Martinex,
Nikki, Yondu
© Marvel Comics
Today it seems even more suspicious that the Guardians of the Galaxy were from the 31st century (where our Legion now resides as well). All its members generally hail from within Earth's solar system. They were brought together to fight the alien Badoon race.There are no flagrant Legion similarities other than their being based 1,000+ years in the future.
Though they were created in 1969, it wasn't until they got their own series in 1990 (by Jim Valentino) that this team came to any sort of prominence. Valentino makes only one remarks about the Guardians in relation to the Legion in a written retrospective on his site. In particular, he mentions a cameo appearance by the Legion’s R.J.Brande (as "Ambassador Jacques") in 1991's annual.
A new book was launched in 2008 bearing this name, but starring a cast from the current-day Marvel universe.
Marvel
Super-Heroes #18 (January 1969)
Guardians
of the Galaxy, 62-issues (1990-95)
Avengers v.1 #167-177, 181 • Defenders v.1 #26-29 • Giant Size Defenders #5 • Marvel Two-In-One v.1 #4-5 •Thor v.1 Annual #6 •
Marvel
Comics: Guardians of the Galaxy • Newsarama:
Guardians of the Galaxy
+ The Imperial Guard (Marvel Comics, 1977)
The first batch of heroes who appeared as the Imperial Guard were designed by Dave Cockrum. Cockrum had recently come from a stint at DC where he proposed several new Legionnaires called the Outsiders. His proposal was not picked up and Cockrum took his ideas to Marvel where they became the new X-Men. After the X-Men title took off in sales, the creators took it one step further and unveiled a massive parody of the Legion. The Guard in its first appearance included:
Astra (Phantom Girl), Electron (Lightning Lad), Fang (Timber Wolf), Gladiator (Mon-El), Hobgoblin (Chameleon Boy), Impulse (Wildfire), Magic (Projectra), Mentor (Brainiac 5), Midget (Shrinking Violet), Nightside (Shadow Lass), Oracle (Saturn Girl), Quasar (Star Boy), Smasher (Ultra Boy), Starbolt (Wildfire), Tempest (Sun Boy) and Titan (Colossal Boy)
X-Men v.1
#107 (October 1977)
Imperial
Guard, 3-issue limited series (1997)
Marvel
Appendix: Imperial Guard • UncannyXmen.net:
Imperial Guard
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Astra |
Electron |
Fang |
Gladiator |
Hobgoblin |
Impulse |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Magic |
Mentor |
Midget |
Nightside |
Oracle |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Quasar |
Smasher |
Starbolt |
Tempest |
Titan |
+ The Legion of Superfluous Heroes (Aardvark-Vanaheim, 1984)
This Legion appeared as a never-ending roll call in the Normalman series by Jim Valentino. The gag in this humor comics began in issue #1 and continued for several issues. Normalman is collected in trade paperback.
Newsarama:
Jim Valentino on normalman
+ The Legion of Galactic Guardians 2099 (Amalgam Comics/Marvel/DC, 1997)
This one-shot was part of the Amalgam DC/Marvel crossover events. Characters from each publisher were mashed together to form new ones. Please visit the link below to see all the Legionnaires who appeared in this story.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Spider-Boy |
Chameleon |
Darkstar |
Invisible Girl |
'Lectron |
Martinex 5 |
Myriad |
Nucleus |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Phantom Cat |
Phoenetix |
Psi-Girl |
Sparkler |
Universe Boy |
Vance Cosmic |
Xcel |
Spider-Boy
Team-Up #1 (June 1997, Amalgam Comics)
The
Unofficial Character Guide to the Amalgam Universe
+ The Legion of Stupid Heroes
Two different publishers came up with this title, ten years apart.
Blackthorne Publishing, one-shot (1987)
Created by Taylor Overbey
Stupid doesn't begin to describe this book. They romp around with no real purpose. DC parody characters include: Soopaman, Badtmann& Boobin; plus Legionnaires Bloatman, Camel-Lion Boy, Dawn Spark, Dreaming Girl, Elementary Lad, Maniac 5, Magnethead Boy, Nom-El, Phantasmic Girl, and Tinder Wolf; and Marvel parody Cap Namerica.
Alternate Concepts, 2 issues (1997)
Don't have this. Can be found at Mile High Comics.
+ The Legion of Super-Furries (Shanda Comics)
Shanda Fantasy Arts Spotlight #5
© 1999 Carl Gafford
Shanda Fantasy Arts publishes specialty comics featuring "funny animal" characters, not unlike Captain Carrot.
In its anthology issue (50 pages!), SFA Spotlight #5, one two-page story starred the Legion of Super-Furries. It parodies the classic Legion tryouts and the roll call highlights: Cosmic Cat, Saturn Squirrel, Lightning Bug, Monk-Ey, Ultramarine, Karate Kid, Dream Beaver, Colossal Boar, Polar Bear, Night Owl, Chameleon Chameleon, Shrinking Viaduck and Star Fish.
I thought this issue would be impossible to find, but it was in stock at Mile High Comics (in July 2008).
After its publication, Legion fandom took the concept and ran with it a step further, creating the virtual, the hypothetical ... Lotta Species Heroes.
CLICK AND READ:
SFA
Spotlight #5 (May 1999)
+ The Pantheon of Heroes (Big Bang Comics/Image, 1997)
The Pantheon of Super-Heroes formed sometime around the year 2965. In Big Bang v.2 #12, the Savage Dragon is thrust forward in time and meets a trio of heroes: Clone Boy (Dubba, who was a sort of mix between Chameleon Boy and Triplicate Girl); Gravity Girl (a combo of Star Boy and Light Lass); and Laughing Boy. This tale mirrored the Legion try-outs from the Adventure Comics era.
©1998 Big Bang Comics (Big Bang v.2 #22). Click
here for the key to this illustration.
Their next appearance in issue #14 was an homage to the 1970s Mike Grell tales and the Five Year Gap Legion. We see Galactic Lad (now simply called by his real name, Noa Zark) and Snowstar and hear a mention of Anglefish and Nature Boy (deceased). He and Snowstar talk about how their enemy the Time-Bomber keeps them from traveling in time, and how Clone Boy is his prisoner. These heroes are from 2988, but man a station at the end of time and are destroyed when the Savage Dragon passes through their era.
The Dragon's journey continues to plague the Pantheon in 2969, where we meet Brain Boy and Tele-Girl. Then we catch a glimpse of 2973 and Ghost Girl and the entire Pantheon — rendered in the style of Dave Cockrum and combined with his designs for Marvel's Imperieal Guard.
Issue #22 features a reprinting of the gallery of heroes in #18, with a "who's who" key! Members past and present are identified.
Issues #24 and 26 are a staggeringly detailed mockery called "History of Big Bang Comics" that tells about these characters' faux publishing histories. It shows how Ultragirl traveled from the past and was a member of their group.
In issue #33, Tele-Girl appears in the Savage Dragon's time period and meets the Whiz Kids (now in their New Teen Titans Pérez-styled era).
The Pantheon was inspired by 20th century heroes like the Knights of Justice (based on the Justice Society), and the Round Table of America (based on the Justice League).
Big
Bang Comics v.2 #12 (July 1997)
Big
Bang Comics v.2 #12, 14, 18, 22, 33
Super Duper (Dynamite Entertainment)
Auntie Sis, Bobby Badoing, Stool Shadow, Klanker, Ladyfold, Black Hole
Malchemical
The
Boys #40 (2009)
The
Boys #40 (2009)