Since Reep doesn't want to dilute the results of his poll by having discussions on his thread, I thought I'd take it here. So why did you pick the character you picked? For me, it was a no brainer, but others are having a hard time deciding -- what's the thought process? What factors weigh in? If said character was handled badly in one particular era does it hurt them overall in your mind? Or does it just boil down to what's in your gut?
My favorite pre and post-boot is WILDFIRE! I'm going to try to stick to his current postboot incarnation for examples, but DnA have kept most of what I liked about him preboot so:
Tragic Hero -- he died not once, but twice (as Blast-off and Atom'X) and is now trapped in a containment suit in a body that can no longer experience physical human sensation (it hasn't been revealed if he has new sensations though -- that'd be interesting). Yet despite that, he's a hero.
There's a loneliness to his situation, not having a real past (since the integrated psyche of Drake Burroughs was "born" only recently) and the Legion is the only family he has -- it's the only place this "freak" feels he belongs. I think it makes him more loyal to the team.
Power -- he's definitely one of the Big Guns. As ERG-1 he and Mon-El were side by side, pushing a Legion cruiser "faster than it has any right to go". He, Jan and Kid Q dove into the rift and saved the galaxy -- he was channeling / absorbing an unbelievable amount of energy
Personality -- More than simple "attitude", he's more complex than the cliche "team hothead". He's always among the first to throw himself into the fray (like in "Legion Lost" when he flew into the Progeny armada without flinching) and has a "never say die" attitude in battle. Despite being a bit of a discipline problem and a tendency to shoot off his mouth, he's also an extremely loyal member of the team. As mentioned above, it might be because he has no strong connections aside from the Legion. He has the depth to recognize why the team was "lost" in "Legion Lost" and as seen recently, he's a staunch supporter of Kid Q's leadership so he's not rebellious just for the sake of it, he's blunt with his honesty.
Costume Design -- The blue faceplate, the biker-inspired design to his helmet and boots that imply the daring and danger of extreme sports, the *cool* glowing winged star emblem -- it's all great! (well, the blast-port on his back could use a trim) Visually, he stands apart from most of the other Legionnaires (he doesn't even have an L* like most of them) I'm glad that Coipel has left his mark on Wildfire hopefully for many years to come.
Posted by MLLASH on :
It was extremely difficult, as I care about ALL the Legionnaires to varying extents...
When I HAVE to narrow it down, I arrived at INFECTIOUS LASS, MATTER-EATER LAD, PROJECTRA and TRIAD...
As a huge supporter of all things Drura, I *wanted* so much to vote for her but simply COULDN'T vote for her over TRIAD.
Drura has nearly the power of a god if you think about it.
Triad's just a groovy chick(s) with a good haircut and some martial arts skillz... I've always been fascinated with Luornu since the my earliest exposure to DUO DAMSEL via a Legion reprint...the reboot Triad has made me love the character in ALL her incarnations...
And that damned "cried herself to sleep" scene from ADVENTURE comics... *choke!*
It HADDA be TRIAD>>>! Posted by He Who Wanders on :
For me, it's a matter of wish fulfillment. If I could be any Legion character, who would it be? The answer is Mon-El (or M'Onel).
~ He's the most powerful Legionnaire, possessing all of Superboy's powers, but not so many of his hang-ups (e.g., the Kents dying, Lana trying to discover his secret identity, etc.).
~ He doesn't flaunt his powers. He knows who he is and can handle almost anything. He doesn't have to prove himself.
~ He's the classic "big brother" figure -- someone most of the other Legionnaires admire: level-headed and mature acting. He was, of course, Superboy's unofficial big brother -- even the Greatest Hero of All looked up to him.
~ In the postboot, he saved thousands of lives and had an enormous impact on history. Yet for all that, he's uncomfortable being venerated. He doesn't want to be God. He doesn't want to be a legend. He's just Mon. There's an almost Jimmy Stewart quality in that. (I just saw The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance last night!)
Mon has his darker side and tragic aspects, too, but so do all good characters. As a child, I latched onto him as the sort of character I wanted to be, and I've never forgotten that.
Being an adult means putting away childish things, but, in this case, it's the childish fear of admitting that part of me would still like to be Lar Gand. Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
I was a bit surprised by my choice. Most of time, when asked to rank my favorite Legionnaires, it's Triad that comes out on top. There's something that's always appealed to me about the character of Luornu Durgo, especially the preboot version, that has always appealed to me. There's a bit of tragedy to her (losing bodies in the preboot, plus giving up on her first love, her difficult background in the postboot). Her recent elevation to ass-kicker that may seriously rival Karate Kid is an especially welcome development to "the weakest Legionnaire".
But when it came down to it, something in me balked at picking her. I thought seriously about Garth, another perennial favorite, and even seriously contemplated Quislet, who I have very fond memories of during his tenure with the team.
In the end I chose a character who I felt embodies so much of the spirit of what the Legion is about: optimism, enthusiasm for doing good, commitment to the team, overcoming one's own fears and doubts to serve others, and carrying on a legacy of heroism. In the end I chose Jenni Ognats, XS, as my favorite Legionnaire.
She's only been around since the beginning of the reboot, but for me she's become as much of the core of the Legion as many of the characters who've been around since the Adventure era. I enjoyed watching her growth from a scared speedster who panicked during her first mission to an integral part of the team during the early, "good" days of the reboot. It's not yet clear what impact her experiences on war-torn Xanthu will have on her, but I hope DnA continue to show the friendship she has developed with Thom, another favorite character of mine. And I'd like to see her in a solid relationship...
So that was my choice.
Posted by Rurouni KJS on :
Before this week, I might've said Umbra. She's certainly been my favorite reboot Legionnaire, far better than Shadow Lass of old.
But Ferro [Lad] has reclaimed his rightful spot as my favorite of all time. I barely had to think about it. He was the Legionnaire who intrigued me even before I cared about the concept. I must have memories of one of his "ghost" stories.
Posted by Super Lad Kid on :
Hey, now I know who the other Triad voter was!! Good choice, Lash!! Triad was a no-brainer for me. I always root for the underestimated. If I didn't vote for her, my other choices would have been Matter-Eater Lad, Bouncing Boy or Star Boy.
Posted by superboymddjr on :
even though I pick superboy as my favorite...but one of my favorites. I like Triad, Matter-Eater Lad, Bouncing Boy, XS, Kinetix, Saturn Girl, Stone Boy, Brainiac 5, Ayla, Vi, Dawnstar...however when it comes to narrow down to the most single - I have to think about either Saturn Girl and Brainiac 5. Finally, when it comes to me and which one will fit with my personality and how well I understand their characterization (it's hard)...the answer is - I love both of them! My favorite panel with both of them is in Legion Lost, when Brainiac 5 and Saturn Girl had private conversation, Querl was complaining about how helpless he was and had to pretend that he was working and figuring out and disliked being called "5.1" and Saturn Girl respected him by calling him "Brainiac 5". Ah...you can see...they both won my respect over them. They work together really well, even though they do get into argument a few times (in Adventure Comics, Superboy, Legion, etc).
Someday, I am hoping that the magazine called "marketplace" (sheesh, I completely forgot the name...ewwww)...will have an article on Brainiac 5, like they did on Saturn Girl. Interesting article on her, by the way.
Posted by rokk steady on :
When it comes to favorite Legionnaires, I always think of Rokk and Dreamy. They both appeared in the first LSH comic I ever picked up, so that must have something to do with it (but it is worth noting that I realized they appeared in that story only *after* I came to think of them as my favorites). They both seem to have a subtle-but-strong will power, a quiet reserve of strength somewhere, but they don't flaunt it (although Dreamy flaunted other things pre-boot). Of course, you can probably say that about other Legionnaires, but these two stand out to me for whatever reason. Ultimately I pick Rokk every time, and his characterization in Legion v.4 probably cemented that.
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