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A precurser to the Legion? Its well-known that several ideas used for the Legion and various Legionnaires had precursers throughout the 1950's Atomic Age of comics. Particularly Otto Binder would use themes and motifs throughout his early science-fiction and Superman stories before he introduced the Legion, and later these themes and motifs were resused and expanded upon for the Legion itself. (Much like John Broome had several precursers to the Guardians of the Universe and other characters throughout the Atomic Age).
Adventures Comics #237 features "The Robot War of Smallville" by Otto Binder and Joe Sikela. A summary of the story is: Superboy returns from out-of-town to discover that all the residents of Smallville have been replaced by robots. When Superboy won’t leave town as directed by the Superboy robot duplicate, the robots attack him. He destroys all the robots, but is unable to locate the missing residents. When he realizes that the entire town is a fake, he leaves quickly to avoid a bomb loaded with Kryptonite which destroys the fake Smallville. Superboy then learns that the town was created by a group known as the Interplanetary Vigilantes. They learned of a plot to destroy Superboy, so they created the fake town to fool the outlaws into using the bomb. The real Smallville is safe, simply hidden from sight to protect it. After thanking the Vigilantes, Superboy returns to his real home. (taken from http://www.dcindexes.com/database/story-details.php?storyid=11067).
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Jillikers, I've viewed the checklists at length but for some reason never really gave this one a second look. Very cool!
And er, now it gets its own thread.
Soon, we'll need graemlins, avatars, etc... (you're not busy or anything are you Nighty?)
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
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Jeepers! The most bizarre line of that story is when Superboy compares the Interplanetary Vigilantes to Nazis!
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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Other Binder tales serving as Legion precursers:
"World at the Edge of the Universe" in Strange Adventures #60 - World at the Edge of the Universe (1955). Writer: Otto Binder. Art: Sy Barry. A young Earth boy's outstanding scholarship wins him a place on a space ship learning cruise with other smart youths from around the galaxy. This story anticipates Binder's later Legion of Super-Heroes (1958). In both tales, an Earth boy with whom the reader can identify meets up with a group of awesome youths, here from other planets, in the Legion story from the future. In both works, the hero is humbled by the qualifications of the group he is placed in: here by the deep knowledge the alien youths have of the galaxy, far beyond that of most people on Earth. In both stories, he struggles to blend in, and show that he can operate on the same level as the other youths in the story. I love the hero's intelligent attitude here: when confronted by a wide array of knowledge with which he is unfamiliar, he decides "I'll take notes, and learn all I can!". This is good advice for the young readers of the magazine, too - and older ones as well. It is idealistic and practical - the hero plans to share the knowledge with others back on Earth.
"Watchdogs of the Universe" - The Watchdogs of the Universe (1955). Writer: Otto Binder. Art: Sid Greene. An Earthman discovers a group of alien heroes who secretly aid beings in trouble all over the galaxy. The group has some similarities to the later Legion of Super-Heroes (1958), which Binder also created. Like the Legion, they are a group of good guys with awesome abilities, who spend time helping the less fortunate. And like the Legion, they pledge not to take any reward for their deeds, but to help others freely. This story is also similar to the later Legion tales in that it is about an initiation: the Earth hero eventually gets to join their group. Both here and in the Legion origin, the Point of View character is someone from modern Earth, someone who is awed by their futuristic skill. A difference here from the later Legion stories: none of the aliens is individualized. They all look a lot alike, and none has a unique personality or power. All this will be corrected in the Legion stories. These heroes solve a less wide range of problems than do the Legion members. Mainly they deal with natural disasters. This is similar to Binder's later "The Sky-High Man" (1959). There is a shrinking ray in the story; it anticipates Binder's Kandor tales to come (1958).
If anyone is asking, I didn't come up with these recaps myself, I borrowed them from the VERY excellent website http://mikegrost.com/comics.htm
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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STRANGE ADVENTURES is one of the best resources for DC Silver Age goodness. I highly recommend SHOWCASE PRESENTS: STRANGE ADVENTURES VOL. 1. Since both stories are a small part of the comics they appeared in and only six pages each, here they are in their entirety.
"World at the Edge of the Universe" in Strange Adventures #60 (September 1955) -
From: San Diego, CA | Registered: Jul 2003
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Nighty space-rawks!
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
Jeepers! I can't wait until 1999, when all civilized planets will be organized into a peaceful union!
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
Crap! Now I really want to own that Showcase...
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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Another possible precurser, just based on the cover is Adventure Comics #187 featuring "The 25th Century Superboy!"
From: Sumner, ME | Registered: Jul 2003
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I've also often wondered if Adventure Comics #202, with its "Superboy City, U.S.A." could be a precurser for the Legion tale in Adventure Comics #267, featuring Superboy Planet.
From: Sumner, ME | Registered: Jul 2003
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Hyperpath: Email this page to someone!
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(you're not busy or anything are you Nighty?)
