I have had on my mind for some time an alternate Legion based on ’60’s DC science fiction. This might be the core of the mysterious Tempus Knights of the 41st century, a new Legion of Super-Villains, or a set of recruits or opponents for L.E.G.I.O.N.
Source: Ultra, the Multi-Alien Ultra is composed of four alien races.
(1) Ulla is a planet of owl-headed, orange-feathered humanoids with tiny wings on their ankles which allow them to fly unaided through space, a kind of Dawnstar analogue, only without the tracking ability.
(2) The inhabitants of the planet Laroo are diminutive, blue-skinned, bald-headed, pointy-eared aliens with the magnetic abilities, somewhat similar to Braaliens.
(3) Trago is home to a race that has the appearance of living lightning, and displays the powers of Lightning Lad, Lightning Lass, Lightning Lord, and very possibly Jonni Thunder.
(4) Raagaar is the homeworld of a race of large, shaggy, green-furred, intimidating-looking beasts with super-strength and enhanced agility, much like Timber Wolf. However, they are apparently also the most intelligent of the four races, and display super-technological abilities. Think Timber Wolf with Gear's personality.
These four worlds orbit a common, unnamed star. I see four teen-agers from these worlds- a lightning-caster, a magnetism-controller, a super-strong super-athlete, and a flying character, as the four founders of this new Legion.
Source: The Justice League: the Tyrants of Antares
Like the Ultra group, Antares also has four worlds which have developed independent, intelligent life in the 20th century. (How the Antarean Proteans fit in is another question.)
(5) Kanjar Ro is ruler of Dhor, and on one occasion gained super-abilities three times as great as Superman’s when exposed to the triple sun of Rann. However, he seemed able to use only one triple-super-power at a time. I assume that all Dhorians would gain similar powers on other triple-sun worlds, such as Carggg or Zoon. A solar splitter of some kind might make those powers permanent, creating a kind of red-skinned, pointy-nosed Ultra Boy.
(6) Hyanthis was the ruler of Alstair, a world of plant-people with psychic control over plants. However, rather than being brown-and-green, Alstairan plant-life was orange-and-purple. More Floronic Man than Chlorophyll Kid.
(7) Kromm of Mosteel was a tin-plated dictator (or, at least, metal-skinned) who reminds me of Ferro Lad.
(8) Sayyar of Llar was a typical reptile-type alien overlord whose people apparently had the innate ability to control gravity, like Star Boy/Man, Light Lass, and Gravity Kid.
Source: Kryptonian-class heroes
(9) There were innumerable Superboy and Supergirl analogues through the years that could serve in the place of the Kryptonian cousins, Mon-El, and Andromeda. Some of my favorites were Skyboy, aka Tharn of Kormo; Chester (Hyperboy) King of Oceania; Luma Lynai, the Supergirl of Staryl; and in more recent years Vartox, Maxima, J’Emm, and Lobo. Understand that these individuals would not be joining this alternate Super-Hero Club per se, but new, teen-aged versions from their respective planets. Choose three or four.
Source: Miscellaneous Others:
(10) Grax of Exor was a blue-skinned, four-armed antagonist of both Brainiac, Superman, and the Super-Friends, who claimed a 20th-level intelligence. That intelligence was not always evident, (no one can be smarter than their writers) but I imagine a descendant from the distant future: codename Quadrexx-64. Possibly Hyperboy’s girlfriend, her force-shield belt is so advanced, it’s more like a combination force field / Star Trek replicator / Legion time bubble.
(11) Zook, the other-dimensional sidekick/pet of the Martian Manhunter gets no respect anymore. But maybe a teen-aged female member of the same race, with the combined powers of Polar Boy, Sun Boy, and Elastic Lad could draw some attention. They could draw some clothing on this one.
(12) Every team needs a transporter, and perhaps Kulan Dar of Julnar, the six-inch-tall Europium Man from the first issues of the Atom would fill the bill. Better yet, a teen-aged Julnari counterpart. Consumes Europium when she teleports.
(13) Hawkman and Hawkwoman once encountered the Wingors of Wingor, winged gorillas from another dimension who, like Dawnstar, Shikari, and Ultra, the Multi-Alien, had the power to fly through space naked.
(14) Green Arrow and Speedy once encountered the Xeen, a race of giants a kilometer high who lived in another dimension, similar to the giant children who played with the puppets on the Puppet Planetoid in the Legion comics. (Maybe it was the same race.) Specifically, they encountered “Xeen Arrow”. A teen Xeen, if provided with a way to temporarily reduce his size from time to time, might prove an asset to the team.
(15) My favorite choice for a magic-user would be a descendant of Myrwhydden, Green Lantern’s old nemesis, because I like to see magic preceded by doggerel.
(16) There is also the Spectre’s old nemesis Kulak, with three burning red eyes, a master sorcerer on his extra-dimensional homeworld of Brztal. A teen Kulak might be welcome in this Legion- or a Phantom Girl analogue, with more well-developed 4-dimensional powers.
Source: Legion Worlds
There are a few Legion worlds that could still provide interesting alien super-heroes. Or villains.
(17) Antares IV: Does anyone else notice that the Antareans, with shape-shifting and telepathic abilities, come perilously close to the Martian Manhunter’s power set? Give them telekinesis, and you’re there.
(18) The World of Weird Furry Bouncing Head-Things: not only do they bounce, but their mouths are large enough to hide a couple of human-sized sentients in. Bouncing Boy and Matter-Eater Lad combined?
(19) A Reptilian Shape-Shifter from Zyzan: Holographic invisibility! Super-disguise! An Invisible Kid / Chameleon Boy analogue! Well, the early Chameleon Boy, sort of. Codename: Ydobon
[ August 30, 2011, 07:06 AM: Message edited by: Tom Tanner Issue #1 ]
Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
This is pretty cool!
As I recall, there's all kinds of obscure one-shot characters in Strange Adventures that could be used for something like this!
Posted by Tom Tanner Issue #1 on :
Yeah, most of the Strange Adventures aliens I can recall were either (a) gorillas (b) big, scary monsters which were essentially gorillas.
If I could find one or two that were really outstanding, I could use them as alternates for Blok or Monstress.
(And by "outstanding", I mean like the Saturnians in Thor- I have pretty low standards)
Posted by Emily Sivana on :
Hyanthis is really cool despite being a bit obscure. I was going to use her in a project that was ultimately side-lined. I know Legion has a no powers from external source thing, but I have always liked Tomar-Re (Xudarian).
[ August 27, 2011, 02:35 PM: Message edited by: Emily Sivana ]
Posted by Set on :
This list might be useful to cherry pick aliens for this sort of Legion.
Posted by Lone Wolf Legionnaire on :
I've thought of using the name Strange Adventurers for a team title using DC's 21st century alien characters, with Adam Strange as the leader of the group.
Posted by Tom Tanner Issue #1 on :
These guys could probably make an SF Legion all by themselves- however, I know absolutely nothing of the story, the characters, or their homeworlds.
The book lists for $1500 on Overstreet, so I don't think I'll be buying a copy any time soon.
Posted by Tom Tanner Issue #1 on :
Apparently, Captain Comet tangled with Bgztlrs a couple of times:
And here is a villainous Legion of Super-Pets! Posted by MLLASH on :
Earthling fool! Love it.
Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
Note the "bouncing alien beast" trope, almost as prevalent as the "alien creature who can eat any form of matter" trope!
Posted by Tom Tanner Issue #1 on :
BIZARRO WORLD IN 1954!
(When Bizarro himself did not appear until 1958.)
I would pay some serious money for TBPs of Mystery in Space, House of Mystery, Strange Adventures, or Tales of the Unexpected.
In this computer age, do you think DC might be able to to one-off TBP compilations?
The jaw-droppingly poor quality of writing is on a par with R.L. Stine, and you know how much I love him.
Oh, wait, no, you don't.
Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
If you haven't seen it, you should check out the Showcase Presents: Strange Adventures volume!
Particularly groovy for Legion fans, as many of the stories were written by Ed Hamilton!
Posted by Tom Tanner Issue #1 on :
Okay, I know everyone already knows this, but let me refresh your memory of: THE TRAGIC STORY OF ZOOK An unnamed planet in an unnamed dimension: two alien criminals travel through a “space-warp” to create havoc on Earth.
Note that they have powers similar to Quake Kid. As the Martian Manhunter opposes them, he is aided by R’Ell, a lawman from the same unnamed planet in that unnamed dimension. He does name the fourth creature to come through the “space-warp”—a little “animal” he calls a “zook”.
This “little animal” is able to speak a kind of pidgin English, as well as read and write. So I guess that Earthlings- and perhaps Martians- are “animals” to R’Ell’s people. The Martian Manhunter adopts the little alien as a “pet”, and names him “Zook”, which is kind of like getting a dog, and naming him “Dog”. Zooks have the ability to change the temperature of their bodies, mimicking Sun Boy and Polar Boy’s powers. In fact, they are able to make their bodies colder than physically possible:
For those of you who don’t know, absolute zero is -460F, at which all molecular motion stops. Apparently, it is at least 9,500 degrees lower than that in the zook’s dimension. Zook is also able to stretch his body, sort of like Elastic Lad, and has a “tracking sense” similar to Dawnstar.
The special senses his antennae gave him also made it possible for him to recognize the Martian Manhunter no matter what physical form he took.
Zook no longer exists in the DC universe. I believe the reasons are:
a. He - or it is too cutesy. Looks like a 4-year-old child on Halloween. b. Talks baby-talk. Too cutesy times two. c. It’s too powerful. J’Onn J’Onzz has enough powers to keep track of without adding a sidekick with even more. d. Keeping an obviously intelligent, self-aware being as a pet is just too creepy-weird. e. Zook is always naked. f. J’Onn J’Onzz and Zook had a relationship could be read as maybe a little inappropriate. Although speculation about Zook-Martian physiology is a little iffy.
The reason that Zook looked like a four-year-old may have been that he was a four-year-old.
So here is a Hero Machine of an adult, female zook.
Posted by Set on :
R'ell and the 'vibro-aliens' are funky.
Zook, on the other hand, needs to wear some clothes. Yikes!
10,000 degrees below zero? Huh. My first thought was that maybe he meant something other than Fahrenheit, but that doesn't work in *any* temperature measurement system!
![[LOL]](graemlins/lol.gif)
Love it.
