Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Rob Liefeld's Legion Inspirations

This is a bit random and new for me, because I'm not too familiar with Rob Liefeld's output or read his interviews often, so please feel free to add more information if you have it.

In a recent reddit thread this image came up:



I guess a Youngblood character named Combat was originally supposed to be a "Kh'undian warrior circa the Legion of Super Heroes" member of the Teen Titans. Where/when is this interview from? Did anyone else know about this? And the character Cougar (I think) looks like a pretty blatant Timberwolf knock-off.

But this also jogged another recent memory I had that I'm not sure I've brought up. I was listening to one of Liefeld's podcasts (which I probably cannot find again) because it was in reference to the drama surrounding Jonathon Hickman's departure from DC to Marvel to write House of X and Powers of X. Liefeld was explaining what little he knew behind-the-scenes, then gushed about how much he loved the Legion of Super-Heroes and how much he loved the Great Darkness and also let slip that in the early days of his career when he worked at DC he had pitched a comic book starring Rond Vidar but DC turned it down. If I recall, his Rond Vidar comic book was his very first comic book proposal, but maybe I am remembering wrong?

I didn't know he was a Legion fan but then I found some of Liefeld's earliest art drawings from his pre-pro days so he was clearly a fan before he had a career:

https://robliefeldcreations.com/portfolio-2/past-work/early-years/

Those are dated 1982 and 83! I think he only first got pro work around 85? These must have been his teenage years. And check out that Timberwolf/Wolverine mash-up. He knew what was up.

Does anyone else have more?

I don't have any more info but....how was he better BEFORE he went professional??