Legion World Forums LEGION WORLD Encyclopedia Galactica 1961/1964/1968 - Origins and Powers of the Legion of Super-Heroes

PHANTOM GIRL through SUN BOY were originally published (but not in this slightly altered form) in SUPERMAN ANNUAL #4 1961.

SUPERBOY through the SUPER-PETS were originally published in ADVENTURE COMICS #316 JANUARY, 1964.

The above were drawn by Curt Swan & George Klein.

KARATE KID through COLOR KID were published along with the revised versions of the above in ADVENTURE COMICS #365 FEBRUARY, 1968 and were drawn by Al Pastino.

PHANTOM GIRL (Tinya Wazzo) came to Earth from the planet BGZTL, in the 4th dimension, which co-exists, unseen, in the same space Earth occupies. She can dematerialize at will and pass through solid objects.

DUO DAMSEL (Luornu Durgo) was known as TRIPLICATE GIRL until one of her bodies was killed by the villainous thinking machine COMPUTO. She comes from the planet CARGG, where a triple sun imbued all inhabitants with the power of splitting into three bodies. DUO DAMSEL can still become TWO girls. A double date with her is really double!

BRAINIAC 5 (Querl Dox) of the planet COLU, is a descendant of VRIL DOX, the adopted son of the original BRAINIAC, SUPERMAN'S foe. VRIL found a way to raise his brain to the 12th level, making it the equal of BRAINIAC'S computer mind; and a genetic change enabled him to pass this super-mind on to his descendants, including BRAINIAC 5. BRAINIAC 5 has a "computer mind" and can perform intricate calculations in seconds. His force-shield can protect him from danger.

LIGHTNING LAD (Garth Ranzz) gained the power to generate lightning bolts when he was attacked on the planet Korbal by lightning monsters whose blasts electrified his body. He is from the planet WINATH.

BOUNCING BOY (Chuck Taine) of EARTH, gained the power of super-bouncing when he drank a super-plastic fluid, mistaking it for soda pop. Scene shows him bouncing away from angry crooks with important papers.

INVISIBLE KID (Lyle Norg) also of EARTH, is a young genius who invented a serum that enables him to become invisible. Here he uses his power to spy on outlaws.

SHRINKING VIOLET (Salu Digby) comes from the planet IMSK, where everyone can shrink to tiny size.

COSMIC BOY (Rokk Krinn) came from the planet BRAAL, where the people evolved magnetic powers to battle the metal monsters who roam that world. Scene shows him preventing a rocket-car collision by magnetically repelling the two metal craft.

CHAMELEON BOY (Reep Daggle) came from the planet DURLA, where everyone can assume any shape he chooses.

SATURN GIRL (Imra Ardeen) comes from SATURN, where everyone has E.S.P. powers. Scene shows her mentally ordering a monster to retreat.

COLOSSAL BOY (Gim Allon) of EARTH, has the power of super-growth gained from the radiation effect of a meteor from outer space.

SUN BOY (Dirk Morgna) was locked inside an atomic reactor chamber by the villainous DR. REGULUS. But, instead of killing him, the atomic bombardment made him a human beacon of blazing light and heat. Scene depicts him melting a deadly missile before it can explode.

SUPERBOY (Clark Kent, born Kal-El) came from the planet KRYPTON, which had a red sun. He deprived his powers, such as invulnerability, flight, super-strength, super-speed, and super-senses from EARTH'S lesser gravity and yellow sun.

LIGHT LASS (Ayla Ranzz) is LIGHTNING LAD'S sister, and she got the same power in the same way at the same time. At first she was called LIGHTNING LASS, but DREAM GIRL used her scientific knowledge to change Ayla's pwer. Now she can make objects super-lightweight.

STAR BOY (Thom Kallor) was born in an orbiting observatory in space, where his astronomer-parents from the planet XANTHU lived, picking up starlight for research. This starlight gave THOM the power to draw mass from the stars and induce it into any object, making it super-heavy.

MON-EL (Lar Gand) comes from DAXAM, a Kryptonlike planet, and has the same powers as SUPERBOY. When he first came to EARTH, he had amnesia, and SUPERBOY, thinking he was from KRYPTON, gave him his own family name, EL, plus MON, because they met on Monday. Later, contact with lead, which is deadly to him as Kryptonite is to SUPERBOY, restored his memory and endangered his life. SUPERBOY could only save him by putting him into the PHANTOM ZONE, where he remained for 1,000 years, until BRAINIAC 5 invented a serum that, taken at regular intervals, makes MON immune to lead and gives him powers under a red sun.

ULTRA BOY (Jo Nah) of the planet RIMBOR, was charged with ultra-energy when his space speedster was swallowed by huge energy-beast. A passing galactic cruiser rescued him by slicing the creature open with a ray. JO has Ultra-Strength, Ultra-Speed, invulnerability and Ultra-Vision - including Penetra-Vision, which enables him to see even through lead. But he can only use one power at a time.

MATTER-EATER LAD (Tenzil Kem) came from the planet BISMOLL, where, over a period of eons, microbes poisoned all the food. To survive, the people evolved the power to eat anything - glass, metal, and even poison - without any ill effects.

SUPERGIRL (Linda Lee Danvers, born Kara Zor-El) was born in ARGO CITY, a chunk of KRYPTON hurled off when that world exploded. The city survived under a plastic dome, but the inhabitants, except for SUPERGIRL, who was rocketed to EARTH, and her parents, who escaped into the Survival Zone, were later wiped out by Kryptonite poisoning.

PROTY II the protoplasmic pet of CHAMELEON BOY, comes from the planet ANTARES, where all life was endangered by climatic changes. A super-scientific race changed the creatures that lived there to proteans, able to alter their shapes to adapt to any conditions. He replaced CHAMELEON BOY'S original pet, PROTY I, who sacrificed his life to save SATURN GIRL. PROTY II belongs to the LEGION OF SUPER-PETS.

ELEMENT LAD (Jan Arrah) was the only inhabitant of the planet TROM who was not killed in a battle with space criminals. In TROM'S radioactive environment, the people evolved the power to change the atomic structure of elements by mental radiations. For instance, JAN can change iron into gold.

JIMMY OLSEN because of his services to SUPERMAN, has been voted an honorary member of the LEGION, although he is over the age limit. He gets his super-stretching ELASTIC LAD power through a serum that was given him by Professor Potter.

Other SUPER-PETS: KRYPTO, SUPERBOY'S PET, and BEPPO, the SUPER-MONKEY both came form KRYPTON - KRYPTO in an experimental space capsule, and BEPPO as a stowaway in SUPERBABY'S rocket. STREAKY, SUPERGIRL'S EARTH-born cat, got his powers from a piece of X-KRYPTONITE, created in a scientific experiment. COMET, the SUPER-HORSE, SUPERGIRL'S other pet, was BIRON, a centaur, in ancient Greece. As a reward for saving her life, CIRCE the sorceress tried to change him into a man, but an evil sorcerer switched her magic potions, and BIRON became a horse. CIRCE then gave him the super-powers of the gods. COMET becomes human when he is in sight of a real comet.

KARATE KID (Val Armorr) lived in JAPAN as a child. Here he learned karate and other forms of fighting from an Oriental expert who had devised a new form of super-karate. This involved training from infancy, making the pupil into a regular super-being, able to smash solid steel with his bare hand, and VAL was the only one to master the new art.

DREAM GIRL (Nura Nal) comes from NALTOR, a planet where everyone has the power to see into the future - to a limited extent. She has finally developed the power to the degree that she can sometimes see as much as a year into the future.

PRINCESS PROJECTRA of the Royal Family of the planet ORANDO, was endowed by a witch with the power of creating realistic illusions, soon after her birth.

FERRO LAD (Andrew Nolan) was an EARTH boy - but a mutant, with a non-human face which he kept masked and the ability to change his body to nearly invulnerable iron.

LANA LANG could not join the LEGION as a regular member because her INSECT QUEEN power comes from a device - a biogenetic ring given her by an alien from space whom she helped out of a tight spot. But she was made a member of the LEGION RESERVE. When she wears the ring, LANA can take on the attributes of any insect she wishes, and fly like a bee, jump like a grasshopper, etc.

KID PSYCHO (Gnill Opral) was born on the planet HAJOR. His parents were astronauts whose exposure to radiation in space affected their genes. So their son was born with an oversized brain and the power of mind over matter. He developed the ability to project impenetrable force-fields from his eyes. After his world was destroyed in a collision with a wandering planet, he came to EARTH and applied for LEGION membership. But doctors discovered that every time he used his power, he shortened his life by a year. After initially being rejected for membership, he became a RESERVIST - and the LEGION'S SECRET WEAPON.

THE LEGION OF SUBSTITUTE HEROES



POLAR BOY (Brekk Bannin) came from the planet THARR, where the people developed the power of projecting intense cold to combat the heat storms caused when THARR nears its sun in irregular orbit. POLAR BOY is the founder and leader of the LEGION OF SUBSTITUTE HEROES, made up of Legion rejects.

FIRE LAD (Stag Mavlen) of the planet SHWAR, was endowed with flame breath when he inhaled weird vapors from a crashing meteor.

NIGHT GIRL (Lydda Jath) was born on the dark planet KATHOON. Her father created a vitalizing ray which gave her super-strength - but only in deep shadow or at night. Direct sunlight robs her of her power.

STONE BOY (Dag Wentim) comes from the planet ZWEN, which rotates so slowly that the nights are half a year long. The people developed the power to turn to stone so they could spend this time in suspended animation. STONE BOY can remain awake when he is in stone form, but he cannot move.

CHLOROPHYLL KID (Ral Benem) of the planet MARDRU, fell into a tank of super-powerful plant-growing solution as an infant. As a result, he gained the power to make plants grow super-fast - and super-big.

COLOR KID (Ulu Vakk) of the planet LUPRA, was assisting a scientist in an experiment when a ray of multicolored light from another dimension struck the lad. It gave him the ability to change the color of anything at will.