Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Phantom Girl's Role Playing Game Questions

Hi there, I am uncertain as to where to post this thread so I'll place it here.

As you may or may not know, I am currently designing a Legion of Super-Heroes role playing game which is based on the original series beginning in Adventure Comics and going through to Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Eventually the game would include post boot versions of the Legion as well. From time to time, I will have questions pertaining to various pieces of Legion history, characters, worlds, etc. If possible, I would like to have a ongoing thread which would allow me to ask new questions as I continue developing my game. Would you prefer that I start a new thread for each inquiry, post all of the questions on a single thread, or do you have a better solution to offer? It would be nice to keep all of the questions and answers together if possible. The only concern I have is if the moderators (or whomever) would notice new topics I would post as time goes on. I don't think it would be possible to accumulate a series of questions and then post. Individual inquiries would arise as the development of the game continues.

The first game related question I have relates to the the Legion roster. According to the Encyclopedia Galactica Legion Roster I noticed entries of a few obscure individuals who didn't become or stay as regular members. Can you tell me which story I will find these individuals in so I may read them? I would like to know who they were and what happened to them in order to determine accurate Legion rosters and history for my game.

False Pretense Lad (Jan Jor)
Command Kid
Dynamo Boy
Cosmic King
Saturn Queen
Lightning Lad
Size Lad
Blackout Boy
Magnetic Kid
Nemesis Kid
Universo
Rond Vidar
Biron the Bowman
Blockade Boy II

If possible I'd like to know where I can find the stories for all of above entries. Do you know know if they were considered actual members, if their membership was revoked, if they resigned, etc? If a real Legion roster existed, how would these individuals be listed?

Thanks Much!

I can do no better than direct you to this site:

http://www.dcuguide.com/

which has all kinds of excellent information of just this type.

All of the following were criminals who infiltrate the Legion, and were later expelled:

False Pretense Lad (Jan Jor)
Command Kid
Dynamo Boy
Cosmic King
Saturn Queen
Lightning Lad
Size Lad
Blackout Boy
Magnetic Kid
Nemesis Kid
Universo

Rond Vidar was an honorary member.

Biron the Bowman and Blockade Boy II were Comet the Super-Horse and Proty II, respectively, who disguised themselves in order to infiltrate the Legion after the Super-Pets came under the influence of a hostile planet.

Of those: Universo, Nemesis Kid, Cosmic King, Saturn Queen, & Lightning Lord (I assume that is who you meant) are the only ones that became reoccurring villians.

According to Chaim's help file, Size Lad, Magnetic Kid, and Blackout Boy appeared in Adventure Comics # 337. Dynamo Boy appeared in Adventure Comics # 330-331. And Command Kid appeared in Adventure Comics # 328.

Click here to access Chaim\'s Help File Search for the character's name and you'll get a good synopsis of the character and their story, along with issue numbers.

Just a second--do you actually mean Magnetic Kid, aka Pol Krinn, younger brother of Cosmic Boy, who joined the Legion early in volume 3 and gave his life heroically in the Magic Wars, or do you mean Magno Lad or someone else?

The original Magnetic Kid was one of the three Murran spies who infiltrated the Legion in "The Weddings that Wrecked the Legion!" (Adv. 337). I believe he was Aarl, but I could be misremembering.

He had the power of "organic magnetism", i.e. he could attract/repel living things.

I believe from the grouping, PG means the Magnetic Kid who joined with Size Lad, and Blackout Boy and was, as EDE states, a criminal who infiltrated the Legion. In other words, someone else.

Here's a rundown on all the infiltrators:

"False-Pretenses Lad" is the name given by Legion fans to a character who briefly appears in Adventure #321, and is being sent to prison for having joined the Legion under false pretenses (he wanted access to their computers to help him commit crimes). He is often identified with Jan Jor, who is mentioned in a later issue as having infiltrated the Legion.

Command Kid from the planet Preztor crashed his ship into a mysterious island on his homeworld, and was possessed by a demon on that island. He joined the Legion with his demon-induced power to create illusions, and tried to turn the rest of the Legion into demon-hosts, before they exorcised the demon using gold.

Dynamo Boy was from the Pirate Planetoid, and infiltrated the Legion and nearly managed to take the team over by getting expelling every previous member of the team and replacing them with members of the Legion of Super-Villains (Saturn Queen, Cosmic Kind, Lightning Lord). He used a power belt to simulate the ability to drain energy from various sources and redirect them to other sources.

Size Lad, Magnetic Kid, and Blackout Boy were spies from the planet Murra who infiltrated the Legion. Size Lad could increase and decrease the size of inanimate objects, Magnetic Kid could attract/repel organic objects, and Blackout Boy could create darkness. Their admission was actually a trick by the Legionnaires to cause them to reveal themselves.

Nemesis Kid joined during the recruitment drive that also brought in Karate Kid, Princess Projectra, and Ferro Lad (collectively, they are known as the "Shooter Four", as this was Jim Shooter's first Legion story). He was actually a spy working for the Khunds. He had the ability such that when faced with any single opponent, who could adapt whatever super-power was needed to defeat that opponent.

Universo briefly hypnotized the Legionnaires into accepting him as a member during his first appearance.

Also note that Rond Vidar is Universo's son (established in their first appearance). Initially, he does not have any powers, but is still made an Honorary Legionnaire. Later he was revealed to be a Green Lantern and still later that was retconned into a Darkstar.

I appreceiate the hastened responses everyone. I got some details and issue numbers. After checking them, this is what I came up with. In regards to the actual Legion roster created by the Legionnaires themselves...do you think they would have written these individuals down as follows in their Legion records....or would they have been recorded in a different way? The ones with question marks we didn't have a issue reference towards. In the case of False Pretense Lad, I read the story #321 and it was about something else all together so I think we have the wrong issue number in regards to him.

LEGION ROSTER
False Pretense Lad?
Command Kid (Resigned, no longer has super power)
Dynamo Boy (Expelled)
Cosmic King (Expelled?
Saturn Queen (Expelled?
Lightning Lord Expelled)?
Size Lad (Expelled)
Blackout Boy (Expelled)
Magnetic Kid (Expelled)
Nemesis Kid Expelled)?
Universo (Expelled)?
Rond Vidar (Honorary Member)?
Biron the Bowman (Resigned)?
Blockade Boy II (Resigned)?

FPL is Adv. 327. Sorry.

The LSV members joined in Adv. 331.

Nemesis Kid is Adv. 346-7.

Universo and Rond Vidar are Adv. 349, though Rond isn't actually made an honorary Legionnaires until Adv. 360.

The Super-Pets are Adv. 364.

Thanks Eryk Davis Ester that should round things out well for me. Very much appreciated. Have a great day/night!

Also I should note that Jan Jor and "False-Pretenses Lad" are not necessarily the same person. They've been linked as one due to fan speculation.

Jan Jor is the name of a former [Future?] Legionnaire who has had a criminal record and appears as a dossier only in ADVENTURE COMICS #354 only.

I'm still real confused on who this False Pretenses Lad is. I read issue #327 of Adventure Comics and it was the story which introduced Timber Wolf (as Lone Wolf). There was one panel on the first page at the bottem which showed someone being escorted by guards to a cell on the prison planet. He made the comment:

"Yes I was sentanced under the law that forbids joining the Legion of Super-Heroes under false pretenses. I did it so I could sabotage their emergency board to further a crime plot."

I'm assuming this is the False Pretenses Lad everyone is talking about. Unless I missed something in the story this panel seems really out of place. It has nothing else to do with the remainder of the story at all. Also I'm wondering why we are saying he did join the Legion. Admittedly reading into the text, he says he was sentaced because of the law that forbids anyone to join the Legion underfalse pretenses. He doesn't say whether he succeeded or not. He may have joined, he may not have. The other thing I am wondering is who Jan Jor is. Where can we read about this individual and why is it through fan speculation it is commonly believed that it is the person in the panel in adv. #327. Not arguing points, just trying to connect the dots so to speak, and apparently not doing a good job at it.

I take it the fact he says "I did it" rather than "I attempted to do it" indicates that he was successful (though it is possible to read it the other way). The point of the panel in the story, incidentally, is to set up Lone Wolf's reasons for not accepting the offer to join the Legion, (as he would be doing so under false pretenses).

As Nighty says above, Jan Jor is mentioned in Adv. 354. There is really very little reason to connect him with False-Pretenses Lad, especially given the number of times the Legion was infiltrated during the Silver Age.

Thanks Eryk Davis Ester. I appreciate the clarification on the elusive False Pretenses Lad.

Ok, the next issue I would like to request assistance with on my Legion of Super-Heroes roleplaying game pertains to skills.

Most (or many) of you are probably familiar with roleplaying games. As you know such games provide an assortment of abilities such as stealth, knowledge, driving, etc. I am now at that point in the game where I need to compile a list of skills that specific Legionnaires have. I am not looking for a general list, but rather things that specific Legionnaires are shown doing, discussing, etc. These skills can range from hobbies (dancing for example), to educational skills, combat skills, science skills, spacecraft piloting, anything you can think of. I am working with the original Legion, so I'd like feedback on all the Legionnaires ranging from Cosmic Boy to say whomever joined at the end of the original comic line (White Witch, Polar Boy, whomever was right at the end). Although I am not directly dealing with characters added (or drastically changed with reboots) feel free to include skills of the original characters that do come up in roboots. For example, if say in the current comic run, an original character like Shrinking Violet is shown to possess a particular skill or hobby, please include it as well. Also feel free to include other characters as well such as members of the Science Police, Villains, the Legion of Substitute Heroes, and so on.

I would like to ask folks to list the name of the Legionnaire, villain, etc. the skills they would have, and if possible the comic and issue # so I can read and reference it.

Hmmmm...no responses, not good. So does this mean that the Legion doesn't have any specialists in any particular fields? Surely certain villains must? Must be some sciences that a particular Legionnaire was noted for having?

Saturn Girl created the first serum for Mon-el right: Chemistry

Shrinking Violet had knowledge of Geology didn't she?

What was Shadow Lasses form of marshal arts called?

What sort of spaces sciences do you think would be common knowledge for the Legionnaires to be taught in the 30th century?

White Witch and Modru would know occultism?

Phantom Girl had more knowledge of 20th century history than most would have right?

Any other Legion experts out there?

Persuader was a shakedown artist earlier in his career wasn't he? I would think he would be good at intimidation.

Would Phantom Girl be silent while travelling in Phantom form (assuming she wasn't speaking)?

Cosmic Boy is an expert in history/geneology, as well as being a champion at the sport of magno-ball.

Beside chemistry, Saturn Girl may have some training as a Science Police officer (forensics, etc.).

Lightning Lad grew up on a farm, so that seems to imply he should have agricultural skills. He is notoriously unable to use a food computer, however.

Phantom Girl's knowledge of history is a threeboot invention, but it goes well with her personality. She has a talent for diplomacy/legal matters as well (inherited from her mother).

Lyle Norg is a briliant biochemist. Mon-El is also quite knowledgeable in the biological sciences. Sun Boy and Dream Girl are also scientifically gifted, though their skills are less specified.

Sun Boy also has a talent for languages. I forget how many he speaks.

Wonderful, this is exactly the type of details I'm looking for. Thanks so much....more please!

Karate Kid was shown to be a weapons expert.

Mon-El had a desire to explore deep space.

As a girl, Dawnstar's powers were used for hunting animals/space beasts which she grew to despise.

Vi kept a diary.

The reboot Lyle was shown to be wealthy as a result of his patents.

Star Boy was a batball fan, and the adult Thom was shown to be a coach 5YL.

Ultra Boy used his street smarts and gang affiliations to become a smuggler 5YL.

Reboot Lyle was also a James Bond-style master spy.

Bouncing Boy is an expert pilot, as well as an architect/engineer in various versions.

Porcupine Pete became an expert pilot 5yl as well.

Lightning Lad was the Legion's best navigator (see the intro of Dawnstar)

Colossal Boy was also a member of the Science Police in the reboot.

I also remember two male Legionnaires (Sun Boy and Star Boy, I think) playing holographic D&D.

Matter-eater Lad was drafted to be a planetary senator for his homeworld (and in an adult legion story was shown to have become president of his homeworld) And of course he was a chef in the reboot.

Monstress loved to shop.

And EDE, I would say that Dream Girl's scientific skills centered on biology, possibly dealing with meta-genes. She did change Lightning Lass' power from Lightning to anti-gravity. She (and Mon-el) assisted Brainy when he was helping Jacques' sister Danielle.