TheLegion of Substitute Heroesare a group offictionalcharactersin the future of theDC Comicsuniverse.The "Subs", as they are often called, are rejectedLegion of Super-Heroesapplicants who band together to prove that their powers are not as useless as they claim.[1]They first appeared inAdventure Comics#306 (March 1963), and were created byEdmond HamiltonandJohn Forte.[2]
| Legion of Substitute Heroes | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Adventure Comics#306 (March 1963) |
| Created by | Edmond Hamilton(script) John Forte(art) |
| In-story information | |
| Base(s) | Metropolis(31st century) |
| Member(s) | Antennae Lad Chlorophyll Kid Color Kid Double Header Dream Girl Fire Lad Infectious Lass Night Girl Polar Boy Porcupine Pete Rainbow Girl Star Boy Stone Boy |
The group were depicted as reasonably effective superheroes untilKeith Giffen,during his tenure asLegionwriter, began depicting the team as something of a joke. The Subs regain some respect when founding memberPolar Boyjoins the main Legion, and a new Legion of Substitute Heroes is formed.
Fictional team biography
editThe Legion of Substitute Heroes is founded by Polar Boy,Night Girl,Stone Boy, Fire Lad, and Chlorophyll Kid, five young heroes whose powers are not sufficient to earn them membership in the Legion of Super-Heroes — Stone Boy, for example, is completely immobile when using his power.[3]After receiving a Legion flight belt as a consolation prize, the five disconsolate teenagers decide to form a group that canpinch hitfor the Legion.[4]After several failures as a team, the Subs save the Earth from an invasion by Plant Men while the Legion is off planet fighting a decoy armada of robot spaceships.[5]
At first operating in secrecy, the Legion of Substitute Heroes is gradually recognized as a valuable asset, most notably after the assault on the Citadel of Throon when the regular Legionnaires are all defeated and Polar Boy and Night Girl are left to lead an effective attack and end the siege.[6]Later recruits to the Legion of Substitute Heroes include Antennae Lad, Color Kid, Double-Header, Infectious Lass, Porcupine Pete,Dream Girl,andStar Boy.[citation needed]The team fell into disuse during theBronze Age of Comic Bookssince their simple, young-readers-oriented concept left them out-of-place in the dark, socially relevant stories of the era.[3]
The Legion of Substitute Heroes were first presented as a starring feature inDC Comics Presents#59 (July 1983). Writer/artistKeith Giffenhad been asked to do a story featuring the villainAmbush Bug,and decided that the Legion of Substitute Heroes would be appropriate heroes to pit against the villain since they were somewhat "goofy" and obscure enough that he could do what he wanted with them without fear of arousing controversy.[3]Exceptionally good sales on the humor-driven issue led to DC publishing aLegion of Substitute Heroes SpecialonApril Fool's Day,1985.[3]Again written and drawn by Giffen, theLegion of Substitute Heroes Specialbecame regarded as a seminal work, and Giffen was emboldened to employ the issue's boundary-pushing, often metafictional comedy in his later works.[3]
After a colorful, if not exactly impressive, career, Polar Boy disbanded the Legion of Substitute Heroes, and went on to attain full Legion membership. Many of the remaining members eventually join the Legion as well during the "Five Year Gap". Shortly before the "Five Year Gap", a new Legion of Substitute Heroes is formed, consisting of former Legion of Super-Heroes membersCosmic Boy,Bouncing Boy,andDuo Damsel,as well as Night Girl, a newKarate Kid(Myg of Lythyl), andComet Queen.[7]
During the events ofLegion of Super-Heroes(vol. 4), the "Subs" come into their own as an insurgent group that helps the Terran resistance to theDominators.Here, old Subs Fire Lad, Stone Boy, Chlorophyll Kid, Color Kid, and Porcupine Pete, are joined by new allies such asRon-Karrand Grinn.[8]
Following theZero Hour: Crisis in Time!reboot, the Subs appear inLegionnaires#43 during Legion tryouts. Infectious Lass, Fire Lad, and Color Kid are on the cover, while Stone Boy, Chlorophyll Kid, Night Girl, and Polar Boy all try out.[9]
In theLegion Worldsone-shot focusing on Braal, Cosmic Boy along withInvisible Kid,Leviathan,andChuck Tainecall themselves the "Legion of Subs"; the word 'Subs' is short for "subterfuge".
In the Legion series launched in2004,Polar Boy and Chlorophyll Kid (renamedPlant Lad) appear as a part of the newWanderersled byMekt Ranzz.This version of Polar Boy can only slow molecular movement. Night Girl applies for membership in the Legion but is rejected and made a reserve member (as part of the "Legion Reserve" ), along with Sizzle, an energy manipulator, and Turtle, a strong and durable alien.[10]
Versions of Infectious Lass, Polar Boy, Night Girl, Stone Boy, Fire Lad, and Chlorophyll Kid similar in appearance to their Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earthscounterparts appear in theTales of the Unexpectedlimited series and theSuperman and the Legion of Super-Heroesstory arc inAction Comics.
In part five of theSuperman and the Legion of Super-Heroesstory arc inAction Comics,Fire Lad, Stone Boy, Chlorophyll Kid, and Rainbow Girl are called in to help battle theJustice Leagueof Earth, a tyrannical, alien-hating association formed out of super-powered beings also rejected by the Legion;[11]other Legion members draw a distinction between how the Substitutes had genuine power issues that stopped them from becoming full members while the super-beings who joined the Justice League of Earth were rejected because of their darker psychological issues. After the villainous group is defeated, the Subs claim their satellite base as their own.[12]
At an early point in their timeline, the Substitutes team up with theInferior Fivein a failed attempt to steal the Legion's thunder and destroy a primeval black hole.[13]
In the pages of "The New Golden Age",Legion of Substitute Heroes members Rainbow Girl, Animal Lad, and Stone Boy arrive in the present to ask the help ofDoctor Fateafter his disastrous attempt to getSalem the Witch Girlinto Limbo Town.[14]Animal Lad, Chlorophyll Kid, Fire Lad, Rainbow Girl, and Stone Boy talk about how Night Girl and Polar Boy have not returned with Doctor Fate yet. Noting some type of mistake, they then decide if they should bring it up with Cosmic Boy.[15]
Roster
edit- Animal Lad- A metahuman who can alter biological matter, transforming animals into humans and vice versa.[16]While he was not a member in the pre-Zero Hour comics and was rejected membership into the Legion of Super-Heroes, he was a member of the Legion of Substitute Heroes in "The New Golden Age" where he still has his powers and is stuck in the form of a humanoidlion.[14]
- Antenna Lad- A Grxyorian who can pick up transmissions across space and time.[17]
- Chlorophyll Kid- A male from the planet Madru who possesses chlorokinesis. He is also an expert at botany and hand-to-hand combat.[5]
- Color Kid- A male from the planet Lupra who can alter the colors of anything.[18]
- Double-Header- A Janusian who is skilled at hand-to-hand combat.[19]
- Dream Girl
- Fire Lad- A Shwarian who can breathe fire and later developed other types of pyrokinesis over time.[5]
- Infectious Lass- A Somhaturian who houses different bacteria and viruses in her.[20]
- Night Girl
- Polar Boy
- Porcupine Pete- A metahuman who can shoot out pointed projectiles that resemble a porcupine's quills.[20]
- Rainbow Girl
- Star Boy
- Stone Boy- A Zwenian who can transform into a stone-like form. Despite being immobile and inflexible, he does possess super-strength and enhanced durability.[5]
In other media
edit- The Legion of Substitute Heroes appear inLegion of Super Heroes,consisting of Porcupine Pete (voiced byJames Arnold Taylor), the unofficial leader and a responsible "mother's boy" who lacks control over his powers, but is determined to be a hero; Chlorophyll Kid (voiced byAlexander Polinsky), a protective and clever yet nebbish individual who is fond of creatingcactiwith humanoid silhouettes to confuse his enemies; Stone Boy (voiced byYuri Lowenthal), an intelligent yet stoic member who lacks a sense of humor and occasionally forgets to revert to normal; Color Kid (also voiced by James Arnold Taylor), an energetic and enthusiastic member who appears oblivious to danger and unaware of his powers' limited uses; and Infectious Lass (voiced byKari Wahlgren), a withdrawn member who can manifest slime capable of inducing mild colds, though she is not immune to her powers. This version of the team was inspired to become heroes by Bouncing Boy, who encouraged them to keep following their dreams. Additionally, Antennae Lad,Polar Boy,Fire Lad, Double-Header, and Night Girl make non-speaking cameo appearances as Legion applicants.
- Color Kid, Fire Lad, and Night Girl appear in the one-shot comicBatman '66Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes.[21]
References
edit- ^Fleisher, Michael L. (2007).The Original Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes, Volume Three: Superman.DC Comics. p. 121.ISBN978-1-4012-1389-3.
- ^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016).The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe.DK Publishing. p. 177.ISBN978-1-4654-5357-0.
- ^abcdeCallahan, Timothy (July 2013). "The Substitute Heroes in the Spotlight".Back Issue!(#65). Raleigh, North Carolina:TwoMorrows Publishing:69–72.
- ^Greenberger, Robert; Pasko, Martin (2010).The Essential Superman Encyclopedia.Del Rey. p. 198.ISBN978-0-345-50108-0.
- ^abcdAdventure Comics#306 (March 1963). DC Comics.
- ^Adventure Comics#319 (April 1964)
- ^Legion of Super-Heroes(vol. 3) Annual #3 (1987). DC Comics.
- ^Legion of Super-Heroes(vol. 4). DC Comics.
- ^Legionnaires#43. DC Comics.
- ^Legion of Super-Heroes(vol. 5) #48 (February 2009). DC Comics.
- ^Action Comics#862 (February 2008)
- ^Action Comics#863 (March 2008)
- ^The Brave and the Bold(vol. 3) #35 (July 2010). DC Comics.
- ^abJustice Society of AmericaVol. 4 #7. DC Comics.
- ^Justice Society of AmericaVol. 4 #10. DC Comics.
- ^Adventure Comics#331 (April 1965). DC Comics.
- ^Adventure Comics#305 (February 1963). DC Comics.
- ^Adventure Comics#342. DC Comics.
- ^Adventure Comics#323. DC Comics.
- ^abSuperboy#201. DC Comics.
- ^"Batman '66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes #1 - Atomic Batteries To Power, Flight Rings To Speed (Issue)".Comic Vine.RetrievedAugust 18,2023.