Upcoming HC: The Life and Death of Ferro Lad

Via Schwapp!!!Online comes word of a new Legion hardcover coming in about 6 months, available on pre-order at Amazon.com: Life and Death of Ferro Lad.

"DC Comics Classic Library: Legion of Super Heroes - Life and Death of Ferro Lad (Hardcover)" is listed at $39.99 with a discount to $26.39, coming out Feb. 10, 2009. It says the stories are by Shooter/Swan, which suggests the following stories:

• Adventure Comics #346-347 (intro Ferro Lad, Karate Kid, Princess Projectra, Nemesis Kid)
  
• Adventure Comics #352-353 (intro Fatal Five, death Ferro Lad)
  
• Adventure Comics #357 (ghost of Ferro Lad)
  

If I were making this reprint collection, I'd also add the lead story from Superboy #206, which featured the self-destructing clone of Ferro Lad (and Invisible Kid), but given the credits it doesn't look like this will be there.

Lost Superman story

I forgot to link this one when it came out a couple weeks back - 20th Century Danny Boy has a post on a lost Superman story which was supposed to appear in 1988 during the 50th anniversary celebration of the Man of Steel. The 6-page story, by a team of British artists and written by Dave Gibbons, was never printed (read the article for the whole story). But the reason I mention it here is that it had a panel cameo of the Silver Age Legion, drawn by Gibbons. That particular page was later adapted as the cover of TwoMorrows' "Krypton Companion". (via Uncivil Society)

Check out the story.

Adventure Comics #247 for cheap on eBay

Someone's selling an original copy of Adventure 247 on eBay. The description says it's complete minus the cover. At the moment it's only $20.50 (auction ends Sept. 5th).

Smallville mini-update

Not a whole lot to report on the Smallville episode yet, just a few bits of information floating around, like a confirmation on which Legionnaires will appear (like it was really a surprise)...

"Watch with Kristin" at E! Online:

...Last but not least, [Darren] Swimmer [one of the series' four new exec producers] confirmed an appearance by the Legion of Superheroes ... Regarding the Legion: "It's three superheroes, Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy and Lightning Lad — although we might not use those names — on a mission from Superman in the future, who sends them back to help make things right."

From the WBNX Blog (Cleveland's The CW station):

...With Smallville sticking close to the original story, don’t be surprised if the visitors are Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl and Cosmic Boy, who founded the expansive group after saving a billionaire from assassination. Geoff Johns, a renowned writer for Legion of Super-Heroes comics, will pen the CW episode slated to air in November. The best-selling Legion series not only launched the long-form story at DC, but also introduced one of the comics’ greatest villains, Darkseid, with Cleveland’s own Jerry Siegel helping to create many of the early sagas. Coincidentally, Laura Vandervoort (Kara / Supergirl) is scheduled to appear in one Smallville episode this fall, and it’s possible she could be recruited into the futuristic squad.

I didn't know that the Legion introduced Darkseid. But it's an interesting suggestion about Supergirl.

Happy Jack Kirby Day!

Today would have been Jack Kirby's 91st birthday.

(Darkseid by Giffen/Mahlstedt)

More Heroclix on the way

Scipio at The Absorbascon has the list of the new figures in the upcoming Heroclix wave, "Arkham Asylum". Here are the Legion-related figures:

032 LIGHTNING LORD
037 ELEMENT LAD
039 COSMIC KING
057 SATURN QUEEN

Superman Prime has a figure too, but I don't know if you'd consider him Legion-related or not due to his role in "Legion of 3 Worlds".

No pictures yet, so who knows which costumes they'll be wearing.

L3W #1 Annotation updates

I'm going to summarize the changes to the annotations I made last week here, so that they're easier to find. Then I'll fold them back into the original annotations page. This are a combination of stuff from my comments page, the Annotations of Douglas Wolk and Tim Callahan, and from the Geoff Johns interview at Newsarama.

Stuff from Doug's annotations that I didn't have:

• I don't know how I missed that "Legion of Three Worlds" is a riff on "Flash of Two Worlds".
  
• Page 8: "Tornado Jimmy" is actually Jimmy the Genie from SPJO 42. Now all we need is bird-foot Jimmy.
  
• Page 11, panel 2: the guard's name is "Gaston Dominguez", a shout-out to Gaston Dominguez-Letelier, co-ower of Meltdown Comics in Hollywood, CA.
  
• Page 15: How does Comet fit in to Post-Crisis Pre-Crisis continuity without Supergirl?
  
• Page 21: the interaction between Sun Boy and Polar Boy seems inspired by the Giffen/Bierbaum issue spotlighting Sun Boy (LSHv4 #28).
  
• Page 26: it's revealed that Superboy-Prime inspired the Legion of Super-Villains, just like Superboy/Superman inspired the Legion of Super-Heroes. Jimmy Olsen says that Cosmic King "followed an ancient code of sadism and murder inspired by a dark being whose name was never spoken", who had been speculated to be Darkseid or some connection with the Crime Bible. However, Geoff Johns said later that the "dark being" is just Superboy Prime.
  
• Page 33: the "ripcord ring" is from "Action Comics" #864.
  

Stuff from Tim's annotations that I didn't have:

• Page 6-7: there are pictures of Superman 1,000,000 (why a future version?) and Tangent (Earth-9) Superman. The "S" symbols in the center are from when Superman had split into electric blue and electric red.
  
• Page 13: the Teen Titans statues represent the team when Geoff Johns was writing them a few years ago.
  
• Page 20: "When Brainiac 5 says that he "alone" created the anti-lead serum, he's paraphrasing Dr. Frankenstein from the 1931 James Whale classic film. Goes along with his mad scientist haircut and everything."
  
• Page 28: I should have mentioned that not only was Leland McCauley Brande's rival Pre-Crisis, but in the Post-ZH reboot he was murdered by and then impersonated by Ra's al Ghul.
  
• Page 31: "My guess is that Chameleon Boy, Dream Girl, and Element Lad are up to something. Probably something involving the Legion Espionage Squad. Because Johns is definitely not going to leave the Espionage Squad out of the action. Look for them to pop up with some vital information/secret weapon/awesomeness around issue #4."
  

From my commenters:

• "did anyone else notice that all of a sudden this legion is using threeboot legion's logo?"
  
• Page 6: To the left and right of Luthor that looks like the Unknown Superman from All-Star Superman, and to the right Cyborg Superman or a damaged Superman robot and the bottle-city of Kandor. Also, if you look closely, you can see a picture of Superman and two boys (Kal-El II and Jor-El II, from "Superman" #166).
  
• Page 9, panel 1: "It looks like the armor that Superman used in Krisis of the Krimson Kriptonite in Action Comics #659"
  
• Page 14: The name "Science Police" was first used in Adventure #303
  
• Page 16, panel 3: Last time we saw the women from Taltar, they were caucasian, now they're green-skinned.
  
• Page 20 panel 8: "I alone." Brainy is fond of this verbal construction - see Adventure #344 and episode 1.09 of the cartoon.
  
• Page 22 panel 9: Likely Kahnya Nahtahnie, "Lady Memory," from Tales of the LSH #318
  

And from Geoff Johns himself, at Newsarama:

• Page 18-19: This is the same Mon-El from "Action Comics" Annual, along with Ursa and Zod from the recent "Last Son" arc. "There's a touch of gray in Zod's hair, if you look close. I guess he's gotten out a few times and screwed around."
  
• Page 26: Superboy Prime is "an ancient evil whose name has never been said. They don't talk about it a lot. It's the secret Legion of Super-Villains code. "
  
• Page 28: "Brande's death is an interesting parallel to the Legion's origin story. They could save his life the first time, and that's what inspired the beginning of the Legion. But they couldn't save his life here, and it's a turning point just like before. "
  
• Page 35-36: "These are representative of the members. They're not all the members who are coming through, because some of them are dead and some of them have changed. Like in the Zero Hour Legion, Monstress died awhile ago, Thunder returned to her own time – so there will be characters that don't appear in this story because their characters don't currently exist. We pick up the Zero Hour Legion right where we left them off. And in the three-boot Legion, Dream Girl died and Cosmic Boy's missing, and their Mon-El is back in the Phantom Zone, so we'll be up-to-date with everything as it is right now. Like in the Zero Hour Legion, Lightning Lad actually has the body of Element Lad."
  

I'm really confused about Lar Gand's history across the multiverse now. My first thought was that the traditional Earth-1 Mon-El (from "Superboy" #89) was the Mon-El from the "Lightning Saga" story, the Lar Gand from the 1990s "Superboy" series became the post-Zero Hour reboot's M'Onel/Valor, and the Lar Gand from the "Action Comics" annual was the post-Infinite Crisis Mon-El. But Geoff Johns said no, that the Action Annual version is the one who's in the Lightning Saga Legion. So then who is the one appearing in the regular Legion series, recently brought out of the Phantom Zone by Supergirl?

Con Report: Toronto Fan Expo '08

The Toronto Fan Expo was held over the weekend. Current Legion artist Francis Manapul was one of the guests. Summaries of the various DC panels with Legion news:

DC Nation, via CBR:

However, there were some discussions during the hour-long event that provided some surprises on how Didio and his creative staff viewed their company, the practice of resurrecting characters and how the first does the second too much.

“I’m glad ‘Countdown’ is over. That was a long year of DC Nation for me,” Didio said after opening up the floor to fans for questions and feedback. Soon, the pendulum swung towards the Legion of Super-Heroes and the future of that franchise and how the decision to make changes and events a part of the line came out of the relaunch of another DC property.

“When I first started at DC, one of the franchises I really wanted to invigorate was ‘Teen Titans’...as the legend goes, Paul Levitz, my boss, didn’t believe ‘Teen Titans’ were going to work that well because we had done so many reboots before that, and they all seemed to trip over it,” Didio explained. “When ‘Titans’ came out [by Geoff Johns and Mike McKone] and was a big hit, Paul came into my office, threw a copy of ‘Teen Titans’ onto my desk and goes, ‘Too bad we can’t do the same thing with Legion.’

“We know there’s an audience out there, and we keep on trying to get it right,” he added, saying that the current “Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds” would be used as a barometer to figure out which interpretation fans liked the best and then move forward with “one, clear interpretation of the Legion by the time we’re through.”

When asked whether or not the room enjoyed a Legion with Superman/boy or as its own team, the crowd voted by a strong majority just for the Legion without including a “Super” lead.

A Guide to Your DC Universe, via CBR:

Staying with the theme of death, Didio said, “I don’t think I ever said Bart Allen was dead. I am serious.”

“We all wish it,” added Giffen to a chorus laughs.

“There were changes that were going to be made,” continued Didio. “There were stories that were going to be told and there were definite crossovers taking place at the moment of the death of Bart Allen. So there is a good chance there is going to be more resolutions to that character and what happened to him in the very near future or the very far future.”

Indeed, in Rich Johnson’s first post-Comic-Con edition of LYING IN THE GUTTERS, the CBR columnist shared news from the floor that Geoff Johns was overheard talking about Bart Allen with Manapul, who draws “Legion of Super-Heroes.”

...Following a question from the audience, Didio said the rumor that legendary writer Jim Shooter was off and then back on “Legion of Super-Heroes” deserved no validation. Van Sciver praised Manapul’s work on the series and said he would love to see a Saturn Girl solo series.

Newsarama's "Legion at 50" #4: Geoff Johns

Newsarama's 4th interview on the Legion at 50 is with Geoff Johns, who discusses (among other things) "Legion of 3 Worlds". I'll hit the highlights here and update the annotations page.

Newsarama: Geoff, this issue spends much of the first part of the story inside the Superman museum. Was that an effort to make this #1 issue accessible to new readers?

Geoff Johns: It was, but that scene tells you more about Superboy-Prime. It's what makes Prime lose it when he discovers his big, monumental contribution to the history of the DC Universe ends with him being shoved in a broom closet. It’s a literal version of what happened to him last time he saved the universe and was pushed away.

NRAMA: And what are the Legion members' motivations right now?

GJ: Well, Lightning Lad is just thinking, screw this – let's go. He's got a little bit of a temper and a bit of a chip on his shoulder. He’s tired of having to prove himself to anyone. And then Polar Boy and Sun Boy are complete opposites. Sun Boy essentially has given up. His passion's out. And Polar Boy's passion will never, ever die. He wasn't a Legionnaire for a long time. Polar Boy was a “sub”, so when he got on the team, it was the greatest day of his life. Every day that he wakes up and that ring's still there, it's the greatest day of his life all over again. And Sun Boy just doesn't understand that anymore. He doesn't know what the big deal is about the ring.

NRAMA: The conflict between Polar Boy and Sun Boy is essentially what this entire scene with the United Planets Council is about, isn't it? That's the basic question facing the Legion up front – Sun Boy and the Council verbalize it: Does the Legion still have a place in the universe?

GJ: Yeah, do they? That's the central question to this. What is the Legion all about? My goal is to tell an epic story that redefines and re-examines who the Legion is, both as a team and as individual members. So I want to challenge all of that, and look at it and break it open.

And also, Superman – what's he all about? He says they can't imprison Prime because he always breaks out. And he's not going to kill him because it's against everything he believes in.

NRAMA: There are tons of different characters in this issue, particularly in the museum, and with this artist, you can get away with it. Was this a case of you getting the art and seeing things he'd added?

GJ: I had a huge list of what was in that museum. But George added a lot to this issue, a ton. He’s a master storyteller. George goes even a step further than I do when it comes to the depth of this mythology. It’s an absolute honor to work with him, and I’m incredibly grateful it’s on Superboy-Prime and the Legion.

NRAMA: But some of this – like the 1,000 Olsens, I know from interviewing you before, that's all you.

GJ: Yeah. That was. [laughs] I just thought if Jimmy Olsen is the curator of a museum – a program of him even – it's going to be more about his adventures. I just like that Hall of 1,000 Olsens because, imagine if there are 1,000 Olsens in there, you only see maybe 10 of them, so it's a big room. I’d love to play laser tag in there.

NRAMA: Brande's death is an interesting parallel to the Legion's origin story. They could save his life the first time, and that's what inspired the beginning of the Legion. But they couldn't save his life here, and it's a turning point just like before.

GJ: Obviously, that parallel wasn't an accident. It started with Brande, and it will either end or start again with Brande.

NRAMA: And the threat really materializes when Superboy-Prime breaks the Legion of Super-Villains out of prison. Yet what’s this about Lightning Lord saying they're inspired by Superboy-Prime?

GJ: He's an ancient evil whose name has never been said. They don't talk about it a lot. It's the secret Legion of Super-Villains code.

NRAMA: Anything else you can tell us that we're going to see coming up?

GJ: The Sorcerer’s World. The Central City of the 31st Century. The future of the Green Lanterns...

More Bits of L3W Business

More "Legion of Three Worlds" #1 reviews, not including the annotations (which I'm still working on updating);

• Miscontinuity:
  

  I have great faith that this will turn into a great series. If it drew me in, a long-time non-Legion fan, I can only imagine what it does for those who understand the franchise. It is a well crafted book, with all the right elements for an exciting futuristic adventure.

  
  
• Fascination Place:
  

  The biggest risk the series runs is that of not just having a single large cast of Legionnaires, but three of them, and characterization getting lost in the shuffle - always a risk with any Legion series. But the most encouraging thing is Superman’s stated goal at the end of the issue: Not to just to stop Prime, but to redeem him. I’ve been pretty unhappy with how this character has been treated, and finding a way to redeem him would be a challenge well worthy of a 5-issue series illustrated by George Pérez. Here’s hoping Geoff Johns can pull it off; he’s off to a good start.

  
  
• Pop Syndicate:
  

  Johns’s writing is loud and bombastic. It’s actually a style that he developed during Infinite Crisis but has refined since then, particularly for the Sinestro Corps War storyline. Like he did with that story, Johns writes Legion of 3 Worlds at such a high intensity that you can’t believe this story is anything other than a mega-blockbuster event. He’s the Michael Bay of DC, except that he can actually tell a story in between the explosions. ... In George Pérez, Johns has found an artist who can keep up with him. On these big mega stories (see JLA/Avengers,) Pérez draws the same way that Johns writes. By now, you know what you’re going to get with George Pérez and he doesn’t let you down. His panels, crammed with every possible minute detail practically screams “Crisis-level event going on here!” It’s loud, intense, bombastic and filled with more detail than humanly possible. ... Legion of 3 Worlds #1 is a solid adventure story that delivers what you expect out but rarely exceeds those expectations.

  
  
• Panels of Awesome:
  

  Overall, what’s set in place will probably rock all of our socks off. Within one issue, instead of three or four like some writers like to do, both Superman and Superboy-Prime have gathered, for the most part, their respected armies and know exactly what they need to do: beat the holy hell out of each other. With four more issues to go, this is already much more promising, in my opinion, than the actual Final Crisis book and I’m already looking forward to book #2, which will be hitting shelves October 1st, for those of you that were wondering. Legion of Three Worlds #1 is a wonderfully well written and expertly drawn book any fans of the Legion will want to pick up and any fans of the DCU will probably want to at least give a shot.

  
  
• FilmFodder:
  

  The Legion has so much potential, it feels like Johns has done more in one issue with the story of the Legion than Jim Shooter’s entire run so far on the Legion’s own series. This was easily the best read of DC this week.

  
  
• Rack Raids:
  

  Writer Geoff Johns does what he does best, telling a tale that weaves the past into the future. While I enjoyed it, there was a ton of backstory that needed explaining simply in order to get to the good parts, using Jimmy Olsen as our guide was an inspired bit of casting. The good parts being Superman and The Legion are fighting for the future and that makes Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds well worth coming back for.
  
  ... Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #1 is a fun little read, succeeding on two levels: giving newbies an enjoyable Legion primer while giving the Legion faithful even more reason to be so.

  
  

More Bits of Legionnaire Business

Man, you're gone for a few days and how everything piles up.... So here's a Bits of Legionnaire Business roundup for non-L3W stuff.

• Legion Abstract thinks about what a trailer for a hypothetical theatrical movie might look like.
  
• Blockade Boy's stories have ended. As much as I liked reading his take on some of the minor Legion-related characters, he's decided to retire BB and move on to some original material. Best of luck, Jeremy! (via)
  
• Elliotte Rusty Harold explains why he stopped reading the Legion.
  
• Prism Comics has an article on Fortress Lad.
  
• Green Lantern Spotlight has an article on Time Trapper's history.
  
• Siskoid reviews "Tales of the Legion" #343, which reprinted Wildfire's first two appearances.
  
• Supergirl Comic Box reviews LSH v3 #16, one of the original Crisis crossovers, as part of their look at Supergirl in the Crisis.
  
• Legion Abstract notes some striking similarities of "Legion Lost" to an earlier LSH v3 story.
  
• The Onion's A.V. Club reviews the recent "1050 Years" trade paperback. Grade: C-.
  

Déjà Vu 14: Separated at Birth?

From Adventure Comics, it's Tharok.



From 1983's "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends" episode 23, "The X-Men Adventure", it's Nathan Price, former lover of Firestar, now the evil Cyberiad:



(Thanks to Stephen Antsey!)

Newsarama's "Legion at 50" #3: Paul Levitz

Newsarama talks to former Legion writer Paul Levitz (oh yeah, he's also President and Publisher of DC, too) in part 3 of their "Legion at 50" series. Here are some excerpts:

NRAMA: One of the things we're doing as Newsarama talks to various Legion creators is asking them to name some of their favorite moments in Legion history. And many of them have pointed to The Great Darkness Saga, which is often named by fans as a favorite as well. Why do you think that story stands out among others? And do you feel like you accomplished what you were trying to do with it?

PL: I think part of the reason it stands out for the people who were there at the time was that it was the first solid use of the Kirby Fourth World mythos outside of Jack [Kirby]'s own work. For the stories that followed it taking place set purely in a Fourth World logic, it was the thing that made Darkseid a part of the DC Universe. And I think for a lot of us who were at a magic age when Jack came to DC in 1970 and introduced Darkseid, that was a character of enormous power, and to see him firmly nested in the DC Universe was a very, very cool moment. It was something I was very proud of doing at the time, and I think that had a lot of resonance.

It also was a very long and ambitious story for its time. Again, this was probably something like a 125- or 130-page story at a time when most DC comics still were 22- or 44-page stories. You'd have a rare 88-page story. So hopefully, we used the length well and were able to do something that was unusually exciting as a moment.

NRAMA: When you came up with the idea of The Great Darkness Saga, was that a goal? To bring Darkseid and the Fourth World into the DC Universe?

PL: Oh, absolutely. That was part of the magic. I'm not a very good villain creator. That's one of my limits as a comic book writer. And it was an opportunity to take this incredible villain who the Legion had never faced before, who was powerful enough to hold off the entire Legion of Super-Heroes, and use him on a very cosmic scale story. I don't remember anymore if Keith [Giffen] was the first one who suggested it or I was, but both of us were big fans of Jack's and of Darkseid in particular, and we had a lot of fun with it. I guess it must have been me, because the first story on that arc, I did with Pat Broderick. Keith didn't come in until the second piece of that story. So I guess it is my fault.

NRAMA: It's all on your shoulders.

PL: It's definitely not all me. The reason people remember that story with the affection they do and the respect they do has a tremendous amount to do with the magic that was going on back and forth between me and Keith at that moment. He added so much to that material – so much imagination – that my writing on that is better than probably any other story I did. And a lot of that is a reflection of what Keith brought to it.

NRAMA: As you look back on your run on Legion, is The Great Darkness Saga what you would call your greatest accomplishment, and if not that, what else?

PL: I bow to the will of the people. If that's what people remember as the great story, I'm certainly willing to concede it. I'm very fond of the Sensor Girl arc; I'm very fond of the four-issue cycle we did with Universo where the Legionnaires were prisoners on a prison world and I had an opportunity to really play with their heads; I'm very fond of the story we recently reprinted in the paperback, An Eye for an Eye, with the Legion of Super-Villains; and mostly, I'm fond of the fact that, when I look back, I managed a 100-plus-issue consecutive run without screwing up, which is one of the rare feats of comics, for a writer to hold the mark that long.

...

NRAMA: Would you ever go back to the Legion and write it again?

PL: They keep threatening me! But I tell them they have to go and negotiate it with my wife. I only left the Legion because I was at the point where the kids were young, it was knocking off three Sundays a month that I needed to be on a soccer field with my kids during the years when they actually wanted to see their father, and the day job didn't let anything else fit with it. It's the sort of book I would love to have another shot at writing someday, if I ever get to be a writer again. It's just kind of hard to do with a day job.

Bits of L3W Business

Grife, that was both fun and tough. It took me a few hours to do the writeup for L3W #1, with lots of Googling, lots of looking stuff up at the Grand Comics Database, and frantically thumbing through my copies of "Who's Who in the LSH" and Mark Waid's "Legion Index". I'll make more corrections and additions in the next day or so.

In the meantime, if you want to read about what the rest of the comicsblogosphere thinks, here are some places to go (in the order that I received the Google Alert):

• Doug Wolk's Final Crisis Annotations
  
  
• Tim Callahan's Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds #1 Annotations
  
  
• Diamondrock at Title Undetermined:
  

  This could be the beginning of the greatest comic story I have ever read. I say that with absolutely no irony.

  
  
• Blog@Newsarama
  

  The Legion of Super-Heroes, with its reboots, threeboots and sprawling cast, can be a little confusing — even for longtime fans. So, how can a new reader expect to untangle all the characters and references in Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds? ... It’s Annotations of Three Worlds!

  
  
• Todd Seavey:
  

  Look, I want off the stuff as much as any addict, but all this happening in the same month is the sci-fi-leaning, continuity-obsessed, reality-warp-examining comic fanboy’s equivalent of delivering all the crack in the world to one crack addict’s doorstep in a single morning — and unlike the members of the Legion, I’m only human.

  
  
• Matthew's Legion Abstract reviewing L3W #1:
  

  I'll make another prediction: Chameleon Boy, one of the missing Legionnaires, is not exactly missing. He's deep undercover. And he's going to reveal himself at a key moment in issue #3 or #4 of this series, in the best Chameleon Boy tradition.
  
  ...It's easy to imagine that Superboy-Prime, unlike Luthor, is achievably redeemable. He was a hero, after all. Sure, he's crazy, and he's killed Frith knows how many people, but he's got the seeds of Superman in him. It can be done.
  
  ...Let's keep our expectations in check for the second issue. First issues are notorious crowd-pleasers; second issues are trickier. There could be a bit of consolidation but that's okay. Perspective.
  
  This was a good start. If the rest of the story can live up to it, FC:L3W will be one to remember for a long time.

  
  
• IGN's review of issue 1:
  

  Frankly, the only connection I can form between Final Crisis and Legion of Three Worlds is that both books are packed with characters and not overly accessible to new readers. Both are rewarding experiences to those with a reasonable knowledge of the DCU, however, and that should be enough for most readers. Rating: 7.4 (out of 10)

  
  
• Comic Book Catacombs reviews issue 1:
  

  I recommend this series to all who enjoy good superhero slug fests.

  
  
• Kimota94:
  

  And as cool as it's going to be to have three different versions of the Legion in subsequent issues - representing the 50-year history of the team, which has been rife with reboots and retcons - it seems a bit convenient that the main group's knowing about the other teams, and bringing them into their universe, are going to prove to be about as complicated as ordering a pizza. And finally, I've yet to figure out exactly why this is a Final Crisis series. There doesn't seem to be any tie to the events of the main series, even tangentially (like having Superman be plucked from some Final Crisis moment). Right now it smells like more of a marketing move than a story-driven one.

  
  
• Newsarama's review:
  

  Granted, a good portion of this is set-up, and we already know what a big story point is going to be from the very title of the thing. Still, this is a top-notch start. I’m actually excited to see the Legions interact, and I’m eagerly waiting to see how Perez makes it all look. That dovetails into this strange feeling I had the entire time I was reading . . . what is that? Oh, yeah. It’s called fun.

  
  

Plus other stuff:

• Jim Deitz talks about when he first read the first Legion tabloid, the Limited Collector's Edition story reprinting the Shooter/Swan Mordru story.
  
  
• Tim Callahan tells readers at CBR "Don't Fear the Legion" as he lists ten stories for Legion newbies:
  

  I'm sure DC hopes that you'll be fascinated enough by the appearance of the characters to seek out more Legion comics. But where do you start? The Legion is the largest super-team in history, and there are three versions to choose from? It can be intimidating, but if you can overcome your fear, I have some suggestions about where you might want to look for more of your Legion fix. Because once you get hooked, like I did, there's nothing to do but give in to the pleasure of the Legion of Super-Heroes.
  
  Because you probably don't have infinite resources, I'll restrict myself to ten essential Legion stories. If you can track these down, you'll have the beginnings of a Lifetime Legion Reading Plan. And these ten stories will give you perspective on each of the three Legions. You won't need these comics to understand what Johns and Perez are doing in their series, but reading these stories might help you appreciate why the Legion has such a special place in so many hearts. (Either that, or you'll think Legion fans are crazy, and you'll steer clear of us at conventions. Whatever.)

  
  
• Tim Callahan (him again?), this time at Newsarama, talks about his books on Grant Morrison and the Legion.
  

  NRAMA: The Legion has proven to be one of the most enduring concepts in DC's stable, despite its many incarnations. Why do you feel it has such a following, and what is unique about this following?
  
  TC: I'm definitely on the periphery of Legion fandom, and even though I've read every single Legion story, I still can't answer most of the trivia questions Michael Grabois posts on his Legion Omnicom site. But I think there's definitely a hardcore Legion base in fandom who care more about the team than they care about anything else in pop culture, and I think that's awesome.
  
  But here's the thing—almost all the hardcore Legion fans I've met are only hardcore about one particular era—usually the era from Edmund Hamilton in the 1960s to Paul Levitz in the 1980s. They aren't insanely devoted to the Legion as a concept, no matter the version.
  
  They are insanely (and I mean this only in the most positive way) devoted to the Legion when it was at its best. When it was one of the few comics in the world that had fantastic ideas, complex subplots, and actual, real character arcs. People in the Legion died. And sometimes even stayed dead! That just didn't happen, and still doesn't happen, in superhero comics.
  
  The Legion in many ways—at its best—fulfills the potential of the superhero genre by blending the wish fulfillment with the science fiction and the operatic emotional heights.

  
  

Déjà Vu 13: A Traitor?

Hmmm....

At left, the cover to Jim Shooter's Adventure Comics #346.
At right, the cover to Jim Shooter's LSH v5 #48



(Hat tip: Legion World)

Annotated "Legion of Three Worlds" #1

Also check out the annotations by Douglas Wolk and Tim Callahan.

Updates on Tuesday night: added info on Jun and Mara; 30th century Smallville; Superboy Prime's last appearance; the Superman Museum

Updates on Wednesday: added pages 6-22. I'll make corrections and updates from everyone else's annotations starting tomorrow. Whew!

---

Starting early, due to the 5-page preview in Newsarama. Finishing up tomorrow night, after I recover from my brain meltdown (as predicted by inker Scott Koblish) from reading pages 6-15.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more,
Or close the wall up with rebooted dead!
... I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot!
Follow your spirit; and upon this charge
Cry 'Long Live the Legion! Annotate on!'

For first appearances and creators of all the characters, see these pre-annotations for the Pre-Zero Hour Legion (including Pre-Crisis, Post-Crisis, Glorithverse, and Lightning Saga), Post-Zero Hour Legion, Post-Infinite Crisis Legion, and villains.

---

Written by Geoff Johns; Art by George Pérez and Scott Koblish; Covers by George Pérez
From the moment Kal-El landed on earth until the end of time, the Time Trapper has sought to erase Superman's impact on the universe. But the Legion of Super-Heroes have always been there to stop him. This time, though, even the Legion won't be enough. The Time Trapper has found the ultimate weapon to carry out his plan – a twisted mirror image of the boy of steel from a parallel Earth long dead: Superboy-Prime! Who will answer the Legion's call for help? Find out here as the Crisis of the 31st century begins!

Cover (full version): Three Garth Ranzzes, the Pre-ZH/Lightning Saga one featured, with the Post-IC version inside the lightning ball in back, and the Post-ZH one in front. But the last time we saw Post-ZH Garth, he was inhabiting the crystalline body of Element Lad.

Cover (sliver version): My shop sold out within hours, so I never saw the "sliver" cover.

Page 1

• Panel 3 - The Time Trapper at his HQ at the end of time. He was last seen in LSHv4 #105 where we saw the Glorthiverse Legion and the Post-ZH Legions together. He said "Next time, they must rise to all of those challenges, and more - for the sake of existence itself!" Not quite so concerned this time. In that issue, he also alluded to XS's "ultimate role" which has not (yet) been identified. Vinnie Bartilucci at Newsarama suggests that this is the ruins of the Linear Men's HQ, Vanishing Point.
  
• Panel 5 - "I tried to rip their soul out. I tried to make them forget Superman." It's unclear here whether he's referring to the Pocket Universe Superboy, the removal of Superboy from continuity at the "Mordruverse" transition, or the recent Superman/Legion story in Action Comics.
  
• Panel 6 - Superboy-Prime, somewhere in the time stream, last seen caught in the explosion of Monarch (Countdown #13).
  
• Panel 11 - that explains how Superboy-Prime ended up in the 31st century
  

Page 2

• Panel 1 - the time stream in the DC Universe has traditionally been shown with "year markers".
  
• Panel 2 - is this the first time we've ever seen Smallville in the 31st (or 30th) century? RAB reminded me (after a brain fart) that 30th century Smallville first appeared in Adventure Comics #247.
  
• Panel 3 - Jun and Mara as farmers in Smallville obviously recalls Jonathan and Martha Kent (and they appeared in Action Comics #858, as Matthew and Doug remind me). Earth-Man was the lead villain in the recent Superman/Legion story in which he and his team tried (with assistance from the Time Trapper) to make Earth a human-only and Legion-less world, and denying Superman's heroic status. This story takes place some time after Action Comics #864, the epilogue of that storyline, as seen by Earth-Man's trial information. The newscaster is Marella Tao, a holo-vid reporter for "Metropolis Tonite" (first appearance: LSHv3 #36).
  
• Panel 4 - Earthgov (first appearance: Superboy & the LSH #240) is the government of Earth, while the United Planets (first appearance: Adventure Comics #336) is a group of affiliated worlds numbering over 150. Earth is a member of the UP. (Thanks for the references, exnihil!)
  
• Panel 6 - Jun shot and buried the last alien baby to land on his farm (Action #858 - thanks Patrick!).
  

Page 3

• Superboy-Prime arrives. He doesn't get the same warm welcome that Jonathan and Martha Kent gave to their Kal-El.
  

Page 4

• Superboy-Prime used his own heat vision finger to carve the "S" symbol in his chest. (It recalls this image of Clark Kent from the first season of "Smallville".) Jun and Mara are his first victims in the 31st century.
  

Page 5

• Panel 1 - the sign would logically be in Interlac, like other signs in the town.
  
• Panel 6 - Superboy-Prime meets a dog-walking robot. (In San Diego, at his panel, Geoff Johns referred to this panel: He used the anecdote how Prime was out strolling in 31st century Smallville and met a robot dog-walker who told him to have a nice day. The dog growls at him and he tells the dog to shut up. Apparently that caption was removed.)
  
• Panel 7 - the sign on the building in the background reads "Din" in Interlac, presumably a "Diner".
  
• Panel 9 - the sign reads "Superman museum" in Interlac. There's a real Superman Museum in Metropolis, Illinois, and there was a Superman Museum in the Pre-Crisis DCU Metropolis. However, we've never seen such a museum The last time I recall seeing the Superman Museum in the 30th/31st century was in DC Comics Presents #59 (Superman and the Subs vs Ambush Bug - thanks IDLE!), except in in addition to the animated series (as seen here in episode 1.01).
  

Pages 6-7

• Statues: Jonathan Kent, Martha Kent, Pete Ross, Lana Lang, Jor-El and Lara with Kal-El's ship, the Kents with baby Kal, Superman with a car (from Action Comics #1), Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White
  
• bottom row of panels: Superman (For All Seasons?), Superman (1,000,000?), Superman (Kingdom Come/Earth-22), ???, Krypto, Superwoman (Kristin Wells of the 29th century, created by Elliot S! Maggin in his novel "Superman: Miracle Monday", first DCU appearance in DC Comics Presents Annual #2), Supergirl (current version), Superboy (Connor Kent)
  
• top row of panels: the Kents (from "Superman: Birthright"), wedding of Lois and Clark, Clark with Jimmy and Perry at the Daily Planet, Luthor, Power Girl, Steel (John Henry Irons), Lori Lemaris, the early Justice League of America (J'onn J'onzz, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Batman, Flash)
  

Page 8

• Panel 3 - Superboy Prime activates the Superman Museum guide, Jimmy Olsen. The crystals are from the current version of the Fortress of Solitude (which in turn are based on the Fortress from the Superman movie of 1978 and the TV series Smallville)
  
• Panel 5 - "Strange visitor" is, of course, from the 1950s Superman TV series. The irony here is that Superboy Prime really is a strange visitor from another planet.
  
• Panel 8 - The Hall of 1000 Olsens is Jimmy from his various Silver Age incarnations. These names are taken from the cover captions: Human Octopus Jimmy (SPJO #41), Gorilla Reporter Jimmy (SPJO #116), Tornado Jimmy (???), Giant Turtle Jimmy (SPJO #53, after the July 1940 Thrilling Wonder Stories), Human Flame Thrower Jimmy (SPJO #33), Human Porcupine Jimmy (SPJO #65), Jimmy the Freak (fat red, SPJO #59), Bird Boy Jimmy (???), Human Skyscraper Jimmy (SPJO #28), Jimmy from Jupiter (SPJO #32), Super Brain Jimmy (SPJO #22), and Wolfman Jimmy (SPJO #44). Plus, of course, Elastic Lad (SPJO #31). Room probably named after the "World of 1000 Olsens" (SPJO #105), mostly reprinted recently in "The Amazing Transformations of Jimmy Olsen" TPB.
  

Page 9

• Panel 1 - the bottle city of Kandor, and Superman and Jimmy as Nightwing and Flamebird (who really were the Batman and Robin of Kandor). The helmeted robot looks familiar but I can't place it. Above the newspapers the sign says "Olsen" in Interlac.
  
• Panel 2 - Don't know if those newspapers are from a certain story, but the sign above reads "Olsen Phot-" in Interlac.
  
• Panel 6 - the origin of Superman, on pretty much every version of Earth.
  
• Panel 8 - the sign above the statues reads "portrait ga-" (gallery). Beneath each image is the name of a former Superman artist: "-uster" (Shuster), "boring", "swan", "garcia-lopez", "-ne" (Byrne), and "hi-feld". In front is the "perez" version. Inker Scott Koblish said he put in two hidden "Ninas", no doubt the figure behind the Perez version is "Hirschfeld". If you squint really hard, you can see the two NINAs, one on each foot. In the far left corner, it reads "bu-", maybe for Burnley? On the back wall is the JLA, with Aquaman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Martian Manhunter visible.
  

Page 10

• Panel 2 - the sign on the Phantom Zone projector reads "-hantom zone" "on loan" in Interlac.
  
• Panel 3 - the Lightning Saga version of the Pre-Crisis Legion. Front row: Phantom Girl, Dawnstar, Brainiac 5, Saturn Girl, Superman, Shrinking Violet, Cosmic Boy, Sun Boy. Second row: Invisible Kid II, Lightning Lad, Chameleon Girl, Blok. Third row: Polar Boy, Wildfire, Ultra Boy, Lightning Lass. Fourth row: Night Girl, Timber Wolf, Shadow Lass. Back row: Colossal Boy.
  
• Panel 4 - Superboy Prime read about the heroes of the DC Universe in comics when he lived on Earth-Prime before the original Crisis. In the background is a replica of their HQ and the United Planets globe, as first seen in Adventure Comics #367.
  
• Panel 5 - the three founders in the costumes first seen in Adventure Comics #247, although when they saved Brande they were in civilian clothes. This scene from their origin first appeared in Superboy v1 #147.
  
• Panel 6 - Leland McCauley III (first appearance: Adventure Comics 374, created by Jim Shooter and Win Mortimer) was Brande's rival, jealous because Brande was worth more than he was.
  
• Panel 7 - statues of the missing Legionnaires. From left: Quislet, Karate Kid, Bouncing Boy, Mon-El, Tyroc, Dream Girl, White Witch, Sensor Girl, Matter-Eater Lad, Star Boy, Tellus, Chameleon Boy, Duo Damsel (twice), and Element Lad.
  

Page 11

• Panel 1 - the upside-down rocketship HQ is visible in the room that Superboy-Prime leaves. In the glass cases: Steel's hammer, Nightwing's costume (???), Superboy's jacket, Guardian's shield. Below the cases: various flavors of Kryptonite, including green, blue, red, gold, and black.
  
• Panel 2 - at upper left is Knockout, bottom left is Dubbilex, both from the Superboy v2 series. The key and door are from the Pre-Crisis Fortress of Solitude, and the text at bottom reads "-olitude" in Interlac. At right are a famous image of Clark Kent changing into Superman (similar to this Alex Ross cover, but the original was by Curt Swan, and I can't find the image), and Titano the Super-Ape.
  
• Panels 4-6 - thanks for the IDs.
  
• Panel 8 - Hank Henshaw the Cyborg, Toyman, and Metallo.
  

Page 12

• Panels 4-6 - the ending to Infinite Crisis, though not quite the way Superboy Prime thought about it.
  
• Panel 7 - from the Sinestro Corps War.
  
• Panel 8 - Neutron was another Superman villain.
  

Page 13

• Panel 10 - a statue of the Composite Superman
  
• Panel 12 - statues of the Teen Titans: Wonder Girl, Starfire, Kid Flash, Superboy (Connor Kent), Beast Boy, Robin, Raven, Cyborg
  

Page 14

• Panels 4-5 - the Science Police uniforms read "spd" on the helmets (Science Police Department?) and "police" on the back. The Science Police are the law enforcement branch of the United Planets, and first appeared in Superboy #98 as the Galactic Patrol
  

Page 15

• Panel 3 - left panel, Superman and Martian Manhunter; right panels, Captain Marvel's cape and Comet the Super-Horse, unknown armor
  
• Panel 5 - statues of Stone Boy and Color Kid at far left, Proty at far right. The Interlac underneath Proty's capsule reads "pr-".
  

Page 16

• This UP Council chamber is new.
  
• Panel 3 - the Interlac beneath each of the three podiums reads "braal" (homeworld of Cosmic Boy; note that the speaker has the same type of disks on his chest that Cosmic Boy has), "taltar" (matriarchal world which recruited and gave powers to Spider-Girl), and "dur-" (Durla, Chameleon Boy's homeworld).
  

Page 17

• Panel 1 - the Winath embassy (homeworld of the Ranzz siblings)
  
• Panel 3 - the Earth embassy, and the President of Earth (name as yet unknown)
  
• Panel 6 - the Colu embassy (homeworld of Brainiac 5). Note the Brainiac-looking robot.
  
• Panel 7 - the sign under the monitor reads "Colu" in Interlac.
  
• Panel 9 - the Saturn embassy (though it should be the Titan embassy, as inhabitants live on the moon and not the planet)
  

Page 18

• inhabitants of the Phantom Zone, including General Zod, Ursa, and Non
  

Page 19

• Mon-El has a confusing continuity. This is the Pre-Crisis Lar Gand (from Superboy #89) who was put in the Phantom Zone by the Pre-Crisis Superboy (Kal-El), while the Lar Gand (M'Onel) of the Post-ZH Legion was put in the Stasis Zone by Superboy (Kon-El, Superboy v2 #19) and the Lar Gand of the Post-IC Legion was put in the Phantom Zone by Clark Kent (Action Comics Annual #10).
  

Page 20

• Panel 5 - Mon-El was absent in the recent Superman/Legion storyline because he was stuck in the Phantom Zone.
  
• Panel 7 - Brainy claims that he alone created the anti-lead serum. Saturn Girl invented Serum XY-4, which was a temporary solution, in Adventure Comics #300, but Brainy came up with the permanent solution in issue #305.
  

Page 21

• Panel 9 - Sun Boy got a womanizer reputation under the Levitz/Giffen run.
  

Page 22

• Panel 3 - Myg of Lythyl was the second Karate Kid, a member of the second Legion of Substitute Heroes on Cosmic Boy's team. We don't know how or when he became a member, when or how he left, and the circumstances surrounding the return of the first Karate Kid.
  
• Panel 4 - Shrinking Violet had been kidnapped by Imsk separatists, and Yera (later the wife of Gim "Colossal Boy" Allon and then Chameleon Girl) was hired to impersonate her.
  
• Panel 7 - That's Dr. Gym'll of Jaquaa (first appearance: LSHv2 #284, created by Paul Levitz and Pat Broderick)
  
• Panel 9 - probably the ruler of Talok VIII, homeworld of Shadow Lass.
  
• Panel 11 - H'Hrnath of Nullport (first appearance: LSHv2 #285, created by Paul Levitz and Pat Broderick)
  
• Panel 12 - J*ss Toor-Tsaquin of Kaffar, formerly warden of Labyrinth (first appearance: LSHv3 #22, created by Paul Levitz and Greg LaRocque)
  

Page 23

• Panel 3 - Rene Jacques Brande was the Legion's financier (first appearance: Adventure Comics #350, created by E. Nelson Bridwell and Curt Swan)
  
• Panel 5 - the flight belt was used in between the rocket pack and the flight ring, first seen in Adventure Comics #300.
  

Page 24

• Panel 1 - Takron-Galtos was one of the original prison planets, in use since at least the 20th century. It was destroyed in the Crisis on Infinite Earths and was replaced by Labyrinth. Apparently in the interim Takron-Galtos was rebuilt.
  
• Panel 2 - Statues of dead Legionnaires Ferro Lad, Chemical King, and Invisible Kid I.
  

Page 25

• Panel 4 - the Legion of Super-Villains. Front row: Radiation Roy, Tarik the Mute, Chameleon Chief, Cosmic King, Lightning Lord, Saturn Queen, Nemesis Kid, Terrus. Second row: Spider-Girl, Esper Lass, Sun Emperor, Tyr, Micro Lad, Ron-Karr, Titania. Third row: Zymyr, Silver Slasher, Magno Lad, Ol-Vir?, Hunter, Lazon, Neutrax, and Mist Master (in back).
  

Page 26

• Panels 4-6 - the three founders in their Adventure 247 costumes, from when they went back to recruit Superboy.
  

Page 28

• Brande was originally a Durlan known as Ren Daggle, but he was stuck in human form after contracting Yorggian fever (as seen in the Secrets of the Legion miniseries). He made his fortune creating stars.
  

Page 30

• Teams looking for the missing Legionnaires Chameleon Boy, Dream Girl, Element Lad, and White Witch.
  

Page 34

• The Post-Zero Hour Legion, last seen floating off in nothingness before a cameon on Earth-247 at the end of Infinite Crisis. Front row: Sensor, Gates, XS. Second row: Dreamer, Andromeda, Livewire, Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, Ultra Boy, Karate Kid, Shrinking Violet, Brainiac 5.1, Koko. Third row: Triad, Kid Quantum II, Ferro, M'Onel, Umbra, Spark, Chameleon. Fourth row: Monstress, Chuck Taine, Invisible Kid, Gear, Timber Wolf, Star Boy, Element Lad, Shikari. Fifth row: Apparition, Kinetix, Kid Quantum I, Thunder, Leviathan, Magno, Wildfire. Note that this can't be a group picture since Leviathan died early and Shikari and Gear joined very late.
  

Page 35

• The Post-Infinite Crisis Legion, currently appearing in LSHv5. Front row: Invisible Kid, Chameleon. Second row: Light Lass, Brainiac 5, Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, Star Boy, Karate Kid. Third row: Shadow Lass, Triplicate Girl, Princess Projectra, Ultra Boy, Sun Boy, Element Lad. Fourth row: Mon-El, Dream Boy, Timber Wolf, Colossal Boy, Dream Girl, Supergirl, Phantom Girl.
  

---

Acknowlegements (in addition to the commenters here):

• Commenters at Newsarama for the preview
  
• More tomorrow
  

L3W Pre-Annotations part 4

Here's the last part of my pre-L3W annotations, this one focusing on the villains. I was surprised when looking through some of the online resources at how many villains the Pre-ZH Legion had compared to the other versions, but when you think about all those stories from Adventure up through Superboy and even LSHv3 that had super-powered bad guys, which tapered off with LSHv4 and into the Post-ZH reboot. After that, stories were more arc-oriented with the Legion fighting groups.

This table has pretty much all of the costumed villains from all three continuities. If I'm missing anyone significant (which I'm sure I am), let me know.

Absorbancy Boy / Earth-Man	SBOY 218	Cary Bates	Mike Grell
Apollo	ADV 350	E. Nelson Bridwell	Curt Swan
Arrow	TL 35	Gail Simone	Dan Jurgens
Benn Pares	SBOY 213	Jim Shooter	Mike Grell
BION	LSHv4 21	Al Gordon	Keith Giffen
Black Mace	ADV 374	Jim Shooter	Win Mortimer
Blackout Boy	ADV 337	Edmond Hamilton, James Vincent	John Forte
Calorie Queen	SBOY 212	Jim Shooter	Mike Grell
Canary	TL 35	Gail Simone	Dan Jurgens
Caress	LSHv3 25	Paul Levitz	Greg LaRocque
Chameleon Chief	SPJO 63	Jerry Siegel	Curt Swan
Chameleon Kid	SBOY 212	Jim Shooter	Mike Grell
Charma	SBOY 221	Jim Shooter	Mike Grell
Chemoids	ADV 362	Jim Shooter	Pete Costanza
Command Kid	ADV 328	Jerry Siegel	Jim Mooney
Composite Man	LSHv4 68	Tom McCraw, Tom Peyer, Mark Waid	Lee Moder
Composite Superman	WFC 142	Edmond Hamilton	Curt Swan
Computo	ADV 340	Jerry Siegel	John Forte
Cosmic King	SMAN 147	Jerry Siegel	Curt Swan
Credo	TL 5	Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning	Peter Snejbjerg
Dagon the Avenger	LSHv2 263	Gerry Conway	Jimmy Janes
Dark Man	LSHv2 270	Gerry Conway	Jimmy Janes
Darkseid	SPJO 134	Jack Kirby	Jack Kirby
Devil	TL 35	Gail Simone	Dan Jurgens
Dr. Mayavale	LSHv2 268	J. M. DeMatteis	Steve Ditko
Dr. Regulus	ADV 348	Jim Shooter	George Papp
Dynamo Boy	ADV 330	Jerry Siegel	Jim Mooney
Elysion	LSHv5 5	Mark Waid	Barry Kitson
Emerald Empress	ADV 352	Jim Shooter	Curt Swan
Esper Lass	SBOY 212	Jim Shooter	Mike Grell
Evillo	ADV 350	E. Nelson Bridwell	Curt Swan
Eyeful Ethel	ADV 330	Jerry Siegel	Jim Mooney
Flare	LSHv3 24	Paul Levitz	Greg LaRocque
Glorith	ADV 338	Jerry Siegel	John Forte
Golden Boy	ADV 331	Jerry Siegel	Jim Mooney
Grimbor	SBOY 221	Jim Shooter	Mike Grell
Holdur	SBOY 223	Jim Shooter	Mike Grell
Hunter	SBOY 199	Cary Bates	Dave Cockrum
Immune	SB&LSH 232	Gerry Conway	Ric Estrada
Infinite Man	SB&LSH 233	Paul Levitz	Jim Sherman
Kantuu	LSHv2 266	Gerry Conway	Jimmy Janes
Lantern	TL 35	Gail Simone	Dan Jurgens
Laurel Kent	SBOY 217	Jim Shooter	Mike Grell
Lazon	SB&LSH 253	Gerry Conway	Joe Staton
Lemnos	LSHv5 2	Mark Waid	Barry Kitson
Lightning Lord	SMAN 147	Jerry Siegel	Curt Swan
Lucifer 7	SECLSH 1	E. Nelson Bridwell, Paul Kupperberg	Jimmy Janes
Luck Lords	ADV 343	Edmond Hamilton	Curt Swan
Magnetic Kid I	ADV 337	Edmond Hamilton, Bill Martin	John Forte
Magno Lad	SBOY 212	Jim Shooter	Mike Grell
Magpie	TLSH 320	Paul Levitz, Mindy Newell	Dan Jurgens
Mano	ADV 352	Jim Shooter	Curt Swan
Mantis Morlo	ADV 362	Jim Shooter	Pete Costanza
Micro Lad	SBOY 212	Jim Shooter	Mike Grell
Mist Master	SB&LSH 253	Gerry Conway	Joe Staton
Molecule Master	SBOY 201	Cary Bates	Dave Cockrum
Mordechai	LGS 2	Tom & Mary Bierbaum	Chris Sprouse
Mordru	ADV 369	Jim Shooter	Curt Swan
Mystelor	ADV 374	Jim Shooter	Win Mortimer
Nemesis Kid	ADV 346	Jim Shooter	Sheldon Moldoff
Neutrax	SB&LSH 253	Gerry Conway	Joe Staton
Ol-Vir	LSHv2 294	Paul Levitz, Keith Giffen	Keith Giffen
Omega	SB&LSH 250	Paul Levitz, Jim Starlin	Jim Starlin
Omen	LSHv2 309	Paul Levitz, Keith Giffen	Keith Giffen
Organus	LSHv2 284	Paul Levitz	Pat Broderick
Persuader	ADV 352	Jim Shooter	Curt Swan
Phantom Lad	SBOY 212	Jim Shooter	Mike Grell
Prophet	LSHv2 307	Paul Levitz, Keith Giffen	Keith Giffen
Psycho Warrior	SB&LSH 258	Gerry Conway	Joe Staton
Pulsar Stargrave	SBOY 223	Jim Shooter	Mike Grell
Quanto	ADV 374	Jim Shooter	Win Mortimer
Quicksand	SBOY 223	Jim Shooter	Mike Grell
Radiation Roy	ADV 320	Jerry Siegel	John Forte
Ra's al Ghul	BAT 232	Dennis O'Neil	Neal Adams
Rogarth	ADV 374	Jim Shooter	Win Mortimer
Ron-Karr	ADV 314	Edmond Hamilton	John Forte
Roxxas	ADV 307	Edmond Hamilton	John Forte
Saturn Queen	SMAN 147	Jerry Siegel	Curt Swan
Sden	SBOY 230	Paul Levitz	Jim Sherman
Servants of Darkness	LSHv2 290	Paul Levitz	Keith Giffen
Shagrek	ADV 374	Jim Shooter	Win Mortimer
Silver Slasher	SB&LSH 253	Gerry Conway	Joe Staton
Singularity	LLOST 6	Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning	Pascal Alixe
Size Lad	ADV 337	Edmond Hamilton, Tony Edwards	John Forte
Spider Girl	ADV 323	Jerry Siegel, Jim TIlley	John Forte
Starbright	LSHv3 41	Paul Levitz	Greg LaRocque
Starfinger I	ADV 335	Edmond Hamilton	John Forte
Starfinger II	LSHv3 29	Paul Levitz	Greg LaRocque
Starlight	LSHv3 41	Paul Levitz	Greg LaRocque
Sugyn	ADV 350	E. Nelson Bridwell	Curt Swan
Sun Emperor	SPJO 63	Jerry Siegel	Curt Swan
Sun-Eater	ADV 352	Jim Shooter	Curt Swan
Superboy Prime	MF 101 DCCP 87	Jerry Siegel Cary Bates	Joe Shuster Curt Swan
Tangleweb	LSHv4 62	Mark Waid, Tom McCraw	Lee Moder
Tarik the Mute	ADV 372	Jim Shooter	Curt Swan
Terrus	LSHv3 2	Paul Levitz, Keith Giffen	Keith Giffen
Tharok	ADV 352	Jim Shooter	Curt Swan
Time Trapper	ADV 317	Edmond Hamilton	John Forte
Titania	SB&LSH 253	Gerry Conway	Joe Staton
Tusker	ADV 331	Jerry Siegel	Jim Mooney
Tyr	SBOY 197	Cary Bates	Dave Cockrum
Universo	ADV 349	Jim Shooter	Curt Swan
Validus	ADV 352	Jim Shooter	Curt Swan
Vibrex	LSHv2 267	Paul Kupperberg	Steve Ditko
Wild Huntsman	ADV 350	E. Nelson Bridwell	Curt Swan
Worldsmith	SB&LSH 236	Paul Levitz, Paul Kupperberg	Jim Sherman
Ze Tongue	LGS 44	Roger Stern, Tom McCraw	Jeff Moy
Zymyr	LSHv3 2	Paul Levitz, Keith Giffen	Keith Giffen

And a list of bad-guy groups or races:

Blight	LSHv4 122	Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning	Olivier Coipel
Controllers	ADV 357	Jim Shooter	Curt Swan
Dark Circle	ADV 367	Jim Shooter	Curt Swan
Dominators	ADV 361	Jim Shooter	Jim Mooney
Khunds	ADV 346	Jim Shooter	Sheldon Moldoff
Resource Raiders	SBOY 225	Paul Levitz	Jim Sherman
Robotica	LW 4	Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning	Yvel Guichet
Sklarian Raiders	SB&LSH 233	Paul Levitz	Jim Sherman
Starburst Bandits	ADV 335	Edmond Hamilton	John Forte
White Triangle	LSHv4 63	Mark Waid, Tom McCraw	Lee Moder