Legion continuity flowchart v2

Can't tell Legion continuity without a scorecard? Well, here's your scorecard. What do you mean they have a complicated history? Just follow the flowchart!

Last fall, I posted a graphic showing the Legion's continuity as a "choose your own adventure" flowchart. Since then, we have added one new mainstream version of the team (coming next month in volume 9!) and seen all the others locked up in Brainiac 1M's timeline bottle repository. So I figure it's time for an update. This new image is updated through the recent Superman Annual 2026 Year One Thousand. The Legions seen in Brainiac 1M's bottles are shown in orange.

The Reboot Reading Order (part 3)

This is a work in progress from June 2024 until roughly when the Legionnaires who were trapped in the 20th century make it back home, in LSH v4 #100. 

This is the next part of the Reboot Legion following part 1 and part 2, in chronological reading order and not necessarily in publishing order. Anything with an asterisk (*) is something published earlier or later that fits the timeline elsewhere.

1. Legionnaires #48
2. Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #92
3. Legionnaires #49
4. Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #93
5. Legionnaires #50
6. Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #94
7. Legionnaires #51
8. Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #95
9. Legionnaires #52
10. Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #96
11. Supergirl v4 Annual #2
12. Inferno #1
13. Genesis #1
14. Inferno #2
15. Genesis #2
16. Legionnaires #53
17. Inferno #3
18. Genesis #3
19. Adventures of Superman #551
• cameo in flashback that takes place during Genesis #3
20. Superboy v3 #44
• Triad cameo in a dream, no actual appearance
21. Genesis #4
22. Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #97
• takes place during Genesis #4
23. Superboy and the Ravers #14
• cameo, takes place during Genesis #4
24. Wonder Woman v2 #126
• cameo, takes place during Genesis #4
25. Power of Shazam! #32
• Valor cameo in flashback
26. Starman v2 #36
• Valor cameo in flashback to Eclipso
27. Legionnaires #54
28. Speed Force #1
• XS in Flash Family pinup only, no actual appearance
29. Superboy v3 #45
30. Unlimited Access #1
31. Unlimited Access #2
• The 20th century team visits the X-Men in the Days of Future Past timeline of 2012
32. Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #98
33. Legionnaires #55
34. Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #99
35. Legionnaires #56
36. Action Comics v1 #741
37. Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #100 (story 1)
• Concurrent with Legionnaires #56, in the 20th century
38. Inferno #4
• Concurrent with LSH v4 #100 story 1; however, the story in her miniseries only takes 3 days while 8-9 days pass for the Legion
39. Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #100 (story 2)
40. * Legion of Super-Heroes Secret Files #1 (story 2)
41. Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #100 (story 3)
42. Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #100 (story 4)
43. Adventures in the DC Universe #10
44. Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #100 (story 5)

2025 at a Glance

Previously: 2024 in review

Behold! This year in Legion News:

COMICS

• All-In: Darkseid's Legion, Time Trapper, Flash, JL Unlimited, Summer of Superman Special, Superman Unlimited, JL: The Omega Act
• Last Days of Lex Luthor
• New Matter-Eater Lad story in DC Horror Presents #4
• Teen Titans Go! v3 #7
• New History of the DC Universe
• Dreamer in Secret Six

REPRINT COLLECTIONS

• Brave and the Bold Vol. 2: The Book of Destiny TPB (2025 printing)
• DC Finest Events: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part 1
• DC Finest: Events: Zero Hour Part Two TPB
• DC Finest: Super Friends: The Fury of the Super Foes
• DC Finest: Supergirl: The Girl of Steel TPB
• DC Finest: Team-Ups: Chase to the End of Time TPB
• DC Universe by Steve Ditko Omnibus
• Justice Society of America v4 Vol. 2: Long Live the JSA
• Legion of Super-Heroes v2: (3b) The Great Darkness Saga Deluxe Edition HC (2025)
• Legion of Super-Heroes v2: (4) The Curse Deluxe Edition HC (2025)
• Legion of Super-Heroes v4: (2) Five Years Later Omnibus vol 1 HC (2025)
• Secret Six v5 TPB
• Suicide Squad by John Ostrander vol 1
• Superman by Kurt Busiek book 2
• Superman v6 Vol 5: Love and Mercy TPB
• Superman: Action Comics: Phantoms
• Superman: Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds: The Deluxe Edition
• Superman: Secret Origin TPB (2025)
• Superman: The Box Set
• Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor HC

VIDEO

• Teen Titans Go s09e14 "Diner Meets Breakfast"

TOYS

• Starman action figure

THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2026

• January
• Batman & Superman in World's Finest Comics: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 2 HC (2026 Edition)
• Justice League Dark: The New 52 Compendium
• Justice League of America: The Nail the Complete Deluxe Edition HC (2026 Edition)
• New History of the DC Universe HC
• Young Justice Omnibus vol 2
• Flash v6 #29
• Superman v6 #34
• Retroboot Cosmic Boy action figure, with the Reboot costume as a chase figure (McFarlane Toys)
• February
• Superman: New Krypton Saga Omnibus Vol. 1
• Flash by Mark Waid Omnibus Vol. 3 HC
• Absolute Crisis on Infinite Earths
• Flash v6 #30
• Superman v6 #35 - end of the storyline?
• March
• Superman: Time and Time Again TPB (2026 Edition)
• Superman/Spider-Man #1
• April
• Legion of Super-Heroes v4: (2) Five Years Later Omnibus vol 2 HC (2026 Edition)
• Legends Omnibus
• Justice League Unlimited vol 2: The Omega Act HC/TPB
• New series (v9)? - the Dark Legion storyline in Superman/Flash seems to end with their issues on sale in late February
• May
• Absolute Blackest Night HC (2026 edition)
• Elseworlds: Justice League Omnibus Vol. 1
• June
• Supergirl: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 1 (2026 Edition)
• Crisis on Infinite Earths: The Absolute Edition HC (2026 Edition)

Legion Continuity Flowchart

I put this draft flowchart together over the weekend after updating and posting the recent roadmap. I think this is pretty understandable, but what do y'all think? Am I missing anything, especially from the last few years, that has affected Legion continuity?

(Click to embiggen)

Legion Timeline Roadmap v3

First posted in April 2020, then updated in Feb 2025. Here's the latest Legion roadmap for August 2025, now updated to try to show the simultaneous presence of both the Rebirth and Retroboot Legions in the current present, plus the Absolute Legion (aka Darkseid's Legion), plus highlighting the standings of all four mainstream heroic Legions. Let me know if you think I've messed something up or forgotten something!

Don't read anything into the "point" numbers here, it doesn't signify importance or anything, just there to denote what is branched off of what.

The four bright colors represent the four mainstream versions of the Legion, with their common names. I also added a layer for the Absolute Universe.

yellow = Reboot

orange = Threeboot

cyan = Retroboot (technically the inheritor of the pre-5YL history and continuity)

green = Rebirth

gray = Absolute Universe aka Darkseid's Legion

• 0.0: Earth history proceeds without Darkseid's essence permeating the universe
• 1.0: 1958-1985 (everything up to the beginning of Crisis on Infinite Earths; Adventure Comics  #247 to LSH v3 #17)
• 1.1: 1985-1989, Crisis [1985] happens (Crisis to the end of the Magic Wars; LSH v3 #18-63)
• 1.1.1: 1989-1990, Great Collapse [1989] happens (Five Years Later pre-Mordruverse; LSH v4 #1-4)
• 1.1.1.1: 1990-1994, Mordruverse [1990] happens (Five Years Later post-Mordruverse; LSH v4 #6-61)
• 1.1.1.1.1: 1994-2004, Zero Hour [1994] happens ("Reboot"; LSH v4 #62-125) - see 2.0
• 1.1.1.1.1.1: Infinite Crisis [2004] happens ("Threeboot"; LSH v5) - see 3.0
• 1.1.1.1.1.2: Infinite Crisis [2004] does not happen (as yet unseen)
• 1.1.1.1.2: Zero Hour [1994] does not happen (as yet unseen)
• 1.1.1.2: Mordruverse [1990] doesn't happen (as yet unseen)
• 1.1.2: 2007-2011, Great Collapse [1989] doesn't happen ("Retroboot"; LSH v6)
• 1.1.2.1: 2011-2015, Flashpoint [2011] happens (New 52; LSH v7)
• 1.1.2.1.1: 2015-2019 Convergence [2015] happens and undoes the New 52
• 1.1.2.1.1.1: Rebirth [2019] happens and affects the future - see 4.0
• 1.1.2.1.1.2: Rebirth [2019] happens and does not affect the future (continuation of Retroboot; JSA v3)
• 1.1.2.1.1.3: Rebirth [2019] does not happen (as yet unseen)
• 1.1.2.1.2: Convergence [2015] does not happen and New 52 remains in place (as yet unseen)
• 1.1.2.2: Flashpoint [2011] doesn't happen (as yet unseen)
• 1.2: Crisis [1985] doesn't happen (as yet unseen Earth-1985 post Doomsday Clock #12)
• 2.0: 1994-2004 (post Zero Hour "Reboot"; LSH v4 #62-125)
• 3.0: 2004-2009 (post Infinite Crisis "Threeboot"; LSH v5)
• 4.0: 2019-present (post Rebirth; LSH v8)
• 0.1: Earth history proceeds with Darkseid's essence permeating the universe (Absolute Universe; Darkseid's Legion)

Each of my breakpoints in the 1.0 section is a "mini-reboot" or a place with retcons and new continuity:

• In 1985, either the Crisis happens (1.1, as published 1985-89) or it doesn't happen (1.2, as seen on Earth-1985 which we haven't seen yet)
• At the end of the Magic Wars in 1989, either the Great Collapse happens (1.1.1, as seen in LSH v4 #1-4) or it doesn't (1.1.2, the Retroboot)
• I consider the Mordruverse itself (LSHv4 #5) to be an alternate reality, so it's not in this roadmap
• The Mordruverse aftermath created a world in which there never was a Superboy or Supergirl, and Valor and Laurel Gand filled their spots, giving 1.1.1.1 (we have not seen a timeline in which the Mordruverse did not happen, which would be 1.1.1.2)
• New 52 was arguably different from what had been before in the aftermath of Flashpoint, so that becomes 1.1.2.1 (and 1.1.2.2 would be a world where Flashpoint didn't affect the Legion). 
• Convergence (1.1.2.1.1) undid New 52 and brought back the Retroboot, as seen in the 2023-24 JSA series which ignored the New52 team deaths and other changes, but Flashpoint did happen.

And of course, we know that the there are lots of timelines out there that we just haven't seen yet, now that every timeline exists: the one where Crisis didn't happen (Earth-1985), the one where Zero Hour didn't happen and the 5YL timeline is still going, etc.

20th Century Flight Ring Hot Potato

While recording an episode of the podcast, someone asked about who was using which flight ring in the 20th century stories, as they seemed to be passing them around like hot potatoes. After some research, here's what I came up with (and there seems to be only one editorial error).

1. Legionnaires #31: Superboy is given a flight ring as an honorary member while in the 30th century, for helping get Valor out of the Stasis Zone.
   
   
   
2. LSH #84: Imra gives Inferno and Shvaughn flight rings to help fight Emerald Vi. Shvaughn has been physically de-aged to a baby, but with her adult intelligence. She's also wearing a Legion costume. At the end of the issue, half the team is caught up in an emerald explosion, which we find out next issue has thrown them back in time. 
   
   
   
3. LSH #85: The team pops out in the 20th century, but Shvaughn has inexplicably turned back into an adult and she's wearing an SP uniform, and does not have a ring. There's no explanation for her transformation, making me think this is an editorial oversight. Without a flight ring, she falls from the sky, and Jo flies down to catch her. Tinya, who is a ghost at this point who nobody can see, tells Jo to give Shvaughn Tinya's ring, which Jo still kept. So now Shvaughn has Tinya's ring.
   
   
   
4. Final Night #3: Spark lends Ferro her flight ring during Final Night, but takes it back shortly after it was over (this takes place just before LSH #86).
   
   
   
5. Impulse #21: Cosmic Boy lets Impulse borrow Imra's flight ring, but she takes it back by the end of the issue (takes place prior to LSH #88)
   
   
   
6. LSH #90: Ferro mentions that he does not yet have a flight ring.
   
   
   
7. LSH #93: Ferro borrows Jo’s flight ring for the issue, but after the death of his brother, Cos offers Ferro his ring to keep.
   
   
   
   
   
8. LSH #94: Triad goes to find Superboy, only to find that Superboy has given his ring to Roxy. Later, Cosmic Boy comes back with Gates and Triad and takes back Superboy’s ring. Cos later says that he will use Superboy’s ring since he had just given his own to Ferro. 
   
   
   
   
   
9. LSH #96: Inferno leaves the team, and throws her flight ring at Jo and then flies off under her own power. 
   
   
   
10. SBOY #45: After helping the team, Cos gives Superboy's ring back and tells him not to give it away (takes place prior to LSH #97, just before Genesis).
    
    
    
11. LSH #97: Cosmic Boy is shown using a flight ring, and since all the others are accounted for, he must be using Inferno's old ring.
    

So here's the summary up to this point:

• Shvaughn has Tinya’s old ring [#3]
• Ferro has Cos’s old ring [#8]
• Inferno had a ring but gave it back when she left the team [#9]
• Superboy still has the ring that he was given [#10]
• Cos (presumably) has Inferno’s old ring [#11]
• Everyone else (Gates, Saturn Girl, Spark, Brainiac 5, Triad, Ultra Boy) still has their original ring

Genesis: Event Theater 1997 part 2

EVENT THEATER 1997 (part 2)

This is number 11 in a continuing series of Great Yada Yadas, where the motto is “We read them so you don’t have to”. Listen to it at Legion of Substitute Podcasters.

• 1 & 2: Karate Kid (broken down into 4 sections: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4) in 2017 (18 issues), episodes 463 & 464
• 3 & 4: Crisis on Infinite Earths (Arrowverse) (part 1, part 2) in 2019 (5 TV episodes plus 2 comics), episodes 583 & 588
• 5: Timber Wolf (1 part) in 2020 (5 issues), episode 624
• 6 & 7: Eclipso (part 1, part 2) in 2021 (20 double-size issues), episodes 638 & 651
• 8 & 9: Valor (part 1, part 2) in 2021 (11 issues) episodes 655 & 659
• 10: The New Golden Age (JSA/Stargirl and related) (1 part) in 2024 (all or parts of 49 issues), episode 844
• 11: Genesis (part 1, part 2) in 2025 (4 issues of the main series plus 24 crossovers, including the Legion book), episodes 864 & 868.

This is part 2 of Yada Yada #11, in which we conclude the Genesis miniseries/crossover. What's this Genesis, you say?

Genesis (Tyler Dayspring) is a fictional character appearing in Marvel Comics. He was a mutant and recurring foe of Cable and Wolverine. He first appeared in a flashback in X-Force #1 (August 1991), and appeared as Mister Tolliver in X-Force #5 (1992) and his first appearance as Genesis was in Cable #19. Some sources state that he is Cable's son, while others claim that he is the son of Cable's villainous clone Stryfe.

Genesis has a long history in science fiction and science fact: it was the title of the pilot episode of Heroes, and also the title of episodes of Arrow, Quantum Leap, Sliders, STTNG, and a pilot from Gene Roddenberry in 1973 that never went to series. Speaking of which, it was also a technology and a planet in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. In real life, it was the name of a NASA space probe that collected solar samples, it was the name of the first two inflatable satellites by Bigelow Aerospace, and it was the nickname for a rock picked up by Apollo 15 on the moon, one of the oldest recovered.

OK fine, it was also DC’s 1997 Event Theater. In part 1 of this yada yada, we learned that Darkseid wanted to harness the power of the Godwave, which was revealed to be a kind of grand unified theory tying together the Source, the Green Lanterns' power rings, the Speed Force, the power of Shazam, Kryptonian abilities, gifts from the Olympian gods, etc. Some of the heroes have traveled to the Source Wall to stop Darkseid, while others remain back on Earth, fighting off Darkseid’s minions and Parademons. It changed some peoples’ powers: for example, Lightning Lass has had her powers change to be making things weightless, while Ultra Boy can use all of his powers at once. At the Source Wall, things start to go badly for the good guys…

LSH v4 #97 (8/27/97)

The Legionnaires fight off Darkseid’s parademons while on an asteroid near the Source Wall. Spark and Saturn Girl report their failure to penetrate the Wall (as seen in Genesis #3). Metron appears and seeks out Saturn Girl, whose thoughts will help him make sense of what’s going on. Then Mantis appears (he already fought the Legion earlier in Happy Harbor in Genesis #2), and Spark is still not used to having anti-gravity powers. Brainiac 5 bargains with Metron for the indefinite loan of a Mother Box. Meanwhile, Phase is on Earth and tries to get her touchstone, but she disappears into it. Mantis has mostly beaten the Legionnaires, but mentions something about the Parademons going to guard a pod, so Gates has an idea and takes Ultra Boy with him. Metron is not satisfied with the information he got from Saturn Girl, and he disappears, leaving  Shvaughn to suggest he might not pay up with the Mother Box. The team continues to fight Mantis while Ultra Boy absorbs the energy from the pod and uses it to zap Mantis and the rest of the Parademons. Metron sends Cosmic Boy the Mother Box after all, and the Legionnaires go off to fight in Genesis #4.

Genesis #4 (8/27/97)

Cover shows a bunch of heroes, led by Electric Blue Superman (including Spark and Saturn Girl).

We pick up where we left off, at the apparent destruction of the Source Wall, and all of the heroes standing around. They are caught by the shock wave, and even the Spectre gets spit out. The heroes here include Saturn Girl and Spark, and the group recounts what has happened so far and what they saw inside the Source Wall. Takion had used his powers to see inside the Godwave, and in it was Darkseid. Takion used up all his power to stop Darkseid and then everyone suddenly appeared outside the wall. That was the “death scream” they heard earlier. But they realize that wasn’t Darkseid after all – he’s still outside, trying to get in! Metron arrives, and tells the group that he saw that it was actually Ares inside the Source Wall, trying to steal the power. The two Old Gods (Arzaz and his opposite number) meet inside and cause Ares to freeze as if in amber in order to make their final confrontation. The heroes confront Darkseid, who says this is the ultimate test: the entire universe must be united to prevent Ares from using the power he has accumulated, so all of the telepaths and magicians tap into the Source to link all the minds of the universe together, and filtering the energy through the fused Apokolips/New Genesis planet, they save the universe. Or something like that. The wizard Shazam explains that Arzaz knew the Nameless One posed the greatest threat to negative thinking, so he sacrificed both of them. On Earth, everyone awakens with refreshed purpose. Metron explains that the cosmos has been unmade and remade, the Source and the Wall (and Takion) are now restored, but Darkseid, Ares, and the two Old Gods are now part of the Source Wall, never to menace anyone ever again.

Books coming out this week expand on some scenes that we saw in #4:

• LSH v4 #97
• Robin Vol. 4 #46 – There is a massive crimewave as superheroes lose their powers, and people believe the apocalypse is happening.
• Superboy & the Ravers #14 – The Ravers battle the forces of Darkseid at the Source Wall, and a couple of Legionnaires have cameos as they fight with the heroes back on Earth. Kindred Marx’s teleporting hand stamp has somehow been removed. (Takes place during the final fight at the Source Wall.)
• Spectre vol. 3 #58 – The Spectre travels from pantheon to pantheon, seeking an answer to why God is not in his rightful place in Heaven. When he reaches The Source, it is revealed that he should search "First Earth Then Within."
• Teen Titans vol. 2 #13 – A “red skies” crossover.
• Wonder Woman v2 #126 – While Diana is in the hospital, Herakles returns to Olympus with the body of Zeus after having been attacked by Ares. Meanwhile, Donna and Hippolyta fight the forces of Darkseid at the Source Wall. Some Legionnaires have cameos in flashbacks to the fight scenes.
• Xero #6 – A “red skies” crossover.

So there you have it. Of course, Genesis and the Godwave had lasting impacts on the Legion and the DC Universe as a whole from 1997 until now, and we never saw Darkseid or Ares ever again. And the DCU was a better place.

The next yada yada might be DC 1 Million, which was Event Theater 1998. 

Genesis: Event Theater 1997 Part 1

EVENT THEATER 1997

Genesis was an English rock band formed in 1967. Initially the lineup was keyboardist Tony Banks, bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford, and singer Peter Gabriel, then in 1971 they added drummer/singer Phil Collins and guitarist Steve Hackett. In the 1970s the band was among the pioneers of progressive rock. Gabriel left the group in 1974 and Collins took over as lead singer, and then Hackett left in 1977, leaving a trio of Banks, Rutherford, and Collins which became the band's longest-lasting line-up. In the 1980s the band moved to a more pop-oriented sound which was more commercially successful, until Collins left in 1996 and after a disappointing-selling final album, the band disbanded in 1997. I saw them twice, first in 1984 then in 1987.

Wait, wrong Genesis.

Genesis was a 1993 one-shot comic consisting of short stories, featuring Widowmaker, the Ex-Mutants, the Dinosaurs For Hire, and the Protectors. The purpose was to allow new readers to taste some of Malibu's stable of characters. There was another Genesis Ashcan in 1994.

Sorry, wrong Genesis again.

Let’s try again. “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the Earth…”

Sigh. Too many Genesises. (Genesi?)

Nobody was interested in doing 4 episodes of this miniseries for Event Theater on the podcast, and after reading the stories, I agree, so I’ve condensed it into a couple of yada-yada episodes. This is Yada Yada #11 (after Karate Kid, Crisis on Infinite Arrowverse Earths, Timber Wolf, Eclipso, Valor, and most recently, The New Golden Age).

For the podcast, part 1 covers Genesis #1-3, plus quick recaps of what’s going on elsewhere, highlighting the Legion bits. The Legion has a page in issue 1, a couple of panels in issue 2, and a couple of non-speaking cameos in issue 3. Part 2 of the podcast will cover issue #4 plus the entirety of the Legion issue which is #97, plus the recaps of the other crossovers that week.

Part 1 (episode 864 on 5/4/25)

Preamble

The storyline revolves around the concept of the "Godwave", an interstellar phenomenon created by the Source that spread across the universe, creating gods on its first pass before reaching the edge of the universe and bouncing back, creating demigods and metahumans on its second pass.

The Godwave threatens reality when it reaches back to its starting point, altering or neutralizing the abilities of various metahumans and making ordinary humans feel like something is missing. The superheroes of Earth and the New Gods of New Genesis battle Darkseid to prevent him from accomplishing his plan to seize the power of the Godwave. Darkseid and his forces stage an invasion of Earth before travelling to the Source Wall where they are confronted by the heroes.

This phenomenon manifested itself in various ways, as a kind of grand unified theory tying together the Source, the Green Lanterns' power rings, the Speed Force, the power of Shazam, Kryptonian abilities, gifts from the Olympian gods, etc.

This Event Theater took over an issue of multiple titles in August 1997. Genesis #1-4 were later collected in The Fourth World By John Byrne Omnibus, published July 2021. There was also a free preview that came out and reprinted some pages from issue 3 which happened to have Legionnaires, but it wasn’t new material like the Final Night preview was, but if you’re a completest, you can track that down.

In Genesis, a four issue cosmic crossover event written by John Byrne and drawn by Ron Wagner, with covers by Alan Davis. All over the earth, Super heroes' powers were going haywire, and only the gods knew what was going on. The planet's heroes gathered to ponder their current situation, but found their world attacked by a panicking alien armada. Then, just as the violence was about to escalate, Highfather of the New Gods appeared before the assembled forces and explained the situation...

Genesis #1 (8/6/97)

Cover shows Martian Manhunter, Electric Blue Superman, GL Kyle, and Starman Jack falling from the sky.

Flash is chasing after some bank robber goons, who fire a surface to air missile to try to blow open the bank’s vault. But Flash finds himself losing speed as he chases the missile. Meanwhile, GL Kyle is over New York City fighting Sonar, who is a cyborg for some reason, but Kyle’s ring cuts out as Sonar’s powers grow. Meanwhile, out west in Gateway City, the police are trying to rappel down the side of a building to catch a guy who’s holding hostages, but the lead cop suddenly has a crisis of faith and loses his nerve and is overwhelmed by fear and doubt. In Fawcett City, Captain Marvel loses his powers of flight from Mercury. In Happy Harbor, five Legionnaires are helping to build a makeshift dam to hold back floodwaters, and while Ultra Boy says he’s suddenly bursting with power – he can now use multiple powers at once – Spark seems to have lost her electrical powers but gained the power to make things weightless. In Metropolis, Superman gets a surge of electromagnetic power which he uses to short out a robot he’s fighting. Later, back in the Daily Planet newsroom, Lois and Clark and the others read the wires and see that other heroes and villains are affected too.

Meanwhile, over in the Fourth World, Apokolips has been fused with New Genesis for some reason that you’d understand if you were reading Byrne’s “New Gods” title (which I was not). Takion and Orion discuss the situation with Highfather, and Takion says that even the Source itself is troubled. Since Highfather created Takion to be linked to the Source, if Takion doesn’t know what’s going on, it must be something that Darkseid did. In the JLA Watchtower on the moon, Batman and Aquaman say they have not been affected, while Martian Manhunter, Flash, GL, and Superman say they have. Batman ponders the situation: why was GL’s power ring affected, as well as aliens Superman and Martian Manhunter, but not Aquaman’s mutant powers?

Elsewhere: some members of the Young Heroes find enhanced powers; In Opal City, Starman’s cosmic rod fails but Shade is there to back him up; and in Manchester AL, Impulse now vibrates and Max Mercury has lost his link to the Speed Force while Jesse Quick is unaffected. Other non-powered heroes pick up some of the slack, such as Huntress, Azrael, Robin, Nightwing, and Arsenal, while Guy Gardner (Warrior) is unaffected. Takion does some recon on the Apokolips side of the planet and Darkseid and his minions are missing. Donna Troy tries to visit Kyle Rayner but he’s not there, and she admits to a terrible feeling of foreboding.

Back in the Watchtower, more heroes have joined: Guy Gardner, Steel, Captain Marvel, Ray, Superboy, Captain Atom, and Supergirl. Martian Manhunter has telepathically scanned them all but can’t find anything useful. Kitty Faulkner calls them from STAR Labs and says they’ve found a sharp decline in the level of the Kurtzberg Field (which of course we know is named after Jack Kirby’s original surname), which is a very low-level background radiation that until now has always been constant and stable, as discovered by Kurtzberg in 1939. Her hypothesis is that a wave of radiation passed over Earth 40,000 years ago, and then again about 1000 years ago, and the current situation is a resonance or interference pattern. Batman announces that he thinks the reason Supergirl is unaffected is because she’s from a different universe, which apparently others did not know about her. Batman has something else that he discovers, but he’s interrupted by – wouldn’t you know it! – an alien armada headed for Earth.

Books coming out this week expand on some scenes that we saw in #1:

• Green Lantern Vol. 3 #91 – Kyle is captured and tortured by Desaad, then released
• Power of Shazam! #31 – Billy and Mary have erratic powers, Ibis is unpowered, and the Wizard is missing; Billy gets the call to go to the Watchtower
• Starman Vol. 2 #35 – Starman’s Cosmic Rod and Sentinel’s powers cut out while trying to stop a bomber, but Shade takes over
• Steel Vol. 2 #43 – John is having a crisis of faith, and meets Superman who’s going to the Watchtower
• Superman: Man of Steel #72 – Superman fights a one-shot computer themed villain group, various friends and foes are getting power upgrades, Superman leaves to fight that robot.

Genesis #2 (8/13/97)

Cover shows Highfather directing a bunch of heroes, including Superman, GL, Supergirl, Metron, Captain Atom, Starman, Takion, Warrior, Artemis, Lightray, Flash, and others.

Page 1 recaps what happened in issue 1. The alien armada surrounds Earth, while Highfather gathers the New Gods, where Takion reveals he can no longer sense the Source. An old man named Arzaz reveals himself to be an Old One, one of the First Gods, who warns of the end of the Fourth World and the coming of the Fifth. Meanwhile, in Gateway City, Wonder Woman has been injured and may not survive, so Artemis arrives in her place. Apparently the departure of the gods has caused the Amazons on Paradise Island to return to clay. The newest incarnation of the Challengers of the Unknown arrive in West Virginia to investigate a high suicide rate. The Ravers come to Hawaii to see Superboy, but they are teleported away. Robin, Huntress, and Catwoman patrol Gotham. Superman talks to President Clinton about leading a delegation to talk to the aliens. Darkseid’s minions and parademons begin to attack Earth, including trying to hijack the Teen Titans’ jet. In Happy Harbor, the Legionnaires find themselves fighting Mantis, and Cos wonders if Apokolips is using the alien fleet as cover, or if the alien invasion is part of some greater scheme by Darkseid. Aquaman fights some parademons underwater. The delegation to the armada (Superman, Martian Manhunter, GL, and Supergirl) is told that Earth is being attacked, and Martian Manhunter slips into a ship that happens to hold the Darkstars and Omega Men. The Darkstars mention tracking something to Earth and will take whatever steps necessary to stop it, even if it means destroying the solar system, but then Highfather appears. He is actually talking to everyone now: the New Gods, the JLA, the Ravers, the Legion, and more. Highfather explains that the Source is being attacked and begins to explain the premise of the series: ages ago a planet exploded, releasing a wave of energy called the Godwave, which seeded all worlds with divinity and created the gods. The Godwave expanded to the limits of the universe and bounced back, and this second wave created the potential for power in mortals in the form of the Speed Force, the Quantum Field, the GL power of the Guardians. But now the Godwave is contracting, causing a resonance which is affecting everyone touched on its first two passes and causing powers to fail and mortals to lose their faith. The Godwave will then explode outwards again, wiping everything clean and bringing on the Fifth World. Darkseid means to use this moment to seize power. New Genesis has created some upgraded Mother Boxes which will allow the heroes to keep their powers, but they will have to penetrate the collapsing Godwave which could cause changed powers or even death.

Books coming out this week expand on some scenes that we saw in #2:

• Azrael #34 – Azrael faces a Parademon
• Batman #547 – Batman and Oracle try to help people who are so despaired that they are considering suicide
• Impulse #30 – Bart has to go solo while Max is missing, and he explores his new powers of explosive touch and the ability to shrink to the size of an atom
• Sovereign Seven #27 – Cascade and her mother Maitresse switch places, while Power Girl and the other Sovereigns battle the Female Furies
• Supergirl Vol. 4 #14 – After meeting with the JLA to discuss heroes' fluctuating powers, Supergirl rushes home, certain that the mass depression and hysteria that has swept the globe must be causing riots in Leesburg as well, but the town seems immune.
• Superman Vol. 2 #128 – Superman encounters the Cyborg Superman at the Source Wall
• Jack Kirby’s Fourth World #8 – The Forever People try to help the people of Earth, while Highfather joins Zeus, Jove, Odin, and Ares to go to the Source Wall, but Ares betrays them and kills Zeus.

Genesis #3 (8/20/97)

Cover: A giant Darkseid grabs a handful of heroes (including some Legionnaires).

The heroes arrive at the Source Wall and are attacked by Darkseid’s minions and there’s a big cosmic fight. Darkseid explains that he has built a platform to harness the powers of the Godwave’s third advance, and he will stop at nothing to partake of it. But Metron realizes the full truth, they must penetrate the Source and deal with it there. Takion and Metron pull the heroes out to talk to them, and explain that they will have to use their special Mother Boxes to go inside the Source, and Takion says that the Source wants them to help. The heroes find the wizard Shazam here, he had been missing for a while, he journeyed here to try to help as well. Back on Earth, Robin, Huntress, and Catwoman try to figure out what to do. At the Source, there’s lots more fighting. The heroes (including Cosmic Boy and Saturn Girl) fight Darkseid’s minions, but then the Spectre confronts Darkseid, and says that he has come to warn Darkseid not to underestimate his opponents, then leaves. Spectre then enters the Source ahead of the Godwave. All across the universe, people feel that. An Old God, Arzaz’s opposite number, appears before Darkseid and offers his help. The Source screams, which is felt across the universe as well: the Godwave has nearly reached the point of ultimate contraction. The Source then expels those who are trying to help (aka the heroes), and Takion lies dead. Superman says they might have just heard the death scream of the Source. Then the Wall starts breaking apart.

Books coming out this week expand on some scenes that we saw in #3:

• Adventures of Superman #551 – Superman finishes fighting Cyborg Superman at the Source Wall, then comes back to Earth. Cosmic Boy and Ferro have non-speaking cameos in the group scene when Superman returns.
• Aquaman Vol. 5 #37 – Aquaman, Garth, and Dolphin protect Atlantis from a squad of Parademons.
• Lobo vol. 2 #44 – Lobo joins a party bus going to celebrate the end of the universe at the Source Wall
• Resurrection Man #6 – The Body Doubles have to fend off rival bounty hunters and a swarm of Parademons to deliver the powerless Mitch Shelley to Mr. Fancy.
• Young Heroes in Love #5 – Their powers are super-enhanced, and so is the drama.

Coming soon: Part 2, with Genesis #4, LSH v4 #97, and the other books in week 4.

Legion Worlds: coming eventually

Here's an excerpt from a project I've been working on since May 2015. I call it "Legion Worlds" (for now, at least). Or maybe it should be "Where's Where in the Legion of Super-Heroes"? I guess "Encyclopedia Galactica" is already taken.

This logo by Josh Beatman of Brainchild Studios, as seen on Todd Klein's blog of Legion logo studies here.

Back in 2007, Geoff Johns (who apparently read my blog at the time) emailed me to ask if I could help with a project he was working on, which later turned out to be Legion of 3 Worlds. He asked "Do you know where I can get a list of the members of the United Planets from the original series - up to Crisis?" I was able to give him the list of UP worlds in a list that combined the "World Book" and the "Atlas of the DC Universe" from the Mayfair role playing game, "Who's Who in the LSH", and Mark Waid's Legion index (later published as "The Official Index to the LSH" from ICG). I came up with a list of 158 named worlds. If he used anything from my list, I don't know for certain.

But that exchange got me thinking, "I should do some more research to find out if such a list exists". Never found anything that had been created as part of Interlac of the Legion Outpost. But I eventually found a list generated by "Portfolio Boy" on the Legion Worlds message board in 2014, and it was just what I was looking for - but it only went up to Adventure Comics #349.

So beginning in 2015, I went back and looked up every Legion story starting with Adventure Comics #247, and made notes on every dimension, galaxy, solar system, star, planet, country, city, and building that I could find, including whatever history was given, notable inhabitants or animals, whose homeworld it is, and anything else the Encyclopedia Galactica said about it. I'm up through LSH v3 #45 now, covering up to early 1988 ("only" 30 years of history!). I intend this first volume to cover the Pre-Crisis, Post-Crisis, Five Years Later, Retroboot, and New 52; the Reboot, Threeboot, and Rebirth versions will come later (and will be far shorter). This should be the definitive list of Legion-related worlds (plus some 20th century places they visited).

Once I'm done (eventually), I will release it with a Creative Commons license.

This is just the list of "A" places (1958-1988). Who remembers all of these? I have 93 pages of notes so far, covering A-Z plus numbers and unnamed places.

1. Aarok
2. Aegea
3. Aktar
4. Aldebaran
5. Alkoz
6. Alkrania
7. Alpha-4
8. Alpha XVII
9. Altair
10. Althar
11. Amadus
12. Amarta
13. Amazonia
14. Ananke (12th Moon of Jupiter)
15. Andalu
16. Andromeda Galaxy
17. Angtu 
18. Anakar
19. Ankar
20. Antares II
21. Anterio
22. Anti-Matter Universe
23. Anv
24. Anvor
25. Apokolips
26. Arane II
27. Arbro
28. Arctoraan
29. Arcturus
30. Ardemo
31. Arguv
32. Arion Star
33. Arnak
34. Arok-1 and Arok-2
35. Arturus
36. Asteroid 108
37. Asteroid Archipelago
38. Asteroid 73-Q
39. Asteroid Belt
40. Asteroid X52
41. Asteroid YW-89
42. Asteroid Z
43. Asteroid Zone
44. Asteroid ZYX-1W
45. Avalon
46. Avatanda

2024 at a Glance

I was going to present this on our podcast for the show in between Christmas and New Years, but it ended up being a rerun so I get to present it here instead.

Behold! This year in Legion News:

COMICS

• Blue Beetle tribute to Keith Giffen
• Dreamer
• Suicide Squad: Dream Team miniseries
• Dreamer: Bad Dream (origin story)
• Absolute Power 
• JSA, including the Subs and the Legion
• Crisis on Infinite Earths #1-9 facsimile editions
• Kneel Before Zod – Emerald Empress appears
• Zero Hour 30th anniversary special
• DC All-In Special – Darkseid’s Omega Legion of the Absolute Universe
• Action Comics #1070-1081 – Superman enlists the help of Mon-El from the Phantom Zone
• Superman – return of the Time Trapper

REPRINT COLLECTIONS

• Justice Society of America v4 Vol. 1: The New Golden Age
• Green Arrow v7 vol 1: Reunion
• Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 2 HC
• Booster Gold: The Complete 2007 Series Book 1
• Justice League Dark: Rebirth Omnibus HC
• Absolute Superman by Geoff Johns & Gary Frank HC
• Superman: The Triangle Era Omnibus vol 1
• Brave and the Bold Vol. 1: Lords of Luck TPB (2024)
• The Great Darkness Saga TPB (2024)
• Elseworlds: Superman vol 2 TPB (2024)
• DC Finest: Events: Zero Hour Part One TPB
• DC Finest: Legion of Super-Heroes: Zap Goes the Legion TPB

VIDEO

• Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Parts 1-3 (digital & DVD/Blu-ray)

TOYS

• Lightning Lad 7" action figure from McFarlane Toys (2 versions)

THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2025

• January
• Crisis on Infinite Earths #10 Facsimile Edition
• DC Horror Presents #4 (“a Matter-Eater Lad tale that'll have your stomach churning”)
• February
• Brave and the Bold Vol. 2: The Book of Destiny TPB
• Justice Society of America v4 Vol. 2: Long Live the JSA
• Superman v6 #23 (Time Trapper)
• March
• The Great Darkness Saga Deluxe Edition HC
• DC Finest: Team-Ups: Chase to the End of Time TPB
• Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor #2
• April
• Five Years Later Omnibus vol 1 HC
• May
• DC Finest: Events: Zero Hour Part Two TPB
• Superman: Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds: The Deluxe Edition
• Suicide Squad by John Ostrander vol 1
• The Curse Deluxe Edition HC
• June
• DC Universe by Steve Ditko

The Retconned Timelines of the Tornado Twins

Getting ready to do an episode (LOSP 849) covering Impulse #24-25. This one has Bart's mother Meloni coming back in time (for her first appearance) from the 30th century because she wants to take him back home for good. He learns his history and origin but ends up leaving his mom there and going back to the 20th century. This led me down the rabbit hole trying to figure out the history (or "histories", as it turns out!) of the Tornado Twins, because there appear to be three distinct versions depending on which continuity it is and what's been retconned in or out. I'm pretty sure this is accurate now, but help me out if I missed something important.

Let's explore!

PRE-ZERO HOUR

Originally, the Tornado Twins Don & Dawn Allen were introduced as descendants of Barry Allen, aka The Flash from the 20th century. This was later retconned into them being his children, because in the Silver Age when they first appeared, Barry was still alive. Here's the timeline in the original continuity up through Zero Hour (includes the 5YL timeline), some of which came from Flash Secret Files & Origins #1.

• 2927: Iris Russell born to Eric and Fran Russell. Fearing a nuclear war on Earth, her parents send her back in time to the mid-20th century, where she is adopted and raised by Ira and Nadine West, who had just lost a daughter in childbirth, as Iris West. She later marries Barry Allen (Flash #203, 350; Flash Secret Files & Origins #1).
• 2957: Barry and Iris Allen arrive in the 30th century of Earth-1 after his trial to try to restart their lives together. Tragically, he disappears only a month later, and dies before finding out Iris is pregnant with twins (Life Story of the Flash).
• 2958: Don & Dawn born on Earth-1
• 2979: the Legion meets the Tornado Twins. (ADV #373)
• 2981: the twins attend the wedding of Chuck Taine and Luornu Durgo on Mars (Superboy v1 #200)
• 2986: the twins are targeted by Professor Ivo in a plot of revenge against descendants of the Justice League (LSH v3 Annual #1)
• 2993: Bart Allen born to Don Allen and Carmen Johnson.
• 2995: Iris Allen wrote a series of articles exposing the Dominators' covert domination of Earth and campaign to wipe out former members of the Legion of Super-Heroes. In revenge, and to prevent others from doing the same, the Dominators fabricated evidence that implicated the twins in the explosion of the Quebec fusion powersphere and had them executed for the crime by the corrupt Earthgov working with the Dominators (LSH v4 #17). Not long after, Iris Allen kidnaps her young grandson Bart, who is rapidly accelerating and aging, and takes him back to the 20th century shortly before Zero Hour in hopes Wally West could help teach and cure him, where Bart becomes Impulse (Flash v2 #91).

Remember, Bart actually first appeared BEFORE Zero Hour.

REBOOT TIMELINE, PRE-INFINITE CRISIS

In the Reboot Legion timeline which came out of Zero Hour, it was revealed that Bart had a cousin Jenni Ognats, who was the daughter of Dawn Allen and Jeven Ognats. Jenni joined the (Reboot) Legion as XS. But she had to be retconned in, so Dawn was now married and had a child. Carmen Johnson was retconned into being Meloni Thawne, a descendant of Eobard Thawne. Further, they wanted to keep the aspect of the Dominators killing the twins, so that got retconned into something different too. With the Silver Age Legion retconned away, these twins never met the Legion, and the Reboot Legion was later revealed (retroactively) to be on Earth-247. In some retellings, Jenni and/or Bart were said to have been aged to teenagers within days, but that doesn't fit the timeline unless she aged naturally (born 2978, joined the Legion in 2994). Most of this timeline is from Flash Secret Files & Origins #1.

• 2927: Iris Russell born to Eric and Fran Russell. Fearing a nuclear war on Earth, her parents send her back in time to the mid-20th century, where she is adopted by Ira and Nadine West, who had just lost a daughter in childbirth, and raised as Iris West. She later marries Barry Allen (Flash #203, 350; Flash Secret Files & Origins #1).
• 2957: Barry Allen and Iris arrive in the 30th century of Earth-247 after his trial to try to restart their lives together. A short time later, he meets his granddaughter Jenni (XS), traveling through time (Legionnaires Annual #3). Tragically, he disappears only a month later, and dies before finding out Iris is pregnant with twins (Life Story of the Flash; Flash Secret Files & Origins #1).
• 2958: Don & Dawn born on Earth-247 (Flash Secret Files & Origins #1)
• 2976 (approx.): Traveling through time, Wally West meets the teenage twins Don and Dawn (Flash v2 #114).
• 2978: Dawn Allen (age 20) marries Jeven Ognats and their daughter Jenni Ognats is born. (Flash Secret Files & Origins #1)
• 2980: Don Allen (age 22) marries Meloni Thawne and their son Bart Allen is born. Not long after, Dawn and Don were killed. Meloni was told that they were killed helping overthrow a Dominator invasion and they died nobly in the final battle against the alien forces (Impulse #24), but they were actually killed by Dominator agents with aid from Earthgov President Thawne (Meloni's father) and a corrupt Earthgov (LSH v4 Annual #6, Impulse #24), leaving an infant Bart and a two-year-old Jenni. 
• 2982: Bart Allen rapidly ages (at age 2, he appears 12 years old). The Dominators abduct him and Earthgov holds him for observation and experimentation, raising him in a virtual reality environment so that he ages as swiftly mentally as he does physically. Iris Allen kidnaps her grandson Bart, and takes him back to the 20th century in hopes Wally West could help teach and cure him, where Bart becomes Impulse (Flash v2 #91; Flash Secret Files & Origins #1). Bart stays in the 20th century for a couple years (his time) before his mother comes to retrieve him, but he only stays there briefly (Impulse #24-25).
• When Bart makes it back to the 30th century (Impulse #25), it's supposed to be shortly after Iris sent him back in time. But he is 2 years old (even though he looks 14), which makes Jenni 4 years old. However, Impulse #25 shows her as an infant, which would only have been the case before he was born.
• The timeline works out if Jenni is not aged to a teenager at this point.
• 2994: Jenni joins the Earth-247 Reboot Legion as XS as a representative from the planet Aarok.

POST-INFINITE CRISIS

Later, the original Legion was revealed to be still around (in the Lightning Saga storyline). That led to more retconning, with the twins originally being from Earth-0 and fleeing the Thawnes during the first Legions of 3 Worlds meeting, escaping to Earth-247. That preserved Jenni being able to join the Reboot Legion and the twins being killed by the Dominators; however, I had to move the entire timeline (from Flash Secret Files & Origins #1) up by 10 years starting when Barry arrived in the 30th century to accommodate both Jenni and Bart being aged up by the Dominators and still have Jenni be the correct age when she joined the Legion.

• 2927: Iris Russell born to Eric and Fran Russell. Fearing a nuclear war on Earth, her parents send her back in time to the mid-20th century, where she is adopted by Ira and Nadine West, who had just lost a daughter in childbirth, and raised as Iris West. She later marries Barry Allen (Flash #203, 350; Flash Secret Files & Origins #1).
• 2967: Barry and Iris Allen arrive in the 30th century of Earth-0 (future home of the Retroboot Legion) after his trial where they try to restart their lives together. A short time later, he meets his granddaughter Jenni (XS), traveling through time (Legionnaires Annual #3). Tragically, he disappears only a month later, and dies before finding out Iris is pregnant with twins (Life Story of the Flash).
• 2968: Don & Dawn born
• 2986 (approx.): Traveling through time, Wally West meets the teenage twins Don and Dawn (Flash v2 #114).
• 2987 (approx.): Barry and Iris travel to the future to hang out with the twins (Flash v1 #800).
• 2988: Dawn Allen (age 20) marries Jeven Ognats and their daughter Jenni Ognats is born.
• 2990: Don Allen (age 22) marries Meloni Thawne and their son Bart Allen is born. Zoom tries to attack the Twins, but with the help of the first meeting of the Legions of 3 Worlds (L3W #3), the Allen families escape with Iris to find refuge on Earth-247. Shortly after migrating to Earth-247, Dawn and Don Allen were killed by Dominator agents under the guidance of Meloni's father Earthgov President Thawne, another sworn enemy of the Allens (Flash Secret Files #1). They left behind an infant Bart and a two-year-old Jenni. (LSHv 4 Annual #6.) The Dominators capture both youngsters, and as a result of experimentation, both are aged to teenagers within days (L3W #3).
• 2991: Jeven Ognats frees Jenni from the Dominators and takes her to his home planet of Aarok, where she learns to control her super-speed. (LSHv 4 Annual #6.)
• 2992: Bart Allen rapidly ages (at age 2, he appears 12 years old). The Dominators abduct him and Earthgov holds him for observation and experimentation, raising him in a virtual reality environment so that he ages as swiftly mentally as he does physically. Iris Allen kidnaps her grandson Bart, and takes him back to the 20th century in hopes Wally could help teach and cure him, where he becomes Impulse (Flash v2 #91). Bart stays in the 20th century for a couple years (his time) before his mother comes to retrieve him, but he only stays there briefly (Impulse #24-25).
• 2994: Jenni joins the Earth-247 Reboot Legion as XS as a representative from the planet Aarok.

(Hat tip to Cosmic Teams, Hyperborea, the Legion of Super-Bloggers, and DC Fandom (Tornado Twins, Impulse, XS) for help with continuity and timelines)

The Reboot Reading Order (part 2)

This one is going to be a work in progress from June 2024 until roughly when the Legionnaires who were trapped in the 20th century make it back home, in LSH v4 #100, when we get to it sometime in late 2025. I'll put in a horizontal line so you can see what's current and what's still to be determined. 

This is the rest of the Reboot Legion following part 1, in publishing order and not necessarily in reading order (yet). There are books in here (e.g., Green Lantern 98-100, Inferno 1-4) that probably fit together back to back instead, but I'll have to figure that out as we go - and figure out where in continuity the non-core books (Starman, Universe Ablaze, etc.) books go. Anything with an asterisk (*) is something published earlier or later that fits the timeline elsewhere.

1. Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #85
2. Showcase '96 #10
3. *Final Night Preview #1
• Published earlier, but this is where it takes place in continuity
4. Final Night #1
5. Adventures of Superman #540
• Final Night crossover
6. Impulse #19
• The Legionnaires appear in Impulse's nightmare
7. Final Night #2
8. Legionnaires #42
9. Final Night #3
10. Flash v2 #119
• Final Night cameo
11. Aquaman v5 #26
• Final Night cameo
12. Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #86
• Final Night crossover
13. Takion #6
• Final Night cameo
14. Final Night #4
15. Green Lantern v3 #81
• Final Night crossover
16. Legionnaires #43
17. Showcase '96 #11-12
18. * Legion of Super-Heroes Secret Files #1 (story 3)
19. Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #87
20. * Green Lantern Gallery #1
• Pinup that takes place during Zero Hour
21. * Sovereign Seven Annual #2
• Non-canonical; takes place after the 20th century team returns to the 30th century
22. Superman v2 #119
23. Impulse #21
24. Legionnaires #44
25. Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #88
26. Legionnaires #45
27. Superman Plus the Legion of Super-Heroes #1
28. * Sovereign Seven Plus #1
• Non-canonical
29. Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #89
30. Legionnaires #46
31. Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #90
32. Legionnaires #47
33. Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #91

The Reboot Reading Order (part 1)

I was recently asked to create a Reboot Legion reading order list, to go with my 5YL reading order list. For the most part, you'll just alternate back and forth between "LSH" and "Legionnaires", but there are some odd appearances here and there in other titles (in particular, XS with Impulse and/or Flash, or appearances in Showcase '95 or '96). 

Additionally, there are some published stories that take place out of chronological publishing order - for example, Legionnaires Annual #3 came out after Legionnaires #43 but it takes place chronologically before Legionnaires #35. These stories are marked with an asterisk (*).

See part 2 here.

There were a few stories of the 30th century that pre-date the Legion:

1. * Flash Secret Files #1
• Story of 30th century President Thawne
• Flash timeline including the 30th century (Iris, Tornado Twins, XS, Impulse)
2. * Flash v2 #114
• Wally meets the Tornado Twins in the 30th century, pre-Legion
3. * Impulse #24-25
• No LSH appearance; Bart's mom comes back from the 30th century shortly after she sent him back, and they both go to the 30th century - but it's before the LSH is formed. New backstory on the Tornado Twins. Jenni is still a baby.

This is the story of the Reboot Legion:

1. LSH v4 #0
2. * LSH Secret Files #1 (story 1 only)
3. Legionnaires #0
4. * LSH v4 Annual #6 (story 1 only)
5. LSH v4 #62
6. Legionnaires #19
7. LSH v4 #63
8. Legionnaires #20
9. LSH v4 #64
10. Legionnaires #21
11. LSH v4 #65
12. Legionnaires #22
13. LSH v4 #66
14. Legionnaires #23
15. LSH v4 #67
16. Legionnaires #24
17. LSH v4 #68
18. Showcase '95 #6 (Legion story 1 only)
19. Legionnaires #25
20. New Titans Annual #11 
• Not a Legion story, but the Pre-Zero Hour Time Trapper appears in a video, retconning some Titans history and some of Zero Hour. Time Trapper next appears in Legionnaires Annual #3.
21. LSH v4 #69
22. LSH v4 Annual #6 (stories 2 and 3)
23. * Showcase '95 #6 (Legion story 2 only)
24. Legionnaires #26
25. LSH v4 #70
26. Legionnaires #27
27. LSH v4 #71
28. Legionnaires #28
29. Legionnaires Annual #2
30. * Superboy v3 #17-19 (for Lar Gand appearance)
• Published concurrently with LSH 70-72, but reads best all at once and this is a good spot for it
31. LSH v4 #72
32. Legionnaires #29
33. * Guy Gardner, Warrior #29
• Brainiac 5 has a cameo in this story that ties into Legionnaires #29
34. LSH v4 #73
35. Legionnaires #30
36. Superboy v3 #21 (Future Tense)
37. LSH v4 #74 (Future Tense)
38. Legionnaires #31 (Future Tense)
39. Underworld Unleashed
• Not required to read the whole thing, but it explains what's going on with Chronos in the next two issues
40. LSH v4 #75
41. Legionnaires #32
42. LSH v4 #76
43. Legionnaires #33
44. LSH v4 #77
45. Legionnaires #34
46. LSH v4 #78
47. Dead Heat storyline (Flash & Impulse with XS)
• Note: the Dead Heat storyline was published simultaneously with LSH 75-79, but reads best all at once and fits best here. XS leaves the 20th century after a few pages of Flash #112 and immediately goes into Legionnaires Annual #3.
1. Flash v2 #108
2. Impulse #9
3. Flash v2 #109
4. Impulse #10
5. Flash v2 #110
6. Impulse #11
7. Flash v2 #111
8. Impulse #12
9. Flash v2 #112
48. * Legionnaires Annual #3 (Dead Earth)
49. Legionnaires #35
50. LSH v4 #79
51. Legionnaires #36
52. LSH v4 #80
53. * Showcase '96 #8 (Legion story only)
54. Legionnaires #37
55. LSH v4 #81
56. Sergio Aragones Destroys DC #1
• Non-continuity, but this is publishing order
57. Legionnaires #38
58. LSH v4 #82
59. Legionnaires #39
60. LSH v4 #83
61. Legionnaires #40
62. LSH v4 #84
63. Wonder Woman Gallery #1 
• Pin-up book, one page shows some Legionnaires for some reason, but not required reading
64. Legionnaires #41
    
65. LSH v4 Annual #7 (Dead Earth)
66. Power of Shazam! Annual #1 (Dead Earth)

As of Legionnaires #41, we find that the teams have been split and half are back in the 20th century (the LSH book) while half are still in the 30th century (the Legionnaires book). One of the first things that Team 20 runs into is the Final Night crossover....

This concludes part 1 of the Reboot Reading order, covering about the first two years of publishing history. Look for part 2 later this year, and part 3 sometime in late 2025 when the 20th century team makes it back to the 30th century. Oops, spoilers!

RIP: Lee Moder

We recently lost one of the great artists of the Five Years Later run, Jason Pearson. This week we heard of the loss of one of the first great artists of the Reboot run: Lee Moder.

Moder only drew four covers for the Legion: 62, 64, 65, and 66. That's because for the majority of his run, the covers were by Alan Davis and Mark Farmer. He drew 36 issues of the Legion - 62-66, 68-69, 71-88, 90-92, 94-100, and 109 - over the course of four years (cover date 11/94 to 10/98).

As penciller on their first issues, Moder shares co-creator credits on Tangleweb, Inferno, Kinetix, Gates, and Lori Morning.

Best as I can tell, Moder's first work was the interior art for L.E.G.I.O.N. '92 #38 in April 1992. He did some work on Wonder Woman and Justice League International in 1993 and 1994 before becoming the regular penciller on the Legion book immediately following the Reboot. In 1999 he co-created Stargirl in Stars & STRIPE with Geoff Johns, and did the first 14 issues of that series. He did some work for Dynamite, DC, and Boom in the early 2000s, but was mostly out of comics by 2010. His last new work for DC was a Superman/Stargirl cover in 2015.

Here are his Legion covers:

Flashback: how old were the Reboot Legionnaires supposed to be?

As the podcast is just now starting to get into the Reboot timeline, I thought this post might be relevant to resurrect (here's the original).

This came out over on the Compuserve Comics and Animation Forum. Back in the olden days, many of the comics creators were active on the moderated message boards (and to some extent on the unmoderated Usenet newsgroups). Among those on Compuserve were many Legion creators, including Mark Waid, Tom McCraw, Kurt Busiek, and Jeff Moy. This came out around the time of the zero issues, in response to questions about the various members ages.

Tom McCraw, writing to Mark Waid for confirmation, suggested these. Waid read it and never commented on it. Since we're doing a re-read, I will post the relevant panels as we see their ages (as of May 2994).

Forum:  Comics/Animation+ Section:  Comic Books

Subj :  Legionaires #0

To   :  Mark Waid Saturday, September 03, 1994  2:06:23 AM

From :  TOM McCRAW #679086

MARK,

In response to Juliana Kristi's question on the age of the Legion members I've  listed below.  Mark, You may correct me if I goof on someone.

Cosmic Boy -     Rokk Krinn  age 15

Saturn Girl-     Imra Ardeen age 15

Live Wire -    Garth Ranzz   age 14

Apparition -     Tiny Wazzo  age 15

Triad -        Luornu Durgo  age 16

Leviathan -       Gim Allon  age 17

Kid Quantum -   James Cullen age 16

XS -           Jenni Ognats  age 14

Invisible Kid -   Lyle Norg  age 16

On Chameleon and Brainac 5 I'm still trying to figure out the math on Coluan and Durlan timelines. (and it's making my head hurt.)

Hopes this helps anyone who wants to know.

Tom

From Legionnaires #0, page 2, panel 2, we get confirmation of the ages of the founders.

From the new Omnicom pages in "LSH: The Beginning of Tomorrow" TPB, here's Luornu's age. Either she just turned 16 after this page (published May 7) came out, or they revised her age down from 16 to 15.

I later (in 1995) asked Tom about the other Legionnaires who had joined since the above was written. 

Forum:  Comics/Animation Section:  Comic Books

Subj :  LSH CMMTS - LSH #76

To   :  Michael Grabois Wednesday, November 29, 1995  1:51:22 PM

From :  TOM McCRAW #1062756

Michael,

Here are some additions, even if they aren't Legion members yet or not.

VALOR-              Lar Gand age 18

GATES-        Ti'Julk Mr'Asz age 18

SPARK-            Alya Ranzz age 14

KINETIX -         Zoe Saugin age 15

ANDROMEDA-       Laurel Gand age 16

SHRINKING VIOLET- Salu Digby age 14 (almost 15)

Chuck Taine                  age 16

STAR BOY         Thom Kallor age 16

Lori Morning                 age 10 (even if she doesn't look her age)

No word on Cham yet, noone can really understand him except Lyle and Brainy is very vauge about his information.  Quote:  "Why does it matter?"

Hope this helps and let me know next time you want another up-date.

Tom

Jimbo Fett's Reboot Timeline

Friend of the blog and friend of the podcast Jimbo Fett (of Jim's Legion Blog fame) has shared with me his best attempt at making the Legion Reboot timeline. As you saw in my 5YL timelines, some dates were given while others were implied, and some were just educated guesses (like "let's say it takes a day of travel to get from one solar system to another"). Jim has done that for the Reboot series and I offered to post it here. All the work and credit goes to him!

This will be a work in progress as we refine the dates (as needed) when we cover the issue on the show.

A lot of dates are referenced from LSH Secret Files #1, so that's just abbreviated as LSHSF in the table below. This timeline does NOT attempt to figure out when the 20th century events happened between when half the group got sent back in time in LSH v4 #84 and when they were reunited in #100 (but if anyone has come up with proposed dates, I'll be happy to post it or link it here!).

We know the "report by" date is 5/31, so the 5/25 date for the founding (and thus all the other dates that are keyed off of it) is somewhat arbitrary but a reasonable assumption.

Issue	Date	Event	Reference Info
LSH v4 #0	May 9, 2994	Brande is saved from assassination	Omnicom page from the "LSH: Beginning of Tomorrow" TPB
LSH v4 #0	May 25, 2994	Brande charters the Legion with Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Live Wire as the first members	In LSH v4 Annual #6 & Legionnaires #0 - "Report by 29940531", so this date is arbitrary based on 2-3 days between issues
LSH Secret Files #1	May 26, 2994	Legion captures Grimbor	Founding + 1 day (LSHSF #1)
Legionnaires #0	May 28, 2994	UP Senate is attacked	Founding + 3 days (LSHSF #1)
Legionnaires #0; LSH v4 Annual #6	May 29, 2994	Apparition and Triad join the team; draft notices sent out to Gim Allon, Lyle Norg, Jenni Ognats, James Cullen, Querl Dox, and a Durlan	Assume a couple of days prior to "Report by date"
Legionnaires #0	May 31, 2994	Date given for draftees to report (not shown)	Legionnaires #0
LSH v4 #62	June 1, 2994	Leviathan, Invisible Kid, XS, Chameleon, and Kid Quantum join; KQ killed in action	Founding + 7 days (LSHSF #1)
Legionnaires #19	June 4, 2994	Funeral for Kid Quantum is bombed, but mitigated by XS	Assume 3 days later. Brande to Brainy - "Your membership was approved last week"
LSH v4 #63	June 7, 2994	HQ opened	Founding + 13 days (LSHSF #1)
Legionnaires #20	June 8, 2994	Legion faces off against Mano	Founding + 14 days (LSHSF #1)
LSH v4 #64	June 9, 2994	Intro of Ultra Boy, Spark replaces Livewire	Founding + 15 days (LSHSF #1)
Legionnaires #21; LSH v4 #65; Legionnaires #22	June 12, 2994	Planet Hell, parts 1-3	Founding + 18 days (LSHSF #1)
LSH v4 #66	June 17, 2994	Andromeda, Violet, Kinetix drafted	Founding + 23 days (LSHSF #1)
Legionnaires #23	June 21, 2994	Girls night out; Invisible Kid invents the flight ring	Founding + 27 days (LSHSF #1)
LSH v4 #67; Legionnaires #24; LSH v4 #68	June 24, 2994	Tangleweb II; Assault on Triad	Founding + 30 days (LSHSF #1)
Showcase '95 #6	June 26, 2994	Legion Academy story	This has to take place prior to the fight with the Composite Man: Apparition and Andromeda are behaving somewhat civilly, and it's before Andromeda gets sick
Legionnaires #25; LSH v4 #69	June 28, 2994	The Legion fights and defeats the Composite Man; Saturn Girl hospitalized	Founding + 34 days (LSHSF #1)
LSH Annual #6	June 29, 2994	Shvaughn Erin officially assigned new role as Legion liaison; Zoe & Vi's trip where Kinetix loses her powers	Founding + 35 days (LSHSF #1)
LSH Annual #6	June 30, 2994	Shvaughn finds out she’s the new liaison and reviews the Legionnaires files	In order to make the Zoe/Vi story fit the timeline, Shvaughn doesn’t find out until the next day about her new assignment
Showcase '95 #6	July 2, 2994	Leviathan assists Shvaughn, Gigi, and Deacon in bringing in criminals	After LSH Annual 6 (since Shvaughn is the new LSH liaison), but before the Triangle War
Legionnaires #26	July 4, 2994	Micah Aven tries to aid Saturn Girl; the Workforce fights the White Triangle	A sick Andromeda crashes through the monitor room, so assume a day before LSH v4 #70.
LSH v4 #70	July 5, 2994	Brainy cures Laurel. Kinetix leaves.	Founding + 41 days (LSHSF #1)
Legionnaires #27	July 6, 2994	Introduction of Roxxas as a Daxamite	Andromeda recovered
LSH v4 #71; Legionnaires #28	July 7, 2994	Stargate network and Trom destroyed by the White Triangle Daxamites	Just before the Daxamite attack on Earth (LSHSF #1)
Legionnaires Annual 2	July 8, 2994	White Triangle War. Andromeda and Apparition apparently killed	Founding + 44 days (LSHSF #1)
LSH v4 #72	July 10, 2994	Memorial Service for the fallen Legionnaires	Estimated a couple days after Annual events
Legionnaires #29	July 11, 2994	Dirk Morgna taken hostage and mutated by Dr. Regulus	Founding + 47 days (LSHSF #1)
LSH v4 #73; Legionnaires #30 pages 1-19	July 12, 2994	Garth hunts down Mekt; Garth and Ayla defeat Mekt, but Garth loses his arm	Founding + 48 days (LSHSF #1)
Legionnaires #30 pages 20-22; LSH v4 #74; Legionnaires #31	July 15, 2994	Superboy/Future Tense (parts 1 & 2); XS is lost in the time stream	Founding + 51 days (LSHSF #1)
LSH v4 #75; Legionnaires #32	July 16, 2994	2-Timer parts 1 & 2	Founding + 52 days (LSHSF #1)
LSH v4 #76	July 18, 2994	Repairs continue. Gates & Star Boy join the team	Founding + 54 days (LSHSF #1)
Legionnaires #33; LSH v4 #77; Legionnaires #34	July 20, 2994	Starfinger attacks the Legion, Kinetix bargains with Mysa; Nara Minsork mentally interrogates Brainiac 5; Starfinger defeated and revealed to be Jan Arrah.	Founding + 56 days (LSHSF #1)
Impulse #9; Flash v2 #109; Impulse #10; Flash v2 #110; Impulse #11; Flash v2 #111; Impulse #12; Flash #112; Legionnaires Annual #3	N/A	XS, stuck in the 20th century, finds Impulse and they hang out before finding themselves helping to fight Savitar in "Dead Heat". Afterwards, she hangs out with Bart and then jumps through time, only to find herself meeting her grandfather Barry Allen in the 30th century, Ultra-Man in the far future, and the Time Trapper at the end of time, who sends her back to her time.	XS is lost in the time stream in LSH v4 #74, finds herself in the 20th century in #75, and returns at the end of Legionnaires #35.
LSH v4 #78; Legionnaires #35; LSH v4 #79; Legionnaires #36	July 22, 2994	With the threat of the Sun Eater, President Chu orders the Legion to assemble the Fatal Five; XS returns from being lost in time; back at HQ, Shvaughn, Lori, Tenzil, Chuck and Rond defend against Protean invaders; the Legion fights the Fatal Five; Fatal Five defeated, Kinetix returns to the team	Founding + 58 days (LSHSF #1)
LSH v4 #80	July 23, 2994	Chu's control of Starfinger and the Fatal Five is revealed. She is deposed and Brande is elected president	Founding + 59 days (LSHSF #1)
Showcase '96 #8	July 24, 2994	Leviathan, Gates, and XS go to Dagosk on behalf of the UP	Takes place before Leviathan is directed to take a team to Xanthu in LSH #81
Legionnaires #37	July 25, 2994	Lar Gand/Valor is re-christened as M'Onel	Estimate between LSH v4 #80 and Legionnaires #38
LSH v4 #81	July 26, 2994	The Legion attempts to help Dirk Morgna.	Estimate between Legionnaires #37 and #38
Legionnaires #38	July 27, 2994	Vi elected leader. The founders visit Titan.	Founding + 63 days (LSHSF #1)
LSH v4 #82	July 30, 2994	A Legion team visits Xanthu. Tinya's ghost manifests itself from within Jo.	Arbitrary date between the prior issues
Legionnaires #39	August 2, 2994	Strange things happen in the Legion HQ. The Legion is summoned to Vega to confront Regulus	Just prior to LSH v4 #83
LSH v4 #83	August 3, 2994	Leviathan dies in battle with Regulus	Founding + 70 days (LSHSF #1)
Legionnaires #40; LSH v4 #84; Legionnaires #41	August 4, 2994	Emerald Legion parts 1 & 2: half the team is thrown back to the 20th century	Founding + 71 days (LSHSF #1)
Legionnaires #41	August 5, 2994	Aftermath of the Emerald Legion. Funeral for Leviathan	Assumed - 1 day between LSH v4 #84 and Legionnaires #42
Legionnaires #42	August 6, 2994	Kinetix & others abducted by Mysa. Kinetix's powers returned. Garth appointed temporary leader	Founding + 73 days (LSHSF #1)
Legionnaires #43	August 10, 2994	Legion tryouts	Founding + 77 days (LSHSF #1)
Legionnaires #44; LSH v4 #88 (p 1-3)	August 11, 2994	Lori’s 11th birthday; Rond contacts the 20th century team; Mordru's tomb is discovered; new members Sensor, Umbra and Magno go on mission	Live Wire to new recruits - "You joined yesterday." Legionnaires #44 p 9 and LSH v4 #88 p 1-3 show the holo meeting between the two teams from each side.
Legionnaires #45	August 13, 2994	Mantis Morlo causes havoc on Vygra; Lyle elected leader	Founding + 80 days (LSHSF #1)
Legionnaires #46	August 15, 2994	M'Onel recruits Laurel Gand to search for Violet. Jeka and Reep go on a date.	Issue picks up just after prior with Thom taking Nura home
Legionnaires #47	August 20, 2994 (Oct 1996)	Crossover with 20th century team (issue partially takes place in 1996); entire Legion temporarily reunited in the timestream	Story opens w/Lyle & Dragonmage. Legionnaires #48 Lyle says this happened "yesterday"
Legionnaires #48; Legionnaires #49; Legionnaires #50	August 21, 2994	Emerald War begins; Legion, Workforce and Amazers unite to attack Mordru; Violet freed from the Emerald Eye; Mordru defeated	Founding + 88 days (LSHSF #1); Brande says Sklar was destroyed "today" - i.e., Legionnaires #48
Legionnaires #51; Legionnaires #52	August 22, 2994	Emerald War aftermath; Vi gains growth powers	Founding + 89 days (LSHSF #1)
Legionnaires #53	August 25, 2994	Lori uses an H dial; Magno considers his future; Monstress adjusts to the team	Arbitrary. A couple days after Legionnaires #52
Legionnaires #54	Out of Time	The Legion experiences an alternate reality on 1940s Earth	Current Legion only in timestream - but with Vi there no one from the 20th c. team realizes she's not still possessed!
Legionnaires #55	August 29, 2994	The Legion fights the Composite Durlan again	Legionnaires #54 was "last week" so at least three or four days since Legionnaires #53
Legionnaires #56	August 31-ish, 2994	M'onel's story to keep him away from HQ	Legionnaires are not to be found - as they are all in LSH v4 #100. Valor's encounter with the Khunds keeps him away from HQ
LSH v4 #100	August 31, 2994	COMPUTO defeated. Legion Reunited	Concurrent with Legionnaires #56, prior to Ferro mission & Outpost dedication
LSH v4 #100	September 1, 2994	Violet & Ferro defeat Medusa	Assume 1 day prior to Outpost dedication based on Ferro comments
LSH v4 #100	September 2, 2994	Legion Day - Dedication of Legion Outpost Allon	Founding + 100 days (LSHSF #1) - Outpost Allon dedicated; assumes Legion Day story takes place earlier in the day as Kinetix gives her cape to Monstress
LSH v4 #100	September 3, 2994	Mysterious Deep space anomaly discovered by Andromeda.	Story happens after Outpost Allon dedication given Andromeda cameo in dedication story

Jim says "The Reboot timeline goes along pretty swimmingly until LSH #100, when Carlson leaves and McAvennie takes over. Up to then, the 30th century stories take place in 2994. After LSH 100, McAvennie makes everything back to the old publish year + 1000 model, which completely throws off any timeline tracking efforts."

Coming eventually: Jim says he'll work out a timeline post LSH #100, which we won't get to in the podcast until late 2025.