Legion of Super-Villains

The Legion of Super-Villains is a team of supervillains who appear in comic books published by DC Comics, primarily as enemies of the Legion of Super-Heroes.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> They first appeared in Superman #147 (August 1961).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Publication history

The Legion of Super-Villains were created at a time when Superman editor Mort Weisinger was consciously adding new elements to the "Superman mythos" over a period of years, building an extended cast of supporting characters who could provide new story opportunities. The creation of the Legion of Super-Heroes was part of that plan, and in the Legion's fourth appearance ("The Army of Living Kryptonite Men" in Superboy #86, January 1961), it was suggested that Lex Luthor would someday lead a group of super-villains. This would come to fruition seven months later, in Superman #147's story "The Legion of Super-Villains".<ref name="Krypton">Template:Cite book</ref>

Fictional team history

In pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity, the Legion of Super-Villains was founded by Benno Tarik, who suffered irreparable damage to his vocal cords during a battle with the Science Police and developed a pathological hatred of law and order. Tarik founded a school for supervillains, which served as the headquarters and recruiting grounds for the Legion's first incarnation, and blackmailed Colossal Boy into joining as a teacher.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite comic</ref>

The Legion first appears when Lex Luthor creates a radio to contact the future, feeling there must be an evil counterpart to the Legion of Super-Heroes.<ref name=":0" /> He is broken out of jail by a gun, flying belt, and force-field helmet being sent into his cell. Luthor meets the trio of villains - Cosmic King, Lightning Lord, and Saturn Queen - who tell him of their origins. They cause trouble for Superman and lure him to a planetoid where he is captured in a Kryptonite field. Superman is sentenced to death before the adult Legion of Super-Heroes appears and rescues him. Luthor threatens to kill Superman, but Saturn Woman offers herself in his place. Superman asks for a tribute and is released after promising not to rescue Saturn Woman. Saturn Queen is given a fragment of Saturn's rings, which influence her into reforming, and the other villains are jailed. However, they would battle Superman at other points.

Several other incarnations of the group form over the years, led first by Sun Emperor and then by Nemesis Kid.<ref>Template:Cite comic</ref><ref>Template:Cite comic</ref> In the last incarnation, they conquer Orando, the homeworld of Princess Projectra, and transport it to another dimension as a base of operations. Each villain is assigned to kill one Legionnaire, but only Nemesis Kid succeeds, fatally wounding Karate Kid.<ref>Template:Cite comic</ref>

Post-Crisis

In the fourth volume of Legion of Super-Heroes, the Legion of Super-Villains disbands and several of its members reform. Echo joins the Legion during the Five Year Gap, but resigns after the events of Black Dawn.<ref>Template:Cite comic</ref> Lightning Lord returns to his home planet of Winath to work on his family's farm.<ref>Template:Cite comic</ref> Ron-Karr joins the Legion of Substitute Heroes and Spider Girl joins the Legion, changing her codename to Wave.<ref name="ReferenceB2">Template:Cite comic</ref><ref name="Strange and Unsung">Template:Cite book</ref> Saturn Queen marries Matter-Eater Lad and becomes the queen of her homeworld Titan.<ref>Template:Cite comic</ref> These events were erased from continuity following the Zero Hour: Crisis in Time! event, which rebooted the Legion's continuity.<ref>Template:Cite comic</ref>

Post-Zero Hour

Following Zero Hour, the Legion of Super-Villains appears in Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds, a tie-in to the Final Crisis event.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This incarnation of the Legion is led by Superboy-Prime and includes Lightning Lord, Saturn Queen, Cosmic King, Sun Emperor, Beauty Blaze, Ol-Vir, Tyr, Zymyr, Hunter, and Chameleon Chief as well as Black Mace, Universo, Dr. Regulus, Grimbor the Chainsman, Mordru, Esper Lass, Magno Lad, Micro Lad, Echo, Terrus, the League of Super-Assassins (Silver Slasher, Lazon, Neutrax, Mist Master, and Titania), the Fatal Five (Tharok, Emerald Empress, Persuader, Mano, and Validus), and the Justice League of Earth (Radiation Roy, Tusker, Spider Girl, Golden Boy, Storm Boy, and Earth-Man).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Legion of Super-Villains also appears in Superman/Batman, where its members attempt to remake the universe by tampering with the origins of Superman and Batman and adopting them as their "children", transforming them into the dictators of Earth and eliminating other members of the Justice League. Superman and Batman overcome their brainwashing due to the Darkseid of another reality telling them what had happened. They restore the timestream to its proper course and take the villains to the 31st century to be imprisoned, but retain their memories of the altered timeline.<ref>Template:Cite comic</ref>

Roster

• Akka - Expert martial artist from the planet Sklar. She was killed by Saturn Queen.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite comic</ref><ref>Template:Cite comic</ref>
• Beauty Blaze - Possesses heat and fire-based abilities.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite comic</ref>
• Chameleon Chief (Jall Tannuz) - A Durlan who can shapeshift and transmute matter.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite comic</ref>
• Cosmic King (Laevar Bolto) - He possesses transmutation powers similar to Element Lad.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite comic</ref>
• Echo (Myke-4 Astor) - Sound and sonic-based abilities.<ref name=":2" />
• Esper Lass (Meta Ulnoor) - She possesses telepathic powers similar to Saturn Girl.<ref name=":5">Template:Cite comic</ref>
• Hunter (Adam Orion) - The son of the original Hunter (Otto Orion), he seeks revenge on the Legion for his father's death.<ref>Template:Cite comic</ref>
• Immortus - A living brain implanted in a powerful android body.<ref name=":1" />
• Lightning Lord (Mekt Ranzz) - A Winathian who is the brother of Garth Ranzz and Ayla Ranzz and shares their ability to generate bioelectricity.<ref name=":4" /> Having been born an only child on a planet where twin births are the norm, Lightning Lord developed an anti-social personality in response to being ostracized.
• Magno Lad (Kort Grezz) - He possesses magnetic abilities similar to Cosmic Boy.<ref name=":5" />
• Micro Lad (Lalo Muldron) - Can shrink in size like Shrinking Violet. Killed by Akka.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":1" />
• Nemesis Kid (Hart Druiter) - Can adapt the power to defeat any single enemy. Killed by Princess Projectra.<ref>Template:Cite comic</ref><ref>Template:Cite comic</ref>
• Ol-Vir - He is a Daxamite who possesses similar abilities to Mon-El, but lacks his immunity to lead.<ref>Template:Cite comic</ref>
• Questor (Xart Prax) - A technologically amplified Coluan with heightened intelligence.<ref name=":1" />
• Radiation Roy (Roy Travich) - A former applicant to the Legion of Super-Heroes who can emit radiation from his body. After trying out as Radiation Roy, he was rejected for not having enough control over his powers, as the radiation could potentially harm the Legion and civilians. Roy is not immune to his own powers and wears a containment suit to protect himself.<ref>Template:Cite comic</ref>
• Ron-Karr - A Neptunian who can become flat.<ref>Template:Cite comic</ref><ref name="Strange and Unsung" />
• Saturn Queen (Eve Aries) - A time-travelling telepath from the future.<ref name=":4" />
• Spider Girl (Sussa Paka) - Has super-strong prehensile hair.<ref>Template:Cite comic</ref>
• Sun Emperor (Nigal Douglous) - Has solar powers similar to Sun Boy.<ref name=":3" />
• Sun Killer (Kodama) - Possesses the powers of a star.<ref>Template:Cite comic</ref>
• Terrus - Possesses ground-based abilities and a body made up of a swarm of insects.<ref name="ReferenceA">Template:Cite comic</ref>
• Tyr - A warrior from the planet Tyrraz with a bionic gun in place of his right arm.<ref>Template:Cite comic</ref>
• Zymyr - A native of the planet Gil'Dishpan who can create portals.<ref>Template:Cite comic</ref>

The remaining villains are members of the League of Super-Assassins:

• Lazon - He can turn into light.<ref name=":6">Template:Cite comic</ref>
• Mist Master - He can turn into any vapor or gas.<ref name=":6" />
• Neutrax - In addition to neutralizing the powers of anyone for a short time, he rides in a flying chair that resembles Metron's Mobius Chair.<ref name=":6" />
• Silver Slasher - She has a metallic-enhanced body and sharp nails.<ref name=":6" />
• Titania - A super-strong female who is Silver Slasher's cousin.<ref name=":6" />

The following joined the group during the Final Crisis storyline:<ref>Template:Cite comic</ref>

• Black Mace (Mick Yardreigh) - A highly trained and super-strong mercenary.
• Doctor Regulus (Zaxton Regulus) - A mad scientist with pyrokinetic abilities.
• Fatal Five - A group consisting of five of the greatest criminals in the universe.
  • Emerald Empress - Possesses various abilities derived from the Emerald Eye of Ekron.
  • Mano - Possesses a disintegrating anti-matter touch.
  • Persuader - Wields an atomic axe that can cut through anything.
  • Tharok - A man who was transformed into a cyborg after losing the left side of his body in an accident.
  • Validus - An alien monster with super-strength, enhanced durability, energy projection, and immunity to telepathy.
• Grimbor the Chainsman - A master craftsman and expert trap master.
• Justice League of Earth - A group of Legion of Super-Heroes rejects who attempt to save Earth by turning it into a xenophobic society.
  • Earth-Man (Kirt Niedrigh) - He can absorb and duplicate superpowers.
  • Golden Boy (Klint Stewirt) - He can change the structure of any element into gold via touch.
  • Storm Boy (Myke Chypurz) - He can control the weather.
  • Tusker (Horace Lafeaugh) - He has ivory-like tusks that can grow to certain sizes, and possesses a healing factor and enhanced strength, durability, and agility.
• Mordru - A powerful wizard.
• Superboy-Prime - A version of Superboy from Earth-Prime.
• Universo - An ex-Green Lantern Corps member with hypnotic abilities.

In other media

The Legion of Super-Villains appear in Legion of Super Heroes, consisting of Lightning Lord (voiced by James Arnold Taylor), Hunter, Tyr (both voiced by Khary Payton), Esper Lass (Tara Strong), Ron-Karr (Shawn Harrison), and Wave, who has no dialogue. This version of the group are extortionists and assassins led by Lightning Lord in the first season and Tyr in the second season. Additionally, Ron-Karr possesses shapeshifting abilities and Lightning Lord sports white hair and glowing blue eyes, both of which he acquired during the incident that gave him his powers. First appearing in the first season episode "Lightning Storm", the group masquerades as a superhero team called the Light Speed Vanguard to outperform the Legion of Super-Heroes before their true intentions are exposed. In the second season, the Legion of Super-Villains ally with Imperiex before Lightning Lord and Ron-Karr reform and leave the group.

External links

• Cosmic Teams profile Template:Webarchive
• Dragon Hero.com profile
• Incarnations of the Legion of Super-Villains
• Superman #147 (debut of Legion of Super-Villains)
• Unofficial Legion of Super-Villains biography Template:Webarchive