Adventure Comics 306
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Contents
The Legion of Substitute Heroes!
Synopsis
Polar Boy, a.k.a. Brek Bannin of the planet Tharr, arrives on earth to fulfill his life’s ambition: to join the Legion of Super-Heroes. But after he demonstrates his ability to create freezing temperatures, the Legionnaires decide that his power might disable them at a critical moment and reject him. Despondent, Polar Boy wanders the Avenue of Heroes until he meets Night Girl, also a recently rejected applicant. Night Girl tells him that her scientist father gave her super-strength on her sun-less world, but when exposed to earth’s direct sunlight, she loses her power. Rather than face an uncertain future, Polar Boy proposes that they form their own club – a Legion of Substitute Heroes – to assist the regular Legion when needed. Night Girl introduces him to three other rejects: Stone Boy, who can turn himself into solid stone; Fire Lad, who can exhale fire; and Chlorophyll Kid, who can make plants grow super-fast.
The members of the newly formed club vow to use their powers for good, dig a headquarters in the side of a mountain, and set up a monitor system to alert them to disasters. But when they respond to two such emergencies, they find the Legion has already beaten them. When the Legion turns down their offer for help on a third case – to battle robot ships in space – the Substitutes lose faith. But as they consider disbanding, they notice strange seeds drifting down from the sky. Chlorophyll Kid uses his power to make one seed grow – but it grows into a tree-like man that attacks them. The Subs defeat the alien and destroy the rest of the seeds. They then learn that the seeds came from a hostile planet; they also discover that the robot ships the Legion is battling in space were sent by the same world as a diversion.
The Subs travel to the alien world, where they spy on a race of intelligent tree men, who have built a missile launcher to send their seeds to earth. Stone Boy distracts the guards while the others seek to destroy the missile launcher. Night Girl’s initial effort fails when the sun rises and she loses her strength, but Polar Boy and Fire Lad use their powers to create an opening in the building. Chlorophyll Kid causes the seeds inside to grow into tree men, creating a literal population explosion that destroys the building.
On earth, the Legionnaires are given a parade to celebrate their victory over the robot ships. Only the Substitutes know they foiled the real invasion, but they’ve proved to themselves that they have what it takes to be heroes, too.
Key Quotes and Catchphrases
Critique
Roll Call
Substitute Heroes
- Chlorophyll Kid
- Fire Lad
- Night Girl
- Polar Boy
- Stone Boy
Legionnaires
Cameos
Villains
- An unnamed race of tree men
- Two criminal scientists
Supporting characters
None
Other characters
- Night Girl’s father (flashback)
- Chlorophyll Kid’s mother (flashback)
- Stone Boy’s mother (flashback)
Planets and Settings
- Tharr (Polar Boy’s home world)
- Kathoon (Night Girl’s home world; name not revealed)
- Zwen (Stone Boy’s home world; name not revealed)
- The Substitutes’ mountain headquarters
- The unnamed home world of the tree men
- The Ocean Research Laboratory of earth
Technology, Gadgets, and Other Neat Stuff
- The Substitutes’ Warning Wall Monitor (similar to the Legion’s Mission Monitor Board)
Alien Wildlife
- Four sea monsters
Notes
Errors and Oddities
- Polar Boy is listed as Polar Lad on the cover.
- Fire Lad is not listed on the cover.
First appearances
This issue marks the first appearance of the following characters and recurring key Legion story elements:
- The Legion of Substitute Heroes
- Chlorophyll Kid
- Fire Lad
- Night Girl
- Polar Boy
- Stone Boy
Powers and abilities
Reboot Reference Kit
Retcon Alert
Other
Other stories in this issue
There is an additional story that does not feature the Legion - "The 5th Dimensional High-School"
Reprints
This Legion story has been reprinted in the following:
DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #1 (March/April 1980)
Adventure Comics #500 (June 1983)
See also
- Legion Publication History - Other issues published 1950-1964
- Legion Publication History - Other issues of Adventure Comics
- Pre-Crisis Chronology
- Quick index of links to other Adventure Comics issues
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