Adventure Comics 307
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Contents
The Secret Power of the Mystery Super-Hero!
Synopsis
The Legion is called on to stop a band of space pirates who are raiding distant worlds, but, as several Legionnaires are away on missions, the team holds an open call for applicants. One applicant, Jan Arrah, refuses to reveal his power to anyone save one Legionnaire. Saturn Girl volunteers to learn his power, and, on her recommendation, he is admitted to the Legion as Mystery Lad.
As the Legion hunts the space pirates from world to world, Mystery Lad uses his power in ways that leave the Legionnaires guessing its nature. He causes an spear to disintegrate against his chest, leading Bouncing Boy to think he’s invulnerable. He pushes aside a large, silver statue, making Cosmic Boy think he’s super-strong. When he disintegrates a nickel asteroid heading straight for the Legion, Brainiac 5 thinks he has heat vision. Saturn Girl tells the Legionnaires they’re wrong, but won’t reveal Mystery Lad’s true power.
In an area near twin red suns, Mystery Lad flies ahead of the Legionnaires, ostensibly to make sure the way is safe. But he leaves a coded message for them on an asteroid, revealing that he is the one the pirates are really after. Mystery Lad surrenders to the pirates and their leader, Roxxas, who had slaughtered the rest of his people when they had refused to use their native power – to transmute one element into any other – to make him and his men wealthy. The pirates attempt to force Mystery Lad to use his powers for their benefit; they remove his space helmet so that if he uses his power against their ship, he’ll suffocate in space. Mystery Lad chooses to die rather than help the pirates; he transmutes the hull of their ship into gas. But as the pirates try to flee, they are rounded up by the arriving Legionnaires. The unconscious Mystery Lad is saved by Invisible Kid, who had tagged along incognito to spy on Mystery Lad.
The Legionnaires rename their newest member Element Lad.
Key Quotes and Catchphrases
Critique
Roll Call
Legionnaires
Featured roles:
- Bouncing Boy
- Brainiac 5
- Colossal Boy
- Cosmic Boy
- Element Lad (also appears as Mystery Lad; joins the Legion in this story)
- Invisible Kid
- Saturn Girl
- Sun Boy
Cameos
- Superboy (in flashback to a battle with Bizarro No. 1)
Villains
- Roxxas and his space pirates
- Bizarro No. 1 (flashback only)
Supporting characters
None
Other characters
- Two unnamed Legion applicants
- One can make anything around him green.
- The other has a “camera eye” that can project events he has seen.
Planets and Settings
- Trom (Element Lad’s homeworld; unnamed in this story)
- Oranz (illuminated by cold light globes)
- Vuruna (a water world)
- Uninhabited world of giant statues
Technology, Gadgets and Other Neat Stuff
- One-man rocket ships flown by the pirates and the Legionnaires.
Notes
Errors and Oddities
- Cosmic Boy promises Element Lad that his power will remain a secret known only to the Legionnaires; eventually, it becomes public knowledge.
- At one point in the story, Invisible Kid forgets to turn visible.
- The Legion’s era is given as the 21st century.
First appearances
This issue marks the first appearance of the following characters and recurring key Legion story elements:
- Element Lad
- Trom (planet)
- Roxxas
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 Confession of Superboy"
Reprints
This Legion story has been reprinted in the following:
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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