Difference between revisions of "Adventure Comics 307"

From Legion Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
(→‎Legionnaires: adding links)
Line 39: Line 39:
 
===Legionnaires===
 
===Legionnaires===
 
''Featured roles:''
 
''Featured roles:''
*Bouncing Boy
+
*[[Bouncing Boy/Pre-Crisis|Bouncing Boy]]
*Brainiac 5
+
*[[Brainiac 5/Pre-Crisis|Brainiac 5]]
 
*[[Colossal Boy/Pre-Crisis|Colossal Boy]]
 
*[[Colossal Boy/Pre-Crisis|Colossal Boy]]
*Cosmic Boy
+
*[[Cosmic Boy/Pre-Crisis|Cosmic Boy]]
*Element Lad (also appears as Mystery Lad; joins the Legion in this story)
+
*[[Element Lad/Pre-Crisis|Element Lad]] (also appears as Mystery Lad; joins the Legion in this story)
*Invisible Kid
+
*[[Invisible Kid/Lyle Norg/Pre-Crisis|Invisible Kid]]
*Saturn Girl
+
*[[Saturn Girl/Pre-Crisis|Saturn Girl]]
 
*[[Sun Boy/Pre-Crisis|Sun Boy]]
 
*[[Sun Boy/Pre-Crisis|Sun Boy]]
  

Revision as of 12:25, 9 August 2007

Adventure Comics #307
Preboot » Pre-Crisis
Adventure307.jpg
Cover by Curt Swan, George Klein and Ira Schnapp
Story title The Secret Power of the Mystery Super-Hero
Previous story Adventure Comics #306:The Legion of Substitute Heroes
Next story Adventure Comics #308:The Return of Lightning Lad
Publication date February 28, 1963
Cover date April 1963
Creators
Writer(s) Edmond Hamilton and Mort Weisinger
Penciller(s) John Forte
Inker(s) John Forte
Letterer(s) Joe Letterese
Colourist(s) Unknown
Editor(s) Mort Weisinger
Cover artist(s) Curt Swan, George Klein and Ira Schnapp

The Secret Power of the Mystery Super-Hero

Plot 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:

Cameo:

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 statutes

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

Post-Crisis xxx
Glorithverse xxx
Post-Zero Hour xxx
Post-Infinite Crisis xxx
DCAU xxx
LSH cartoon xxx

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:

See also