LSH Cover to Cover 5: 1966

Here's our fifth installment of our Legion of Super-Bloggers feature on all of the comic-book cover appearances of The Legion in chronological order. We're up to the year 1966, and from now on we're going to go by years just to make it easier to track.

The Legion was an established series by this time, and several of the characters were now recognizable enough to merit repeat appearances on the cover. Lightning Lad, Colossal Boy, and Cosmic Boy appeared five times this year, while Saturn Girl and Phantom Girl both appeared four times.

The year 1966 started with a bang, with one of the greatest and most well-known Legion covers ever. Of course, I'm talking about the debut of Computo the Conqueror, and the murder of Triplicate Girl.

This was also the year where Star Boy is expelled for killing, Matter-Eater Lad blows up like Bouncing Boy, and, oh yeah, some writer named Jim Shooter starts working on the series. He brings with him Princess Projectra, Karate Kid, Ferro Lad, and Nemesis Kid! All in all, one of the greatest years of Legion Lore ever! Let's get to it, shall we?

All covers were still being pencilled by the late, great Curt Swan. Inking was predominantly done by George Klein, with one issue (Adventure Comics #341, being inked by Sheldon Moldoff.

Adventure Comics #340 

(January 1966)

pencils: Curt Swan

inks: George Klein
Brainiac 5's first major mistake costs Triplicate Girl her life!

Adventure Comics #341 

(February 1966)

pencils: Curt Swan

inks: Sheldon Moldoff
Not quite a true representation of
the Legion's final confrontation with Computo---!

Adventure Comics #342 

(March 1966)

pencils: Curt Swan

inks: George Klein
Somebody messed up and had Saturn Girl on here instead of
Brainiac 5, that Perry Mason of the 30th Century

Adventure Comics #343 

(April 1966)

pencils: Curt Swan

inks: George Klein
One of the most text-heavy covers ever

Adventure Comics #344 

(May 1966)

pencils: Curt Swan

inks: George Klein
Somebody must have just seen Hogans' Heroes on TV
(it made its debut in Sept 1965)

Adventure Comics #345

(June 1966)

pencils: Curt Swan

inks: George Klein
Quite a dramatic scene with quite a silly result

Adventure Comics #346 

(July 1966)

pencils: Curt Swan

inks: George Klein
Four new Legionnaires----
but one of them is a traitor!
The debut of Jim Shooter as new Legion writer

Adventure Comics #347 

(August 1966)

pencils: Curt Swan

inks: George Klein
The traitor is revealed--!

Adventure Comics #348 

(September 1966)

pencils: Curt Swan

inks: George Klein
The debut of Dr. Regulus and the secret origin of Sun Boy
Also, Invisible Kid is elected Legion Leader


Adventure Comics #349 

(October 1966)

pencils: Curt Swan

inks: George Klein
Shooter is on a roll, as this month he creates Universo!

Adventure Comics #350 

(November 1966)

pencils: Curt Swan

inks: George Klein
Supergirl and Superboy must quit the Legion.
This is quite the depressing scene!

Adventure Comics #351 

(December 1966)

pencils: Curt Swan

inks: George Klein
With all the things going on in this story, THIS is the scene
chosen for the cover!?
This story features the return of....well, quite a few Legionnaires.