by Russell & Siskoid
Members: Blok, Lazon, Mist Master, Neutrax, Silver Slasher, and Titania
Relationship to Legion: Minor annoyances
Legion Log
The League of Super-Assassins was formed when six young teens on the planet Dryad blamed the Legion for the evacuation and destruction of their planet. The mysterious figure known only as the Dark Man heard that these six teenagers were angry at the Legion, so he took them in and transformed them so that they could use super-powers to destroy the Legion for him.
No other details were ever given in any story as to how the Dark Man heard about these troubled teens, or how or why he granted them these specific super-powers. One would think that if he could do it six (or five) times, he could have done it innumerable times.
As for the members of the League, these were the original six members:
Blok has the tremendous mass, near-invulnerability, and greater than human strength. Originally it was strongly implied that the Dark Man had altered a normal humanoid Dryad youth into this silicon-based form. However, Blok later clarified that the Dark Man had not actually changed him in any way.
Lazon has the power to transform himself into living light, gaining the velocity and the effects of the light form he becomes.
Mist Master can transform himself into any gaseous form, gaining the properties of the gas that he becomes.
Neutrax projects a beam of energy at his target that can neutralize most forms of power, irregardless of it being technological or biological in nature.
Silver Slasher seems to have been transformed from flesh and blood into a biological metal, which allows her slice through virtually any form of matter.
Titania possesses great strength and endurance.
After the Legion learned why the League of Super-Assassins hated them, they attempted to convince them of the true circumstances around the death of Dryad. By that time the League was so consumed by hate and a thirst for vengeance, however, that five of the six refused to believe them. Only Blok chose to listen, eventually assisting the Legion in their hunt for the Dark Man. After Blok saw unequivocal proof that the Legion was actually a force for good, he chose to join them.
The five remaining Assassins later re-appeared as members of the expanded Legion of Super-Villains. They assisted the LSV in their attempt to take over the planet Orando and to murder as many Legionnaires as possible. However, they failed and were re-captured. Their only other appearances after this were as prisoners of the prison planets Takron-Galtos and Labyrinth.
Though the League never appeared in the 5YL time frame, the Reboot, or the Threeboot, they did join Superboy-Prime's Legion of Super-Villains during the Final Crisis.
Defining Villainous Moment:
Superboy & the Legion of Super-Heroes #253
to murdering five Legionnaires
Superboy & The Legion of Super-Heroes #253
The League of Super-Assassins make their debut
Superboy & The Legion of Super-Heroes #254
The Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #270
(Neutrax is not present)
The Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #272
this is the only scene we ever got of the Assassins before they were transmutated
Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #2
(reprinted in An Eye For An Eye TPB)
Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #3
Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #4
(reprinted in An Eye For An Eye TPB)
The Assassins battle the Legion in a free-for-all
(reprinted in An Eye For An Eye TPB)
knocked out by Lightning Lass
Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #5
(reprinted in An Eye For An Eye TPB)
Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #8
(reprinted in The More Things Change TPB)
by his old friend, Blok
Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #18
The Assassins are moved off of Takron-Galtos during The Crisis
Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #21
The Assassins participate in a mutiny on the way to their new prison planet
Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #54
(no sign of Neutrax or Mis Master)
Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #2
The Assassins are members of Superboy-Prime's Legion of Super-Villains
One of my favorite Legion super-villain teams ever. And I think that is mostly built on my fascination with the sheer hate oozed by Lazon, Silver Slasher, and Titania. (I don't really care about Mist Master or Neutrax.)
ReplyDeleteAnd of those three, Silver Slasher is my favorite. Visually she looks brilliant. And the idea of someone who is razor sharp everywhere is just bizarrely fascinating. When she does that pirouette death move it is frightening.
Thanks for covering them!
I would have liked to have seen them again. I think that in general they were not well developed or well treated. As Optimus Pride notes below, there definitely was a story there regarding how they got their powers.
Delete"Who are the League of Super-Assassins ?"
ReplyDeleteThey're DC's knock off of the "All New Uncanny X-Men" that's who !
Just as Marvel copied the Legion to create the "Imperial Guard " the League is nothing but a carbon copy !
I was disappointed that Blok was the member chosen to become a Legionnaire as his powers already were duplicated by several other members and would have preferred Lazon or the Silver Slasher.
Blok became one of my favorite Legionnaires, but I agree with your point about his powers. Dodgy. I've always liked Lazon because #AnyoneButSunBoy
ReplyDeleteI didn't care for Blok in his early days but by "Legion of Super-Heroes #298 " I liked his naivete , his sincerity, loyalty and humbleness !
DeleteI still think Lazon would have been a better choice my liking Blok a side !
I've suspected that the Dark Man brainwashed the LSA when he gave them their treatments. One reason is that Blok was the only one to defect, and the only one that didn't undergo Dark Man's process. The second reason is that when Titania was questioned by Terrus as to why they continued to fight the LOSH, she got irrationally angry, as if there was safeguard in place to keep them from shaking off the brainwashing. Otherwise, why keep on blaming the Legion when it was proven that they had nothing to do with Dryad's demise?
ReplyDeleteAs for Blok "duplicating" other Legionaries' powers, he had one power not duplicated by the others: he could communicate with rocks. He could also absorb energy, but I think Wildfire had that area covered. He was also immune to psychic attack due to his inorganic brain, which is why Esper Lass couldn't mind control Blok during the battle with the LSV, but I think Rond Vidar is also immune to mind control.
To be clear, I would never kick Blok out on constitutional grounds. His hyper-density is a unique power even if he didn't have those small bonuses (Rond Vidar's abilities are irrelevant since he's not a Legionnaire). But on a reader level, it meant yet another super-strengthster in the Legion, one whose main function on missions was to punch and take damage. A tank. A brick (an appropriate appellation here). Whatever you want to call it.
ReplyDeleteBlok was my least favorite Legionnaire just because his powers WERE so dodgy. Super-strength? Invulnerability? Uh...talks to rocks? Not sure exactly how he got in. I too, warmed to him after awhile, especially when he started hanging out with Timber Wolf and White Witch (and Invisible Kid II came along---yuck!) but if I had been writer or editor, I would have changed things a little bit.
ReplyDeleteI also always held out hope that Lazon would reform and somehow turn into Reflecto.
"Irregardless" is not a word.
ReplyDelete