Happy Birthday, Paul Levitz!

Happy Birthday, Paul Levitz! 

Today is the birthday of incredible Legion of Super-Heroes writer Paul Levitz, born on this date in  1956. He is sixty years young!

Paul took over the writing credits on the Legion from Superboy/Legion # 225 in 1977 after Cary Bates and Jim Shooter both moved on from the series. He attempted to start his run off with a bang, killing off Chemical King and embroiling the Legion in Earthwar. However, this stretch was characterized by various artists and fill-in stories; his last story appeared in Superboy/Legion #251 in 1979, but by this point he had already been replaced by Gerry Conway.

He came back in late 1981 for Legion (v2) #284 and this time he stayed on the series an unbelievable eight years. As writer he worked with such artistic talents as James Sherman, Mike Grell, Joe Staton, Pat Broderick, Keith Giffen, Steve Lightle, and Greg LaRocque.

During his run Paul Levitz wrote more than 147 Legion of Super-Heroes issues. He took eleven years off from the Legion in 1989, then came back in 2010 and wrote another 47 Legion issues.

Of course, he also wrote countless other stories starring Batman, Superman, the Huntress, the Justice Society of America, and Aquaman, as well as many others.

Paul was an executive at DC and Warner Bros for several years, eventually becoming President and Publisher of DC from 2002-2009. He now teaches and writes on a freelance basis. His newest books include The Bronze Age of DC Comics and Will Eisner: Champion of the Graphic Novel. 

You can find Paul Levitz at his site PaulLevitz.com.

There were so many things that Paul Levitz did or expanded during his tenure on Legion of Super-Heroes that we can't list everything, so please enjoy what we consider the most important Levitz Legion touches!

Co-created Dawnstar

Killed Chemical King

Married Saturn Girl & Lightning Lad

The Earthwar Saga

Made Brainiac 5 Crazy

Developed Chameleon Boy as RJ Brande's son

Made Princess Projectra into Queen

Introduced Invisible Kid II

The Great Darkness Saga

Added The White Witch to the Legion

Re-Imagined "the Adult Legion"

Married Princess Projectra & Karate Kid

Bore Saturn Girl & Lightning Lad sons

Validus! 

Killed Karate Kid

Re-created Lightning Lass

Created Sensor Girl

Re-introduced Emerald Empress

The Universo Project 

Killed Superboy

Had Time Trapper Face the Infinite Man

Killed Magnetic Kid 

Destroyed the technologically advanced future