Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Who's Who: LSV Hunter

Hunter
by Russell & Siskoid


Real Name: Adam Orion
Super-Power(s): None; uses a variety of weapons
Planet of Origin: Simballi
Relationship to Legion: Villain

Legion Log
Otto Orion was the greatest Hunter in the universe. He was so good at hunting down and killing things that he grew bored. So he decided to increase his sense of excitement by going after the Legion of Super-Heroes. Surreptitiously, he sent hundreds of dangerous animals to various space ports, including to Metropolis. He then challenged the Legion to surrender or face an animal stampede. Rather than risk the loss of innocent lives, the seven active Legionnaires surrendered to the Hunter.

The Hunter brought his hostages to his home-planet of Simballi, where he challenged them to reach a totem pole in the middle of the jungle before he and his forces were able to capture them. The Hunter perished by his own hand when Invisible Kid was able to get to the "goal," setting himself and the others free.

Approximately four years later, Otto Orion's son, also calling himself the Hunter,  kidnapped Bouncing Boy in the first step in his plan of revenge. Adam Orion intended to hunt down the Legionnaires individually and chose Bouncing Boy because the Hunter considered him to be the least powerful. Of course, Bouncing Boy outwitted and captured him.

Several years later, the Hunter reappeared by the side of Nemesis Kid as a member of the Legion of Super-Villains. During the so-called "War of the Legions" the Hunter fought several Legionnaires. When Nemesis Kid made the decision to move the planet Orando into a "limbo dimension," the Hunter was one of the members of the Legion of Super-Villains to journey back to "our" dimension temporarily in order to capture or kill more Legionnaires. He and they were stopped by Lightning Lass.

When the red anti-matter wave appeared during the Crisis and threatened to destroy the prison planet Takron-Galtos, the Hunter was one of the inmates shown trying to escape. Later, on a cruiser carrying the inmates to the new prison planet Labyrinth, the Hunter was seen to be part of a mutiny effort. This time he was resoundingly defeated by Sensor Girl.

Five years after the Magic Wars, R.J. Brande and Chameleon Boy are searching for the Soul of Antares when the Dominators send the Hunter after them. They are almost killed until Kid Quantum shows up to save them from him.

The Hunter does not appear in the Reboot nor the Threeboot.
After Infinite Crisis, the Hunter's original history has presumably been more or less restored. He is a member of Superboy-Prime's Legion of Super-Villains, and later, of Saturn Queen's.

After Flashpoint, a very similar Hunter appeared in the 21st Century to hunt the heroes known as Hawk and Dove. Since the Legion represents the future of Earth-2, not Earth-1, the two versions of the Hunter exist, 1000 years apart.

The Hunter appeared in three episodes of the Legion of Super-Heroes animated series, voiced by Khary Payton.

Important Hunter stories:

Adventure Comics #358
(reprinted in The Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 6
and Showcase Presents: The Legion Vol. 3)
The Hunter's father Otto Orion sets his sights on the Legion

Superboy/Legion of Super-Heroes #199
(reprinted in The Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 11
and Showcase Presents: The Legion Vol. 5)
The debut of  Adam Orion as the Hunter

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #2
(reprinted in The Legion: An Eye For An Eye TPB)
The Hunter is a bonafide member of the Legion of Super-Villains


Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #3
(reprinted in The Legion: An Eye For An Eye TPB)
The Hunter is taken down (temporarily) by Dream Girl

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #4
(reprinted in The Legion: An Eye For An Eye TPB)
 
The Hunter is one of the LSV members who want to kill more Legionnaires; 
they are stopped by Lightning Lass

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #18
The Hunter is one of the inmates trying to break free from Takron-Galtos

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #21
 
The Hunter is a part of the mutiny on the way to the new prison planet, Labyrinth;
he is stopped cold by Sensor Girl

Legion of Super-Heroes (v4) #33
The Hunter is sent to hunt down R.J. Brande and son by the Dominators

Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #2
The Hunter, as a member of Superboy-Prime's Legion of Super-Villains

Legion of Super-Heroes (v6) #13
As a member of Saturn Queen's Legion of Super-Villains, the Hunter knifes Timber Wolf

Legion of Super-Heroes (v6) #14
Saturn Queen summons an entity to imbue the Hunter with interdimensional tracking ability

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #15
Tyroc defeats the Hunter and his riding ape

Hawk and Dove (v5) #7-8
The New52 Hunter

Legion of Super-Heroes animated series
The Hunter, as voiced by Khary Payton

4 comments:

  1. I know this guy was intended to look menacing but with those pigtails all I can think about is the girl from the Wendy's logo...

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  2. Liefeld is a fan, so it's no surprise he put a version in H&D.

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    Replies
    1. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the WW entry is by Liefeld....!

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    2. Right, he did do a lot of the entries but it's no surprise to me since Liefeld was a Legion fan that he would start putting versions of the characters elsewhere. Everyone likes to pillage the Legion mythos for their own material.

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