by Russell & Siskoid
Real Name: Marte Ida Allon
Super-Power(s): None
Planet of Origin: Earth
Planet of Origin: Earth
Relationship to Legion: Mother of Colossal Boy; political ally
Legion Log
Marte Allon and her husband, Wynn, have a long history with the Legion of Super-Heroes. General Wynn Allon was a retired admiral of the United Planets Defense Force and Marte was a tenured professor of Earth History at Metropolis University when their son, a Science Police cadet, was bathed in radiation from a falling meteor. Marte and her husband convinced their son that his new powers should not preclude him from public service; in fact, it was Marte who suggested their son join the Legion of Super-Heroes as Colossal Boy.
Marte and her husband lived on Earth while their son and the Legion of Super-Heroes became famous throughout the universe. Twice being related to Colossal Boy nearly proved fatal to them: once Marte and Wynn were turned to glass and used as hostages to blackmail Colossal Boy into betraying his friends. Later, Marte and Wynn and several other parents of Legionnaires were kidnapped by a disgruntled architectural designer who attempted to blackmail the Legionnaires for millions of credits. Both times, the Allons were rescued by the Legion.
Marte would have been content to live out the rest of her life as a tenured professor. However, in the first election after the Earthwar, Marte was selected by the electorate computer as one of the candidates for Earth President. She was then elected while her son and his friends struggled against the Fatal Five.
After Marte Allon was elected Earth President, she had to worry about the entire Legion, and not just about her son. She often had to order them into danger herself. Marte showed her true worth during the Grimbor Crisis, when the Earth was threatened with destruction by Grimbor the Huntsman. She was one of the strongest voice on the Earth Council refusing to acquiesce to his demands for power.
Generally speaking, Marte Allon's Presidency was an improvement over the presidency of Kandru Boltax as far as the Legion was concerned. She was well aware of how trustworthy the Legion was, and supported them in most of their endeavors. The communication between the Legion and the Earth Council was the best it had ever been. However, sometimes there were conflicts. For example, it was President Allon's duty to remind the Legion that Brainiac 5 was still suspected of murder, which did not sit well with any of the Legionnaires, including her son. She also presided over the court-martial of his good friend, Chameleon Boy.
After several assassination attempts, President Marte Allon decided to cut short her presidency; she called for new elections and was eventually replaced by Mojai Desai. When Saturn Girl and other Legionnaires learned that Universo had somehow taken over the Earth government again, Marte Allon was instrumental in helping Saturn Girl guess who Universo was masquerading as. This knowledge allowed Saturn Girl to break Universo's grip on power, freeing Earth from his control.
Marte Allon was only referred to as "Ida Allon" once, by Light Lass. This happened at the same time that she mentioned that Wildfire's parents were alive, although it has been well established that Wildfire is an orphan. In all other appearances the former President has been referred to as Marte Allon.
During the so-called Five-Year Gap, Marte Allon worked with Orando to reintegrate the world into the United Planets. Her fate after this is not known.
In the Reboot, she was the mother of Leviathan and was briefly seen in a flashback to his origin. She and her husband were also at his funeral on Shanghalla.
Presumably, Marte Allon is the mother of Micro Lad in the Threeboot, but she was never mentioned or seen.
After Infinite Crisis, Marte Allon's original history has presumably been more or less restored. She later rejoined the Eartgov Council, though not as president.
Important Marte Allon stories:
Adventure Comics #371-372
(reprinted in The Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 4
and Showcase Presents: The Legion Vol. 2)
Marte & Wynn are turned into glass and used as hostages
(reprinted in The Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 4
and Showcase Presents: The Legion Vol. 2)
Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #263
Marte & Wynn are kidnapped by Dagon along with several other Legion parents;
first and only time she is referred to as "Ida"
first and only time she is referred to as "Ida"
Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #269-271
Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #273
President Allon forces the Legion to investigate the crimes of Brainiac 5
Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #277-280
Best of DC #24
Legion of Super-Heroes Annual (v1) #1 (1982)
Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #290
Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #308
Colossal Boy tells his parents that he's married; Marte gives Yera a Life Crystal just like hers
Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #313
Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #1
(reprinted in The Legion of Super-Heroes: An Eye For An Eye)
Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #3
(reprinted in The Legion of Super-Heroes: An Eye For An Eye)
Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #7
(reprinted in The Legion of Super-Heroes: The More Things Change)
Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #10
(reprinted in The Legion of Super-Heroes: The More Things Change)
Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #27
Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #35
Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #39
Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #47
not so concerned about not looking like they usually do
Who's Who in the Legion of Super-Heroes #7
Legion of Super-Heroes 2996 DC Heroes sourcebook
to be official regarding the Five Year Gap, including a brief entry on Marte Allon
Legion of Super-Heroes Annual (v4) #6
Legionnaires #41
Legion of Super-Heroes (v6) #6
Good LORD, the number of example pages !! I don't think even the individual Legionnaires had this many. Yeesh. I never knew Marte Allon was THIS important a supporting character.
ReplyDeleteThat's part of what so cool about the Legion. Besides the regular characters, some of the supporting characters (like Marte Allon) have been around for fifty years. As this one illustrates, some of the background characters have some real depth.
DeleteYes, sometimes I think we go overboard with these lesser characters. In general we feature ALL appearances, which for main characters would be impossible.
DeleteYou want to read about Chameleon Boy? Just read any Legion book. You want to read about Marte? You'll need a more detailed spotter's guide, which we provide.
DeleteI'm all for a detailed spotter's guide, and I don't mean to deride this site's efforts. In fact, I'm grateful for it. I was simply astonished at the amount shown for what I always presumed was a minor supporting character.
DeleteThere was a comic in the 60's named "Marty Allen". I've wondered if he was the inspiration for her name.
ReplyDelete