Who's Who: Animal Lad

Animal Lad
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: Ennis Janhson

Super-Power(s): Ability to turn people into animals, and animals into people

Planet of Origin: Earth

Relationship to Legion: Legion reject

Legion Log
Animal Lad appeared at an Open Call for new Legionnaires. However, he had the misfortune to attend the one-and-only membership try-out run by Dynamo Boy, who had maneuvered circumstances so that he was the sole Legionnaire at the time. Dynamo Boy was attempting to change the Legion from a force for good into a force for evil, so although Animal Lad demonstrated his ability to turn people into animals and back, and to tame wild animals, when Dynamo Boy learned that Animal Lad was good of heart and could not be turned towards evil, he was summarily rejected.

Because he was not officially rejected by the "true" Legion, Animal Lad was not given a Legion Flight Ring as a consolation prize. Nor was he given contact information to the Legion of Substitute Heroes, therefore missing his one opportunity to join the superhero community.

No mention of him was made after the so-called Five-Year Gap, the Reboot or the Threeboot. After Infinite Crisis, Animal Lad's original history has presumably been more or less restored.

Animal Lad stories:

Adventure Comics #331
 (reprinted in The Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 4 
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 2)

Animal Lad tries out for the Legion---but only for the evil Dynamo Boy, 
who rejects him for being too honest