Who's Who: Plant Lad

Plant Lad
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: Noyt Echad

Super-Power(s): Ability to transform into any plant
Planet of Origin: Simballi

Relationship to Legion: Ally

Legion Log
Plant Lad was one of the prisoners held captive by a powerful despot named Nardo, a ruthless dictator of a race whose bodies are powered by nuclear energy in their veins and who could emit murderous nuclear energy bolts. After Nardo was over-powered and exiled into space by his planet's police force, he swore eternal hatred against Law and Order. Using some of his ill-gotten gains, he built himself a huge prison on an asteroid deep in space. There he collected law enforcement agents who happened across his path, including members of the Legion.

Plant Lad was another one of the prisoners in Nardo's Super Stalag. He was already a prisoner there when Brainiac 5 and the other Legionnaires were captured, so we never learned how or why he came across Nardo and was caught. In fact, during the course of the two-part adventure we did not learn any of the pertinent facts that ended up in his Who's Who in the Legion profile entry (above).
The only thing we learned during the course of the adventure was that Plant Lad had the ability to transform himself into plants. Who's Who tells us they were the result of poison spores, and that scientists on his homeworld were worried he would psychologically be unable to revert to humanoid form if he stayed a vegetable for too long. After having failed to save a child, he stole a ship and left, but then was caught by Nardo.

Plant Lad had been living in the concentration camp longer than the Legionnaires, so had been tormented longer. Although the Legionnaires promised all the prisoners that they would manage an escape, Plant Lad was unwilling to wait. Finally, he snapped. He transformed himself into a Venusian Octopus Vine and struck at the android guards. Before he could defeat the majority of them, he was shot and killed.

Plant Lad was originally buried on the asteroid by Nardo's android guards, but after the Legion destroyed the facility and captured Nardo, he was presumably re-interned on Shanghalla, the Cemetery Asteroid.

After the Reboot, someone looking like Plant Lad applied for Legion membership during massive try-outs. Whether or not this was Plant Lad, he was not selected for the team.

After the Threeboot, Ral Benem, the original continuity's Chlorophyll Kid, is Plant Lad, a member of the Wanderers.

After Infinite Crisis, Plant Lad's original history has presumably been more or less restored.

The Only Plant Lad stories:

Adventure Comics #344
 (reprinted in The Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 5
and Showcase Presents: The Legion Vol. 2)

The debut and death of Plant Lad

Legionnaires #43

Possible Plant Lad appearance in the Reboot?