Silver Age Legion Writers

The Legion of Super Writers

by Emsley Wyatt

When the Legion of Super-Heroes were introduced in Adventure Comics #247 back in April 1958, it was intended to be your typical one-and-done kind of story. But if there was one thing that the DC writing staff was known for, it was recycling story elements as part of the Superman mythology. Indeed, they would recycle whole stories on occasion, as I have commented on here. So, once the Legion was established it was inevitable that they would return. But what was not inevitable was that they would, over time, develop a mythology of their own as broad and deep as the one that originated them. As the manifest of this page tells us, it takes a Legion to create it. A Legion of Super Writers, if you will...

Superboy's Brothers Halk Kar and Mon-El

“Twice Told Tales” or “Haven’t I read this comic before?”
A "double-header" review by Emsley Wyatt

“Superman’s Big Brother”
Superman #80 (Jan/Feb 1953)
Writer: Edmond Hamilton
Artist: Al Plastino

"Superboy’s Big Brother” 

Superboy #89 (June 1961)

Writer: Robert Bernstein

Artist: George Papp

It was not uncommon back in the early days of comics for stories to be, err, recycled after a period of time.  The thinking was that folks only read comics for a period of a few years and that nobody would ever notice and so what if they did.
The idea that the ephemeral medium of comic books would ever be subjected to in-depth analysis would have been inconceivable to the publishers and editors of the Fifties and Sixties.  Usually the “in house plagiarism” was limited to plot points or story elements but you would get those instances where the entire story was retold with only minor changes.  A couple examples of this involved the initial featured appearances of two members of the Legion of Super Heroes, Mon-El and Sun Boy.  This review concerns the former; we’ll get to the latter on another occasion.

The End of the ADVENTURE....

The Legion of Super-Heroes moved into Adventure Comics with issue #300 (Sept 1962). The Legion moved OUT of Adventure Comics after issue #380 (May 1969).

These 81 issues (plus a few odd Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, and Superboy issues) constitute the foundation of the Legion of Super-Heroes' "world." Although the majority of Silver Age Legionnaires made their debut appearances prior to this Adventure Comics run, all of the classic Legion friends, villains, and supporting characters DID first appear in one or more of these 81 stories. The Legion of Substitute Heroes? Check. (Adventure #304.)  The Time Trapper? Check. (Adventure Comics #317). Mordru? Check. (Adventure #369). Rond Vidar and his proud papa, Universo? Check and check. (Adventure #349).

Prior to Adventure #300 the Legion had no particular home; they bounced around as supporting characters in Superman, Superboy, and Supergirl features. After Adventure #380 they moved to the back-up spot in Action Comics, where they stayed for approximately one year. They were then homeless again until they moved over as one of the rotating back-up spots in Superboy from #172. I think we all know how *that* move turned out...

Today we here at the Legion of Super-Bloggers would like to take a moment to salute these pivotal issues of Adventure Comics before we move on to the Action Comic series. To tell you the truth, without them, we don't think we would be here today.

TOS: Adventure Comics #345

Adventure Comics #344 (June 1966)
title: "The Execution of Matter-Eater Lad!"

writer: Edmond Hamilton 

penciller: Curt Swan
inker: George Klein

letterer: Milton Snapinn
editor: Mort Weisinger

cover: Curt Swan & George Klein

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage and Mike "Nostalgic Kid" Lane

Mission Monitor Board:  
Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Cosmic Boy, Duo Damsel, Element Lad, Invisible Kid, Light Lass, Matter-Eater Lad, Saturn Girl, Superboy, Ultra Boy, Mon-El

Guests: 
Blockade Boy, Shadow Kid, other unnamed prisoners

Opponents: 
Nardo and his android security guards, Weight Wizard

TOS: Adventure Comics #344

Adventure Comics #344 (May 1966)
title: "The Super Stalag of Space!"

writer: Edmond Hamilton 

penciller: Curt Swan
inker: George Klein

letterer: Milton Snapinn
editor: Mort Weisinger

cover: Curt Swan & George Klein

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage and Mike "Nostalgic Kid" Lane

Mission Monitor Board:  
Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Cosmic Boy, Duo Damsel, Element Lad, Invisible Kid, Light Lass, Matter-Eater Lad, Saturn Girl

Guests: 
Plant Lad, Shadow Kid, Blockade Boy, Weight Wizard, unnamed Durlan posing as Superboy

Opponents: 
Nardo and his android security guards

TOS: Adventure Comics #343

Adventure Comics #343 (April 1966)
title: "The Evil Hand of the Luck Lords!"

writer: Edmond Hamilton

penciller: Curt Swan
inker: George Klein

letterer: Milton Snapinn
editor: Mort Weisinger

cover: Curt Swan & George Klein

special guest reviewer: Jason "Anacronistic Kid" Knol

Mission Monitor Board:  
Brainiac 5, Sun Boy, Saturn Girl, Superboy, Lightning Lad, Cosmic Boy, Chameleon Boy, Duo Damsel, Invisible Kid,  Shrinking Violet, Element Lad, Matter-Eater Lad

Guests: 
former Legionnaires Bouncing Boy and Star Boy; The Legion of Super-Pets (Beppo, Comet, Krypto, Proty II, Streaky)

Opponents: 
The Luck Lords

TOS: Adventure Comics #342

Adventure Comics #342 (March 1966)
title: "The Legionnaire Who Killed!"

writer: Edmond Hamilton

penciller: Curt Swan
inker: Sheldon Moldoff (pp 1-8) and George Klein (pp 9-17)

letterer: Vivian Berg (pp 2-8) and Milton Snapinn (pp 9-17)
editor: Mort Weisinger

cover: Curt Swan & George Klein

reviewers: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage and Michael "Nostalgic Kid" Lane

Mission Monitor Board:  
Star Boy, Brainiac 5, Superboy, Saturn Girl, and the rest of the Legion of Super-Heroes

Guests: 
Dream Girl, Night Girl, and Polar Boy of the Legion of Substitute Heroes

Opponents: 
Kenz Nuhor, lack of imagination

TOS: Adventure Comics #341

Adventure Comics #341 (February, 1966)
title: "Colossal Boy's One-Man War!"

writer: Edmond Hamilton (plot by Jerry Siegel?)

penciller: Curt Swan
inker: Sheldon Moldoff

letterer: Milton Snapinn
editor: Mort Weisinger

cover: Curt Swan & George Klein

reviewers: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage and Mike "Nostalgic Kid" Lane

Mission Monitor Board:  
Brainiac 5, Colossal Boy, Mon-El, Chameleon Boy, Matter-Eater Lad, Shrinking Violet, Light Lass, Phantom Girl, Ultra Boy, Superboy, Sun Boy, Star Boy, and new Legionnaire Duo Damsel; cameos by Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, Invisible Kid

Guests: 
Bouncing Boy, Proty II

Opponents: 
Computo

TOS: Adventure Comics #339

Adventure Comics #339 (December, 1965)
title: "Hunters of the Super-Beasts!"

writer: Edmond Hamilton

penciller: John Forte
inker: Sheldon Moldoff

letterer: Vivian Berg?
editor: Mort Weisinger

cover: Curt Swan & George Klein

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage


Mission Monitor Board:  
Brainiac 5, Sun Boy, Lightning Lad, Superboy, Mon-El, Invisible Kid, Chameleon Boy, Saturn Girl, Colossal Boy, Star Boy, Phantom Girl

Guests: 
The Heroes of Lallor (Evolvo Lad, Life Lass, Gas Girl, Duplicate Boy)

Opponents: 
Beast Boy and his revolutionary animals: Dralgo, Vran, Flasher-Beast, Tork, Slith, Maw

TOS: Adventure Comics #337

Adventure Comics #337 (October 1965)
title: The Weddings That Wrecked the Legion
writer: Edmond Hamilton
artist: John Forte
letterer: Milton Snapinn
editor: Mort Weisinger
cover: Curt Swan and George Klein
cover letterer: Ira Schnapp
reviewer: Bits Boy (AKA Legion Lad)

Mission Monitor Board
Superboy, Sun Boy, Colossal Boy, Phantom Girl, Ultra Boy, Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, Chameleon Boy, Mon-El, Brainiac 5, Light Lass, Cosmic Boy, Element lad, Shrinking Violet, Star Boy, Triplicate Girl

Guests
Night Girl, Chlorophyll Kid

Opponent
Would-be invaders from planet Murra

TOS: Adventure Comics #336

Adventure Comics #336 (September 1965)
title: "The True Identity of Starfinger!"

writer: Edmond Hamilton

artist: John Forte

editor: Mort Weisinger

cover: Curt Swan & George Klein

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Superboy, Brainiac 5, Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet, Chameleon Boy, Triplicate Girl, Phantom Girl, Light Lass, Matter-Eater Lad, Colossal Boy, Ultra Boy, Lightning Lad; cameos by Element Lad, Invisible Kid, Sun Boy, Mon-El, and Star Boy

Opponents: 
Starfinger

TOS: Adventure Comics #335

Adventure Comics #335 (August 1965)
title: "Starfinger!"

writer: Edmond Hamilton
penciller: John Forte
inker: Sheldon Moldoff

editor: Mort Weisinger

cover: Curt Swan & George Klein

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Brainiac 5, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Element Lad, Invisible Kid, Light Lass, Lightning Lad, Matter-Eater Lad, Mon-El, Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl, Star Boy, Sun Boy, Superboy, Ultra Boy

Opponents: 
Starfinger

TOS: Adventure Comics #334

Hey, it's Anj from the Supergirl site Comic Box Commentary, looking back at one of my favorite issues from the Silver Age, Adventure Comics #334, 'The Unknown Legionnaire'!

 People should know by now that I love the Legion and this issue has the bonus of including the Silver Age Supergirl as well. But the biggest mystery of the comic is who is the Unknown Legionnaire? Who is he? And why is he the 'greatest super-hero of all time'??

Now trust me, this is a wild story. One of the things that amazes me is how jam packed these Silver Age stories are. I mean, this is a dense story with plot twists and major turns and multiple scenes changes. This would be a 6 issue arc in today's books and here it was told in a crisp 17 page story.

And, of course, knowing my particular interests, I felt obliged to review this issue.

TOS: Adventure Comics #333

Adventure Comics #333 (June 1965)
title: The War Between Krypton and Earth
writer: Edmond Hamilton
penciller: John Forte
inker: George Klein
letterer: Milton Snappin
editor: Mort Weisinger
cover: Curt Swan and George Klein
reviewer: Mike "Nostalgic Kid" Lane

Mission Monitor Board:
Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Element Lad, Light Lass, Lightning Lad, Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl, Star Boy, Superboy, Triplicate Girl.

Opponent: Themselves

TOS: Adventure Comics #332

Adventure Comics #332 (May 1965)
title: The Super-Moby Dick of Space 
writer: Edmond Hamilton
artist: John Forte
letterer: Milton Snapinn 
editor: Mort Weisinger 
cover: Curt Swan and George Klein 
cover letterer: Ira Schnapp 
reviewer: Mike "Nostalgic Kid" Lane

Mission Monitor Board:
Brainiac 5, Colossal Boy, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Sun Boy, Superboy, Ultra Boy

Guest:
Dr. Lanphier

Opponent:
The Super-Moby Dick of Space

TOS: Adventure Comics #327 - Timber Wolf!

Hey all, it's Anj, jumping into the original series reviews to cover 'The Lone Wolf Legonnaire' from Adventure Comics 327.

I assume I was offered to review this issue based on Timber Wolf's long standing romance with Ayla Ranzz, one of my favorite Legionnaires and an early comic book crush. How could I say no? As is typical for stories of this time, there is definitely a 'love at first sight' attraction between Ayla and Brin. Also, this is one of those classic overstuffed Silver Age stories with an insane number of plot points and wacky events careening through the fifteen pages!

Writer Edmond Hamilton introduces us to Lone Wolf, a new character with a very convoluted origin as well as a new set of powers, super-acrobatics. John Forte is on art and brings the classic house style of the 50s to the proceedings. Since this story is so rapidly paced, Forte is called on to draw circuses, mine shafts, and battle sequences.

This would have easily been an arc in a new book if not a drawn out plot. Think of Gazelle in the threeboot, slowly introduced with an origin revealed in bits before she joined the team.

On to the book!

TOS: Adventure Comics #324

Adventure Comics #324 (Sept 1964)
title: "The Legion of Super-Oulaws!"

writer: Edmond Hamilton
penciller: John Forte

editor: Mort Weisinger

cover: Curt Swan & George Klein

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Superboy, Star Boy, Shrinking Violet, Invisible Kid, Colossal Boy, Mon-El; cameos by Ultra Boy, Element Lad, Chameleon Boy, Sun Boy, Saturn Girl

Guests: 
The Heroes of Lallor: Beast Boy, Gas Girl, Evolvo Lad, Life Lass, and Duplicate Boy

Opponents: 
Dr. Marden King

TOS: Adventure Comics #322 Point-Counterpoint

Adventure Comics #322 (July 1964)
title: "The Super-Tests of the Super-Pets!"

writer: Edmond Hamilton

penciller: John Forte
inker: Sheldon Moldoff

letterer: Milton Snapinn
editor: Mort Weisinger

cover: Curt Swan & George Klein

reviewers: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage and Mike "Nostalgic Kid" Lane

Mission Monitor Board:  
Saturn Girl, Superboy, Mon-El, Phantom Girl, Lightning Lad, Brainiac 5, Light Lass, Chameleon Boy, Ultra Boy, Sun Boy

Guests: 
Legion of Substitute Heroes (Polar Boy, Night Girl, Fire Lad, Chlorophyll Kid); the Legion of Super-Pets (Krypto, Beppo, Streaky, Comet, and new member Proty II)

Opponents: 
elitism, super-dickery, the threat of the Time  Trapper

TOS: Adventure Comics #321

Hey Fellow Legionnaires! It's your old pal Tim, aka Kord Kid, back again! 

As I've mentioned before, Russell, our fearless leader, has tasked me with looking back at some of the Legion's Silver Age adventures. I love these goofy early adventures, so of course I said "Sign me up!" I thought, "One day I might regret this..." but what the heck right? It's the Silver Age, how bad can they be? Today I'm taking a look at Adventure Comics #321...and the story, "The Code of the Legion!" by Edmond Hamilton and John Forte! I'm especially excited, because Russell said it's a Time Trapper story! Let's jump in...

TOS: Adventure Comics #319

Adventure Comics #319 (April 1964)
title: "The Legion's Suicide Squad!" / "The Charge of the Substitute Heroes!"

writer: Edmond Hamilton

penciller: John Forte
inker: John Forte
lettering: Ira Schnapp (cover), Milton Snapinn
editor: Mort Weisinger

cover: Curt Swan and Sheldon Moldoff
reviewers: Siskoid

Mission Monitor Board:  
Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Element Lad, Invisible Kid, Light Lass, Lightning Lad, Matter-Eater Lad, Mon-El, Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet, Star Boy, Sun Boy, Superboy, Triplicate Girl, Ultra Boy

Guests: 
James Bannon, Legion of Substitute Heroes (Chlorophyll Kid, Fire-Lad, Night Girl, Polar Boy, Stone Boy), Tim Vare, U.P. President; a government consultant, hungry aliens, Metropolis citizens, Science Police, space farers

Opponents: 
Throonians, their giant robot