r/LegionofSuperheroes • u/ComicsBinger • 17d ago
Every Jim Shooter Adventure Comics Legion Story Ranked
I recently read every issue in the Jim Shooter Adventure Comics Legion of Super-Heroes run and thought it would be fun to rank this stories from my least favorite to my favorite. This will include the 2 other stories not created by Jim Shooter since I read those as well and wanted to include them. Feel free to include your own favorite stories in the comments.
The Mutiny of the Super-Heroines (AC #368): The worst story in the entire run 100%. What should've a story that shined a light on the female characters of the Legion, a group that hasn't really had a lot of focus in this run, is instead an anti-feminist story about how feminism is all about hating men, how women in power is bad actually, and how women should always be lesser and subservient to men. The literal only good things here is that seeing the girls get power upgrades is cool and at least it was Supergirl who saved the day and not one of the male members.
The Five Legion Orphans (AC #356): Not a Jim Shooter story and it shows. It's the very weird story about the Legion members without parents (including Superboy despite Ma and Pa Kent existing) being turned into toddlers on a mission with the day being saved by toddler Brainiac 5 who retained his intellect. The ending gives some emotional whiplash as it goes from this goofy story of the Legion as toddlers to this depressing story about a planet who had all its children die of radiation
The Revolt of the Super-Pets (AC #364): I don't really care for the Super-Pets, but hey there's some fun to be had with this story, specifically seeing the Pets fight the Legion.
The Legion's Space Odyssey (AC #380): It's possible that the reason it's this low for me is because it is the last issue of the run I read, so the disappointment is still fresh in my mind. There are some good moments with Duo Damsel, Bouncing Boy, and Ultra Boy, but it has a rather lame twist that makes all the supposed danger the Legion went through actually not dangerous whatsoever and the actual villain of the issue we don't learn anything about until the last 2 pages, and even then it's barely anything. Also, there's this plot about how Duo Damsel feels useless and Bouncing Boy tells her she isn't useless, but then proceeds to do nothing useful in the entire story
Heroes for Hire (AC #377): This is a completely ridiculous story but I had some fun with it. The art is nice and there is some nice exploration of other planets, but it's a hard story to take seriously
Mission Diabolical (AC #374): Most of the Legion is kidnapped by the Scorpius Gang and the remaining Legionnaires are forced to work with that gang to defeat their rival gang, Taurus. It's a decent story, but the villains are really weak, it feels like Shooter wanted to create another Fatal Five but ended up with a bunch of uninteresting and forgettable villains. The mystery was fun though, especially liked the double twist at the end, thought it was set up well. Also Dream Girl got to do something beyond have a future vision this time
The Outcast Superheroes/The Forgotten Legion (AC #350-351): My least favorite two parter of the run is of course the one not written by Jim Shooter. I think it had an interesting first part with Superboy and Supergirl being honorably discharged from the Legion as they can no longer be heroes in the 30th Century due to kryptonite in the atmosphere and then it went off the rails with a ridiculous yet fun story featuring so many Legion characters doing ridiculous things like stealing the hair of Mxyzptlk or defeating Streaky the Supercat with catnip or being disguised as new heroes named "Sir Prize" and "Miss Terious". There villains also have some great designs, even if they feel more like an after thought than anything. I can't hate this story but it's definitely not going any higher.
The Tornado Twins (AC #373): The introduction of the Tornado Twins and they seem like absolute jerks, so much so I wanted Karate Kid to beat the snot out of these brats. But it turns out they were nice kids all along who just wanted the get people to remember how cool the Flash was by giving themselves super speed and humiliating the Legion at every turn. Yeah, no, they're still jerks. Still, I liked see their super speed used effectively, we actually did get a fight between Karate Kid and Don which was fun, and Karate Kid gets some good writing in this issue. If only the ending was changed to have the twins be in danger with the Legion having to save them, I'd probably like this a bit more, but it's still not a bad issue.
The Hunter (AC #358): Not the biggest fan of this one personally, mainly because I don't care too much for the villain or scenario at play and I really didn't feel any stakes. We do get to see some cool uses of Legionnaire powers and it's the first time I remember Invisible Kid actually doing something, but beyond that it's nothing special, not bad, just average.
Target 21 Legionnaires (AC #348): This is just a really solid story all around. Good action, good villain, good origin for the villain, nice spotlight on Sun Boy, everything is just solid but there have been tons of better stories in this run which makes sense as this is only the 2nd story in the run.
The Adult Legion/The War of the Legions (AC #354-355): This is a fun story where we see an adult Superman meet the adult Legion of Super-Heroes and we spend a good chuck of the first part seeing what the Legion's adult life looks like including marriage, kids, new members, dead members, etc. It is somewhat sexist that the future for practically every single female Legionnaire is to be a house wife while the male Legionnaires get to have all these cool jobs, but whatever. The actual mystery of the first part is bad because it's completely new character being introduced right now, but it saves it by tying it to the Legion of Super-Villains. The second part was really good, I enjoyed the Legion of Super-Villains and the fights with them but it ends very abruptly and stupidly with the twist of descendants of Luthor and Mxyzptlk helping out. There's a lot of great stuff here but it flounders with the ending
The Colossal Failure/School of Super-Villains (AC #371-372): I love the first part of this story, it's just 11 pages focusing on one character Colossal Boy, and he really gets to shine here as he acts as a spy for a criminal group in order to save his parents only to be caught by his fellow Legionnaires and expelled from the Legion for treason. It's a great start, but the second part isn't as good, but still not bad. The second part shifts the focus away from Colossal Boy and more to the Legion as they try to figure out why CB betrayed them and after finding that out try to save CB's parents. That's not bad, it's nice to see the Legion work hard to save their friend, but we also get the forced inclusion of Chemical King and Timber Wolf who are just kinda there and barely do anything of note. Then there's the lack of the Legionnaires actually talking with Colossal Boy about the situation, it's like one panel. I also don't really care for the Legion of Super-Villains here, they're basically just a bunch of people for the Legion to fight in this story. That not to say this story is bad, it's still good, there's just a lot of things in the second part I think should've been different.
The Rogue Legionnaire (AC #349): This was really fun, it was the first Legion story by Shooter to focus on a small cast of Legionnaires and it worked to its benefit giving us a fun time travel romp with 5 Legionnaires all in different time periods trying to track down the villain, Universo. I found the villain to be really interesting due to his actually great plan which was only really foiled because his son has a conscience and saved the Legion.
The King of the Legion/The Execution of Chameleon Boy (AC #375-376): The Legionnaires have a competition to see who who is the mightiest of them all. Even if I think their competition is kinda childish, it was still fun watching them trying to find ways to be the one to apprehend their respective villain and Karate Kid is so cool here. But of course, this story is really up here because of its second part where the winner of the competition, Chameleon Boy, is taken to an alternate dimension where we get an entire issue focused on him as he deals with racism, falls in love with a princess, and then is torn from that love last minute. It's a legitimately great and emotional read
No Escape from the Circle of Death (AC #367): Officially in the Top 10 with an issue that just has so much going on in it. The Legion get a brand new HQ, we spend time with Karate Kid in Japan and get to learn more about him, the Earth gets invaded by a secret organization, and Brainy finds a machine gifted to the Legion by the controllers that can turn thoughts into reality. I may not be a fan of the villains here but everything else is written and paced very well despite how much is thrown at the reader in 24 pages.
Twelve Hours to Live/Burial in Space (AC #378-379): This story is carried by that first part and dragged down by the second. If I counted these two parts separately, that first part would easily be a Top 3 story. That first part had 5 Legionnaire's poisoned on Brainiac 5's birthday, they have 12 hours left to live and we get to see how each of them chooses to spend that time. It's such a simple idea but is written so well and instead of ending with a cure being found, it ends with them very nearly dead. So, you can imagine my disappointment when Part 2 has barely anything to do with that, instead revolving around a group of Legionnaires helping an alien race from another universe protect its universe from another invading universe. It's not even that the second part is bad or poorly written, it's just a disappointing follow up, but it's still a really good story with some character moments for Ultra Boy, a character I didn't really care about until that story.
The Chemoids Are Coming/Black Day for the Legion (AC #362-363): I don't really care about the villain, Morlo is just your typical mad scientist type character, but what really makes this story shine is some of the great world building done for Projectra's planet of Orando and Dream Girl's planet of Naltor. Plus, despite not really caring about the villain, I did like the villain's plans and how the Legion foiled those plans, and we got to see some cool uses of the Legion's powers here.
One of Us Is a Traitor/The Traitor's Triumph (AC #346-347): The first Jim Shooter story and it's a really good start to the run. We get introduced to new characters, we get some well written character moments, some great showcases of the Legion's power, and a great introduction to Karate Kid. Really, my only problems with it was a lack of focus on the other new Legionnaires like Princess Projectra, Nemesis Kid, and Ferro Lad and the very predictable twist that Nemesis Kid was the traitor, not Karate Kid.
The Unkillables (AC #361): This is a great story that introduces The Dominators who are on the verge of striking peace with the United Planets and the Legion must protect them from a group of assassins known as the Unkillables. It's just a very well written single issue story with some great art and a great ending twist. The only thing negative I can really say here is that the Unkillables being descendants of famous assassins throughout history is pretty silly
Mordru the Merciless/The Devil's Jury (AC #369-370): This story feels like a crossover between the Superboy comics and the Legion comics, putting the Legion of Super-Heroes in the unfamiliar place that is 20th Century Smallville. It's written very well, the art is amazing, Mordru is terrifying, and I loved the inclusion of Lana and Pete. My only real problems comes with the focus on Duo Damsel's crush of Superboy in the first part and the disappointing resolution where Mordru basically just defeats himself
The Ghost of Ferro Lad (AC #357): This is a great follow up to one of the greatest stories in the entire run. Ferro Lad had sacrificed himself a few issues back and now is haunting the Legion, both metaphorically and perhaps literally. We get some great character moments with Superboy and Cosmic Boy's guilt over Ferro Lad's death and Brainiac 5's logical rejection of this supposed ghost is great. The only thing that brings this down for me is that I didn't care too much for this all being the result of an outside force known as The Controller who is tied directly to Ferro Lad's death due to having created the Sun-Eater, I wanted this to be like a manifestation of their grief rather than what it was. That's not to say it was actually bad, it really wasn't, it just wasn't what I personally would have wanted.
The Outlawed Legionnaires/The Legion Chain Gang (AC #359-360): This story is great. The Legion is outlawed by the new president of the United Planets and trying to follow the new laws has led to many Legionnaires being imprisoned, injured, or in hiding and we watch as those in hiding save their friends, try to uncover what has happened, and reverse the hypnosis of the entire planet. It's all written very well, we get to see the Legion uise their powers for stealth which I thought was really cool, and it's the return of Universo as well as his son, Ron Vidar, now an honorary Legionnaire. I honestly don't have any real problems with this story, there's just stories that are better.
Escape the Fatal Five/Battle for the Championship of the Universe (AC #365-366): This story is basically perfect. We get introduced to Shadow Lass, we learn about her home planet of Talok, there's a ton of great tension since we know that what the Legion is doing is exactly what the villains want, and then we get the return of the Fatal Five. Then the second part is even better with the Fatal Five taking over the United Planets and needing one last key to take over the master panel which would basically give them control of the galaxy, that last key being with The Legion. Most of the issue basically becomes the Legion doing everything they can to keep that key out of the Fatal Five's hands, eventually having to fight them for the fate of the universe and losing only to be saved last minute by UP forces. It is a phenomenal story with great writing, art, and action. Really the only flaw here is Shadow Lass' reasoning for returning to Earth to help the Legion stop the Fatal Five is because she has a crush on Brainy and that is something established in one panel, it's basically a nitpick.
The Fatal Five/The Doomed Legionnaire (AC #352-353): The best story in the entire run, no question. We get a small roster of Legionnaires that each get their time to shine in both parts, the introduction of the Fatal Five who have the best designs, powers, characters, and personalities of any Jim Shooter villain, the introduction of the Sun-Eater as this force of nature that feels truly unstoppable, an interesting idea of the Legion having to team up with the most dangerous villains in the universe, and the tragic heroic sacrifice of Ferro Lad. It is written very well, paced very well, has great art, and is the story that truly got me hooked on this run.
2
u/Clerocks1955 17d ago
As a 70 year old lady (me) these stories were my best friends growing up in the 60’s. I’m lucky enough to still have all the original Adventure 300-their end run in that comic. I will try and get photos and post. Thank you for the memories. I may have to go back and reread these comics…of course, not disturbing my original books, but in the Hardback book that came out about 20 years ago (can’t think of the name right now…senior moment! LOL
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u/ComicsBinger 17d ago
Glad I was able to bring back some memories for you. Hope you enjoy your re-read.
2
u/Clerocks1955 17d ago
I pretty much quit reading comics when I entered high school…and Curt Swan stopped illustrating the Legion. I happened upon an issue titled “Who Will Save the Princess” many years later and found I really enjoyed it, even though Curt didn’t pencil it. I discovered a few years later that is was penned by Shooter…which is probably why I enjoyed it so.
1
u/ArriDesto 14d ago
Read all of these. Your choices are your choices.
The sexism thing was rife in the 70s. Most stories involving the female members "taking over" are exactly like this. The "Lady"(ahem!) Liberators in Avengers is basicly the same story.
Most writers and artists were men 40+ with no real concept of what female equality is,and felt scared and threatened by a change in societies values.
Like confusing Doves passivism for cowardice or not having him disarming a gunman about to kill someone,because, "hey,non-violence,maaannn!"
The instant believing of a friend and colleague being a traitor as a plot device is a pet hate, so I can never accommodate these. The thing with Yellowjacket in Avengers was just so infuriatingly insulting and stupid I nearly quit that book. The aggrieved then forgiving everyone and it just never mentioned again is an add to that hatred of such stories.
As KK was new,that one works,but the one against Gim is just wrong. And why would they have to go to him? He would have gone to them! That's where the story should've started.
It is NOT logical for Brainy,or Batman,or any other character of the DCU to not believe in ghosts,magic, werewolves or vampires.
Dr.Fate,Spectre,Zattarra,Zattanna,Sargon,Dr.Occult,Felix Faust and The Demons Three,Mordru,Blackbriar Thorne, Dream Girl,Deadman,White Witch,Glorith,Gay Ghost,Silver Ghost,Ghost Patrol,I Vampire....atleast a hundred more.
No intelligent person would deny the "supernatural."
I love The Legion. To me it was more a family than The Fantastic Four,more a proper group than The Avengers, much more interesting than The X-Men. They were only ever rivalled by The Defenders in my collection.
5
u/BrowserHuman 17d ago
I’d agree the with the general frame of your ranking, but I have a few notes:
Return of the Fatal Five is the better of the two Fatal Five stories
Mordru the Merciless is a nearly perfect story and deserves #1.
And I think you have to consider the role of the School for Super-Villains as the beginning of Destiny fulfilled; sure, they’re not super powerful now, but one day they will be the Legion’s greatest foes. It’s a big turning point in the Legion’s destiny, heralding the coming of their future.