ADVENTURE COMICS 316 (1964)
by Edmond Hamilton and John Forte
This is a pretty significant issue: it will define Ultra Boy and Phantom Girl for decades, and it’s one of the first steps to consolidate the Legion lore into something resembling coherence.
It also has a very goofy cover.
We begin with Superboy visiting the Legion and finding its members training.
Though Mon-El seems to be enjoying “wrestling” Ultra Boy enough to look like something else.
Superboy is here for a very important occasion… the dedication to a memorial to Proty.
Okay, as much as I hate Proty, that was a nice gesture.
I guess they could’ve at least tried to make a statue that doesn’t look ugly… but it’s Proty.
But there’s another emergency: someone is committing a series of robberies… with a gigantic straw.
Superboy and Ultra Boy use their powers to look for the criminals…
…leading to Ultra Boy recalling his origin story, adding a crucial element. Namely, Ultra Boy’s main gimmick: he has all of Superman’s powers, but he can only use one at a time.
This is, needless to say, absolutely vital to Ultra Boy and one of the things that distinguish him from being a copy of Superboy. This is also a new development: in his first appearance his only power was Penetra-Vision, and while in later comics he demonstrated different powers we didn’t get an indication about his gimmick.
Phantom Girl is unusually interested in his powers.
Unfortunately for her, when the Legion looks through the Science Police’s files on the criminals they’re chasing… they find something unexpected.
Uhm, Sun Boy, I understand wanting to expel him from the Legion if he’s a wanted criminal, but shouldn’t your priority be to arrest him?
It’s mostly a formality, since the vote is (nearly) unanimous.
Since the Legion is big on formality, this somehow leads to the cover image.
And the first appearance of the Meeting Hall, where auditions will typically take place, but it’s not completely in its iconic form yet.
Ultra Boy takes things rather well.
A fight ensues, with Mon-El being tasked with taking out the renegade Ultra Boy.
It’s a very brief fight, but John Forte highlights it with an unusually creative layout.
Phantom Girl still won’t believe Ultra Boy is really a bad guy, much to the annoyance of her teammates.
I usually give John Forte a lot of grief, especially for his facial expressions, but he’s knocking it out of the park this issue. Saturn Girl’s face is the physical manifestation of “b#tch please”.
She even reminds them that Ultra Boy saved Sun Boy in issue 313… I think: it’s definitely the same planet, but Ultra Boy wasn’t with the others on Puppet Planet!!!
While this is going on, Ultra Boy has escaped to another planet with some pretty creative vegetation…
…and some truly bizarre monsters designs!
Or at least they have the bodies of monsters: their minds belong to the victims on an experiment on mind transference.
Since they are green-skinned you might think they are from Colu (Brainiac 5’s planet), but it’s not confirmed. And the machine originated in a Supergirl story (we’ll cover it eventually), so this is a 1000 year old equipment.
Ultra Boy knows that Mon-El could be able to solve the problem, so he risks to be captured just so that Mon-El can meet those people and help them.
The scientist shouldn’t feel too bad: yes the equipment is 1000 years old… but Mon-El is also from 1000 years ago.
Ultra Boy continues to use his knowledge of the Legion to avoid capture, by giving Saturn Girl a false lead.
Chameleon Boy almost has him…
…but then Proty II has to ruin everything.
F#cking Proty.
Come on, Chameleon Boy, this is getting embarrassing! What is it with you refusing to use your powers whenever Proty is around!? YOU’RE A SHAPESHIFTER TOO!!!!!
*groan*
Well, at least they have a lead… even if only Phantom Girl knows it.
In fact, he told her about this world in a flashback.
She does find him on Mirage World, and she warns him about the Legion.
That’s when Ultra Boy and Phantom Girl meets the space raiders.
John Forte is on fire this issue!!!
That is an awesome and creepy design for aliens! Their mouths alone can give you nightmares!
Ultra Boy helps the aliens infiltrate the Legion headquarters…
…only to turn on them.
There’s something unsettling about the idea of the Legion having a weapon that only affects aliens that don’t look human… but at least it’s nonlethal.
As for Ultra Boy’s criminal past… it’s all fake.
That is a needlessly complicated way to deal with space pirates!!!
And so we end with Ultra Boy rejoining the Legion, with the hope of being the last member to be expelled.
The next Legionnaire will be expelled in 26 issues.
Bonus: this issue also includes a bio of ALL the Legionnaires that have appeared so far, accompanied by some neat illustrations.
It counts 22 Legionnaires because they include Proty II…
…but it also counts the Legion of Super-Pets which are DEFINITELY not members, so Proty II doesn’t count either.
Some notable illustrations:
I love how they at least try to give everyone a useful demonstrations of their powers… except Triplicate Girl who is just there to pick some flowers.
Guess who also makes an appereance!
And not a moment too soon, since next issue Star Boy will FINALLY join the regular team. It’s been three years since his debut!
There is also an entire page filled with a mini-bio of each Legionnaire, including the planet of origin. I believe this is the first mention for most of them.
Notable excepts: Brainiac 5 as being a descendant of the Brainiac’s adopted son instead of Brainiac himself. At this point, the original Brainiac had been retconned into being a robot instead of an alien.
Triplicate Girl is said to come from a planet where everybody has her power…
…but Shrinking Violet is said to have inherited powers from her parents, with no mention of her world. The same distinction is made for Chameleon Boy.
Saturn Girl is still from Saturn, not from its moon Titan.
And most importantly, Star Boy’s power is completely changed into its final form. No mention of all the other powers he had.
We also have a confirmation that Elastic Lad is a honorary member due to nepotism from Superboy. Luckily he can’t be a member because he’s physically over 18 (and I believe mentally under 6)
Legion significance: 7/10
Establishes Ultra Boy’s gimmick and his relationship with Phantom Girl (who so far has had absolutely zero characterization). I would also argue that we wouldn’t have decades of the “rebel with no clue” persona for Ultra Boy if it wasn’t for this issue.
All the details added to the Legion lore are important, but they’re not from the story itself so I’m not really counting them.
Silver Age-ness: 3/10
Relatively minor silliness for the time.
Does it stand the test of time? 7/10
Despite the 1960s pacing and the finale, it’s actually rather well written. Both the Legion and Phantom Girl have reasons for their positions: there’s evidence against him, but they’ also been through a lot of stuff together. Her blaringly obvious crush helps. But Ultra Boy’s actions area also rather believable: when he leads Mon-El to the scientist, we’re left in doubt where he’s only trying to get Mon-Ell off his back or if he truly cares about the victims.
We are legion
16 active in this story: Superboy, Phantom Girl, Mon-El, Ultra Boy, Bouncing Boy, Sun Boy, Element Lad, Shrinking Violet, Lightning Lad, Chameleon Boy, Saturn Girl, Colossal Boy, Invisible Kid, Cosmic Boy, Brainiac 5, Lightning Lass
4 not appearing but officially members (and confirmed with the bios): Star Boy, Triplicate Girl, Supergirl, Matter-Eater Lad
1 honorary member: Elastic Lad (who is also confirmed by the bios
How much Legion is too much?
The Legion currently includes 21 people.