ADVENTURE COMICS 375 (1968)
by Jim Shooter & Win Mortimer
cover by Neal Adams
Then 1970s Legion famously shows a lot of skin, and apparently they can’t wait to reach that decade.
We begin with the Legion meeting a superhero team, the Wanderers, to show their appreciation for their hard work and declare their eternal friendship.
Who are the Wanderers? This is their first appearance.
Their leader is the awkwardly named Celebrand, and right now we only get a demonstration of the powers of Ornitho, who can turn himself into any bird.
Riveting.
Before we can see any other lame powers, the Legion is called by the Science Police to test a new kind of indestructible metal.
However Superboy is interrupted by… THIS.
And that’s the excuse to figure out who is “the mightiest Legionnaire”!
With Superboy around you might think that it’s a no-brainer, but apparently not.
Note Phantom Girl and Shadow Lass hyping their love interests Ultra Boy and Mon-El, but it’s Bouncing Boy’s point of view that will actually prove important.
There’s no time to dwell on this measuring contest, because the Wanderers have… uhm… wandered into a nebula that turns you evil (WTF!?) and stolen some magic stones.
The Legion takes this as an opportunity: instead of holding a contest, they will compete to see who can capture the Wanderers first.
Not everyone will be competing, though. Invisible Kid volunteers to be the judge because he knows he can’t win, and the girls don’t want to because they don’t think they have a chance.
(*groan*)
Except Saturn Girl. Because Saturn Girl is the best.
Honestly I would’ve preferred a straight up tournament because this is unnecessarily complicated.
Of course the Legionnaires end up fighting themselves most of the time. Although it’s nice that Element Lad FINALLY remembers that he can DO SOMETHING.
They were sent to capture the first Wanderer: Dartag, who can… shoot darts.
So… yeah, most of the Wanderers are kind of lame. But at least Bouncing Boy gets a cool moment!
Saturn Girl and Chemical King are after Ornitho. Okay, Chemical King has JUST joined the Legion, so it’s a good moment to impress us!
Thrilling action, I know.
Chameleon Boy gets the win.
You know, I’m beginning to think that including the contest into the rest of the mission might’ve been a bad idea.
Okay, so far we’ve had a guy who can turn into birds and one who shoots darts.
Quantum Queen was teased as a future Legionnaire on the cover of Adventure Comics #354, so she has a far more interesting power.
Now that’s a waste of a fantastic superpower!
Careful, Karate Kid, someone might take that balloon and use it out of context!
The next Wanderer is Immorto, who… is immortal.
Jim Shooter had to come up with the codenames for the Wanderers in five minutes, didn’t he?
Superboy wins this round because Immorto’s strategy to escape capture is to just jump to his death.
Better get used to this kind of thing, Supes.
Surprisingly, Brainiac 5 is the one bummed out by his loss.
Next up: Elvo the swordsman!
Clearly the Wanderers are the greatest heroes in the Galaxy.
The next target is Psyche, who is more of a supervillain type.
Bouncing Boy ends up defeating Chameleon Boy off-panel.
Don’t feel bad for him! Earlier he brought Proty II back, so he deserves it.
The next and final Wanderer is Celebrand, the leader of the team. He doesn’t have any powers, but considering he has the magic stones this should be a good fight!
Or not. He immediately surrenders.
OH COME ON!!!!
How do you make a contest for the greatest Legionnaire BORING!?!?
Bouncing Boy has won the contest, so he’s teleported away.
Except he isn’t, because Bouncing Boy shows up. Someone has taken his place?
The impostor could be trapped in another dimension forever. We will learn who it is next issue.
(please be Proty please be Proty please be Proty…)
Legion significance: 1/10
Like the Heroes of Lallor, the Wanderers are another superhero team created to be somewhat of an equivalent to the Legion. Unlike the Heroes, however, the Wanderers are barely a footnote. They have a couple of cameos, but their greatest claim to fame is a 13 issue miniseries in the late 80s.
Silver Age-ness: 8/10
There’s a nebula that turns you temporarily evil and nobody finds it weird.
Does it stand the test of time? 0/10
It looks like Shooter’s heart isn’t in it… the Wanderers are profoundly uninteresting and completely wasted. The idea of having a contest between Legionnaires SHOULD be a lot of fun, but this was just blah.
We are legion
26 Legionnaires
2 reserve members: Kid Psycho, Insect Queen
3 honorary members: Elastic Lad, Pete Ross, Rond Vidar
1 resigned member: Command Kid
1 expelled member: Nemesis Kid
2 deceased members: Dynamo Boy, Ferro Lad
How much Legion is too much?
The total number of characters who have been members is 35.
Interesting letters: this incapsulates Chemical King’s main problem. They CONSTANTLY have to explain his power both in the comic and in the letters page.
