This was a wild ride! If the Hamilton era paved the way for future stories, Jim Shooter DEFINED the Legion. This is where the team found its voice, most of its members developed their personality, and where the universe started to evolve beyond its humble origins.
Ironically, it took a 13 year old writer to carry the team into its adolescent phase.
On the artwork side Curt Swan evolved considerably, especially for the issues where Shooter also provided the layouts.
Win Mortimer, who succeeded Swan as the regular artist and will continue with the next era, didn’t get a great start and almost felt like a step backward.
Nelson Bridwell also has a couple of stories in this era. Unfortunately he seemed stuck in the Hamilton era and was responsible for what I consider some of the worst Legion stories ever, even if his Legion origin story is a classic.
Before the awards themselves, our classic categories when applied to the whole era:
Legion significance: 10/10
So many iconic stories, characters and concepts that will be impossible to forget.
Silver Age-ness: 7/10
Despite the effort to ground the Legion to reality, we are still firmly in the Silver Age. Admittedly the most Silver Age stories are not by Jim Shooter himself, but still…
Does it stand the test of time? 7/10
This era includes some of the best classics, some of which are even a perfect 10/10. Unfortunately, overall it’s a mixed bag; Shooter has the tendency to write a fantastic first part but is often a letdown in the finale. The last third of his run is also noticeably weaker than the beginning.
And now, ladies and gentlemen: the Legion Awards!
BEST LEGIONNAIRE
Winner: Karate Kid
Clearly a favorite of Shooter, being given several prominent issues but without taking the spotlight from the others. Not too complex by modern standards, but he really stands out.
Runner-up: Princess Projectra
She came very very close to become the winner, but she was sidelined more often and had a couple of moments where she played damsel in distress.
Third place: Ferro Lad
His run might be brief, but he showed plenty of personality and he REALLY goes out with a bang.
Honorable mention: Rond Vidar
The first honorary Legionnaire who actually makes sense, and an interesting character in his own right.
WORST LEGIONNAIRE
Winner: Nemesis Kid
When you join because you want alien conquerors to take over the universe, you kind of have to be among the worst.
Runner-up: Chemical King
Poor dolt. Joining the team too late, he’s given nothing interesting to do. The fact that his powers are not cinematic and are very inconsistent doesn’t help at all.
Third place: Insect Queen
I just don’t get why she’s here. But at least she was somewhat useful during the Mordru saga.
Dishonorable mention: Elastic Lad
He was already terrible in the Hamilton era, but still being around in the Shooter era is inexcusable!
MOST IMPROVED LEGIONNAIRE: Duo Damsel
She had absolutely nothing to do and no characterization in the previous era, and honestly over the first half of this run. But the Mordru saga alone made her a great character!
BEST NEW LEGIONNAIRE: Shadow Lass
Plenty of competition here! Fellow newcomers Karate Kid and Princess Projectra received more screen time and so had more time to win the top spot, but Shadow Lass emerged as a much more integral member pretty quickly.
WORST NEW LEGIONNAIRE: The unnamed descendants of Luthor and Mr.Mxyzptlk from Adventure Comics #355. They’re not the worst Legionnaires because they’re not exactly canon, otherwise they’d be the worst members of all time!!!
PARTECIPATION TROPHIES
Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, Cosmic Boy: they’re actually all rather competent this time around, but they’re out of the spotlight for a majority of issues.
Superboy: unlike previous eras he DOES get a fair bit of characterization and this time he’s actually consistently shown to be a real hero… but he’s not as interesting as others.
Invisible Kid: he actually came very close to being on the podium for best Legionnaire! Unfortunately, while becoming the leader definitely raised his profile, he slowly faded away from view.
Colossal Boy, Sun Boy and Chameleon Boy: the “I’m suddenly the protagonist for a couple of issues” trio.
Pete Ross and Timber Wolf: the “better late than never” club!
Bouncing Boy: a little late to the party, he’s well written only in the very last story of this era
Ultra Boy: he’s elected leader towards the end of the run, but his new position is completely unremarkable until the very end
At this point there are so many Legionnaires that not everyone is guaranteed to get a trophy.
All the following Legionnaires get no trophy at all: Star Boy, Phantom Girl, Supergirl, Brainiac 5, Shrinking Violet, Mon-El, Matter-Eater Lad, Element Lad, Light Lass, Dream Girl, Kid Psycho
WORST ANYTHING: Proty II
Yes, I still hate him.
BEST VILLAIN
Winner: the Sun-Eater
This was a really hard choice, but he won me over for several reasons: the effects on the Legion, the creative uses of powers both for it and for the Legion, the fact that its defeat only came at great cost, and unlike the other villains of this list the Sun-Eater story had a satisfying conclusion! And the fact that the Sun-Eater is a completely silent and truly alien menace makes it far more terrifying than anyone else.
Runner-up: the Fatal Five
They came really, REALLY close to first place. A great menace to the Legion, good characterization and dialogues, they bounce off well with each other, plus I absolutely love Validus… but they lose some points for the fact that all their stories so far have disappointing finales when it comes to the fate of the Fatal Five.
Third place: Mordru
A fantastic debut for one of the greatest enemies of the Legion, but he loses points for the generic characterization and a disappointing finale to his first big story.
Honorable mention: Universo
He has one of the worst plans ever in his first appearance, but his second one really redeems him.
WORST VILLAIN
Winner: Prince Evillo from Adventure Comics #350
He’s utterly ridiculous, not threatening in the slightest, and he really has no business being in this era.
Runner-up: the Devil’s Dozen from Adventure Comics #350
They’re not even really a dozen!!!
Third place: Thora from Adventure Comics #368
Even Jim Shooter can’t make “evil matriarch brainwashes the girls to take over the world” work.
Dishonorable mention: Douglas Nolan from Adventure Comics #354
Ferro Lad’s evil twin brother is significantly lamer than the real deal.
MOST INFLUENTIAL STORY
Winner: the death of Ferro Lad, Adventure Comics #353
No other moment left a mark on the Legion quite like this one.
Runner-up: the Legion’s origin, Superboy #147
Arguably this little story has more influence than the Legion’s actual first appearance.
Third place: Mordru’s debut, Adventure Comics #369
Not only one of the Legion’s biggest enemies has a chilling beginning, but also Duo Damsel gets a characterization.
BEST STORY
Winner: Adventure Comics #357
“The ghost of Ferro Lad” has one of the very best finales ever written, and it’s also a good story overall.
Runner-up: Adventure Comics #353
Even if it has some issues, the ending of the Sun Eater saga is a classic for a reason.
Third place: Adventure Comics #365
Newcomer Shadow Lass works seamlessly with the rest of the team, plus there’s fantastic worldbuilding and a great chemistry among Legionnaires.
Honorable mention: Adventure Comics #369
The Smallville parts and a few shortcuts hurt the story a little, but Mordru’s debut is still an awesome story.
WORST STORY
Winner: Adventure Comics #351
This one really, REALLY looks like one of the very worst Hamilton stories. Being immediately before the Sun Eater story really hurts it, but it would still suck. We have Prince Evillo, a nonsensical plot, I’m STILL upset by the Devil’s Dozen having only four members, and the ending is pure insanity.
Runner-up: Adventure Comics #355
Quite possibly the worst ending ever. It’s not just Silver Age, it’s plain stupid.
Third place: Adventure Comics #350
When your story begins with Superboy inserting Kryptonite into his brain and then things get progressively more stupid (Sir Prize! Miss Terious!), you have to expect this kind of prize.
Dishonorable mention: Jimmy Olsen #106
Why, Jim Shooter, why!?
BEST REJECTED MEMBER: nobody
WORST REJECTED MEMBER: nobody
It’s absolutely incredible, but there are NO rejected members in the Shooter era!!!
BEST ALMOST LEGIONNAIRE: the White Witch from Adventure Comics #350
Dream Girl’s sister will take decades to become a real Legionnaire, but despite her truly awful first appearance she does help the team against Mordru.
WORST ALMOST LEGIONNAIRE: Proty II and Comet from Adventure Comics #364
Good thing that the Legion realized their scheme in time or I would’ve needed to count Proty II as an official member!!!
WORST USE OF TIME TRAVEL
Winner: Jimmy Olsen 106
Runner-up: Jimmy Olsen 106
WORST CATCHPHRASE
MOST SILVER AGE PANEL
MOST MEME-WORTHY PANEL
MOST REPEATED PANEL
BEST ALIEN DESIGN
Adventure Comics #350
We might have lost the absolute king of this category, John Forte, but the Jigsaw Creature is almost as weird as something he’d come up with.
BEST TECHNOBABBLE
Adventure Comics #369
Props for using the term “parsec” both correctly and incorrectly in the same sentence!
BEST PANEL
Adventure Comics #357
This moment still gives me chills.
WORST PANEL
Adventure Comics #350
Ah yes, the famous Spider-Man / Chameleon Boy feud.
BEST SPLASH PAGE
Adventure Comics #366
Validus demonstrating why he’s my second favorite Legion villain.
BEST COVER
Adventure Comics #365
A lot of competition thanks to the several Neal Adams covers! Despite spoiling the return of the Fatal Five, this one really sells you the danger of the situation.
WORST COVER
Adventure Comics #364
No background? Check. Awkward poses? Check. Doesn’t happen in the story? Check, at least for the most important part… someone biting Cosmic Boy’s butt? Check!
I like most of the awards and think they are accurate. However if Karate Kid is the best legionnaire and he is a new legionnaire he is therefore also the best new legionnaire. By the same logic Princess Projectra would also beat out Shadow Lass for best new legionnaire since she was the runner up for best legionnaire. If Shadow Lass is more integral than Karate Kid and Princess Projectra, like you state, wouldn’t she also be the best legionnaire?