![Superboy #147 Superboy #147](/gallery/!dc/superboy/superboy147.jpg)
Cover Credits |
Penciller: Curt Swan Inker: Neal Adams |
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Comic Title: Superboy #147
Publisher: DC
(National Periodical Publications, Inc.)
Address: 575 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: May/Jun 1968
On Sale Date:
March 14, 1968 Newsstand Date March 14, 1968
Source: Direct Currents, Justice League of America #62, Page 27
Newsstand Date March 14, 1968
Source: House Ad, Batman #201, Page 12
Newsstand Date March 14, 1968
Source: Comic Reader, #64
Copyright Date March 14, 1968
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1968
Frequency: Monthly, with the exception of Feb., Aug., and Nov.
Cover Price: $0.25
Page Count: 80
Editor: Mort Weisinger
See Also: The Guide to DC Giants
Notes:
This issue is labeled 80 Page Giant #G-47.
Story List | >> |
Title: "The Origin of the Legion"
Pages: 8
Feature(s):
Legion of Super-Heroes (of Earth-1)
Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell
Artist: Peter Costanza
Reprinted In:
Secret Origins #6 (1974)
Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 8 HC (1998)
Superboy #147 Replica Edition #1 (2003)
Legion of Super-Heroes:The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 3 HC (2020)
Feature Character(s)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (last appearance in Adventure Comics #367; next appearance in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #117)
- Cosmic Boy (in flashback only; earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Secrets of the Legion of Super-Heroes #1)
- Lightning Lad (in flashback only; earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Secrets of the Legion of Super-Heroes #1)
- Saturn Girl (in flashback only; earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Secrets of the Legion of Super-Heroes #1)
- Triplicate Girl (in flashback only; earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Secrets of the Legion of Super-Heroes #1)
- Phantom Girl (last appearance in Adventure Comics #367; next appearance in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #117)
- Superboy (last appearance in Adventure Comics #367; next appearance in Adventure Comics #368)
- Supergirl (last appearance in Action Comics #362; next appearance in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #117)
- Invisible Kid (last appearance in Adventure Comics #367; next appearance in Adventure Comics #368)
- Chameleon Boy (last appearance in Adventure Comics #364; next appearance in Adventure Comics #372)
- Colossal Boy (last appearance in Adventure Comics #364; next appearance in Adventure Comics #371)
- Brainiac 5 (last appearance in Adventure Comics #367; next appearance in Adventure Comics #368)
- Shrinking Violet (last appearance in Adventure Comics #364; next appearance in Adventure Comics #368)
- Sun Boy (last appearance in Adventure Comics #367; next appearance in Adventure Comics #371)
- Mon-El (last appearance in Adventure Comics #363; next appearance in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #117)
- Ultra Boy (last appearance in Adventure Comics #364; next appearance in Adventure Comics #368)
- Element Lad (last appearance in Adventure Comics #363; no further appearances)
- Lightning Lass (last appearance in Adventure Comics #364; next appearance in Adventure Comics #368)
Supporting Character(s)
- R. J. Brande (in flashback; next appearance in Secrets of the Legion of Super-Heroes #1)
Villain(s)
- Two unnamed gunmen (next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #11)
Other Character(s)
- Mr. and Mrs. Ranzz (earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Adventure Comics #356)
Flashback Appearance(s)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (origin and first chronological appearance; next appearance in Secrets of the Legion of Super-Heroes #1)
- Phantom Girl (earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Secrets of the Legion of Super-Heroes #1)
Cameo Appearance(s)
- Lightning Lord (in flashback to Lightning Lad's origin)
Comments:
This story tells the origin of the Legion in flashback.
Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Lightning Lad appear in flashback in DC Super-Stars #17 between panels on page 7 of this story.
Synopsis:
In a room in the newly-built Legion Headquarters complex, three statues honor the group's founders. One, of Lightning Lad, wields electricity between its hands; Cosmic Boy's image suspends a metal ball between its hands with a magnetic charge; the third, of Saturn Girl, mentally communicates the story of the Legion's origin to all who enter the room.
On the planet Winath, Garth Ranzz bids his family goodbye, and boards a ship bound for Earth. He takes a seat next to another youth named Rokk Krinn, of the planet Braal. The two become friends, and Rokk explains that his people have magnetic powers, developed to battle the metal monsters of that world, and that, since he is considered an adult at fourteen, he is hoping to use his ability to find work on Earth. Garth, in turn, tells how he, his twin sister Ayla, and older brother Mekt gained the ability to wield lightning when they were attacked by lightning monsters on the wild planet Korbal, where their ship was forced to land. Mekt later disappeared, and Garth hopes that the Science Police on Earth can help find him.
Meanwhile, a shuttle craft from Saturn brings new passengers to the ship, including the richest man in the universe, R.J. Brande, and a gorgeous blonde bound for Earth's Science Police Academy, Imra Ardeen.
The ship finally reaches Earth's Metropolis Spaceport, and as its passengers debark, two men run up to them and reach for guns. Imra reads their minds and screams a warning, and Rokk and Garth immediately use their powers to disarm the killers. Imra's telepathy further tells her that Brande's cousin, Doyle, had sent them to kill the rich man, so that he could inherit his money and pay his debts to a gambling syndicate.
A grateful and impressed Brande summons the three youths to his office the following morning, where he suggests that they band together as a crimefighting organization to be bankrolled by him, and uses Superboy and Supergirl as examples. They all agree, and before long, Brande has them outfitted in new costumes and gives them new names to go with them: Rokk is now Cosmic Boy, Garth is Lightning Lad, and Imra is Saturn Girl. Brande Industries erects a yellow, rocket-shaped clubhouse for the trio, and their new computer selects Cosmic Boy as their leader.
The three then write a Legion Constitution, which contains strict-by-laws, and are voted honorary citizenship on all member worlds of the United Planets. They are also made deputies of the Science Police.
Some days later, they gain two members, Triplicate Girl, who reveals her power to them by having each separately accompany one of her three selves to the clubhouse, and Phantom Girl, who easily infiltrates their supposedly impenetrable headquarters, and is made a member on the grounds that she help secure them against "ghostly" intruders.
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