Comic Title: Legion of Super-Heroes #38
Publisher: DC (DC Comics Inc.)
Address: 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: September 1987
On Sale Date: June 9, 1987 Newsstand Date June 9, 1987
Source: DC Releases, #40

Shipping Date May 19, 1987
Source: Amazing Heroes, #118

Newsstand Date June 9, 1987
Source: Comics Buyers Guide, #702, #704

Copyright Date May 19, 1987
Source: Library of Congress, Copyright Office 1987
DC publication dates beyond April 1981 listed by the LoC
represent shipping dates NOT newsstand sale dates

Shipping Date May 19, 1987
Source: Comics Buyers Guide, #702, #704

Frequency: Monthly
Cover Price: $1.50
Page Count: 32
Editor: Karen Berger

Title: "The Greatest Hero of Them All"
Pages: 27

Feature(s):
Legion of Super-Heroes (Post-Crisis)

Writer: Paul Levitz
Penciller: Gregory B. LaRocque
Inker: Mike DeCarlo
Inker: Arne Starr
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: Carl Gafford

Reprinted In:
Superman:The Man of Steel Vol. 4 TPB (2005)
Superman:The Man of Steel Vol. 2 HC (2021)

Feature Character(s)

• Legion of Super-Heroes (last appearance in Action Comics #591; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #39)
• Blok (last appearance in Action Comics #591; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #3)
• Brainiac 5 (last appearance in Action Comics #591; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #40)
• Chameleon Boy (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #36; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #40)
• Colossal Boy (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #37; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #40)
• Dawnstar (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #37; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #3)
• Dream Girl (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #37; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #40)
• Element Lad (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #37; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #40)
• Invisible Kid (last appearance in Action Comics #591; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #40)
• Lightning Lass (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #37; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #40)
• Magnetic Kid (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #36; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #45)
• Mon-El (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #37; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #3)
• Phantom Girl (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #37; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #45)
• Polar Boy (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #37; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #3)
• Saturn Girl (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #37; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #44)
• Sensor Girl (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #37; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #40)
• Shadow Lass (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #37; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #40)
• Shrinking Violet (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #37; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #3)
• Sun Boy (last appearance in Action Comics #591; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #39)
• Tellus (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #37; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #40)
• Timber Wolf (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #37; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #3)
• Ultra Boy (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #37; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #45)
• White Witch (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #36; next appearance in Amethyst #4)
• Wildfire (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #37; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #3)

Guest Star(s)

• Superboy (dies in ths story; last appearance in Action Comics #591; no further appearances)

Supporting Character(s)

• Bouncing Boy (last appearance in Secret Origins #47; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #3)
• Cosmic Boy (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #37; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #3)
• Duo Damsel (first post-Crisis appearance; last appearance in Secret Origins #47; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #3)
• Matter-Eater Lad (first post-Crisis appearance; last appearance in Secret Origins #47; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #1)
• Lightning Lad (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #36; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #44)
• Night Girl (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #37; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #3)
• Star Boy (last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #28; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #40)

Villain(s)

• Time Trapper (last appearance in Action Comics #591; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #50)

Other Character(s)

• Jonathan Kent (from the Pocket Universe; last appearance in Action Comics #591; no further appearances)
• Martha Kent (from the Pocket Universe; last appearance in Action Comics #591; no further appearances)
• Pete Ross (from the Pocket Universe; last appearance in Action Comics #591; next appearance in Adventures of Superman #444)
• Lana Lang (from the Pocket Universe; last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #37; next appearance in Adventures of Superman #444)

Flashback Appearance(s)

• Superboy (during the Crisis; last appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #31; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #37)
• Time Trapper (during the Crisis; earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Cosmic Boy #3)
• Lana Lang (from the Pocket Universe; during the Crisis; earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes #37)

Comments:
This story is continued from Action Comics #591.

Synopsis:
Superboy takes a group of four Legionnaires into the future to deliver them to the Time Trapper. The Trepper then orders the Boy of Steel to kill them. He refuses and releases the captives including Mon-El, Ultra Boy, Cosmic Boy, and Night Girl who were already held by the Trapper.

A battle ensues which causes the machine the Time Trapper used to save Smallville to be destroyed. Superboy and the Legionnaires rush back to Smallville which is threatened by red skies and anti-matter. Superboy is able to save his Pocket Universe by powering another machine. However, the process nearly kills him.

The Legion then prepares to take the injured Boy of Steel back to the 30th century in the time bubble. Instead, Superboy sacrifices himself to ensure that the Legion make it home. Superboy then dies and is given a heroic funeral by the Legion.