Adventure Comics #354
Adventure Comics #354
Cover Credits
Penciller: Curt Swan
Inker: George Klein

<< Comic List >>
  Story  

Title: "The Adult Legion"
Pages: 22

Feature(s):
Legion of Super-Heroes (of Earth-1)

Writer: James Shooter
Penciller: Curt Swan
Inker: George Klein

Reprinted In:
DC Super Stars #3 (1976)
Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 6 HC (1997)
Legion of Super-Heroes:1,050 Years of the Future TPB (2008)
Legion of Super-Heroes:The Life and Death of Ferro Lad HC (2009)
Showcase Presents:Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 3 TPB (2009)
Legion of Super-Heroes:The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 2 HC (2018)

Feature Character(s)

Supporting Character(s)

  • Duo Damsel (as Luornu Durgo Taine; last appearance in Action Comics #289; no further appearances)
  • Phantom Woman (as Tinya Wazzo Nah; last appearance in Action Comics #289; no further appearances)
  • Colossal Man (revealed to have retired from active Legion duty; no further appearances)
  • Star Man (revealed to have retired from active Legion duty; no further appearances)
  • Ultra Man (revealed to have retired from active Legion duty; no further appearances)
  • Shrinking Violet (as Salu Digby Qelu; revealed to have retired from active Legion duty; no further appearances)
  • Bouncing Man (revealed to have retired from active Legion duty; no further appearances)
  • Mon-El (revealed to have retired from active Legion duty; no further appearances)
  • Light Lady (as Ayla Ranzz Londo; revealed to have retired from active Legion duty; no further appearances)
  • Matter-Eater Man (revealed to have retired from active Legion duty; no further appearances)
  • Dream Woman (as Nura Nal Kallor; revealed to have retired from active Legion duty; no further appearances)
  • Night Woman (as Lydda Jath Krinn; revealed to have retired from the Substitute Legion; no further appearances)
  • Duplicate Man (real name given as Ord Qelu; no further appearances)

Villain(s)

Other Character(s)

  • Ronn and Arna Nah (son and daughter of Ultra Man and Phantom Woman; no further appearances)
  • Brin, Bran, and Loni Londo (twin sons and daughter of Timber Wolf and Light Lady; no further appearances)
  • The unnamed son of Bouncing Man and Duo Damsel (no further appearances)
  • The unnamed son and daughter of Shrinking Violet and Duplicate Boy (no further appearances)
  • Commissioner of the Science Police (no further appearances)
  • An unnamed space beast (no further appearances)
  • Two female classmates of Andrew and Douglas Nolan (in flashback; no further appearances)

Cameo Appearance(s)

  • Dynamo-Boy (in a photograph)
  • Shadow Woman, Chemical King, Reflecto, and Power Boy (as statues)

Comments:
Part 2:"One Against the Legion"

This story which continues in the first story of Adventure Comics #355, takes place in a future time-line different from that of the teenage Legion of Super-Heroes. Consequently, all the characters herein are treated as separate and distinct from their "teenage counterparts". It is worth noting, however, that brief glimpses of the "real" Legion's future are afforded in this story, most notably the statues of heroes named Shadow Woman (Shadow Lass), Chemical King, Reflecto, and Power Boy (and on the cover, Quantum Queen), all of whom will appear, as teenagers, in later "real" Legion stories.

Because the Adult Legion comes from a different time-line, so do all other characters in this story, including Cosmic King, Lightning Lord, and Saturn Queen of the Legion of Super-Villains, whose only previous appearance was in the third story of Superman #147, not the first story of Adventure Comics #331.

Cosmic Man is the Adult Legion leader in this story.

Because she is referred to as the former Duo Damsel in this story, it can now be presumed that the Triplicate Girl of this time-line does at some point suffer the loss of one of her three bodies.

This issue includes a text feature: "Meet the Legionnaires: Lightning Lad and Light Lass".

Synopsis:
Superman is summoned to the 30th century by the adult Legion of Super-Heroes. Arriving, he tours their headquarters complex, seeing statues in honor of the members who died in action and the ones who married. Brainiac 5 greets the Man of Steel, and together they explore the headquarters, and contact the many retired members.

At the Legion meeting, Cosmic Man, their leader, announces that a mysterious person, who seems to know all their secrets, has been attacking and destroying their data, weaponry, and ships. Their only hope is to be on 24-hour guard, in hope of catching him in the act.

After two weeks, an emergency arises when an elevated expressway in Metropolis collapses. Sensing a diversion, Brainiac 5 sends Cosmic Man, Polar Man, and Element Man, rather than Superman to handle the disaster. His hunch proves correct, for their mysterious attacker appears and battles the heroes, injuring Timber Wolf and Saturn Woman with his steel-like body.

Superman soon deduces the enemy's identity and confides his suspicions to Cosmic Man, who decides to wait for him to reappear. When he does, the heroes are almost defeated, but capture him when Superman and Cosmic Man, who had switched costumes beforehand, fool him.

The villain is revealed as Douglas Nolan, twin brother of the late Andrew (Ferro Lad) Nolan. He had the same power his brother had, and knew their secrets because of the psychic bond between the twins. He had first hated the heroes following Ferro Lad's death, for which he blamed them, but later he learned the truth. His hatred recently reawakened, however, when someone put him under their mental control.

Watching the Super-Heroes from an undersea base are those responsible, the adult Legion of Super-Villains -- Cosmic King, Saturn Queen, and Lightning Lord.

All characters, logos, and images are owned and © 2024 by current copyright holders.
They are used here for educational purposes within the "fair use" provision of US Code: Title 17, Sec. 107.
Remaining material © 1997-2024 Mike's Amazing World of Comics