Wednesday, March 2, 2016

BRING BACK THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES IN TOOBWORLD!



A lot of attention was paid to the appearance of 'Supergirl' (as played by Melissa Benoist in the 'Flash' episode "Welcome To Earth-2".  It was a tease for the upcoming crossover between both shows and their respective networks as well.  (CBS for 'Supergirl' & the CW for 'Flash')

But another crossover between both series happened during that trip through the Vortex.  Besides other DC super-heroes who would be showing up on the other CW shows 'Arrow' and 'Legends of Tomorrow', there was also the quick cameo of a ring belonging to a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes.  It would be established in the 'Supergirl' episode that what we were seeing was the same ring as seen on display in the Fortress of Solitude, which one would have to assume belongs to Superman from his teen years when he was a member of the Legion.



From the DC Database:
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a 30th Century inter-galactic team of super-powered young adults. Inspired by the legend of Superboy, they were founded by Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl under the funding of an eccentric millionaire they had saved named R.J. Brande. This cast expands to include dozens of members with a diverse array of powers and personalities.
 
It's pozz'ble, just pozz'ble, that a specific member of the Legion will be showing up in any one of the four series abut this particular dimension of the DC Multiverse.  (I'm leaving 'Gotham' out of this, just the super-hero shows produced by Greg Berlanti.  'Gotham' would be in its own DC TV dimension.)

But which LoS-H member should it be?  I have yet to see any indication that any one of them will be coming to the CW or CBS, and those appearances of the Legion ring may have been just teases about the the past history of the CW's version of Superman and nothing more. 



The Legion of Super-Heroes has already appeared in yet another TV dimension - that of 'The West Wing' in which 'Smallville' is also a part. The three core members of the Legion - Cosmic Boy (magnetic powers), Lightning Lad (electrical energy blasts), and Saturn Girl (force field energy) - appeared in an episode of 'Smallville' to contact the hero out of the past whom they admired and were inspired by - the future Superman.  (Clark Kent had not yet revealed himself to the world as being the "last son of Krypton".)
 
Since we know that it would be some other TV dimension in which those Legionaires appeared, there is no danger in a Zonk should they recast those three main members of the Legion for this other comic book TV world. 


Over the years there have been many members in the Legion, dozens in fact.  And that's not including the members to be found in the Rebooted Legion and other variations created by the fluctuations of the Timeline.  (This of course is how it all plays out in the comic book universe, but unless otherwise revised, I think it's a premise we can hold onto for the greater Toobworld Dynamic.  After all, it's the 30th Century - are you going to be around to argue the point?)

So with all that in mind, here is my Super Six List of Legionaires whom I would like to see make an appearance in any one of those four Berlanti shows (again - 'Arrow', 'The Flash', 'Supergirl' and 'Legends of Tomorrow'.)

I considered my options almost as if I was a producer for those series - that is, with an eye on production costs in both costumes and special effects concerning their powers.  But I also would have no quibble with several super-heroes in the Legion showing up, perhaps spread throughout the "Berlantiverse" and establishing them all with a fifth series in mind that dealt with them in the far Future.

For most of the depictions of the characters, I've used their counterparts from the Tooniverse.  The exception being Brainiac 5 as seen in 'Smallville'.

So here's my Super Six List of my choices for the owner of that Legion ring seen in the Vortex:

1] BRAINIAC 5

B-5 is my favorite of the Legionaires - the green skin topped with blonde hair and a power that didn't depend on super-strength or mutant powers.  Brain over brawn.  All of that would make him an easy fit into any of those four shows.  All they need to do is stream-line his backstory since the relationship with Brainiac is too complicated to cover in one episode.  (But they did allude to the Superman villain with the 'Supergirl' villain Indigo who was once known as Brainiac 8.)  His story doesn't have to be the same as it was as seen in his appearances in 'Smallville', in which he was a revision of the original Brainiac.  (And he was played by the same actor for both - James Marsters - but without the cool green skin.)




2] SHADOW LASS


Born Tasmia Millar, Shadow Lass has blue skin and has the ability to manipulate darkness.  (In my crossover dreams, I'd love to see her face off against the Vashta Narada from 'Doctor Who'.)  Definitely the sexiest of the women in the Legion (but she can't top my fixation on Starfire!)  Again, she would be an easy character to portray and with powers that would be simple enough to depict on screen.

3] TRIPLICATE GIRL -> DUO DAMSEL

Luornu Durgo has the natural ability to split into multiple bodies. And each of those three bodies should have a distinct personality.  One of them could be detrimental to the abilities and health of the other two bodies.  And that body could be the one who eventually got murdered in what is probably Triplicate Girl's best-known story in the comics, which led to her being called Duo Damsel.  It's a story that would make for a great guest appearance in any of the shows, one in which that murdered body could have sacrificed her "life" in order to save the other two.
 
4] TIMBER WOLF




Brin Londo became Timber Wolf because his father Mar Londo experimented on him. This gave him enhanced werewolf-like abilities, but also made him prone to bestial savagery. His look and abilities would give DC a Wolverine-like character on Television before Marvel could get around to it.  (I'm using his image from the comics because I didn't like the extremes they went to with his look for the Tooniverse.)


5] DAWNSTAR



Of all my choices, Dawnstar would be the best choice for an appearance on 'Legends of Tomorrow'.  Despite her character being descended from Native Americans who colonized a planet they called Starhaven in the comics, that could be jettisoned so that she is descended instead from the past incarnations of Hawkman and Hawkgirl.  (This is another character for whom I chose an image from the comics book universe.)


6] DREAM GIRL

Dream Girl is one of those characters who don't have to be considered a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes.  Nura Nal had precognitive abilities which could only be accessed while she was asleep.  So she could be outside the suspicions of the heroes who are investigating the activities of her alter-ego.  By the end of the adventure, she could see the light thanks to one of her visions and realize that she should be on the side of the angels.


As you can see, I didn't choose any of the founding members of the Legion - Cosmic Boy (magnetic manipulation), Saturn Girl (telepathy), and Lightning Lad (electrical generation).  As with Brainiac 5, they were previously seen in a 'Smallville' episode so I decided to spread the wealth.  However, no matter which hero would be chosen to showcase for that Legion ring, ultimately the founding trio should show up to establish the suggestion how expansive the Legion is.  Just in case there's a proposal for them to get their own TV show....

Just sayin', is all.
 
But as I said earlier, we have no clue who may show up - if at all.  We shall view what we shall view.....

BCnU!

UPDATE:
Several hours after posting this, I went in to Facebook and learned that a fellow member of a couple FB pages dedicated to comics - like one for the Justice Society of America and one for the subject of our topic today, the Legion of Super-Heroes - had passed away.  Michael Lash was a self-proclaimed "Nerd At Large" - that's his description in his profile page - and I have to confess to jealousy that I didn't come up with that description for myself.  


Here's to you, Mr. Lash.  I'm dedicating this post to your memory.....

 

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