Reboot/Post-Zero Hour

This page is written from the Real World point of view

Era Overviews
Preboot: Pre-Crisis • Post-Crisis • Glorithverse • Retroboot • Post-Flashpoint Reboot: Post-Zero Hour • Earth-247 Threeboot: Earth-Prime Television: Legion of Super Heroes cartoon • Legion in the DCAU • Smallville • Legends of the Super-Heroes

Overview

Following the wholesale reboot of the 30th century in Zero Hour and its' tie-in arc in the LSH titles, End of an Era, the Post-Zero Hour Legion (also called the "postboot", or latterly the "Reboot") were introduced in Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #0 and Legionnaires #0. The main series which encompass this era after the Zero issues are Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #62 to #125, Legionnaires #19 to #81, the Legion Lost twelve-issue maxiseries, the Legion Worlds six-issue miniseries and The Legion #1 to The Legion #38; in addition to various other miniseries, guest appearances and one-shots.

Representing the first time the team was followed through chronologically from its beginnings onwards, the reboot was controversial - Mark Waid was the one to make the decision, claiming:

"...all the continuity changes and flip-flops have made the Legion's history an unsalvageable mess. Continuity wasn't "in bad shape." It was Chernobyl. This revision wasn't a decision made lightly; KC Carlson and Tom McCraw and I spent literally hundreds of man-hours over the past year trying to come up with a less drastic solution to the continuity problems than simply wiping the slate clean, and we could *not find one.* [...] I'm sorry if I sound cranky, but this wasn't an editorial fiat from DC. This drastic change was my choice, and DC chose to back me." (Mark Waid, 1994)

Two sets of creative teams covered virtually the entire era - the first was anchored by writer/colourist Tom McCraw, at first with Waid, then later with Tom Peyer, primarily on Legion of Super-Heroes v4, and Roger Stern on Legionnaires. Artistically, Jeff Moy drew Legionnaires for virtually the entire period, from #0 & #19 to #78 with very few fill-ins - usually caused by Moy drawing another LSH book that month, such as Legionnaires Annual #2, Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #89 or Legends of the Legion #2. LSHv4 was drawn by Lee Moder until #100, then by Jason Armstrong for eight issues, followed by Scott Kolins until #121.

The second was by the British co-writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, collectively known as DnA, who, with French artist Olivier Coipel, were brought in to shake up the team, starting with a transitional issue, then into the Legion of the Damned arc as a prelude to cancelling the titles in favour of a maxiseries, Legion Lost. This was followed by the miniseries Legion Worlds and led into the ongoing title, simply called The Legion, which Chris Batista later drew from #19-33, with 1980s Legion artist Steve Lightle filling in on #24 & #34, and Keith Giffen drawing and co-writing #31.

DnA's last issue was #33, three issues earlier than they had intended to leave to accommodate a four-issue fill-in by Gail Simone:

DC very obligingly asked us when we wanted to leave - how many more issues did we want to tidy up our loose ends, so we said up to 36. It is true to say that they then came and chopped us back to 33, but they were trying to fit creative and promotional schedules together, so it wasn’t just a whim. [...] As we said earlier, we’ve been able to tell pretty much all of the stories we had inside us. [...] The exception is the Cub story. That is, if you like, the one story we’re not going to get to tell. We had it all worked out and we were really jazzed about it...us, Chris and Steve. Then the issues were cut back and we realised we didn’t have room. We agreed it would be stupid to spoil it by trying to squish it in. So we decided not to try. The Cub story will be our one regret about leaving. It would have been great. (DnA, Dec 2003)

When we were working on the Legion of Super-Hero books, we had a similar big scheme in mind... but in the end, just editorial and creative changes meant that we had to leave the book, and we had to leave it essentially two and a half stories before the end of our big scheme." (Dan Abnett, "Going Knowhere" podcast, Nov 2010)

A new history

For the first time in Legion history (though not DC history, as Wonder Woman had received the same treatment post-Crisis), the slate was wiped clean, with no previous history remaining... almost.

...almost

Most Glorithverse 20th century Legion-related continuity remained intact - the second half of the Valor series, which had led into End of an Era and Zero Hour was discarded, and the revelation that Phase was Enya Wazzo - ironically, intended to allow the L.E.G.I.O.N./R.E.B.E.L.S. writers to continue using the character post-Zero Hour - was instantly forgotten, with Phase later being given a different origin. All other L.E.G.I.O.N. and Valor 20th Century continuity remained intact.

As, in a more complicated way, did the Glorithverse Legion's visits to the 20th Century and Superman's visits to the Glorithverse 30th Century, as would be revealed when Superman recognised the post-Zero Hour team LSHv4 #85 by mistaking them for their alternate selves. These were later revealed to be Time Trapper manipulations designed, in the real world, to allow the Pocket Universe to remain a part of Superman continuity, as this had become critical to his continuity (by begetting Supergirl (Matrix) and a story with Superman executing three Kryptonian criminals which led to a year-long Exile story arc which introduced the Eradicator, which would later play a crucial part in the Death & Return of Superman arcs.)

Closer to the Legion's time period, Barry Allen's sojourn in the 30th century before his death would remain intact, although moved earlier relative to the Legion themselves. It would become important to the Legion as an origin for XS, an early and long-time member of the post-Zero Hour team.

From the run-up to the foundation of the team, however, including the histories of luminaries such as R.J. Brande, previous history could no longer be relied upon.

A new start

Members

Main article: List of members/Post-Zero Hour

Storylines

Main article: List of storylines/Post-Zero Hour

Major differences

• The codename style established in the pre-Zero Hour Legionnaires book was used from the start, virtually eliminating "Lad" and "Lass" names (ironically, the one exception - Element Lad - had a "simple" name as Alchemist in pre-ZH Legionnaires) and reducing less drastically the incidence of "Boy" and "Girl" names.
• Infamously, Princess Projectra was a snake

List incomplete. Please expand

Era Overviews
Preboot: Pre-Crisis • Post-Crisis • Glorithverse • Retroboot • Post-Flashpoint Reboot: Post-Zero Hour • Earth-247 Threeboot: Earth-Prime Television: Legion of Super Heroes cartoon • Legion in the DCAU • Smallville • Legends of the Super-Heroes