Superman v1 Annual 4

Superman Annual #4 Preboot » Pre-Crisis Cover by Curt Swan and George Klein Story title The Origin and Powers of the Legion of Super-Heroes Previous story n/a Next story n/a Publication date November 9, 1961 Cover date 1962 Creators Writer(s) n/a Penciller(s) Curt Swan Inker(s) George Klein Letterer(s) Unknown Colourist(s) Unknown Editor(s) Mort Weisinger Cover artist(s) Curt Swan and George Klein

The Origin and Powers of the Legion of Super-Heroes

Throughtout the dozen or so issues published during the first four years after the Legion's introduction in Adventure Comics #247, almost no information had been revealed about the Legionnaires' civilian identities or where they were from. Early fans of the Legion must surely have been excited, then, when this issue filled in some of those details. In a brief two pages of pictures with a half page of text, we learn vital tid-bits of information about twelve of the thirteen Legionnaires who had been introduced to that point. Star Boy, though established as a member, is omitted for some reason. Each of the twelve is pictured demostrating their powers, with code name and civilian identity prominently listed.

One gets the very definite impression that this feature was crammed in to fill the gaps between the other stories in the issue. The table of contents points the reader to page 64 where the pictures are located, but the text piece, keyed to match the twelve numbered pictures, is located on page 10. Also, the text was run together in one long paragraph of small print.

[Include image of text piece], [Include images of both picture pages].

The contents of the text has been reproduced below (capitalization matches original, run-on format has been altered to facilitate reading):

Key to the Legion of Super-Heroes

1. PHANTOM GIRL came to Earth from the planet BGZTL, in the 4th dimension, which co-exists, unseen, in the same space Earth occupies.
2. TRIPLICATE GIRL comes from the planet CARGG, where a triple sun imbued all inhabitants with the power of splitting into three bodies. TRIPLICATE GIRL sometimes shocks her escorts on Earth who expect to be dating ONE girl!
3. BRAINIAC 5 is the great-great-great-great grandson of the space villain who was SUPERMAN's foulest foe. His force-shield belt can protect him from danger.
4. LIGHTNING LAD gained mastery of lightning when a blast from a lightning monster on the planet Korbal freakishly electrified his body.
5. BOUNCING BOY gained the power of super-bouncing when he drank a scientist's strange potion, mistaking it for soda-pop. Scene shows him bouncing away from angry crooks with important papers.
6. INVISIBLE KID is a young genius who invented a serum which enables him to become invisible, uses his power to spy on outlaws.
7. SHRINKING VIOLET inherited her super-shrinking powers from her parents who came from the planet IMSK.
8. COSMIC BOY possesses the power of super-magnetism, which he inherited from his parents who migrated from the planet BRAAL! Evolution has given Braalians the power to magnetically battle metal monsters who roam that world. Scene shows COSMIC BOY preventing a rocket-car collision by magnetically repelling the two metal craft.
9. CHAMELEON BOY inherited his weird power to disguise himslef as anything from his parents, natives of the planet DURLA.
10. SATURN GIRL comes from Saturn, where all people can perform amazing mental feats. Scene shows her mentally ordering a fierce monster to retreat.
11. COLOSSAL BOY has the power of super-growth gained from the radiation effect of a meteor from outer space. Scene shows him rescuing seamen from a storm.
12. SUN BOY became accidentally locked inside an atomic reactor chamber. The atomic bombardment transformed him into a human beacon of blazing light and heat. Scene depicts him melting a deadly space missile before it can explode.

Other stories in this issue

The majority of the issue is comprised of reprinted non-Legion related stories, which are listed below. The original publication source and cover date is noted for each.

• "A Doghouse for Superman" - Superman v1 #84 (September/October 1953)
• "Superboy Meets Superman" – Superboy v1 #47 (March 1956)
• "The Alien Who Conquered Superman" – Action Comics #165 (February 1952)
• "The Bride of Futureman" – Superman v1 #121 (May 1958)
• "The Outlaws From Krypton" – Action Comics #194 (July 1954)
• "The Boy Who Killed Superman" – Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #28 (April 1958)
• "Rip Van Superman" – Superman v1 #107 (August 1956)
• "The Menace of Planet Z" – Action Comics #168 (May 1952)

Reprints

The Origins and Powers feature has been reprinted in the following:

• Adventure Comics #316 - (January 1964) (with some changes and two new pages)
• Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Volume 1 - (1991) (without accompanying text)
• Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Volume 2 - (1992) (Legionnaires' civilian identities removed, includes additional pages from Adventure #316)
• Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Volume 5

See also

• Legion Publication History - Other issues published 1950-1964
• Legion Publication History - Other issues of Superman v1
• Quick index of links to other Action Comics issues