Wikipedia

Legion of Super Heroes (TV series)

Legion of Super Heroes is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation, adapted from the DC Comics series of the same name. It debuted on September 23, 2006, and centers on a young Superman's adventures in the 31st century, fighting alongside the eponymous group of superheroes. The show was produced by one of its main character designers James Tucker, a co-producer of the Justice League Unlimited series, for the Kids' WB line-up on The CW network.

Legion of Super Heroes
Genre
Based on
Developed byAmy Wolfram
Voices of
Theme music composerKristopher Carter
Composers
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes26
Production
Executive producerSander Schwartz (season 1)
Producers
  • James Tucker
  • Linda M. Steiner
EditorJoe Gall
Running time21–22 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkThe CW (Kids' WB)
ReleaseSeptember 23, 2006 (2006-09-23) –
April 5, 2008 (2008-04-05)

The series drew on the rich history of the Legion of Super-Heroes, taking inspiration from stories set during all time periods of the team's nearly 50-year history in comics. It also had a tie-in spin-off comic book series, Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century, that lasted 20 issues.

The series was cancelled after its second season.[1]

Development history

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A few months before Legion of Super Heroes premiered, the Legion appeared in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Far From Home". The episode featured Supergirl traveling to the future and joining the Legion, leading audiences to think that it was intended to serve as a back-door pilot for a Legion series, and that it would be a DCAU spin-off. However, series producer James Tucker clarified that the series was deliberately created from scratch:

Let's get the myths out of the way. The Legion series was never tied to the Justice League Unlimited episode. Supergirl was never, ever going to be in the Legion. The true origin of the series came out of Cartoon Network's desire to have a Superman-centric series premiere when the movie Superman Returns premiered. Superman, as part of the Legion worked for them. So the series was originally developed for Cartoon Network, then they passed and Kids' WB! stepped in. They, too, wanted a Superman-centric series with Superman fresh out of Smallville, learning to be Superman. That's the reality.[2]

Early reports had suggested the title of the series would be Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, but the official announcement in April 2006 confirmed the title as Legion of Super Heroes. The same announcement indicated that the series would air on the Kids' WB block of the new The CW network at 10 a.m.[3]

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At the 2006 Comic Con International, the production staff did not officially say whether legal issues at the time involving the ownership of Superboy had affected this series or whether changes were made to tie the series in with the Superman Returns film, but one significant change had been made since the announcement of the series. The original press release referred to "the young Superboy," [4] while the revised press release, published in June, described the character as a young Superman. At the conclusion of the pilot episode, Clark adopts the superhero name Superman, and not Superboy. In the second season, which takes place two years after the end of the first season, the character is called Superman, without reference to his "young" status.

Second season

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The second season has a darker and more mature tone than the first season and mostly focuses on Brainiac 5 and his relationship with his evil ancestor, the original Brainiac. In the second season, most of the Legionnaires have changed their appearances, e.g., Lightning Lad has longer hair and gains a robotic arm after Imperiex blasted off his right arm during a battle, and Triplicate Girl changes her codename to Duo Damsel after her white self is killed by an antimatter wave.[5] As with the first season, a total of 13 episodes were created for the second season, which premiered on September 22, 2007. The show was not renewed for a third season.[1]

Proposed third season

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A third season was planned for production but ultimately canceled, partially because of 4Kids Entertainment taking over the Kids' WB! slot. It would have taken place three years after the end of the second season, introducing Sensor, Magnetic Kid, Supergirl, Tellus, Princess Projectra, and Shadow Lass while expanding the roles of background characters Blok, Wildfire, and Dawnstar. Additionally, Kell-El would still be a regular character but have a reduced role, with Wildfire being his replacement. The main focus of the third season would have been Brainiac 5 returning while trying to redeem himself after the second season's finale and Brainiac 6 trying to destroy the Legion. Also, producer James Tucker planned to make an adaptation of the story "The Ghost of Ferro Lad" to introduce Ferro Lad's long-lost twin brother.[6][7][8]

Characters

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From left to right: Bouncing Boy, Saturn Girl, Brainiac 5, Superman, Phantom Girl, Timber Wolf, and Lightning Lad.

In the first season, the series revolved around a core group of eight Legionnaires but others appeared from time to time in recurring roles, similar in format to the Justice League Unlimited animated series.

Superman

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The first season introduces a teenaged Clark Kent who is about to move from Smallville to Metropolis. He knows of his abilities but does not know what to do with his future (similar in nature to the Clark Kent featured in the Smallville television series). After traveling to the future, young Clark assumes the identity of Superman and gradually learns to control his abilities, becoming the hero he is destined to be. At the end of the first season, he returns to the present around the same time he left in the first episode.

In the second season, Superman returns to the future after spending two years in the past and gaining more experience with his powers. Also, Superman X, a clone of Superman from the 41st century created to battle Imperiex, is introduced. When Imperiex travels back to the 31st century, Superman X is forced to follow him into the past and recruit the Legion to help him.

Core Legionnaires

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Series producer James Tucker offered descriptions of the core team in a July 2006 interview at San Diego Comic-Con.[9] As with other DC team shows such as Justice League Unlimited, not every core character appears in all episodes. The following descriptions apply to the characters as seen in the first season.

  • Lightning Lad has lightning powers and is eager and hot-headed. The lightning bolt scar on his right eye sometimes flashes brightly in times of battle. He has a twin sister, Ayla, and an older brother, Mekt.
  • Saturn Girl is a caring and thoughtful character with mental powers.
  • Brainiac 5 is the smartest Legionnaire and can transform his robot body in various ways.
  • Phantom Girl has the ability to pass through solid objects, and can temporarily extend this ability to others.
  • Bouncing Boy is a friendly and caring young "everyman" who has the ability to make his body rubbery and springy. Near the end of Season 1, Bouncing Boy is elected leader of the Legionnaires, much to his surprise.
  • Triplicate Girl was born with the ability to split her form into three identical selves.
  • Timber Wolf, named Brin Londo, was transformed into a werewolf-like creature as a result of his father's experiments on him. He has enhanced speed, strength, agility, and senses, but also has more feral emotional and physical tendencies.
  • Chameleon Boy has the ability to shapeshift all or part of his body into something else, animate or inanimate, as well as utilize the strength and power of what he transforms into. Appears as a regular in season two. His father, R. J. Brande, funds the Legion.

Other Legionnaires

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XS appears in the finale "Dark Victory" as a background character. Dawnstar and Invisible Kid also make cameo appearances in the finale, along with many other rarely seen Legion members.

In the first season, some Legionnaires were mentioned or shown as images before making an actual appearance. Fourteen members were shown during the season as already active: Blok, Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dream Girl, Element Lad, Lightning Lad, Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet, Sun Boy, Triplicate Girl, and Tyroc. Five more joined the Legion through the course of the series: Superman, Timber Wolf, Matter-Eater Lad, Star Boy, and Ferro Lad.

The opening credits sequences used for first-season episodes included a glimpse of the Mission Monitor Board signs for many Legionnaires as well as shots of flying Legionnaires who would be seen in later episodes (though not all of those with Mission Monitor Board symbols appeared). At least four members of the Legion as seen in the comics appeared in some way on the show but had not joined by the end of the first season (Ultra Boy, Lightning Lass, Wildfire, and Polar Boy).

In the second season, Karate Kid appeared in the opening credits with the other Legionnaires, though he did not appear until the fifth episode, in which Nemesis Kid also joined the Legion. Similar to Karate Kid, Sun Boy appeared in the second season opening titles and made semi-regular, though non-speaking appearances. Ayla Ranzz, sister of Lightning Lad, also appears, but lacks powers and is not a superhero like her comic counterpart.

Cast

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Legionnaires

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Character Voice actor
Blok N/A
Bouncing Boy Michael Cornacchia
Brainiac 5 Adam Wylie[10]
Chameleon Boy Alexander Polinsky
Colossal Boy Adam Wylie
Cosmic Boy Wil Wheaton[11]
Dream Girl Tara Platt
Element Lad N/A
Ferro Lad Dave Wittenberg
Karate Kid Keith Ferguson
Lightning Lad Andy Milder[12]
Matter-Eater Lad Alexander Polinsky
Nemesis Kid Keith Ferguson
Phantom Girl Heather Hogan
Saturn Girl Kari Wahlgren
Shrinking Violet Kari Wahlgren
Star Boy Bumper Robinson
Sun Boy N/A
Superman (21st century) Yuri Lowenthal[13]
Superman X (Kell-El, 41st century Superman clone) Yuri Lowenthal
Timber Wolf Shawn Harrison
Triplicate Girl/Duo Damsel Kari Wahlgren
Tyroc N/A
Ultra Boy James Arnold Taylor

Villains

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Character Voice actor
The Fatal Five  
    Emerald Empress Jennifer Hale (Season 1)
Tara Strong (Season 2)
    Mano N/A
    Persuader David Sobolov
    Tharok David Lodge
    Validus N/A
Dr. Mar Londo Harry Lennix (Season 1)
Dorian Harewood (Season 2)
Alexis Luthor[broken anchor] Tara Strong
Drax Greg Ellis
The Legion of Super-Villains  
    Lightning Lord James Arnold Taylor
    Esper Tara Strong
    Hunter Khary Payton
    Ron-Karr Shawn Harrison
    Wave N/A
    Tyr Khary Payton
Starfinger Taylor Negron
Zyx Lauren Tom
Mordru Richard McGonagle (Season 1)
Jim Ward (Season 2)
The Sun-Eater N/A
The Controller David Lodge
Imperiex Phil Morris
The Dominators N/A
Computo Adam Wylie
Grimbor the Chainsman Lex Lang
Terra-Man Jeff Black
Brainiac Corey Burton
Roderick Doyle Wil Wheaton
The Dark Circle  
   Grullug Dave Wittenberg
   Ontiir Bumper Robinson

Other characters

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Character Voice actor
Winema Wazzo April Winchell[14]
The Legion of Substitute Heroes  
    Chlorophyll Kid Alexander Polinsky
    Color Kid James Arnold Taylor
    Infectious Lass Kari Wahlgren
    Porcupine Pete James Arnold Taylor
    Stone Boy Yuri Lowenthal
Ayla Ranzz Kari Wahlgren
Calamity King Alexander Polinsky
R. J. Brande Lex Lang

Episodes

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Series overview

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Season Episodes Originally aired
First aired Last aired
1 13 September 23, 2006 (2006-09-23) May 5, 2007 (2007-05-05)
2 13 September 22, 2007 (2007-09-22) April 5, 2008 (2008-04-05)

Season 1 (2006–07)

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No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code [15]		K6–11 rating/share
11"Man of Tomorrow"Ben JonesAmy WolframSeptember 23, 2006 (2006-09-23)345–3912.0/8[16]
Fearing an attack from the Fatal Five, Brainiac 5, Saturn Girl, and Bouncing Boy travel to the 21st century to recruit a young Clark Kent into the Legion of Super-Heroes. He initially refuses, but accepts after being given the opportunity to hone his powers and learning that the Legion can return him to the exact moment he left. The other Legionnaires are apprehensive of Clark, but he ultimately proves himself and becomes Superman to help stop the Fatal Five.
22"Timber Wolf"Lauren MontgomeryMatt WayneSeptember 30, 2006 (2006-09-30)345–3921.8/8[17]
The Legion receives a distress call from Mar Londo, a scientist who is being menaced by a wolf-like creature on the planet Rawl. However, they become suspicious of Mar and eventually discover that the creature is his son Brin, who he had previously experimented on and transformed. Subsequently, Saturn Girl telepathically contacts Brin and helps him assume a more humanoid form, though he retains genetic damage that prevents him from ever fully returning to normal. The Legion then defeats Mar and his army of mutant animals and leaves Rawl, taking Brin with them as he adopts the codename Timber Wolf.
33"Legacy"Tim MaltbyScott SonnebornOctober 7, 2006 (2006-10-07)345–3931.6/7[18]
Superman meets Alexis, a rich, yet lonely girl, after saving her from her malfunctioning mecha suit. They quickly become friends, but Alexis later becomes jealous after Superman prioritizes his duties with the Legion over her. She allies with the Scavengers, a group of technology thieves, and attacks the Legion with her mech. However, Superman defeats her, after which she is imprisoned and vows to get revenge.
44"Phantoms"Tim MaltbyRob HoegeeNovember 4, 2006 (2006-11-04)345–3961.7/8[19]
While visiting the Superman Museum, Superman accidentally activates a Phantom Zone projector and frees Drax, a genetically engineered evil Kryptonian, and his two pets, Comet and Cupid. After Superman attempts to return Drax to the Phantom Zone, he retaliates and sends the Legion there instead. However, they escape by harnessing Phantom Girl's powers, after which they defeat Drax and Comet and Cupid are placed in Metropolis' zoo.
55"Champions"Lauren MontgomeryMatt WayneNovember 11, 2006 (2006-11-11)345–3951.4/6[20]
At the Intergalactic Games, Lightning Lad comes into conflict with his brother Mekt, who sabotages the events to ensure his own success. Meanwhile, Superman and Phantom Girl meet with the latter's mother, United Planets president Winema Wazzo, and discover that the Fatal Five have infiltrated the games and plan to kill her. However, the Legion defeat them with help from several of the competitors.
66"Fear Factory"Ben JonesJohn EspositoNovember 18, 2006 (2006-11-18)345–3941.6/7[21]
After being caught in a space storm, the Legion lands in an isolated space station, where two aliens offer them refuge before subjecting them to their fears and imprisoning them in portraits. Eventually, only Superman and Brainiac 5 are left to stop the two. As Superman faces his fear of Martha Kent's disappointment in him, Brainiac 5 sacrifices himself to merge with and disable the station's systems before being revived in a backup body. Afterwards, the Legionnaires ensure that the station's other victims are rescued before returning home.
77"Brain Drain"Tim MaltbyRob HummellFebruary 3, 2007 (2007-02-03)345–399N/A
During the Alignment, a data-sharing process undergone by his species, Brainiac 5 begins to malfunction, degrading his mind. Superman and Timber Wolf bring him to Zuun to retrieve the rare element Zuunium and cure him, but are hindered by the planet's hostile conditions and Brainiac 5's head being separated from his body. Despite this, Superman eventually heals Brainiac 5, after which they and Timber Wolf return home.
88"Lightning Storm"Lauren MontgomeryStan BerkowitzFebruary 10, 2007 (2007-02-10)345–3982.0/8[22]
The Legion is attacked by an octopus-like alien before being rescued by the Light Speed Vanguard, a rival group of heroes. As the Legion holds auditions for new members, Lightning Lad becomes disillusioned with the group and joins the Vanguard instead. However, he eventually learns that they are villains seeking to gain money and helps the Legion stop them.
99"The Substitutes"Ben JonesScott SonnebornFebruary 17, 2007 (2007-02-17)345–4001.8/7[23]
A group of Legion applicants band together to prove themselves as worthy heroes after being rejected, and battle the villain Starfinger while the Legion is busy fighting monsters who are destroying the Earth's ionosphere. Eventually, the Legion learns that Starfinger summoned the creatures, dubbed "Furries", to steal for him. Afterwards, they subdue him and steal his gloves to stop the threat.
1010"Child's Play"Ben JonesMarty IsenbergFebruary 24, 2007 (2007-02-24)345–3971.7/7[24]
Zyx, a young sorcerer from the planet Zerox, comes to Earth to cause chaos after becoming frustrated with his planet's strict laws. As the Legion battles Zyx, Phantom Girl and Triplicate Girl travel to Zerox to get help. Eventually, the Legionnaires realize that the effects of Zyx's magic are temporary and tire him out, defeating him. Afterwards, Xerox's council arrives to punish Zyx and considers re-establishing contact with the United Planets, having isolated themselves years prior and hid the planet with an invisibility spell.
1111"Chain of Command"Lauren MontgomeryAmy WolframMarch 3, 2007 (2007-03-03)345–4011.2/5[25]
The Legion travels to Winath, Lightning Lad's home planet, which is being ravaged by cosmic storms. Amidst this, Cosmic Boy, the Legion's leader, returns to the group after having been too busy to actively help them. While Cosmic Boy, Brainiac 5, and Saturn Girl work on upgrading Winath's power station to neutralize the storms, Lightning Lad, Cosmic Boy, and Ferro Lad try to prevent property damage. After the station is upgraded and the storms quelled, Lightning Lad becomes frustrated with Cosmic Boy and demands that a new leader be elected, with Bouncing Boy being selected to replace him.
1212"Sundown"Tim MaltbyDavid SlackApril 28, 2007 (2007-04-28)345–4021.4/6[26]
1313Ben JonesRob HoegeeMay 5, 2007 (2007-05-05)345–4031.2/6[27]

Part 1: The Legion is called to stop the Sun-Eater, a powerful gaseous creature capable of destroying stars, after the alien Controller frees it from the Fenton Arms Depot. They try to stop it from devouring a red sun in the uninhabited Cheyenne Delta and empowering itself, but fail to do so, with Ferro Lad blaming himself for missing a crucial energy blast. The Sun-Eater then heads towards Earth's sun, as the Legion is powerless to stop it.

Part 2: The Legion frees the Fatal Five from prison so they can help stop the Sun-Eater. As the Sun-Eater's red sun radiation renders him unable to fight it, Superman is instead tasked with battling the Controller in another dimension while the Legion battles it without him. They build a special missile to kill the Sun-Eater, but it fails to activate, so Ferro Lad sacrifices himself to act as a conductor and ensure that it succeeds. Afterwards, the Legion creates a statue in Ferro Lad's memory, while Superman returns to his own time.

Season 2 (2007–08)

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No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code [15]		K6–11 rating/share
141"The Man from the Edge of Tomorrow"Brandon ViettiMichael JelenicSeptember 22, 2007 (2007-09-22)345–5211.3/7[28]
152Scott JeraldsGreg WeismanSeptember 29, 2007 (2007-09-29)345–5221.7/9[29]

Part 1: Kell-El / Superman X, Superman's 41st-century clone, travels back in time to enlist the Legion in helping him fight Imperiex, a warlord who he was created to oppose. During a battle with the Legion, Imperiex steals Kell's warp key and travels to the 31st century, altering the timeline and creating an antimatter wave that kills Triplicate Girl's white self and threatens to destroy the future. The Legion steals Imperiex's ship to return to their own time, where they find Metropolis in ruins.

Part 2: Imperiex breaks into the Takron-Galtos prison and frees the Fatal Five and Legion of Super-Villains, who work together to trap several Legionnaires there. Desperate for help, Brainiac 5 retrieves Superman from the 21st century. Meanwhile, Imperiex infiltrates the Legion's headquarters and destroys their ship, but Chameleon Boy gets a replacement from his father R. J. Brande. The Legion then breaks into Takron-Galtos and rescues their comrades, while Imperiex arrives on the Dominators' homeworld to form an alliance with them.
163"Cry Wolf"James TuckerJ. M. DeMatteisOctober 6, 2007 (2007-10-06)345–5231.6/7[30]
During a scientific convention, Mar Londo is demonstrating his synthetic Bio-Golems when Timber Wolf attacks and kills him. The Legion intends to imprison him, but Chameleon Boy and Phantom Girl believe him to be innocent and work to clear his name. As he loses control of his powers, Timber Wolf returns to Rawl, where he learns that Mar Londo is alive and manipulated him into killing a nanite clone. Timber Wolf reverts to his bestial form and attacks the Legion, but ultimately regains control and helps them stop Mar. Afterwards, Brin gains full control of his abilities, now being able to shift between his partially and fully transformed states at will.
174"Chained Lightning"Brandon ViettiMatt WayneOctober 13, 2007 (2007-10-13)345–5241.9/8[31]
In flashbacks, the Ranzz siblings - Garth, Mekt, and Ayla - crash-land on the planet Korbal and are attacked by Lightning Beasts, with Ayla seemingly being killed while Garth and Mekt gain electric powers. In the present, Imperiex plans to harness an electric storm and power a tachyon cannon, and has recruited Mekt into his army. While fighting Mekt, Garth is attacked by Imperiex and loses his right arm, with Brainiac 5 and Shrinking Violet building him a robotic replacement. The Legion eventually learns that the storm is Ayla, who had been transformed during the Lightning Beast attack years prior. Subsequently, Mekt helps Garth restore her before willingly imprisoning himself on Takron-Galtos.
185"The Karate Kid"Brandon Vietti and Scott JeraldsEddie GuzelianOctober 27, 2007 (2007-10-27)345–525N/A
Seeking help in fighting Imperiex, the Legion recruits Nemesis Kid and Karate Kid, the former telling them of the danger posed by Grimbor the Chainsman. Karate Kid is initially shunned by the other Legionnaires due to lacking powers and is discharged from the group, but earns their respect by stopping Grimbor after he defeats most of the Legion with a power-neutralizing gun. Afterwards, Karate Kid is fully inducted into the Legion.
196"Who Am I?"James TuckerJ. M. DeMatteisNovember 3, 2007 (2007-11-03)345–5261.4/7[32]
Chameleon Boy infiltrates Imperiex's ranks disguised as Persuader, and has his mind reprogrammed to believe that he actually is him to aid in the facade. After Imperiex discovers this, the Legion rescues Chameleon Boy, restores his mind, and learns that Ron-Karr, a fellow shapeshifter and member of the Legion of Super-Villains, has undergone a similar process to Chameleon Boy and replaced Superman. However, Ron-Karr eventually realizes that Imperiex never cared for him and helps the Legion stop him from destroying Durla, Chameleon Boy's home planet.
207"Unnatural Alliances"Brandon ViettiKeith DamronNovember 17, 2007 (2007-11-17)345–527N/A
A group of cowboy-like robots led by Terra-Man seek to kill a boy named Abel and prevent him from inventing the technology used by Imperiex, and successfully kill his robot caretaker. As a result, Imperiex kidnaps Abel to protect him and reluctantly helps the Legion stop Terra-Man and preserve the timeline. Afterwards, the Legionnaires find a new guardian for Abel and bid him farewell.
218"Message in a Bottle"Scott Jeralds and Brandon ViettiJoseph KuhrDecember 1, 2007 (2007-12-01)345–5281.2/5[33]
Imperiex invades the bottled city of Kandor inside the Fortress of Solitude, seeking to retrieve and weaponize the Messenger, a device that was originally created to stabilize Krypton. As the Legion struggles to stop Imperiex, Brainiac 5 accesses information from his ancestor, the original Brainiac, enabling him to turn Kandor's artificial red sun yellow and temporarily give its residents powers so they can help fight Imperiex. Afterwards, the Legion uses the Messenger to restore Krypton and returns Kandor to its normal size, but Brainiac 5 is forced to erase Superman's memory of the events to preserve the timeline.
229"In the Beginning"James TuckerSteven MelchingMarch 8, 2008 (2008-03-08)345–5291.3/5[34]
The Legion sets out to save R. J. Brande after Grimbor kidnaps him during an awards ceremony. Amidst this, Brainiac 5 explains how Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Lightning Lad met while traveling to Earth, rescued Brande from an assassination attempt orchestrated by his business partner Roderick Doyle, and founded the Legion. In the present, Doyle tries to use Brande's star-producing machines to create a black hole, but the Legion stops him before the process can be completed.
2310"Trials"James TuckerSteven MelchingMarch 15, 2008 (2008-03-15)345–5300.8/3[35]
Zyx has had his powers removed following his last encounter with the Legion, and asks them to help save his planet Zerox from the evil wizard Mordru. While Zyx undergoes a series of trials with Superman X to get his magic back, the rest of the Legion battles Mordru before being defeated and transformed into monsters. However, Zyx and Superman X arrive and return them to normal, with Mordru being imprisoned underground.
2411"In Your Dreams"Brandon ViettiStan BerkowitzMarch 22, 2008 (2008-03-22)345–5310.8/3[36]
The Legion battles the Dark Circle, a group of mercenaries who seek to destroy a United Planets satellite. They are assisted by Dream Girl, who has valuable precognitive abilities and a rivalry with Lightning Lad, who distrusts her due to her past as a fortune teller and con artist. After Dream Girl has a vision of the Legion turning against her, she runs away and is kidnapped by the Dark Circle, who exploit her abilities to their benefit. However, the Legion defeats them and rescues Dream Girl, who reconciles with Lightning Lad.
2512"Dark Victory"Brandon ViettiJ. M. DeMatteis and Michael JelenicMarch 29, 2008 (2008-03-29)345–5321.1/5[37]
2613April 5, 2008 (2008-04-05)345–5331.4/6[38]

Part 1: As the Legion prepares for Imperiex's final assault, Brainiac 5 struggles to prevent the original Brainiac from controlling him and ultimately succumbs to his influence, intending to bring order to the universe. He then kills Imperiex and takes over leadership of the Dominators before supposedly killing Superman with a Kryptonite crown.

Part 2: Brainiac 5 embarks on a conquest across the universe, digitizing anything that stands in his way. The Legion sends Superman's body into space, but Superman X realizes that he is still alive due to their mental link and rescues him before healing him with a blood transfusion. While the Legion fights Brainiac 5's army, Saturn Girl transports Superman and Superman X into his mind to free him. They succeed, restoring everything he had digitized and converting him into a fully organic form. Afterwards, Brainiac 5 leaves the Legion out of guilt, while Superman X returns to the future and Triplicate Girl's white self is revived due to Imperiex's death altering the timeline. Meanwhile, Brainiac secretly rebuilds himself using Brainiac 5's discarded armor.

Awards and nominations

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2006–2007 season

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The series was nominated for three Creative Arts Emmy Awards, a subset of the Daytime Emmy Awards.[39] None of the nominations won their category.

  • Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition.
  • Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Live Action and Animation.
  • Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Live Action and Animation.

Home video

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The first season was released to home video in three separate DVD volumes, with four episodes each on the first two releases and five on the third. The complete Season 1 collection was released in a 3-DVD box set that collected the three individual volumes. All were released through Warner Home Video.

In July 2020, the entire series and the second season were respectively released on Blu-Ray and DVD through the Warner Archive Collection. Season 1 volume 1 has a bonus featurette called "We Are Legion", and the series finale has an audio commentary with producer James Tucker, director Brandon Vietti, and the voice of Saturn Girl, Kari Wahlgren. These bonus features are also included in the Complete Series Blu-Ray.[40][41]

The series is also available for purchase or streaming on various platforms, including iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, and formerly DC Universe.

Individual episodes have been released on various other DC home video releases; for example, the two-part episode "Dark Victory" was released an extra on the 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray release of The Death of Superman.

Title Release date # of episodes Episodes
Legion of Super Heroes Volume One August 28, 2007 4 "Man of Tomorrow", "Timber Wolf", "Legacy", "Phantoms"
Legion of Super Heroes Volume Two February 5, 2008 4 "Champions", "Fear Factory", "Brain Drain", "Lightning Storm"
Legion of Super Heroes Volume Three September 9, 2008 5 "The Substitutes", "Child's Play", "Chain of Command", "Sundown" (Parts One and Two)
Legion of Super Heroes Season 1 DVD 3-Pack September 15, 2009 13 Complete Season 1
Legion of Super Heroes: The Complete Second Season July 14, 2020 13 Complete Season 2
Legion of Super Heroes: The Complete Series July 14, 2020 26 Complete series (Seasons 1 and 2)

Other media

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Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century

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A comic book based on the show's continuity was published under the title Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century. According to the comic's writer, J. Torres, the name was chosen to distinguish itself from more specifically youth-oriented titles such as Justice League Adventures and Superman Adventures.[42] The first issue was distributed during Free Comic Book Day 2007 in addition to being sold.

An interview concerning the comic confirmed that it would continue publication despite the series ending, and would also be telling stories that were to have taken place after the second-season finale.[43] As of issue #20, the comic ceased publication.[44]

Additional characters

While the comic incorporates the cast of the show, other characters from DC Comics have made an appearance.

Collected editions

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Issues #1–7 were collected in the trade paperback Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century, Vol. 1: Tomorrow's Heroes (March 2008, ISBN 978-1-4012-1668-9).

Merchandise

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A tie-in promotion with McDonald's Happy Meal took place in August 2007, containing eight figurines: Superman, Timber Wolf, Lightning Lad, Brainiac 5, Bouncing Boy, Mano, Tharok, and Validus.

Action figures by Mattel were not produced because of a lack of retailer interest.[45]

The collectible miniatures game HeroClix produced a special starter set of the Legion, including a figure of Superman from the first season.

References

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  1. ^ a b Harvey, James (March 12, 2008). "'Legion of Super Heroes' To End After Current Season". World's Finest Online. Archived from the original on 2008-03-14.
  2. ^ "Tucker Discusses "Legion of Super Heroes" History & Finale". World's Finest Online. April 2008.
  3. ^ "CW Sticks With Kids WB!". Mediaweek. Archived from the original on May 15, 2006.
  4. ^ "Kids' Wb! on the CW Announces 2006–2007 "Too Big for Your TV" Saturday Morning Programming Schedule". TheFutonCritic.com. April 24, 2006.
  5. ^ Allstetter, Rob (February 8, 2007). "The Batman, Legion of Super Heroes New Seasons". Comics Continuum.
  6. ^ "The World's Finest - Batman: The Brave and the Bold".
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