To firmly establish my geekery, I compiled this chronological list of characters, the issue they were first introduced in the Legion series, and cover-date, and the writers/artists who created them, in numbered order of appearance (the ones who first appeared in the same issue I numbered in alphabetical order):

  • (1) Cosmic Boy,
    (2) Lightning Lad,
    (3) Saturn Girl,
    (4) Superboy..............ADVENTURE COMICS 247, 4/1958....... (by Otto Binder/Al Plastino)

    (5) Chameleon Boy,
    (6) Colossal Boy,
    (7) Invisible Kid,
    (8) Supergirl................ACTION 267, 8/1960 ................ (by Jerry Siegel/George Papp)

    (9) Star Boy...............ADVENTURE COMICS 282, 3/1961......... (by Otto Binder/George Papp)

    (10) Bouncing Boy,
    (11) Braniac 5,
    (12) Duo Damsel,
    (13) Phantom Girl,
    (14) Shrinking Violet,
    (15) Sunboy,
    (+ Supergirl officially joins).......ACTION 276, 5/1961..........(Siegel/Jim Mooney)

    (16) Mon-El...................SUPERBOY 89, 6/1961..........( Robert Bernstein / Papp )

    (17) Ultra Boy................SUPERBOY 98, 7/1962........ ( Siegel/ Swan/Klein)

    These are all from just 13 scattered appearances up to this point over the first 5 years. The group already has 17 members, and they don't even have a regular series yet !

    Their first regular series begins with their next (14th) appearance, in ADVENTURE COMICS 300, dated 9/1962.

    (18)Matter-Eater Lad........ADVENTURE COMICS 303, 12/1962.....( Siegel/John Forte)

    (19)Element Lad..............ADVENTURE 307, 4/1963.........(Edmond Hamilton/ Forte)

    (20) Light Lass
    (originally Lightning Lass).........ADVENTURE 308, May 1963....... (Hamilton/ Forte)

    (21) Dream Girl............ ADVENTURE COMICS 317, 2/1964.....(Hamilton/Forte)

    (22) Timberwolf............. ADVENTURE COMICS 327, 12/1964.....(Hamilton/Forte)

    (23) Ferro Lad,
    (24) Karate Kid,
    (25) Princess Projectra..... ADVENTURE COMICS 346, 7/1966......(Jim Shooter/Sheldon Moldoff)

    (26) White Witch.............ADVENTURE COMICS 351, 12/1966.....(Shooter/Swan/Klein)
    (not made a member till LSH 292, in 10/1982!)

    (27) Chemical King...........ADVENTURE COMICS 354, 3/1967.......(Shooter/Swan/Klein)
    (a cameo appearance, first introduced in the regular storyline in ADVENTURE 371, 8/1968)

    (28) Shadow Lass.............ADVENTURE COMICS 354, 3/1967.......(Shooter/Swan/Klein)
    (a cameo appearance, first introduced in the regular storyline in ADVENTURE 365, 2/1968)

    (29) Wildfire................SUPERBOY 195, 6/1973...............(Cary Bates/Dave Cockrum)

    (30) Tyroc...................SUPERBOY 216, 4/1976...............(Bates, Mike Grell)

    (31) Dawnstar................SUPERBOY 226, 4/1977................(Paul Levitz/Jim Sherman/Jack Abel)

    (32) Blok....................SUPERBOY 253, 7/1979................(Gerry Conway/Joe Staton)

    (33) Invisible Kid (II) ..........LEGION OF SUPERHEROES ANNUAL 1, 1982....(Levitz/Giffen/Patterson)



Of the 37 members, only 7 were introduced after 1968 (Quislet, Tellus, Cosmic Boy's brother Magnetic Kid (or Pol), and Polar Boy were added as members the same issue in 1985. I still have to check their first appearance dates before adding them.)

  • [ added: ]
    (34) Magnetic Kid......ADVENTURE COMICS 357, 6/1967.....(Shooter/Swan/Klein)
    (but not added as a member until (3rd series) LEGION 14 , 9/1985.......by Levitz/Lightle/DeCarlo)

    (35) Polar Boy......ADVENTURE COMICS 306, 3/1963......(Hamilton/Forte)
    (added to the Legion finally in (3rd series) LEGION 14, 9/1985..... by Levitz/Lightle/DeCarlo)

    (36) Tellus.................(3rd series) LEGION 14, 9/1985.....(Levitz/Lightle/DeCarlo)

    (37) Quislet................(3rd series)LEGION 14, 9/1985......(Levitz/Lightle/DeCarlo)





And 6 of the members were added by Jim Shooter, as well as a number of other supporting characters and villains that became the core of Legion's heralded continuity: The Khunds, Mordru, The Fatal Five, Universo, Rond Vidar, the Dark Circle, the Heroes of Lallor, and the Legion's fortress headquarters.

Shooter did a lot to fully establish the Legion. I hope he can do a good part to bring them back to greatness again.