Legion of Super Heroes (TV series)

Development history

A few months before the series premiered, the Legion appeared in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Far From Home", which featured Supergirl traveling to the future and joining the Legion. This led audiences to think the episode was a back-door pilot for a Legion series and that the show would be a DCAU spin-off. Producer James Tucker clarified that the series was created from scratch and was never tied to that episode. The true origin came from Cartoon Network's desire for a Superman-centric series to premiere alongside the film Superman Returns. The series was originally developed for Cartoon Network, then they passed and Kids' WB stepped in, wanting a Superman-centric series with Superman fresh out of Smallville. Early reports suggested the title would be Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, but the official announcement in April 2006 confirmed the title as Legion of Super Heroes, indicating it would air on the Kids' WB block of The CW network at 10 a.m. At the 2006 Comic Con International, the production staff did not officially say whether legal issues involving the ownership of Superboy had affected the series or whether changes were made to tie it in with Superman Returns. The original press release referred to "the young Superboy", while the revised press release in June described the character as a young Superman. In the pilot episode, Clark adopts the name Superman, not Superboy. In the second season, set two years later, the character is called Superman without reference to his young status.

Characters

The series' first season centers on eight main Legionnaires, with additional characters appearing occasionally, a structure similar to Justice League Unlimited. A teenage Clark Kent, about to leave Smallville for Metropolis, knows he has powers but is unsure of his path. After being sent to the future, he takes on the identity of Superman and learns to master his abilities, eventually returning to his own time at the end of the season. The second season jumps ahead two years; a more experienced Superman returns to the future. A new character, Superman X, a 41st-century clone created to fight Imperiex, appears. When Imperiex travels back to the 31st century, Superman X follows and enlists the Legion's help.

In a July 2006 interview, series producer James Tucker described the core team. Lightning Lad, who wields lightning and is impulsive and hot-tempered, has a scar on his right eye that sometimes glows during fights. He has a twin sister, Ayla, and an older brother, Mekt. Saturn Girl is compassionate and thoughtful, possessing mental powers. Brainiac 5, the team's smartest member, can reshape his robotic body; Tucker noted his look and personality were inspired by the version from Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning's comics. Phantom Girl can phase through solid matter and briefly extend this ability to others; she is sarcastic and self-centered but loyal to the Legion. Bouncing Boy, friendly and funny, can stretch his body like rubber; he is unexpectedly elected leader near the end of the first season. Triplicate Girl was born able to split into three identical selves.

Home video

The first season initially came out on DVD as three separate volumes: the first two had four episodes each, and the third contained five. A complete first-season box set, gathering all three volumes on three discs, was later released by Warner Home Video. In July 2020, the Warner Archive Collection put out the entire series on Blu-ray and the second season on DVD. The first volume of season one includes a bonus featurette titled "We Are Legion," and the final episode features an audio commentary with producer James Tucker, director Brandon Vietti, and Saturn Girl voice actor Kari Wahlgren. These extras are also present on the complete series Blu-ray. You can stream or buy the show on platforms like iTunes and Amazon Prime Video, and it was previously available on DC Universe. Some episodes have appeared as extras on other DC home releases; for instance, the two-part "Dark Victory" was an extra on the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray edition of The Death of Superman.

Other media

A comic book series titled Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century was created to match the TV show's storyline. Writer J. Torres explained that the title set it apart from more child-focused comics like Justice League Adventures and Superman Adventures. The first issue came out on Free Comic Book Day 2007 and was also sold in stores. Even after the TV series ended, the comic kept going, telling stories meant to occur after the second season's final episode. It stopped with issue number 20. The comic used the show's characters and brought in other DC figures: the Green Lantern Corps appeared in issue 6, Circe in 7, Martian Manhunter in 11, Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, and Perry White in 13, Bart Allen as Impulse in 15, Arm-Fall-Off Boy in 16, Booster Gold in 19, and Metallo in 20. A trade paperback collecting issues 1 through 7, called Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century, Vol. 1: Tomorrow's Heroes, was released in March 2008. In August 2007, McDonald's Happy Meals included eight figurines: Superman, Timber Wolf, Lightning Lad, Brainiac 5, Bouncing Boy, Mano, Tharok, and Validus. Mattel did not make action figures because stores showed little interest. The HeroClix miniatures game put out a special starter set for the Legion, which included a Superman figure from the first season.