Adventure Comics Vol 2 0

"You'd think they'd learn by now. Lex Luthor is no one's prisoner."

- Lex Luthor

"The Legion of Super-Heroes" is the title to the first story featured in the special zero issue of Adventure Comics, Volume 2 by DC Comics. The story was written by Otto Binder with artwork by Al Plastino. The second story begins the "Origins & Omens" series of mini-tales and is written by Geoff Johns with artwork by Francis Manapul. This book was edited by Elisabeth V. Gehrlein with Sean Ryan as associate editor. This issue shipped with an April, 2009 cover date and carries a cover price of $1.00 per copy (US).

"The Legion of Super-Heroes"
One day in Smallville Superboy is startled to run across several teenagers who apparently know his secret identity. One boy greets Clark as Superboy even though Clark is dressed in his civilian clothes. Later, as Superboy flies over Smallville in costume, another boy addresses him as Clark Kent. And while he is still dressed as Superboy, a teenage girl asks him to say hello to his parents, mentioning Jonathan and Martha Kent by name. With growing concern, Clark begins to wonder if everyone in town knows his secret identity. Could it be possible?

Together the three teenagers reveal that they also have secret identities, changing into their colorful costumes as Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Lightning Boy (known in later issues as Lightning Lad). They have travelled through time from the 30th century and want to invite Superboy to visit them in the future and join their super-hero club. Intrigued, Superboy joins his newfound friends in their time bubble, which takes them to 30th century Smallville. He gets a quick tour of contemporary highlights, including a futuristic ice cream shop, a shrine preserving Superboy's Smallville home, and a history class demonstrating one of Superboy's own robots.

Arriving at the super-hero clubhouse, they are joined by other members of the club, and a meeting of the Legion of Super-Heroes is called to order. The first item of business: Superboy's application for membership. According to club rules, Superboy must prove that he is a super-hero in order to be admitted. To do so, a series of three competitions are arranged in which Superboy will take on his three new friends individually in tests of super-skill. Using the Legionnaires' television trouble-finder, the contestants are to respond to super-jobs, with the first one to successfully solve the problem winning the round.

Superboy thinks this will be easy, but each time his super senses detect another emergency that needs his immediate attention, allowing his opponent to win the round. He and Saturn girl are charged with recovering a priceless statue that has sunken beneath the sea, but en route there, Superboy notices the Superboy robot seen earlier running dangerously out of control. Next, he and Cosmic Boy must both attempt to prevent a crashed rocket-liner from causing a forest fire, but Superboy spies a falling satellite and must prevent it from hitting people below. Finally, Lightning Boy and Superboy must notify a travelling rocket that it has a leaking fuel tank and must return for repairs. This time, Superboy must rescue an invisible eagle that has escaped from the interplanetary zoo, and loses his third match. Each time, Superboy accepts his defeat without mentioning the emergency that prevented him from winning, feeling that this would look like he was making excuses for his failure. Having lost all three contests, his membership is rejected. True to form, he takes it with a brave smile, even when he is teased by the Legionnaires for losing. Secretly broken-hearted, he turns to leave, but at the last moment, the Legionnaires call him back. The real initiation test was in his ability to accept defeat and still be a good sport. In each test he was deliberately decoyed away from completing his mission. Saturn girl used a mental command to control the Superboy robot, Cosmic Boy made the satellite fall from the sky and Lightning Boy used his power to free the invisible eagle. Having passed their real test, Superboy is accepted for membership, and he basks in the cheers of his fellow Legionnaires.

Suddenly, the TV trouble-finder alerts them to another emergency at South Pole City. Rushing to the scene, Superboy uses a magnetic meteor to right a toppling tower, seeds clouds to create lightning that will heat the city while its heat lamp is fixed, and then plays a simple "mind-reading" trick upon his return to the clubhouse. Saturn Girl sees his joke - he has used magnetism, lightning and mind-reading all on one job, duplicating each of his competitors powers and earning him their highest award. Upon his return to 20th century Smallville, he proudly displays the medal he earned to Pa Kent, amazed that he will still be honored a thousand years in the future.

Appearances

 * Superboy, Clark Kent/Kal-El


 * Cosmic Boy, Rokk Krinn
 * Lighting Boy, Garth Ranzz
 * Saturn Girl, Imra Ardeen


 * None


 * Jonathan Kent


 * Legion of Super-Heroes


 * Humans
 * Braalians
 * Kryptonians
 * Titanians
 * Winathians


 * Smallville
 * Legion Clubhouse


 * Jet pack
 * Robots
 * Superboy robot


 * Legion Time Bubble
 * Rocket


 * Flight
 * Invisibility
 * Electromagnetism
 * Electrokinesis
 * Telepathy

"Origins & Omens"
She was once a loyal member of the Guardians of the Universe, founders of the Green Lantern Corps. But since she burned at the hand of the Anti-Monitor, her soul rots with darkness. Unbeknownst to her fellow Oans, her loyalties now lie elsewhere. The Guardians of the Universe take no names, yet soon this one will be known as Scar.


 * Scar


 * None


 * Brainiac, Vril Dox
 * Lex Luthor


 * Superboy, Kon-El


 * None


 * Oans


 * Coluans
 * Oa


 * Book of the Black


 * Brainiac's head ship
 * Bulldozer
 * Truck


 * Superhuman strength
 * Telepathic immunity


 * Alien life forms
 * Broken neck
 * Laboratory
 * Scientific experimentation
 * Scientist

Notes & Trivia

 * Adventure Comics 0 redirects to this page.


 * Letterer Steve Wands is credited as Swands in this issue.


 * The first story from this issue is a reprinting of the main story from Adventure Comics #247 from April, 1958.


 * This is the first appearance of the Book of the Black.