The Legion of New Earth

THE POST-INFINITE CRISIS CHRONOLOGY

Assumptions:

This chronology is edited assuming:

1. The current Legion of New Earth sprang from the continuity following the Infinite Crisis. They invited an adolescent Clark Kent (not "Superboy") to join them. After the first Crisis, the 30th century became a place hostile to aliens and Superman did not see his Legion friends again for years.
2. Original Legion continuity ends somewhere around Legion v.3 #27 (1986). Right after this issue, Saturn Girl learned that Validus was her son and saved him. But Validus was pictured as a villain in Legion of Three Worlds. Also, Star Boy resigned in #28 but he was one of the Legionnaires to participate in the "Lightning Saga." Much of the stories after this lead toward the Pocket Universe Superboy, and the secret conspiracy of four Legionnaires against the Time Trapper in retaliation for the Superboy's death. In current continuity, the Pocket Universe does not exist. Geoff Johns, in a podcast Interview at Newsarama clarified their timeframe in these ways:
   • "We're really looking at the Baxter series that Paul [Levitz] did as our end point where we pick them up,"
   • "Basically, Crisis on Infinite Earths is our cut-off point."
   • [We're at a point] "back before Superboy was taken away from its history, basically."
3. Thus, the events of Legion v.4 ("Five Years Later") are not considered part of current Legion continuity. This includes the characters Valor, Laurel Gand and Kid Quantum. In some instances, however, I have kept "harmless" details concerning Legionnaires' origins that were revealed in this series. The Time Trapper did not create the "SW6" Legion and store them beneath Metropolis. Writers Tom and Mary Bierbaum took extensive pains to construct timelines for the entire Legion and some of this remains useful despite the elimination of their tales from continuity.
4. Passage of time: I use the calendar established in Tom and Mary Bierbaum's 2995: Legion Sourcebook (1995) to mark the passage of years. In this book, a timeline was established in which Legion leader elections happened at the turn of each year. If that principle holds in current continuity, the original Legionnaires — if admitted around age 14 — would now be around 30 years old and the Legion has been around for about 15 years. Years such as "2973" have been changed to "Year 1," etc.
5. The Supergirl (Kara Zor-El) and Superboy (Conner Kent) of New Earth were not members of this Legion. They did go on to join the Legions of parallel Earths. The heroes of 21st century New Earth probably have met these parallel Legions (like when Superboy's Legion were trapped in the past by the Emerald Eye).
6. "Deep" Silver Age tales: Many of the original Legion tales remain intact, but tales of the Legion's interaction with the 20th century have been largely eliminated.
7. After his death, Garth Ranzz's psyche was not supplanted by Proty II.
8. Lana Lang, Pete Ross and Jimmy Olsen never developed powers or alter egos, or became honorary Legionnaires.
9. Mon-El entered the Phantom Zone before Clark Kent became Superman and did no emerge until the 30th century.
10. Karate Kid may have spent a brief time in the 20th century during his quest to win Projectra's hand in marriage, but his presence went largely unnoticed by other heroes.
11. There was never a Pocket Universe created by the Time Trapper, thus no Matrix Supergirl or Pocket Universe Superboy.
12. The identity of Phase of the L.E.G.I.O.N. is unclear.
13. The identity of R.J. Brande as the L.E.G.I.O.N.'s Durlan is unclear.

This excerpt from a Newsarama interivew with Geoff Johns reveals some of his thoughts behind restoring the original Legion:

NRAMA: When you do say something like you want to use everything and not leave anything by the wayside from their history as things move forward…that kind of thing carries some serious meaning in the modern-day DCU where there are some larger legacies and “families” that are missing members and other elements…or have been for some time…

GJ: Sure. Take Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes.

NRAMA: Which you’re putting back together in Action after years of having been separated…

GJ: I believe that Superman’s connection with the Legion makes both concepts stronger, which is why I’m doing the story in Action right now. Clark Kent didn’t have a group of friends when he was growing up in Smallville. Sure there was Lana, but he didn’t have a group of friends where he felt like he was one of them. He had great parents and wonderful people he knew, it was tough for him. But when the Legion showed up, and he went to the future with them as a kid…a lot of them were aliens who looked human that came to earth. Suddenly, Clark was just “one of the kids” after being so different. I think that helped him relate to other heroes.

Even though people really look up to him, he sees himself as part of the community. His experience with the Legion – being a member of a group of heroes – helped teach him a lot of that. And on the flipside, the Legion was built off of what Superman did – this alien who came to Earth, and the Earth giving something to him, and him wanting to give back to the Earth. It’s the same kind of thing – the Legion is stronger for having interacted with him. They helped to make Superman who he is, and as a result, they’re stronger.

But that’s just my opinion, and some people may argue it, but for me, there’s always been a strong connection there. And emotional one.

Things to know:

1. Color Codes:
   

   A new member joins the Legion.

   A Legionnaire dies.

   Major storyline.

2. Issue information in parentheses indicates one of two things: (a) the tale was retold/corroborated in additional stories, and/or (b) the tale was told as a flashback. Certain events that have never been fully chronicled in print use asterisks (*) in place of issue numbers and cover dates.
3. Characters' first appearance IN PRINT is bolded. This often differs from their first chronological appearance.
4. When the placement of a tale within continuity is in question, the event is usually placed in the most recent possible time.
5. All 30th Century dates come from 2995: The Legion of Super-Heroes Sourcebook and/or Legion of Super-Heroes (volume 4).
6. Only the inheritors to a title display the level of succession. Example: "Invisible Kid II" (for Jacques Foccart), but just "Invisible Kid" (no "I" for Lyle Norg).
7. Consideration for inclusion is based on an event's relevancy to the Legion, its members and their legacy. This includes major Legion series and key issues from other DCU series.
8. Comics book titles have been abbreviated:

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