Colossal Boy

Original Colossal Boy

Gim Allon was a ordinary Science Police cadet when he took a vacation on Mars with fellow cadet and girlfriend Gigi Cusimano. But then extraordinary things began happening to him. First, a strange radioactive meteor landed right at his feet while he and Gigi were sand-skiing. The incident put Gim the S.P. Academy's infirmary, but soon after his release, he spotted crime in progress. As he and Gigi chased the criminal, Gim managed to snatch him out of an elevator — by growing to a height of fifteen feet! (Legion vol. 3 #39) His mother Marte suggested that his power might be of better use in the new Legion of Super-Heroes than in the Science Police, and Gim, renaming himself Colossal Boy, took that advice. (Action #267, Legion: Secret Origin #3-4)

Note: Colossal Boy's first name was first revealed in Superman Annual #4 (1961). parents

Colossal Boy's first major act of bravery came when Tarik the Mute created his own Legion of Super-Villains. Since most of the villains he recruited were novices, he needed someone to train them, and who better than an instructor from Legion's own Academy? Tarik kidnapped Colossal Boy's parents, turned them to glass, and threatened to shatter them if Colossal Boy didn't help him. Gim was forced to steal the Legion Academy's training manuals, which got him expelled from the Legion. But when the Legionnaires learned about the circumstances, he was exonerated. Tarik and his Legionnaires-to-be were sent to prison. (Adventure #372)

For the most part, Gim served in the Legion faithfully and without much fanfare. He was shocked when his mother was chosen as a candidate for President of Earth, and eventually elected to the post. (Legion vol. 2 #269, 271) For years, he'd hidden his true feelings for his teammate, Shrinking Violet, who had never returned his affections. One day, this tide mysteriously turned and the two quickly became lovers. (Legion vol. 2 #288)

Gim married Violet not long afterwards (#298), only to find out that she was an impostor—a Durlan actress named Yera who had infiltrated the Legion! (#305) Despite her deception, he was truly in love with her and he never questioned the grounds of their marriage.

Notes

Jim Shooter on Colossal Boy: "Middle-class, yes, naive in the sense of firm belief in middle class values. Home, family, apple pie, flag, country, motherhood. He is convinced of everything—I doubt he is insecure. Everything seems blacka nd white, value wise. Power-wise, height is one of the best psychological allies you can have. I'm certain he is unconcerned, even oblivious to things that worry other Legionnaires. He has an easy confience others envy, and yet it sometimes works against him. Sometimes he blundwers into easily avoided situations." —Interlac (1976)

Glorith Reality

Colossal Boy was one of the last holdouts in the Legion when they disbanded due to Earthgov pressures. Before this, Gim and Chameleon Boy went undercover to bring down the cosmic mobster called Starfinger. The vilain blasted Gim's leg, which put him out of action for a while and necessitated physical rehabilition. before returning to active duty. (Legion vol. 3 #48-49, Annual #4)

The demise of the Legion forced Gim to return to his first love, the Science Police. As Captain Gim Allon, he served them well thereafter. When the Legion reformed off Earth, Gim was called upon to help rescue Rokk Krinn from the hands of Mordru and Glorith. During this battle at the Legion's headquarters on Talus, his younger SW6 counterpart, Leviathan, was aged to death by Glorith. Soon afterwards this timeline succumbed to the white wave of the Zero Hour.

Notes

Tom & Mary Bierbaum on Colossal Boy: "Somewhat insecure, especially when comparing himself to some of his more "macho" teammates. Feels pressure to prove himself by hooking up with a steady girlfriend, and there just is no interesting partner within the Legion (until Yera comes along)." —Interlac (2000)

Retroboot

…

Powers

Leviathan had the ability to increase his body's size. Upon his death, this power was conferred to Shrinking Violet (Leviathan II) via the Emerald Eye of Ekron.

Appearances + References

Reboot: Leviathan II

The Gim Allon of universe-247 went by the codename Leviathan. This universe was destroyed in the Infinite Crisis. He perished in battle before that universe's destruction…

All Gim Allon ever wanted to become was a police officer. To this end, he enrolled in the Science Police Academy on Mars. But there, he found a more effective way of enforcing the law. While chasing a rogue Durlan across the sands of Mars during a meteor storm, his quarry was hit by one of the meteors. Gim was knocked off his vehicle by the shockwave, which put him in a hospital for months, comatose. When he woke up, he was fifteen feet tall!

Gim soon mastered the ability to grow as tall as thirty feet, making him the most effective policeman on the force. He rose quickly to the rank of lieutenant. When the Legion of Super-Heroes was formed, the Martian government sent him to Earth as their representative. Gim soon realized that the Science Police—Chief Desmond Wilson in particular—were using him as a public relations campaign within the Legion. As Leviathan, Gim grew to enjoy service in the Legion and his field experience got him chosen as the group's leader by the United Planets. It didn't go smoothly. In a fight against Tangleweb, the Legionnaire Kid Quantum lost his life. After this Leviathan ceded leadership to one of the group's founders, Cosmic Boy. Cos made Leviathan deputy leader. (Legion vol. 4 #62)

Gim made up for his first failure by leading the later mission which eventually captured Tangleweb. After Cosmic Boy resigned as leader, Leviathan was extremely critical of the new leader, Shrinking Violet. Gim was overly-heroic in the fight against Doctor Regulus on Gallan, and died in action; in a way this earned him the recognition he'd so craved. What he didn't know was that Violet harbored a secret crush on Leviathan. His death prompted her to reveal that she possessed the Emerald Eye of Ekron. (#83) He was buried with full honors on Shanghalla, (Legionnaires #41) and the Legion named their deep space station Outpost Allon, in his honor. (Legion vol. 4 #100)

Violet went on to her own crazy destiny. After shaking off the Emerald Eye, she found that its power had allowed her to absorb Gim's power. (Legionnaires #50) When she returned to active duty, she adopted Gim's codename, Leviathan II. (#52) She also retains her shrinking power, and is active in the Earth-247 team, wandering the multiverse.

Powers

....

Appearances + References

Threeboot: Colossal Boy II

Centuries before the Legion's time, the Earth's axis shifted and Australia became the South Pole. New cities were created by peoples' migration. One of these new cities was attacked by Bizarro-Brainiac, who enlarged it. This essentially created a race of giants on Earth. These people named their land Big City and retained the ability to shrink themselves back down to about six feet tall. (Legion vol. 5 #15, #20)

The Legionnaire Gim Allon hailed from Big City. As a Legionnaire, he chose the codename Micro Lad because, from his perspective, it was accurate. Not so for his teammates, who over time have instead cemented their habit of calling him Colossal Boy.

Gim was fearless yet competent, and charged into conflict. His crime fighting skills were well-rounded and he was skilled in undercover work as well. He once joined Element Lad on a mission to infiltrate a slave ring. (#8)

Other residents of Big City were later recruited by Mekt Ranzz when he began amassing members for his Wanderers, to oppose an interstellar threat. (#20) Gim helped to jail some of Big City's delinquents, but one in particular was soon freed by the Wanderers and became Micro Lass. (#21)

Colossal Boy had a crush on Atom Girl, though the relationship did not go beyond friendship. (#45)

Gim once mentioned that he has a brother who is gay.

Powers

....

Appearances + References

Rebirth: Colossal Boy III

Gim Allon is from a race of people who are naturally gigantic — many times the size of most sentients. For this reason, the Legionnaires dubbed him "Colossal Boy." But this name did not click with him because from his perspective, his super-power was to shrink himself down to their size. (Legion vol. 8 #3, 8)

Powers

Colossal Boy can change his size from that of a normal human to as much as 50 feet in height.