Cosmic Boy

Original Cosmic Boy

The planet Braal was known to the greater galaxy as early as the 20th century. The young Daxamite (and Legionnaire), Lar Gand, once met Krinn Magar. (Valor #20) Its humanoid settlers evolved within the planet's intense magnetic field. It caused them to evolve the power to maniuplate magnetic forces. This helped them ward off the native beasts, which were partly metallic.

In the 30th century, the planet was economically-depressed, and Hu and Ewa Krinn travelled to Earth to find work. Their first child, Rokk, was born there. The child's birth within Earth's own strong magnetic field made his magnetic powers stronger than that of the average Braalian. By age 13, he became a champion at the game of magno-ball (thought the Olympic championship eluded him). At 14, the mark of Braalian adulthood, Rokk followed in his parents' footsteps, and headed to Earth for work. (Secrets of the Legion #1, Legion vol. 2 #296) NOTES: Cosmic Boy's name and homeworld name and homeworld were revealed in Superman Annual #4 (1961). His parents first appeared in Adventure Comics #335 (Aug. 1965).

On his flight to Earth, he met Garth Ranzz. When they arrived on Earth, a young woman, Imra Ardeen, alerted them that their fellow passenger, the billionaire R. J. Brande was about to be shot! Rokk and Garth used their super-powers to disarm Brande's assailant. Brande was so impressed by their improptu teamwork that he invited them to form a new kind of law enforcement group: the Legion of Super-Heroes. Rokk accepted and took the codename Cosmic Boy. (Superboy vol. 1 #147)

Shortly thereafter, their computer selected him as their "optimum leader." (Legion vol. 2 #297) Rokk served as Legion leader during its first two years, helping to lay its formal groundwork, organize mission teams and recruitment efforts.

His fame reached the planet Kathoon, where youngx Lydda Jath became so enamored with Cosmic Boy that she asked her father to invent super-powers for her. She was rejected for Legion membership, though, and joined others to form the Legion of Substitute Heroes as Night Girl. (Adventure Comics #305)

As a "Sub," Night Girl maintained proximity to Rokk and made her feelings known to him at the first opportunity. (Adventure #311) They became a bona fide couple. Years later, Cosmic Boy briefly broke up with Lydda because she failed to make one of their dates. They repaired things and remained together after that. (Superboy vol. 1 #212)

Cosmic Boy was formidable even without his powers. During a Braalian holiday that prohibited him from using his powers, he single-handedly rescued his comrades from a trap (though he was gravely wounded). He was saved by the Emerald Empress, who was impressed by his sense of honor. (#215)

Cosmic Boy and Night Girl took a holiday to Braal that was interrupted by the Worldsmith, a powerful alien who remodeled planets for his clients. (Superboy & the Legion #236)

At some point, Rokk's family also relocated to Earth. (Adventure #335) Their neighborhood was the target of a terrorist "fireball" — a nuclear attack. (Legion vol. 2 #296) The Legion helped him rescue the family but Rokk's mother died. His father and brother sustained horrible burns and Cosmic Boy barely managed to restrain himself from killing the perpetrators. (#297)

When Garth and Imra decided to hang up their Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl uniforms to raise their newborn son, Rokk also agreed that it was time to step aside. (Legion vol. 3 #12), leaving his younger brother Pol, aka Magnetic Kid, his heir apparent. (#14) Even in retirement, he could hardly stay away from the Legion; he co-founded with Lydda and several others, the second incarnation of the Legion of Substitute Heroes.

Glorith Reality (Legion vol. 4)

Even in retirement, he could hardly stay away from the Legion; he was the one who opened up the doubts as to Superboy's authenticity, and he founded, together with Lydda and several others, the second incarnation of the Legion of Substitute Heroes. He eventually returned to Braal.

But although he was a hero, Braal was still a harsh world, and, when his planet went to war with Imsk, he was conscripted into its army, making sure to marry Lydda while he still could. He underwent the most shattering experience of his life, the massacre at Venado Bay. The Imskians had established a beachhead there, and, under the command of Salu Digby, the former Shrinking Violet, they set up a weapon called the damper - an object that would disrupt a Braalian's unique magnetic field. When the damper went off, Rokk lost his powers and his consciousness, and many Braalians lost their limbs or lives. When Rokk came to, he stumbled upon the Imskian camp, thinking that it was his own, and, when he heard of the presence of Imskians, slashed away with his laser-knife to get free. It's uncertain if he's even aware that it was he who slashed Shrinking Violet's eye...a scar she still wears to remember the atrocity in which she had been involved.

Still, it wasn't his magnetic powers which had made him so valuable to the Legion. It was his strong personality and leadership ability. That's why, when Reep Daggle set out to re-form the Legion, Rokk was the first person he contacted, and, when the re-formation became official, Rokk was the co-leader. He has since also become a father, Lydda giving birth to a son, who Rokk named after his late brother Pol.To help in a battle against Glorith, Brainiac 5 found a way to mechanically augment what remained of Rokk's magnetic powers, and it appears that the effect holds even without the machine's presence. This is quite useful to the Legion, which has been framed on criminal charges and is now on the run, but it appears to have made Rokk, now using the code-name Polestar to hide his identity, more aggressive and violent. This mania caused him to think that he was somehow able and obligated to re-assemble the Earth, and he seems oblivious to the damage he was actually causing to it. He was stopped when the young Legionnaires discovered that the gauntlets were causing the problem and Alchemist used his power to disintegrate them.

Rokk is the Time Trapper?

At the funeral for Laurel Gand, Rokk was kidnaped by Mordru and Glorith. They held him hostage in Glorith's keep—the Infinite Library of time. There he was trapped, so he began to read from the library. While consuming the annals of time, Rokk learned of the 30th century's ultimate fate—the Zero Hour. He remained for untold years, growing older then younger again. The infinite knowledge drove him mad with the drive to prevent the Legion's demise by any means necessary. To this end, he invented a new guise for himself: the Time Trapper.

Cosmic Boy II: Batch SW6

As the Trapper, his first act was to create an "Iron Curtain" in time to try to prohibit the Legion from all time travel. His grandst attempt was to divide the Legion into two chronal duplicates. The new set of Legionnaires was stored in "time stasis" beneath the Time Institute, where they were eventually unearthed by the Dominators and became the "SW6 Legion." He didn't realize that his actions were actually further weakening the time stream. He continued by creating an entire Pocket Universe in the 20th century. This universe was intended to be a safe haven for the Legion when the Crisis in Time occurred. This universe was destroyed by other fluctuations in time, and Rokk despaired, going even more mad. He was also weakened and further attempts to help the Legion were ineffective, especially in the presence of Glorith's great power. Eventually, the Trapper was attacked at the end of time by Monarch (Zero Hour #4) and he fell backwards in time. This created another paradox, as he fell to a time where Rokk had just entered the Infinite Library. In essence, he enlisted the help of... himself!

At the time when Polestar had just been banished to the Library, the Trapper told his story and convinced Rokk that the only solution to the crisis was to reunify the existing Legionnaires with their SW6 counterparts. (Valor #23) When the Legions began witnessing the time damage first-hand, they agreed to sacrifice their own existence to this plan, for the promise that the Legion would live again, restored and at full power. One by one, each Legionnaire touched their counterpart and disappeared. Once all pairs had merged, this time line ceased to exist. (Legion vol. 4 #61)

The Cosmic Boy of Batch SW6 had the same magnetic powers and superb leadership abilities. He was named to lead the New Earth team of Legionnaires just as he had the original team. He was badly injured by a stray bolt from Live Wire, and was still recuperating, leaving vice-chairperson Computo in charge. The SW6 Cosmic Boy was one of few Legionnaires to notice when the "crisis in time" took hold. He, Saturn Girl and Live Wire traveled into the past to investigate their origins and wound up fighting alongside the 20th century's heroes during that "Zero Hour." They returned to the 30th century believing they had stopped the menace, but soon learned that they must remerge with their older counterparts in order to repair the time stream. In true heroic fashion, Rokk joined hands with his older counterpart, and his best friends (both versions) and bid their reality farewell.

Retroboot

In the Legion Retroboot, the history of the original Legion was more-or-less restored — inus the events of Legion vol. 4. This meant that Rokk and Lydda had never married and had a child.

Notes

A character called Cosmic Man appeared a year after Cosmic Boy, in Action Comics #258 (Nov. 1959). He was a rival hero to Superman, but turned out to be merely a robot.

Jim Shooter on Cosmic Boy: "Kind of a yutz—manly, strong, secure, and yet no one suspects that he isn't bright enough not to be. Questions of a philosophical nature rarely form in his mind. He is a good counterpart to Bouncing Boy, having that dumb ego B.B. lacks. He will shave around his ears forever. On the good side, he is dedicated, direct, and reasonable, he knows his lack of high intellect and delegates the thinking, rather than attempt it himself. He is a good leader, a quick thinker if not a deep thinker, and one who relates well to those behind him. Even as a leader he is a team player." —Interlac (1976)

Tom & Mary Bierbaum on Cosmic Boy: "Literally the 'rock' of the Legion, the foundation, the corner stone. Quietly, unobtrusively personifies Legion heroism. Not really a natural leader, tends to let others take the initiative. Never acted on his love for Imra and let Lydda choose him." —Interlac (2000)

Powers

Cosmic Boy has the native ability of all Braalians to manipulate the forces of magnetism.

Appearances + References

Powers

Cosmic Boy has the native ability of all Braalians to manipulate the forces of magnetism.

Powers

Cosmic Boy manipulates magnetism.

Other Versions

Animated:

Cosmic Boy was a member of TV's Legion of Super-Heroes cartoon. Even though he was a founding animated member, he does not appear in the cartoon frequently.

Smallville

Rokk Krinn (played by Ryan Kennedy) appeared twice on television's Smallville: along with Imra and Garth in season 8, episode 11 (2009); and later that season, in episode 22.