Projectra

Original Princess Projectra

The Legion has attracted its share of distinguished applicants, but its prestige was raised an extra notch when it was joined by royalty — Princess Projectra of Orando. On the eve of an assault on Earth by the Khunds, the Legion put out a desperate call for new members, to which she responded, using the illusion powers that her grandmother, the Orandi witch Hagga to throw the entire Legion into a panic. She was immediately admitted, using her powers effectively to help repel the Khundish invasion, and using her own name and title. (Adventure #346)

Upon joining the Legion she immediately fell in love with fellow recruit Val Armorr, Karate Kid. (#362) He loved her as well, and the two were romantically linked throughout their Legion career. When the couple journeyed to Orando for a visit, Val decided to formally ask Projectra's father for her hand in marriage. King Voxv decreed that as a commoner, Val would have to prove his courage by living in the barbaric twentieth century. (Superboy vol. 1 #206, Karate Kid #1) Val was true to his word and undertook a great odyssey in order to prove his worth. Further, Karate Kid saved the king's own life from a villain called the Black Dragon. (Karate Kid #10) Notes: King Voxv first appeared in Adventure #362 (Nov. 1967), Hagga in Legion vol. 2 #288 (June 1982). Superboy #206 makes mention of her mother, who was supposedly alive, but never appeared and was never mentioned again.

Queen Projectra

Though Val returned from his time travels, it would be some time before the young couple returned to Orando to make things official. On their next visit, Projectra received a horrible shock: her father died, and she was expected to become Queen. (Legion vol. 2 #284, 285) Her grandmother attempted to seize power and install her cousin, Pharoxx to the throne, claiming that Projectra was unfit to rule. With the help of the Legionnaires, Projectra prevailed. (#286, 288) Afterwards she did not hesitate to assume her royal duties. She and Val resigned from the Legion and were engaged to be married. (#296)

The ceremony was trouble-free (Legion vol. 2 Annual #2), but the newlyweds' were doomed. Pharoxx, in hopes of gaining power, allied with the Legion of Super-Villains and let them use Orando as their base of operations. (Legion vol. 3 #2) As Projectra and Karate Kid returned from their honeymoon, the were captured by the Super-Villains, led by Nemesis Kid — the Legion traitor who joined the same day as they. The villains planned to "kidnap" Orando into another dimension and use it for their base of operations. Once again, Val came to Projectra's rescue, destroying the villains' main power source. But the effort cost Val his life. (#4)

His sacrifice allowed the Legion to rallly and the LSV were rounded up. Projectra invoked royal privilege and executed Nemesis Kid. She chose to conclude the Legion chapter of her life by completing the villains' plan to transfer of Orando to another dimension. In her grief, she believed that the medieval world would fare better if removed from the thirtieth century's tyrranies. (#5)

In her isolation, Projectra explored more of the ancient magicks practiced by her lineage. She was charged by Orando's mystical ruling body, the Council of Orakills, to atone for the LSV's rampage across the planet. In much the same way her husband once needed to prove himself, Projectra was ra was ordered to do penance. She would have to return to Earth, and without her royal clout , rejoin the Legion. She returned to the Legion as a masked mystery woman. She entrusted only Saturn Girl with her identity, and was admitted as Sensor Girl. (#14) Since her absence, she had cultivated new abilities, which helped to hide her identity. Her illusion powers were greatly extended; not only were her own senses hightened, she could easily affect others' perceptions on a much finer scale.

Not every Legionnaire was willing to accept a total unknown into the Legion, and harbored suspicions of who she might, in reality, be. The Legion's leader, Element Lad, asked her to reveal her true identity, but she refused even him. (#24) Ultimately, the decision to unmask was forced upon her by the Emerald Empress, who attacked the Legion with her new Fatal Five. The Empress sensed a kindred spirit in Sensor Girl, and exposed her ruse to everyone. (#25)

Projectra was instrumental in defeating the Empress, and after this display of bravery, the Council of Orakills offered the throne back to Projectra, but she chose to remained with the Legion as Sensor Girl. She kept the mask, now preferring to operate in the public without her royal priveleges. (#27)

When the Empress returned, Sensor Girl had the villain on the ropes. In a moment of clarity, the Empress shook the Emerald Eye's influence and begged for Projectra to sever her connection to it. She did it, but was shocked when Sarya perished without the Eye's power. (#58)

Polar Boy took Projectra to task for the Empress' death, but the Legion refused to condemn her. What's more, they showed their support by electing her as their next leader. (#59)

She reluctantly took on the task, and after helping the universe contain the damage wrought by the Magic Wars, realized what kind of difference a good leader could truly make.

Retroboot (Post-Infinite Crisis)

Under unrevealed circumstances, Projectra participated in a ceremony to return her husband to life. The Legion arranged for the same ritual that had revived Lightning Lad years before. (Adventure #312) They were successful, and in a bizarre twist of fate, Val joined six other Legionnaires to travel back to the 21st century to perform the very same ritual to save someone else. (Justice League of America vol. 2 #3) The lethal lightning chose Val's lightning rod and the hero would have died again if not for his quick reflexes. He dodged the lightning and cheated death again. After this mission, however, he was ordered to remain in the 21st century and undertake a new mission. (#10)

Projectra wasted no time grieving for Val a second time. She joined a new assembly of the Espionage Squad and traveled back to the 21st century in order to shepherd the hero Mon-El on to his destiny. In Metropolis, she disguised herself as a Science Police officer: “Wilcox.” (Superman #687, 692)

Glorith Reality (Legion vol. 4)

In Glorith Reality continuity, Projectra returned to Orando.

After Earthgov was infiltrated by the Dominators, Sensor Girl was officially listed as the Legion's leader until the organization disbanded, but in reality, she left sometime before that, at the urging of the Orakills of Orando. Projectra was convinced to return to Orando when her people began having troubles living in their new dimension. Projectra resigned to resume her throne on Orando, and one of her first moves was to return the planet to Earth's dimension. (Legion vol. 4 #15)

With the help of her Legion friends, Projectra did her best to steer her planet through the galaxy's troubled times. And when the Dark Circle attempted to assassinate Projectra, former Legionnaires Valor and Shadow Lass stepped in to help dismantle the cult's presence on Orando. (#18) She maintained close contact with many of her friends, and she was key in their battle against Mordru. The evil mage used her for her ability to communicate with the dead greatly helped during Mordru's ressurection campaign. She joined with the Legion one final time to help rescue Rokk Krinn from the clutches of Glorith and Mordru. (#44-48)

The Projectra of Batch SW6 died together with the SW6 Karate Kid and Chameleon Boy in the explosion of underground chambers during the war to free Earth of Dominion oppression. (#32)

Notes

Jim Shooter on Princess Projectra: "Was not a political admission. She is proud of her noble background and yet does not want to be separated from her friends by station. K.K. is a natural for her, because he'd act the same before the King of Razamataz as he would with Sam the Streetsweeper. She'd say, "I'm a Princess" and he'd say, "Far-out! Wanna screw?" Opposites do attract—her couth, class, cultural offset his rowdy behavior and vastly different culture. She is somewhat lost in this technological world, he is at home. She is a mystic, he has grown up amid science—and yet, perhaps the Oriental half of Val is more in tune with Projectra's background. She is very duty-oriented, and to conduct herself in public, anyway, as a princess, is very important to her. She believes in her own nobility and that belief is the source of what courage, honor, loyalty and strength she has." —Interlac (1976)

Tom and Mary Bierbaum on Princess Projectra: "A regal demeanor, with all that implies. Perhaps because of in-breeding within noble lines, she seems especially susceptible to some debilitating mental viruses, but Projectra has admirably rallied back from those difficulties." —Interlac (2000)

Steve Lightle on Supergirl/Sensor Girl: "Awhile back Paul Levitz and I created a few Legionnaires, and assorted supporting characters. Sensor Girl was always more Paul's baby, just as Tellus and Quislet were more mine." … "When Paul [Levitz] saw that I had designed a Legionnaire with a full mask, I think that sparked his desire to spare Supergirl from her Crisis fate, by making her the lady behind the mask. I believe the original idea was that even she didn't know her true identity, and that she had lost all her Kryptonian powers except those pertaining to her senses. This is why, in the early appearances of the character, she appears to have powers consistent with X-ray vision, heat vision, etc. It wasn't until [DC Comics president Jeanette] Khan insisted that Supergirl should remain dead (she was very firm on this at the time) that Paul came up with Plan B ... Projectra. after all, who wanted to incur the wrath of Jeanette?" —Comic Book Resources (2002)

Powers

All versions of Projectra cast illusions as their primary power.

Sensor Girl has also come to have some mystical affinity, which is linked to her family's heritage. As Sensor Girl, she pushed her powers to their limits, targeting the humanoid senses—more than just sight.

Appearances + References