Members of the Legion of Substitute Heroes

Chlorophyll Kid

Mardru is an main agricultural research center in the United Planets. Young Ral Benem was visiting his father's workplace when he fell into a vat of an experimental fertilizer, and it imbued Ral with the ability to accelerate (or slow down) the growth of any plant. (Adventure Comics #306, Secrets of the Legion #3)

As Chlorophyll Kid, he traveled to Earth to apply for membership in the Legion of Super-Heroes, but they were not impressed by this ability. Rejection did not stop him and four other teens from banding together to form the Legion of Substitute Heroes. The group's aim was to support the main team while honing their own teamwork and skills. (Adventure Comics #306)

They soon came to the attention of the Legion and forged a comfortable working arrangement. (Adventure Comics #311, 313, 315, 319, 322, 323, 331, 337, 342, 351) Chlorophyll Kid, as a member of the Subs, played a part in many Legion adventures, including the Earthwar (Superboy & the Legion #243-245) and the Great Darkness. (Legion vol. 2 #294-297)

But the Substitutes' powers were never of the Legion's caliber. Chlorophyll Kid in particular gained weight. Finally, after an embarrassing incident on Bismoll, Polar Boy disbanded the Subs. (Legion of Substitute Heroes Special #1)

Glorith Reality (Legion vol. 4)

Ral received weight-loss treatments on Bismoll, but they didn't stick. When he returned to Earth, the Legion was reeling from Earthgov persecution, and they finally asked him to join. His lack of fitness made the job impossible. He resigned from the Legion and joined an underground Earthgov resistance movement instead. (2995: The Legion Sourcebook)

The resistance, called the S.U.B.S., is where Chlorophyll Kid blossomed, under the command of Jacques Foccart (Invisible Kid). He learned inventive ways to manipulate plants and played a major part in the storming of the Dominators' underground chambers. As Dominator technology is plant-based, his power was quite effective. (Legion vol. 4 #16, 18)

The S.U.B.S. returned from the battle hailed as the heroes they had always wanted craved. (#40) "Chlor" joined his friends and enlisted for service with the United Planets Militia Academy, where they helped to train super-powered beings. (#41, 54)

Other Versions

Chlorophyll Kid was featured in TV's Legion of Super-Heroes cartoon — in "The Substitutes" (season 1, episode 9, Feb. 2007). His Legion tryout left a bad impression with the team and he joined with Porcupine Pete and three others to form the Legion of Substitute Heroes.

Color Kid

Ulu Vakk had a job in a scientific laboratory that conducted energy research. When he stumbled through a beam of extra-dimensional light, he gained the super-power to affect the electromagnetic properties of an object, effectively to change the color of anything. He applied for the Legion as Color Kid. They rejected him and referred him instead to the Legion of Substitute Heroes, where he was accepted as their first non-charter member. (Adventure Comics #342)

His powers were a boon, however, during a big Legion case when the Earth became surrounded by a cloud of green kryptonite radiation. He changed the cloud to blue, which was harmless to Superboy and Supergirl, and hailed for his efforts. (#351)

In one embarrassing twist, Color Kid temporarily became "Color Queen" when Infectious Lass accidentally infected him with "Grandin gender reversal germs." (Legion of Substitute Heroes Special #1)

The Subs were disbanded after an embarrassing incident on Bismoll. (Tales of the Legion #316) Their leader, Polar Boy became a Legionnaire, and Color Kid began making a living as an artist.

Glorith Reality (Legion vol. 4)

Color Kid became a Legion member during the team's desperate last days. By this time, the group was unable to function effectively under the Dominion's control of Earthgov. (2995: The Legion Sourcebook)

He left to sign on with Jacques Foccart's (Invisible Kid) underground resistance, called the S.U.B.S. He used his power to help disguise them and create distractions. (Legion vol. 4 #20)

After Earth was liberated, Ulu joined his friends and enlisted for service with the United Planets Militia Academy, where they helped to train super-powered beings. (#41, 54)

Other versions

A new Color Kid appeared in the Earth-247 Legion ("Reboot"). This character was a female (Legionnaires #43, Dec. 1996).

Color Kid was a charter member of the Legion of Substitute Heroes in TV's Legion of Super-Heroes cartoon — in "The Substitutes" (season 1, episode 9, Feb. 2007).

Note

The name "Color Kid" was coined by Legion fan Jeff Greenberg. His suggestion for this character was printed in the letter column of Adventure Comics #309 (June 1963).

Double

Double-Header was actually two sentients, Frenk and Dyvud Retzun of Janus. On this world, people divide into two identical individuals as they mature. During the ordinary lifespan of a Janusi, the personalities will develop in different stages. During the teen years the person has a single body with two heads and necks. Usually, these two heads (each with an independently thinking brain) get along well, but Frenk and Dyvud bickered constantly. They agreed, however, to try out for the Legion of Super-Heroes because they believed that two heads were better than one. They were promptly rejected because they didn't have a real super-power. (Adventure Comics #323)

They later joined the Legion of Substitute Heroes, but attended meetings and activities very infrequently. (DC Comics Presents #59)

Glorith Reality

In the unpublished Addenda to the 2995: Legion Sourcebook it's said that Double-Header went on to star in a sitcom called "Getting Ahead," and he lived comfortably off the residuals.

Retroboot

In post-Infinite Crisis continuity, the Subs reformed to fight Earth Man. Earth Man reportedly killed Double-Header. (Action Comics #862-863)

Fire Lad

Staq Mavlen hails from Shwar, a world with an oxygen-poor (but still breathable) atmosphere. When he accidentally inhaled the vapors emitting from a fallen meteor, he gained the super-power to breathe flame. He figured this made him a natural for the Legion of Super-Heroes. But during his tryout, he discovered that Earth's more oxygenated atmosphere made his flame-breath wildly uncontrollable. Fire Lad was rejected but he hooked up Polar Boy and others to form the Legion of Substitute Heroes. (Adventure Comics #306)

Glorith Reality (Legion vol. 4)

Over time Fire Lad continued to struggle with controlling his powers. But this didn't prevent Polar Boy from inviting his friend to join the Legion. These were desperate times, when the group was pressured to disband by the Dominators who were controlling Earthgov. Fire Lad was still a member when the Legion disbanded.

Staq joined the underground movement called the S.U.B.S., which was run by Jacques Foccart (Invisible Kid). The former Fire Lad was dedicated and finally gained some control over his flames with the help of a speech pathologist, of all things. A side effect was that he now produced a hissing sound whenever he said an "s" sound. (2995: The Legion Sourcebook)

Staq emerged as a leader in the group. He was key in liberating captives from the Dominator's underground chambers. (Legion vol. 4 #16, 26-30)

As de facto field leader of the Subs, he was invited to rejoin the newly reformed Legion. (#40-42) But he and his friends chose to enlist with the United Planets Militia Academy, where they helped train other super-powered beings. (#54)

Other versions

Fire Lad made a cameo among Legion applicants in TV's Legion of Super-Heroes cartoon — in "The Substitutes" (season 1, episode 9, Feb. 2007).

Infectious Lass

Drura Sehpt comes from Somahtur, whose inhabitants' bodies are home to colonies of contagious microorganisms. The people have a symbiotic relationship with these microbes and remain unaffected by pathogens. For this reason, their world is kept secret from the greater United Planets. Drura was an experimental test subject who was taken to the Medicus One facility in orbit around Earth. (Who's Who in the Legion #3)

She escaped from there in order to apply for membership in the Legion of Super-Heroes. As Infectious Lass, she demonstrated an inability to control her germs and was disqualified. Somehow she remained at large and befriended fellow reject, Porcupine Pete Dursin. (Superboy vol. 1 #201)

After a while, the two of them joined the Legion of Substitute Heroes, but apparently spent little time refining their powers. (DC Comics Presents #59, Legion of Subs Special) Her accidental infection of bystanders was a recurring embarrassment, one of many which led Polar Boy to disband the Subs when he was admitted to the Legion proper. (Legion vol. 3 #14)

Glorith Reality (Legion vol. 4)

When the Subs disbanded, Drura felt responsible, but she managed to keep in touch with them. And when the Legion was seeking a major influx of new members, Polar Boy offered membership to Infectious Lass and other Subs. Her power made her a lightning rod for harassment by Earthgov and she was forced to leave the Legion to avoid arrest. She found her way into an anti-Earthgov underground movement led by Jacques Foccart (Invisible Kid). As a member of his S.U.B.S., she excelled and also fell in love with Jacques. They were eventually married. (2995: The Legion Sourcebook)

When the war against the Dominators was won, Jacques was appointed as the new President of Earth. (Legion vol. 4 #35) The position did not suit him, so he and Drura soon left to rejoin the Legion. (#41, 43)

Retroboot (post-Infinite Crisis)

In the Retroboot era, the events of Legion vol. 4 are not part of continuity, so Legion history picks up from the end of Legion vol. 3 (so Drura never joined the Legion or the S.U.B.S., or married Jacques).

The Subs found an opportunity to prove themselves once again when Earth was overtaken by Earth-Man and his Justice League of Earth. In battle, Drura was cast into the timestream (Action Comics #862) and found herself in the 21st century.

She did not arrive on Earth, exactly, but found herself in the company of other strange heroes from throughout time. This band of unlikely allies was led by Doctor 13 and fought against a near-omnipotent group of overlords known as the "Architects." Although they seemed successful in saving their own existence, the ultimate fate of these heroes remains a mystery. (Tales of the Unexpected vol. 2 #4-8)

Other Versions

In the Reboot Legion, Infectious Lass (II) first appeared among a plethora of Legion applicants. (Legionnaires #43) Her next appearance was odd; she was depicted with other "substitute heroes" as children. (Legends of the Legion #1-4) She later graduated to Legion Cadet and was called alongside others by Chuck Taine to help the Legion. (The Legion #25, 36–37)

In the Threeboot Legion, a pale girl named Virus applied for Legion membership, but was promptly dismissed. (Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 5 #38)

Infectious Lass was featured in TV's Legion of Super-Heroes cartoon. In "The Substitutes" (season 1, episode 9, Feb. 2007), Her Legion membership audition went poorly. Afterwards she hooked up with Porcupine Pete and three others to form the Legion of Substitute Heroes.

Porcupine Pete

Peter Dursin was born with extremely rough skin that slowly developed into spikes, then quills, like those of a porcupine. They were extremely sharp, and caused distress for his parents. Regardless, he was raised in a loving environment, and became a friendly boy. His personality made him popular in school, and his confidence led him to try out for the Legion of Super Heroes. (Who's Who in the Legion #3)

When it came time for "Porcupine Pete" to present his powers to the Legion, he watched as everyone ducked and ran from his projectiles. He was rejected, but so was another applicant called Infectious Lass. (Superboy #201) The two of them became good friends, even dated, and they eventually joined the Legion of Substitute Heroes. (DC Comics Presents #59)

During this time, he gained little control over his powers. (Legion of Substitute Heroes Special #1)

Glorith Reality (Legion vol. 4)

After the Subs disbanded, Polar Boy became Legion leader but the team was under pressure to disband. To refill the Legion's dwindling ranks Polar Boy recruited his friends from the Substitute Heroes, including Pete. Pete left before the Legion officially disbanded and joined Jacques Foccart (Invisible Kid) in an underground resistance movement called the S.U.B.S. (2995: The Legion Sourcebook)

Peter finally gained precision control over his quills and became an excellent pilot as well. He and his friends from the original Substitute Legion played instrumental roles in freeing the Earth from Dominion tyranny. (Legion vol. 4 #18, 32, 34, 40) After Earth was liberated, he and the other S.U.B.S helped settle refugees, then enlisted to help training young super-powered beings at the United Planets Militia Academy. (#57)

Other Versions

Porcupine Pete was featured in TV's Legion of Super-Heroes cartoon. He aspired to Legion membership in season 1, episode 8. In the next episode, "The Substitutes" (season 1, episode 9, Feb. 2007), Pete flubbed his big chance to join the team, but led four others to form the Legion of Substitute Heroes.

Note

The name "Porcupine Pete" was coined by Legion fan David Krels. His suggestion for this character was printed in the letter column of Adventure Comics #309 (June 1963). “He can shoot quills from his body which are tipped with a stunning liquid. He’s a great hero, but for some reason, nobody ever pats him on the back.”

Rainbow Girl

Dori Aandraison won a trip to Metropolis, Earth as part of her prize for winning the "Miss Xolnar" competition. She won with her power to project super-pheromones that made her irresistible, and manifested a rainbow around her head. She tried out for the Legion of Super-Heroes as Rainbow Girl in hopes that the exposure would land her a job in holovids. (Adventure Comics #309)

She married Irveang Polamar, one of Metropolis's wealthiest men, and later toyed with the idea of joining the Legion of Substitute Heroes, but they received too little publicity. She settled into life as a socialite, and wrote an autobiography. (Who's Who in the Legion #5)

At some point after Earth-Man formed his Justice League of Earth, Dori found a real reason to join the Legion of Substitute Heroes — to aid in their underground resistance. She had also discovered that her powers allowed her to tap into the emotional spectrum of power associated with the various "Lantern corps." (Action Comics #862)

Stone Boy

All natives of Zwen turn themselves into dormant stone statues. Dag Wentim believed that he could use this ability to fighting injustice. As Stone Boy he applied for membership in the Legion of Super-Heroes. He was swiftly rejected, but afterwards he met Polar Boy and three others who formed the Legion of Substitute Heroes. (Adventure Comics #306)

From the start, Stone Boy was insecure about his ability because he could think but could not move while in stony form. The Legion offered the "Subs" a chance at redemption, pitting them against one another in a contest — and the winner would be admitted ot the Legion! Stone Boy won because of his character and self-sacrifice. But by that time, he had become attached to his friends and he opted to stay with the Subs instead of move up to the Legion. (#315)

He and the Substitute Heroes did a lot of good as backups for the Legion, but they stagnated as a team. Polar Boy grew tired of this and left the Subs for the Legion proper. (Legion vol. 3 #14)

Glorith Reality (Legion vol. 4)

The Subs disbanded, and Dag went back to Zwen. He found employment as a deep-space explorer, as his stone state allowed him to go without food or air. When the Legion became plagued by hostility from Earthgov (which was under the control of the Dominators), Polar Boy recruited Stone Boy and his other friends to join the Legion at last. The Legion didn't last long after that.

Dag and his friends joined an underground resistance movement headed by Jacques Foccart (Invisible Kid) called the S.U.B.S.

Under Jacques' rigorous eye, Stone Boy discovered that he need not be immobile in his stone form. He learned that this state was akin to sleep, so he used hypnotherapy to mimic a state of sleepwalking. He eventually progressed to fully master his movements.(2995: The Legion Sourcebook)

He became one of the leaders among the S.U.B.S., and was instrumental in the fight to liberate Earth. (Legion vol. 4 #20, 26, 27, 29, 39, 35) Once Earth was liberated, he and the others helped the populace (#40-42), then enlisted with the United Planets Militia Academy. (#54, 57-59)

Other Versions

Stone Boy was a charter member of the Legion of Substitute Heroes in TV's Legion of Super-Heroes cartoon — in "The Substitutes" (season 1, episode 9, Feb. 2007).