Welcome back to another edition of Demanded Characters. With the announcement of Wave 8 and speculation of upcoming waves somethings seem to be missing. While we still don’t see Martian Manhunter on the list, there is a group that is also missing. The subject of a Final Crisis tie in the Legion has been a around for a long time, and there has been a good deal of debate on the boards around whether Legion should be part of the DCUC line at this point or not?
We wrapped up our month long look at the villains of the 4th world with Granny Goodness ,and it looks like we want her; but her Female Furies are must haves for the line as well.
So did you wake up early the past 2 years on Saturday to catch the newest episode of the Legion of Superheroes? I know I did and I really started to like the characters. I know some people want to pull out their hair because the public’s most recent exposure to the group is a cartoon that tries to jam in and slightly change the characters from the book of the same name. The cartoon gave some people an awareness of a group that does not usually get a lot of press to the causal reader of DC Comics.
The group is rich in both history and in character selection, and could be a long term part of DCUC. They exist in the 30th century, a time when Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are far gone but not forgotten, and face the same type of villains our modern day ones do with futuristic twists. Names like Lightening Lad, Saturn Girl and Colossal Boy are names that spring to mind thanks to the cartoon, but I also learned about Timberwolf, Changeling, the Fearsome 5, and many others. There is a problem with the team in the DCUC: they are a universe to themselves, and may be too big.
With the line starting out in 2009 we have seen the Hawks, the Flash and heard rumors about Green Arrow, Black Canary and John Stewart; but there are huge names still not part of the DCUC line. Names like Wally, J’onn, Donna, Kyle, Guy, Bea, Ras, and so on. The Legion characters don’t complete any type of modern teams and would seem to take away from getting those bigger names sooner. The Legion has dozens of heroes and just as many villains as seen in the last issue of Legion of 3 Worlds, not to mention all the different realities that the Legion exist in. The question expands beyond whether or not Legion should be started, but to what Legion to include, and what villains. Once Legion becomes involved, the line can spin off in almost in as many directions as there are Legion members.
Now, with that being said I have to say they are cool characters with a rich history. I know they will be part of Smallville this season, have been part of the DCAU, and have had their own cartoon for 2 seasons. All this press will gets them into the public eye and make them more marketable figures. Their own line of toys never happened, so they are due the Mattel treatment. They also seem to have some similarities to their costumes, allowing them to be put out with only minor paint and head changes. Yes, they are like potato chips: you can’t just have one, but that is the point. This line needs to have legs, and if Mattel uses it the right way, the Legion along with the Legion of super villains can keep this line going for a long time along with the other groups. Who does not want to see characters from Doom Patrol (let’s hope) in your display along with Kid Flash, and Wonder Woman?
So guys: should Legion be part of the DCUC now, or should we wait a year and see where we are?
*Some images courtesy of Comic Vine
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