And you are like, “when are we done with these Legionnaires?” Well, soon. I promise. I hope to finish them off by the weekend. So, just hang on and we’ll get to some meatier stuff soon, at which point you’ll be saying “who is that?” and I’ll go. remember those Legion articles I did…?

The tragic threesome…

 

So these symbols belong to Ferro Lad represented by the elemental abbreviation for Iron “Fe”, Karate Kid (no. not Ralph Macchio) by the Yin/Yang symbol, and Princess Projectra who is represented by the crown.

Karate Kid, Princess Projectra, Ferro Lad & Nemesis Kid inducted into the Legion

 

Ferro Lad is Andrew Nolan of Earth, a mutant born with the ability to turn his skin into iron yet it moves like skin, making him fairly impervious to damage and a great attacker as no one likes being hit with a cast iron skillet right? Andrew wears a mask to hide his hideously deformed face from all, as his power comes with a curse.

 

Karate Kid is Val Armorr of Earth, the son of an Earth woman and a criminal from the planet Lythyl. Karate Kid is actually half asian, so points for being the first Asian character in DC Comics that I ever met. Karate Kid’s ability is first called “Super Karate” which sounds as hokey as it is in reality. In super-power terms, Val has the ability to detect that hidden flaw, that weakness that allows him to strike where it will do the most good. He is a master of thousands of martial arts and is undoubtedly one of the best hand to hand combatants in the DC Universe and thanks to that 70’s Martial Arts craze he is the first Legionnaire besides Superboy and Supergirl to get his own ongoing title. Thank you Bruce Lee!

 

Princess Projectra is more than a code name, it is her real name. Projectra is a princess royal of the planet of Orando. Orando’s culture is stuck in what appears to be a cross between Earth’s European medieval age and Dungeons & Dragons. Given the ability to project amazingly realistic illusions, Projectra can send any villain into a frenzy of confusion. As love often strikes Legionnaires, Karate Kid and Projectra became a couple, but when things get serious, Projectra’s dad, King Voxv, sends Karate Kid on a quest to the 20th Century to prove his worth as a commoner. That would be the premise of starting that whole Karate Kid book.

Now, why are these the “tragic threesome”? Well, to start with lets go with the fourth character on that cover. Nemesis Kid. All four of these characters joined the Legion at the same time, but Nemesis Kid spent the first two issues framing Karate Kid as a Khund spy. Nemesis Kid was of course kicked out for his villainy, but it would not be the last time that he would cross paths with Karate Kid and Projectra.

 

Ferro Lad’s story begins and ends quickly. The Earth’s sun, Sol, was being threatened by a creature known only as the Sun-Eater. The Legion had to attempt to stop the creature and with the other Legionnaires off on another mission it was up to Superboy, Cosmic Boy, Sun Boy, Princess Projectra, and Ferro Lad to take care of the problem. They have the idea to recruit five powerful villains to assist them in this task.

The five villains (The Persuader – axe guy, The Emerald Empress – green woman, Mano – dark globe head, Tharok – half-man/half-robot, and Validus – huge creature) become the Fatal Five and assist the Legion in attempting to take care of the Sun-Eater. All the assembled attack the creature to no avail. Tharok, a cyborg built a bomb capable of destroying the Sun-Eater, but did not build a delivery system so the bomb had to be manually delivered. None of the villains were going to volunteer for the task and Superboy was still weak from the red sun rays the Sun-Eater used on him. Ferro Lad decked Superboy and zipped out of the ship and delivered the device, destroying the Sun-Eater and himself.

 

 

The Legion create a memorial for the cemetery asteroid known as Shanghalla. The Fatal Five escape and begin a career of causing problems for the Legion throughout the galaxy. Ferro Lad’s quick entrance and exit made him a comic book legend, a symbol for heroic sacrifice, and a permanent fixture in the Legion’s Hall of Heroes.

But just because you are dead, doesn’t mean that you are forgotten.

Next up: The dark lady, the catalyst, and the lone wolf.