It’s time once again to board our time bubble and travel to the future for another adventure with those crime-fighting heroes of the 31st Century…
The Legion of Super-Heroes in “Tragedy: The Death of Lightning Lad”
Writer: Paul Levitz, Penciller: Kevin Sharpe & Mario Alquiza
Adventure Comics #520, DC Comics, January 2011

Plot
The story opens with the Legion of Super-Heroes accompanying the body of Lightning Lad to a burial crypt beneath Legion headquarters. Huh? How did that happen? Saturn Girl relates how she had intercepted the message from Dream Girl of Naltor warning of a premonition of the death of a Legionnaire as a result of powerful space pirate Zaryan’s invasion of Earth. Saturn Girl decides to sacrifice herself and through her power of telepathy constrains the Legion to elect her as the new leader so that she is able to consummate her plan. It turns out that Mon-El was the “ghost” referred to in Adventure Comics #518. However, Mon-El isn’t a “ghost,” he resides in the Phantom Zone waiting for Brainiac 5 to create a permanent cure for lead poisoning. But Mon-El’s phantom existence enables him to secretly learn of Saturn Girl’s suicide mission and he subsequently warns her boyfriend, Lightning Lad. With this knowledge, Garth sacrifices himself by attacking Zaryan and is killed by the villain’s “freeze ray.”
The Science Police track down Zaryan’s mother ship, but are ordered to stand-down at the arrival of a contingent of Legionnaires – Colossal Boy, Phantom Girl, Star Boy, and Sun Boy – and the heroes vanquish the villains. As the remainder of Zaryan’s fleet attempts a retreat, the Legion’s most powerful members – Superboy, Supergirl, and Ultra Boy – arrive and subdue the criminals.
A sorrowful Saturn Girl decides to quit the Legion, but Cosmic Boy persuades her to stay.
Comments
This story is nearly identical to “The Stolen Super-Powers” featured 48 years earlier in Adventure Comics #304 (January, 1963). Legionnaires spotted in this story in addition to those already mentioned include Bouncing Boy, Chameleon Boy, Invisible Kid, Matter-Eater Lad, Shrinking Violet and Triplicate Girl, almost the exact roster used in Adventure #304, with the inclusion of Star Boy.
I appreciated this 6-issue tribute to the “young Legion” based upon the franchise’s Silver Age era with its simple Zaryan story. After this issue, the editors at DC jettisoned the “young Legion” storyline. Adventure Comics #521 will pick up the “older Legion” plotline at the point we left off with Legion of Super-Heroes #7 back in January.