- Even though Karate Kid bit off more than he could chew, anyone who can give ME that kind of tussle belongs in the Legion!
- — Superboy
Adventure Comics #346 is an issue of the series Adventure Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of July, 1966.
Synopsis for Legion of Super-Heroes: "One of Us Is a Traitor!"
Superboy presides over a Legion meeting as four candidates for membership appear to demonstrate their powers. They are Princess Projectra of the planet Orando, who can project illusions; Nemesis Kid from Myar, the alchemists' planet, whose body develops the powers needed to defeat any single opponent; Ferro Lad of Earth, a mutant who can turn into virtually indestructible iron; and Karate Kid, also of Earth, who possesses great skill in all forms of fighting especially karate and judo. He demonstrates by fighting Superboy to a near-draw.
After the four new members are sworn in, Superboy rolls a film of a planet in a hitherto unknown galaxy, inhabited by a civilization possessing many advanced ships and military weapons. Suddenly, the face of Garlak, Warlord of Khund, the planet they had been discussing, appears on their screen. He threatens to attack and destroy Earth in one hour unless it surrenders to him. Superboy tells his comrades of three electro-towers he recently helped erect, located at Alaska, Ceylon, and Tierra del Fuego. These towers can repel any attack, but Superboy fears they might be sabotaged by spies, and so splits the Legion into teams to guard each tower. Meanwhile, in his flagship, Garlak gloats that they spy they fear is in their own ranks.
At the Alaskan tower, Cosmic Boy, Phantom Girl, and Karate Kid are suddenly overwhelmed by a loud blast. Cosmic Boy investigates, while Phantom Girl checks out a spacecraft flying within their restricted zone. The craft proves to be booby-trapped, and she barely escapes with Cosmic Boy's assistance. She casts suspicion upon Karate Kid for all this, and the two return to the tower to find it destroyed, and Karate Kid and the tower's commander unconscious. Circumstancial evidence points to Karate Kid as the culprit, and Phantom Girl's suspicions are increased.
Appearing in Legion of Super-Heroes: "One of Us Is a Traitor!"
Featured Characters:
- Legion of Super-Heroes
- Brainiac 5
- Chameleon Boy
- Colossal Boy
- Cosmic Boy
- Duo Damsel
- Element Lad
- Ferro Lad (First appearance)
- Invisible Kid
- Karate Kid (First appearance)
- Light Lass
- Lightning Lad
- Matter-Eater Lad
- Mon-El
- Phantom Girl
- Princess Projectra (First appearance)
- Saturn Girl
- Shrinking Violet
- Sun Boy
- Superboy
- Ultra-Boy
Antagonists:
- Khunds
- Warlord Garlak (First appearance)
- Nemesis Kid (First appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Notes
- "One of Us Is a Traitor!" is continued next issue, and is reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 5 and Showcase Presents: Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 2.
- "Meet the Legionnaires!", a text feature listing the real names, home planets, and origins of the Legion's powers is included in this issue.
Trivia
- "One of Us Is a Traitor" is the first work by Jim Shooter as a writer and penciler; he was only 14 years old when this story hit the stands in 1966. Interestingly, he also had another story hit the stands on the same day in which he was the Writer but not the penciler: the Supergirl story "Brainiac's Blitz" in Action Comics #339.
- Jim Shooter was uncredited in the issue itself, but in Adventure Comics #349 an impressed Irene Vartanoff wrote in to ask who the author of "One of Us Is a Traitor" was, and made Young "James" Shooter's name known.
- The letters column in this issue also contained a message from notorious letterhack Irene Vartanoff, future novelist and comic book editor, writer and colorist.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Legion of Super-Heroes Recommended Reading
- Adventure Comics (Volume 1)
- Adventure Comics (Volume 2)
- The Legion (Volume 1)
- Legion Lost (Volume 2)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 2)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 3)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 4)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 5)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 6)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 7)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 8)
- Legionnaires (Volume 1)
- Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 1)
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 1)