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in: Dick Giordano/Cover Artist, Gaspar Saladino/Cover Artist, Otto Binder/Writer,
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DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest Vol 1 1

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"The Legion of Super-Heroes": This story is reprinted from Adventure Comics #247.

DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #1 is an issue of the series DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest (Volume 1) with a cover date of April, 1980. It was published on December 4, 1979.

Synopsis for "The Legion of Super-Heroes"

This story is reprinted from Adventure Comics #247.

One day, Clark Kent is shocked when two young people identify him as Superboy, and later while out on patrol he finds a girl who outs him as Clark Kent. Superboy is shocked when the three teenagers reveal themselves to be members of the Legion of Super-Heroes, a group of super-teens from the 30th Century. They introduce themselves as Cosmic Boy, Lightning Boy, and Saturn Girl, and they have come to the 20th Century to offer Superboy membership into the Legion.

Taking him to the 30th Century aboard their time sphere, Superboy is then put through an initiation for membership into the Legion. As part of the initiation, Superboy must complete super tasks before members of the Legion can beat him to the punch. However, the Legion members manage to beat him every time and at the end of his trail, Superboy has failed in all three missions he's been sent on. After Superboy is visibly upset by being rejected for Legion membership, the Legion members surprise him by telling him that the entire contest was fixed so that Superboy was destined to fail, with the tasks being set up to see if he'd prioritize the contest over saving lives, and the entire ordeal was only an initiation, as the Legion had already decided that he would be a member.

Returning to his native 20th Century, Superboy shows off his medallion to Pa Kent, who congratulates the boy on his recent success.

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Synopsis for "The Rogue Legionnaire"

This story is reprinted from Adventure Comics #349.

The Legion of Super-Heroes have selected members to judge at the Metropolis Students' Science Fair. There, Superboy, Brainiac 5, Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet, and Colossal Boy judge the winner to be Rond Vidar a young boy who has invented a collapsible Time Cube. While the award is being given out, Brainiac 5's alarm-receiver alerts the Legion of trouble back at their Club House and depart to investigate.

There they are joined by Chameleon Boy, and they are shocked to find their base broken into by a villain named Universo. Universo, manages to use his super-hypnosis powers to hypnotize all the present Legion members, including Superboy due to the power's Kryptonite base. The only one able to resist the hypnosis is Brainiac 5 who flees from his own friends to avoid capture. Brainiac 5 attempts to stop Universo, however the villain escapes in one of the Legion's Time Bubbles, and destroys the other so that none of the Legionnaires can go after him. With Universo gone, those under his hypnotic sway revert to normal except for Superboy who is rendered incapacitated by a post-hypnotic suggestion that was meant to keep the Boy of Steel out of action.

With the repair of their damaged Time Bubble possibly taking weeks to repair the Legion begins considering alternatives when they are contacted by Professor Huxton. Unknown to the Legion, Huxton is under the hypnotic command of Universo, and tells them that there were multiple disturbances in the past: Peru in the year 1300, China in 1280, England in 693, France in the year 1812, and finally ancient Egypt circa 1243 B.C.

Remembering Rond Vidar's time machine, the Legionnaires rush over to the science fair to ask to use it to stop Universo. There Rond warns the group that his device is much more limited than the Legion's Time Bubbles as anyone who is sent into the past must be returned within 24 hours or risk being stranded in the past. Accepting the risks, each Legion member is transported to one of the effected points in history.

Chameleon Boy appears in Peru during the year 1300, there he would witness a thief attempting to drop a large rock on a caravan. Using his chameleon powers to save the caravan the people who witness it begin to worship him as an Incan god. Chameleon Boy uses this as a means to better get around and try and learn what Universo has been up to in this time. Taken to the leader of this Peruvian kingdom, Chameleon Boy soon learns that their king has been hypnotized by Universo. Wanting to prove that Chameleon Boy is not an Incan god, he has the Legionnaire tossed into a volcano. Chameleon Boy's powers allow himself to escape sudden death, however the ruler then pounces on Chameleon Boy threatening to pitch them both into the fiery lava below.

The other Legion members find peril in the other times as well as they too end up stumbling into the traps laid by Universo: Shrinking Violet arrives in ancient Egypt and is chased by Egyptian soldiers and although her shrinking powers and flight ring allow her to make an escape, the guards hawks give her merry chase until she is knocked into the path of the crushing hoofs of a horse. Colossal Boy finds himself in England circa 693 A.D. where he is attacked by the king's army. Although Colossal Boy has superior size, he is outnumbered by the sheer number of soldiers and is knocked off a cliff by a rock shot from a catapult. Saturn Girl meanwhile is forced into being a servant girl by Universo's thrall station in France in the year 1812. There he frames her for being a spy right in front of Napoleon Bonaparte who orders his troops to execute her. While her mental powers prevent from being shot by Napoleon's guards, Universo's agent manages to fire off a shot from the laser weapon that was left with him. Brainiac 5 fares no better in China circa 1280 A.D. where he finds himself the prisoner of Kublai Khan where he is viewed as a demon and is tied to a gong to be executed. Although he manages to escape he also seemingly meets his end at the hands of a mechanical dragon provided by Universo.

Back in the 31st Century, Universo has returned to use his hypnotic powers to take control of the United Planets Council in a bid to take over the universe, his true goal the whole time. However, when Universo attempts to hypnotize them he learns that it's not the UPC members, but the Legion of Super-Heroes. Shocked to find the Legion members still alive, Universo is told that they were pulled out deaths path by Ronds, who while monitoring their time trips, would pull them back to the present before harm could befall them. With Universo taken away, the Legion thanks Rond for his help only to be delivered a shock: Universo is Ronds' father.

As the boy walks off in shame lamenting over his divided loyalties to his father and the Legion, the Legion uses Universo's hypnotic device to restore Superboy to normal.

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Synopsis for "The Legion of Substitute Heroes"

This story is reprinted from Adventure Comics #306.

After being rejected for membership in the Legion of Super-Heroes, five super-powered teens decide to join together to become the Legion of Substitute Heroes. They are: Night Girl, who has super-human strength but only during the night; Fire-Lad who can breath fire; Chlorophyll Kid who can control plant life; Polar Boy who has freeze powers; and Stone Boy, who can turn into an immobile, and indestructible stone statue at will.

Building a secret base, the Substitute Heroes decide to try and be on call to help the Legion of Super-Heroes when there is trouble. However, whenever there is a mission to be accomplished, the Legion seems adept at solving the problem on their own. However, when the Legion is busy fighting robots in space, the Earth is attacked by a number of Plant Men. Easily defeating them, the Legion of Substitute Heroes tracks the race to their planet, where they find that the Plant Men are preparing for a full scale invasion of the Earth. The Substitute Heroes work together and crush the Plant Men's scheme, using their own reproduction methods against them. Returning to the Earth as unsung heroes in light of the Legion's recent victory over the robots, the Legion of Substitute Heroes decides to remain together, but deciding to keep their victory secret so as not to steal any of the Legion's glory in the hopes that some day they can act publicly as the Legion of Substitute Heroes.

Appearing in "The Legion of Substitute Heroes"

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  • Flying Crime-City (Single appearance)
  • Plant Men (Single appearance)
  • Sea Monsters (Single appearance)

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Synopsis for "The Fatal Five"

This story is reprinted from Adventure Comics #352.

In deep space, a lone member of the Science Police stationed on the United Planets Warning Station #156 detects a strange entity out in space which may threaten to destroy the entire universe.

Elsewhere, the Legion are reviewing a Science Police documentary of the universe's most dangerous criminals, dubbed the Fatal Five: the Persuader, armed with superstrength and an atomic axe; Tharok, a brilliant criminal who had half his body blasted away and replaced with robotic parts; Sarya, the Emerald Empress of planet Vengar, armed with the Emerald Eye of Ekron to commit her crimes; The physically powerful and insane creature Validus; and lastly, Mano from the planet Angtu whose mutant nature allows him to destroy things at a touch, who was so insane he used his touch to destroy his entire home world.

After watching the videos, Ferro Lad, Cosmic Boy, Sun Boy, and Princess Projectra retire for the night leaving Superboy on monitor duty. Their rest is short lived as Superboy is contacted by the Science Police and warned of the deadly threat that could possibly destroy the universe. Waking up the other Legion members, Superboy explains to them the threat: A powerful cosmic entity known as the Sun-Eater is traveling through the cosmos devouring all the stars in its path, threatening to destroy the entire universe. The United Planets have plotted the Sun-Eater's path and the Sol system, which includes Earth. With most of the other Legion members off world on other missions, remaining members of the Legion send out a distress call to other super-heroes in the universe to find them all decline aid for various reasons ranging from apathy to fear. With all hope seemingly lost, Cosmic Boy comes up with some inspiration: That they could perhaps convince the Fatal Five to help them in their cause to save the universe, hoping that the villains' desire for self preservation would work toward saving the universe.

With only two days to work with, the Legionnaires split up to gather the various members of the Fatal Five. Cosmic Boy goes after Tharok, and uses his magnetic powers to break into his heavily fortified space station. There, he appeals to Tharok's powerful intellect in challenging him to find the one in a billion chance to stop the Sun-Eater. However when the young hero has his back turned Tharok uses a ray-gun to incapacitate him.

Superboy has gone looking for the Emerald Empress and finds her on a small planet about to be burned at the stake by an angry mob. When Superboy carries her to safety, he asks why she didn't use her Emerald Eye to save herself. She reveals that it didn't have it's power source and reveals it to be a chunk of Kryptonite. Superboy is then quickly incapacitated by it's powerful rays. However the Boy of Steel manages to bargain his life by promising her a full pardon if she helps them stop the Sun-Eater.

Sun Boy has been charged with visiting the planet Bismari where the mad Validus is locked away in a cell awaiting execution. When Sun Boy offers him a full pardon and release if he aids in helping to destroy the Sun-Eater. Faced between freedom and death, Validus agrees to go with Sun Boy. While on one of Jupiter's moons, Princess Projectra finds the Persuader threatening to kill the governor of Jupiter for his attempts to get him removed from the planet. She uses her projection powers to tie up the Persuader and allow the governor a chance to flee. Persuader manages to break free of her illusions, and after hearing her story decides to join along, hoping to get a chance to fight those that are gathered and because he has an interest in the girl who has come to him.

Lastly, Ferro Lad has traveled out into deep space where he finds that the Science Police have captured Mano and are about to chop off his hand with a rocket guillotine. Ferro Lad stops this from happening and after a brief clash with the Science Police, he explains his need for Mano and the officers allow the Legion member to take him into custody and join the others. With the Fatal Five all gathered with the Legion, they rush off to meet with the Sun-Eater.

This story is continued next issue....

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Synopsis for "The Doomed Legionnaire!"

This story is reprinted from Adventure Comics #353.

The Legion of Super-Heroes are forced to team with the Fatal Five - the five most dangerous criminals in the known universe - to combat the Sun-Eater, a sinister force that threatens to consume every star in the universe and is on a direct course to the Sol system.

Collected at the Legion's Clubhouse, the heroes and villains allow Tharok to take control of the plans due to his superior intellect. Unfamiliar with the powers of the Fatal Five, he orders a demonstration of their powers. During Mano's display of his powers, his boasting irks the Persuader who then attempts to pick a fight with his fellow villain. The two villains prove to be equally matched and show no sign of stopping until the Emerald Empress and Validus use their powers to split them up. Satisfied with the results, Tharok orders them away while he formulates a plan. Unwilling to fully trust the villains they have brought into their Clubhouse, the Legionnaires agree to patrol the premises to make sure they don't cause any trouble.

That night, Mano decides to break into the room of Emerald Empress while she is gazing over a picture of Superboy. Mano then offers her to join him in taking over the universe together. Knowing that their two clashing personalities would never allow for them to work together, the Empress refuses. Furious, Mano attempts to use his destructive hand on her but she uses her Emerald Eye to eject him from the room. Investigating, Superboy is invited into her room. There, she asks the Boy of Steel to throw off his mission to stop the Sun-Eater and help her take over her home world and rule along side her. Superboy refuses and she attempts to threaten him with her chunk of Kryptonite but is forced to stop when Cosmic Boy enters the room to call them to the meeting room.

There they find that Tharok has formulated a plan: Luring the Sun-Eater with Sun Boy's powers they would trick the creature into flying into a trap where all the gathered members of the Legion and the Fatal Five will attack the creature with the full sum of their powers. When asked if they have the power to stop the creature, Tharok orders them into a special chambers that will boost all their powers to sufficient levels to theoretically destroy the Sun-Eater. While the process is taking place, nobody is aware that Tharok is also using the device to put the mad Validus under his complete control. With the process a complete success the Legion of Super-Heroes retire for the night. As the heroes sleep, the Fatal Five meet together in secret and plot to murder the entire Legion and with their only opposition out of the way, conquer the universe. This plot, with Tharok nominated as leader is agreed upon and the Fatal Five unites as a team.

The next day, the combined forces of the Legion of Super-Heroes and the Fatal Five get into their positions. Sun Boy succeeds in luring the Sun-Eater toward him with his boosted powers. Attacking it first is the Persuader, who hacks the cloud-like beast into smaller forms for each hero and villain to face more equally. When Validus attempts to destroy them he finds himself overpowered, and when Superboy attempts to attack the creature he finds himself weakened when it bombards him with the energies of red suns that it has consumed. Further attempts by Cosmic Boy and the Emerald Empress also meet with failure. When Princess Projecta attempts to ward away the Sun-Eater with illusions she is at risk of death but is saved at the last minute by Validus. After Mano is injured by the creature, Ferro Lad attempts to dive into the Sun-Eater's form and finds it's core. However, when he attempts to destroy it he finds himself repulsed.

Returning to their ship, the Legion and Fatal Five report their failure to Tharok. Tharok has been watching the battle and has used the information he's gathered to invent an Absorbatron Bomb to destroy the creature. When it's revealed that whoever uses it will be destroyed along with the Sun-Eater, Superboy volunteers to go first. This is stopped when Ferro Lad suddenly punches out Superboy and flies off into space with the device himself. The Legion can only watch in horror as Ferro Lad selflessly sacrifices his life to destroy the Sun-Eater. Mourning the loss of their comrade, the Legion members are then shackled by the Emerald Empress as the Fatal Five springs their betrayal on the Legion.

However, before they can be killed, Princess Projecta manages to convince Validus to shake Tharok's control and save them. Validus then attacks his fellow Fatal Five members with a mental bolt. When it strikes Persuader's axe, it causes a flash of light that causes them to disappear, making them wonder if the Fatal Five have been destroyed or transported somewhere else.

Later, when the other Legion members have returned from their various missions they prepare a special memorial rocket to send to the Shanghalia satellite for Ferro Lad. The rocket labeled with Ferro Lad's picture and a eulogy which reads:

In Memorium - Andrew Nolan (Ferro Lad) - A mutant whose non-human face was kept hidden behind a mask. He gave his life to save the Galaxy.

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