Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 1) with a cover date of April, 1978.
Synopsis for "The Outlawed Legionnaires!"
This story is reprinted from Adventure Comics #359.
The entire Legion is away from Earth on various missions. When they return, a Science Police squadron escorts their cruisers to Metropolis Spaceport, where they are informed that their club has been disbanded by the United Planets Council. The heroes find their Clubhouse barricaded, and are thrown into jail for violating a curfew.
Duo Damsel's parents bail her out and tell her that the President of Earth has died in a road accident, and has been succeeded by Kandro Boltax, the Vice-President, who has brought in an entirely new cabinet. His first bill, for a new water purification plant, was passed, and his second one, to outlaw the Legion, was also approved some days later. Duo Damsel informs her comrades of all this, and the Legionnaires gather in front of the Metropolis Midtown Terminal the next day. There Dream Girl predicts that a monotrain will fall, and the heroes, Colossal Boy, Superboy, Mon-El-Element Lad, Light Lass, Matter-Eater Lad, Saturn Girl, and Ultra Boy, go into action to save it when the disaster happens seconds later. However, disguised Science Police officers arrest the group, who are sentenced by a judge to hard labor on Takron-Galtos, the prison planetoid.
The remaining Legionnaires, who are forbidden to use their powers or wear their costumes, are later attacked by a group of young toughs. Princess Projectra, the one member with the political influence to resolve their plight, is injured in the fight. Later, Invisible Kid finds that his parents have attached a bugging device to his view-phone. Shocked, he resorts to his secret communicator and contacts Brainiac 5, who suggests that everyone on Earth is being controlled, and that their benefactor, R. J. Brande, is their only chance. On Takron-Galtos, the imprisoned boy Legionnaires are forced to labor in a jewel mine, while the girls work in a laundry. Saturn Girl's powers have told her the truth of the situation on Earth, but an invisible barrier stops her thoughts from leaving the planetoid.
When the free members call on R. J. Brande, he refuses to listen, and summons his guards. The heroes fight their way out, but Lightning Lad, Duo Damsel, Sun Boy, and Cosmic Boy are injured and left behind in the melee, while the others reconnoiter in an underground sewer. There they vow to form a secret resistance movement to discover the person behind all this.
This story is continued next issue....
Appearing in "The Outlawed Legionnaires!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- President Kandro Boltax
- Xakkan
Other Characters:
- The Science Police
- Humre Durgo
- Silvou Durgo
- Tartonian
- Chet Bradley
- Brugor, warden of Takron-Galtos (First appearance)
Locations:
- Metropolis (30th Century)
- Planet Tartos
- Takron-Galtos (First appearance)
- Star-Sun Omega Kalphon
Items:
- Legion Flight Ring
- Kalpthon nectar
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Legion Chain Gang"
This story is reprinted from Adventure Comics #360.
The Legionnaires wander through the maze of sewers, where they discover a hidden passageway leading to one of Lex Luthor's Lairs. Using his advanced machinery, they recreate their costumes and eat, then lay plans to free Cosmic Boy, Sun Boy, Lightning Lad, and Duo Damsel from jail. At the same time, President Boltax receives a report from Brugol, the warden on Takron-Galtos. Boltax then visits his son, whom he keeps prisoner in a locked room. The boy refuses to speak to him, and after Boltax leaves, he loosens the screws on a ventilator grill and escapes.
Meanwhile, the Legionnaires, under the leadership of Espionage Squad chief Chameleon Boy, successfully free their captive comrades from jail and retrieve their confiscated flight rings, then regroup at Luthor's lair. They deduce that Earth's water supply has had a hypno-chemical put into it, and Brainiac 5 concocts an antidote. At the water purification plant the next day, the Legion creates a distraction to divert the guards, while Brainiac 5 goes to pour his antidote into the water. In the melee that follows, Brainiac 5 is slugged from behind by a guard, but is saved by Bettax's son. He blows up a tank, causing the antidote-treated water to rain down on the guards, freeing their minds from Boltax's control.
Boltax is captured and revealed as a disguised Universo. His son, Rond Vidar, explains his father's scheme to the Legionnaires, and all return to the Clubhouse. The imprisoned members on Takron-Galtos, who have freed themselves and arrested Brugol, return to Earth. Rond Vidar is awarded honorary Legion membership for his courage.
Appearing in "The Legion Chain Gang"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Universo
- Brugol
- Humre Durgo
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
- None
Trivia
- Between issues #237-#240, the Legion had several "filler" stories with a revolving door of artists involved. For example, this issue is a "filler" issue and reprints stories from Adventure Comics #359 and Adventure Comics #360.
See Also