WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Green Lantern #4 by Grant Morrison, Liam Sharp and Steve Oliff, on sale now.
Everyone loves the Legion of Super-Heroes, but no one seems to know how exactly to make them a sustainable property at DC Comics. This is likely why the team has been absent from comics for several years now. Following the cancellation of the New 52-era titles, the Legion only made sporadic appearances. Rebirth came and went, and still there was nothing put into motion.
In recent years, fans have started to become restless. Saturn Girl returned in DC Universe: Rebirth and has played a major role in Doomsday Clock, but what about everyone else? While fans continue to wait for the return of these 31st century superheroes, there's reason to believe that the Legion may have already returned.
Look Who Decided to Stop By
For a long time, Saturn Girl was the only active member of the Legion to appear in any comics. That all changed, though, when another Legionnaire by the name of Tellus was spotted in the background of Justice League #10. The issue was released in October as part of the "Drowned Earth" storyline, and it changed everything.
We knew that Geoff Johns was telling a very specific story with Saturn Girl, which is why the Legion has been off limits until now. The appearance of Tellus, even as a background character, proved that DC had opened the flood gates for the team to return. Still, only having one other Legionnaire in the DCU could have been a coincidence, but now a third member has shown up, and it's clear that this is some kind of pattern.
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In The Green Lantern #4, two aliens have a conversation in a bar on Rann, and right away someone in the crowd sticks out like a sore thumb. Sandwiched in between the two Hawkmen on the page is a background character wearing a red and yellow uniform. But that's no throwaway; that's the Legionnaire Sun Boy having a drink.
With roots going all the way back to the Silver Age of comics, Dirk Morgna of Earth is one of the more familiar faces on the team. Legion continuity has changed drastically over the years, and Sun Boy has gone through many incarnations. Interestingly, the character has also been killed off on several occasions. He was last seen in 2015, when the Legion appeared in Justice League United.
What to Watch Out for Next
At this point, we should all be on the lookout for the next Legionnaire sighting. But the question is: Where will one show up next? While Saturn Girl has been seen on Earth, both Tellus and Sun Boy were spotted out in space. It's hard to say anything definitive until you pay attention to the few hints Brian Michael Bendis has been laying out on social media.
To ring in the New Year, Bendis released a collection of images on Instagram that were meant to tease fans about what to expect in 2019. Many of these teasers revolved around Superman and Jack Kirby creations like Kamandi and OMAC. However, one picture drew a lot of attention when it was discovered to be a portion of the Legion of Super-Heroes logo.
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Just a few days later, the writer released another image on Twitter of an old comic where Conner Kent receives a Legion flight ring. When you consider the fact that Bendis is writing Superboy in Young Justice, and he is already introducing the United Planets in the pages of Superman, it is becoming clear who is masterminding this whole thing.
The Legion of Super-Heroes has traditionally been a story about kids working together to honor the past in order to save the future. What better place to reintroduce this team than as part of Bendis' Wonder Comics imprint? Dial H for Hero and Wonder Twins are both six-issue series, so it's very possible we could get a phase two of sorts with the Legion.
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Based on the cover of Doomsday Clock #9, we should be getting more details on the book's Legion story. Perhaps once this all wraps up we can finally see the Legion of Super-Heroes back in action. So, we're calling it now. Be on the lookout for another Legion sighting in Superman or Action Comics. This could all be leading to the team's return in a future Young Justice story before launching into a new book under the Wonder Comics line.