The Legion of Super-Heroes are one of DC’s longest-lasting and best-known super groups. They made their first appearance in Adventure Comics #247 in 1958. Hailing from either the 30th or 31st century, depending on what year the comic was published in, the Legion of Super-Heroes have defended the galaxy from all manner of cosmic threats, both on the page and on the screen. They had their own cartoon series from 2006 to 2008. More recently, the team has made several appearances on Supergirl. Don't worry, we won't be spoiling those episodes here if you're not caught up yet. But we would like to take a look back at the Legion's needlessly complicated history and highlight some of their most memorable members. In this case, "memorable" can have both good and bad connotations. We will be placing equal emphasis on the best and worst Legionnaires.

But why not just go all out and spend all 20 entries heckling the innumerable terrible members of the team? Well, the Legion has developed something of a… reputation. Specifically, they are a magnet for wannabe heroes with ridiculous and/or useless powers. Guys like Porcupine Pete, Plaid Lad and Arm-Fall-Off Boy have become running gags, brought up only to support arguments that the Legion of Super-Heroes is a group of second-rate goofs. But the Legion has done many heroic things over the years, and their daring exploits deserve just as much attention as their sometimes questionable membership. So without further ado, let's celebrate the Legion’s greatest members as well as the ones they don’t dare show on television.

20 BEST: SUPERBOY

In Adventure Comics #247, the three head Legionnaires show up in 20th-century Smallville and invite Superboy into the future to join their team. They jerk him around a bit at first, tricking him into thinking he failed the audition before admitting to the hoax and granting him membership.

After that, Superboy frequently traveled back and forth between the 20th and 30th centuries. But for all the good he does as a Legionnaire, Superboy is still a denizen of the 20th century. He does most of his living there, and eventually he dies there as well. He leaves behind such a potent legacy that, many centuries in the future, the Legion holds him up as an example that all Legionnaires must follow.

19 WORST: ULTRA BOY

Jo Nah, aka Ultra Boy, made his debut not as a Legionnaire but as a rival to Superboy. He first shows up in 1962 in Superboy #98, the cover of which infamously shows Ultra Boy and Superboy using their X-ray vision on each other for no adequately explained reason. He also tells Superboy his origin story: Jo Nah was swallowed by a space whale, which gave him powers, somehow.

But while Ultra Boy boasts an impressive array of powers, including strength, speed, invulnerability and flight, he could only use one of these abilities at a time. He's also not the brightest crayon in the box, as he once tried to convince a politician he was telling the truth by having Sensor Girl cast illusions at said politician.

18 BEST: SATURN GIRL

The Legion has a whole lot of awesome female heroes on the roster, but none are more awesome than Saturn Girl. Imra Ardeen is one of the Legion's three cofounders. She is a telepath, but not just any telepath -- she is quite possibly the most powerful telepath in the entire DC Universe.

On one occasion, Saturn Girl defeated Mon-El and Ultra Boy, described as "the two most powerful Legionnaires," just by looking at them, which knocked them both unconscious. For good measure, she then took out Universo, the guy controlling them, by overcoming his attempts to control her and punching the monocle right off his face. Professor Xavier wishes he was this great.

17 WORST: COMET QUEEN

Comet Queen may not be the worst Legionnaire on this list, but she's certainly the most irritating. Born on the planet Quaal, the self-styled Comet Queen can generate different kinds of gases from her head, which… well, it's not the worst power a would-be Legionnaire has ever had.

The real problem with Comet Queen is that her speech is a nigh-incomprehensible mishmash of alien slang. When she was trying out for the Legion, she once said, "Rad-burn me no more -- gum your eye-sockets at the lizard lounge now." What does that mean? We don't know, and we're not going to put in the effort to figure it out. Comet Queen isn't worth it.

16 BEST: DAWNSTAR

Dawnstar’s history is somewhat troubled. She's from Starhaven, a planet inhabited by descendants of Earth-born Native Americans. They all have wings and the ability to survive in space. In addition, Dawnstar also has super-tracking powers. Because she’s Native American. Get it? But while Dawnstar loses points for falling into cultural stereotypes, she has won fans because of her tough personality and relentless devotion to the Legion.

Dawnstar was one of the heroes Harbinger gathered to save the multiverse in Crisis on Infinite Earths. She has served the Legion long and well, even as she struggled and failed to make a relationship with the incorporeal Wildfire work. Recently Dawnstar appeared in Bombshells United, where she and the other Bombshells confront America's horrific decision to intern Japanese-Americans.

15 WORST: ANDROMEDA

In an earlier continuity, Laurel Gand, aka Andromeda, was a great hero who fell in battle against vicious aliens called the Khunds. But after being erased and then returned to the DC Universe, Andromeda's backstory got a less-than-flattering revamp. According to the new continuity, she was raised in a virulently racist environment and believes that her own people, the Daxamites, are superior to all other races. Anyone who is any sort of supremacist automatically earns a spot on the worst list.

But her time with the alien-populated Legion shows Andromeda that her parents' teachings are just plain wrong. She ultimately leaves the team to do some soul-searching. So while Andromeda was a lousy Legionnaire, as a sentient being, she is showing signs of improvement.

14 BEST: PRINCESS PROJECTRA/SENSOR GIRL

Projectra Wind’zzor is princess of the planet Orando. She has the ability to create illusions, making people see whatever she wants them to. First calling herself Princess Projectra and then Sensor Girl, she's been with the Legion since 1966.

Projectra's most jaw-dropping moment came when Nemesis Kid killed her husband, Karate Kid. Nemesis Kid can spontaneously develop any ability required to take down his opponent. For example, around Karate Kid, he suddenly became a spectacular hand-to-hand combatant. A vengeful Projectra attacks him with illusions, which he quickly gains the power to dispel. So Projectra does the next best thing. She breaks his neck with her bare hands, and she does it so fast the Nemesis Kid doesn’t even have time to develop a counter-power.

13 WORST: SUN BOY

Dirk Morgna gains the ability to generate light and heat when temperamental scientist Dr. Regulus tries to kill him, either by chucking him into an atomic reactor or injecting him with liquid gold, depending on which continuity you're in. Either way, Dirk joins the Legion of Super-Heroes as Sun Boy.

So what's wrong with that? Aside from the attempted destruction, nothing. Sun Boy's origins aren't the reason he made the worst list. Rather, it's his attitude. Put plainly, he's a bit of a jerk. His reputation as a womanizer is so widespread that, when the villainous Earthgov goes looking for a PR shill to make them look good, they successfully recruit Sun Boy by promising him women.

12 BEST: WHITE/BLACK WITCH

Mysa Nal is the only person on the planet Naltor without precognition. Determined to do great things despite her lack of power, Mysa learns magic and joins the Legion as the White Witch.  She is instrumental in stopping Darkseid during the "Great Darknes Saga".

During "Final Crisis", the White Witch takes her heroism a step farther, defeating the villain Mordru single-handedly by absorbing all of his black magic. But her victory comes at a terrible price. Mysa, now the Black Witch, leaves the Legion and retreats to Sorcerers' World, Mordru's former stronghold. She resides there still, not daring to let down her guard for even a second lest Mordru's evil magic escape her grasp.

11 WORST: CALAMITY KING

One of two Legionnaires on this list who in no way deserve their regal-sounding names, E. Davis Ester, aka Calamity King, tries out for the Legion in Adventure Comics #342, published in 1966. During his audition, he causes a column to topple, nearly destroying Legion headquarters with everyone still inside. Superboy swoops in to prevent disaster, but nothing could save Calamity King's audition. The Legion roundly rejects his application.

But Calamity King's dreams of superheroism did not die that day. He, like many other failed Legionnaires, found a home in that other legion: the Legion of Substitute Heroes, which was founded for the express purpose of giving rejected Legionnaires an undeserved second chance.

10 BEST: COSMIC BOY

Along with Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, aka Rokk Krinn, helped to found the Legion of Super-Heroes. That means it's his job to not only keep the Legion's many, many members in line and coordinated in the field, but to also tell the many, many rejected Legionnaires that they aren't good enough without hurting their feelings.

Cosmic Boy can generate magnetic fields, giving him a power set similar to Magneto's but without the dubious ethics. And while the Legion has had other leaders over the years, in terms of longevity, renown and laughable fashion sense, only his fellow co-founders can come close to matching Cosmic Boy.

9 WORST: INFECTIOUS LASS

Somahturans are an interesting race. Their bodies serve as hosts for any number of germs that, while harmless to the Somahturans, can jump over to and infect the vulnerable species around them. One Somahturan, Drura Sehpt, got the urge to be a hero. That would be great, if she had even a tiny bit of control over her powers.

As it is, she stands just as good a chance of giving her teammates or even innocent bystanders pneumonia as she does of doing any harm to her opponent. The Legion finds that out the hard way when she gives Star Boy both a cold and a severe flu in quick succession during her try-out.

8 BEST: KARATE KID

Val Armorr may not have any powers, but that is precisely the reason he's on this list. He has mastered every form of martial arts known to 30th-century mankind. This enables him to take down even the most super of superpowered opponents, including Kryptonians.

Unfortunately, Karate Kid’s reputation was tarnished by his association with the infamous Countdown to Final Crisis. It’s a long convoluted mess, and Karate Kid spends most of the time dying from an incurable illness. He does manage to swipe Batman's utility belt during a fight, and the only reason Batman beats him is because he calls in Black Lightning to attack him from behind. Still, no one came out of Countdown looking good, so we can hardly hold this against him.

7 WORST: POLAR BOY

Polar Boy, who can generate cold and decrease the temperature around him, was for a time leader of the Legion of Substitute Heroes. It was during his tenure as leader that Superman asked him to keep an eye on troublemaker Ambush Bug for a while. Polar Boy promises Ambush Bug will be safe with him. Unsurprisingly, Ambush Bug escapes within seconds.

Eventually Polar Boy dissolves the Legion of Substitute Heroes, ditching his own team for a second shot at becoming a real Legionnaire. He does so by interrupting another hopeful's audition, strolling right into the middle of the proceedings without an invitation and demanding the Legion accept him as a member. For some reason, they do.

6 BEST: SUPERGIRL

Supergirl first joins the Legion in 1961 in Action Comics #276, after impressing them with a frantic bout of super-digging that unearths multiple lost historical treasures. That's definitely remarkable, but to be honest, that's among the least of her accomplishments.

She pounds mighty Darkseid himself into the ground during the “Great Darkness Saga”. And she famously sacrifices herself to save the multiverse in Crisis on Infinite Earths. This created a massive hole in Legion history that DC attempted to fill with a new heroine named Andromeda. But no crisis, no matter how big, can ever erase Supergirl's bravery, heart and heroism.

5 WORST: COLOR KID

Color Kid is one of the reasons why the Legion has the bad reputation it does. He has the power to change the color of anything or anybody. Yes, that's it. This power is an amusing one, and would probably be a big boost to a person's artistic career or to an elementary school teacher trying to teach their students how colors work. But as a weapon against the forces of evil? Not real helpful.

But that's what the Legion of Substitute Heroes is for! They are happy to accept Color Kid as a member, which should tell you all you need to know about the Legion of Substitute Heroes. Still, they are so ridiculous, and so ridiculously earnest, that it's impossible to hate them.

4 BEST: BRAINIAC 5

Admittedly, Brainiac 5 has a tendency to create problems even as he tries to solve them. The villainous Pulsar Stargrave once drove him insane, during which time Brainy framed Ultra Boy and drove Matter-Eater Lad insane as well. But he got better, and anyway, this is comics. Who hasn't turned evil and tried to end their loved ones?

And Brainy's screw-ups number far fewer than his heroic acts, the bravest of which is arguably joining the Legion in the first place. His ancestor, the original Brainiac, was a supervillain. Even a thousand years later, the specter of Brainiac's misdeeds haunts Brainiac 5. So while he can be snobbish at times, he deserves kudos for devoting his life to fixing his ancestor's mistakes.

3 WORST: TYROC

Poor Tyroc never had a chance. In 1976, DC decided that the Legion of Super-Heroes was a little too white and introduced Tyroc, the team's first black member. While their intentions were good, the execution is remembered as one of the most embarrassingly racist character introductions in comics history.

Tyroc first appeared in Superboy #216. He lives on Marzal Island, the entire population of which is made up of racial separatists. So yeah, rather than creating a black character who just wants to be a hero, DC went with a black character who absolutely despises the entire world, including the Legion. Needless to say, Tyroc wasn't exactly a hit with fans, but thankfully he got a better costume during the New 52.

2 BEST: LIGHTNING LAD

The main DCU has its trinity of heroes (Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman), and so does the team from the future. We've already discussed the merits of both Cosmic Boy and Saturn Girl, and the third part of the Legion's main trio, Lightning Lad (or depending on the era, Livewire) deserves a mention as being one of the better part's of the team.

Garth Ranzz is a founding legion member with the power to, surprise, generate electricity from his body. And while he may not have the leadership qualities of Cosmic Boy, or the mental toughness and cooler head of Saturn Girl, Garth is nonetheless one of the Legion's most important members.

1 WORST: EARTH-MAN

This list isn't officially ranked, but if it was, Earth-Man, aka Kirt Niedrigh, would be at the very bottom as the worst Legionnaire of all time. How did that happen? He started off as just another failed Legionnaire. As Absorbency Boy, he possessed the ability to absorb and use other people's powers. This did not impress the Legion. But unlike most rejects, Kirt went full-on supervillain.

Calling himself Earth-Man, Kirt starts a wave of xenophobic hatred that spreads across Earth. Even after his defeat, his supporters insist that the Legion admit a human member -- i.e. Earth-Man -- into the ranks. The Legion accepts the condition, but not without giving Earth-Man a special ring that will blow his arm off if he tries any funny business.