Legion of Super-Heroes (TV series): Difference between revisions

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When the series opens, the 31st-century Legion is hopelessly outclassed by the famed Fatal Five. They resolve to recruit [[Future Imperfect|the near-mythical Superman]] from the past, but for undisclosed reasons, Brainiac 5 brings them to Smallville, not Metropolis. There they invite 18-year-old Clark Kent to help them in [[The Future]], promising that with [[Time Travel]], he can return the minute he left.

The show had a very [[Silver Age]] tone to it, but the most noticeable and [[They Changed It, Now It Sucks|controversial]] change from the source material was turning team genius Brainiac 5 from a [[Human Alien]] into an [[Mechanical Lifeforms|android]]. [[Word of God]] is that this was supposed to tie him more closely to his ancestor the original Brainiac, as well as avoiding having to explain how an an organic can be the 'descendant' of a robot, clearing away a fifty-year-old example of [[Writing Around Trademarks]].

 

 

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* [[Acrofatic]]: Bouncing Boy.

* [[Actor Allusion]]: [[Dave Wittenberg]]'s character, Ferro Lad, at one point tells Lightning Lad that [[Naruto|he doesn't want to see what's under his mask]].

* [[Ambiguously Gay]]

** [[What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?|Color Kid]], appropriately enough. His rainbow [[Chest Insignia]] was even changed into a ''fabulous'' rainbow ''triangle'' for the series, [[Anvilicious|just in case you weren't paying attention]].

* [[Amnesiac Dissonance]]: Ron-Karr

* [[And I Must Scream]]: One interpretation of {{spoiler|Ayla Ranzz}} before "Chained Lightning".

* [[Bald of Evil]]: [[Rich Bitch]] Alexis loses her hair shortly after going off the deep end for Superman, and [[Never My Fault|blames *him* for it, just like her presumed Silver Age ancestor]]--naturally her prison uniform reads, in [[Cypher Language|Interlac]], "LUTHOR." Unlike her ancestor, her hair grows back, though is now much shorter.

* [[Batman Can Breathe in Space]]: Justified, like the comics versions they probably use invisible "transuits" -- [[In Space Everyone Can See Your Face|In space, everyone can see all of you.]]

* [[Betrayal Insurance]]: It's Brainiac 5, otherwise portrayed as Superman's ''[[Ho Yay|very loyal]]'' [[Robot Buddy]], who keeps Kryptonite for emergencies.

* [[Big Bad]]: Imperiex in Season 2.

* [[Calling Your Attacks]]

* [[Canon Foreigner]]: Superman X; several homage characters like [[Xtreme Kool Letterz|Alexis, Zyx, and Drax]]; and Breath Boy, with the power to [[What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?|hold his breath.]]

* [[Card-Carrying Villain]]: Drax.

'''Drax''': Because I'm evil. Always have been, always will be. }}

* [[Chekhov's Skill]]: Superman X's Kryptonite immunity. It was mentioned only once, when introducing himself and how his [[Lego Genetics]] make him stronger, however, it never saw any use in the series proper until the finale, {{spoiler|where it saves the Original Superman's life.}}

* [[Chess Motifs]]

* [[Darker and Edgier]]: The second season.

* [[Dark Horse Victory]]: Possibly the ''quickest'' example ever. The new-leader-election is proposed and concluded in about 30 seconds.

* [[Dead Little Sister]]: Quite literally: Lightning Lad and Mekt's sister Ayla. One became [[The Lancer]], the other became the [[Aloof Big Brother]] [[White-Haired Pretty Boy]] on the path to villainy. Then {{spoiler|Ayla turned up [[Not Quite Dead]], which brought up all sorts of mutual guilt issues}}.

* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: Phantom Girl

* [[Disney Death]]

* [[Detached Sleeves]]: Triplicate Girl has these in season 2.

* [[Enemy Within]]: {{spoiler|Brainiac 1.0}}

* [[Enforced Plug]]: Parodied.

* [[Evil Counterpart]]: Drax, to Superman.

* [[Evilutionary Biologist]]: Dr. Londo, Timber Wolf's father. He's the ''reason'' why his son looks the way he is and it's strongly implied that he wasn't the only victim of his genetic experiments.

* [[Flashback Nightmare]]: [[Super-Hero Origin|The trip to Korbal]]--for Lightning Lad ''and'' [[Cain and Abel|Mekt.]]

* [[Foreshadowing]]: Superman X's cryptic message to Brainiac 5 at the season 2 premiere. This will be followed by Brainiac's last words from the end of "Who Am I?": {{spoiler|"But that would mean the potential for evil is also within...all of us."}} Of course, finally there's "Message in a Bottle".

* [[Fusion Dance]]: In the second [[Season Finale]].

* [[Future Imperfect]]: A lot of details were apparently lost in [[Mythology Gag|"the great Crisis"]]. Meaning, among other things, no one remembers the Phantom Zone's name or that it even exists.

* [[Good Scars, Evil Scars]]: Lightning Lad's undereye mark.

* [[Great Gazoo]]: Zyx, a [[Spoiled Brat]] Mxyzptlk homage.

* [[Heel Face Turn]]: Although they weren't seen after their "turns", {{spoiler|Lightning Lord and Ron-Karr}}.

* [[Heroic Sacrifice]]: {{spoiler|Ferro Lad}} in the 1st season finale, as a nod to the comics.

* [[How Do I Shot Web?]]: Superman in the first episode.

* [[If You Kill Him You Will Be Just Like Him]]: Lightning Lad comes this close to fatally violating [[Wouldn't Hit a Girl]]...

* [[In the Back]]: {{spoiler|Brainiac}} does this to Imperiex in the Season 2 finale.

* [[Jennifer Hale]]: voiced Ma Kent and Emerald Empress in Season 1.

* [[Jerk Jock]]: Mekt Ranzz, at first.

* [[Jumping Off the Slippery Slope]]

** The Light Speed Vanguard, who at first seem Cooler And More Effective Heroes, then Kinda Selfish Mercenary Heroes, then Ruthless Protection Racket.

* [[Mythology Gag]]: Waaay too many to list.

* [[Never My Fault]]: Alexis.

* [[No Matter How Much I Beg]]: Brainiac 5

* [[Noodle Incident]]: Alexis' ''experiment''. "The top ten floors look as good as new, don't they?"

* [[Oh Crap]]: Imperiex in "Message in a Bottle" {{spoiler|when he realizes that he's now squaring off against hundreds of aliens that have the powers of ''Superman''.}}

* [[The Only One Allowed to Defeat You]]: Superman X for Imperiex.

* [[Our Werewolves Are Different]]: Timber Wolf, natch.

* [[Out of Order]]

* [[Red Oni, Blue Oni]]: Most notably seen in their {{spoiler|[[Fusion Dance]] during the Season 2 finale}}, Superman (blue) and his clone Superman X (red).

* [[The Resolution Will Not Be Televised]]

* [[Secret Keeper]]: Brainy, about Superman's weaknesses, and the fact that he keeps a chunk of Kryptonite in his safe.

* [[Sequel Hook]]: Season 2 ends with {{spoiler|a new Brainiac born from Brainiac 5's "husk"}}.

* [[Shoo Out the Clowns]]: Losing one-third of yourself to anti-matter bubbles = [[Darker and Edgier|This Season Is Serious]].

* [[Shoot the Dog]]: What Super<s>boy</s>man ''thinks'' he's doing in "Fear Factory". Fortunately {{spoiler|Brainiac 5}} always [[Brain Uploading|carries a spare copy]].

* [[Shout-Out]]

** "In the Beginning": To both the ''[[Total Recall]]'' [[Latex Perfection]] and the ''[[Scooby Doo]]'' [[You Meddling Kids]] line.

* [[Sorry I Left the BGM On]]: The [[Ho Yay|season two opening scene]].

* [[Spock Speak]]: Brainiac 5, who also [[Luckily, My Powers Will Protect Me|keeps name-dropping]] his [[Informed Ability|twelfth-level intelligence]]. Toned down a lot for season 2.

* [[Spoiled Sweet]]: Phantom Girl

* [[Time Skip]]: Season 2 takes place two years after the end of season 1.

* [[Token Minority Couple]]: Fangirls who were not that familiar with the comic tended to ship Dream Girl and Cosmic Boy together in fan fiction because they didn't see any other options.

* [[Transformation Trauma]]: "Trials"

* [[Unspoken Plan Guarantee]]

* [[Villain Team-Up]]: The brief alliance between the Fatal Four and the Legion of Supervillains in part 2 of the second season premiere.

* [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]]:

* [[Wham! Episode]]: Dark Victory. {{spoiler|Brainiac 5 ends up being controlled by Brainiac 1.0, Superman is defeated and [[Our Hero Is Dead|apparently killed]], and ''Imperiax'' [[Killed Off for Real]]}}.

* [[What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic]]: The {{spoiler|crown of Kryptonite.}}

* [[Whole-Episode Flashback]]: "In the Beginning"

* [[With a Capital T]]: "Unnatural Alliances"

'''Bouncing Boy:''' With a capital "L"! }}

* [[Xtreme Kool Letterz]]: Lot of X's in the names.

* [[You Have Outlived Your Usefulness]]: With the reversal that the ''boss'' has outlived the ''minion's'' purposes...

* [[Your Worst Nightmare]]: "Fear Factory," with endless [[Horror]] movie homages.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Saturday Morning Cartoon]]

[[Category:Moi Animation]]

[[Category:Western Animation]]