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The [[Animated Adaptation]] of the '''''[[Legion of Super-Heroes (Comic Bookcomics)|Legion of Super-Heroes]]''''' comic book series. Ran for two seasons, 2006-2008, abruptly ending with a [[Sequel Hook|hook]] for the third season [[The Resolution Will Not Be Televised|that never came.]]
 
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.
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At Brainy's insistence, everyone studiously avoids telling Clark who he's supposed to become in the future. Regardless, Clark finds the Superman Museum, connects the dots, and takes the costume from the display case, and the name of Superman, for his own. Together they defeat the Five, and then Adventures Happen.
 
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]].
 
Season two saw everyone age about two years, even Brainy, and the show went [[Darker and Edgier]] after the very light and bouncy first season. The premiere visited a [[Bad Future]] where Superman's [[Send in Thethe Clones|clone]] was bred to fight [[Galactic Conqueror]] Imperiex, who when cornered escapes back to the 31st century and proceeds to wreak havoc as the season's [[Big Bad]].
 
The character sheet can be found [[Legion of Super -Heroes (AnimationTV series)/Characters|here]].
----
{{tropelist}}
=== ''Legion of Super-Heroes'' provides examples of: ===
 
* [[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]].
** Not to mention Brainy and his obsession with Superman... which, thanks to the opening of season 2's first episode may be a whoooole lot [[StraightInvisible Gayto Gaydar|less ambiguous]].
* [[Amnesiac Dissonance]]: Ron-Karr
* [[And I Must Scream]]: One interpretation of {{spoiler|Ayla Ranzz}} before "Chained Lightning".
* [[Anti -Hero Substitute]]: Superman X
* [[Arbitrary Skepticism]]: Brainiac 5 refuses to believe in magic.
* [[The Atoner]]: Dream Girl in her [[Backstory]]. [[Reformed but Rejected|Lightning Lad doesn't buy it.]]
* [[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.]]
* [[Battle in Thethe Center of Thethe Mind]]: With a [[Fusion Dance]], even.
* [[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.
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* [[Cain and Abel]]: Lightning Lad and <s>Lightning Lord</s> Mekt.
* [[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.]]
* [[Captain Obvious]]: Saturn Girl can give [[Star Trek: theThe Next Generation|Deanna "I sense he's hiding something!" Troi]] a run for her money.
* [[Card -Carrying Villain]]: Drax.
{{quote| '''Superman''': Why are you doing this?<br />
'''Drax''': Because I'm evil. Always have been, always will be. }}
* [[Catapult Nightmare]]: Showcasing that Lightning Lad is [[Shirtless Scene|surprisingly buff]] [[She Is's All Grown Up|this season.]]
* [[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]]
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** Wait, is that ''[[Booster Gold]]'' cleaning that museum? With Skeets taking tickets at the door?
** ... Did Alexis just steal ''Lobo's'' bike?
** [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra_Boy:Ultra Boy|"Jo Nah of Rimbor"?]]
** And all the voiceless group-shot cameos by Legion members (e.g. Element Lad) and numerous [[Hopeless Auditionees]] (Night Girl, Double Header).
** Can you spot how many ''[[Green Lantern]] [[The Chosen Many|Corps]]'' species are background characters?
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* [[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.
* [[A Day in Thethe Limelight]]: "The Substitutes". Then Arm-Fall-Off Boy gets [[media:[[Lo SH 31 st C]]_16_Oroboros_DCP_001LoSH31stC_16_Oroboros_DCP_001.jpg|an entire spinoff comic issue.]]
* [[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
* [[Die Hard Onon an X]]: In [[Recursive Adaptation|the spinoff comics]], Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad fight off the Fatal Five ''and'' their [[Unresolved Sexual Tension]].
* [[Disney Death]]
* [[Detached Sleeves]]: Triplicate Girl has these in season 2.
* [[Do -Anything Robot]]: Brainiac 5
* [[Does This Remind You of Anything?]]: The Sun-Eaters are ''nothing'' like stockpiled atom bombs, no sir.
* [[The Dragon]]: Validus, to Imperiex.
* [[Early -Bird Cameo]]
** Matter-Eater Lad as Kem the [[Punny Name|Bismollian]] contestant in the Space Olympics.
** [[Chekhov's Gun|The Legion HQ's computer system is called "COMPUTO".]]
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* [[Enemy Within]]: {{spoiler|Brainiac 1.0}}
* [[Enforced Plug]]: Parodied.
* [[Evil Brit]]: Drax. Appropriate, if it's true that he is [[Superman (Filmfilm)|General Zod's]] son.
* [[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.
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** Of course, RJ Brande probably counts as well.
* [[Find the Cure]]: "Brain Drain"
* [[Five -Bad Band]]: The Fatal Five, [[Captain Obvious|obviously]], with Emerald Empress probably a mix of both [[Big Bad]] and [[Dark Chick]].
* [[Five -Man Band]]: Most common group in the first season:
** [[The Hero]] -- Superman
** [[The Lancer]] -- Lightning Lad
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** [[The Chick]] -- Saturn Girl and/or Phantom Girl
** [[Sixth Ranger]] -- Timber Wolf
* [[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".
* [[Fun Withwith Acronyms]]: although it doesn't spell out a word, and it's more like a [[Mythology Gag]]: the so-called "Heroes for Hire" '''L'''ight '''S'''peed '''V'''anguard, which will later be known as the '''L'''egion of '''S'''uper '''V'''illains.
* [[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.
* [[Grievous Harm Withwith a Body]]
* [[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.
* [[She Is's All Grown Up|He Is All Grown Up]]: Clark in season two. ''"Wow."''
* [[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.
* [[The Jeeves]]: Alexis' robot [[Battle Butler]], awesomely named ''[[PGP. WodehouseG. (Creator)Wodehouse|Wodehouse]]''.
* [[Jennifer Hale]]: voiced Ma Kent and Emerald Empress in Season 1.
* [[Jerk Jock]]: Mekt Ranzz, at first.
* [[Jerk Withwith a Heart of Gold]]: Lightning Lad. In season 2, Superman X [[Depending Onon the Writer|falls in and out of this every episode]].
* [[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.
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* [[Kari Wahlgren]]: voiced Saturn Girl, Triplicate Girl and [[Shrinking Violet]].
* [[Kid Appeal Character]]: As a contrast with the other, much darker elements that accompanied the new season, a young Chameleon Boy joins the Legion in the [[Time Skip]].
* [[Laser -Guided Amnesia]]: The reason ''every'' adaptation brings Saturn Girl to Smallville. But by season two, in a creepy [[Shoot the Dog]] moment to protect the timestream, Brainiac 5 uses a memory-flasher on Superman. Which, in light of the rest of the episode and combined with the self-satisfied look in his eyes is another nail in the [[Foreshadowing]] coffin that {{spoiler|the more ruthless Brainiac 1.0 had infected his mind and}} would turn up later.
* [[Laser Guided Tykebomb]]: Superman X, a heroic version raised only to defeat Imperiex.
* [[LaymansLayman's Terms]]: "Think of it like sunscreen... but with [[Frickin' Laser Beams|laser cannons.]]"
* [[Legacy Character]]: Brainiac 5
* [[Lego Genetics]]: with Kryptonite, no less!
* [[Little Miss Snarker]]: Phantom Girl
* [[Lonely Rich Kid]]: Alexis. Whom Superman befriends. And she loses her hair. [[Does This Remind You of Anything?|Does She Remind You Of Anyone?]] The episode she's in is called "Legacy", for added unsubtlety.
* [[Losing Your Head]]: Brainiac 5
* [[Magic Skirt]]: Triplicate Girl
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* [[Mechanical Lifeforms]]: In this version, Brainiac 5's species (Coluans) is a cold [[Hive Mind]] of androids.
* [[Memory Gambit]]: "Who Am I?"
* [[Merchandise -Driven]]: Probably why the Legion ship got unceremoniously blown to smithereens in the second season premiere, only for a replacement to arrive within seconds.
* [[Messianic Archetype]]
* [[Mini -Mecha]]: Alexis built her own mecha-suit.
* [[Morality Pet]]: {{spoiler|for Mekt Ranzz in "Chained Lightning". Many years ago, [[Dead Little Sister]]. Then, [[Not Quite Dead]] (which puts [[Even Evil Has Loved Ones]] back into play), followed by [[Unexplained Recovery]]. As he directly contributes to Ayla's restoration, he surrenders to prison without a fight.}}
* [[Mythology Gag]]: Waaay too many to list.
* [[Never My Fault]]: Alexis.
* [[Never Say "Die"]]: Even when they managed to get a [[Heroic Sacrifice]] onto kids' TV, they still couldn't call it death.
* [[No Matter How Much I Beg]]: Brainiac 5
* [[Noodle Incident]]: Alexis' ''experiment''. "The top ten floors look as good as new, don't they?"
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* [[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.
* [[Only the Worthy May Pass]]: "[[Exactly What It Says Onon the Tin|Trials]]"
* [[Our Werewolves Are Different]]: Timber Wolf, natch.
* [[Out of Order]]
* [[Peek -a -Bangs]]: Triplicate Girl
* [[Pet the Dog]]: "Unnatural Alliances" for ''both'' Superman X and Imperiex. Although, the latter had no choice, seeing as {{spoiler|his existence actually ''depended on it''.}} Followed by a [[Kick the Dog]] immediately afterwards.
* [[Pinocchio Syndrome]]: Brainiac 5
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* [[Ragtag Bunch of Misfits]]: The Subs.
* [[Recursive Adaptation]]
* [[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]]
* [[Robot Names]]: Superman X's bi-parental unit, K3NT (Which tends to make a [[Late to Thethe Punchline]] moment once you write it down like that).
* [[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"}}.
{{quote| '''{{spoiler|Brainiac 6}}:''' [[Card -Carrying Villain|Evil]] does not die. It evolves.}}
* [[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.
** And another in "Trials": [[Jackie Chan Adventures (Animation)|"Only magic can defeat magic. Duh!"]]
* [[Sorry I Left the BGM On]]: The [[Ho Yay|season two opening scene]].
* [[Spiritual Successor]]: To ''[[Teen Titans (Animationanimation)|Teen Titans]]'', at the least [[Demographics]]-wise. Still a team of super-teenagers, still [[The DCU]], and it started the same year ''Titans'' ended.
* [[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
* [[Stable Time Loop]]: Superman only becomes Superman because he finds out he's ''going'' to be Superman, and learns heroism from a team that was inspired by his own future heroism, so...
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* [[Strange Bedfellows]]: The first [[Season Finale]] "Sundown" and the second season's "Unnatural Alliances"
* [[Super Zeroes]]: As always, the Legion of Substitute Heroes, who, also as always, prove to be much more heroic and capable than you'd think.
* [[Tailor -Made Prison]]: {{spoiler|Mordru at the end of "Trials".}}
* [[Talkative Loon]]
* [[Tara Strong]]: As Alexis, as well as Emerald Empress in [[The Other Darrin|Season 2]].
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* [[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.
* [[Took a Level Inin Badass]]: Season 2: the intro theme, and the main characters' appearances (possibly justified by them aging along with the audience). Lightning Lad now has a soul patch, for example.
* [[Transformation Trauma]]: "Trials"
* [[Unspoken Plan Guarantee]]
* [[Unwinnable Training Simulation]]: Twice.
* [[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]]:
{{quote| '''{{spoiler|Brainiac 5}}:''' Do not worry. Soon this agony shall pass, as it will pass from this entire universe. Once my work is complete, there will be no more pain, no more chaos. Only [[Utopia Justifies the Means|a perfect order imposed by me]].}}
* [[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.}}
* [[What the Hell, Hero?]]: at least twice, between Brainiac and Superman, with the latter calling Brainy out for [[Cannot Spit It Out|hiding]] both {{spoiler|Supes's weakness to a red sun}} in "Brain Drain" and {{spoiler|the original Brainiac's involvement in the shrinking of Kandor}} in "Message in a Bottle". And also when {{spoiler|Brainiac suggested risking the Kandorians lives with Imperiex}}.
** With the former, Brainiac 5 told Superman {{spoiler|he apparently failed to un-shrink Kandor}}.
* [[White -Haired Pretty Girl]]: Triplicate Girl, one-third of the time -- white with colored streaks, in her combined form (it changed in season 2)
* [[Whole -Episode Flashback]]: "In the Beginning"
* [[With a Capital T]]: "Unnatural Alliances"
{{quote| '''Duo Damsel:''' Terra-Man, word is you've been terrorizing this entire prairie in search of someone.<br />
'''Star Boy:''' The only thing you're gonna find here is trouble.<br />
'''Bouncing Boy:''' With a capital "L"! }}
* [[Xtreme Kool Letterz]]: Lot of X's in the names.
* [[Yandere]]: Alexis Luthor. She had no friends until Superman... and [[Stalker Withwith a Crush|she REALLY wanted to keep him]].
* [[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.
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:TurnWestern Animation of the Millennium/Western Animation2000s]]
[[Category:Saturday Morning Cartoon]]
[[Category:Superman (Franchise)]]▼
[[Category:Moi Animation]]
[[Category:Western Animation]]
[[Category:Legion Of Super Heroes{{PAGENAME}}]]
▲[[Category:Superman (Franchise)]]
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