Legion of Doom explained

Debut:TV:
Challenge of the Superfriends, Episode 1: "Wanted: The Super Friends" (September 9, 1978)
Comics:
Extreme Justice #16 (May 1996)
Base:Hall of Doom
Owners:Lex Luthor
Members:Bizarro
Black Manta
Brainiac
Captain Cold
Cheetah
Giganta
Gorilla Grodd
Reverse-Flash
Riddler
Scarecrow
Sinestro
Solomon Grundy
Toyman
Team:y

The Legion of Doom is a group of supervillains who originated in Challenge of the Superfriends, an animated series from Hanna-Barbera based on DC Comics' Justice League.[1] The Legion of Doom has since been incorporated into the main DC Universe, appearing in comics, as well as further animated and live-action adaptations, and also video games.

History

In each episode of Challenge of the Superfriends that they appeared, the Legion of Doom would enact a plot against the Super Friends and a plot to take over the world only to be met with defeat by the end of the story. In some episodes, they would escape capture through a last-minute escape plan often contrived by Luthor. Other times, the Legion of Doom (or portions of it) would end up apprehended.

The episode "History of Doom" showed that Lex Luthor assembled 12 supervillains in order to form the most powerful and sinister group the world had ever seen.

Development

When the Challenge of the Superfriends season was originally conceived, it was named Battle of the Superheroes and featured the introduction of Captain Marvel to the Super Friends. The group that challenged the heroes was to be called the "League of Evil", led by Captain Marvel's nemesis Doctor Sivana. However, Filmation was producing Shazam! and The New Adventures of Batman which prevented the use of characters such as Mister Atom, King Kull, Beautia Sivana, Joker, Penguin, Mr. Freeze, and Catwoman. Early conceptual art drawn by Alex Toth also included Heat Wave, Poison Ivy, and Abra Kadabra.[2]

The Hall of Doom

The Legion of Doom's headquarters was the Hall of Doom which was located in Slaughter Swamp (just outside Gotham City). The facility, which resembles Black Manta's helmet, could be lowered or raised above the swamp water's surface. It could fly or enter space using rockets. The Hall of Doom's mobility could be controlled through remote control helping the Legion to escape on several occasions. Its defenses included laser weapons and the ability to time travel.

In "Doomsday" after Sinestro, Black Manta and Cheetah are abandoned by the rest of the Legion after they take control of a mental device, they use it to create another Hall of Doom, which attacks the original one and enables the Legion to be captured.

In "History of Doom", the Hall is shown being constructed in a barn just after the Legion formed. Black Manta proposes that they have it in the ocean, Captain Cold proposes to have it underneath the polar ice caps, and Gorilla Grodd proposes that they have it in the jungle. As a compromise, Lex Luthor decides to have it within the waters of Slaughter Swamp as it is flown to that location.

Members

There were thirteen members of the Legion of Doom:

MemberAlter egoDescriptionPowersTraditional enemyVoice actor
BizarroTnek KralcTwisted duplicate of Superman created from a duplication ray by Lex Luthor on Earth.Same as Superman, but often behaves in an erratic and irrational manner, such as freeze beams from his eyes and flaming breath as opposed to Superman's heat ray and freezing breath.SupermanWilliam Callaway
Black MantaDavid HydeDeep sea diver and would-be ocean conqueror.Enhanced strength, water breathing ability (through artificial gills), high tech equipment, laser beams.AquamanTed Cassidy
BrainiacVril DoxEvil alien android.Super-intelligence, advanced technology.SupermanTed Cassidy
Captain ColdLeonard SnartBlue-suited master of low temperatures.Absolute-zero ray guns.FlashDick Ryal
Michael Bell
CheetahPriscilla RichCheetah suit-wearing woman.Cat-like reflexes, claw-tipped gloves.Wonder WomanMarlene Aragon
GigantaDoris ZeulStole Apache Chief's magic powder to duplicate his powers.Ability to grow, super strength while in giant form.Wonder Woman[3] and Apache ChiefRuth Forman
Gorilla GroddGroddMegalomaniacal exile from Gorilla City.Super-intelligence, peak gorilla strength.FlashStanley Ralph Ross
Lex LuthorNoneMad scientist and founder/leader of the Legion of Doom.Evil genius, highly advanced weaponry.SupermanStanley Jones
RiddlerEdward NygmaUses riddles to taunt and confuse adversaries while committing crimes.Puzzle creation, problem solving, super intelligent evil genius, puzzle themed traps and gadgets.Batman and RobinMichael Bell
ScarecrowJonathan CraneUses his fear gas to bring peoples' worst fears to life.Fear gasBatman and RobinDon Messick
SinestroThaal SinestroRenegade ex-Green Lantern.Yellow power ringGreen LanternVic Perrin
Don Messick (additional dialogue)
Solomon GrundyCyrus GoldA super-powered gangster revived as a zombie in Slaughter Swamp.Great strength, invulnerabilityGreen Lantern,[4] Batman, and Superman.Jimmy Weldon
ToymanJackson "Jack" NimballDresses as a jester and uses toy-based tactics to commit crimes.Creates destructive toys.SupermanFrank Welker

Other Legion episodes

While Challenge of the Superfriends was the series spotlighting the Legion of Doom, they appear in a few Super Friends shorts:

Members of the team have solo appearances in later episodes.

Lex Luthor appears in:

Brainiac appears in:

Bizarro appears in:

Riddler appears in:

Scarecrow makes an appearance in episode "The Fear" while also introducing his real name of Jonathan Crane.

Appearances in comics

Members of the Legion of Doom made some appearances in the Super Friends spin-off comic title based on the TV series:

In other media

Television

Film

Video games

Miscellaneous

Cultural impact

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: The Legion of Doom's Comic Book History. 2017-01-25. Screen Rant. 2017-12-23. en-US. 2017-12-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20171223220511/https://screenrant.com/legion-doom-comic-book-history/. live.
  2. Web site: Super '70s and '80s: "Super Friends" – Darrell McNeil, animator . Nobleman, Marc Tyler . 29 July 2011 . Noblemania . 25 October 2011 . 3 December 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111203082310/http://noblemania.blogspot.com/2011/07/super-70s-and-80s-super-friendsdarrell.html . live.
  3. Although she is depicted as an enemy of Apache Chief in Challenge of the Superfriends, Giganta first appeared as a Wonder Woman villain in 1944.
  4. Solomon Grundy was originally an enemy of the Golden Age Green Lantern Alan Scott.
  5. Extreme Justice #17
  6. Extreme Justice #18
  7. Book: Greenberger . Robert . Pasko . Martin . The Essential Superman Encyclopedia . 2010 . Del Rey . 978-0-345-50108-0 . 197.
  8. Justice #9 (February 2007)
  9. Justice League of America #14 (December 2007)
  10. Superman/Batman #83 (April 2011)
  11. Flashpoint: Legion of Doom #1
  12. Flashpoint: Legion of Doom #2
  13. Flashpoint: Legion of Doom #3
  14. Web site: DC Comics in August 2011 . 2011-07-03 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110801021957/http://comics.ign.com/articles/116/1168864p1.html . 2011-08-01.
  15. Teen Titans (vol. 3) #98
  16. Scooby-Doo! Team-Up #6
  17. Super Powers #4
  18. Kingdom Come #4
  19. Web site: Burlingame . Russ . 'Justice League' Covers Reveal Lex Luthor Goes Evil Again, Leads the Legion of Doom . Comicbook.com . 2018-05-11 . 2018-05-29 . 2018-05-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180513151838/http://comicbook.com/dc/2018/05/11/justice-league-covers-reveal-lex-luthor-goes-evil-again-leads-th/ . live.
  20. Justice League (vol. 4) #30, 34. DC Comics.
  21. Wonder Twins #4. DC Comics
  22. Future State: Justice League #1. DC Comics.
  23. Web site: Justice League Unlimited Season 2 box set graphic . Superman Homepage . 15 September 2018 . 22 March 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070322185950/http://www.supermanhomepage.com/images/justice-league-tas/jlu-season2dvdback.jpg . live.
  24. Web site: Season Five . Jl.toonzone.net . 2018-05-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090917205915/http://jl.toonzone.net/005/005.htm . 2009-09-17 . dead.
  25. Comic-Con: 'Legends of Tomorrow' to Tackle Legion of Doom Villain Team In Season 2. The Hollywood Reporter. Bucksbaum. Sydney. July 23, 2016.
  26. Web site: Harley Quinn Will Aim For Legion of Doom in Her New Cartoon. Melrose. Kevin. Comic Book Resources. June 28, 2018. October 4, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181004190003/https://www.cbr.com/harley-quinn-animated-tv-synopsis/. October 4, 2018. live.
  27. Web site: Nathan Fillion Joins Justice League: Doom, The New DC Animated Movie. Comic Vine. 27 September 2011. 21 April 2021. 21 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210421165507/https://comicvine.gamespot.com/articles/nathan-fillion-joins-justice-league-doom-the-new-d/1100-143635/. live.
  28. Web site: The World's Finest - The #1 DC Animation Resource. The World's Finest. 2021-04-21. 2021-04-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20210421033230/https://dcanimated.com/. live.
  29. Web site: Harvey . Jim . Logline, Character Details For "JLA Adventures: Trapped In Time" Animated Feature . The World's Finest . 2014-01-16 . 2018-05-29 . 2017-07-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170706172002/http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/2014/01/logline-character-details-for-jla-adventures-trapped-in-time-animated-feature/ . live.
  30. Web site: Massively exclusive: A chat with DCUO's Chris Cao, part two . Voecks, Krystalle . 15 January 2011 . Massively . Joystiq . 30 November 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111108022948/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/15/massively-exclusive-a-chat-with-dcuos-chris-cao-part-two/ . 8 November 2011 . dead.
  31. Web site: 2007 Merchandise & Miscellaneous News Archives. live. 2023-07-20. 2023-07-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20230720210558/https://www.supermanhomepage.com/news/2007-news/2007-news-merchandise.php?topic=2007-news-merchandise%2F0701ii%2F.
  32. Web site: DC SUPER FRIENDS™ The Joker's Playhouse DVD Episode | Imaginext | Fisher Price . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/EDSj5ZvlbuU. 2021-12-11 . live. YouTube . 2011-08-26 . 2018-05-29.
  33. Web site: DC's Justice League Dark Launches on Kickstarter with New Expansions, Exclusives, and More. Gaming. 2023-07-14. 2023-07-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20230711014320/https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/dcs-justice-league-dark-launches-on-kickstarter-with-new-expansions-exclusives-and-more/. live.
  34. Web site: 'Smallville' Season 10, Episode 20 Preview: 'Prophecy' - is This the Legion of Doom? . https://web.archive.org/web/20231009220037/https://www.mtv.com/news/z5uilp/smallville-season-10-episode-20-preview-prophecy-legion-of-doom . dead . October 9, 2023 . MTV.
  35. Web site: 2020-01-03 . Bret Baier: 'Legion of doom' was meeting at Baghdad airport Fox News Video . Fox News . en-US . 2023-06-08 . 2023-06-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230608170425/https://www.foxnews.com/video/6119541998001 . live.