The Legion of Substitute Heroes is founded by Polar Boy,
Night Girl, Stone Boy, Fire Lad, and Chlorophyll Kid, five young heroes whose powers are not sufficient to earn them membership in the Legion of Super-Heroes — Stone Boy, for example, can transform into stone, but is completely immobile when using his power. After receiving a Legion flight belt as a consolation prize, the five disconsolate teenagers decide to form a group that can
pinch hit for the Legion. After several failures as a team, the Subs save the Earth from an invasion by Plant Men while the Legion is off planet fighting a decoy armada of robot spaceships. At first operating in secrecy, the Legion of Substitute Heroes is gradually recognized as a valuable asset, most notably after the assault on the Citadel of Throon when the regular Legionnaires are all defeated and Polar Boy and Night Girl are left to end the siege. Later recruits to the Legion of Substitute Heroes include Antennae Lad, Color Kid, Double-Header, Infectious Lass, Porcupine Pete,
Dream Girl, and
Star Boy. The team fell into disuse during the
Bronze Age of Comic Books since their simple, young-readers-oriented concept left them out-of-place in the dark, socially relevant stories of the era. During the events of
Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 4), the "Subs" come into their own as an insurgent group that aids a resistance to the
Dominators. Old Subs Fire Lad, Stone Boy, Chlorophyll Kid, Color Kid, and Porcupine Pete are joined by new allies such as
Ron-Karr and Grinn. Following the
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time! reboot, the Subs appear in
Legionnaires #43 during Legion tryouts. Infectious Lass, Fire Lad, and Color Kid are on the cover, while Stone Boy, Chlorophyll Kid, Night Girl, and Polar Boy all try out. In the
Legion Worlds one-shot focusing on
Braal, Cosmic Boy along with
Invisible Kid,
Leviathan, and
Chuck Taine call themselves the "Legion of Subs"; the word 'Subs' is short for "subterfuge". In the Legion series launched in
2004, Polar Boy and Chlorophyll Kid (renamed
Plant Lad) appear as a part of the
Wanderers led by
Mekt Ranzz. This version of Polar Boy can only slow molecular movement. Night Girl applies for membership in the Legion but is rejected and made a reserve member (as part of the "Legion Reserve"), along with Sizzle, an energy manipulator, and Turtle, a strong and durable alien. Versions of Infectious Lass, Polar Boy, Night Girl, Stone Boy, Fire Lad, and Chlorophyll Kid similar in appearance to their pre-
Crisis on Infinite Earths counterparts appear in the limited series
Tales of the Unexpected and the story arc
Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes. In part five of the
Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes story arc in
Action Comics, Fire Lad, Stone Boy, Chlorophyll Kid, and Rainbow Girl are called in to help battle the
Justice League of Earth, a tyrannical,
xenophobic association. After the League is defeated, the Subs claim their satellite base as their own. In "
The New Golden Age", Legion of Substitute Heroes members Rainbow Girl, Animal Lad, and Stone Boy arrive in the present to recruit
Doctor Fate after his disastrous attempt to get
Salem the Witch Girl into Limbo Town. ==Roster==