In the first season, the series revolved around a core group of eight Legionnaires but others appeared from time to time in recurring roles, similar in format to the
Justice League Unlimited animated series.
Superman The first season introduces a teenaged Clark Kent who is about to move from
Smallville to
Metropolis. He knows of his abilities but does not know what to do with his future (similar in nature to the
Clark Kent featured in the
Smallville television series). After traveling to the future, young Clark assumes the identity of Superman and gradually learns to control his abilities, becoming the hero he is destined to be. At the end of the first season, he returns to the present around the same time he left in the first episode. In the second season, set two years later, Superman returns to the future, having gained more experience with his powers. Also,
Superman X, a clone of Superman from the 41st century created to battle Imperiex, is introduced. When Imperiex travels back to the 31st century, Superman X is forced to follow him into the past and recruit the Legion to help him.
Core Legionnaires Series producer James Tucker offered descriptions of the core team in a July 2006 interview at
San Diego Comic-Con. As with other DC team shows such as
Justice League Unlimited, not every core character appears in all episodes. The following descriptions apply to the characters as seen in the first season. •
Lightning Lad has lightning powers and is eager and hot-headed. The lightning bolt scar on his right eye sometimes flashes brightly in times of battle. He has a twin sister,
Ayla, and an older brother,
Mekt. •
Saturn Girl is a caring and thoughtful character with mental powers. •
Brainiac 5 is the smartest Legionnaire and can transform his robot body in various ways. Tucker stated that Brainiac 5's personality and design were inspired by the version of the character from
Dan Abnett and
Andy Lanning's
Legion of Super-Heroes series. •
Phantom Girl has the ability to pass through solid objects, and can temporarily extend this ability to others. Tucker described Phantom Girl as self-centered and sarcastic, yet devoted to the Legion. •
Bouncing Boy is friendly and humorous, with the ability to make his body rubbery and springy. Near the end of Season 1, Bouncing Boy is elected leader of the Legionnaires, much to his surprise. •
Triplicate Girl was born with the ability to split her form into three identical selves. •
Timber Wolf, named Brin Londo, was transformed into a
werewolf-like creature as a result of his father
Mar Londo's experiments on him. Tucker described Timber Wolf as a "cool dude" whose feral appearance disguises his loneliness and insecurity. •
Chameleon Boy has the ability to shapeshift all or part of his body into something else, animate or inanimate, as well as utilize the strength and power of what he transforms into. He appears as a regular in season two. His father,
R. J. Brande, funds the Legion.
Other Legionnaires XS appears in the finale "Dark Victory" as a background character.
Dawnstar and
Invisible Kid also make cameo appearances in the finale, along with many other rarely seen Legion members. In the first season, some Legionnaires were mentioned or shown as images before properly appearing. Fourteen members were shown during the season as already active:
Blok, Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5,
Colossal Boy,
Cosmic Boy,
Dream Girl,
Element Lad, Lightning Lad, Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl,
Shrinking Violet,
Sun Boy, Triplicate Girl, and
Tyroc. Five more join the Legion through the course of the series: Superman, Timber Wolf,
Matter-Eater Lad,
Star Boy, and
Ferro Lad. The opening credits sequences used for first-season episodes included a glimpse of the Mission Monitor Board signs for many Legionnaires as well as shots of flying Legionnaires who would be seen in later episodes, though not all of those with Mission Monitor Board symbols appeared. At least four members of the Legion as seen in the comics appeared in some way on the show but had not joined by the end of the first season (
Ultra Boy,
Lightning Lass,
Wildfire, and
Polar Boy). In the second season,
Karate Kid appears in the opening credits with the other Legionnaires, though he did not appear until the fifth episode, in which
Nemesis Kid also joins the Legion. Similar to Karate Kid, Sun Boy appears in the second season opening titles and makes semi-regular, though non-speaking appearances. Ayla Ranzz, the sister of Lightning Lad, also appears, but lacks powers and is not a superhero like her comic counterpart. ==Cast==