Lethal Legion

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The Lethal Legion is the name of seven teams of fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Publication history[]

The first version of the Lethal Legion appeared in The Avengers #78 (Jul. 1970).[1]

The second version of the Lethal Legion appeared in Avengers #164 (Oct. 1977)

The third version in West Coast Avengers vol. 2, #1 (Oct. 1985).

The fourth version appeared in Marvel Age Annual #1 (1985).

The fifth version of the Lethal Legion appeared in Avengers West Coast #98 (Sep. 1993)

The sixth version of the Lethal Legion appeared in the limited series Dark Reign: Lethal Legion #1 (Aug. 2009).

History[]

Grim Reaper's Lethal Legion[]

Lethal Legion
Avengers-79.jpg
The original Lethal Legion on the cover of Avengers #79 (Aug. 1970)
Art by John Buscema.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceAvengers #78 (July 1970)
Created byRoy Thomas (Writer)
John Buscema (Artist)
Tom Palmer
In-story information
Base(s)Various
Member(s)Grim Reaper
Living Laser
Man-Ape
Power Man
Swordsman

The original Lethal Legion are formed by the villain Grim Reaper (the brother of Avenger Wonder Man) and consisted of Man-Ape, Power Man, Living Laser, and Swordsman. Man-Ape attacks Captain America, but is beaten back by the Avengers. However, he captures the Black Panther's girlfriend Monica binding her hand and foot with metal clamps. Black Panther is lured into a trap by Man-Ape, and despite getting past him he is knocked out by an exploding dummy of Monica. Black Panther is chained and with Man-Ape, he meets the other members of the Lethal Legion.[2]

Grim Reaper dispatched the Lethal Legion members to different locations to meet the Avengers. Power Man and Swordsman were sent to the water main below Avengers Mansion, Living Laser and Man-Ape were sent to the nearby power station, and Grim Reaper seemingly departed to Greenwich Village. Black Panther broke free and contacted the Avengers to warn them about the Lethal Legion's plot. Grim Reaper returns and uses the knockout gas in his scythe to knock out Black Panther while revealing that he planned to have the Avengers lured to the locations of which Black Panther knew about. While the other members of the Lethal Legion defeat the different Avengers, Vision defeats Power Man (who had been sent to capture him at Avengers Mansion). He disguises himself as Power Man and Power Man as him and takes him to the base. The Lethal Legion places the Avengers in an hourglass container and then fills it with deadly gas. When "Power Man" arrived with "Vision," Grim Reaper detected the brain patterns of Wonder Man and shattered the hourglass to save Vision's life only to realize that the vision in the hourglass was actually Power Man. At that point, Vision aided the Avengers into defeating the Lethal Legion who are handed over to the authorities.[3]

Count Nefaria's Lethal Legion[]

Lethal Legion
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceAvengers #164(October 1977)
Created byJim Shooter
John Byrne
In-story information
Base(s)Various
Member(s)Count Nefaria
Living Laser
Power Man
Whirlwind

A second version, formed by European villain Count Nefaria reappears in the title, composed of Living Laser, Whirlwind and Power Man. He magnifies their powers, but is revealed to be a manipulative ploy to steal their magnified powers in a failed bid to destroy the Avengers. The depowered villains are sent to prison.[4]

Grim Reaper's second Lethal Legion[]

Lethal Legion
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceWest Coast Avengers Vol. 2 #1 (October 1985).
Created byJim Shooter
John Byrne
In-story information
Base(s)Various
Member(s)Black Talon (Barone)
Goliath
Grim Reaper
Man-Ape
Nekra
Ultron-12

The Grim Reaper returns in the title West Coast Avengers, leading a third version against the superhero team consisting of Black Talon (Barone), Goliath, Man-Ape, Nekra, and Ultron-12. Grim Reaper has Ultron lead a squadron of robots to spring Goliath from a compound that he is imprisoned in. When Goliath is freed by Man-Ape, the three villains work together to take out the Avengers as Ultron-12 states that he has his own plans for Wonder Man. The three villains escape with an unconscious Henry Pym and Wonder Man. Hawkeye figures out that Grim Reaper is behind this.[5]

The three villains meet up with Grim Reaper. Internal squabbling and personal agendas overtake the villains and they are defeated and scattered.[6]

Porcupine's Lethal Legion[]

Lethal Legion
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceMarvel Age #1 (1985)
Created byKurt Busiek
James Fry
Keith Williams
In-story information
Base(s)Various
Member(s)Attuma
Batroc the Leaper
Black Tiger
Bulldozer
Gorilla-Man (Nagan)
Kurr'fri
Piledriver
Porcupine
Sabretooth
Thundra
Trapster
Unicorn
Whirlwind
Wrecker

A fourth version appears in the title Marvel Age. They were led by the Porcupine and consisted of Attuma, Batroc the Leaper, Bulldozer, Black Tiger, Kurr'fri of the Saurians, Gorilla-Man (Nagan), Piledriver, Sabretooth, Thundra, Trapster, Unicorn, Whirlwind, and Wrecker. The Lethal Legion tracked down and battle Captain America who is aided by several other Marvel heroes. Their battle with the superheroes was witnessed by the Beyonder. The outcome of the battle was not shown, but it is assumed that the heroes won.[7]

Satannish's Lethal Legion[]

Lethal Legion
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceAvengers West Coast #98 (September 1993)
Created byRoy Thomas
In-story information
Base(s)Various
Member(s)Axe of Violence (Lizzie Borden)
Coldsteel (Joseph Stalin)
Cyana (Lucrezia Borgia)
Hangman
Zyklon (Heinrich Himmler)

In the title Avengers West Coast the demon Satannish creates another version using the souls of four infamous historical killers that were found in Mephisto's section of Hell. They have been given powers along with Hangman and the group battle the renamed Avengers West Coast. The group consisted of Axe of Violence (a demonically-enhanced version of Lizzie Borden with an axe replacing one hand), Coldsteel (a demonically-enhanced version of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, now an 8 ft. giant with superhuman strength), Cyana (a demonically-enhanced version of Lucrezia Borgia with poisoned claws), and Zyklon (a demonically-enhanced version of Nazi official Heinrich Himmler who can belch deadly gas fumes from his mouth). This incarnation eventually lost their powers and their souls were destroyed during the struggle between Mephisto and Satannish.[8]

Grim Reaper's third Lethal Legion[]

Lethal Legion
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceDark Reign: Lethal Legion #1 (August 2009).
Created byFrank Tieri (writer), (artist)
In-story information
Base(s)Various
Member(s)Absorbing Man
Grim Reaper
Mister Hyde
Nekra
Tiger Shark
Wonder Man

A new version of the Lethal Legion appears during the "Dark Reign" storyline in the three-issue limited series Dark Reign: Lethal Legion. The Grim Reaper (now aided by his brother Wonder Man) recruits villains to oppose criminal mastermind Norman Osborn.[9]

Absorbing Man, Grey Gargoyle, Mister Hyde, and Tiger Shark later reformed the Lethal Legion and end up fighting the Avengers.[10]

Challenger's Lethal Legion[]

Lethal Legion
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceAvengers #676 (January 2018).
In-story information
Base(s)Various
Member(s)Blood Brothers
Captain Glory
Drall
Ferene the Other
Mentacle
Metal Master II

An alien version of the Lethal Legion was formed by Grandmaster to go up against Challenger's Black Order in a contest where Earth is the battlefield and they had to collect the Pyramoids. While the Blood Brothers, Mentacle, and Metal Master II faced off against Black Dwarf, Black Swan, and Supergiant's psychic projection in Rome, Captain Glory, Drall, and Ferene the Other faced off against Corvus Glaive, Ebony Maw, and Proxima Midnight in Cusco, Peru. Both of these confrontations were interrupted by the Avengers.[11]

Each of its members were revealed to have been saved from their approaching deaths in exchange that they partake in his contest against Challenger.[12]

When Challenger reveals his secret player in the form of a resurrected Hulk, most of the Lethal Legion are defeated with Hulk breaking Captain Glory's spine and presumably killing Mentacle.[13]

After the contest is ended by the Avengers, the Lethal Legion regrouped and fled to Knowhere. As they have nowhere to return to after each one's near-death experience, the Lethal Legion decides to stay together and see what they can accomplish.[14]

Count Nefaria's second Lethal Legion[]

Lethal Legion
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceAmazing Spider-Man Vol. 5 #41 (March 2020)
In-story information
Base(s)Various
Member(s)Count Nefaria
Grey Gargoyle
Living Laser
Whirlwind

A wheelchair-bound Count Nefaria forms another version of the Lethal Legion which now consists of Grey Gargoyle, Living Laser, and Whirlwind. The group raids a Project Pegasus facility to look for the Catalyst so that Count Nefaria can regain his powers. He revealed to the scientist that mentioned it was relocated that he got a copy of the information from Chameleon as the scientist knows the Catalyst's full potential. Count Nefaria kills the scientist with his abilities so that he won't tell anyone how to stop him. When Whirlwind and Living Laser stated to Count Nefaria that he should be resting, Count Nefaria stated that he needed the exercise.[15]

At Empire State University, Dr. Curt Connors reveals the Catalyst to the crowd when the Lethal Legion attacks. While Grey Gargoyle and Whirlwind attack the people present, Living Laser helps Count Nefaria to operate the Catalyst. Spider-Man shows up and has a hard time fighting them due to the fact that his mind was focused on what a revived Sin-Eater did to Overdrive. Sin-Eater shows up and starts using the same gun he used on Overdrive on Whirlwind and Grey Gargoyle while taking their powers. Immobilizing Spider-Man with Grey Gargoyle's powers, Sin-Eater proceeded to do the same thing to Living Laser and Count Nefaria. All four of them were sent to Ravencroft where they started to act like model inmates. Norah Winters was allowed by Norman Osborn to interview them about Sin-Eater.[16]

As a side-effect of Sin-Eater's suicide upon copying Madame Web's precognition revealed that Kindred was using them, the Lethal Legion regained their sins and are among the villains that went on a rampage.[17]

Membership[]

Main article: List of Lethal Legion members

Other versions[]

Heroes Reborn[]

In the Heroes Reborn reality, the Lethal Legion was formed by Enchantress and consisted of Executioner, Scarlet Witch, Ultron-5, and Wonder Man[18] The Lethal Legion is later betrayed by Loki who takes the Gamma Core's energy for himself.[19]

In other media[]

Television[]

  • The Lethal Legion appears in The Super Hero Squad Show. This version happens to be a result of Doctor Doom forging alliances with every known villain to help him in his quest to get all the Infinity Fractals that make up the Infinity Sword.

Video games[]

  • The Lethal Legion appears in the Marvel Super Hero Squad video game.
  • The Lethal Legion appears in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy as a group of bounty hunters led by Captain Glory, who are hired to capture the Guardians by Lady Hellbender after they rob her. Two Legion members, the Blood Brothers, try to ambush the Guardians when they travel to Knowhere, but the Guardians defeat them. Captain Glory eventually goes after the Guardians himself with a small fleet of fighters; once the fighters are all destroyed, the Captain pilots his own personal spacecraft against the Guardians, who are able to destroy it in combat.

Footnotes[]

  1. ^ DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019). The Marvel Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. p. 212. ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
  2. ^ Avengers #78. Marvel Comics.
  3. ^ Avengers #79. Marvel Comics.
  4. ^ Avengers #164 - 166 (Oct. - Dec. 1977). Marvel Comics.
  5. ^ West Coast Avengers Vol. 2 #1. Marvel Comics.
  6. ^ West Coast Avengers Vol. 2 #2. Marvel Comics.
  7. ^ Marvel Age Annual #1 (1985). Marvel Comics.
  8. ^ Avengers West Coast #98 - 100 (Sep. - Nov. 1993). Marvel Comics.
  9. ^ Dark Reign: Lethal Legion #1 - 3 (Aug. - Oct. 2009). Marvel Comics.
  10. ^ Hawkeye: Blindspot #1. Marvel Comics.
  11. ^ Avengers #676-677. Marvel Comics.
  12. ^ Avengers #681. Marvel Comics.
  13. ^ Avengers #684. Marvel Comics.
  14. ^ Avengers #690. Marvel Comics.
  15. ^ Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 5 #41. Marvel Comics.
  16. ^ Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 5 #46. Marvel Comics.
  17. ^ Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 5 #56. Marvel Comics.
  18. ^ Avengers Vol. 2 #7. Marvel Comics.
  19. ^ Avengers Vol. 2 #8. Marvel Comics.

External links[]

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