10 Best Episodes Of The Legion Of Superheroes (According To IMDb)
Joining the likes of The Spectacular Spider-Man and Young Justice, The Legion Of Superheroes lasted two seasons before its unfortunate cancellation. Where Young Justice was able to be revived thanks to a strong fanbase, The Legion Of Superheroes remained a cult gem.
According to IMDb, the best episodes of The Legion of Superheroes all stem from the more mature second season. The darker tone and serialized storytelling combined with the development of fan-favorite characters such as Brainiac 5 and Lightning Lad resulted in a season that many viewers found superior.
One of the Legionnaires, Timber Wolf, has seemingly gone rogue and attacked his father. While other Legionnaires convict their friend and teammate for his supposed crime, Chameleon Boy and Phantom Girl try to clear his name.
The second season is when The Legion of Superheroes got darker and "Cry Wolf" is a perfect example of that. Timber Wolf, in general, is a tragic character due to his twisted origin story. In this episode, Timber Wolf's story is developed even further that will make anyone feel sorry for him. It ends up delving into a sad but real topic that family is more than blood relation and that a found family can supersede a biological one.
Brainiac, one of Superman's greatest foes, ends up being merged with his descendant: Brainiac 5. Brainy becomes the new controller of Brainiac's forces and continues where his ancestor left off in his attempts to conquer the universe. The method of how Brainy defeats his ancestor by becoming organic and showing the unbreakable friendship between him and the original Superman is a great ending to his arc.
"Dark Victory, Part 2" is also the finale of the series, finishing off the story arc for both Brainy and Superman X. Superman X becomes an official member of the Legion and trusted friend of the team is a wholesome way for his story to end. It feels especially amazing since Imperiex was no longer haunting his life.
This Legion of Superheroes episode introduced fans to a new Legionnaire in the form of Dream Girl. Her ancestor, Nia Nal/Dreamer, would later on debut as the first transgender hero on TV with the CW's Supergirl, showing that transgender actors are making an impact. Lightning Lad shines in this Legion of Superheroes episode, too. He becomes more trusting and learns to not let himself be consumed by his anger.
Dream Girl was showcased rather well, both as an asset to the team and a danger. When the Dark Circle uses her powers to go against the Legion, it's a perfect example of why the Legion is actually lucky that this character did not turn evil. Dream Girl herself is a likable hero. Honestly, it's just a shame that she never got the chance to return in the third season.
The Legion has made quite a few enemies over the Legion of Superheroes, amongst them is the spoiled brat of a sorcerer named Zyx. In season 2, however, Zyx has come to the Legion as an ally seeking help against an even worse sorcerer. Originally, he was one of the more obnoxious villains on the show, but, surprisingly, Zyx evolves in "Trials".
It would be a stretch to say that Zyx becomes a hero, but he certainly was no longer the tantrum-throwing imp that he used to be. This is thanks to Superman X, who assists him in the trials to regain his magic. Superman X shows a lot more humanity and evolution in this episode. This pushes him further in his development, showing that he's more than just an angry weapon designed to kill Imperiex.
This darker episode of Legion of Superheroes tackles the issues of morality when it comes to time travel. A young boy named Abel on a barren plane turns out to be responsible for the creation of the Legion's enemy: Imperiex. Bounty hunters from the future come to try and kill Abel before that creation can happen.
Killing the child would likely prevent Imperiex from all the death and destruction he causes. It definitely showcases the moral and ethical quandaries in regard to time travel. Following their ethics, ultimately, puts the Legion against both the Bounty Hunters and Imperiex. Even so, the choice made was clearly not easy for the Legion. With this episode, the show tries to flesh out Imperiex into a tragic villain similar to Mr. Freeze.
This proves to be the penultimate episode that finishes Lightning Lad's story arc in The Legion of Superheroes. For years, Garth a.k.a. Lightning Lad had thought his sister to be dead, a victim of the incident that turned himself and his brother into electrokinetic metahumans.
"Chained Lightning" tugs at the heartstrings as Garth discovers that his sister is alive, which leads to him desperately trying to get her back from her pure energy state. By having to work with his villainous brother Mekt, Garth is able to overcome his trauma and guilt surrounding the circumstances that led to his sister's current state. The episode shows how someone can work past their previous trauma. This makes for an emotional rollercoaster of an episode, especially in the ending when Mekt redeems himself.
Continuing from the first episode of season 2 of The Legion of Superheroes, the Legion returns to their present time in the 31st century with a new member of their team: Kell-El, a Superman clone known as Superman X. Unfortunately, the season's big threat known as Imperiex has already arrived in their time from the 41st century.
This episode helped in establishing the new format from an episodic sci-fi superhero series to a continuous serialized epic story that spanned across the whole season. It further shows that Legion of Superheroes was growing up into a darker and more mature show than its previous season.
Chameleon Boy takes the focus this time around by taking on an infiltration mission into Imperiex's forces. The hero takes on the form of the Persuader, not just in body but of mind as well. The title is rather apt since the episode tackles the psychological issues that can come with shapeshifting.
The way Chameleon Boy is reprogrammed is styled similar to the cult-classic action film Total Recall, likely an Easter Egg from The Legion of Superheroes creative team. The main focus of the episode is on the Legion's loyalty, trying their hardest to get their friend back from his reprogrammed state.
Seeing how Brainiac and Superman are longtime rivals, it was only inevitable that Brainy sharing the same bloodline as the iconic villain would cause tension. In "Message In A Bottle", the Legion learns that the original Brainiac was partially responsible for the destruction of Krypton. Brainiac 5 is tortured by his relation to the evil villain, which ties into themes of found family in the series.
With Corey Burton reprising his role from Superman: The Animated Series, he shows why his Brainiac is one of the best villains of the DCAU, More importantly, the focus is on Brainy, who has to grapple with the sins of ancestors as he tries to forge his own heroic path. In the end, he ultimately fails, which leads to a strong series finale.
With the very first episode of the second season, fans were shocked by the drastic change in tone. This is a very similar method of storytelling that the beloved Young Justice took on and it works just as well in The Legion Of Superheroes.
The Legion is brought to the 41st century where they discover that New Metropolis and the galaxy have been victimized by the being known as Imperiex. This recurring villain is established perfectly with the grim future that shows that he's on the same level as Darkseid or Thanos from Marvel. Ultimately, the premiere does a great job of setting the change status quo for audiences.
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