As they say... "every hero has an origin"... and so it is time to build a HeroClix force to represent the first appearance of one of the post powerful members of the Legion of Super Heroes. Not only has Tenzil Kem saved the universe more times than your average Legionnaire, but he's one of very few members to have kept his original costume while doing it!

To see the suggested 500-point WizKids-approved keyword force, follow the link!

Synopsis: Many of the earliest LSH stories had a peculiar story-telling trope that also interferes with HeroClix team-building: every other appearance had one member (or a doppleganger) of a Legionnaire actively working against the rest of the group. The first appearance of Matter-Eater Lad was a nice twist on this, as the traitor of this issue turned out to be someone completely outside the roster.

Here is a keyword force of the Legionnaires that cracked the case of The Fantastic Spy!

88 (Superman 008) Brainiac 5
79 (Superman 022) Sun Boy
70 (LSH 003) Lightning Lad
70 (LSH 001) Cosmic Boy
60 (LSH 002) Saturn Girl
50 (Justice League 016) Bouncing Boy
44 Experienced (Unleashed 038) Chameleon Boy
35 (Superman 025) Matter-Eater Lad

= 496 Points

The spotlight of this article deserves to focus squarely on the Legion's newest recruit, Matter-Eater Lad. The original HeroClix interpretation of ME-Lad (as a bystander token in the Crisis set) was a complete misfire. The biggest mistake was the inability for the figure to destroy objects or terrain features; this was compounded by a waste of a special white power that essentially gave him a crippled combination of leap/climb and battle fury. All is forgiven by the awesome dial that was included in the recent Superman set!

E Matter-Eater Lad Points: 35 Range: 0
Team: Legion of Superheroes
Keywords: Future, Legion of Super Heroes, Politician

8 9 16 2

8 9 16 1

7 9 15 1

7 9 15 1

KO KO KO KO

Matter, Eaten: Give Matter-Eater Lad a free action and destroy an adjacent wall, adjacent square of blocking terrain, or remove an object in his square or an adjacent square from the game.

This dial is one of the best examples of how to use traits correctly for theme use. As a native of the planet Bismol, Matter-Eater Lad has the ability to digest any substance, and in the nearly 50 years since his introduction he hasn't stopped eating his way through obstacles put in his path. There are other game effects that could have been used to represent his power set, but none would be appropriate: Super Strength plus 1-damage, natural 3-damage. The Exploit Weakness plus Steal Energy is also an appropriate compromise, as long as you can avoid the mental picture of Tenzil Kem chomping directly on opponents.

The best design choice is IMO that the point value for this figure is an incredibly low 35 points, yet this figure can actively contribute to damage dealing against even the toughest figures. This is something that several of his Legion of Super Heroes keyword teammates cannot do at twice his cost.

I've discussed the the rest of the figures (or ones similar to them) on this force before, so the dials are included for completeness. Comic-accurate Legion teams are often going run into lineups in which have no team ability to copy. In this issue, Superboy appeared in a couple of panels explaining what he was doing off-world to foil the plot, so you can easily add the 100-point Young Superman from the Legion starter or rejigger the force to include the 150-point version of Superman from the Smallville fast forces pack. The best use of the leftover 4-points would be to add the 4-point Jarvis bystander token to allow each of the eight LSH members on the force to deploy via copying the Avengers team ability.

E Brainiac 5 Points: 88 Range: 0
Team: Legion of Superheroes
Keywords: Future, Legion of Super Heroes, Scientist

7 9 17 2

7 9 16 2

6 9 16 1

6 9 16 1

5 8 15 1

5 8 15 1

KO KO KO KO

Force Field Belt: Brainiac 5 can use Invulnerability. Give Braniac 5 a free action and choose an adjacent character with the Legion of Super-Heroes keyword. That character can use Toughness until your next turn as long as it is adjacent to Brainiac 5.

Twelfth-Level Intellect: Brainiac 5 can use Outwit. Once during your turn Brainiac 5 can use Perplex or Probability Control.

E Sun Boy Points: 79 Range: 7
Team: Legion of Superheroes
Keywords: Future, Legion of Super Heroes

8 10 17 3

8 9 16 2

8 10 16 2

7 9 16 2

7 9 15 2

6 8 15 2

KO KO KO KO

Radiant Spectrum: Sun Boy can use Penetrating/Psychic Blast and Pulse Wave.

E Cosmic Boy Points: 70 Range: 6
Team: Legion of Superheroes
Keywords: Future, Legion of Super Heroes, Teen

9 10 17 2

9 10 16 2

9 9 16 2

8 9 16 2

8 7 16 1

7 7 15 1

KO KO KO KO

E Lightning Lad Points: 70 Range: 10
Team: Legion of Superheroes
Keywords: Future, Legion of Super Heroes, Teen

8 10 16 3

8 9 15 3

8 9 15 2

7 8 14 2

7 8 15 1

6 7 15 1

KO KO KO KO

E Saturn Girl Points: 60 Range: 8
Team: Legion of Superheroes
Keywords: Future, Legion of Super Heroes, Psychic, Teen

9 9 16 2

8 10 15 2

8 10 15 2

7 9 14 1

7 8 14 1

KO KO KO KO

Telepathic Coordination: Once during your turn (but not during another action), as a free action Saturn Girl modifies by +2 the attack value or defense value of any other target friendly character for the duration of an action. Saturn Girl must be within 10 squares of and have a clear line of fire to the target.

R Bouncing Boy Points: 50 Range: 0
Team: Legion of Superheroes
Keywords: Future, Legion of Super Heroes, Teen

8 9 16 2

10 8 16 2

11 8 15 2

10 7 15 1

8 7 16 1

KO KO KO KO

Ricochet: Once per turn, if Bouncing Boy KOs an opposing character or hits an opposing character with a critical hit, after the attack resolves he can break away automatically, immediately move up to his full speed value, and make one close combat attack against a different opposing character as a free action.

E Chameleon Points: 44 Range: 0
Team: Legion of Superheroes
Keywords: Detective, Future, Legion of Super Heroes

9 7 15 1

8 7 14 1

8 6 14 1

7 6 13 1

7 5 13 1

KO KO KO KO

As with many Legion of Super-Hero forces, this team can be assembled for a rather modest secondary market price of under $10, if purchasing the figures individually. As always I recommend LSH fans to purchase the old Legion of Super Heroes starter set, as figures from that set will feature prominently in many LSH lineups.

I have that issue! Tweaked, but complete!

It's like Skrull infiltration.

Legionnaires never used to interest me at all, but the more I read about them, the more I get interested. There are so many of them, yet so much variety with a futuristic theme. Keep it up!

ME-L will definitely appreciate toughness from brainy and +2 av from Saturn girl

Edie I mention a penetrating 3 dmg courtesy of brainy as well?

Definitely digging the fact that someone's writing up Legion articles. Rep to you, sir!

Adding a Jarvis bystander does not sound very comic accurate to me...

Think of the BST as "Mission Monitor Deployment". This story also featured the Science Police (this might actually be their first named appearance, as the "Science Police Commission") and a nurse, so if you are really craving a team ability, feel free to add Science Police for a 'future' theme team.

Has anyone ever considered the ramifications of the "super-power" of being able to eat any matter?

For one thing, he'd have to have indestructible teeth; and, by extension, skeleton, as the teeth are part of the skeletal structure. Not to mention super-strong jaw muscles.

Nice write up (rep) I love seeing LoSH teams and the starter set was the very first thing I bought in clix, so it will always be a favorite with me.

ME Lad, Lockjaw and Double time = take away your opponents special objects!