Young Justice Theory: What The Legion Of Superheroes Is Trying To Prevent

Warning: The following contains spoilers for Young Justice: Phantoms episode 3, “Volatile.”

It has become clear that the main story of Young Justice: Phantoms will come to center around the Legion of Superheroes from the 31st century trying to avert some future threat. What is unclear, however, is just what disaster they are trying to prevent. A number of theories suggest themselves, given the history of the teenage time-travelers in the comics and the current crisis on Mars in Young Justice: Phantoms.

The action of Young Justice: Phantoms has been surprisingly sedate, with the story so far largely focusing upon the upcoming marriage of Superboy and Miss Martian and the young couple traveling to Mars to hold a Martian religious wedding ceremony before returning to Earth and their friends for a civil service wedding. However, as the young lovers prepared for the ceremony, it was revealed that they were being watched by a trio of young heroes from the Legion of Superheroes, who had traveled back in time to prevent “one big thing” that would lead to trouble in their own time.

Given how deeply Young Justice draws from the long history of DC Comics, there are a number of possible crises the heroes from the future could be trying to avert. Indeed, many of the most famous stories featuring the Legion of Superheroes and its DC Comics members involve time travel to the past intended to avert some great disaster in their time. This further focuses the scope of just what specific calamity the young heroes from the future are trying to prevent.

Who Are The Legion of Superheroes?

First appearing in Adventure Comics #247, the Legion of Superheroes was a team from 1000 years in the future of DC Comics. Made up of teenagers inspired by the legends of the superheroes of the past, the Legion brought together representatives from every world in the United Planets. The history of the Legion of Superheroes in the comics may be the most complex continuity in all of DC Comics, with there being six different incarnations of the team since 1958.

Despite this, the Legion of Superheroes, as referenced in The Flash, are probably best known to the general public through their cameo appearances in various animated series and live-action television adaptations of DC Comics. Young Justice has featured three members of the Legion of Superheroes so far, the shape-shifting Chameleon Boy, the intangible Phantom Girl, and the telepathic Saturn Girl. While they have yet to evoke the name of the Legion of Superheroes in Young Justice: Phantoms, the trio are easily identified by their use of Legion Flight Rings, which bare the L-symbol of the Legion from the comics.

What Is The Great Darkness Saga?

Originally published as Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 2, #290–294 in 1982, The Great Darkness Saga is widely considered to be the greatest Legion of Superheroes story ever told. Written by Paul Levitz with art by Keith Giffen and Larry Mahlstedt, the saga pitted the Legion of Superheroes against a mysterious new enemy known only as the Master, who was said to control a power called the Great Darkness and employed powerful servants made of living shadow to gather mystic artifacts and drain their power. In the end, the Master was revealed to be Darkseid of Apokolips, building his power for an attempted takeover of the United Planets.

The Great Darkness Saga is so deeply beloved it has remained one of the few key stories to be kept in continuity through every reboot of the Legion of Superheroes storyline. It is also notable as the first story to confirm that Darkseid and the New Gods would continue to survive into the future of DC Comics. Given that, and the key role Darkseid, born as Uxas, and Apokolips play in the world of Young Justice, it would not be surprising if the series were adapting The Great Darkness Saga for Young Justice: Phantoms.

What Is The Final Night?

Released as a four-part miniseries in 1996, The Final Night pit the heroes of Earth’s present and future against a menacing creature called a Sun Eater, which was essentially a sentient black hole that devoured whole stars. The threat of the Sun Eater proved a different sort of challenge for Earth’s superheroes, as they had to focus on finding ways to keep the slowly dying Earth alive while trying to find a way to destroy the Sun Eater that wouldn’t also kill Earth’s sun. One party of Legion of Superheroes members, who were temporarily trapped in the 20th century, were among the heroes who helped to save the Earth. It’s possible Young Justice season 4, a.k.a. Phantoms could be setting up a similar challenge.

Could The Legion Be Averting The Martian Holocaust?

The reality of Young Justice is unique among DC Comics’ multiverse for featuring a robust Martian culture. In most of the variant realities making up DC Comics’ multiverse, the Green Martians are largely extinct, with J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter, usually being the sole survivor of the Green Martian race. The cause of the Green Martian extinction also varies from reality to reality, with a race war with the White Martians being the most common cause. Another is a plague released by Martian Manhunter’s brother, Ma’alefa’ak, who was born without the telepathic abilities most Martians enjoy.

Young Justice: Phantoms changed this up somewhat, with Ma’alefa’ak now Miss Martian’s brother, who is a White Martian terrorist out to destroy the Martian government because of the discrimination he experienced. The series seems to be setting up something similar, with the New Gods scientist and Justice League villain Desaad giving Ma’alefa’ak a viral weapon that would kill all the Green and Red Martians while leaving the White Martians alive. Given that another major subplot of Young Justice: Phantoms involves someone attempting to destroy friendly relations between Mars and Earth, it’s possible that the New Gods of Apokolips are indirectly thwarting an alliance that will lead to the development of the United Planets in the 31st Century. This is something the Legion of Superheroes would have a vested interest in preventing, even ignoring their mandate to save lives.

About The Author

Matt Morrison
(1835 Articles Published)

Matt Morrison has been writing about comics since before the word
“blogging” was coined. He got his start writing for the
legendary DC Comics digital fanzine Fanzing,
before receiving his own column, The Mount. Since then he has gone on
to write for over a dozen websites, including 411
Mania, Comics
Nexus and The Cult of Nobody. He holds both an MS in Information
Science from the University of North Texas and a BFA from the
University of Texas at Arlington. Known as a font of comic book
history trivia, he has delivered lectures on the history of American
Comic Books, Japanese Manga, Doctor Who, and Cosplay at over a dozen conventions
and served as an Expert In-Residence for a course on Graphic Novels
for Librarians at the University of North Texas. In addition to his
work for Screen Rant, Matt is currently the Editor In Chief of
Kabooooom.com and writes reviews for No
Flying, No Tights – a graphic literature and anime review site
aimed at teachers and librarians. He also maintains a personal blog –
My Geeky Geeky Ways –
which hosts his extensive episode guide for the television series
making up The Arrowverse as well as his
comedic Let’s Play videos. What little spare time he has is
devoted towards acting, role-playing, movie-riffing and sarcasm. You
can follow his adventures on Twitter, @GeekyGeekyWays.

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