| "Legends" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Cover ofLegends #1 (November 1986), art byJohn Byrne. | |||
| Publisher | DC Comics | ||
| Publication date | November 1986 – May 1987 | ||
| Genre | |||
| |||
| Main character(s) | Justice League Captain Marvel Teen Titans Suicide Squad Darkseid | ||
| Creative team | |||
| Writer(s) | John Ostrander Len Wein | ||
| Penciller | John Byrne | ||
| Inker | Karl Kesel | ||
| Colorist | Tom Ziuko | ||
| The Collection | ISBN 1-56389-095-X | ||
"Legends" is acomic bookcrossover story line that ran through a six-issue, self-titledlimited series and various other titles published byDC Comics in 1986 and 1987. Each of the individual crossover/tie-in issues had aLegends Chapter# header added to theirtrade dress.
The series was plotted byJohn Ostrander, scripted byLen Wein, pencilled byJohn Byrne, and inked byKarl Kesel.
The six issues of theLegends series could be read as an abbreviated story by themselves, or all 22 chapters could be read as a longer story that included theLegends issues as well as issues from other titles includingBatman,Superman, andSecret Origins. It was also the first majorDC Universe crossover after the events ofCrisis on Infinite Earths.[1]
Legends served mainly as a launching pad for several new comic series, including the latter-dayFlash title,Keith Giffen andJ. M. DeMatteis' comedy/action take on theJustice League, and the villain-based black opsSuicide Squad.[1] The series also saw the post-Crisis introduction into the DC Universe ofCaptain Marvel (who was spun off in the miniseriesShazam!: The New Beginning) as well asWonder Woman, who had been rebooted by DC Comics at the same timeLegends was being published.
Darkseid makes a wager with the mysteriousPhantom Stranger that he can turn humanity against its heroes. To win the bet, Darkseid sends his minionGlorious Godfrey to Earth,[2] where Godfrey uses the sound of his voice to control people's minds and turn them against Earth's heroes. To further his scheme, Darkseid sends a fire elemental calledBrimstone to Earth to defeat the Detroit-basedJustice League along withFirestorm and a time-travelingCosmic Boy.[3][4] Darkseid also arranges for the cyborg villain Macro-Man to be killed by the mystic lightning that Captain Marvel uses to change into Billy Batson,[5] and Captain Marvel is blamed by the media for Macro-Man's death.Batman suffers his own loss whenRobin (Jason Todd) is trampled by a mob.[6] Fearing widespread panic,Ronald Reagan (commander-in-chief at the time of publication) declaresmartial law and bans all superheroic activities in America.[7] This angers several members of Reagan'sdepartment of defense, who - at the behest ofAmanda Waller - activate "Task Force X", a.k.a. theSuicide Squad.[8] Recruiting a team of expendable imprisoned supervillains, Waller has the Suicide Squad destroy Brimstone.[9]
Doctor Fate is forced to intervene when Godfrey invades Washington, DC.[10] Fate organizesSuperman,Batman,Wonder Woman,Captain Marvel,Guy Gardner,Black Canary,Changeling,The Flash, and theBlue Beetle to oppose Godfrey. They are joined byMartian Manhunter, who responds to a JLA distress call from the President. They manage to defeat Godfrey's forces, including Darkseid's cyborg Hounds of War. The masses are subsequently freed from Godfrey's power when Robin gathers an army of children untouched by his powers to serve as a human shield between the heroes and Godfrey. Godfrey strikes one of the children, and the shock frees the mob from his power. Godfrey is defeated when he steals Fate's helmet and puts it on, rendering him mindless. In the aftermath, Martian Manhunter, Batman, Blue Beetle, Guy Gardner, Black Canary, Captain Marvel and Fate form a newJustice League. Superman and the Flash decline membership, stating that they will assist if needed, Wonder Woman quietly exits and Changeling opts to remain with theTeen Titans.
The official reading order was announced as follows by DC Comics:
Atrade paperbackLegends: The Collection (ISBN 1-56389-095-X) was published in 1993 collecting the entire 6-issue limited series.
DC Comics publishedLegends 30th Anniversary Edition (ISBN 978-1401263164) in June 2016. It includesLegends #1-6. The crossover/tie-in issues are not included. This edition was made available for purchase in both print and digital formats.
All 6 issues are included in theSuicide Squad: Trial by FireDC Finest edition (ISBN 978-1799500759).
The threeSuperman issues have been collected in Volume 2 of theSuperman: The Man of Steel trade paperback series and Volume 1 of "Superman: The Man of Steel" hardcover collection.
TheBatman issue was collected neither in theBatman: Second Chances trade paperback nor in Volume 1 of theBatman: The Caped Crusader trade paperback series, but has been collected in DC Finest - Batman: Years One and Two.
TheDetective Comics issue has been collected in Volume 2 of theGreatest Batman Stories Ever Told (focusing on Catwoman and the Penguin) and Volume 1 of theBatman: The Dark Knight Detective trade paperback series and in the Batman: Years One and Two Volume of the DC Finest series.
TheGreen Lantern Corps issue has been collected in Volume 1 ofGreen Lantern Corps: Beware Their Power hardcover.
DC's next big crossover showcased John Byrne's pencils on all six of the miniseries' issues. EntitledLegends, this new limited series was plotted by writer John Ostrander and scripted by Len Wein...By the series' end, the stage was set for several new ongoing titles, including...theSuicide Squad, as well as theJustice League.