The Legion of Super-Heroes: A Beginner’s Guide to a Very Complicated Future

In a galaxy far, far away… wait, I cannot use that. But if you are interested in space opera and generational sci-fi world-building, then Legion of Super-Heroes is the book for you. It is a monumental story (or stories), with a sprawling and ever-changing cast of teen characters that will keep you interested and entertained for years.

You have the perfect place to start: Joshua Williamson and Hayden Sherman just launched a new Legion of Super-Heroes #1 in September 2026. You don’t need to read 68 years of comics to enjoy it, so dive straight in. Just grab your flight ring! Here’s everything you need to know about Legion of Super-Heroes comics.

What Is the Legion of Super-Heroes?

Let us start with the basics: what is DC’s Legion of Super-Heroes? In the 30th or 31st century, a group of teenagers from different planets band together to protect a galaxy-wide federation called the United Planets. Their main inspiration came from stories they heard about Superman – or Superboy, as he was known – one thousand years earlier.

The main idea of the team is their hopeful nature. Superman is their example, and his ideals outlive him by a thousand years, living on in these kids and spreading throughout the galaxy. However, these are teens, after all, and that’s where the soap opera elements thrive and make the Legion of Super-Heroes so memorable. There are romances, rivalries, rejections, and even death that shape the team!

The team began with an assassination attempt, as the three founders (Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Lightning Lad) saved R. J. Brande from murder. He, in turn, bankrolled their operation, and the rest is history. This storyline is mirrored in the 2026 book, offering an interesting new interpretation.

The First Legion of Super-Heroes Comic

This wasn’t the Legion of Super-Heroes’ first comic, though! Their first appearance was a quieter affair in Adventure Comics #247 (April 1958), written by Otto Binder and drawn by Al Plastino. In this issue, our three protagonists travel back to Smallville to recruit Superboy into their club.

At first, they reject his application as a hazing prank, but then welcome him in. This immediately established the group’s character and endeared the team to the readers. And what was just a one-off backup story suddenly had people asking for more!

This was because the team was something unseen until then – a group of superhero teens without adult supervision! It was a dream come true for many readers, and they couldn’t get enough.

The Original Legion

And thus, the legend was born, and the original Legion of Super-Heroes came into existence. Their appearances were peppered across the Superman titles of the time (Adventure, Superboy, Action Comics, Jimmy Olsen) from 1959 to 1962. They would add a new member to the team almost every time, so the roster kept growing.

This came to a halt in Adventure Comics #300 (1962), when Superman’s co-creator Jerry Siegel made them the lead feature, with John Forte on art. In 1966, a 14-year-old Jim Shooter picked up the team and created the Fatal Five and Karate Kid (no, not that one). This was a teen writing teen heroes, and this move would launch Shooter’s career in comics.

Reboots, Relaunches, and Changing Continuity

And then the world hit 1985 and Crisis on Infinite Earths, and nothing remained the same. One of the most notorious things about the Legion of Super-Heroes comic series is the number of reboots and relaunches that followed.

The Crisis changed the origins of many heroes, and Superman was at the forefront. The new origin removed Superboy, which, in turn, broke the team’s origin. So, what happened to the Legion of Super-Heroes?

Well, truth be told: DC has been trying to fix it ever since. We have had three different versions of the Legion of Super-Heroes, along with many relaunches:

• Original continuity (1958-1994): classic team, includes stories like The Great Darkness Saga and Five Years Later.

• Zero Hour reboot, or the “Reboot Legion” (1994-2004): fresh start for the team, with stories like Legion Lost.

• “Threeboot” by Mark Waid (2004-2009): third incarnation sees teen rebels fight an adult-run future.

• Original team is restored (2007-2013): Geoff Johns does his magic and brings back the OG Legion of Super-Heroes.

• Bendis revival (2019-2021): modern redesign. This time, Superboy is Jon Kent.

• Williamson and Sherman (2026-): starting from scratch in the current DC continuity.

I admit: it is a lot. But the important thing is that you do not need to track all this! A great thing about Legion of Super-Heroes runs is that every generation gets its own Legion, and the 2026 version is ours!

Legion of Super-Heroes 2026: The New DC Comics Series

So, where do all these crises and time shenanigans leave the new book? In the best possible spot!

Legion of Super-Heroes #1 and the 2026 Relaunch

The new book is a fresh jumping-on point, so it will be a comfortable yet compelling story for new readers. Joshua Williamson is one of DC’s current architects, as well as a Superman writer, so he was the natural pick for the run. However, he pulls from across continuity to give us an interesting twist, so both new and old fans can enjoy Legion of Super-Heroes comics in 2026.

The premise is the same: one thousand years after Kal-El’s rocket hits the Kent farm, new teen heroes will need to band together. But this is where Williamson pulls the rug out from under longtime readers to surprise us and keep things fresh and interesting for everyone!

The Legion of Super-Heroes in 2026 isn’t fighting to protect a utopia. Instead, they find themselves in a dark future where superheroes are outlawed, and enforcers called the Persuaders police the United Planets. R. J. Brande, whom they originally protected from murder, faces a grim fate here. It’s up to “Brainiac 1 of 5” and Matter-Eater Lad to investigate his death and possibly gather young rebels together…

Williamson also infuses the story with smaller references to older comics. The Persuader was an axe-wielding villain of the Fatal Five. Waid’s Threeboot saw the team as rebels building a utopia, which seems to be something we’re doing again.

To top it all off, Hayden Sherman’s art has never been as spectacular as here. Best known for their work in Absolute Wonder Woman, here Sherman pushes the craft even further, giving us even bolder layouts, which Tamra Bonvillain’s colors elevate even further. This is the perfect time to jump onto the Legion train!

DC Next Level Legion of Super-Heroes

If you are scared of yet another new Legion of Super-Heroes comic book not mattering, Williamson confirmed that this book is set in the current DC continuity. Therefore, this is the Legion book you can read without homework.

This really applies to all DC Comics Next Level books – not just Legion of Super-Heroes. Teen Titans and The Doom Patrol also started recently, and both are a blast as well as fresh starts for new readers.

Who Are the Legion of Super-Heroes Members?

Now that we know the basics of what the Legion is, let’s talk about who you will meet on the team. There have been over 30 members throughout the years, but there are only a handful you will need to know for the new book.

Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Lightning Lad

The original members of the Legion of Super-Heroes are Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Lightning Lad:

• Cosmic Boy’s real name is Rokk Krinn. His home world is Braal, and he is the steady leader of the team, with the powers of magnetism.

• Imra Ardeen is Saturn Girl, and she’s from Titan. She’s a telepath and often a leader of the team, but she is also the team’s heart and conscience.

• Lightning Lad (originally Lightning Boy, but quickly changed) is Garth Ranzz from Winath. As the name implies, he has the powers of lightning. As the powers imply, he is a hot-headed and impulsive foil to the other founders.

Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad have one of the great romances among Legion of Super-Heroes members. They eventually married in the original continuity, so people are excited to see Lightning Lad be the focus of issue #2 of the new series, scheduled for October 14, 2026.

Brainiac 5, Mon-El, and Other Major Legionnaires

Legion of Super-Heroes has had many characters join the initial trio, but you don’t need to know them all. These are some of the important members:

• Brainiac 5 (Querl Dox) is a green-skinned genius from Colu and a descendant of Superman’s villain Brainiac. Contrary to his ancestor, he strives to be better, but still carries a shadow of arrogance and awkwardness. He is probably the most popular Legionnaire, and in the new reboot he is Brainiac 1 of 5, taking the central role of a detective.

• Mon-El (Lar Gand) is a Daxamite, meaning he has Superman-level abilities and a vulnerability to lead. In the original run, Mon-El befriends young Clark (thus becoming his brother and gaining his name), but due to lead poisoning he is placed in the Phantom Zone for 1,000 years until he is cured by Brainiac 5 and joins the Legion.

• Matter-Eater Lad (Tenzil Kem) can eat anything. That’s it. He’s great, and since he was the co-lead of the Williamson/Sherman #1, the readers will get to fall in love with him all over again.

Some other quick mentions include Phantom Girl (walks through walls), Chameleon Boy (you guessed it – a shapeshifter), Ultra Boy (has Superman powers… one at a time), Shrinking Violet (shrinks), and Dream Girl (sees the future).

Major Legion of Super-Heroes Villains

Over time, the Legion has gathered a plethora of its own villains and also crossed paths with some regular DC villains. These include:

• The Fatal Five: The Legion’s signature villain team, consisting of Tharok, the Emerald Empress, Validus, Mano, and the Persuader. In the new continuity, the police enforcers are collectively known as “the Persuaders,” so it will be interesting how Williamson will twist this one.

• Legion of Super-Villains: the evil counterpart of our Legion. Members consist of names like Lightning Lord (Lad’s brother) and Cosmic King.

• Time Trapper: a time-manipulating enemy whose identity was never definitively revealed.

• Darkseid: the big bad of the Great Darkness Saga… and the DC Universe.

Other interesting villains worth mentioning are Mordru the sorcerer and Brainiac. Brainiac One-Million was also reintroduced in the 2026 Superman Annual with plans to target the Legion (this issue also served as a prequel of the 2026 Legion of Super-Heroes comic series).

Superman, Superboy, and the Legion of Super-Heroes

From the very start, the Legion of Super-Heroes became a part of the Superman family. They exist because of what Superman inspired.

Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes

Superman is at his best when he’s the symbol of hope. He is an inspiration to many heroes, and the Legion shows that this influence spans into the next millennium. In most versions, he is also an honorary member, and both the Legion and Superman bring out the best in each other.

A great storyline to pick up is Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes, an arc in Action Comics #858–863, written by Geoff Johns with art by Gary Frank. The story sees adult Clark return to a future where Earth is besmirching his legacy by turning against aliens.

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes

The Legion of Super-Heroes began with Superboy. Teen Clark went into the future with a time bubble, and his connection went so far that the Superboy comic book was retitled Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes in the ‘70s, before finally dropping Superboy from the name in the ‘80s. David Cockrum (of the X-Men) was the one to blame for the team’s “new,” sleek costumes. However, after Crisis in ’85, Superboy never was… and this caused issues with the Legion too.

Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes

Supergirl joined the Legion of Super-Heroes in Action Comics #276 (1961), the same issue where Brainiac 5 was introduced. From that moment, he’s been smitten by her. Similar to Superboy, Waid’s “Threeboot” title was renamed Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes for a stretch of it. The animated film Legion of Super-Heroes also features Supergirl, and can serve as an animated introduction to the team too.

Best Legion of Super-Heroes Comics and Storylines

Now that you know the characters and the reboots, we can talk about the best Legion of Super-Heroes comics. As you can imagine, reading everything will just leave you perplexed. So here are three stories you can pick up and enjoy.

The Great Darkness Saga

Written by Paul Levitz with art by Keith Giffen, the story starts with a short prologue in Legion of Super-Heroes #287 (1982) and takes place in issues #290–294, with the epilogue in Annual #3. In the story, a mysterious “Master of Darkness” attacks the United Planets, and you can guess who it is from this very article (or the covers). It’s Darkseid. Of course it’s Darkseid. He does this by creating an army of supermen by giving Daxamites powers.

The story is a superhero epic that pushes the Legion of Super-Heroes to their limit, along with a good villain reveal that’s sadly spoiled by the covers of the book. Levitz tackles the team mechanics well, giving everyone a moment, while Giffen’s art becomes denser and darker across the whole of their run. This is one of the best Legion of Super-Heroes comics, and there’s a reason for that.

Five Years Later

Another Keith Giffen classic, this was a whole era of the Legion of Super-Heroes known by the name Five Years Later. The writing credits are shared with Tom and Mary Bierbaum, and Al Gordon, while the art is handled by Giffen, Jason Pearson, and Stuart Immonen.

The story – as the title suggests – jumps five years ahead with the United Planets collapsing and the Legion disbanded. The former members are now adults, and the story is significantly darker, just like the galaxy that surrounds them. Giffen gives us a tight nine-panel grid, making it feel like one of the best sci-fi novels. However, this story is often seen as demanding: it’s not a starting point, but a reward for being familiar with the characters.

Legion of Three Worlds

This story is a culmination of years and years of Legion of Super-Heroes stories, and many consider it the real Crisis within the Final Crisis event. Written by Geoff Johns with George Pérez on art, it gives the readers all three versions of the Legion (original, Reboot, and Threeboot), converging to fight Superboy-Prime and the Legion of Super-Villains.

You have everything a Crisis needs: epic fights, red skies, and hundreds of Legionnaires on a single page, expertly drawn by Pérez. It is a pure fan-service celebration, though it might be a bit too dense for a newcomer. However, it does give a neat explanation for why all these Legions exist.

Legion of Super-Heroes Reading Order: Where to Start

As you can imagine, giving a comprehensive Legion of Super-Heroes reading order can be very tricky. I would suggest you start with the new book, and then decide where to start Legion of Super-Heroes based on your taste.

Best Legion of Super-Heroes Comic Runs for New Readers

1. Start with Williamson and Sherman (2026-). No homework needed here!

2. Epic space opera: Levitz and Giffen (1980s). Begin with The Great Darkness Saga and enjoy the soap opera with Giffen’s art getting increasingly grim as the run keeps going.

3. Teen rebellion: Mark Waid and Barry Kitson: Threeboot (2004). This is the closest in spirit to the 2026 Legion of Super-Heroes: kids rebelling against an adult-run future. Kitson delivers art that’s both clean and energetic, with fresh character designs.

4. Modern Superman tie-in: Brian Michael Bendis and Ryan Sook (2019). Pick up Millennium, then move on to the Legion of Super-Heroes #1 (2019). This was another divisive story, but everyone can agree that Sook’s redesigns are absolutely gorgeous.

   Read the mentioned books

   The 2019 Legion starting point

   Swipe sideways to browse the books.

   Paperback Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium Vol. 1 TP The lead-in to Bendis and Sook’s 2019 Legion. View book

5. ‘90s reboot: Abnett and Lanning’s Legion Lost (2000) is your starter, with Olivier Coipel’s dynamic early art. This is a survival story about being lost in space.
   

Legion of Super-Heroes Omnibus and Collected Editions

• Wait for Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 1  by Williamson and Sherman. It will collect the first six issues and be released in June 2027.

• The Great Darkness Saga is collected in a 2024 trade paperback and a 2025 deluxe hardcover.

• Five Years Later era is collected in two omnis.

• Absolute Superman by Geoff Johns & Gary Frank collects the Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes story.

• Superman Final Crisis Legion Of Three Worlds collects the story from the Final Crisis.

• Legion Of Super-Heroes by Mark Waid And Barry Kitson omnibus is coming out in December 2026.

• If you would like the more classic stories, there are the Silver Age omnis as well as one DC Finest (so far), which is the more affordable option for sampling these stories.
  

For nearly 70 years, these kids have been following Superman’s example and deciding the future is theirs to build. In 2026, we are getting the purest version of that yet, with Williamson and Sherman starting from scratch. And while the future seems grim in the world of the Legion, they will always shine a light and inspire hope and resilience.