C is for Chlorophyll Kid
Yeah, I know...he sort of looks like a loser and, from his costume, you can probably tell what his power is.....
You guessed it....
...he can make plants grow.
Really fast.
'What sort of superhero is he?', you might ask. Well...he's a substitute hero.
In the far flung 30th century, D.C. Comics had a group of futuristic teens called the Legion of Super Heroes. Young men and women from different planets and each with a peculiar power which was, usually, an ability native to their home world.
There was Cosmic Boy, who could control magnetic forces. Saturn Girl, who could read minds. Lightning Lad, who could generate lightning, Phantom Girl, who could sidestep dimensions and walk through walls...etc., etc. Each hero's name went along the lines of "kid", "lass", "lad"....even Superboy (travelling from the past and who had inspired the group to form in the first place) was a member.
In order to become a member of the Legion and get access to their cool clubhouse as well as a Flight Ring (which let you fly...duh!), you have to try out.
What happens when you fail your Legion tryout?
Why, you form your own group...the Legion of Substitute Heroes!
While most Legion applicants had natural powers, Ral Benum of the planet Mardru got his by falling into a vat of 'hydroponic serum'. He survived and gained the power to stimulate plant growth. Don't you just love those old 60s origin tales? :)
After one particular Legion tryout, a group of rejects consisting of Polar Boy (made things cold), Fire Lad (projected flames), Night Girl (super strength/invulnerability, but only at night), and Stone Boy (could turn to stone, but couldn't move after) got together with Chlorophyll Kid to form their own group.
The Legion of Substitute Heroes!
Their goal.....support the Legion where they could and help their fellow sentient beings.
Chlorophyll Kid didn't have an outstanding run....in any book...but was a fun character who had a lot of potential, I always thought. I also loved the idea of a misfit group that would pinch-hit for the main hero group in times of trouble.
The Kid and his pals were fun heroes for a more fun time in comic book history.
Tune in tomorrow for "D" and a bit of....magic.
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Also, since it's the first Wednesday of the month (man, time sure flies by) it's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group post.
The brainchild of uber-author and blogger, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the IWSG is a time for self reflection and to discuss what, as writers, makes us feel insecure.
This month, I'm happy to say, I don't have a lot to be insecure about. While I haven't been doing much writing, I have been keeping my blogging "schedule" that I set up back in January. In my case, structure, repetition, and routine are paramount for my writing.
Just sitting down to write...regardless of what I'm writing...is a great big step forward for me, and it's something I've been doing pretty diligently.
While I want to keep up with my blogging, I'm going to have to transition my routine over to writing my stories and not just blog posts.
Slowly, but surely, I think I'll get there.
Thanks, again, to the Ninja Captain for that great shout out yesterday and all the kind words from you guys in the comments. With blogging buddies like that, it's hard to be insecure about anything. :)
