The Lethal Legion is the name of seven teams of

fictional characters In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life perso ...

appearing in American comic books published by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in 19 ...

Publication history

The first version of the Lethal Legion appeared in ''

The Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes ** Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes o ...

'' #78 (Jul. 1970). The second version of the Lethal Legion appeared in ''Avengers'' #164 (Oct. 1977) The third version in ''

West Coast Avengers The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in ''The West Coast Avengers'' #1 (Sept. 1984), created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall (comics), Bob Ha ...

'' vol. 2, #1 (Oct. 1985). The fourth version appeared in ''Marvel Age Annual'' #1 (1985). The fifth version of the Lethal Legion appeared in ''Avengers West Coast'' #98 (Sep. 1993) The sixth version of the Lethal Legion appeared in the limited series ''Dark Reign: Lethal Legion'' #1 (Aug. 2009).

History

Grim Reaper's Lethal Legion

The original Lethal Legion are formed by the villain Grim Reaper (the brother of Avenger

Wonder Man Wonder Man (Simon Williams) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in ''The Avengers'' #9 (October 1964). The cha ...

) and consisted of

Man-Ape Man-Ape (M'Baku) is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as a frequent enemy of Black Panther. Man-Ape has made scattered appearances on animated television series and ...

Power Man Power Man may refer to: * Luke Cage, a Marvel Comics superhero, originally called Power Man * Erik Josten, a Marvel supervillain later known as Smuggler, Goliath and Atlas * Victor Alvarez, the current Power Man introduced in the mini-series ''Shad ...

, Living Laser, and Swordsman. Man-Ape attacks Captain America, but is beaten back by the Avengers. However, he captures the

Black Panther A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been ...

's girlfriend Monica binding her hand and foot with metal clamps. Black Panther is lured into a trap by Man-Ape, and despite getting past him he is knocked out by an exploding dummy of Monica. Black Panther is chained and with Man-Ape, he meets the other members of the Lethal Legion. Grim Reaper dispatched the Lethal Legion members to different locations to meet the Avengers. Power Man and Swordsman were sent to the water main below Avengers Mansion, Living Laser and Man-Ape were sent to the nearby power station, and Grim Reaper seemingly departed to

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

. Black Panther broke free and contacted the Avengers to warn them about the Lethal Legion's plot. Grim Reaper returns and uses the knockout gas in his scythe to knock out Black Panther while revealing that he planned to have the Avengers lured to the locations of which Black Panther knew about. While the other members of the Lethal Legion defeat the different Avengers, Vision defeats Power Man (who had been sent to capture him at Avengers Mansion). He disguises himself as Power Man and Power Man as him and takes him to the base. The Lethal Legion places the Avengers in an hourglass container and then fills it with deadly gas. When "Power Man" arrived with "Vision," Grim Reaper detected the brain patterns of Wonder Man and shattered the hourglass to save Vision's life only to realize that the vision in the hourglass was actually Power Man. At that point, Vision aided the Avengers into defeating the Lethal Legion who are handed over to the authorities.

Count Nefaria's Lethal Legion

A second version, formed by European villain Count Nefaria reappears in the title, composed of Living Laser, Whirlwind and

. He magnifies their powers, but is revealed to be a manipulative ploy to steal their magnified powers in a failed bid to destroy the Avengers. The depowered villains are sent to prison.

Grim Reaper's second Lethal Legion

The Grim Reaper returns in the title ''

'', leading a third version against the superhero team consisting of Black Talon (Barone),

Goliath Goliath ( ) ''Goləyāṯ''; ar, جُليات ''Ǧulyāt'' (Christian term) or (Quranic term). is a character in the Book of Samuel, described as a Philistine giant defeated by the young David in single combat. The story signified King Saul's ...

, Nekra, and Ultron-12. Grim Reaper has Ultron lead a squadron of robots to spring Goliath from a compound that he is imprisoned in. When Goliath is freed by Man-Ape, the three villains work together to take out the Avengers as Ultron-12 states that he has his own plans for Wonder Man. The three villains escape with an unconscious Henry Pym and Wonder Man. Hawkeye figures out that Grim Reaper is behind this. The three villains meet up with Grim Reaper. Internal squabbling and personal agendas overtake the villains and they are defeated and scattered.

Porcupine's Lethal Legion

A fourth version appears in the title '' Marvel Age''. They were led by the

Porcupine Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two families of animals: the Old World porcupines of family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines of family, Erethiz ...

and consisted of

Attuma Attuma is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is an Atlantean nomadic warlord who is usually depicted as an enemy of Namor the Sub-Mariner, and is the father of the superhero Andromeda. He believes h ...

, Batroc the Leaper,

Bulldozer A bulldozer or dozer (also called a crawler) is a large, motorized machine equipped with a metal blade to the front for pushing material: soil, sand, snow, rubble, or rock during construction work. It travels most commonly on continuous trac ...

, Black Tiger, Kurr'fri of the Saurians,

Gorilla-Man Gorilla-Man is an alias used by three different fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, beginning in 1954 with the character of Kenneth Hale, and continuing with Arthur Nagan, who also appeared in 1954 an ...

(Nagan), Piledriver, Sabretooth, Thundra, Trapster,

Unicorn The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since Classical antiquity, antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn (anatomy), horn projecting from its forehead. In European literature and art, the unicor ...

, Whirlwind, and Wrecker. The Lethal Legion tracked down and battle

Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1 ( cover dated March 1941) from T ...

who is aided by several other Marvel heroes. Their battle with the superheroes was witnessed by the Beyonder. The outcome of the battle was not shown, but it is assumed that the heroes won.

Satannish's Lethal Legion

In the title ''Avengers West Coast'' the demon Satannish creates another version using the souls of four infamous historical killers that were found in

Mephisto Mephisto or Mephistopheles is one of the chief demons of German literary tradition. Mephisto or Mephistopheles may also refer to: Film and television * '' Méphisto'', a 1931 French film * ''Mephisto'' (1981 film), a German-Hungarian film based ...

's section of Hell. They have been given powers along with Hangman and the group battle the renamed ''Avengers West Coast''. The group consisted of Axe of Violence (a demonically-enhanced version of Lizzie Borden with an axe replacing one hand), Coldsteel (a demonically-enhanced version of Soviet leader

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...

, now an 8 ft. giant with superhuman strength), Cyana (a demonically-enhanced version of

Lucrezia Borgia Lucrezia Borgia (; ca-valencia, Lucrècia Borja, links=no ; 18 April 1480 – 24 June 1519) was a Spanish-Italian noblewoman of the House of Borgia who was the daughter of Pope Alexander VI and Vannozza dei Cattanei. She reigned as the Gover ...

with poisoned claws), and Zyklon (a demonically-enhanced version of Nazi official

Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...

who can belch deadly gas fumes from his mouth). This incarnation eventually lost their powers and their souls were destroyed during the struggle between Mephisto and Satannish.

Grim Reaper's third Lethal Legion

A new version of the Lethal Legion appears during the " Dark Reign" storyline in the three-issue

limited series Limited series may refer to: *Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series *Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered * Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number ...

''Dark Reign: Lethal Legion''. The Grim Reaper (now aided by his brother Wonder Man) recruits villains to oppose criminal mastermind

Norman Osborn Norman Osborn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #14 (July 1964) as the firs ...

. Absorbing Man, Grey Gargoyle, Mister Hyde, and Tiger Shark later reformed the Lethal Legion and end up fighting the Avengers.

Challenger's Lethal Legion

An alien version of the Lethal Legion was formed by Grandmaster to go up against Challenger's Black Order in a contest where Earth is the battlefield and they had to collect the Pyramoids. While the Blood Brothers, Mentacle, and

Metal Master Chad Collyer (born December 12, 1974) is an American professional wrestler. Professional wrestling career Collyer attended Manchester College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He was an accomplished amateur wrestler, winning multip ...

II faced off against Black Dwarf, Black Swan, and Supergiant's psychic projection in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, Captain Glory, Drall, and Ferene the Other faced off against Corvus Glaive,

Ebony Maw Ebony Maw is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a prominent member of the Black Order, a team of aliens who work for Thanos. The character has made several appearances in media, such as a ...

, and Proxima Midnight in

Cusco Cusco, often spelled Cuzco (; qu, Qusqu ()), is a city in Southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and of the Cusco Province. The city is the seventh most populous in Peru ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

. Both of these confrontations were interrupted by the Avengers. Each of its members were revealed to have been saved from their approaching deaths in exchange that they partake in his contest against Challenger. When Challenger reveals his secret player in the form of a resurrected Hulk, most of the Lethal Legion are defeated with Hulk breaking Captain Glory's spine and presumably killing Mentacle. After the contest is ended by the Avengers, the Lethal Legion regrouped and fled to Knowhere. As they have nowhere to return to after each one's near-death experience, the Lethal Legion decides to stay together and see what they can accomplish.

Count Nefaria's second Lethal Legion

Count Nefaria forms another version of the Lethal Legion which now consists of Grey Gargoyle, Living Laser, and Whirlwind. The group raids a Project Pegasus facility to look for the Catalyst so that Count Nefaria can regain his powers. He revealed to the scientist that mentioned it was relocated that he got a copy of the information from Chameleon as the scientist knows the Catalyst's full potential. Count Nefaria kills the scientist with his abilities so that he won't tell anyone how to stop him. When Whirlwind and Living Laser stated to Count Nefaria that he should be resting, Count Nefaria stated that he needed the exercise. At Empire State University, Dr.

Curt Connors The Lizard (Dr. Curtis "Curt" Connors) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, he first appeared in '' The Amazing Spider-Man'' #6 (November 1963) as an enemy ...

reveals the Catalyst to the crowd when the Lethal Legion attacks. While Grey Gargoyle and Whirlwind attack the people present, Living Laser helps Count Nefaria to operate the Catalyst. Spider-Man shows up and has a hard time fighting them due to the fact that his mind was focused on what a revived Sin-Eater did to Overdrive. Sin-Eater shows up and starts using the same gun he used on Overdrive on Whirlwind and Grey Gargoyle while taking their powers. Immobilizing Spider-Man with Grey Gargoyle's powers, Sin-Eater proceeded to do the same thing to Living Laser and Count Nefaria. All four of them were sent to Ravencroft where they started to act like model inmates. Norah Winters was allowed by Norman Osborn to interview them about Sin-Eater. As a side-effect of Sin-Eater's suicide upon copying Madame Web's precognition revealed that Kindred was using them, the Lethal Legion regained their sins and are among the villains that went on a rampage.

Membership

Other versions

Heroes Reborn

In the '' Heroes Reborn'' reality, the Lethal Legion was formed by Enchantress and consisted of

Executioner An executioner, also known as a hangman or headsman, is an official who executes a sentence of capital punishment on a legally condemned person. Scope and job The executioner was usually presented with a warrant authorising or orderin ...

Scarlet Witch Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Her first appearance was in ''The X-Men'' #4 (March 1964) ...

, Ultron-5, and

The Lethal Legion is later betrayed by Loki who takes the Gamma Core's energy for himself.''Avengers'' Vol. 2 #8. Marvel Comics.

In other media

Television

The Lethal Legion appears in '' The Super Hero Squad Show''. This version of the group was founded and led by

Doctor Doom Doctor Victor Von Doom is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first appeared in '' The Fantastic Four'' #5 in July 1962. The monarch of the f ...

and consists of the Abomination, MODOK, Mole Man,

Fin Fang Foom Fin Fang Foom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as an extraterrestrial creature resembling a dragon. The character first appeared in '' Strange Tales'' #89 ( co ...

, Megataur,

Tricephalous Polycephaly is the condition of having more than one head. The term is derived from the Greek stems ''poly'' (Greek: "πολύ") meaning "many" and ''kephalē'' (Greek: "κεφαλή") meaning "head". A polycephalic organism may be thought o ...

, Manoo, Klaw,

Toad Toad is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands. A distinction between frogs and toads is not made in scient ...

, Melter, the Wrecking Crew, Sabretooth, the Juggernaut,

Pyro Pyro comes from the Greek word πῦρ (pyr), meaning ''fire''. It may refer to: Businesses *Pyro Plastics Corporation, a plastic model kit maker 1940s through the 1970s *Pyro Studios, a computer game developer based in Madrid * NRK P3 Pyro, a No ...

, Whirlwind, Zzzax, Egghead, the Ringmaster, Paste Pot Pete, Mystique, the Crimson Dynamo, and Batroc the Leaper. Additionally,

Songbird A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds ( Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 50 ...

worked undercover in the Lethal Legion as Screaming Mimi. Doom forms the group to help him in his quest to collect the Infinity Fractals and rebuild the Infinity Sword. In season two, Molecule Man and

Volcana Volcana may refer to: *Volcana (Marvel Comics) *Volcana (DC Comics) See also *Volcano (disambiguation) A volcano is a geological landform usually generated by the eruption through a vent in a planet's surface of magma. Volcano may also refer to: ...

join the Lethal Legion to help break Doom out of the Vault and combat

Thanos Thanos is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, and first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 ( cover date February 1973). An Eternal– Deviant w ...

and the Dark Surfer.

Video games

*The Lethal Legion appears in ''

Marvel Super Hero Squad ''Marvel Super Hero Squad'' is an action figure line marketed by Hasbro beginning in 2007. The line features scale replicas of comic book heroes from the Marvel Comics universe. Each figure is portrayed in a cartoonish super-deformed style. The ...

''. *The Lethal Legion appears in '' Lego Marvel Super Heroes''. This version of the group is co-led by Doctor Doom, Loki, and

Magneto A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...

. *The Lethal Legion appears in '' Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy''. This version of the group is composed of bounty hunters led by Captain Glory and consists of the Blood Brothers.