Credits | Characters | Plot Summary | Comments | Reprinted In Editor: Mort Weisinger Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: John Forte Roll Call: Bouncing Boy, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet, Sun Boy, Triplicate Girl, Ultra Boy Honorary Member: Superboy Applicants: Lester Spiffany, Storm Boy, Matter-Eater Lad (in a brown costume), and ten other unidentified persons Villains: A giant terrorizing the planet Grykk, a berserk lead metal monster on Ferno, two crooks in a jet escape craft model 247, an electrical crook (in flashback) Other Characters: About a dozen fans and admirers of the Legion of Super-Heroes, two law officers of the planet Lumbak, the Spiffany family pilot-chauffeur, a famed scientist (in flashback), a ticket taker (in flashback), a cold soda vendor (in flashback), two teams of four robot gladiator operators (in flashback), a crowd at the robot gladiator tournament (in flashback), citizens of Metropolis (in flashback), three World-Wide Police officers (in flashback), two television cameramen (in flashback) "The Secret Origin of Bouncing Boy" (13 pages)
Several years ago, while working as an errand boy for a famed scientist, Chuck Taine yielded to temptation and attended a robot gladiator tournament while enroute to deliver a super-plastic fluid to the Science Council. Excited, Chuck accidentally drank the fluid thinking it was the bottle of soda-pop he had purchased from a stadium vendor. Expanding like a balloon, Chuck bounced down the steps of the stands and disrupted the tournament. At the hospital, Chuck was examined and told that he had gained the ability of permanent bouncing-power, controlled by sheer willpower. Several years later, Chuck was walking down the street and saw Lightning Lad using his power to stop crooks. This gives Chuck the idea to try out for the Legion. Although he was rejected for having an "impractical" power, Chuck got an opportunity to use his power for good a few days later. Unfortunately, the globe he thought was a bomb was actually an advertising missile message and his "rescue" was laughed at by Cosmic Boy and Saturn Girl who were passing by at that same moment in a Legion plane. Thought of as a laughing stock by the public, Chuck finally got a chance to prove himself when an electrical crook stole an invaluable healing urn from the Museum of Medical Wonders and shocked Saturn Girl into immobility. Bouncing towards the criminal, Chuck was able to knock out the man without being shocked since he was not grounded while bouncing. Cosmic Boy took back what he said about Bouncing Boy's power not being practical and Chuck was inducted into the Legion. After Bouncing Boy finishes his tale, the remaining applicants are inspired to be persistent like Chuck was and one day make it into the Legion! The Legion's era is referred to as the "21st century" in this story. Besides excusing it as being merely a typo, one can assume that by the Legion's time, a secondary calendar system may be referred to. This is the first personal appearance of Shrinking Violet as a full-fledged Legionnaire in a story. Lightning Lad's costume is slightly different in this story, not having the black borders around the white of this chest. The Legionnaires are enjoying their celebrity, their popularity rising steadily since the widely-watched 3-D televised Earth Police testimonial in their honor (Action Comics No. 287). They are so popular that they are using a force-shield to surround the clubhouse and keep out "persistent admirers". It is possible that the force-shield activator was invented by Brainiac 5, since force-shields are his "specialty". Previously, Phantom Girl showed how the walls of the clubhouse could be charged with anti-phantom energy in order to keep out 4th-dimensional intruders (Superboy No. 147). Again, as in the last issue, Cosmic Boy is shown heading the meeting and applicant drive, proof that he is the Legion's leader. This is the first appearance of a mission monitor board, designed to keep tabs on Legionnaires who are off-world on missions. On page 3, panel 3, Phantom Girl is shown on a monitor screen flying with the use of a space-jet pack although anti-gravity flying belts for Legionnaires were introduced in the last issue. It could be that there just wasn't enough of the new belts to go around at this point in time or the mission happened to require the use of a space-jet pack for another reason. Ultra Boy is only seen using his penetra-vision in this story, the revelation of his others powers to readers still months away. The lead metal "monster" he melts down must not be living but a robot, since it is against the Legion Code to kill. In Adventure Comics No. 336, we see the Great Wind Control Center - the Sixth Wonder of the World - which controls all weather on Earth, yet in this story applicant Storm Boy has a personal weather-control device. Obviously, while calm, sunny days are maintained in Metropolis (and are the norm as evidenced in the comics!), home gardeners and farmers must use personal weather-controlling devices to generate rain in localized areas. This way, they can make rain for their own uses without raining on anyone else's parade, as they say. It is humorously coincidental that, in light of Duo Damsel's future marriage to Bouncing Boy (Adventure Comics No. 354), Triplicate Girl acted as the team's unofficial "bouncer" in the case of bad applicant Storm Boy (as shown on page 6, panel 1)! From what we see of the trophy table inside the clubhouse, Invisible Kid has the most awards at this time (three), with Chameleon Boy having two and Sun Boy only one (page 6, panel 3). Also, Sun Boy seems to have the same trophy as another Legionnaire; possibly the two received them for a joint mission. The table looks like it is divided into 14 pie-shaped areas, which would provide an area for each Legionnaire at this time, excluding Superboy and Supergirl (who have their own trophy rooms) and Mon-El (who is still in the Phantom Zone at this time). Star Boy is on leave-of-absence at this time, due to his lost comet-powers, but his membership and trophies remain stored away until his return. With the exception of Cosmic Boy and Bouncing Boy, the Legionnaire figures inside the selector machine (on page 6, panels 5 & 6) are mostly unrecognizable as members. This could be explained by the fact that the figures are spinning so fast that the features of each costume are blended with that of the others. When Bouncing Boy comments that his "tale starts several years ago", he is referring to the time when he gained his super-powers. Between panels 3 and 4 of page 9, several years pass. Bouncing Boy first tries out for the Legion in 2963 (Action Comics No. 276), which is only a few months ago by the Legion's standpoint and the events of this story are still during the team's first term-year. Bouncing Boy first joins the Legion shortly before the events in Action Comics No. 287 (confirmed in Superman Annual No. 4), which is the first issue in which he is seen as a member of the team. A footnote on page 12, panel 6 explains that the Legionnaires didn't have anti-gravity flying belts at the time of the flashback, which is correct; they used space-jet packs on missions to get around until Adventure Comics No. 300. The caption is incorrect in saying that this episode took place "a few years before the Legionnaires invented anti-gravity belts". It should read "a few months" and not "a few years". The Science Council mentioned in this story is the same one which will one day award Saturn Woman with a plaque in gratitude for mentally driving off space monsters attacking Earth (Action Comics No. 289). At the time that Bouncing Boy first gained his power, soda-pop cost fifty cents a bottle. In the letter column of Adventure Comics No. 304 a reader writes in wondering if fifty cents isn't too expensive. Mort Weisinger answered:
It is humorous to read (in retrospect) Mort defending his point when these days (far earlier than the 30th century) pop already costs over twice as much as Chuck shelled out! Still, back in 1962, when this story first came out, soda pop was only around a dime. As stated by Chuck in the story, prizefights between humans were outlawed fifty years ago (therefore, 2913) with these harmless robot slug-fests replacing them. Not all 30th century clothing is made of stretchable fiber, but it is a good thing Chuck Taine's was that day! His tight-fitting clothing must be made from some type of futuristic Spandex. The fact that Chuck continues to wear this same outfit as his "costume" may have something to do with this. Other people around him can be seen wearing loose-fitting apparel. Due to Chuck's bouncing into a green team operator, the red team's robot gladiator won the match. It is also humorously ironic that the doctors examining Chuck confidently state that Chuck has gained "permanent" bouncing ability. Obviously they weren't taking into account that Chuck would one day bounce in front of a matter-shrinking ray and lose his power (something he does in Adventure Comics No. 321). Although Zan Orbal latter restores his power (Adventure Comics No. 351), Chuck loses it again before he marries Luornu, as seen in Adventure Comics No. 354. The jet craft of the crooks that Lightning Lad stops on page 9, panel 3 has the number "247" inscribed on the side. Was this a coincidence - or did John Forte deliberately put the issue number of the Legion's first appearance: Adventure Comics No. 247? The advertising missile message globe Bouncing Boy intercepts is promoting a movie called "The World's Biggest Fool" and is touted to be a "4-D Movie". The movie was probably produced on Bgztl, a 4th-dimensional world (the 3-D audience probably left the theatre clutching their stomachs after that one, their minds reeling from having spent the last two hours trying to comprehend hyper-realism!) According to a comment from a man on the street, personal checks are still used in the 30th century (page 11, panel 1). They may even use them for buying cold sodas! ;) Saturn Girl emerges from a ground vehicle, a rocket-car, to handle the threat of the electrical crook (page 11, panel 5). The Legion also has a Legion plane, as shown in this story (page 10, panel 6). The electrical crook uses his device to shock-paralyze a pedestrian, a policeman and Saturn Girl in much the same way Lightning Lord has used his power to paralyze people's muscles (Superman No. 147). This is the first time a passage from the Legion's Super-Hero Oath is heard. It is interesting to note that after Bouncing Boy is sworn in, Cosmic Boy says "congratulations... Legionnaires!" He is not so much congratulating Chuck for getting into the Legion as he is congratulating everyone else for being fortunate enough to get Bouncing Boy as a teammate. Bouncing Boy joins after Shrinking Violet and Sun Boy, as shown in the flashback to his induction ceremony (page 13, panel 1).
1) In this tale the Legion is examining candidates with the express intention of gaining a new member. On page 3, panel 2 Cosmic Boy states: "Only one of you will be selected!" Notice he doesn't say "one of you may be chosen". This is the real deal. 2) Except for the different costume, the applicant looks like Matter-Eater Lad. (Perhaps it was suggested by a Legionnaire that a hero whose power is super-digestion and wears brown wouldn't be very appealing to the public?) Also, if you look at the meaningful exchange of eye-contact between Bouncing Boy and Matter-Eater Lad at the end of Adventure Comics No. 301, you can see how Chuck thinks his story has gotten through to him. You will also notice a look of pride on Chuck's face as Matter-Eater Lad is introduced in Adventure Comics No. 303, proud to see one of "his" applicants make the grade. 3) The very next member who is sworn into the Legion is Matter-Eater Lad, in Adventure Comics No. 303, and in that issue, when Sun Boy asks who he is he replies that he is being "inducted into the Legion today!" (page 3, panel 1). He doesn't say that he is trying out for the Legion; he has already been chosen and all that's left to do is the official swearing in. The caption in the very next panel reads: "Shortly, inside the clubhouse, the newest member demonstrates his super-power." The only question that needs to be addressed is why Sun Boy and Lightning Lad don't seem to recognize him. There are two possibilities: 1) They had left the meeting (in Adventure Comics No. 301) before Matter-Eater Lad made his demonstration. In fact, they are not seen once the Legionnaires reconvene inside the clubhouse; perhaps an urgent mission called them away. Or, 2) Both these heroes had just suffered traumatic injuries and were still in the process of recovering, so they can be forgiven for not being able to recognize one of the many applicants they have seen, especially since this one is wearing a brand new costume. As to why the induction ceremony occurred days later, this is nothing new. Bouncing Boy wasn't sworn in until several days later, just as Matter-Eater Lad won't be sworn in until days later. The reason for this could be that it takes time to organize such an event -- calling the press, bringing in television studios, and so forth. Also, a full voting quorum of 3/4 membership may not have been present during the initial applicant examination. Superboy No. 180 (Dec. 1971) Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 1 |
After signing autographs for
their admiring public the Legionnaires convene for their
club meeting, the purpose of which is to examine the
qualifications of boys and girls possessing super-powers
who wish to join the Legion. Stepping outside of the
clubhouse, the applicants begin demonstrating their
powers. One un-powered rich kid named Lester Spiffany
tries to bride his way into the team and is rejected;
another applicant calling himself Storm Boy uses a device
to try to fake his way into the team but is bounced by
Triplicate Girl. Returning to the clubhouse, Cosmic Boy
uses a selector machine to determined which member will
share their story to inspire the applicants. Bouncing Boy
is selected and he begins to relate the tale of how he
gained his power of super-bouncing... 
In the last two panels of
the story, an unidentified (by name or power) applicant
with curly black hair and wearing a brown costume is so
impressed with Bouncing Boy's tale that he vows to keep
trying until he makes it into the Legion. Who is he?
Using logical deduction, he can only be Matter-Eater Lad,
who makes his official first appearance (in a new green
and yellow costume) in Adventure
Comics No. 303. This conclusion is
based on three main factors: