I Never Knew Lightning Lad Was Lightning Boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                 According to the years I read comics--say, 1963  till 1970--mine was known as the Silver Age.  At the time, I thought the Golden Age of  the Forties and  Fifties, was better, artistically speaking, but, after comparing  what  is on the market today  to back then,  I never had it so good as  the Silver Age.  It truly resembles the Golden.

               

                                         I first met the Legion  Of Super-Heroes, in an ad for an issue of "Adventure Comics," in which they appeared.  It featured a group of legionnaires--Saturn Girl,  Lightning Lass, Chameleon Boy, Mon-El, and,  I think,  Superboy, holding wands  in the air standing around the glass enclosed, but transparent casket, of Lightning  Lad.  The question posed was "Which member  of the Legion Of Super-Heroes Will Give Up His Life, To Bring Back Lightning Lad From The Dead?"   Then  it said, "Read the sensational story......'The Super Sacrifice  Of The Legionnaires."  I never found out  the answer to this question  or read the story.

                                         But the "Adventure Comics" issue,  No. 345, pictured above, was the first one  I  owned.  What I loved about the  Legion were  the members' costumes, which today's  pale in  comparison  to.  I used to draw and try and  replicate them, thinking  I might be a comics  artist.  Ah, the pretensions  of  youth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          I got to know  these  group members, and their histories, very well.   In the 30th Century,  a  wealthy man, R.J. Brand, was returning from  a flight on a plane.   Unbeknownst to  him,  and  them,  were on board  Imra Ardeen (from  Titan,  of the moons of Saturn), Rokk Krinn (from the  planet Braal) and Garth Ranzz (from the planet,  Winath).  As all were getting off the  plane,  Imraa's super thought-casting sensed a group  of men  were out to kill Mr.  Brand, so Rok and Garth went  into action,  apprehending the would-be-killers by their magnetic (Rokk) and lightning bolt (Garth) powers.

                                             Brand was grateful to the teens, and offered to sponsor an organization  of others like them, dubbing the core members Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy,  and Lightning Lad.  

                                               Lightning Lad was my favorite.  He had red hair, and the best costume.  Blue sleeves,  with a white background surrounding  blue, and lightning bolts  crossing one another on the chest.  He had a blue cape, blue pants--almost jock-like--and orange  leotards,  with blue boots,  to  complete the outfit. I mean,  no wonder,  darlings, I wanted  to wear it!  And to shoot lightning  bolts  from  my hands?  How great is that? Yes, I always wanted to be Lightning Lad.  Which he was always known as to me, and  which Mr. Brand  dubbed him.

                                                  So,  who is  the Lightning  Boy, I just discovered? To me, he resembles Earth's Dirk Morgna,  who became  Sun  Boy.  He, too had read hair,  and except for color exchanges,  his costume  resembled  Lightning  Boy's, with the latter's arm bands resembling Cosmic Boy.

                                                   Added to which,  Garth Ranzz had a twin sister, Ayla, who,  when  I began reading  "Adventure Comics," was known as "Light Lass."  Originally,  she was known as "Lightning  Lass," with the same power  as  her brother,  but on an  assignment her power was altered to making things lighter, and two feathers crossing were exchanged for lightning bolts,  on a  feminized version  of her  brother's costume.  Minus the cape.

                                                      But  Lightning Boy?  Hey, I like  him and  LOVE the costume,  but when, and where,  if  ever, did he appear?

                                                      I used to  have  a Sun Boy and Lightning Lad statue.   How  I wish I  still had them  now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                       Anyone out there?  Enlighten me,  darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!