Legion of Super-Heroes #6
Legion of Super-Heroes (Vol. 6) #6 serves as the capstone of the Retroboot era's debut story arc, the first extended narrative Paul Levitz wrote upon returning to the franchise he had defined in the 1980s. Beyond closing out the opening arc's tensions around Cosmic Boy's leadership, the issue's back-up feature formally reintroduces the Legion Academy to the DC Universe proper — a training-ground institution that would grow into a recurring element of subsequent Legion storytelling. Perhaps most distinctively for Legion tradition, the issue launches the first-ever online reader vote for Legion leader, updating a beloved decades-old participatory custom for the digital age.
In "Acceptance," Earth-Man steps into a new role with Earthgov's blessing, pushing for recognition and change within the Legion's ranks. As Phantom Girl navigates a quiet moment with Shadow Lass, Chameleon Girl and Colossal Boy share a heartfelt dinner with his mother, now back in the political spotlight. Written by Paul Levitz and illustrated by Francis Portela with colors by Hi-Fi, this issue captures the personal stakes beneath the cosmic scale, all framed by Yıldıray Çınar’s striking cover art.
In "Acceptance," Earth-Man, newly pardoned by Earthgov, pushes for recognition and reform within the Legion as he navigates his evolving role among off-worlders. Meanwhile, Phantom Girl shares quiet moments with Shadow Lass about her blossoming romance, while Chameleon Girl and Colossal Boy reconnect with Colossal Boy’s mother during a heartfelt sabbath dinner.
In "Leadership," Cosmic Boy returns to the Legion Academy to observe the current class during a training exercise, only to realize the next generation of heroes might need a different kind of guidance—and that the old ways may no longer be enough. The story quietly builds around the weight of responsibility, as one veteran hero confronts the evolving nature of leadership in a changing time.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Volume 6 of Legion of Super-Heroes was born directly out of Paul Levitz stepping down as DC's President and Publisher in September 2009 and returning to full-time writing — an unusual transition in which the executive suite effectively handed the 31st century back to the writer who had made it famous. The series was built on the 'Retroboot' continuity restored by Geoff Johns's prior work in 'Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes' and 'Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds,' which re-established the pre-Crisis original Legion as the primary DC version. Issue #6 in particular showcased the multi-artist production approach that characterized the volume: Francis Portela handled the lead story, while Phil Jimenez and Scott Koblish drew the back-up, with Yildiray Cinar providing cover and additional pages, and Hi-Fi coloring throughout.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published October 20, 2010 (cover-dated December 2010); written by Paul Levitz.
- Lead story titled 'Acceptance'; penciled by Francis Portela with inks by Wayne Faucher — not the series' regular art team of Yildiray Cinar, giving the issue a distinctive visual character.
- Closes out the first story arc (issues #1–6), in which Cosmic Boy makes a drastic leadership decision described as setting the direction for the next year of Legion stories.
- Back-up story, drawn by Phil Jimenez and Scott Koblish (both written by Levitz), formally reintroduces the Legion Academy to the post-Retroboot DCU — the first on-page Academy appearance in this volume.
- Continues the subplot in which an entity called Dyogene seeks to build a 31st-century Green Lantern Corps, a thread running through the early issues of the volume.
- Establishes in continuity that Pol Krinn (Cosmic Boy's brother) is deceased in the Retroboot timeline, a death attributed to the Magic Wars, which occurred after the Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity cut-off point.
- Contains the first-ever online Legion leader election, announced via an in-issue page featuring Matter-Eater Lad and directing readers to LegionElection.com — updating a fan-participation tradition that dated back to Levitz's original 1980s run.
- Reprinted in the DC hardcover collection Legion of Super-Heroes: The Choice, which collects issues #1–6 of the volume and also ties into Green Lantern Corps storyline threads.
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Reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes: The Choice #[nn] (2011)
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