The Legion of Super-Heroes has faced many terrible threats in the course of their 50+ year history, and the 2014 The Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes HeroClix release has given us fans more figures than ever to recreate some of the greatest moments of Legion history.

To see a 300-point force of Legionnaires that stood together in one of their darkest moments, follow the link!

Synopsis: The regular breaking of the fourth wall in comics started long before Deadpool: Irwin Schwab (a.k.a. Ambush Bug) one of the longest running (and longest suffering) characters that consistently was aware of his place in the media landscape. The Bug is a notorious survivor, living through the original Crisis on Infinite Earths and even escaping the events of Flashpoint into the New 52! His knack for survival does not make him any less prone to falling on hard times, as he was in 1992 when the Ambush Bug (Nothing) Special was published. In that one-shot, Ambush Bug struggles with various career options before deciding to become the goodwill ambassador for DC Comics...and the only thing standing between him and his dream job is the lifetime contract of long-time DC Editor Julie Schwartz! There is no escaping the Immortal Editor Emeritus, not even by assuming the identity of Appliance Boy and joining the Legion of Super-Heroes:

94 (SLSH 002) Saturn Girl
70 (SLSH 201) Cosmic Boy
70 (LSH 001) Lightning Lad
50 (Collateral Damage 088) Ambush Bug
+ 16 Additional Team Ability Legion Lost
= 300 Points

Ambush Bug has only appeared once so far in HeroClix. He was released as a Unique figure (equivalent to a current-day Super-Rare) in the Collateral Damage 4-figure booster release of early 2006. There is an interesting bit of trivia about the class of twelve unique characters from that 2006 set that showcases the difference between Marvel and DC HeroClix releases. Of those twelve figures, only three of them have been remade in the past eight years: Two from the most recent release (Orion, Kalibak) and one because of a movie tie-in (Jonah Hex).

Setting trivia aside, the hero of this tale has a straightforward role as an annoying harassment figure. The Phasing allows him to get all over the map, and his damage track alternates between Outwit and Probability Control in a very predictable manner. The damage output on this force is not particular high, so Outwit is probably the preferred option.

Note: Ambush Bug is shown here with the Legion of Super-Heroes keyword and courtesy of Cosmic Boy's Welcome to the Legion. This added keyword makes this a named theme team, and allows the use of Additional Team Abilities under the 2014 rulebook!

U Ambush Bug Points: 50 Range: 0
Team: No Affiliation
Keywords: Legion of Super-Heroes

10 7 15 1

10 7 14 1

9 6 13 1

8 6 12 1

7 5 11 0

KO KO KO KO

In this issue Ambush Bug (a.k.a. Appliance Boy) only met the original three founders of the Legion of Super-Heroes, and it convenient that the 2014 Legion of Super-Heroes single figure set includes three of the founders...and that each of them possesses a trait that allows them to grant Legion membership to characters 50-points or less.


The single-figure I've chosen to allow Appliance Boy membership is Cosmic Boy. This figure isn't the top-dial uber-Telekinesis version from the main set, but an appropriately scaled back (for the cost) version that brings more to the table than just Ambush Bug. The Telekinesis is there, as always I encourage tactical consideration to use Telekinesis to bring friendly characters OUT of trouble rather than just using it to position them for first strikes. This dial starts with a very conditional sort of damage reducer-granting power as well as Leadership, both of which trigger off of adjacency, so keep that in mind when positioning early. Don't forget that top-dial Perplex either, as this force will need it for improved damage output.

Notice that this Cosmic Boy's dial after TK has a respectable stretch of Running Shot/Pulse Wave, and ends with Empower. Both of these may be necessary to help get through damage reducers if the game goes pear-shaped. Empower may be the only thing helping his colleagues get through damage reducers.

V Cosmic Boy Points: 70 Range: 6
Team: Legion of Superheroes
Keywords: Future, Legion Founder, Legion of Super Heroes

10 10 17 2

9 10 16 2

9 9 16 1

8 9 16 1

7 10 15 1

7 10 15 2

KO KO KO KO

Welcome to the Legion: When you build your force, choose one character of 50 points or less. That character gains the Legion of Super Heroes keyword and "wing symbol" this game. If your force includes other characters with this trait, you may increase the point value of your chosen character by 50 points if this character doesn't use this trait.

Magnetic Shield: When Cosmic Boy occupies hindering terrain, he and adjacent friendly characters can use Toughness.

Long Live the Legion!: Cosmic Boy can use Perplex and Leadership. When he uses Leadership, on a result of 6 he may also remove a token from any adjacent friendly character with the Legion of Super Heroes keyword.

Another figure represented from the 2014 Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes set is the Saturn Girl from the 5-figure set. My advice may seem counter-intuitive, but on this force Saturn Girl has to be the primary offense, especially against any figure with any sort of damage reducer because of her top-dial Psychic Blast. It's unfortunate, but she will almost certainly have to be positioned via Cosmic Boy's TK in order to get the opening shot. The good news is that she is very pushable (especially to get to the free-action Mind control) and if she gets hit deep, she is either using her own Precision Strike to hurt opponents or has repositioned (again, possibly with Telekinesis if not be her own movement) to provide some Enhancement to her teammates.

E Saturn Girl Points: 94 Range: 8
Team: Legion of Superheroes
Keywords: Future, Legion Founder, Legion of Super Heroes

10 10 17 2

9 10 17 2

9 9 17 1

9 9 16 2

9 9 16 2

8 8 15 2

KO KO KO KO

Strongest Mind: Saturn Girl can use Mind Control and, if she has no action tokens, she can use it as a free action. When she uses Mind Control, she isn't dealt unavoidable damage from it and she increases her attack value by +1 for each action token assigned to her target.

The leftover points don't allow for either of the Modern Age Lightning Lad figures, so I've gone back to the very first set of DC characters to have character cards and chosen the 70-point Lightning Lad from the 2007 Legion of Super-Heroes HeroClix starter set. This is a classic, straightforward dial that has still has a lot of things going for it. The long range 10 is not something that is commonly seen anymore...and with both Running Shot and the 2014 improvements to Energy Explosion, this figure maintains it's offensive potential. This is still a defensively fragile figure, so despite his range dominance, I would be extremely cautious in using the figure as the first strike weapon in your arsenal.

E Lightning Lad Points: 70 Range: 10
Team: Legion of Superheroes
Keywords: Future, Legion of Super Heroes, Teen

8 10 16 3

8 9 15 3

8 9 15 2

7 8 14 2

7 8 15 1

6 7 15 1

KO KO KO KO

Because this team is a named theme team, it qualifies for the use of Additional Team Abilities per the 2014 rules rewrite. This force also lacks any other team abilities, and it conveniently has exactly the number of points leftover to assign the Legion Lost Additional Team Ability to each member of the force.

LEGION LOST Cost: 4 per character
Prerequisite Keyword(s): Legion of Super Heroes, Legion of Super Villains

Once at the beginning of the game, if no character on your force possesses a team ability that isn't a wild card team ability, choose any one DC team ability other than an additional team ability, a wild card team ability, or a team ability that can't be used by wild cards. Characters using this team ability are not wild cards and can use the chosen team ability if they can't already.

This team is rather focused on ranged attacks, so choosing the Superman Ally team ability is probably the best bet, unless the maps are devoid of hindering terrain.

Like most issues featuring Ambush Bug's name on the cover, much of this article was focused on the exploits of Mr. Schwab and his unlikely colleagues...and I recognize that this force may not have lived up to the expectations of the paying members of our audience. If that is the case, Ambush Bug and I will be happy to sit down with you at the nearest local fast-food establishment and enjoy a quick meal....

Fans of the Bug should check out flatmatt's flatmods for mods of

Cheeks, the Toy Wonder:






...and Johnni DC, Continuity Cop:

Oh dear God that's right. Today is April 1st! That does it...I'm going back to bed.

I'm unplugging my modem for the rest of the day. Lol.

To the OP: Do you ever do these articles about villian teams?

Great article! And I would love an updated Ambush Bug. Special Powers and Traits would really give him a chance to be annoying.

And I think my SLoSH Darkseid will need a tiny paper hat and fast food bag.

Outstanding article in my opinion . Well done!

Yay...more legion teams....again

Anyone who's ever been inside a McDonald's knows the Anti-Life Equation can indeed be found there.

Clever, Darkseid, very clever ...

Even for April Fools, it looks like a fun team.

Yes, but with some caveats:

Before I started the Longbox series, I (and others) did a complete set of "comic accurate" (with many substitute suggestions) Suicide Squad force builds.

I've tackled the Thunderbolts at least once:I think I covered two consecutive issues that week.

The main problems with trying to cover villain teams, given the conceit of this series that I'm (generally) working through a comic series from one of my own Longboxes are:

1) There are not that many 'villain' teams that headline books...and some of the best ones (Secret Six, Suicide Squad - all iterations, Superior Foes of Spider-Man,) are missing key members preventing a serious comic accurate approach to Longbox treatment. I actually own very few Thunderbolts comics, but their lineup was reasonably stable for long stretches IIRC.

2) The villain teams that appear in team books don't appear for long, or if they do: key members are missing (e.g. Marauders. For example, I focused on Freedom Force and the Horsemen of Apocalypse in the X-Factor stretch. Other 'villain' groups would be (IMO) boring to propose: The Royal Flush Gang, The Fatal Five...they would be 'done in one'...and anybody would make the same force as I would showcase.

You could always do the 'Secret Society' from the 70s. It was a victim of DC's 'implosion' of the late 70s that cancelled a lot of books, and it has a pretty good variety of clix figures to represent the team.

If you wanted another villain team option.

Hey I would love to see a Fatal five longbox or a royal flush gang long box. And no, they wouldn't build the same force you present because you can make a team from 300 to 800 with MANY variations to the two previously mentioned teams. It would NOT be "boring" to read a longbox based on the secret six, secret society of super villains, injustice gang, injustice league, Apokolips, Rogues, superman revenge squad, checkmate, fearsom five, society, monster society of evil and legion if doom. These villians don't need a cover title to make the cut....they just need to be in the issue.

Nonetheless you do a great job on the "hero" teams you cover. Thanks for the great article....I can't help but to feel like this years April fools was toned down when compared to last years fear itself spoof. Attempting to gain a less aggressive reaction? Lol

The sight of Johnny/i DC custome figure reminds me of Sergio Aragones' 1996 'Sergio Destroys DC' comic, which, upon rereading is basically Infinite Crisis a full ten years before Infinite Crisis actually came out, with Johnny DC as Superboy-Prime.

Johnny DC: You used to stand for something, but you've all changed... so, I'M going to change!

Superman: He's, he's being updated for the 90s!

Johnny DC (now huge and muscular and looking vaguely like Magog from Kingdom Come): That right! I'm now psychotic and badly-drawn! I fit right in!

Kyle Rayner: He's a monster!

Superman: We have to stop him!

Johnny DC (while beating everyone up): I admired you! I wanted to be like you!

Superman (while being beaten up): You're doing a good job of it!