LEGION OF THE UNLIVING III
Membership: Simulacra of Black Knight (Nathan Garrett); Grim Reaper; Iron Man 2020, Left-Winger, Oort the Living Comet, Right-Winger, Swordsman (Jacques Duquense), Toro (Thomas Raymond)
Purpose: Delaying the West Coast Avengers
Affiliations: Pawns of Immortus
Enemies: West Coast Avengers (Dr. Pym, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Quicksilver, U.S. Agent, Wasp, Wonder Man)
Base of Operations: Limbo
First Appearance: Avengers West Coast#61 (August, 1990)
History: (Avengers West Coast#61) - As part of a complex plan to use the Scarlet Witch to control time, Immortus abducted the Witch and several Avengers to Limbo, where he pitted them against versions of their old foes and friends. After the Wasp warned them that their foes were simulacra, the heroes split up, each taking on a solo foe.
Quicksilver fell battling Oort, a foe from his future, by decoying him with an attack on the catatonic Scarlet Witch. Hawkeye, though emotionally torn by having to battle the Swordsman, nonetheless defeated him using an electro-arrow. Henry Pym managed to unseat the Black Knight, causing his old foe to die in a fall for the second time. Though the U.S. Agent believed Left and Right-Winger were alive in reality, he nonetheless tricked the two into impaling one another with stalactites they were using as weapons. Iron Man defeated his 2020 counterpart despite the latter's superior technology. Wonder Man broke the Grim Reaper's neck with a choke hold, vowing to make Immortus pay for forcing him to such lengths. The Wasp battled Toro, who angrily claimed he'd been the "Human Torch" of the first Legion of the Unliving, since the android Torch couldn't die and the human Toro could. He rendered the Wasp unconscious with a barrage of flame. Immortus, his purposes fulfilled, then caused the Legion members to vanish. Immortus was defeated in due course, and temporarily left catatonic himself by his masters, the Time-Keepers (see comments).
Comments: Legion of the Unliving idea created by Steve Englehart and Roy Thomas; roster for this version picked by Roy and Dann Thomas.
Profile by Omar Karindu.
In What If? II#39, the conclusion of Timequake, a multiversal struggle involving the mainstream Immortus, Watcher, and others, it was revealed that the guys in this story were NOT the Time-Keepers, but the Time-Twisters, their evil counterparts, @ Thor I#243---Snood.
It's almost certain, following Avengers Forever #8, that the Legionnaires here were Space Phantoms. In particular, Toro's claim that he was in the original Legion of the Unliving makes absolutely no sense given that the Torch's android parts were used in that story to fix the Vision up.
Per Degaton: Kang himself in Fantastic Four Annual#25 stated that it was the original Human Torch in the original Legion of the Unliving.
It's par for the course in these Legion of the Unliving tales to note how many of the members returned to life. The Grim Reaper came back only a few issues later as an undead, and would go on to helm the next two versions of the Legion. Toro may or may not have been the "Mr. Raymond" seen in a few odd issues of Power Pack.
Ironically, this Legion ended up revealing the deaths of two members, Right and Left-Winger. In Captain America I#383, John Walker learns that the two committed suicide some time prior to this story.
The Swordsman would go on to appear as a member of Legion of the Unliving V, making him the most-used Legionnaire. Black Knight (Garrett) also showed up as a member of Legion IV.
I don't think Iron Man 2020 has ever met his death. Perhaps they used characters that the writers thought were dead.---Snood
All Legions of the Unliving got a group entry in OHotMU Horror 2005.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Legion of the Unliving
III is not to be confused with:
Iron Man 2020 (Arno Stark) is not to be confused with:
Swordsman (Jacques Duquense) is not to be confused with:
Black Knight (Nathan Garrett) is not to be confused with his relatives:
Oort the Living Comet has no known connection to:
Toro (Thomas Raymond) is not to be confused with:
Oort the Living Comet (real name unknown) was first seen as a member of the Legion of the Unliving III, and claimed he had died in battle with the Avengers in their future. He also made reference to battling them in the 50th century. Oort can project small bursts of energy resembling comets, which can apparently stun an opponent. It is unclear what if any other powers he possessed, or whether his powers were his own or his costume's. In Avengers Forever #3, a future version of Songbird said that her Avengers team had just fought Oort and his Solar Squadron, but no other information was given.
The general consensus is that Roy and Dann Thomas and Paul Ryan created Oort, since Quicksilver had no existing rogues gallery to draw upon. The name Oort derives from the Oort Cloud, a theorized cloud of matter at the edge of the solar system that is the source of many comets. The cloud was named for Dutch astronomer Jan Oort, who originated the idea.
images: (without ads)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Hardcover#6, Legion of the Unliving entry (Immortus' team)
(refurbed from Avengers West Coast#61, p6, pan1)
Avengers West Coast#61, p8, pan5 (Oort the Living Comet)
Appearances:
Avengers West Coast#61 (August, 1990) - Roy & Dann Thomas (writers), Paul Ryan (pencils), Danny Bulanadi (inks), Howard Mackie (editor)
First Posted: 12/08/2001
Last updated: 05/02/2005
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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