Who's This? The Last Son of... Trom?
The facts: Jan Arrah - Element Lad first appears in Adventure Comics #307 (April 1963), created by Edmond Hamilton and John Forte, and the last survivor of the planet Trom, whose peaceful element transmuters were massacred by the pirate Roxxas. The latter is brought to justice with the help of the Legion, and Jan joins the team, a staple through every incarnation. He is known as Alchemist in the SW6 Legion, but the reboot still goes for "Element Lad". At the tail end of that era, he's one of the Legionnaires starring in Legion Lost, is turned into an insane villain and dies (Live Wire possesses his body after his own sacrifice). The Threeboot version is killed by Superboy-Prime in Legion of 3 Worlds. The Retroboot of course restores the pre-5YL timeline, and Jan with it. He only scored cameos in the LSH animated series.
How you could have heard of him: He IS part of the Bendis Legion (which I can't wait to see undone) as a green-skinned teen.
Example story: Superboy Starring the Legion of Super-Heroes #211 (September 1975) "The Ultimate Revenge!" by Jim Shooter and Mike Grell
The cover and the splash page agree: Elemental shoots Roxxas dead and is therefore drummed out of the Legion (how about some jail time, too?). And yes, that's Jan, despite the fact he looks older and is dressed in green and blueish black. It was the 2070s, which at least explains the luxuriant sideburns. But Roxxas IS his personal villain, so he's sure to play a big role and at least be tempted. As it happens, the genocidal murderer has just arrived on Haven, a sanctuary for criminals that isn't as well hidden as its owner thinks, because the Legion immediately raids the place.
Element Lad is in the raiding party and catches sight of Roxxas, escaping, but he's too shocked to grab the opportunity. By the mists of Trom, his nemesis has eluded him! And the other Legionnaires are all like "He's just one guy, E-Lad! Relax!" (actual quote) - I think I'd be unable to enjoy my vacation too. Cuz that's where these four Legionnaires are next headed. Star Boy says he might visit his parents, and asks Element Lad if he might too... I guess Thom doesn't know his buddy's origin story. It can be summarized as "MY PARENTS (AND EVERYONE I EVER KNEW) ARE DEAD!!!!". If Roxxas' plan was to force Trommites to use their transmutation powers to make him rich, I don't think wholesale genocide was the best plan, but regardless, that's what happened, with Jan the only survivor. So guess what E-Lad is going to do with his R&R. If you said "back to Trom", it makes you sound naive, but you're right. If you said "to take revenge on Roxxas", you sound like you've been paying attention and you're also right. Perversely, that's where Roxxas is hiding out.
Whoa, why is Roxxas giving up so easily (and silently - very suspicious)? The Legionnaires who figured out what Element Lad was going to do show up to tell him "A Legionnaire never kills!", at which point, uhm...
That is NOT the Element Lad I remember from the 80s or 90s (in 5YL, he's a pacifist wandering Trom). Roxxas lies at his feet, dead. The Legionnaire start badgering him about his action, but wait... Roxxas is stirring:
Oh, don't... don't do that, Chemical King. But yeah, he used his powers to chemically degrade the gun's battery so it only shot a ray of harmless light AND THEN slowed Roxxas' metabolism down so he'd look dead. Element Lad is pulled from the brink and learned a valuable lesson (and the Legion Constitution doesn't say anything about ATTEMPTED murder), which might be why he becomes so devoted to peace later. And Roxxas? Returning to Trom has driven him insane, or perhaps the souls of Trom really are haunting him. (And if Keith Giffen read this when planning out 5YL, it might also account for E-Lad's mysticism.)
An important Element Lad story, but not one where he's particularly on-model. Shvaughn changed him.
Who's Next? A wiggly-nosed detective.
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