Who's This? Lana Lang's dark secret.
The facts: For discussion on Earth-2's Insect Queen, she was covered years ago
HERE. As for Earth-1's, well, she's still Lana Lang, and would you believe she appeared FIRST? Yes, there was no Lana Lang in Golden Age comics per se, not until they started giving Superboy his own adventures and needed a Lois Lane analog in Smallville, which was still LATE Golden Age - Superboy #10 (October 1950) - but it's all considered Earth-1 continuity anyway. Of course, she wouldn't become Insect Queen for years yet. An alien queen gives her a "bio-genetic ring" that allows her to turn into big bug hybrids (Jimmy Olsen would have been jealous) in Superboy #124 (October 1965), which she would use sparingly over the years. Adventure Comics #355 (see below) allows her to become a Legion reserve member, and I think that's it until Alan Moore closed off the Earth-1 Superman stories with "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" and one last turn for Lana as Insect Queen. The name would be used for other characters in the 2000s, and there have been some funky cameos (for example in Batman '66 and Amalgam's Spider-Boy stories).
How you could have heard of her: "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" casts a long shadow, though readers might have been a little mystified at Lana's transformation there. An unidentified (but red-headed) Insect Queen appears in a KIte Man: Hell Yeah! episode.
Example story: Adventure Comics #355 (April 1967) "The Six-Legged Legionnaire" by Otto Binder, Curt Swan and George Klein
This one starts when Superboy decides to reward Lana for NOT trying to expose his secret identity this ONE time by bringing her to the 30th Century. And like any bad boyfriend, he goes to a meeting and leaves her alone to play tourist in a strange land/time. Of course, she has other plans.
The future is wonderful, but they still haven't fixed the problems of aircraft failing spectacularly any time a member of the Superman Family is set to make a debut. Insect Queen dousing the fire is... something.
And Dream Girl was aboard that thing - you would think she's the ONE Legionnaire who WOULDN'T get on a doomed flight - but then, she also doesn't foresee that giving Lana a bit of encouragement would mean she'd go straight to applying for Legion membership. Not that she's eligible - one's powers must be NATURAL, according to the Legion Constitution, and hers come from a magic ring. Doesn't stop her from showing off some of her creepier abilities:
Like 50% of Legion rejects, she swears revenge (well, thinking "So I'm not good enough, eh? Well, you haven't heard the last of Insect Queen!" sounds like she is, at any rate). Just then, the Legionnaires are called to Ice City in Antarctica, and Dream Girl admits they'll be in danger. She also makes a prophecy about Insect Queen - that if she turns into Moth Maid, it will lead to tragedy. Bah, one insect among many. Superboy does bring her to Ice City, where the heated plastic parka is king. Just to be on hand if the Legion needs help, but Lana can see the sights, you know. Without Dream Girl's powers, Clark can't imagine Lana will try to play superhero. The bad guy is an alien criminal with vast psychokinetic powers who aims to make himself king of Ice City, and the Legionnaires initially don't fare too well, giving Insect Queen an opportunity to prove her worth.
That's Colossal Boy covered, and now for Shrinking Violet. It's a good thing Lana took an interest in entomology because she always has the perfect insect form for every situation!
Even kryptonite isn't such a problem when your heart - and wings! - flutter for Superboy!
Oh wait, that's Moth Maid! You were warned, Lana! What tragedy will now befall you? Would you believe all that vibrating slipped the Bio-Ring off her finger and she'll be stuck forever in moth form? No matter how much the Legionnaires look for it in the snow, they can't find it. After some tense minutes (a couple panels), Superboy finds it in his cape's pouch and that's pretty much resolved. Insect Queen gets reserve membership for all her help, and it never comes up again.
I kind of wish it had. It certainly generates silly visuals and Lana is perpetually excreting substances from her body - oh, the indignity! - but no one can argue she's versatile, and the research into insect "powers" is great (this is one reason Animal Man is a favorite, too, at least when it feels like he's been memorizing Safari Cards). But they never even tried to make Lana grow up to be an entomologist. She's been a news anchor, she's been a Superwoman, but this is her one true destiny, guys!
Who's Next? The Legion Flight Ring's inventor.
Comments