Element Lad
{{short description|DC Comics character}}
{{redirect|Trom|the television series|Trom (TV series)}}
{{Infobox comics character
|image=ElementLad-AdventureComics323.png
|caption= Element Lad as depicted in Adventure Comics #323 (August 1964). Art by John Forte (penciller) and George Klein (inker).
|character_name=Element Lad
|real_name=Jan Arrah
|publisher=DC Comics
|debut=Adventure Comics #307 (April 1963)
|creators=Edmond Hamilton
John Forte
|homeworld=Trom
|species= Trommite
|alliances=Legion of Super-Heroes
|aliases=Mystery Lad, Alchemist, Starfinger, Progenitor
|powers= Element transmutation
Equipment:
- Legion flight ring
}}
Element Lad (Jan Arrah) is a superhero appearing in media published by DC Comics, primarily as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. A native of the planet Trom, he has the power to transmute chemical elements.{{Cite book | last = Jimenez | first = Phil | author-link = Phil Jimenez | contribution = Element Lad | editor-last = Dougall | editor-first = Alastair | title = The DC Comics Encyclopedia | pages = 114 | publisher = Dorling Kindersley | place = New York | year = 2008 | isbn = 978-0-7566-4119-1 | oclc = 213309017}}
Publication history
Element Lad first appeared in Adventure Comics #307, and was created by Edmond Hamilton and John Forte.{{cite book |last1=Cowsill |first1=Alan |last2=Irvine |first2=Alex |last3=Korte |first3=Steve |last4=Manning |first4=Matt |last5=Wiacek |first5=Win |last6=Wilson |first6=Sven |title=The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe |date=2016 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1-4654-5357-0 |page=100}}
Fictional character biography
=Pre-''Zero Hour''=
Element Lad, whose real name is Jan Arrah, first appears in Adventure Comics (vol. 1) #307 (1963). In this first story, he is briefly known as "Mystery Lad" as the Legionnaires do not initially know his powers.{{cite book |last1=Fleisher |first1=Michael L. |title=The Original Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes, Volume Three: Superman |date=2007 |publisher=DC Comics |isbn=978-1-4012-1389-3 |page=62}} Jan is the last survivor of Trom, as he was in space while the space pirate Roxxas massacred the Trommites for refusing to transmute valuable elements for him.
With the aid of the Legion, Roxxas is brought to justice and Jan joins the Legion, using the codename Element Lad. He is a member of the Legion for many years, serving terms as leader and deputy leader. He later enters a relationship with Shvaughn Erin, the Science Police's Legion liaison.
=="Five Years Later"==
During the "Five Year Gap" (1989), Earth falls under the control of the Dominators and leaves the United Planets. It is revealed that Shvaughn was born male and became female using the drug ProFem.{{cite web |url=http://www.gayleague.com/gay/characters/display.php?id=139 |title=Element Lad & Shvaughn Erin |access-date=December 17, 2007 |last=Companik |first=Chris |website=Gay League |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071217093553/http://www.gayleague.com/gay/characters/display.php?id=139 |archive-date = December 17, 2007}} With ProFem no longer available, Shvaughn reverts to her original form. Jan is unfazed, and continues their relationship.
Additionally, a temporal clone of Element Lad named Alchemist is introduced.Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 4) #38 (Late December 1992). DC Comics.
=Post-''Zero Hour''=
In post-Zero Hour continuity, the Trommites were killed by Daxamite terrorists. After an encounter with Mordru, Jan's powers change so that he can transmute himself into elements.
In Legion Lost, Element Lad is lost in deep space for billions of years, driving him insane and leading him to become the villain Progenitor.Legion Lost #10 (February 2001). DC Comics. Live Wire sacrifices himself to defeat Progenitor, but Kid Quantum recovers crystals from Progenitor's body which grow into a new body housing Garth's consciousness.Legion Lost #12 (April 2001). DC Comics.
In Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds, the post-Zero Hour Legion is brought to the pre-Crisis Legion's timeline to help battle Superboy-Prime and the Legion of Super-Villains.Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #3. DC Comics.
="Threeboot"=
In the Mark Waid/Barry Kitson 'reimagining', Element Lad is the lone survivor of a lost planet.Action Comics #850 (L. July 2007). DC Comics. This version's powers are triggered by touch and only last several minutes.
This version of Element Lad also appears in Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds, where he is killed by Superboy-Prime.Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #4. DC Comics.
=Post-Infinite Crisis=
The events of the Infinite Crisis miniseries restore a close analogue of the pre-Crisis Legion to continuity.
In Last Stand of New Krypton, Element Lad is part of a secret team sent by R. J. Brande to the 21st century to save the future, posing as a chemistry teacher in Smallville.
In Doomsday Clock, Element Lad is among the Legion of Super-Heroes members who appear in the present after Doctor Manhattan restores the timeline, resurrecting the Legion and the Justice Society of America.Doomsday Clock #12 (December 2019). DC Comics.
Powers and abilities
Element Lad is able to transmute objects by touch and change one chemical element into any other, for instance, lead to gold or iron to aluminium. He can transmute an element even if it is part of a compound and can change solid objects into gaseous ones. Like all Trommites, Element Lad could sense the elemental composition of any substance, and could change one element into another by creating or breaking electron bonds. He also possesses extensive knowledge of chemistry and how to use his abilities effectively.
As a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, Element Lad is provided a Legion Flight Ring, which allows him to fly and protects him from the vacuum of space and other dangerous environments.
In other media
- Element Lad makes non-speaking cameo appearances in Legion of Super Heroes.
- Element Lad appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.{{Cite web |last=Eisen |first=Andrew |date=October 2, 2013 |title=DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide |url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/scribblenauts-unmasked/DC_Characters_and_Objects |access-date=July 29, 2024 |website=IGN |language=en}}
- Element Lad appears in Adventures in the DC Universe #10.{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |title=Adventures in the DC Universe #10 - The Blobs (Issue) |url=https://comicvine.gamespot.com/adventures-in-the-dc-universe-10-the-blobs/4000-153328/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620091547/https://comicvine.gamespot.com/adventures-in-the-dc-universe-10-the-blobs/4000-153328/ |archive-date=June 20, 2023 |access-date=June 22, 2023 |website=Comic Vine |language=en}}
- Element Lad appears in the one-shot comic Batman '66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes.{{Cite web |title=Batman '66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes #1 - Atomic Batteries To Power, Flight Rings To Speed (Issue) |url=https://comicvine.gamespot.com/batman-66-meets-the-legion-of-super-heroes-1-atomi/4000-609276/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230818222413/https://comicvine.gamespot.com/batman-66-meets-the-legion-of-super-heroes-1-atomi/4000-609276/ |archive-date=August 18, 2023 |access-date=August 18, 2023 |website=Comic Vine |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://majorspoilers.com/2007/09/05/hero-history-element-lad/ A "Hero History" of Element Lad] covering his many incarnations.
{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}
{{Superman characters}}
Category:Characters created by Edmond Hamilton
Category:Characters created by John Forte
Category:Comics characters introduced in 1963
Category:DC Comics extraterrestrial superheroes
Category:DC Comics LGBTQ superheroes
Category:DC Comics male superheroes
Category:Fictional bisexual men
Category:Fictional characters with elemental transmutation abilities