By Martin Phipps, Arthur Spitzer, and Tom Russell

Backstory

Back during the 19th Century, Net.ropolis was known as Babbagetown. Little is known of how far the origins of this city go back. The history of the LNHQ is also rather murky. What is known though is that the current LNHQ used to be the Net.ropolis_Hotel_Grand.

Sometime in the 1920s or 1930s, a hero by the name of Boy_Lad formed the Legion of Net. Heroes. During this time, he was the only member (Boy_Lad_Jr., his sidekick, wasn't allowed to join, due to the "no sidekicks are allowed to join" rule). No one knows what ultimately happened to him although someone who claimed to be him made an appearance in the Omaha_Project series.

After Boy Lad disappeared, the Agents_of_P.U.L.P, Classic_Squad, and Society_of_Wireless_Heroes (A British based super group) took over the hero game in the 1940s and 1950s. Some members of the Classic Squad would eventually become part of the current LNH incarnation like Old_Comics_Man, Golden_Man, and Kid_Yesterdaze.

During 1960s, the Net.astic_Nine and the Challengers_of_the_Abominable helped protect Net.ropolis and the Looniverse from destructive forces. The LNHer Sig.Lad was formerly a member of the Net.astic Nine. At the end of the 60's, a demon going by the name of Anti-Christ_Lad controlled all of Net.ropolis including the LNH that was operating during this time period: The_Legion_of_Net._Hippies. Self-Righteous_Preacher, after joining with the Legion of Net.Hippies helped free the LNH from Anti-Christ Lad's control and sent him back to hell. A few Legion of Net. Hippies like Nudist_Man, Super_Apathy_Lad, and Procrastination_Boy remained with the current Legion.

In the 1980s, The_Legion_of_New-Wave_Heroes arrived on the scene and quickly disappeared.

Tantalising_Teens

L.E.G.I.O.N.

1990s

1992

Back in May '92, on rec.arts.comics, there were a lot of people who had a distinct net.personality. Someone (who was obviously having a bad day) declared himself "Dr._Killfile" and threatened to killfile all of them. Ben Pierce (aka Marvel_Zombie_Lad) responded by calling for all net.heroes to join forces against Dr. Killfile and his Legion_of_Net.Villains. At least forty-four people responded to this call. Craig_Thomas_Judd (aka Manga_Man), however, chose instead to be the first villainous WC; he put it upon himself to collect the first forty-four or so posts together and give it a semblance of plot. So was begun The Cosmic_Plot_Device_Caper.

There are two versions of The Cosmic Plot Device Caper: the original version and Drizzt's Post Cry.Sig version. Drizzt's Post Cry.Sig version was meant to replace the original version but doing so would have contradicted The 501_Blues: A Lurk_of_Faith (by Todd_Kogutt) in that the latter had established that Rebel_Yell did not formally become leader of the LNH until after the Cosmic Plot Device Caper. (Drizzt's version of the Cosmic Plot Device Caper had Rebel Yell as the leader of the LNH.) One contribution Drizzt did make to canon was to establish in The Cosmic_Conspiracy that the Cosmic Plot Device had been "shattered and discarded". This ending was then added to the Cosmic Plot Device Caper when it was reposted in 2002 as an eight part miniseries.

Two and a half months after the CPDC had stopped (as opposed to finished :)), Todd Kogutt (aka Rebel Yell) tried to find out who was still around out of all those who had originally got involved in the LNH; it turned out that only about a dozen of them were still active on the net (including Jef_The_KaTeFan [aka Cliche_Dude], Tori_Fike [aka Lurking Girl], Brian_Perler [aka Obscure_Trivia_Lad] and Jeff_Coleburn [aka Multi-Tasking_Man]); the remainder were eventually considered "Public_Domain". Todd (who from here on will be referred to as "Scavenger"), decided to make do with what characters there were plus create some more (Typo_Lad, List_Lad, Allusion_Lad), making himself the first person claiming multiple WCs. This then became The 501 Blues: The Long_Road_to_Nowhere.

With TLRtN having come out, the LNH was less of a joke. New people came along with their own LNH stories: Drizzt (CRY.SIG), Dave_Van_Domelen (Sound_of_Clashing_Metal, etc.), Stephane_Savoie, Hubert_Bartels and Doug_Wojtowicz (Integrity_Quest), WReam (Sieze_Dangerous), Gary_St._Lawrence (The Secret_Origin_of_Sarcastic_Lad) and Jameel_al_Khafiz (The Comics_Connection).

Now, with about fourteen people involved in the LNH in one form or another (including Mark_Friedman [aka Net.Lurker]), the LNH was just starting to get organised: Integrity Quest continued, The Electrocutioner's_Song (by Jef, Scav., wReam and Dave) began and Drizzt, Gary and Jameel went on and did their own insane things. Meanwhile, Scavenger decided to form a Council_of_Elders which included everybody _except_ the Integrity Questers, Gary and Jameel. The latter were not considered "elder" at the time; the Integrity Questers were omitted for alleged political reasons.

Ah, yes. I refer you now to sections 4.1-4.2 of the FAQ where it refers to "explicit sex, profanity" being "frowned upon" and how "Porno stories' are NOT allowed." Seems a reference to a certain part of the male anatomy being in an excited state was considered explicit, profane, even pornographic by... certain people involved in the LNH at the time. This was the "[[Woody Scandal]]." Thus were all of the Integrity Questers excluded from the ranks of the Elders, even though Doug was the only one actually guilty of pushing the envelope (at first).

(An alternative view of someone who was around at the time: Doug threw in a semi-explicit sex scene in the middle of what had been a good story with no warning. I wrote him a heated letter about it, he posted to get the general feeling of the LNH on it. Basically, most other people -- wReam being the only exception that springs to mind -- didn't care. Hubert objected on the grounds that Panta should be unattainable, the story was retconned away, and the advisement about labelling was added to the proto-FAQ. Doug and I made peace, everyone went away happy as far as I know. Dunno why... certain people have to harp on this piece of LNH history that was really nothing more than private email. -- Drizzt)

In the interests in peace and harmony... well, actually because he didn't have enough time to finish it on his own... Drizzt got together himself, Stephane, Mike_Caprio, Jef and Gary to do THE FLAME_WARS. It was significant in that it was the first multi-writer effort that had an actual plot that was worked out in advance (by Drizzt).

By this time, it was actually becoming difficult to break into the LNH because the LNH already had so much history. Thus along came a poor sap by the name of Martin Phipps who, being out of the loop so to speak, was doomed to face the wrath of... whoever might have a very strict view as to his own personal control over continuity. At first he tried to play it safe by writing stories outside of regular continuity (i.e. Generic_Man_(tm)) but then the temptation to become part of regular LNH continuity became too great and Deja_Dude was retconned into continuity with The Judas_Handshake, And Now The Good_Guys_(tm) and Deja_HULK.

Then heroes started dropping like flies: Lost_Cause_Boy of the Net.Patrol (formerly the Integrity Questers) died in the Lost_Cause_Boy_Special (by Doug), Continuity_Champ died in Blaze_of_Glory (by Drizzt) and even Generic Man (tm) found himself in a state of discontinued life in Generic Man (tm) #7... only to return, miraculously, in Generic Man (tm) #8. Any similarities between these stories and The Death of Superman is, of course, pure coincidence. ;)

1993

Generic Man (tm) #7-8 was, BTW, only the second time Generic Man (tm) and The Good Guys (tm) met any of the LNH besides Deja Dude, namely Bad-Timing Boy, Doctor_Stomper, Sidewinder, Super_Apathy_Lad, Irony_Man and Procrastination_Boy. The latter two hadn't been used since their first appearance in The Cosmic Plot Device Caper; this fact was capitalised upon in In_Pursuit_of_the_Net.Villains in which these characters plus Deja Dude decided to singlehandedly go after the Brotherhood_of_Net.Villains (introduced during THE FLAME WARS). It so happened that wReam's own plans involved having the Legion question the leadership of Ultimate_Ninja... who was taking over the leadership of the LNH after the departure of Rebel_Yell as a result of A Lurk of Faith. This then lead to The Leadership_Crisis which had Ultimate Ninja officially assuming authority as leader of the LNH (and a _lot_ of wrangling over continuity, BTW).

The Crossover_Caper (by Jef, Jameel, Mike_Escutia [aka Pliable_Lad] and Martin) was the first LNH mini-series since The Electrocutioner's Song to involve a storyline that ran over several different titles, notably Deja_Dude_/_Master_Blaster (by Martin with help from Gary amongst others), LetterinG_MaN (by Charles_Fitzgerald) and All_Things_Dark_and_Scary (by Josh_Geurink [aka Occultism_Kid]). Jungle_Cheesecake was the second: it originated in Ultimate Ninja and crossed over into LNH (which is how Martin began to refer to his stories), LetterinG MaN (by Charles) and Tales_of_the_LNH (by Hubert). Meanwhile, Jameel, Mike and Andre_Condon had their own continuity going in Particle_Man, Pliable Lad and Kid_Chivalry, respectively. (Deja Dude / Master Blaster #6 featured, BTW, the climactic battle between Pocket_Man and Master Blaster for the love of Organic_Lass as well as the first appearance of Gary's Elvis_Man.)

Summertime meant that fewer people were on the net: it also meant that those of us who were around had more time to write. Mike, Dave, Ken_Schmidt (aka the villainous Tsar_Chasm) and Jameel put out a considerable amount of stuff over the summer including Pliable Lad #2-6 (by Mike), Constellation #1-9 (by Dave), The Great_Public_Domain_Caper and LNH_Comics_Present #1-6 + Special #1 (all by Ken), The Three_Day_Lull (by these three plus Martin, Steve_Hutchison [aka the Invisible_Incendiary], Jeff_McCoskey, Steph, Andre, wReam and Gary) and Kid_Kirby_and_Sing_Along_Lass #3-4, The LNH_vs._Dimwiticus and Particle Man #3-8 (all by Jameel).

As expected, Continuity Champ returned in THE FLAME WARS II (by Drizzt, Gary, Mike Caprio, Martin and Josh). This then allowed for Continuity Champ appearances in Through_the_Looking_Glass (LNH #58, a sequel to Martin's earlier story, Mirror_Mirror) and Descent (LNH #63-67, a sequel to The Crossover Caper). Meanwhile, Drizzt was putting together Continuity_Champ_&_The_Drizzt's_Defenders, his first ongoing title.

What then followed were two more multi-writer storylines, namely the Universal Bureaucracy storyline which began in, of all places, the Wrath_of_the_Administrator (by the Net.Trenchcoat Brigade), showed up in Constellation (by Dave) and crossed over into Easily_Discovered_Man (by Rob_Rogers), Pliable Lad (by Mike) and Errand_Boy (by Eric_Sturgeon)... and Looniverse_Adrift (by Ken and Jeff_McCoskey) which crossed over into Errand Boy (by Eric Sturgeon), Constellation (by Dave) and LNH_Triple_Play (by Jeff). Meanwhile, Martin's LNH was establishing itself as a flagship title with stories like Interlude (LNH #62), Deja_Four (LNH #68), Acts_of_Violence (LNH #69-71), The Final_Fate_of_Flameproof_Lad (LNH #72-73), Peril_Room_Duty (LNH #74), Old_Acquaintance (LNH #75) and PC_or_not_PC (LNH #77) all serving to help resolve LNH continuity.

1994

The Omaha_Project (by Ben_R._Pierce, Russ_Allbery, Christopher_J._Sypal, Rob Rogers, David_R._Henry, Mike Escutia and Arthur_Spitzer) had various Legionaires (Easily Discovered Man, Easily_Discovered_Man_Lite, Pliable Lad, Parking_Karma_Kid and Tour_Guide_Girl) being sent to Omaha to investigate an explosion.

Jeff McCoskey (with help from Ken, Hubert, Dave and Steve Hutchinson) wrote LNH Triple Play #3, the Valentine_Ball. Saint_Squad #2 (by Gary) then had Pocket Man propose to Organic Lass. They were married in Giant_Sized_LNH #6 (by Martin and Gary with Rebecca Drayer). Meanwhile, Pencil_Rain was working for the Waffle_Queen (in Rob and Jameel's Breakfast_in_America crossover), robots were invading (in Dave Van Domelen, Arthur Spitzer, Robert_Armstrong, Rob Rogers and Mike Escutia's Robot_Invasion crossover) and the LNH_Registration_Act had passed (a storyline that was resolved in Drizzt's Continuity Champ and The Drizzt's Defenders #12 and Martin's LNH #83). Then, in LNH #85, Squid_Boy (who had only recently taken up the identity of Squidman in Constellation #24-25) died from a mysterious virus. Squid Boy's funeral took place in LNH #86 and Constellation #26.

It was around this time that a lot of new blood was joining the Legion, specifically in Decibel_Dude_and_Vigilantee_Guy by Tick, Swordmaster_and_the_Load_Island_Renegades by Badger, Glitch_Girl_and_the_Alt.ter.Net.tives by Marie_Antoon, Johnny_Stomper by Josh, Coma_Kid and Continuity_Champ_Junior by Mystic Mongoose and Generation Y by Martin. Meanwhile, Squid Boy returned from the dead in Constellation #29; with his former mentor now having become a trademarked character, Squid Boy chose to continue on in the Legion as Squidman.

Retcon_Hour (by Jeff, Badger, Tick, Mongoose, Martin, Dave, Mike, Zagyg, Hubert, Stirge and Paul_Hardy) spanned July and August '94. In order to confuse the LNH, the Time_Crapper was creating alternate timelines and allowing them to exist simultaneously. This resulted in, amongst other things, multiple versions of Myk-El and Squalor to come into being. In particular, these Myk-El versions ranged from good to evil since Acton_Lord had apparently been responsible for Myk-El turning evil in the first place so it was easy enough for TC to create alternate Myk-Els, some good and some evil. In order to stop TC, Entity arranged a RACCelestial_Madonna_Pagent, one that would choose the RACCelestial_Madonna who would gain the power to defeat the Time Crapper. Knowing that he'd be defeated by the RACCelestial Madonna, the post-CRY.SIG version of the Time Crapper tried to prevent the RACCelestial Madonna Pagent but was defeated by Decibel_Dude and Panta. The pre-CRY.SIG version of TC was oblivious to all this: he was busy trying to coerce Contraption_Man into creating a machine capable of shaping time as he saw fit. Contraption Man was, however, under the influence of WReamicus_Maximus, having been kidnapped between panels in Jungle Cheesecake and brainwashed into being an Acolyte of DVANDOM. wReamicus Maximus reasoned that the LNH would try to recover the Ring_of_Retcon as a means of stabilising time and laid in waiting for that eventuallity: he told his Acolyte to play along with TC but stall rather than build his machine. Sure enough, Continuity Champ Junior, working with his fellow GenYers, managed to retrieve the Ring of Retcon. wReamicus Maximus sent the Legion_of_Unliving_Legionaires against GenY and stole the ring. When wReam put on the ring, he started retconning continuity. This then got the attention of the Rac.ctre who started gathering up heroes to defeat wReamicus. Meanwhile, VAMMO_Woman was crowned RACCelestial Madonna and teamed up with one of the variant Myk-Els to defeat TC I and II. They then proceeded to join the other heroes in defeating wReam. With wReamicus Maximus defeated, VAMMO Woman used her power as RACCelestial Madonna to recover continuity... with the stipulation that the divergent, heroic Myk-El remain in this timeline and be her consort. Retcon Hour ended with the introduction of two new LNH subgroups, The Legion_of_Occult_Heroes (by Paul Hardy) and Dvandom_Force (by Dave).

Mike Escutia wrote a great deal during the fall of '94, including Retcon Midnight (along with Russ Allbery, David_Anastasion and Drizzt), The Crisis_of_Infinite_Sidekicks (along with Marie Antoon and Tick), which ended with the death of Echo_Lad, and Pliable Lad #30 which described the wedding of Pliable Lad to Tour Guide Girl. The death of Echo Lad apparently had a profound affect on Typo Lad who decided to spend less time in the public eye. (Actually it was Scavenger deciding to not let Typo Lad be used. Whatever.)

1995

Many new writers appeared during the year following Retcon Hour: Campbell_March (Guitarless_Man), Saxon_Brenton (Limp_Asparagus_Lad), Rene_Villareal (Dog_Boy), Ben_Rawluk (Kid_Mysticism), Mike_Friedman (Spite_Grrrl), Eric_Gearman (Leftover_Lad), Jamas_Enright (Fan_Boy), Jennifer_Whitson (Misfits), Ian_Porrell (Kid_Kiwi) and A._Khosla (Refugees_of_Net.ropolis). Meanwhile, Chris_Gumprich had become the official RACC reviewer as well as, eventually, the writer of R.E.J.E.C.T.s.

Crimes_of_the_Brotherhood (by Jeff McCoskey, Martin Phipps, Badger, Tick, Drizzt, Mike Friedman, Jaelle, Rob Rogers and Scott_Johnson) proved to be the LNH's most lackluster crossover in years with the Brotherhood of Net.Villains making ineffective attacks against the Legion. The surprise, and somewhat anticlimactic, ending of the storyline came in Continuity Champ and The Drizzt's Defenders #22 which revealed Mr._Homage to be none other than the Robbing Lie-fild. With their leader captured, the remaining members of the Brotherhood turned to Lagneto for leadership and relocated to Asteroid_L. Meanwhile, Sig.Lad's funeral took place, Sig.Lad having been killed in Dvandom Force #48 while doing battle with an evil Sig.Lad from an alternate future.

Catalytic_Conversions

Swordmaster/Legion_of_Occult_Heroes

Dvandom_Force/Team_Mecha

Culinary_Disasters

Flame_Wars_III

1996

Century_Pact

1997

In 1997 Tsar Chasm returned from the dead and it was revealed that he was posing as the LNHer Kid G. In 1998, Dr. Killfile also returned with no explanation of how he had cheated death in the pages of Teenfactor.

NWO

Evil's_Last_Stand

1998

Saviors_of_the_Net

1999

In 1999 in Tales of the LNH #370, Panta was retconned out of existence, sacrificing herself to save the Looniverse from the Collector.

Birth_of_a_Villain

2000s

2000

Mutton_Mania

2001

In March of 2001, the city of Sig.ago was completely destroyed (it would eventually be restored). http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.comics.creative/msg/6a5a38b21242e357?dmode=source&hl=en

In July of 2001, a number of LNHers were married including Deja Dude, Master Blaster and Sister State the Obvious, Innovative Offense Boy and Ordinary Lady, and Cheesecake Eater Lad and aLLiterative Lass http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.comics.creative/msg/f8e400cca85fa446?dmode=source&hl=en. Since then a few of them have become parents.