The Legion of Super-Heroes is a DC Comics superhero team created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino. The original Legion first appeared in Adventure Comics #247 (April 1958) and was the first super-team of the Silver Age of Comic Books.Although time travel stories in comic books are frequent, the series is different from most in that it actually takes place in the 31st century (stories published prior to 2000 were set in the 30th century). Legion of Super-Heroes stories contain more elements of fantasy and science fiction than most American comic books. The Legion is also known for its sizable roster, which includes several dozen minor and major characters. A common visual associated with the group is a tidal wave of colorful heroes utilizing the group's "flight rings."Beginning with issue 37, former writer Jim Shooter (who wrote Legion stories in the late 1960s and early 1970s) initiated an open-ended run with Francis Manapul as the artist. The title has once again been named Legion of Super-Heroes.
The Ultimates is an American comic book superhero series published by Marvel Comics as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint. The series stars The Ultimates, superhero team that is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running super hero team, the Avengers, that exists alongside other revamped Marvel characters in Ultimate Marvel titles including Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate X-Men, and Ultimate Fantastic Four. While The Ultimates are clearly recognizable as a version of the Avengers, they are also very different from the originals. The tone of the stories in these books is widely considered to be darker, more cynical, and more cinematic than most traditional comic books. Also, up until recently, The Ultimates were a government-sponsored branch of the United States military rather than a traditional super hero team. Unlike the other Ultimate Marvel titles, The Ultimates has been published in limited series rather than as an ongoing monthly title. The first series, written by Mark Millar and illustrated by Bryan Hitch, ended in April 2004. The second series, The Ultimates 2, also by Millar and Hitch, began in December 2004 and was completed in May 2007. The Ultimates 3, written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by Joe Madureira, was launched in December 2007.
