Fictional character biography Garth Ranzz

1 fictional character biography

1.1 silver age
1.2 0 hour - reboot

1.2.1 legion
1.2.2 solo
1.2.3 mekt


1.3 threeboot
1.4 post- infinite crisis

fictional character biography

silver age


lightning lad s origin.

lightning lad founding member of legion of super-heroes along saturn girl , cosmic boy. born on planet winath, twin brother of fellow legionnaire ayla ranzz (lightning lass), younger brother of supervillain mekt ranzz (lightning lord), , father of 2 sets of twins; sons garridan (validus) , graym ranzz , daughters dacey , dorrit ranzz.

early in legion s history, sacrificed himself battling zaryan conqueror, later resurrected sacrifice of proty, chameleon boy s shapeshifting pet. however, later retcon revealed proty s mind had taken on lightning lad s form.

an incident against monster dubbed super moby dick of space resulted in loss of lightning lad s right arm, replaced bionic appendage. had arm regrown, in interim criminal scientist used situation hypnotize lightning lad acting super criminal starfinger used bionic arm weapon. after great darkness saga, son abducted darkseid , subsequently transformed monster validus.

during 5 year gap following magic wars, earth fell under covert control of dominators, , withdrew united planets. few years later, members of dominators highly classified batch sw6 escaped captivity. originally, batch sw6 appeared group of teenage legionnaire clones, created samples apparently taken prior ferro lad s death @ hands of sun-eater. later, revealed time-paradox duplicates, every bit legitimate older counterparts. after earth destroyed in disaster reminiscent of destruction of krypton on millennium earlier, few dozen surviving cities , inhabitants reconstituted world new earth. sw6 legionnaires remained, , version of lightning lad assumed code name live wire. unlike adult garth, did not possess proty s mind or personality. thus, teenage live wire far more reckless , rebellious previous depiction of garth.

zero hour - reboot

in aftermath of crisis on infinite earths superman s origin revamped , superboy erased superman s past. unfortunately, legion s history revolved around superboy, , version of character retconned being part of pocket universe , solution caused several continuity errors. after 0 hour miniseries, legion history rebooted. garth s new history started when twins went mekt on trip in parents new space cruiser , became stranded on barren planet korbal after cruiser s power cells drained. ayla suggested use lightning beasts (the living things on planet) in attempt recharge cruiser. result of this, however, 3 found in comas following day result of massive electrocution.

months later, garth , ayla awoke simultaneously find mekt had awoken around week earlier, displayed electrical powers beasts, threatened staff, , vanished. after hearing this, kept fact had developed similar powers parents before garth, thinking lightning had corrupted mekt somehow , corrupt them , refusing believe mekt had developed sociopath because had been solo on world of twins, ran away home find mekt (telling parents going visit aunt ryth), despite ayla s attempts dissuade him.

legion

hearing mekt might on earth, got on shuttle bound earth via titan, , met rokk krinn there. 2 hit off immediately, although developed crush on @ first sight, imra ardeen gave him frosty reception. nonetheless, when shouted 4 maintenance men assassins after r.j. brande, 3 worked stop them. gave brande idea. shortly after, bar-room brawl caused garth arrested, cellmates beat him up, triad-orange came , posted bail - brande wanted word. there, found other 2 luornus had fetched imra , rokk. brande, follower of 21st century heroic age , proceeded talk 3 of them founding legion of heroes. super-heroes, garth taking codename live wire.

despite tension between him , saturn girl, garth s initial period legion passed little trouble, until sister showed up. @ point, permitted have 1 legionnaire per world , garth, classed runaway, not winath wanted represent them. ayla, codenamed spark, apologetic, neither of them had choice in matter , after leveled legion plaza in fight ultra boy (after ub had threatened ayla), quit rather embarrass rokk or imra more letting them plead let him stay.

solo

after this, joined leland mccauley s workforce try money follow mekt again, stayed them short time before mccauley s complete lack of morals became , quit. shortly afterward, went ask brande if borrow ship find brother. since several stargates (the standard means of traveling faster light, brande manufactured) had been destroyed , brande didn t want take chances, turned him down, told him go , visit saturn girl, in hospital, having been mentally regressed childhood strain shutting down composite man s mind. upon seeing have toddler-style temper tantrum, though, not bring himself go in.

shortly after, several daxamites attacked earth, , when garth visited legion hq see if help, given flight ring rokk , ordered go , see imra (who d seen pleading garth earlier). when saw him, threw arms around him, and, telling legion needed - , needed - talked sanity.

at end, 3 founders stood on legion hq saturn girl called daxamites there, in time element lad , brainiac 5 send them planet powerless, ending threat.

mekt

in aftermath, however, once more forced off team—and stung ayla s charge talked game on finding mekt, never did it—- went on travels again try once more find wayward brother. after spending 27060 credits in search, found himself on planet bisbe, having been robbed of last 512 credits. when trying money back, arrested murder under mekt s name. rather protesting wasn t mekt, stayed silent, , truth discovered, mekt broke through wall , killed police officer trying dissuade garth taking mekt s fall. when garth saw how insane mekt had become, tried blast him, knocked out brother. meanwhile, ayla told of garth s arrest , cop s electrocution, , rushed straight bisbe.

garth awoke entering korbal s orbit, mekt started killing more beasts increase own power, 1 lightning powers, plan did not involve garth or ayla. garth realized this, several science police cruisers flew overhead announcing under arrest murder of policeman. mekt began down cruisers, while garth pleaded mekt stop. finally, when ayla showed up, ranting mekt attacked her. garth forced face truth mekt, mekt, more powerful both of twins together, retaliated vaporizing garth s right arm. ayla grabbed mekt s laser pistol , shot him in leg, delaying him while saw garth s wound had cauterized itself. finally, mekt prepared finish them off, garth prompted ayla hold remaining hand , let powers run freely. resulting blast enough not knock mekt off feet, discharge him (not mention turn hair white). mekt arrested s.p., , (after short stay in hospital) garth cleared of charges.

while recovering ordeal, , getting used artificial arm, contacted cosmic boy, knew president chu something, didn t know , had play along wishes (which included keeping live wire off team). rokk had live wire put secret rescue squad. after recruiting ultra boy, element lad, andromeda, valor , xs, saved legion fatal five. both teams divided three, , heroes combined have chu impeached , arrested, , prevent (with fatal 5 s help) reviving braal-titan war. r.j. brande reluctantly drafted new u.p. president, , first act abolish u.p.-installed membership restrictions on team, allowing garth rejoin.

garth killed during legion lost storyline, sacrificing himself in battle progenitor (actually insane element lad). few crystals left destruction of progenitor, kid quantum took upon lost legion s return first galaxy; left crystals on shanghalla (the heroes graveyard). turned out garth s essence survived in crystals , jan s body regrew garth s mind. apparently able use both element lad , lightning lad powers in new crystalline body. relationship other legionnaires, including saturn girl, strained due outward resemblance progenitor.

in final crisis: legion of 3 worlds miniseries, post-zero hour legion brought pre-crisis legion s timeline, battle superboy prime , legion of super-villains. during time, pre-crisis brainiac 5 uses specially charged lightning rod increase transmutation ability of element lad s body, allowing garth mutate body match own.

threeboot

in 2005 waid/kitson revamp, garth ranzz (again lightning lad) remains charter member of galactic youth movement legion has become. (it revealed coined first legion motto— eat it, grandpa! ) , saturn girl share intimate connection, , garth notes 1 has way honest date telepath. protective of twin, light lass, , bears slight grudge against brin londo treatment of ayla. 1 of legion s fiercest fighters, single-handedly routed terrorist group terra firma in first skirmish legion. made acting leader in wake of lemnos crisis, lightning lad signed accord officially named legion arm of united planets , saved hundreds of legionnaires being brutally deported science police. legion member has logged least time on earth, tending prefer exploring space, if searching something, revealed older brother, mekt, came earth, himself, leading own super team known wanderers. fact, , total dedication legion s cause puts serious strain on relationship saturn girl, putting in ultra boy s arms.

post- infinite crisis

the events of 2005–2006 infinite crisis storyline restored close analogue of pre- crisis on infinite earths legion continuity, seen in lightning saga story arc in justice league of america , justice society of america, , in superman , legion of super-heroes story arc in action comics. lightning lad included in number, , still married saturn girl.

garth later escorts superman present, 2 take time reminisce on teenage misadventures in fortress of solitude. 2 joined batman, reveals bodies of karate kid , una found in gotham city. garth , batman react hostile towards 1 another, given batman s distrust of time travelers. garth leaves 31st century karate kid , una s bodies, not before giving superman new flight ring , giving batman veiled warning upcoming struggles.

in 2009 revival of adventure comics garth sent imprisoned mekt uncover truth whether mekt in fact single birth, or whether suspicions correct have twin , parents have covered up. remains seen whether telling truth, lying, or has deluded himself believing this. if true, revelation significant alteration characters backstory.