AVENGERS #167 (Jan 1978)
Marvel Comics

Substitute Legion Homage to Avengers Issue 167 ( Subs Saga Tie-In Event : Rift )
Artists: Emil Cabaltierra (Penciller) , Chris Ivy (Penciller)

This gallery has been over three years in the making and a labor of love. I have loved the Legion of Substitute Heroes,ever since I came across them in a reprint of Adventure Comics Issue 351.Even though their are powers are not earth-shattering ( but neither are Bouncing Boy's or Dream Girl and they made it to the big leagues. ) they more than make up for lack of powers with a huge optimistic heart.The Subs were often treated as a joke by writers over the years and yet their history is rich. They are the 31st Century Version of " The Little Engine that could..." To quote from the Hero History on the Major Spoilers website... " If the stories of the Legion are taken as a metaphor for high school (and, really, nearly everything can be) then we look at the Legionnaires themselves as the popular kids, the prom queens, the homecoming kings, the drama students, By that metaphor, then, the Substitute heroes were the rest of us… The band geeks, the stoners, the losers, the comic book readers. They were the ones who weren't cut out for the heroic life, but chose not to accept their failings as excuses....The Legion of Substitute Heroes traveled a longer and much more rough road than most, but eventually each of them made a difference through sheer will and fortitude. Though they couldn't move planets, Ulu, Ral, Lydda, Dag, Pete, Drura, and Staq each knew that they could make a difference when the right day came, and stood vigilant, ever-ready for the moment when they, too, could show that EVERYONE has something to contribute, and that anyone who is willing to do the right thing can be a hero. " And that was the spirit I tried to capture in the Substitute Saga.

I started with a lovely Sun Boy Vs Polar Boy piece which Peter Temple did, this was a Re-Legion'ing of a Marvel Team-Up cover depicting Iceman & The Human Torch. It was so good , it got my mind spinning for other match-ups such as Porcupine Pete Vs Bouncing Boy ( still cant believe Keith Giffen didn't do that one ! ) and the Subs Saga was born.............. The villain had to be Evillo as he was the villain in the Silver Age Story from Adventure comics Issues 350 & 351, which first introduced me to the wonderful world of the Subs & the Super-Pets. I wanted somebody who could pull my vision together and MITCH BALLARD was the man who did it in style.

We played around with a few cover options and the 10 part Maxi-Series event was good to go. MITCH BALLARD brought MAGIC to this whole process. I am so thrilled he took the main story-line on..its been so hard not to release this until it was all complete.Mitch just got stronger and better with each cover,I had only intended a few Tie-in's to round out the tale but as in life, the story just took on a life of its own. Old friends like John Watson stepped up to the plate again and again to help but I also found great new artists to add their talents. John Watson led me to his friend Russell Payne who is a computer genius and a creative fan all rolled into one. Russell came up with gems of logo's etc which enhanced the whole process. The level of detail he put into it is amazing.CHRIS IVY deserves a medal for courage and another medal for patience. He didn't run screaming when I suggested this way back when. Again and again , he added, amended, deleted rescued and tweaked commissions so this 50 commission event all flowed together and made sense...There was only one negative artist experience (Arvin Capocyan..buyer beware ) which considering the complexity of all this is amazing. There was a lot of good will, even the odd discount pricing and gifts ( God Bless You all, you know who you are.. ) humor, and creative crazy energy involved in this..

So in this Event,we have all the classic elements of a story, the much underrated heroes going up against a classic villain, good guys turning bad, one on one match-ups, a death, a relationship break-up and even a Legion wedding..In a sense, this story ( or the BIG CRAZY IDEA aka THE FINANCIAL BLACK HOLE as friends called it )is a BIG THANK YOU to DC Comic's artists and storytellers like Curt Swan, John Forte, Dave Cockrum, Mike Grell, Paul Levitz Greg LaRocque,Steve Lightle and Keith Giffen for hours and hours of wonderful adventures. The Legion fans are a subset unto themselves but I would like to thank Mr Michael ( One Minute Later ) Finn for his help. He and his buddy's ( Damano, Brian Sagar,& Michael Dunne ) helped me to find amazing artists and inkers for this project. It's because of great sites such as CAF and other original comic art sites,that I could even dare try to put it together.The good folks over at Legion World on Facebook have been cheerleaders and a source of information on all things Legion. I am sure despite my best efforts that there are still a few continuity errors in the Saga and I gained a whole new respect for editors as a result of this project but just go with flow.Enjoy ( because this is a ONCE-Off Event )

Aidan