The Legion of Night

The Legion of Night is a fictional organization appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They were dedicated to opposing occult threats. The group was composed of Ariann Wight, Dr. Chan Liuchow, Dr. Katherine Reynolds, Martin Gold, Jennifer Kale, and Omen/Charles Blackwater. Later, Omen brought private investigator Leena Wolfe onto the team, but she has not been shown in action with them.

Not to be confused with Legion of the Night.
The Legion of Night
Group publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceThe Legion of Night #1 (October 1991)
Created bySteve Gerber
Whilce Portacio
In-story information
Base(s)Arizona
Agent(s)Martin Gold
Jennifer Kale
Dr. Chan Liuchow
Omen/Charles Blackwater
Dr. Katherine Reynolds
Ariann Wight
Leena Wolfe
Legion of Night
Cover of The Legion of Night #1 (October 1991).
Art by Whilce Portacio & Scott Williams.
Series publication information
FormatLimited series
Genre
Publication dateOctober – October 1991
Number of issues2
Creative team
Writer(s)Steve Gerber
Penciller(s)Whilce Portacio
Inker(s)Scott Williams
Dan Panosian
Letterer(s)John Workman
Colorist(s)Paul Mounts
Creator(s)Steve Gerber
Whilce Portacio
Editor(s)Tom DeFalco
Len Kaminski
Ralph Macchio
Collected editions
(Part One)ISBN 087135750X
(Part Two)ISBN 0871357518

The group was created by Steve Gerber and Whilce Portacio.

Publication history

Dr. Chan Liuchow was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Strange Tales #89, the discoverer and original opponent of Fin Fang Foom, who in the group's eponymous two-issue prestige format mini-series, became possessed by a demon, Aan Taanu.

Gerber had previously introduced Dr. Katherine Reynolds as a supporting character to Daimon Hellstrom in Marvel Spotlight #14, and Martin Gold as a supporting character to Lilith, Daughter of Dracula in Vampire Tales #6, while Jennifer Kale debuted in Adventure into Fear #11, which was Gerber's first story for Marvel. The other members of the team were introduced specifically for the series.

Man-Thing appeared in the series as well, but only in a vision, in which the normally mute and non-sentient character was able to speak with Jennifer.

Gerber expressed interest in writing about the characters again, but Marvel has not. The only follow-up to the initial prestige format limited series was a backup story in Midnight Sons Unlimited #9.

Plot

The story of the limited series deals with the suicide of Charles Blackwater, whose soul is morphed into Omen, and the visions of Dr. Katherine Reynolds, now a patient in a mental institution, who keeps saying "Fin Fang Foom". Reynolds, who had previously worked with Daimon Hellstrom, was abducted by a group known only as The Agency and given drugs that enhanced her latent psionic powers.[1]

Jennifer Kale, now in college and living with an overweight boyfriend, Bernard Drabble, has not used her magic in years (she was last seen midwifing the "birth" of Quagmire through Man-Thing in Marvel Comics Presents vol. 1 #29), but suddenly feels compelled to, and receives encouragement from Man-Thing when she dreams that he is sitting next to her on an airplane.[2]

In China, Dr. Chan is trying to explain to officials that there is a new part of the prophecy of Fin Fang Foom that he has only recently uncovered. In New York, Martin Gold is now working for a paranormal magazine, having previously done hard journalism. He has rethought his life after his relationship with Angel O'Hara and her possession by Lilith.[3]

Omen summons the team to the apartment of Charles Atwater, whom Omen had recently resurrected in order to take control of his body.[4]

Blackwater was forced to commit suicide by a former client, The Beyond Reason Spiritual Fellowship, which was resurrecting their hedonistic god, Aan Tanu, through the body of Fin Fang Foom. The Fellowship was based on a rare religious tome that its male leader, Reeve Calder, believed was a hoax. Its female leader, Hildreth, mates with Aan Tanu to create a demonic child. Ariann, however, rips the child out of her womb and kills it.[5]

Notes
  1. Legion of Night #1
  2. Legion of Night #2
  3. Legion of Night #1
  4. Legion of Night #1-2
  5. Legion of Night #2

References
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