Cosmic Boy
Cosmic Boy is a male comic superhero who features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Pre-Crisis
Rokk Krinn was a Braalian who was an inhabitant of the 30th century where he was the son of Hu Krinn and Ewa Krinn with him having a brother named Pol Krinn. (Legion of Super-Heroes v2 #297)
His father was on Earth looking for work when his wife gave birth to Rokk Krinn. Eventually, the work ran out and the family decided to return to Braal when Rokk was very young. (Legion of Super-Heroes v2 #297)
When he was 13 years old, he hit the Magno-Ball Championship circuit where he won some scholarships and even a couple of prizes but he lost the Olympic Championship. (Legion of Super-Heroes v2 #297)
At 14 years old, Braalian custom held Rokk to be a adult and he boarded a ship on Braal to Earth in order to look for work. On-board the vessel, he met Garth Ranzz where the two struck a friendship continued its journey. Later on, the transport gained more passengers that included the richest man in the universe namely R. J. Brande. He was targeted by armed men with Rokk and Garth using their powers to neutralise the attackers. After apprehending them, another passenger who was a telepath Imra Ardeen used her powers to find the employer of the gunmen with this being R. J. Brande's cousin. Brande came to be impressed at the work of the three kids and wanted them to be superheroes where he would bankroll them with the three becoming the founder members of their organization. They would style themselves on the exploits of the legendary Superman of the 20th century where Rokk came to take the name of Cosmic Boy. (Superboy v1 #147)
Cosmic Boy traveled from the 30th century to the 20th century alongside Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl to visit Superboy in Smallville. Upon arriving, he attended a meeting at a local clubhouse where he and his associates presented themselves as members of a superhero club from the future. During this gathering, he demonstrated his abilities by utilizing magnetic force to attract and manipulate metal objects, specifically causing a collection of small metal items to fly toward him. He observed and participated in a series of initiation tests and displays of power alongside his teammates to evaluate Superboy’s qualifications for their organization. He stood in formation as his group conducted a formal vote on whether to admit Superboy, ultimately participating in the presentation of a membership trophy to the hero. After the conclusion of these proceedings and the formal induction of the new member, he and his fellow club members boarded a spacecraft and departed the 20th century to return to their own time period. (Adventure Comics v1 #247)
Cosmic Boy and the Legion were set to have their annual vote to elect a new leader, and Saturn Girl was the first to arrive at the Clubhouse. A crystal capsule sent from the Trylop Council of Mernl dropped from the sky warning that their computers predicted a Legionnaire would die using their powers during an upcoming invasion of Earth by Zaryan the Conqueror, and Saturn Girl resolved to sacrifice herself to protect her fellow Legionnaires. She used her thought control to nudge the Legion into electing her leader, then used a rainbow bar from their treasury to make medallions with her face printed on them, and demanded every Legionnaire wear one. She demanded the Legionnaires demonstrate effective use of their powers, and was able to temporarily duplicate each member of the Legion’s powers using the medallions they wore, and proceeded to forbid them for using their powers or going on missions during a probation period because she declared they were not using their powers properly. When Zaryan began his invasion of Earth she responded, and warned the other Legionnaires not to follow her because they were on probation. The Legion thought she’d gone mad with power, but Mon-El had observed her actions from the Phantom Zone, and knew her motivations. Sunspots interfered with him communicating with the Legion, but when they lifted he filled in Lightning Lad on the situation, and he flew into space, determined to keep Saturn Girl from sacrificing herself. He blew up Zaryan’s ship with his powers, but was fatally shot with a freeze-ray. The Legion honored him by placing him in a glass coffin with lightning generated over it by a perpetual motion device, and his funeral was attended by Superboy, Supergirl and Lori Lemaris. The Legion placed a statue of Lightning Lad in their Clubhouse as a tribute to the first Legionnaire killed in action. (Adventure Comics v1 #304)
The Legion still mourned Lightning Lad, but had to fill the spot his passing left on the roster, so they held an open audition. Antennae Boy of Grxyor could use his ears as an antennae to tune into any radio station from Earth’s past present or future, but the screeching sound of radio programs blaring over each other drove the Legion nuts, and he admitted he couldn’t control his powers. Dynamo Kid was a reporter hoping to do a story on the Legion, and rigged a device to make it appear as if he had the same powers as Lightning Lad, but the Legion easily saw through his ruse. Marvel Lad demonstrated several of the same powers as Superboy, making the team suspicious. A metal-detector revealed he wasn’t a robot, and he proved he wasn’t Superboy in disguise by handling a piece of Kryptonite kept in the Legion Clubhouse. Cosmic Boy decided to give Marvel Lad a number of initiation tests before letting him on the team. He had Marvel Lad retrieve fluvium, which Brainiac 5 needed for his lead-poisoning antidotes he was developing to cure Mon-El, and Marvel quickly brought some back from a distant galaxy. For his next test fought a feeding Sun-Eater, a being that roamed the galaxy absorbing the heat and energy of suns, and made it flee by blasting it with his heat-vision, which was hotter than a sun. Marvel was told to clear the planet Brogg of space monsters so it would be safe to use as an emergency landing spot for space pilots. The monsters turned out to be illusions created by a 3-D generator. Marvel smashed it and found stolen treasure underneath it, realizing the charade was created by space pirates looking to protect their booty. For his final test Marvel Lad had to create a new element, and by crushing gold, silver and iron into powder and rubbing his hands at superspeed to vibrate the molecules of the three elements he formed a bar of element 152, an anti-gravity metal. Marvel Lad was accepted into the Legion, and pulled off the mask he wore, revealing himself as Mon-El. The day before Brainiac 5 had him test his latest antidote, but told him to wait a day to make sure its’ effects were permanent before revealing himself to the Legion, not wanting to get their hopes up as they had before when Brainiac came up with a cure that turned out to be temporary. Mon-El took one last trip to the Phantom Zone to tell off the Kryptonian criminals who’d tormented him for centuries, and reminded them that good always triumphed over evil. Mon-El was overjoyed that Brainiac had finally cured him, but his spirits were dampened by the passing of Lightning Lad, and vowed to find a way to revive him using Daxamite super-science. (Adventure Comics v1 #305)
The Legion later came to hold their try-outs for new members and had to reject several well-meaning but unsuited applicants, including Polar Boy, Night Girl, Chlorophyll Kid, Fire Lad and Stone Boy. The rejects met up and were encouraged by Polar Boy that even though they were not Legion material, they could still use their powers to help people. They formed the Legion of Substitute Heroes, vowing to help people and, if need be, the Legion of Super-Heroes in their time of need. They built their own clubhouse in the side of a mountain as well as a spaceship and Science Police monitoring system. They got a warning about giant evolved sea creatures that had escaped from the Ocean Research Laboratory, and were quick to respond, but the Legion were already on the scene wrangling the beasts. The next Science Police alert came when scientists who’d built a domed city in the Arctic went rogue. They secretly built an atomic power plant under the dome, propelling the city into space, and delivered an ultimatum that they’d use the advanced weaponry they’d built to attack Earth unless they were given tribute. The Substitute Heroes flew into space, but Sun Boy of the Legion streaked through space near the domed city, and fearing they were about to be hit by a meteorite the scientists piloted their city back to Earth where they were apprehended by Colossal Boy and Cosmic Boy. Robot-ships attacked Earth and Polar Boy offered the Legion back-up, but Brainiac 5 refused him, saying the mission was too dangerous for untrained civilians. The Substitute Heroes’ anxieties finally got to them, and they decided they were no help as a team after all and prepared to disband. Chlorophyll Kid spotted seeds that had rained down from space, and used his plant growth powers on one. The seed grew into a plant man that attacked him, and the Substitute Heroes defeated it, and Fire-Lad incinerated the rest of the seeds. They learned from their monitor system that the seeds had come from a distant planet that had also sent the robot-ships. The robot-ships were meant to divert the Legion while the planet rocketed more seeds to Earth to conquer the planet. The Substitutes traveled to the planet, found the warehouse storing millions of seeds, and Chlorophyll Kid used his powers to prematurely grow them to plant men. The planet was now burdened with a population explosion, and had to cease its’ plans of invasion. The Substitutes decided to stay together after all, and were pleased to keep their victory a secret amongst themselves, and attended a parade for the Legion celebrating their defeat of the robot-ships. (Adventure Comics v1 #306)
Space pirate Roxxas and his crew wee looking for a valuable target, and during their search they raided the planet Oranz, stealing all their cold light globes. The Legion responded, with Sun Boy heating a mountain to white-hot temperatures to provide light for the natives until they could produce more cold light globes to light their cities. The Oranz shot down one of the pirate’s rocketships, which Brainiac 5 examined, declaring it capable of faster-than-light-travel. He immediately went about replicating the technology so the Legion could pursue Roxxas. With several members on offworld missions the Legion conducted an emergency membership drive. Jan Arrah of Trom, said he had an amazing power, but couldn’t reveal it to all of them. They assumed he had a good reason for his conditional application, and he showed it to Saturn Gir, who promised not to reveal his power, but assured the Legion he’d be a worthy member. Dubbed Mystery Lad, he accompanied the Legion using the faster-than-light rocketships Brainiac 5 duplicated to the waterworld of Vuruna, where Roxxas and his men had looted valuable colored pearls. Roxxas dropped z-bombs on the pontoons of a city in Vuruna, and Cosmic Boy used his magnetic powers to keep the city afloat until repairs could be made, but Roxxas managed to escape. Saturn Girl used her telepathic powers to follow the pirates to a dead world, and Mystery Lad helped them escape an ambush., The captured pirates recognized Mystery Lad, who looked guilty on meeting them, and Invisible Kid suspected he was secretly a space pirate. The Legion continued to pursue Roxxas and his crew, and Mystery Lad got out in front of them, surrendering himself to the pirates. They’d raided his homeworld because the residents were capable of transmuting one element to another, and they planned to force the natives to turn lead into uranium so they could create a doomsday weapon, the threat of which would let them conduct unopposed raids across the universe. The residents of Trom fought back, and were all killed except Jan, who fled, and Roxxas had pursued him ever since, which was was he was hiding the nature of his powers. Jan said he’d rather die than help them, and turned the hull of their mothership into gas. The pirates had oxygen helmets and fled, only to be captured by the Legion. Invisible Kid, still suspicious of Jan being allied with the pirates, had followed him onboard Roxxas’ ship, and gave him an oxygen helmet, saving his life. Cosmic Boy welcomed Jan as a full member of the Legion, dubbed him Element Lad, and promised that the nature of his powers would still be kept a secret to everyone but the Legion. (Adventure Comics v1 #307)
Post-Crisis
Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
Rokk Krinn was a world-famous teenage athletic superstar from the planet Braal who rose from a low-income family to achieve massive planetary celebrity under the professional sporting moniker of Cosmic Boy. He dominated the United Planets' most popular professional sport, Magnoball, utilizing his precise control over magnetic vectors to achieve unmatched athletic success. Wanting to escape a corrupt, financially exploitative athletic contract controlled by his greedy sporting manager, he boarded an interstellar passenger transport to relocate to Earth in search of independent career opportunities. Upon arriving at a massive metropolitan spaceport terminal, he encountered two other super-powered alien teenagers who quickly noticed a hidden threat within the crowded venue. When a heavily armed corporate assassin suddenly launched a deadly ambush to execute a trillionaire corporate mogul named René Jacques Brande, Rokk acted entirely on protective instinct. By combining his magnetic skills with his new companions' raw mutations to disarm and crush the killer's high-tech weapon arrays, he successfully saved the industrialist's life, earning Brande's personal sponsorship to lead a brand-new interstellar peacekeeping organization. (Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #0)
He decided to borrow a Time Bubble from the Time Institute to vacation in Superman's era and convinced Night Girl to accompany him. During their journey, a disruption in the timestream erupted causing them to land on Earth but the timeline had been altered. Upon emerging, Cosmic Boy encountered the fiery giant known as Brimstone and a crisis as Earth threatened to turn against its superheroes. Rokk encountered Superman only to discover that the Man of Steel did not recognise him as the effects on history meant that he had never encountered the Legion of Super-Heroes. Krinn had determined that some event following the Great Crisis had altered the timeline thus threatening his future with him and Night Girl looking to ensure that history returned on track. (Cosmic Boy v1 #1) Afterwards, he came to read newspapers and other sources of information where he concluded that there were serious changes in history compared to those of the Legion such as Superman having never been Superboy in this era. (Cosmic Boy v1 #2)
Post-Zero Hour
After saving the life of billionaire industrialist R.J. Brande, along with two others Garth Ranzz and Imra Ardeen, he was invited to join the newly formed Legion of Super-Heroes, a team of superpowered teenagers representing the United Planets across the galaxy. (Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #0)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, Cosmic Boy was a male of the human race who possessed a youthful facial structure with short, dark hair that was styled neatly. His eyes were drawn with a focused and serious expression, and his facial features were clean-shaven and typical of a teenager or young adult. He had a slim, athletic, and well-proportioned body type, appearing lean and upright with a height consistent with that of his two teammates. His costume consisted of a dark-coloured, form-fitting bodysuit with a high collar and long sleeves. The most prominent design feature of his tunic was a series of four light-coloured, circular medallions arranged in a square pattern on the upper chest. He wore a light-coloured belt at his waist and matching dark-coloured trousers that integrated with the rest of his suit. His attire was completed with dark, calf-high boots and gloves that reached his forearms. Like his companions, he did not wear a mask or a cape, leaving his entire head visible throughout his activities in the 20th century. (Adventure Comics v1 #247) He took the name of Cosmic Boy after he became one of the three founding members of the Legion. (Superboy v1 #147)
Similar to other Braalians, he felt a sense of loneliness when away from Braal whose stronger magnetic field made him feel cosier. (Legion of Super-Heroes v2 #297)
Powers and abilities
Krinn was a Braalian who were a humanoid alien species all of whom developed magnetic powers that they would use to combat the metal monsters native to Braal. (Superboy v1 #147) Their homeworld was said to possess a strong magnetic field. This was to the extent that that Braal natives felt lonely when going to other worlds as they possessed a weaker magnetic field by comparison. It had dictated the evolution of all life on the planet with a system of survival of the fittest leading to the Braalians developing powers to deal with the metallic monsters inhabiting the surface. In Rokk's case, his powers were inherited as part of his genetic heritage in being of pure Braalian stock for generations. It was remarked that he was born with strong magnetic powers though the reasoning for this was never discovered. (Legion of Super-Heroes v2 #297)
Cosmic Boy demonstrated the superhuman ability to generate and manipulate magnetic fields. He exhibited the skill to attract and control metal objects, specifically causing a collection of small metallic items to fly toward him. He showcased the capacity for flight, maintaining a hovering position in the air alongside his companions without the aid of visible machinery. He possessed the specialized knowledge and training required to operate a spacecraft capable of travelling through time and space, specifically bridging the gap between the 30th and 20th centuries. He showed the ability to function as part of a coordinated tactical unit, following group protocols for voting and the induction of new members into a formal organisation. Additionally, he exhibited the physical stamina and sensory awareness common to active superheroes, participating in various displays of power and monitoring the actions of others in a high-stakes environment. He also demonstrated basic social and diplomatic skills by communicating clearly with individuals from a different historical era and participating in a formal award presentation. (Adventure Comics v1 #247)
Rokk Krinn possessed near-infinite biological mastery over local magnetic fields, a specialized trait common to the native inhabitants of his homeworld but drastically amplified in his own physiology. He demonstrated incredible kinetic precision with his power, refined by years of high-stakes professional sports competition where he manipulated heavy metallic spheres with millimeter accuracy. By extending his arms, he could project invisible waves of magnetic force to instantly dismantle advanced 30th-century projectile weaponry, pull metallic structures from their foundations, and create localized kinetic barriers to reflect incoming enemy fire. His tactical capabilities were augmented by the four metallic discs affixed to his uniform, which he could magnetically detach and control mid-air as remote, blunt-force projectiles or tracking beacons. Beyond his magnetic mutation, he exhibited peak athletic conditioning, elite spatial awareness, and a natural, level-headed command presence that allowed him to effortlessly direct chaotic group maneuvers. (Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #0)
He could detect the presence of radioactives by the disruptions they created on magnetic fields. (Cosmic Boy v1 #2)
Rokk was able to use magnetic repulsion to push back targets with high degrees of metal on them. (Superboy v1 #147) Such was his level of control repel people with metal in their uniforms in order to keep them at a safe distance from harm. (Legion of Super-Heroes v2 #297)
Tapping into the iron in a person's blood he could pull them to him with his magnetic powers. (Legion of Super-Heroes v2 #297)
It was shown that he could hold a ship in place and rip it apart with ease. (Legion of Super-Heroes v2 #297)
An older version as Cosmic Man was noted to be able to manipulate the paramagnetic components in oxygen and nitrogen in the air. Thus, he was able to magnetise the air around a person causing them to struggle to breath and rendering them unconscious. (Adventure Comics v1 #355)
Notes
- Cosmic Boy was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino where he made his first appearance in Adventure Comics v1 #247 (April, 1958).
- In an interview on Comic Shop News (1093), Geoff Johns wrote on the character, "Cosmic Boy is like the all-around leader who puts it all on his shoulders, but he's magnetic. His powers are all about magnetics, and so it carries over to his personality. And he struggles to bring all the Legion back together. He's like, 'We can do this. We can bring it together.' It comes naturally to him."
In other media
Television
- In the DC Animated Universe, Cosmic Boy made a number of appearances in the shared continuity setting.
- In Superman: The Animated Series, Cosmic Boy made his first animated appearance in the episode "New Kids in Town" where he was voiced by actor Chad Lowe. In 2979, Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Chameleon Boy traveled back in time to 20th century Smallville to prevent Brainiac from murdering a young Clark Kent so that he would never have become Superman.
- In Justice League Unlimited, Cosmic Boy made an appearance in the animated series episode "Far From Home". Years later, Cosmic Boy and the rest of the Legion of Super-Heroes were aided by Supergirl, Green Lantern, and Green Arrow in defeating their arch enemies, the Fatal Five.
- In Legion of Super-Heroes, Cosmic Boy was a supporting cast member in the animated series where he was voiced by actor Wil Wheaton. At age 14, Krinn upheld tradition and went to Earth to look for a job. While on route, he met Garth Ranzz and both attempted to impress a girl named Imra Ardeen. The three helped prevent an assassination attempt on the famous billionaire, R.J. Brande. The three formed the Legion of Superheroes soon after. Krinn, taking the codename Cosmic Boy, became its first leader for his charismatic personality. After helping lay the foundations of the Legion, Cosmic Boy began to focus on bringing legitimacy to the group and toured the universe. His absence lasted months and contention over leadership slowly built up in his co-founder Lightning Lad, whom he constantly clashes with. This version was often busy traveling the universe and maintaining the Legion's reputation, which strained his relationship with them, particularly Lightning Lad. Cosmic Boy witnessed Timber Wolf's Legion swearing in ceremony via video screen whilst away at the outpost. The last straw was when Cosmic Boy suddenly appeared on Winath, took control from Lightning Lad, and brought in a new member, Ferro Lad, without an official audition. After the cosmic storm ended, Lightning Lad initiated an election for a new leader to which Cosmic agreed to. Surprisingly, Bouncing Boy won instead. As a result, Cosmic Boy was temporarily replaced by Bouncing Boy as the Legion's leader during the first season after Lightning Lad grew frustrated with him and called for a new leader to be elected. Cosmic Boy led a squad of Legionaries against the time traveling Imperiex. He was too much for them, leaving them alive but injured.
- In Smallville, Cosmic Boy made an appearance in the live-action CW television series where he was portrayed by actor Ryan Kennedy. This version rarely speaks and displays the most determination of his teammates. In the episode "Legion", he, Saturn Girl, and Lightning Lad travel back in time to rescue Clark Kent from Persuader and Brainiac, though Rokk nearly kills Chloe Sullivan while she was possessed by Brainiac. After Kent inspires him to never resort to murder and helps the Legion defeat Brainiac while saving Sullivan, Rokk updates the Legion's rules accordingly and warns Kent of his future battle with Doomsday before he and his team return to the future to reprogram Brainiac. In the episode "Doomsday", Rokk returns to the present to give Kent a new Legion flight ring and asks him to send Doomsday to the 31st century as the Legion is better equipped to fight it.
Films
- In Legion of Super-Heroes, Cosmic Boy appeared in the setting of the 2023 animated film where he was voiced by actor Eric Lopez.
Video games
- In Injustice 2, Cosmic Boy made a non-speaking cameo appearance in the Brainiac ending in the setting of the fighting video game.
Appearances
- Adventure Comics v1: (1958)
- Legion of Super-Heroes v1:
- Superboy v1:
- Cosmic Boy v1:
External Links
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