Mon-El

Origin

When Superman was still just young Clark Kent, a rocket containing a boy with powers much like his own crash landed in Smallville. The boy awoke with no memories of who he was, but he spoke Kryptonian. Believing the boy to be a survivor of Krypton like himself, Clark gave him the name Mon-El which means “Mon” because he landed on Earth on a Monday and “El” from Clark’s Kryptonian family name. Mon-El adopted a human secret identity Bob Cobb to integrate into Superboy’s hometown of Smallville. However, when Mon-El failed to experience pain during an unnoticed inadvertent exposure to kryptonite, Superboy suspected Mon-El was deliberately pretending to be a Kryptonian for some nefarious purpose.

Superboy created a fake kryptonite meteorite made of lead, when Mon-El is exposed to lead cause him collapsed in pain and he also regains his memories. Mon-El explained to Clark that he was from the planet Daxam. Clark found out that unlike Kryptonite poisoning, lead poisoning could not be reversed. To save his friend’s life, Clark placed Mon-El in the Phantom Zone until a cure for him could be found.

Creation

Mon-El created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp in 1961 and first appeared in Superboy #89. Mon-El was based on a character named Halk Kar who was created in 1953 by Otto Binder and Al Plastino. Halk Kar first in a story titled “Superman’s Big Brother”, in Superman #80. Mon-El’s origin story and costume closely resemble Halk Kar’s.

Character Evolution

Original Continuity: New Earth

Clark never found a cure and Mon-El remained in the Phantom Zone, that was until the 31st Century when he is released by Legion of Super-Heroes. Saturn Girl created a temporary antidote Serum XY-4, which allows Mon-El to be released from the Zone for brief periods of time. During this period, he was considered an honorary Legionnaire. Later Brainiac 5 created a permanent antidote, based on Saturn Girl’s serum, with the addition of Kryptonite. Mon-El returned masquerading as Marvel Lad, he was admitted to the Legion after inventing anti-gravity Element 152 and defeating a creature called a sun-eater. He revealed his true identity and was accepted as a full-time Legionnaire. Later, Brainiac 5 uses Element 152 to create the Legion flight rings.

Reboot: Earth-247

After the events of Zero Hour, a new timeline was created in which the Legion existed on Earth-247. In this timeline, Lar Gand’s as Valor in the 20th century history was kept intact which including his membership in L.E.G.I.O.N. and seeding worlds. After suffering from lead poisoning Valor goes to Earth, where he has amnesia and fell under the control of gambling boss Mr. Gamboli. Gamboli sent Valor calling him “Champion” to attack Superboy. Babbage then located Valor and Lar regained his memory. To save Valor from the poisoning, Superboy used a portal at STAR Labs to send Valor into the “Stasis Zone,” where he would remain for a thousand years. In the 30th century, Saturn Girl made mental contact with Valor and mobilized the Legionnaires to help free him from the Stasis Zone. They returned to the 20th Century and secured Superboy’s help to rescue Valor. They brought Superboy back to the 30th century with them. Brainiac 5 used an anti-lead serum which he uses on Lar’s distant descendant Laurel Gand.

Lar learns that in the thousand years since his disappearance, he’d attained godlike legendary status throughout the galaxy. To avoid the religious fervor his return would cause, the Legion kept secret the fact this new Legionnaire was the legendary Valor. He took the name M’Onel, which the Legion founder R. J. Brande translated from Martian as “He Who Wanders”.

Threeboot: Earth-Prime

While on the planet Rokyn, a colony of Kryptonians from Kandor, Saturn Girl senses the ethereal presence of Mon-El ‘haunting’ a Phantom Zone projector. The Legion Of Super-Heroes releases him, although all of them are trapped inside force-fields erected by the Wanderers to trap them in their headquarters. He is confused after a thousand years of sensory deprivation as to who put him there. Realizing he recognizes the “S” symbol on Supergirl‘s chest, Brainiac 5 manipulates him into fighting her. The force of their blows is enough to bring down the force-fields, freeing the Legion. During the fight, Brainiac concocts a cure for the lead poisoning and Invisible Kid sneaks it to him, ending his rage. He is immediately teleported away by the Wanderers, who had apparently been manipulating the situation all along.

It is revealed in Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds that this future is not the future of New Earth, but instead the future of Earth-Prime. The full actual past of this version of Mon-El is unknown.

Retroboot: New Earth

The event known as Infinite Crisis brought together the Legions of all three continuities. Afterward, the current Legion of Super-Heroes has returned to being a close approximation of the original Pre-Crisis team prior to the Five-Year Gap. After Infinite Crisis, Lar’s history was changed. He is a remote descendant of a male human and Bal Gand, a female Daxamite who visited Earth during the height of the Maya culture. She returned to Daxam, rather than let her child be born as an apparent demigod on Earth but programmed her spaceship to return him to Earth if Daxamite xenophobia made that necessary. Generations later, her descendant Lar Gand gives in to his suppressed instinct to escape the increasingly isolated Daxam and travel the stars, he is brought to his ancestor’s ship which programmed to go to the Central American continent of Earth.

When Lar arried on Earth. He meets a young Clark Kent, but Lar suffers from amnesia so Clark name him Mon-El. Later Clark doesn’t believe Mon-El to be Kryptonian so he tests him with a piece of kryptonite, but the protective lead casing for the meteor both poisons him and restores his memories. He recalls that upon arriving at Earth, a sunspot storm ruptured his fuel cells, causing him to crash (and explaining how his ship missed Central America by thousands of miles, crash-landing in Smallville instead) and lose his memory.

Clark again uses a portal to the Phantom Zone to put Mon-El in stasis until his lead poisoning can be cured. Years later, a young Clark Kent encountered Mon-El while they were both trapped in the Phantom Zone. Mon-El has been observing the actions of General Zod and his allies in the Zone, including their base of operations, a prison immune to the timeless phantom effect. He aids Superman in defeating one of Zod’s followers within the prison at the cost of advancing his lead poisoning before returning to his phantom state and sending Superman back to Earth.

Major Story Arcs

Original Continuity: New Earth

The Death of Mon-El?

Mon-El apparently dies after failing to take a dose of Brainiac 5’s anti-lead serum in a timely fashion. Eltro Gand, a distant descendant of his older brother, sacrificed his life force to restore Mon-El to life. Years later, Mon-El found that his anti-lead serum was losing its potency. With Superboy’s help, they were able to synthesize a new serum, but had to force Mon-El to the Phantom Zone for a brief, but traumatic period.

The Great Darkness Saga

He stayed with the Legion for many years and serving several terms as leader. He also found the love of his life with his teammate, Tasmia Mallor (Shadow Lass). He stayed away from Daxam for the most part, until the evil Darkseid transformed the entire planet into his “Servants of Darkness.” The Servants completely destroyed the planet and after they were freed, Mon-El took responsibility for helping his people return to normal.

Mon-El Faces The Time Trapper

Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Time Trapper removed Superboy from the Legin’s history. Gand’s history was unchanged, except that his encounter with Superboy took place in a Pocket Universe created by the Time Trapper. The Legionnaires discovered this tampering on a journey back to the 20th century. Mon-El was instrumental in helping Superboy save his little pocket of the universe. However, Superboy overextended himself in the battle and died in Mon-El’s arms. After this Mon-El, Saturn Girl, and Brainiac 5 formed an obsessed conspiracy whose aim was revenge against the Time Trapper. The group of Legionnaires confronted the Time Trapper at the end of time and succeeded in undoing his machinations in time. Superboy’s place in history was restored, but at a great cost. Mon-El critically wounded and Duo Damsel lost her second body.

The Death of Mon-El

During the Magic Wars which destroyed much of the technology throughout the United Planets, Shadow Lass took it upon herself to find treatment for Mon-El’s injuries. They set out for Daxam and while en route she married Mon-El in a ritual native to her planet (the removal of a finger). When they left Daxam, they were attacked by Khundish warriors. Mon-El used some his last bit of strength to repel them, but when their ship’s power cut out and Mon-El apparently died.

Five Years Later

During the Magic Wars which destroyed much of the technology throughout the United Planets, Mon-El seemingly died of injuries inflicted by the Time Trapper. Five years later, the Trapper revives him, hoping to use the Daxamite’s body to preserve his own waning existence. However, Brainiac 5 discovered that Eltro Gand had not died years earlier but had merely imbued his personality over that of Lar Gand. The Trapper’s actions had separated the Lar and Eltro personalities, leaving both present within Mon-El’s mind, with Lar as the dominant personality. In order to prevent the Trapper from further manipulating events throughout history, Lar kills him. The Trapper’s death wipes Superboy’s pocket universe out of existence, and fundamentally alters the timeline. Although it is largely restored, the Trapper’s role and powers are usurped by his onetime underling Glorith, and Lar Gand is recast as “Valor”.

Glorithverse

In the new “Glorithverse” reality, Lar Gand replaced the non-existent Superboy as the Legion’s inspiration. In the 20th century, Lar Gand was inspired by his father’s sacrifice in the Invasion! to become a hero. He briefly joined the L.E.G.I.O.N., where it was Vril Dox who cured his lead poisoning. Lar took the name Valor, which was suggested by Superman. Valor stopped a second Dominator-led invasion of Earth, freeing thousands of humans who had been experimented on by the Dominators and seeding them on a series of worlds between Dominion space and Earth as a “buffer zone” to prevent future invasions. These colonists had gained meta-human powers due to the experiments and would by the time of the Legion, evolve into many of the worlds that would join the United Planets.

Later Valor meets the whole Legion, who traveled back in time from 2973 to make him an honorary Legionnaire. Valor then meets Glorith of Baaldur, who imprisoned Valor in the Bgztl Buffer Zone for a thousand years for rejecting her advances. After this abrupt disappearance, he became a legend and an almost religious figure throughout much of the galaxy. Valor dies and he replaces by his time-paradox duplicate Mon-El (see Other Versions below).

Reboot: Earth-247

M’Onel Meets An Old Teammate From His Past

M’Onel was surprised to meet a former L.E.G.I.O.N. teammate among the Legion: Apparition, who was one-third of his old friend Phase. He served on-and-off with the Legion and when half of the team disappeared completely, he joined Earth President Leland McCauley’s Oversight Watch. In truth, McCauley was the ancient villain Ra’s al Ghul. When the “lost” Legionnaires returned, M’onel was the first to greet them, and McCauley knew their reformed bond would be trouble. Al Ghul delivered a nearly fatal shot to M’onel, which was healed by Kinetix.

M’Onel as member of The Wanderers

The Universe which held Earth-247 was destroyed by Alexander Luthor and Superboy-Prime during the Infinite Crisis. As fate would have it, M’onel and his Legion were cast adrift in the void of the multiverse, before being rescued by Brainiac 5 of New Earth. At the conclusion of their mission, the Earth-247 Legion chose to dive back into the multiverse as the Wanderers in search of other lost souls.

Retroboot: New Earth

Mon-El Is Free From The Phantom Zone

After the former bottled city of Kandor is freed, the Kryptonians initially reside on Earth. However, after several Kryptonians murder police officers guarding Parasite, the heroes of the world try and arrest the Kryptonians. Using Brainiac’s technology, they remove the city from Earth and create a new planet that they dub, New Krypton. General Zod and his associates are freed from the Phantom Zone by Alura-El. General Zod has the Phantom Zone destroyed and, in an effort, to save his life Superman releases Mon-El before the zone collapses. Superman finds an antidote for Mon-El left behind by the Legion during The Lightning Saga. Mon-El ingests it and is instantly cured.

World Without A Superman

After being freed from the Phantom Zone, Mon-El is asked by Superman if he would act as protector of Metropolis while Superman is off-world. He meets with Jimmy Olsen and gives him a signal watch so that Jimmy can contact him. In his first battle as protector of Metropolis Mon-El fights against Rampage and meets up with The Guardian and Steel whom Superman had asked to help him out in his new role. Despite succeeding in knocking Rampage out Mon-El is cautioned by The Guardian for being inexperienced and disregarding the safety of others during his fight. Mon-El is granted a secret identity and background as a British Interpol Agent named Jonathan Kent by The Guardian and begins work with the Science Police. Mon-El briefly joins the Metropolis Science Police, until he’s captured by Sam Lane‘s Project 7734, who fake his death at the hand of Flamebird and Nightwing.

Mon-El manages to escape, but ends up stranded in the Forlorn Dimension, helping Captain Atom to get free from the clutches of Mirabai, the evil queen of the Forlorn and Sam Lane’s chief ally. Following his escape, Mon-El returns to Metropolis wearing a modified version of his red and blue costume (similar to the costume of the Golden Age Halk-Kar) complete with a Superman S-Shield over his left chest. He assists the Science Police in capturing Parasite. Mon-El also attempts to apprehend Bizarro, only to turn back after he escapes to Bizarro World. Upon returning home, Mon-El asks Superboy to reprogram Kellex, the android at the Fortress of Solitude, to repair the starship he came to Earth in. He also enters into a sexual relationship with Billi Harper, the Guardian’s grandniece.

Mon-El Returns To The Phantom Zone

Following a battle with Atomic Skull, Mon-El was invited to join the new Justice League of America at the invitation of Doctor Light (Kimiyo Hoshi). After helping to save New Krypton and seeding the UP worlds in accordance with time-loop instructions from the Legion. Later Mon-El begins to die, because he has become immune to the lead poisoning antidote, and he must return to the recreated Phantom Zone by Chameleon Boy. Where he remains until rescued by the Legion in the 30th century. Whether his long isolation has caused memory loss, or he is carefully avoiding a time paradox by never mentioning his 21st century adventures is unknown. Mon-El tells Superboy to give his girlfriend his farewell letter. It is revealed that Billi is pregnant, presumably with Mon-El’s child.

Back in the 30th century

Mon-El is banished back into the Phantom Zone by Earth Man. Mon-El is rescued from the Phantom Zone by his teammates. However, his time in the Phantom Zone reset his physiology, meaning that Brainiac 5 had to re-administer the anti-lead serum. Mon-El takes part in the event with his Legion, and two others from alternate realities battle Superboy Prime and Legion of Supervillains. Mon-El and Shadow Lass are assigned the task of taking the remains of the final Green Lantern, Rond Vidar, to Oa. There they meet Sodam Yat, the last Guardian of the Universe and a fellow Daxamite. Mon-El and Shadow Lass are able to convince Sodam to join them in the fight against Sodam’s enemy, Superboy Prime.

Green Lantern Mon-El

Mon-El is chosen to become a Green Lantern by Dyogene. Before leaving, he told by Shadow Lass that even though he is a GL, the Legion, Earth and his friends will always be his family.

New 52/Rebirth

Mon-El and The Legion are presently fighting a Daxamite and a group of Controllers on the planet of Panoptes.

Powers and Abilities

Daxamites

Daxamites were originally Kryptonians that had left Krypton to explore new worlds. The Eradicator altered their birthing matrixes to make Daxamites vulnerable to lead. As they are Kryptonian descendants, they have the same power sets as their Kryptonian cousins under a yellow sun.

Energy Absorption

As a Daxamite, Mon-El possesses the ability to absorb the light and radiation of stars, specifically those in the yellow spectrum. His Daxamite body is constantly absorbing and storing energy from Earth’s yellow sun, which in turn grants him incredible powers, such as superhuman strength, enhanced senses, impenetrable skin, and even the ability to defy gravity. His body is also able to absorb the radiation of a blue sun, this grants him increased strength and various other powers.

Superhuman Strength

Mon-El has strength that is on par with that of Kryptonians, making it practically limitless. Mon-El has the ability to lift over 100 tons with minimal effort.

Superhuman Speed

Due to Mon-El’s Daxamite physiology has has an enhanced metabolism, muscular speed, and nervous system he has been granted a speed that is much greater compared to that of a human. He is able to see and avoid objects moving at incredible speeds and is also able to move faster than the human eye can perceive.

Superhuman Vision (Telescopic, Microscopic, X-Ray, Heat)

Mon-El is able to see over great distances and perceive even the smallest of objects. This vision also allows Mon-El to see through the atomic structure of an object. Though he is unable to see through lead. Mon-El’s Heat vision has yet to be calculated but it could be comparable to that of Kryptonians which is almost as hot as the core of the Sun.

Super Hearing

Mon-El has the superhuman ability to hear all sounds at any volume or pitch.

Superhuman Stamina

Mon-Els Daxamite physiology allows him to work himself physically to peak for 14 days before fatigue toxins begin to impair him and his solar reserves become depleted. If, however, Mon-El is under a star with a yellow spectrum he is constantly replenishing his solar reserves.

Invulnerability

Due to his Daxamite physiology Mon-El has a bioelectric forcefield that protects his body from harm. His muscular tissue is much denser than that of a normal human.

Flight

While Mon-El’s body is charged with solar energy he is able to emit a gravitational field that enables him to defy gravity. Mon-El has extreme mobility while he is in flight allowing him to fight, change course and also carry great weights.

Freeze Breath

Mon-El has the ability to freeze his enemies using his breathe. He is able to control the temperature with which he expels this power.

Longevity

Mon-El’s Daxamite physiology allows him to live much longer than that of a normal human.

Total Recall

Mon-El has the ability to instantly recall events that he pays specific attention to or that hold great emotional significance to him. When he has absorbed solar energy, he has the ability to solve problems with superhuman speeds.

Daxamites are not vulnerable to Kryptonite, but lead is extremely lethal and is for the most part not curable. Brainiac 5 developed a cure for this in the 31st century.

Retconned

Radiation

Besides light-based radiation used to create the energy constructs associated with a Green Lantern, the ring can simulate various forms of radiation. One example of this is the ability to simulate the radiation of Green Kryptonite, a form of radiation that is harmful to Superman. However, this ability is no longer valid and has been retconned.

Time travel: The ring allows the wielder the ability to travel through time, though the process requires great willpower.

Weaknesses

Mental Incapacitation

The ring cannot be wielded correctly if the wearer is under the influence of drugs or if there is an involvement of neural interference.

Yellow Impurity

In the beginning the Green Ring was vulnerable to the color yellow. It was unable to defend against attacks from wielders of the Sinestro Corps as well. This weakness however has now been changed and can be overcome by veterans who have the ability to overcome great fear. Mon-El has not been seen yet overcoming these weaknesses.

Recharge

Previously had to be recharged every 24 hours or when it has been depleted of energy. This can be accomplished if the bearer of the ring recites an oath into his power lantern while holding the ring to it. However now, the power ring only needs to be recharged when it runs out of energy.

Magic

Daxamites are as vulnerable to magic as humans are. Mon-El’s Rings constructs could provide him some protection against the ill effects of magic, but it is unknown to what degree of protection they could give him.

Red Sun Radiation

Mon-El like all other Daxamites and his Kryptonians cousins are weakened when exposed to red solar energy. Mon-El will lose his Daxamite abilities when exposed to Red Sun energy and must be recharged by yellow sun energy in order to regain his abilities.

Lead Poisoning

Daxamites are fatally allergic to lead. Even the smallest of ingestions can cause them to die.

Equipment

Green Lantern Ring

As well as having the powers of a Daxamite Mon-El is now a Green Lantern. Like all Green Lanterns Mon-El’s power comes from his power ring which relies on the power of the user’s willpower and is only restricted by the user’s imagination, the ring produces a solid green energy that can be manipulated into any shape or just straight up energy blasts and can be used as an offensive or a defensive weapon.

He abilities that a Green Lantern Ring give Mon-El are:

• Artificial Intelligence: Every ring has a connection to the Main Battery on Oa, which taps into an artificial intelligence. It acts as an on-board computer, telling the wearer what they need to know. It can either respond out loud, or silently directly to the wearer’s mind. The AI contains a large database of information that may be crucial to a Lantern’s success. The ring also translates nearly every language to and from the wearer (though they have difficulty translating profanity), which is why the Corps can communicate with each other. When the bearer of a Green Lantern ring dies, the ring will seek out a suitable replacement for their sector. The AI can be used to play a holographic playback sequence complete with colors across the spectrum based on information in memory banks. The ring can dictate when to pause or stop the playback should an interruption arise where the Lanterns undivided attention is needed. The AI can also alert the wielder of incoming threats or of attempts to manipulate the wielders construct by an outside party.

• Communicator: The ring can act as a personal communicator between Green Lanterns. They have also been seen connected to telephones.
• Costumes: The wearer of the ring may create any costume they choose, based on their personal preferences, whenever they choose. The ring projects the costume over any clothes already worn at the time. The only rules that the Guardians of the Universe implement on the creation of a individual costumed is that the ring bearer display the insignia of the Green Lantern Corps.
• Energy Projection: The rings can also project beams, form protective bubbles and force fields, and fire destructive blasts. Sometimes, depending on the wearer, the beams and blasts make sounds. Kilowog‘s ring is one such example of blasts making sounds.
• Energy Constructs: The rings can construct anything the wearer can imagine from hard-light energy, as long as they are willing to make it. The more determined the wearer is, the more complex and intricate these things can be. The constructs can even be so complex as to form working machines, computers, and even people.
• Flight: The ring allows the wearer to fly in atmosphere or in space, and can achieve incredible speeds, moving from planet to planet in a matter of hours.
• Matter Manipulation: A Green Lantern can use their ring to manipulate nearby matter, such as water, for various purposes such as a construct that acts like an energy construct but can block something yellow and may serve a purpose that an energy construct couldn’t perform.
• Recharging: The rings need to be recharged by means of a Power Battery. Other large sources of power may be used to recharge a power ring, however effectiveness may vary. The internal power source of a Manhunter Android is, in effect, the same as a power battery, and can be used to recharge a power ring. During the JLA / Avengers crossover, a Cosmic Cube was used to recharge a depleted ring, although this is not an ideal solution and is available if there are no other options..
• Electro-magnetic scanning: The ring can allow(through the use of x rays) the user to see through walls, without the people on the other side knowing. it can also scan along the Electromagnetic spectrum.
• Wormhole/Warps: The ring can open wormholes to cut down on distance.
• Pocket dimension: Within the ring is a pocket dimension which can altered to the wielders specification. It can be used to contain opponents.
• Sub-routines: The power rings have inner programmings or mechanisms which can executed without the users permission. One such sub-routine is the autoshield. This shield automatically protects a wielder from external harm and has been proven to be capable of protecting the wielder from planetary level attacks.

Legion Flight Ring

As a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, Mon-El possesses a Legion Flight Ring. The ring gives its wearer the ability to fly, the speed and range of which is determined by the wearer’s willpower. It also acts as a long-range communicator (enabling constant vocal contact with other Legionnaires, even across vast distances of space), a signal device, and a navigational compass, all powered by a micro-computer built inside the ring.

Character Profile

• Height: 6’0″
• Weight: 200 lbs
• Eye Color: Blue
• Hair Color: Black
• Race: Daxamite
• Citizenship: United Planet Citizens
• Place of Birth: Daxam, 20th century
• Marital Status: Single
• Occupation: Legionnaire
• Base of Operations: Legion Headquarters

Other Versions

Five Years Later: Batch SW6

A younger version of Mon-El was found with several other young Legionnaires, called Batch SW6. Originally believing themselves just to be clones, but they were from a different timeline. When Valor disappeared from 30th century history, which sent the Legionnaires back in time to investigate. They find out that Valor had died from lead poisoning before he could free the Dominion’s captives and seed all those worlds. He was replaced by his clone from the 30th century, who agreed to take on that responsibility. The SW6 Valor was then banished by Glorith into the Phantom Dimension and though the SW6 had effectively “fixed” Valor’s history, but history was playing out much earlier than it was supposed to which led to some changes in Valor’s exploits. This was one of the many destabilizations of the timestream that eventually led to Zero Hour.

Other Media

Film

Animated

Justice League vs. the Fatal Five

Lar Gand makes a cameo appearance in the 2019 animated film, Justice League vs. the Fatal Five, as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes.

TV

Supergirl

Mon El first appears in the second season of Supergirl. The story he tells Supergirl, and the DEO is that he was a bodyguard for the Prince of Daxam. We learn the complete story of his escape from Daxam later in the season. On Earth, he is given the secret ID of “Mike” and is basically a dudebro. We learn that his father’s name is actually Lar Gand. We don’t know if Mon El is also named Lar Gand, or if he will always be known as Mon El. His mother’s name is Rhea. Rhea is played by Terri Hatcher (Lois Lane of Lois and Clark) and Lar Gand is played by Kevin Sorbo (Hercules). Mon El is played by Chris Wood.