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{{Short description|Fictional kid gang in the DC Comics Universe}}
{{Infobox comics organization <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->

|image        = Newsboy Legion.png
|imagesize    = <!-- default 250 -->
|caption      = The original Newsboy Legion (from left to right: Gabby, Bigwords, Tommy, and Scrapper) in ''Star Spangled'' #7 (April 1942).<br>Art by [[Jack Kirby]].
|publisher    = [[DC Comics]]
|debut        = ''[[Star-Spangled Comics]]'' #7 (April 1942)
|creators     = [[Joe Simon]]<br>[[Jack Kirby]]
|type         = 
|business     = 
|organization = 
|team         = y
|base         = 
|owners       = 
|employees    = 
|members      = Tommy Tompkins<br />Big Words<br />Gabby<br />Scrapper<br />Flippa Dippa
|fullroster   = 
|cat          = 
|subcat       = DC Comics
|altcat       = 
|hero         = y
|villain      = 
|sortkey      = Newsboy Legion
}}
'''The Newsboy Legion''' is a teenage vigilante group in the [[DC Comics]] [[DC Universe|Universe]]. Created by [[Joe Simon]] and [[Jack Kirby]], they appeared in their own self-titled feature which ran from ''[[Star-Spangled Comics]]'' #7 (April 1942)<ref>{{cite book|last=Wallace|first= Daniel|editor-last = Dolan|editor-first = Hannah|chapter= 1940s|title = DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |year=2010 |isbn= 978-0-7566-6742-9 |page= 41 |quote = Joe Simon and Jack Kirby took their talents to a second title with ''Star-Spangled Comics'', tackling both the Guardian and the Newsboy Legion in issue #7.}}</ref> to #64 (January 1947). In 1970, [[Jack Kirby]] introduced a new Newsboy Legion, made up of the sons of the original [[Golden Age of Comics|Golden Age]] characters.

==Fictional character biography==
===Pre-Crisis version===
The Newsboy Legion is a group of orphans, living on the streets of [[Suicide Slum]], selling newspapers to make a living.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Greenberger |first1=Robert |author-link=Robert Greenberger |title=The Essential Superman Encyclopedia |last2=Pasko |first2=Martin |author-link2=Martin Pasko |date=2010 |publisher=Del Rey |isbn=978-0-345-50108-0 |pages=282–283}}</ref> They were also frequently in trouble with the law, although local policeman Jim Harper had a soft spot for them. In their first appearance, Harper, shortly after becoming [[Guardian (DC Comics)|Guardian]], also becomes the Newsboys' legal guardian.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mitchell |first1=Kurt |title=American Comic Book Chronicles: 1940-1944 |last2=Thomas |first2=Roy |author-link2=Roy Thomas |date=2019 |publisher=[[TwoMorrows Publishing]] |isbn=978-1605490892 |page=145}}</ref> A recurring theme in their stories was that the boys suspected Harper was the Guardian but were unsure.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Markstein |first1=Don |title=The Newsboy Legion |url=http://www.toonopedia.com/gnewsboy.htm |access-date=April 2, 2020 |website=[[Don Markstein's Toonopedia]]}}</ref>

The Newsboy Legion consisted of Tommy Tompkins (the leader); Big Words (the team genius);<ref>{{cite book |last1=Thomas |first1=Roy |title=The All-Star Companion: Vol 2 |date=2006 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |isbn=978-1893905375 |page=84}}</ref> Gabby (an excitable kid who never stopped talking); and Scrapper (the tough guy).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Benton |first1=Mike |url=https://archive.org/details/superherocomicso0000bent |title=Superhero Comics of the Golden Age: The Illustrated History |date=1992 |publisher=Taylor Publishing Company |isbn=0-87833-808-X |location=Dallas |page=[https://archive.org/details/superherocomicso0000bent/page/184 184] |access-date=April 8, 2020 |url-access=registration}}</ref>

The Newsboy Legion were reintroduced in ''[[Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen (comic)|Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen]]'' #133 (October 1970) as part of [[Jack Kirby's Fourth World]] story arc. The members of this Legion are the sons of the originals, who now work at a government [[genetics]] project.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cowsill |first1=Alan |last2=Irvine |first2=Alex |last3=Manning |first3=Matthew K. |last4=McAvennie |first4=Michael |last5=Wallace |first5=Daniel |title=DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle |date=2010 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-0-7566-6742-9 |page=135}}</ref> A new addition to the team was Walter Johnson (nicknamed Flip), an [[African-American]] boy and excellent swimmer.

During their first mission, the villainous [[Morgan Edge]] develops the Whiz Wagon for the unsuspecting boys.<ref>Cowsill, Irvine, Korte, Manning, Wiacek, and Wilson, p. 473.</ref> He attempts to use it and them (and by extension, [[Jimmy Olsen]]) to kill the Hairies, an underground, technologically advanced society. Assisting the Legion in fighting the Factory was a clone of Scrapper called 'Scrapper Trooper', who was designed for military support of the Project.<ref>''[[Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen]]'' #146 (February 1972)</ref>

The boys would become affected by the Project in other ways, such as befriending an experiment from the 'Evil Factory'. They called this large, pink, humanoid entity 'Angry Charlie'. He was the only survivor from the Factory. The police authorities from Scotland, where the Factory had been hiding, allowed the Legion to maintain custody of the entity.<ref>''Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen'' #145 (January 1972)</ref>

===Post-Crisis version===
[[File:Newsboy Legion - Superman - Funeral for a Friend.jpg|thumb|right|Members of the Newsboy Legion as drawn in "Superman - Funeral for a Friend".]]

Post-[[Crisis on Infinite Earths|Crisis]], the Newsboy Legion's 1940s history was unchanged, as was their later involvement with the DNA Project (now called [[Project Cadmus]]). Instead of having identical sons, however, the new Newsboy Legion were now said to be clones created by the same technology that recreated the Guardian as part of an [[Apokolips]] plot that went wrong.<ref>Cowsill, Irvine, Korte, Manning, Wiacek, and Wilson, p. 216.</ref> Like the Guardian clone, they shared their "father's" memories, at least up to their current age, meaning that they were sometimes unfamiliar with the modern world. They first appeared in this form in ''Superman'' (vol. 2) Annual #2 (1988), written by [[Roger Stern]], and were extensively featured in [[Karl Kesel]]'s run on ''[[Adventures of Superman (comic book)|The Adventures of Superman]]'', including breaking [[Conner Kent|Kon-El]] out of Cadmus.

The post-Crisis Newsboys were also given real names: Big Words was Anthony Rodriguez; Gabby was Johnny Gabrielli and Scrapper was Patrick MacGuire. They were briefly joined by the Guardian's niece "Famous" Bobby Harper, but she subsequently went to stay with another relative.

In ''Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen'' (2008), the original Newsboy Legion members are killed by [[Codename: Assassin]] as part of a conspiracy headed by [[Sam Lane (comics)|Sam Lane]] to kill all [[Kryptonian|Kryptonians]].<ref>''Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen'' (vol. 2) #1-2 (November–December 2008).</ref>

===Seven Soldiers version===
In [[Grant Morrison]]'s new take on the Guardian in ''[[Seven Soldiers]]: [[Manhattan Guardian|The Guardian]]'', the ''Manhattan Guardian'' newspaper has a citywide network of volunteer reporters called the "Newsboy Army".

Later in that same series, a group called the Newsboy Army was active during the forties in an area of New York called Nowhere Street. This group consisted of Captain 7 (an African-American boy in a football uniform), Ali Ka-Zoom (a young stage magician), Vincenzo 'Kid Scarface' Baldi (an Italian boy in an impeccable suit), Chop Suzi (an Asian girl, the team's mechanic), Edward 'Baby Brain' Stargard (an infant prodigy), Little Miss Hollywood (an impressionist, the daughter of Irish immigrants) and Millions (the world's richest dog). In their final mission as a team, they are cursed by the Terrible Time Tailor to be given horrible fates to prevent them from stopping his plans for the Harrowing.

Millions "dies" shortly thereafter. It is widely assumed that Cap impregnates Suzi, as his designation after the encounter with the Terrible Time Tailor is "child molester". However, the crossword puzzle included in ''Seven Soldiers'' #1 implies that Suzi may have given birth to twins, fathered by Baby Brain - despite obvious physical obstacles. Cap is subsequently killed by the others. Hollywood becomes an alcoholic 'super-impressionist'. Ali Ka-Zoom masters genuine magic, goes mad, and dies, and Kid Scarface became Vincenzo the Undying Don, the leader of the L.A. underworld and is killed by the [[Sheeda]]. Baby Brain survives to found the Manhattan Guardian newspaper. Ali Ka-Zoom has shown up alive in ''[[52 (comics)|52]]''. In ''Seven Soldiers'' #1, it is revealed that Kid Scarface/Don Vincenzo actually bathed Millions in the Cauldron of Rebirth, and Millions inherited Vincenzo's property after his death, becoming the "Dogfather".

===The New Golden Age===
In the storyline "Stargirl: The Lost Children", the Newsboy Legion are among the lost sidekicks on Orphan Island.<ref>''Stargirl: The Lost Children'' #3 (March 2023)</ref> After escaping the island, the Newsboy Legion are brought to the present, as returning them to their time would cause a time paradox.<ref>''Stargirl: The Lost Children'' #6 (July 2023)</ref>

==Collections==
DC has published two hardback collections:

* ''The Newsboy Legion'' v1, 2010, {{ISBN|1-4012-2593-4}} (reprints ''Star Spangled Comics'' #7-32).
* ''The Newsboy Legion'' v2, 2017, {{ISBN|978-1-4012-7236-4}} (reprints ''Star Spangled Comics'' #33-64).

==Other versions==
In ''Elseworld's Finest'', the Legion is a small sub-group of Newsboys which includes a young Jimmy Olsen.<ref>''Elseworld's Finest'' #1-2 (October - November 1997)</ref>

==In other media==
* The Newsboy Legion make a cameo appearance in the ''[[Justice League Unlimited]]'' episode "Patriot Act".{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}
* A genderbent incarnation of the Newsboy Legion called the '''Newsgirl Legion''' appear in the ''[[Young Justice (TV series)|Young Justice]]'' episode "First Impressions", consisting of '''Tommi Thompkins''' (voiced by [[Mae Whitman]]), '''Gabi Gabrielli''' (voiced by [[Grey DeLisle|Grey Griffin]]) and '''Antonia "Big Words" Rodriguez''' (voiced by [[Zehra Fazal]]).<ref>{{multiref2|{{cite web |title=Tommi Tompkins Voice - ''Young Justice'' (TV Show) |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/Young-Justice/Tommi-Tompkins/|access-date=November 20, 2024|publisher=Behind The Voice Actors}} A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.|{{cite web |title=Gaby Gabrielli Voice - ''Young Justice'' (TV Show) |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/Young-Justice/Gaby-Gabrielli/|access-date=November 20, 2024|publisher=Behind The Voice Actors}} A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.|{{cite web |title=Antonia "Big Words" Rodriguez Voice - ''Young Justice'' (TV Show) |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/Young-Justice/Antonia-Big-Words-Rodriguez/|access-date=November 20, 2024|publisher=Behind The Voice Actors}} A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
}}</ref> This version of the Legion is a social media-inspired group based in [[Brooklin, Maine]].
* The Newsboy Legion, renamed the '''Newskid Legion''', appears in ''[[My Adventures with Superman]]'', consisting of Big Words and female incarnations of Scrapper (renamed Patty), Gabby, and Flip Johnson (voiced by Azuri Hardy-Jones).<ref name="btva3">{{cite web |title=Flip Voice - ''My Adventures With Superman'' (TV Show) |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/My-Adventures-With-Superman/Flip/ |access-date=November 20, 2024 |publisher=Behind The Voice Actors}} A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.</ref> Following minor appearances in the first season, they become interns at the ''[[Daily Planet]]'' in the second season.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://toonopedia.com/gnewsboy.htm Newsboy Legion] at [[Don Markstein's Toonopedia]]. [https://archive.today/20240527192316/https://www.webcitation.org/6gM923i0T?url=http://toonopedia.com/gnewsboy.htm Archived] from the original on March 28, 2016.
* {{comicbookdb|type=team|id=111|title=Newsboy Legion (pre-Crisis)}}
* {{comicbookdb|type=team|id=112|title=Newsboy Legion (post-Crisis)}}
* {{comicbookdb|type=team|id=155|title=Newsboy Army}}

{{Superman}}
{{All-Star Squadron}}
{{Jack Kirby}}
{{GoldenAge}}
{{Superman characters}}
[[Category:Characters created by Jack Kirby]]
[[Category:Characters created by Joe Simon]]
[[Category:Clone characters in comics]]
[[Category:Comics by Jack Kirby]]
[[Category:Comics characters introduced in 1942]]
[[Category:DC Comics male characters]]
[[Category:DC Comics organizations]]
[[Category:DC Comics orphans]]
[[Category:DC Comics sidekicks]]
[[Category:Fictional gangs]]
[[Category:Golden Age comics titles]]
[[Category:Superman characters]]