Pantheon of Heroes
(a.k.a. The Pantheon of Super Heroes)

Membership: Angelfish, Anti-Matter Lad, Brain Boy, Butterfly Queen, Clone Boy, Devil Boy, Dragonfist, Galactic Lad, Golden Girl, Ghost Girl, Gravity Girl, Jupiter Boy, Kid Warlock, Laughing Boy, Nature Boy, Photon, Snowstar, Telegirl, Ultragirl

Purpose: To defend the Earth

Affiliations: Savage Dragon

Enemies: Timebomber, Oblivia, formerly Savage Dragon

Base of Operations: Empire City

First Appearance: Big Bang #12

History: The Pantheon of Heroes (aka The Pantheon of Super Heroes) was a large team of teenage superhumans operating in Earth A's 30th century. First seen in the year 2965, the Pantheon was known to still be an active team until at least 2988.

The adventures of the 20th century teenage heroine, Ultragirl (the daughter of Earth A's Ultiman) were the inspiration for the team and their base was in in Ultiman's home town of Empire City. The Pantheon's original headquarters resembled a space craft (it looks quite functional), but by 2973 they had moved into a large citadel.

Each member had to have at least one actual super power of their own, with auditions being held each month for new members. The Pantheon's advanced technology enabled them to travel through time (with the aid of "time pills" and later "time belts"), which was useful in fighting their arch enemy, the mysterious "Timebomber". (For many years, The Pantheon wrongly believed that the Timebomber was the 20th century hero, the Savage Dragon, who was reluctantly being blasted through the timesestream).

This technology enabled Ultragirl herself to travel to the 30th Century and become a member of the Pantheon, being able to fly into the future with the aid of a hand-held device called a "time-cube".

Comments: Profile by Chris Adams.

Following is a list of all known Pantheon members, with their first appearance and whatever details about them that have been revealed so far . . . . . .

ANGELFISH - (BB # 18) Real name: Unknown. Powers: Unknown, but presumably amphibious.

ANTI-MATTER LAD - (BB # 18) Real Name: Unknown. Powers: Unknown, presumably destructive.

BRAIN BOY - (BB # 18) Real Name: Unknown. Powers: Has an enlarged cranium, housing a brain of superior intellect. By concentration, he can "expand his incredible mind", making his head and brain even larger.

BUTTERFLY QUEEN - (BB # 18) Real Name: Unknown. Powers: Unknown, presumably she can fly.

CLONE BOY - (BB # 12) Real Name: Dubba. Powers: Clone Boy can create multiple copies of himself. He and the clones can also become a "genetic duplicate" of anyone else by using "the originals DNA pattern as a blueprint". Thus, although he can not duplicate memories, he can duplicate another individuals super powers for a brief time. Clone Boy has pale blue skin and anttenae. Dates Snowstar.

DEVIL BOY - Real Name: Unknown. Powers: Can apparently contact the dead by holding a seance. (Note: This hero has not actually appeared in person, he is mentioned in passing in ULTIMAN FAMILY # 1).

DRAGONFIST - (BB # 18) Real Name: Unknown. Powers: Martial artist. (Note: this hero was formally known as Combat Kid. He had adopted the name "Dragonfist" by the year 2973).

GALACTIC LAD - (BB # 18) Real Name: Noa Zark. Powers: Superhuman strength, which he can increase up to "level ten".

GOLDEN GIRL - (BB # 18) Real Name: Unknown. Powers: Unknown.

GHOST GIRL - (BB # 18) Real Name: Mariah Vesper. Powers: Originally, she was able to seperate her "soul self" from her corporeal body. While her soul self was on a mission, her body was destroyed by a run gun blast. Denied the afterlife, Mariah is trapped on Earth as a ghost. She usually assumes a solid, visible form, but she can shift into "phantasm form", becoming immaterial and able to possess other's bodies for a time.

GRAVITY GIRL - (BB # 12) Real Name: Unknown. Powers: "Can affect the weight and density of any object or person, making them super light or super heavy".

JUPITER BOY - (BB # 12) Real Name: Unknown. Powers: Jupiter Boy is actually a "cathode giant, a living electric dynamo from the planet Jupiter" who took on human form. (Note: Jupiter Boy was the founder and first leader of The Pantheon. He sacrificed his life to save the universe, declaring his love for Ultragirl with his dying breath. He is honoured by a life size gold statue in The Pantheon's "Hall of Heroes".

KID WARLOCK - (BB # 18) Real Name: Unknown. Powers: Unknown, presumably magical.

LAUGHING BOY - (BB # 12) Real Name: Shemp Babbit. Powers: Able to manipulate the emotions of others by mind control, assuming an appropriate facial expression as he does so. (Note: Laughing Boy is The Pantheon's "resident class clown").

NATURE BOY - (BB # 18) Real Name: Unknown. Powers: Unknown, presumably connected to plant life. (Note: this hero is known to have been an ally of The Pantheon in the year 2973. He is said to have been killed by the villainess Oblivia by the year 2988. it is unclear if or when Nature Boy actually became a member).

PHOTON - (BB # 18) Real Name: Unknown. Powers: Unknown, presumably light based. (Note: this heorine was formally known as Lamp Lass. She had adopted the name "Photon" by the year 2973).

SNOWSTAR - (BB # 18) Real Name: Unknown. Powers: The "mistress of winter wizardry", she is able to create miniture blizzards. Dates Clone Boy.

TELEGIRL - (BB # 18) Real Name: Unknown. Powers: ESP (Extra Sensory Perception) which allows her to read other peoples minds. (Note: Telegirl is the only member of The Pantheon known to have visited the 20th century, using her "time pills" to travel from the year 2969 to New York city, 1981).

ULTRAGIRL - (MEGATON # 1) Real Name: Christie Kelly. Powers: Ultragirl has the same powers as the Ultiman of Earth A.

Christine "Christie" Kelly is the daughter of Chris (Ultiman) Kelly and his ex-wife, Arlene. Ultiman's career ended sometime in the late 20th century, when his daughter paid him an unexpected visit while he was recharging his powers from the radioactive meteor that he had first encountered as an astronaut.

As Christie entered the room, the equipment controlling the flow of radiation malfunctioned, exposing Chris Kelly to more radiation than ever before. Then something exploded, bathing both father and daughter with massive doses of radiation. Christie came round some time later, to find a hole smashed through a wall and herself wearing a modified version of Ultiman's costume. Not only was she unharmed, but she had also developed "Ultiman" like powers. (The radiation would have been deadly to most people, but Christie had inherited her fathers ability to metabolize it into superpowers).

Chris Kelly had become a glowing, mindless monster, rampaging through the streets of San Bernado, California. Calling herself "Ultragirl", Christie teamed up with a new superhero called Megaton (who Ultiman had promised to train shortly before the accident) to capture her father for his own good. Easily defending himself against the inexperienced young heroes, Ultiman was gradually coming to his senses when his body expelled the excess energy, returning him to normal. and stunning both Ultragirl and Megaton.

Chris Kelly was horrified when he realised that he he was draining the life out of his daughter. His body had now become dependant on the meteor's radiation and with the meteor destroyed in the explosion, the only source of that energy was Christie.

Not wishing to risk his daughters life, the now powerless Chris Kelly asked Megaton to tell her "and the world that Ultiman died saving her from that monster" and rapidly left the scene. He has not been seen since. Christie made a full recovery, and with what seem to be permanantly charged powers became a superhero in her own right. She became romantically involved with Megaton (formally an actor who she had a crush on as a child) and joined The Pantheon of Heroes, being able to fly to their future era with the aid of a hand held device called a "time-cube".

Ultragirl fills the role of Supergirl in BIG BANG, but there is far more to her than that. Originally a supporting character in the MEGATON series, (she first appeared in "MEGATON" # 1 in 1983) Christie Kelly's backstory became the foundation for the entire Big Bang universe!

Her father was originally known as "Ultraman" and was a bit of a jerk. It seems that in the first version of the story, he was trying to rid himself of his powers, rather than recharge him. By the time of the revised origin as told above (in MEGATON # 7 April 1987) he had become the more traditional hero that BB readers are familiar with.

Despite her importance, Ultragirl has made very few appearances within the pages of BIG BANG, as by definition, her career begins after the "retro" period it covers.

As for the Pantheon of Heroes, they are an open love letter to DC's Legion of Super Heroes and are perhaps the best thing to come out of BIG BANG. Their debut in BB # 12 captures the spirit of the early years of the LSH in just two pages. Their return in BB # 18 harks back to the Legion's glory days in the early 1970's (the cover is even by Dave Cockrum).

While the premise and setting of The Pantheon are identical to the LSH, some members such as ANGELFISH, DEVIL BOY, GOLDEN GIRL and PHOTON seem wholly original. A few of their members are just straightforward copies of the Legionnaires, but most are clever combinations of them, their supporting cast and other heroes:

Anti-Matter Lad = Wildfire & Mano (of the Fatal Five).

Brain Boy = Brainiac 5 & Evolvo Lad (of The Heroes of Lallor).

Butterfly Queen = Insect Queen (aka Lana Lang)

Clone Boy = Chameleon Boy, Duplicate Boy (of The Heroes of Lallor), Duo Damsel and Brainiac 5.

Dragonfist = Karate Kid

Galactic Lad = Ultra Boy

Ghost Girl = Phantom Girl, Duo Damsel, Deadman (20th century hero) and Marvel Comics Dr Strange.

Gravity Girl = Star Boy and Light Lass (and looks a lot like Duo Damsel).

Jupiter Boy = Mon-El, Superboy and Lightning Lad.

Laughing Boy = Psyche (of The Wanderers) and Pscho Pirate (20th century villain).

Nature Boy = Chlorophyll Kid (of the Legion of Substitute Heroes).

Snowstar = Polar Boy (and looks like Phantom Girl).

Telegirl = Saturn Girl.

Ultragirl = Supergirl and Superboy.

The Pantheon of heroes first appeared as part of the "Timebomber" storyline that ran in BIG BANG # 12, 14, 18 & 33, with a "Who's Who" checklist in BB #22. A further adventure appeared (in colour) in ULTIMAN FAMILY # 1, Feb 2005.

CLARIFICATIONS: Not to be confused with

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

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