Fatal Five & Futurite Foes

The 30th century was a prosperous time to life, with advanced technology and overall peaceful conditions. And yet, at times it was also the most dangerous of times, with alien incursions and supervillains threatening the stability of societies across the galaxy. Perhaps the most dangerous of these was the Fatal Five, a quintet comprising the deadliest criminals of their era, matched by their doppelgängers a universe away, known as the Futurites.

When the Sun-Eater entity entered the solar system of Earth-One, with the ability to extinguish its sun, the Legion of Super-Heroes knew they needed assistance in helping them to eliminate this threat. Due to this, the Legion inadvertently created their greatest adversaries, save for perhaps their opposite numbers the Legion of Super-Villains (and singular threats in the Time Trapper, Mordru, and Pulsar Stargrave). But who were these five fearsome foes?

• Tharok - cybernetic leader with weaponry built into his metallic shell!
• Mano - a mutant with a death-dealing hand which can dissolve worlds!
• Persuader - armored wielder of the Atomic Axe cutting all it faces!
• Validus - telepathic superhuman giant mutant emitting mental lighting!
• Emerald Empress - owner of the powerful Emerald Eye of Ekron!

Meanwhile, on 30th century Earth-Two, the time traveling tyrant the Light sought assistance in achieving his goals of world conquest. After humbling defeats in the 20th century versus his arch-enemy Starman, and then another loss when opposed by Starman’s teammate the Spectre on planet Ultima a thousand years later, the Light recruited four powerful minions known as the Futurites. Heralding from a toxic world, the cruel quarter wore protective gear over their massively powerful bodies which enabled them to be virtually invincible.

Meanwhile, on 30th century Earth-Two, the time traveling tyrant the Light sought assistance in achieving his goals of world conquest. After humbling defeats in the 20th century versus his arch-enemy Starman, and then another loss when opposed by Starman’s teammate the Spectre on planet Ultima a thousand years later, the Light recruited four powerful minions known as the Futurites. Heralding from a toxic world, the cruel quarter wore protective gear over their massively powerful bodies which enabled them to be virtually invincible.

Bringing the Futurites back with him to 1941, the Light and his lethal lieutenants nearly crippled the United States of America, until Starman ascertained their weakness and exposed one of their number to his era’s planetary atmosphere. The remaining rogues absconded with the Light’s time machine, leaving him being to face capture.

In the 1970s, the Iron Hand threatened Earth-Two with his massively powerful Nebula Hand, even causing some of his old foes in the Seven Soldiers of Victory (sword-wielding Shining Knight, the half-centaur archer Speedy and the energy emitting Crimson Avenger) to turn evil for a brief period. Decades earlier, the Hand formed his “Five Days Fingers of the Hand”, consisting of Professor Merlin, Red Dragon, the Needle, the Dummy and Big Caesar who battled the Soldiers.

While Iron Hand and his enemies had other counterparts on Earth-One (see their individual entries), the fact that he assembled a similarly empowered group to oppose a Legion, Law’s Legionnaires, is a remarkable parallel!