Hat tip to my excellent friend Martin Gray for sending me this link about an upcoming character on the Superman & Lois television show, Leslie Larr!
Here is the link:https://www.cbr.com/superman-and-lois-degrassi-star-bronze-age-dc-villain/
Here is the pertinent blurb:
The CW's Superman And Lois has cast Degrassi star Stacey Farber in the recurring role of Leslie Larr, a possible Silver Age DC villain.
According to The Wrap, Farber's character of Leslie Larr is described as "the right hand to one of the most influential people on the planet, she's gone from a young, idealistic dreamer to a hardened, world-worn dream killer. Athletic, strong… and oftentimes heartless." The name "Leslie Larr" could be a slight variation on the Supergirl villain Lesla-Larr, created by Jerry Siegel and artist Jim Mooney in 1961.
Now there is a bit to unpack here. (First off, CBR initially listed Lesla as a Bronze Age character; they quickly corrected it to Silver Age. Also, there isn't 2 r's in the character name.) And the name doesn't always mean an exact copy of the comic character on these CW shows.
But a heartless dream killer named Leslie Larr? That has to be a riff on Lesla-Lar.
And Lesla is probably the first true member of Supergirl's small rogue's gallery. I have talked about her a little bit on this site over the years. (Here is a link to pertinent posts: http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/search/label/Lesla%20Lar ).
Lesla-Lar first appeared in Action Comics #279 as an embittered young Kryptonian scientist trapped on Kandor. Sick of being trapped in the bottle and a dead ringer for Kara, she tried to switch places with Supergirl, brainwashing Kara into believing the switcheroo.
Unfortunately, her own plot is foiled by the Kryptonian Phantom Zone villains she frees.
But this story took place over several issues, a true mega-arc for the time.
She came back from sort of beyond the grave in the early 80s to thwart Supergirl again.
I had always hoped that some version of Lesla would reappear in the Sterling Gates run, the Rebirth run, and even Supergirl's own show on the CW.
But I will take any version of her sneaking its way into mainstream media.
Will Leslie Larr be Kryptonian? From Argo? Working for Lex?
I can't wait to find out!
It also means I have a few back issue reviews I need to start working on!
It DOES make sense that she would appear on the new Superman show since Supergirl raided HIS rogues gallery for her show :P
ReplyDeleteVERY COOL! My intro to Lesla (an LL) was in my 80-page giant
ReplyDeleteACT#360...
Poor Lesla she was debuted as Supergirl's own answer to Lex Luthor (down to the alliterative, double L name) her original scheme was abruptly thwarted by the Kaindorian Police leading to her exile into the Phantom Zone, Kara never even knew officially who she was or what she was up to...then when Lesla escaped from the Zone her confederates casually tested a disintegrator on her that left her in a disembodied state until 1980 or so....where she was Jobbed Out Again, at least this time by Supergirl!
ReplyDeleteIf ever there was a character in Kara's tiny rogue's gallery in need of a makeover, it is Lesla Lar Supergirl's equivalent to Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus, an antagonist that can never get out of their own way...
Anyway, Supergirl has been casually borrowing villains from Superman for years, its time she was generous with her cousin for once.
:)
JF
Introducing Lesla-Lar on Superman and Lois seems like a perfectly sneaky way of possibly bringing in Melissa as Supergirl for guest appearances eventually, considering that Clark didn't physically show up in National City until Season Two.
ReplyDeleteKET
It did seem like the original intention was for Lesla Lar to become Supergirl's arch enemy way back then. But if that was the plan, something changed and she was killed off. True, she came back almost 20 years later, but as far as 1962 was concerned, she was gone.
ReplyDeleteI could be wrong, but I believe that the Supergirl story that began in Action Comics #278 and ran for the next several issues was the first multi-issue story in DC history. There had been 2 part stories before (Action Comics #s 254 and 255), but I'm not aware of any that ran longer.
Hopefully the TV people will give Lesla-Lar the treatment to finally make it big!
ReplyDeleteI do hope it isn't just Leslie ... but she is Lesla Lar from Argo (which we know exists in the CW)
ReplyDelete