Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 2

**Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 2** is a 2016 superhero film based on the DC Comics superhero team the Legion of Super-Heroes. The film is a sequel to *Legion of Super-Heroes*. It was directed by James Gunn and stars Alden Ehrenreich, Brie Larson, Evan Peters, Pom Klementieff, James McAvoy, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Vin Diesel, Julianne Moore, and Dolph Lundgren. It was released on May 6, 2016 and grossed $891.2 million against a $200 million budget. It ran 130 minutes and received highly positive reviews, with praise for its visual effects, story, direction, acting, musical score, action sequences and emotional depth. *Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 3* was released on May 3, 2019.

## Plot

In 3015, two years after the creation of the "Legion", Rokk Krinn, Imra Ardeen, Garth Ranzz, Brainiac 5, and Tinya Wazzo have become bounty hunters, in place of the now-defunct United Planets. Imra holds out hope that they will find her adoptive sister Lashina, who disappeared after the 2013/3013 battle. Brainiac, who has begun developing emotions, has made a connection with Tinya, as have Rokk and Imra, though neither speak of it. Brainiac has created Computo, an A.I. that sets their pilot course and feeds them information. Computo alerts them that Lashina has been spotted on Earth, which is simply a tourist destination after the United Planets' collapse. Arriving on the planet, they are attacked by United Planets supporters, who nearly kill them, before Lashina stops them. The Legion attempts to take Lashina in, but she puts on a fight. Imra and Lashina fight one-on-one, in which the former wins, leading to Lashina being taken in. Next going to Oa, where the Green Lanterns are, the Legion offers them Lashina for a price. After collecting, the Legion discovers they have been followed by the United Planets, who attack Oa. The Green Lanterns fight them off, and the Legion helps. However, after the battle the Legion is forced off the planet, due to their incompetence leading the United Planets to Oa.

While in deep space, Rokk believes he sees a mysterious woman calling out to him, though no one else sees her. Suddenly, Computo is taken over by a third party and he sets a destination for Venus. Arriving on the planet, the Legion meet Laevar Bolto, who claims to be Rokk's father. Bolto reveals that he and Rokk's mother were wrongfully accused by the United Planets and were on the run when Rokk was born. Not wanting to have Rokk grow up in that life, they sent him to the past using a Legion ring, which they had found. When he heard that Rokk was back in the 31st century, he began searching for him. Rokk happily reunites with his father, though Imra is worried that Bolto is lying. Bolto reveals that he is an alchemist, but he is dying, which is why he cannot leave his planet, and needs a mysterious element for a healing potion. Rokk, Brainiac, and Tinya stay on Venus, while Imra and Garth go to find the element, called Valorium. Imra reveals her suspcions to Garth, who doesn't believe her.

As Rokk bonds with his father, he learns that his mother was killed by the United Planets, while he managed to escape. Brainiac and Tinya also bond, though the latter believes something is off with Venus. Meanwhile, Imra and Garth locate Valorium on the planet Phlon. Arriving there, they meet Condo Arlik, who has spent his entire life collecting and storing various elements on his planet. Imra tries to convince him to give them the Valorium, but he refuses to give it up without a proper replacement. Imra agrees to find a new element to give to him instead. She and Garth, learning that Arlik has nearly every element still viable in the 31st century, decide to go to 2015 to collect Kryptonite, which is no longer available in 3015. On Venus, as Tinya is dreaming, she phases out of reality and ends up in a seemingly alternate dimension, where Venus is a wasteland, and sees the woman who Rokk saw on the ship. When the woman sees her, she attempts to kill Tinya, who narrowly escapes. Waking up, she informs Brainiac of her dream.

In 2015, Imra and Garth discover that the world's supply of Kryptonite was in Lex Luthor's hands, until he was arrested. They go to LexCorp, where they find Kryptonite stored in his office. Returning to Phlon in 3015, they present the Kryptonite to Arlik, who gives them the Valorium. On Venus, Brainiac uses Computo to learn that Bolto's life signs are out of the ordinary. Tinya uses her abilties, mixed with Computo to discover that Venus actually is a wasteland, and Bolto is an illusion created by the woman. They go to Rokk with this, but it is revealed to be an illusion, and the woman sends them into outer space. Though Brainiac is able to survive, Tinya nearly dies, until Imra and Garth arrive and save them. On Oa, Lashina outsmarts the guards and escapes. Stealing a spacecraft, she prepares to return to her outlaw life until she receives a message from Imra, intending it to go to the Green Lanterns, asking them for help. While the Corps ignores the message, Lashina sets a course for Venus.

The Legion, sans Rokk, hides away on the ship, while Bolto reveals to Rokk that he has special abilities, due to his mother passing on the superhuman gene. Rokk begins to develop the abilities, but when he sees the woman, he is approached by Tinya psychically, and is warned that Bolto is not who he says he is. The woman pushes Tinya out before she can say anymore, but Rokk confronts her. The woman is forced to reveal the truth. She is Evanna Bolto, his mother, who carried great psychic abilities. When her abilities accidentally killed Rokk's father and nearly all of Venus, she created an illusion to please her. Upon learning of Rokk's return, she sought him out, but knew he always cared more about father figures, so she set up the illusion to make him comfortable. Rokk is happy to see his mother, but when she begins training him herself, he realizes she wants to combine their abilities to take over the universe. Lashina arrives and distracts Evanna, while the rest of the Legion arrives to help Rokk. Rokk becomes unstable due to the multiple illusions he went through, but through their combined efforts Evanna is defeated. As they decide to take her in, she commits suicide, rather than return to imprisonment. Lashina leaves once again, but promises to lay low, while Rokk and Imra share another moment.

In a mid-credits scene, Computo's eyes turn red as he begins accessing the files to nearly all of the universe's secrets. In a post-credits scene, in 3017, the Legion learns of Darkseid's arrival in 2017, and they time travel to 2017 to investigate.

## Cast

* Alden Ehrenreich as Rokk Krinn
* Brie Larson as Imra Ardeen
* Evan Peters as Garth Ranzz
* James McAvoy as Brainiac 5
* Pom Klementieff as Tinya Wazzo
* Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Lashina
* Vin Diesel as Computo
* Leonardo DiCaprio as Condo Arlik
* Julianne Moore as Evanna Bolto
* Dolph Lundgren as Laevar Bolto

## Reception

### **Box office**

**Legion of Super-Heroes** grossed $437.5 million (40.1%) in the United States and Canada and $453.7 million (59.9%) in other territories for a total of $891.2 million. Worldwide, it is the sixth highest-grossing 2016 film. It achieved a worldwide opening weekend of $292.7 million. *Deadline Hollywood* calculated the net profit of the film to be $311.2 million, making it the fourth most profitable release of 2016.

### **Critical reception**

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 90% approval rating based on 302 reviews, with an average rating of 7.91/10.