Editing Element Lad (section)

==Fictional character biography==
===Pre-''Zero Hour''===
Element Lad, whose real name is Jan Arrah, first appears in ''[[Adventure Comics]]'' (vol. 1) #307 (1963). In this first story, he is briefly known as "Mystery Lad" as the Legionnaires do not initially know his powers.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fleisher |first1=Michael L. |title=The Original Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes, Volume Three: Superman |date=2007 |publisher=DC Comics |isbn=978-1-4012-1389-3 |page=62}}</ref> Jan is the last survivor of Trom, as he was in space while the space pirate Roxxas massacred the Trommites for refusing to transmute valuable elements for him.

With the aid of the Legion, Roxxas is brought to justice and Jan joins the Legion, using the codename Element Lad. He is a member of the Legion for many years, serving terms as leader and deputy leader. He later enters a relationship with [[Shvaughn Erin]], the [[Science Police]]'s Legion liaison.

===="Five Years Later"====
During the [[Legion of Super-Heroes#"Five Years Later"|"Five Year Gap"]] (1989), Earth falls under the control of the [[Dominators (DC Comics)|Dominators]] and leaves the [[United Planets]]. It is revealed that Shvaughn was born male and became female using the drug ProFem.<ref name="GayLeague Shvaughn">{{cite web |url=http://www.gayleague.com/gay/characters/display.php?id=139 |title=Element Lad & Shvaughn Erin |access-date=December 17, 2007 |last=Companik |first=Chris |website=Gay League |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071217093553/http://www.gayleague.com/gay/characters/display.php?id=139 |archive-date = December 17, 2007}}</ref> With ProFem no longer available, Shvaughn reverts to her original form. Jan is unfazed, and continues their relationship.<ref name="GayLeague Shvaughn"/>

Additionally, a temporal clone of Element Lad named '''Alchemist''' is introduced.<ref>''Legion of Super-Heroes'' (vol. 4) #38 (Late December 1992). DC Comics.</ref>

===Post-''Zero Hour''===
In post-''[[Zero Hour: Crisis in Time!|Zero Hour]]'' continuity, the Trommites were killed by [[Daxamites|Daxamite]] terrorists.<ref name="dc-ency"/> After an encounter with [[Mordru]], Jan's powers change so that he can transmute himself into elements.

In ''[[Legion Lost]]'', Element Lad is lost in deep space for billions of years, driving him insane and leading him to become the villain '''Progenitor'''.<ref>''Legion Lost'' #10 (February 2001). DC Comics.</ref> [[Garth Ranzz|Live Wire]] sacrifices himself to defeat Progenitor, but [[Kid Quantum]] recovers crystals from Progenitor's body which grow into a new body housing Garth's consciousness.<ref>''Legion Lost'' #12 (April 2001). DC Comics.</ref>

In ''[[Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds]]'', the post-''Zero Hour'' Legion is brought to the pre-Crisis Legion's timeline to help battle [[Superboy-Prime]] and the [[Legion of Super-Villains]].<ref>''Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds'' #3. DC Comics.</ref>

==="Threeboot"===
In the [[Mark Waid]]/[[Barry Kitson]] 'reimagining', Element Lad is the lone survivor of a lost planet.<ref>''Action Comics'' #850 (L. July 2007). DC Comics.</ref> This version's powers are triggered by touch and only last several minutes.<ref name="dc-ency" />

This version of Element Lad also appears in ''Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds'', where he is killed by Superboy-Prime.<ref>''Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds'' #4. DC Comics.</ref>

===Post-Infinite Crisis===
The events of the ''[[Infinite Crisis]]'' miniseries restore a close analogue of the pre-''Crisis'' Legion to continuity.

In ''[[Last Stand of New Krypton]]'', Element Lad is part of a secret team sent by [[R. J. Brande]] to the 21st century to save the future, posing as a chemistry teacher in [[Smallville (comics)|Smallville]].

In ''[[Doomsday Clock (comics)|Doomsday Clock]]'', Element Lad is among the Legion of Super-Heroes members who appear in the present after [[Doctor Manhattan]] restores the timeline, resurrecting the Legion and the [[Justice Society of America]].<ref>''Doomsday Clock'' #12 (December 2019). DC Comics.</ref>