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After a prolonged absence, the creepy domed headquarters of the Legion of Doom has once again risen from its murky underwater grave. When word reached the outside world, the Hall of Justice was shaken. Could it be true? Could the Legion of Doom be back?

"Okay, check this out, check this out," stuttered Aquaman as he puffed nervously on the stub of a cigarette. "I can handle Black Mantis, okay. I'm not complainin' about that. But I just don't think I can stop John LeClair. I mean, I really don't think the fact that I can talk to tuna frightens him."

Eric Lindros by Meredith Martini

"But what about Eric Lindros?" interjected a drunken Green Lantern. "He doesn't even need a ring to give him strength. Where's his ring? Answer me that... where's his ring?"

The green and grey clad hero took a shot of bourbon before continuing.

"I... I just feel like less of a man around him, you know?"

Aquaman placed his hand on the Green Lantern's shoulder in an attempt to comfort his friend. "It's okay, man. Let it out."

"He doesn't even need jewelry to make him strong. And I bet... you know, I bet he isn't even afraid of the color yellow. I'm rendered powerless by a canary and you expect me to stop Lindros? Well, I expect you to kiss my glowin' green ass! How about that, huh? How about that? Apache Chief, pass the medicine..."

Yes, even the great Native American warrior was having trouble dealing with the news. He poured himself another glass of fire water and then grudgingly pushed the bottle along.

"The Ancestors know I try," he bemoaned. "But last time I faced Lindros and LeClair I nearly went to the Happy Hunting Ground. I even called on the spirit of the Grizzly. They did not care. After they beat me up they stole my loin cloth. I had to walk all the way home hiding my shame."

"Well get used to it, Chiefy," warned Green Lantern. "I think I'm gettin' out while I still can. From here on in it's nothin' but an endless highway of honkey tonks and one-nighters and no place to go when the bars close."

The room fell quiet. The three heroes looked the picture of despair as they sat around an eerily vacant conference table in a darkened, smoke-filled Hall and silently contemplated their bleak futures. Aquaman, with his right arm trembling, took one final drag of his cigarette and slowly let the smoke seep from his nose and mouth.

"I wonder if Sea World is hiring?"

These once proud members of the Justice League of America aren't the only ones running scared. A sense of panic has swept the entire National Hockey League. The Legion of Doom is back. And they mean business.

First founded by the diabolical genius of Lex Luthor in the mid- 1970s, the Legion of Doom was an attempt to unite super villains everywhere in the common goal of world domination.

Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of everyone involved, the Legion was never able to bring to life their grand vision of global conquest. A series of defeats at the hands of Superman, Batman, Aquaman and the like rendered the criminal cabal a shell of its original intention. With internal strife at an all-time high and a bad investment in the soy bean market crippling its financial well being, the Legion disbanded in the fall of 1987. The eternal struggle between good and evil was over. Or was it?

Philadelphia, February 9, 1995. The Flyers trade all-star right winger Mark Recchi to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for John LeClair, Gilbert Dionne, and Eric Desjardins. Even though he was considered little more than a fourth-line checker in Montreal, LeClair joins with Eric Lindros and Mikael Renberg to form the most feared scoring line in hockey. Displaying a never before seen combination of size, speed, and skill, the trio devastate the NHL, leaving a trail of battered victims in their wake. As the opposition cowered before their might, one thing was clear... the Legion of Doom was reborn.

For the next two years, the new Legion ruled the NHL with an iron fist, crushing any individuals that dared question their authority. Yet just when it seemed that no one could stop their reign of terror, an injury did what no other NHL team could.

During a botched attempt at stealing a thermo-nuclear weapon from an Army Air Force base in New Mexico, Renberg suffered a severe lower abdominal strain. Not only did the mishap put an end to their scheme of holding North America hostage for a king's ransom, it also marked the end of the Legion's dominance.

Renberg was forced to undergo surgery to correct the problem and never quite regained his old form. Shortly before the 1997-98 season, Renberg was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Since two-thirds of a Legion does not a Legion make, Lindros and LeClair were forced to hold open auditions for a new right winger to share in their maniacal mischief. Dainius Zubrus was given first crack at filling the void.

At 6'3", 215 pounds, the young Russian had the size and strength to commit brutality in accord with the long standing Legion tradition. However, Zubrus lacked the confidence and killer instinct needed for such a high profile gig. It didn't help that on his first venture into unlawfulness Zubrus was apprehended by Black Lightning, who later referred to Dainius in the press as a quote "jive turkey."

Gleek

The Flyers next looked outside the organization for help, acquiring Alexandre Daigle from the Ottawa Senators. Daigle was expected to use his formidable speed and puck skills to make the Legion as deadly as ever. The expectations were greeted with disappointment. Daigle only lasted a handful of games with the Legion; his career coming to an end when the Wonder Twins' pet monkey Gleek beat him within an inch of his life for no other reason than that he could.

With nowhere else to turn, Lindros and LeClair were forced to welcome third-line checking winger Trent Klatt into their company. Klatt was a hard worker that always put forth an honest effort, but he lacked the skill needed to properly compliment his partners in crime. He was later taken to an alley and shot in the back of the head.

The search continued into the early part of this season when 25- year-old rookie Mike Maneluk was allowed the opportunity to show his stuff. Lindros was vocal in his support, citing that Maneluk's speed and natural instincts around the net were welcome additions to the cause. Yet Maneluk wasn't perfect. He was too one-dimensional and lacked the size and toughness that had become the Legion's trademark. He, too, was later taken to an alley and shot in the back of the head.

By now it seemed that Lindros and LeClair would have to go on forever as a two-man syndicate of destruction. Hope that another terrifying triumvirate could be assembled had all but diminished when Keith Jones arrived in a trade with Colorado on November 12.

A six-year veteran of the NHL wars, Jones earned his stripes competing for the Washington Capitals alongside the likes of Dale Hunter and Craig Berube. Those early days saw Jones, now 30, garner the reputation of a tenacious, abrasive winger that thrived in front of the cage. As his ice time increased, so did his numbers.

In 1996-97, while playing as a member of the Colorado Avalanche, Jones potted a career high 25 goals and 43 points in 67 games. Sadly, he didn't get much of a chance to build on those numbers in the postseason. After collecting three goals and three assists in an opening round victory for the Avalanche, Jones suffered a serious knee injury that cost him the remainder of the playoffs and all but 23 games the following year.

While never known as a brilliant skater, the injury took another step from the staircase and left Jones on the outs in Denver. Willing to sacrifice quickness for grit and a scorer's touch, the Flyers gambled that Jones could be the missing piece to the Legion's puzzle. It was a gamble that paid off.

Jones' impact was both immediate and profound. On November 14, in his first game as a Flyer, Jones bagged a goal and an assist in helping defeat New Jersey, 6-1. The revamped Legion of Doom combined for five goals and 10 points on the night, with Lindros notching two goals and three assists and LeClair accounting for two goals and an assist. Afterwards, Lex Luthor called from his secret underground laboratory to offer congratulations.

Three more victories followed in quick succession before Philly dropped a 4-2 decision to the Islanders on November 25. But New York didn't have to face the complete Legion. Jones was scratched due to a thigh injury suffered the night before in a battle with the Flash. It's never a good idea to stick your leg out and try and trip someone that can run faster than the speed of sound.

Jones was back in uniform the next time out and the Flyers once again prevailed, clipping the Maple Leafs 4-3. It was another larcenous performance by the Legion, as each member skated away with a goal and two assists.

Next up was a 6-2 pounding of the Vancouver Canucks. LeClair knocked home four goals, Lindros collected four assists, and Jones chipped in a goal and two assists. It almost didn't seem fair.

The carnage was finally halted on December 4 when Dominik Hasek and the Buffalo Sabres posted a 3-0 shutout over the Flyers. But once again the Legion was not at full strength. Lindros was given a game misconduct in the final minute of the first period when he swung his stick at Jay McKee's head. Hey, super villains do that sort of thing. Without their center for the final two periods, Jones and LeClair simply couldn't solve the Dominator. They should have never left the Kryptonite at home.

Although the Legion was once again held in check, with LeClair recording a lone assist among the three, the Flyers rebounded the very next night to post a 2-1 victory over the Washington Capitals.

Since Jones arrived from Colorado and helped form the new Legion of Doom, the Flyers are an impressive 7-2-0, with both losses coming in games when the threesome was broken up by either injury or infraction. In the seven games they have skated together, their individual statistics are staggering: LeClair - nine goals, five assists, 14 points; Lindros - three goals, 13 assists, 16 points; Jones - five goals, six assists, 11 points. Each man also checks in at a +10.

The importance of having Jones in the Legion has not gone unnoticed by LeClair.

"Jonesy has brought a lot of good for our line," states LeClair. "I think the chemistry there has really clicked. He does a real good job of protecting the puck down low and that is a big part of our game -- cycling with the puck. I think when he sees the opportunity to take the puck to the net he does. And his style of game really compliments everything."

Having another cohort willing to drive the net and work the corners has given LeClair added freedom in the offensive zone. Teams can no longer ignore the line's right winger, thus creating more space for Lindros and LeClair to weave their evil web of corruption.

"I think with Keith in the lineup the last couple of games it seems I have been getting a lot more chances on rebounds and in front of the net," confirmed LeClair. "I think a lot of that has to do with us cycling the puck and taking the puck to the net. There have been a lot more opportunities that way."

Some observers who have witnessed the Legion of Doom's recent path of plunder are questioning whether or not they can be stopped. With no one answering the phone at the Hall of Justice, is there a group of NHLers willing to take a stand? Or is the rest of the league merely prisoners to the whim of the Legion?

"There are certain games where your confidence is high," admitted LeClair. "You get a break there and things start to roll for you in the game and you feel good with the puck. But those come every once in a while. Certain nights when we are on, you get those bounces and it is a great feeling."

Not everyone is left feeling great. Just ask the Green Lantern... if you can find him.

The news only gets worse for the good guys. Rumors continue to circulate that the Flyers are in the market to land another marquee right winger to further upgrade the Legion of Doom's apocalyptic potential. Theo Fleury, Pavel Bure, and Zigmund Palffy have all been mentioned as possible recruits.

So turn on the Bat signal, phone in that distress call to the Daily Planet, and gas up the old invisible jet. The Legion of Doom is on a rampage. And they're not about to go down without a fight.

Today the NHL. Tomorrow... the world!

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