With Supergirl set to return on January 15th, The CW has released new photos from the midseason premiere, 'Legion of Super-Heroes', showing Mon-El (Chris Wood), Saturn Girl (Amy Jackson), and Brainiac 5 (Jesse Rath) suited up.

Supergirl has been teasing the Legion of Super-Heroes since season 1, when eagle-eyed fans spotted a Legion flight ring in the Fortress of Solitude. All that's come to a head this year, with Mon-El returning from the future with some powerful allies. The greatest heroes of the 30th century, the Legion of Super-Heroes, are on hand to give Kara some much-needed help.

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So far, the show has only introduced viewers to two members of the Legion. That's about to change when Supergirl returns with an episode appropriately entitled "Legion of Super-Heroes." Mon-El and Saturn Girl will wake up another Legionnaire to save Kara's life: Brainiac 5, a character who actually has romantic ties to Supergirl in the comics. Now, The CW has released a stunning gallery of images showing the Legion ready for action.

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The costumes are certainly very different to the comics. In the comics, the Legion of Super-Heroes are well-known for their bright, flashy uniforms. Supergirl has taken a different approach. The show has opted for dark outfits that are vaguely reminiscent of the first X-Men trilogy. As fans saw in the Supergirl midseason premiere trailer, Brainiac 5 has a fascinating design. He's frankly sinister in appearance, and Supergirl has gone all-in on the head-discs he sometimes wears in the comics. Everything else is radically changed, though. The comic book version is green-skinned and blond-haired, but Supergirl has gone for a gray skin tone. That change is sure to provoke strong reactions from Legion fans.

Saturn Girl's design is equally intriguing. In the comics, Saturn Girl's signature colors are red and white. Those have been ditched in favor of this dark outfit, which seems to be part of the Legion uniform. There are still a few signature features though, including a sash around the waist and padding at the shoulders to give Saturn Girl a recognizable figure.

In terms of plot details, note that several scenes show Kara bonding with Brainiac 5. For all his disturbing appearance, in the comics Supergirl and Brainiac 5 have actually been romantically involved in the past. Kara is in a vulnerable place right now, still reeling from the painful knowledge that Mon-El has moved on. Kara is definitely looking at her adorkable best in some of the shots. Frankly, it would be no surprise to see Brainiac 5 fall for her hard. The best superhero shows are always about the characters as much as the action, after all.

Fans are sure to have a mixed reaction to these photos. The Legion of Supergirl certainly isn't the bright, flashy group comic book fans are used to. That said, they're still recognizable as characters, and it's a delight to see The CW finally build on several seasons' worth of hints.

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Supergirl season 3 continues Monday, January 15 with ‘Legion of Super-Heroes’ @8pm on The CW.

Source: The CW