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{{short description|Fictional DC Comics superheroine}}

{{SuperheroboxInfobox comics character| <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->

image=[[Image:Andromeda_(DC_comics).jpg|250px|]]

|captionimage=[[Image:Andromeda, by(DC Lee Modercomics).jpg|250px]]

| caption=Laurel Gand as Andromeda, as depicted in ''Legion of Super-Heroes'' vol. 4 #66 (March 1995). Art by Lee Moder.

|comic_color=background:#8080ff

| character_name=AndromedaLaurel Gand

| real_name=Laurel Gand

| publisher=[[DC Comics]]

| debut=Original:<br>''Legion of Super-Heroes'' (volumevol. 4) #66.6 (April 1990)<br>Post-''[[LaurelZero Gand|HistoricalHour (no codenamecomics)|Zero Hour]]'': <br>''Legion of Super-Heroes'' v4(vol. 4) #566 (March 1995)

| creators=[[Tom and Mary Bierbaum]]<br>[[Keith Giffen]]<br>[[Al Gordon]]<br>(based upon [[Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)|Supergirl]] by [[Otto Binder]] and [[Al Plastino]])

|creators=

|previous_alliances alliances=[[Legion_of_SuperLegion of Super-Heroes#Rebooted_.281994-2004.29Rebooted (1994–2004)|Legion of Super-Heroes]], [[<br>White Triangle]]

|alliance_color=background:#ffc0c0

|homeworld= [[Daxam]] (31st century)

|status=Inactive

|species= [[Daxamite]]

|alliances=

| aliases= Andromeda, Sister Andromeda

|previous_alliances=[[Legion_of_Super-Heroes#Rebooted_.281994-2004.29|Legion of Super-Heroes]], [[White Triangle]]

| powers= {{collapsible list

|aliases=

<!--Must be a defining trait: only powers Superman regularly uses are listed here-->

|relatives=

| titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;

|powers=Super-strength, super-speed, unaided flight, heat vision, telescopic and X-ray vision, super-hearing, ability to survive and move in a vacuum.

| title = ''See list''

|}}

|

Laurel Gand, codenamed '''Andromeda''', is a [[fictional character]], a [[superhero]]ine in the future of the [[DC Comics]] [[DC Universe|universe]], and a member of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]]. She was initially created as a replacement for [[Supergirl]] in [[post-Crisis]] Legion continuity, but is very different from her. She was also inspired by elements of [[Superman]]'s supposed decendent Laurel Kent.

*Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, agility, durability longevity, and reflexes

*Solar energy radiation absorption

*Super-Hearing

*Enhanced visual perception

**Electromagnetic spectrum vision

**Telescopic vision

**Microscopic vision

**Heat vision

**X-ray vision

**Thermal vision

**Infrared vision

**Ultraviolet vision

*Flight

*Invulnerability

*Super-breath

**Freezing breath

**Wind breath

*Longevity

*Indomitable will

*Self-sustenance

*Accelerated healing

*Genius-level intellect

*Basic hand-to-hand combatant

|}}

}}

'''Laurel Gand''' is a [[superhero]]ine appearing in [[DC Comics]], primarily as a member of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]] in the 30th and 31st centuries under the name '''Andromeda'''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Greenberger |first1=Robert |last2=Pasko |first2=Martin |title=The Essential Superman Encyclopedia |date=2010 |publisher=Del Rey |isbn=978-0-345-50108-0 |page=10}}</ref> She was created as a replacement for [[Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)|Supergirl]], who was killed in ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]''. She was also inspired by elements of [[Superman]]'s supposed descendant Laurel Kent, who is later revealed to be a [[Manhunters (DC Comics)|Manhunter]].<ref name="dc-ency">{{Citation | last=Greenberger | first=Robert | contribution=Andromeda | editor-last=Dougall | editor-first=Alastair | title= The DC Comics Encyclopedia | pages=15 | publisher= [[Dorling Kindersley]] | place=London | year=2008 | isbn = 978-0-7566-4119-1}}</ref>

==Biography (post-Reboot)==

==Fictional character biography==

Laurel Gand spent most of her life in a [[White Triangle]] community, being indoctrinated in the "horrors" of interspecies co-operation before the Triangle's political clout led her to become the Daxamite representative in the Legion. Away from [[Daxam]]'s red sun, she gained powers similar to [[Superman]]'s, but the race-wide hypersensitivity of Daxamites to lead that meant even minuscule amounts could prove fatal even to a powered-up Daxamite, forcing her to wear a [[transuit]] at all times. This did not trouble her, since it meant she never had to actually touch any non-Daxamites.

===Pre-Zero Hour===

[[Category: {{Main|Legion of Super-Heroes members]](1958 team)}}

Following her death in ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]'', Supergirl was removed from mainstream DC continuity and replaced with Laurel Gand / Andromeda.

Gand is a Daxamite and relative of [[Lar Gand|Valor]] who was born on the asteroid Ricklef II. She later joins the Legion of Super-Heroes before marrying Rond Vidar and leaving the group to care for their daughter Lauren. She is later killed in a terrorist attack.

Her Triangle-derived beliefs hampered her effectiveness as a Legionnaire, thanks to her reluctance to physically engage with any enemies, but the real problems started after she let several Triangle members go after a mugging, shortly after which they beat and almost killed [[Triad (comics)|Triad]]. Angered more for their defiance of her than for the beating, when she was ordered away to prevent the [[Composite Man]] gaining her powers, she flew after them. Immediately, they tore her transuit and directly exposed her to lead, and she barely managed to turn them over to the [[Science Police]] before crashing through the walls of Legion HQ.

===Post-Zero Hour===

While [[Brainiac 5]] worked on devising an anti-lead serum, he confronted her about her beliefs, and after discovering the serum [[Vril Dox II]], his direct ancestor, had created for [[Lar Gand|Valor]] and tailoring it to her genetic structure to allow it to work properly on her (much to her surprise, as she had been taught that all members of the same race were identical), he forced her to confront the fact that he wasn't her inferior before giving her the serum. While this was happening, however, [[Violet (comics)|Shrinking Violet]] discovered a White Triangle necklace in her room and connected it to the group which had assaulted Triad and destroyed [[Trom]], before telling the rest of the team.

{{Main|Legion of Super-Heroes (1994 team)}}

Laurel Gand was originally a member of the xenophobic White Triangle group before joining the Legion. Due to Daxamites' vulnerability to lead, she is forced to wear a special suit to protect her from it. She later travels to the planet Hell and is presumed dead before returning to the Legion.

After the events of ''[[Infinite Crisis]]'', Earth-247, the home of the post-''Zero Hour'' Legion, is destroyed. Andromeda appears in ''[[Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds]]'', battling [[Superboy-Prime]] along with M'onel (Valor) and Superman. Later, in the fifth issue, her pre-''Zero Hour'' younger and older counterparts are called to battle the [[Time Trapper]], alongside dozens of other Legionnaires from alternate realities.

[[image:Andromeda (DC Comics) 2.jpg|thumb|left|Andromeda finally turns on Roxxas]]Confined to quarters after an unsuccessful attempt by [[Cosmic Boy]] to have her removed from the team, she used her super-senses to see [[Ambassador Roxxas]] gloating, but he managed to bully her into giving him the anti-lead serum. Taking it himself and giving it to four other Daxamites, they proceeded to cause mass destruction on Earth. When Andromeda herself confronted Roxxas over what he was doing and had made her do, she was almost defeated when Violet began thrashing around in his head, before coming out and telling Andromeda to take him down. As she pummelled him repeatedly, he destroyed the covering of an "atomic furnace", and both were thought to have died in the resulting inferno (causing Brainiac 5 severe depression). Only Cosmic Boy told that she had survived and voluntarily exiled herself to [[Planet Hell]].

==Powers and abilities==

Later, she was brought out of this exile by [[Live Wire]] after Cosmic Boy had told him where she was as part of a way to build up a "Legion Rescue Squad", and she was awed by Valor, himself being another member. However, she declined to rejoin the Legion after the Squad had served its purpose, preferring to head off into deep space.

Generally, the abilities of Laurel Gand (and other Daxamites) are identical to those of Superman and other natives of the planet [[Krypton (comics)|Krypton]] (super-strength; speed; flight; X-ray, heat, microscopic or telescopic vision powers; invulnerability and super hearing). However, she is vulnerable to lead rather than Kryptonite.

==PowersIn other media==

* Laurel Gand as Andromeda makes a cameo appearance in the ''[[Superman: The Animated Series]]'' episode "New Kids In Town".

* Laurel Gand as Andromeda appears as a character summon in ''[[Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eisen |first=Andrew |date=October 2, 2013 |title=DC Characters and Objects - ''Scribblenauts Unmasked'' Guide |url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/scribblenauts-unmasked/DC_Characters_and_Objects |access-date=August 2, 2024 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref>

* Laurel Gand as Andromeda appears in ''[[Justice League Adventures]]'' #28.<ref>{{Cite web |title=''Justice League Adventures'' #28 - Future Imperfect (Issue) |url=https://comicvine.gamespot.com/justice-league-adventures-28-future-imperfect/4000-96641/ |access-date=August 2, 2024 |website=Comic Vine |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==

Great super-strength, the ability to fly unaided, to move in space without breathing apparatus and at superluminal speed, heat vision, telescopic vision and super-hearing.

*[[Alternative versions of Supergirl]]

==External links==

[[Category: Legion of Super-Heroes members]]

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080418233214/http://www.majorspoilers.com/archives/3733.htm/ A Hero History Of Andromeda/Laurel Kent]

==References==

{{Reflist}}

{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}

{{Supergirl}}

{{Superman characters}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Gand, Laurel}}

[[Category:Comics characters introduced in 1990]]

[[Category:Characters created by Keith Giffen]]

[[Category:DC Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds]]

[[Category:DC Comics characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability]]

[[Category:DC Comics characters with superhuman senses]]

[[Category:DC Comics characters with superhuman strength]]

[[Category:DC Comics extraterrestrial superheroes]]

[[Category:DC Comics female superheroes]]

[[Category:Fictional characters with X-ray vision]]

[[Category:Fictional characters with nuclear or radiation abilities]]

[[Category:Fictional characters with air or wind abilities]]

[[Category:Fictional characters with ice or cold abilities]]

[[Category:Fictional characters with energy-manipulation abilities]]

[[Category:Fictional characters with fire or heat abilities]]

[[Category:Legion of Super-Heroes members]]