Matrix (DC)
Matrix is a comic character who features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Matrix was a protoplasmic being that was engineered in an alternate reality formed in a Pocket Universe that had its own version of Earth and its inhabitants. (Superman v2 #22) She was created on a parallel version of Earth created in a pocket reality by the Time Trapper. He came to take a slice of time where he created an Earth and Krypton where similar events occurred on them as the main reality. This included the arrival of a young Kal-El to the planet where he came to be the superhero Superboy though unlike the real reality this version was the only hero on his world. At some point, Superboy had vanished from their Earth and was considered to had died where he was mourned by the people. During this time, Lex Luthor of this pocket universe came to Smallville and came to be acquainted with Clark Kent's friends. Unlike his main Earth counterpart, this Luthor was a good man and a brilliant scientist where he was shown the secret lair of Superboy. He came to study the advanced technology inside which included a device that he believed allowed him to scan the timeline. This brought him into contact with a Kryptonian named Von-El claiming to be the brother of Jor-El who was Superboy's biological father and that he was in another dimension called the Survival Zone. He claimed that Superboy had been working to free him, his wife Mara and his brother Ston-Ar for many years with Luthor deciding to aid the. However, in reality, they were a trio of Kryptonian criminals that had been banished to the Phantom Zone where Von-El was really General Zod whilst his compatriots were Zaora and Quex-Ul. Brought to Earth, they destroyed the Phantom Zone Projector where they proceeded to lay waste to the planet and conquering it. With no Superboy to protect them, mankind was left at the mercy of the Kryptonian villains with Luthor feeling guilty over his actions in freeing them. In time, Zod came to declare himself the king of the planet whilst Luthor and a band of humans worked to oppose their rule. (Adventures of Superman v1 #444) In these years, Luthor and Lana Lang came to fall in love with one another but she was killed in an attack by the Kryptonians. Afterwards, he used his knowledge to engineer an artificial life-form from a protoplasmic matrix with this being Matrix who in its human guise resembled his true love Lana Lang. (Superman v2 #22)
She then began to stay with the Kents and stayed in Clark's old room. During this time, people began to ask for Clark Kent and in an effort to help Matrix began to assume his form. However, Matrix began to suffer amnesia and began to think they were the real Clark Kent. As him, they travelled to Metropolis but wandered the streets after forgetting their past. (Action Comics v2 #32)
Whilst in space, Matrix encountered the cellkeeper who mistook them for the real Superman. They were then interrupted by an alien ship when Matrix was attacked by the gladiator Draaga who wanted revenge against the Man of Steel. Using invisibility, the protoplasmic shapeshifter did battle with the alien and used psychokinetic force beams against them. However, Matrix was defeated but then the pair were transported onto Warworld where the shapeshifter had taken the form of Supergirl. She was brought before Brainiac who used his powers to dominate her mind and force Draaga to serve the Coluan with them being joined by Maxima. (Action Comics v1 #674)
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, Matrix was a pink-skinned protoplasmic humanoid being but her shapeshifting ability allowed her to take a more human appearance. (Superman v2 #22) Initially, she came to believe that she was her world's version of Lana Lang and was unaware of the fact that the real one had been killed years ago. (Superman v2 #22) One identity that she had taken for a time was that of Supergirl. (Superman v2 #21)
Similarly, she shared the memories of Lana Lang due to the synaptic pathways being copied onto Matrix.
Her version of Luthor was said to had been her Earth's greatest hero and the most brilliant leader in the world. (Superman v2 #21)
Powers and abilities
Matrix was an artificial creation that was created by an alternate universe version of Lex Luthor. She was actually based on Lana Lang whose molecular matrix was used to create a pattern of protomatter. (Superman v2 #22) Thus, her powers were given to her by her reality's version of Luthor. (Superman v2 #21) The protomatter that composed her body was capable of regenerating from injuries. (Superman v2 #22)
As she was formed from a protoplasmic matrix, she had a malleable genome allowing her to assume any humanoid form of a similar mass.
On a molecular level, she was said to resemble Lana Lang. Her chameleonic powers allowed her to change her form an take on other shapes. As Supergirl, she came to vary a variation of Superman's costume. She could also turn herself invisible and making her undetectable to even super-senses. (Superman v2 #21)
Matrix had the power of flight allowing her to travel through the air and over great distances. Despite this power, she said that she did not possess the incredible speeds that could be achieved by a sun-empowered Kryptonian. (Superman v2 #21)
She was able to use psycho-kinetic blasts able to knock the likes of Superman across great distances. (Superman v2 #21)
Among her primary powers was telekinesis allowing her to move objects with the power of her mind. With this power, she was able to enhance her own natural traits such as her strength, physical durability and speed to superhuman levels. Matrix could levitate herself allowing her to fly at supersonic speeds.
An added powers allowed her to cloak herself making her both invisible and inaudible that could make her undetectable even to the senses of Kryptonians such as Superman.
Offensively, she could use her psychokinesis in order to generate powerful force blasts or alternatively she could form a psionic barrier to shield herself or others from harm.
It was believed that Matrix could not use too many of her abilities in combination with one another and instead had to switch between them. (Superman v2 #21)
Notes
- Matrix was created by John Byrne where its first appearance was in Superman v2 #16 (April, 1988).
Alternate Versions
- In Convergence: Supergirl: Matrix (2015), a version of the Matrix Supergirl was collected into a Bottle City and placed on Telos the Planet Incarnate by Brainiac. During the events of Convergence, the various Bottle Cities were forced to battle one another or be destroyed.
Appearances
- Superman v2: (1988)
- Adventures of Superman v1:
- Supergirl v4:
- Convergence: Supergirl: Matrix v1:
External Links
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