Metamorpho
Metamorpho is a male comic superhero who features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Origin
Rex Mason
At some point, the famed soldier of fortune was hired by Simon Stagg and recovered many items for his employer. One of these expeditions resulted in him uncovering a petrified Neanderthal who was brought back to Stagg and unthawed where he was given the name Java. During this time, he became involved with 'Mr. Millions' daughter the beautiful Sapphire Stagg who became Rex's fiancée. One mission saw him journeying into South America where he returned with the secrets of the Indian witch doctors who could shrink the human body. At first, Stagg believed Mason had failed his assignment but Rex demonstrated by using a potion that shrunk Simon's pet Sheba with him having the potion that reversed the process. It was then that Mason was given a new task which was to recover the fabled Orb of Ra in Egypt where he would be paid a million dollars with Java accompanying him on this task. Their plane travelled to the Valley of the Upper Nile where they went to the Lost Pyramid of Ahk-Ton. Going on foot, they managed to make their way into the pyramid and navigated its passages to its heart where they uncovered the Orb of Ra. It was then that Java betrayed him taking the relic for himself and leaving Mason for dead. Trapped deep inside, Rex found the original meteor that Ahk-Ton had found from which he used a piece to create the Orb of Ra. Exposure to its radiation led to his transformation into a being capable of changing into various elements. (Brave and the Bold v1 #57)
Metamorpho
Metamorpho and Sapphire went on a date, and she was continually amazed with his sense of whimsy and fun. He rescued a schoolbus from a collapsing overpass, and while dancing on telephone lines as an inflatable clown in order to calm the children down he realized something was wrong. They glowed, and he followed them back to a bank, where the phone unleashed energy cubes that created a forcefield so criminals could rob the bank. He tracked the lines back to evil scientist Kurt Vornak and smashed his generator. Metamorpho asked how Stagg’s progress was going with curing him, and he assured him things went swimmingly. Metamorpho was eager to marry Sapphire even though she was starting to love him as an Element Man. Vornak wanted Metamorpho out of the way, so he started messing with a machine Simon Stagg claimed would cure Metamorpho. In truth he was working on no such project, and the machine was meant to turn protons into basic states. The machine exploded and Kurt Vornak became the Atomic Avenger, going on a rampage and trying to end the life of his former employer Stagg. Only an atomic explosion could destroy him, so Metamorpho risked his life, again impressing Sapphire, luring the Avenger into an underpass under a river and setting off a controlled nuclear charge. Simon Stagg gathered Metamorpho’s remains and promised Sapphire he would reconstitute him. (Metamorpho v1 #1) Stagg put Metamorpho’s remain’s in a body-shaped container and added methane, oxygen and carbon. He then conducted lightning into it, recreating the conditions that led to life on Earth, and Metamorpho was revitalized. A worldwide crime spree had worldwide authorities seeking Metamorpho’s aid, and he was approached by a top g-man. At a government command center Metamorpho learned that communication satellite Telstar had been compromised by crime czar Nicholas Balkan for his own purposes, and they needed Metamorpho to become a human rocketship and repair the satellite. Java hitched along for the ride to prove how pure his love for Sapphire was. When they boarded Telstar Balkan threw it out of orbit, returning it to his base in South America, knocking out Java and freezing Metamorpho in liquid oxygen. Stagg and Sapphire came looking for Metamorpho, and Balkan apprehended them. His eldest son Gunther was enthralled with Sapphire, so Balkan pronounced them man and wife and sent them on a honeymoon in his atomic sub-turtle. Stagg freed Metamorpho and demanded he save Sapphire, which he did by becoming a torpedo and destroying the sub. Metamorpho had Balkan beat, so in despair he activated his doomsday clock, preferring to destroy the world and die before conceding defeat, but Metamorpho dug underground as a drill and disabled the weapon. (Metamorpho v1 #2)
Simon Stagg announced that he was engaged to wealthy and young Zelda Trumbull, and brought Metamorpho, Sapphire and Java to her father T.T.T.’s Science Station Alpha in the Grand Canyon. T.T.T. showed off the newly discovered element extracted from meteorites that he named Staggium in honor of Simon and was most interested when it weakened Metamorpho, just like his scientists predicted. Zelda lured Simon away while T.T.T. introduced Metamorpho to his Thunderbird Robot, constructed with Staggium. T.T.T. was about to unleash Operation Super Colossal, taking over the U.S. by destroying their missile defense system, and wanted Metamorpho out of the way. Metamorpho evaded the robot, and their battle made its way to the Grand Canyon. The U.S. army was in the wings, but were hesitant about a direct attack on T.T.T., so Metamorpho signaled them to destroy the Thunderbird, enabling him to destroy T.T.T.’s Super Colossal devices that targeted U.S. missile defense systems. The President called Metamorpho to thank him, and the hero created a gold medal on his chest to honor himself. (Metamorpho v1 #3)
Metamorpho was on his way to meet Sapphire when he found a sad young boy on the streets who he tried to cheer up. At the time, he saw in the sky an invitation from the Justice League to join their ranks but he had no intention o do so. In that moment, he came attacked by a mysterious foe called the Unimaginable who was animating the environment against Mason. The Justice League later arrived on the scene to help Metamorpho where he explained that he refused their membership because he simply wanted to be returned to being a normal human being. Despite that, he did help the League in uncovering the identity of the Unimaginable who was revealed to be an energy being from another world who had become so impressed with Earth's heroes that he wanted to join their ranks. (Justice League of America v1 #42)
Outsiders
Seeking a cure for himself, he decided to look for Dr. Helga Jace who he wanted to help him return to being a normal human being again. This saw him disguising himself as he went to the small European country of Markovia. (Batman and the Outsiders v1 #1)
During the Invasion, the Dominators detonated their Gene Bomb in an effort to wipe out Earth's Metahumans. Its detonation caused Metamorpho's body to be reconstituted where he awoke within the ruins of a castle in Markovia when he was picked up by troops that had mistaken him for a supervillain. (Invasion! v1 #3)
Multibillionaire Tayher Jost looked to establish his own superhero team that he called the Doom Patrol where he managed to recruit Metamorpho to serve as team leader. (Doom Patrol v3 #4)
As the JLA headquarters exploded in space, Metamorpho managed to turn himself into an escape craft carrying his comrades back to Earths surface though the effort left him in a coma. Meanwhile, small scattered fragments of himself fell all over the continental United States. Most of these were gathered and re-integrated in Mason’s body during his coma. However, one managed to gain consciousness on its own and reformed into a copy of Metamorpho with some of his memories and came to believe he was the original. This version was recruited into Nightwing’s Outsiders and Mason came to learn of this whereupon he sought to re-integrate the part into himself. This led to the other ‘Metamopho’ suffering from an identity crisis and a breakdown causing his powers to lash out of control. Mason looked to help him regain control and during the merger of their forms he came to realise that his ‘clone’ was a living thinking independent being. Thus, he decided to let him live his own life but asked that he come up with his own code name rather than use Metamorpho. (Outsiders v3 #7)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. Rex Mason
He was convinced by Simon Stagg to take part in a research project that Stagg Enterprises had acquired from its acquisition of Terrifitech that involved dimensional travel. Using Mason, Stagg had him as a means of opening a doorway into the Dark Multiverse where during the process Metamorpho went rogue as his body took on the qualities of Nth Metal with Simon unable to shut the doorway. Mr. Terrific arrived on the scene where he used his knowledge to attempt to close the doorway but this reversed the tear sending Holt, Mason and Plastic Man through it. The three ended up in the Dark Multiverse where Holt had Plastic Man encase himself and Metamorpho within his body that protected from the energies of the Dark Multiverse. From there, they sought to find a means back to their universe when they received a distress call from a neighbouring body. (The Terrifics v1 #1)
Though happy with Sapphire, he came to fear returning to being Metamorpho and snuck out one night to enter Stagg Industries to destroy the Orb of Ra. Just before he could smash it, he received a distress call from Phantom Girl requesting aid for Mr. Terrific who was in real danger. Mason then reluctantly decided to help his friends and used the Orb to transform back into Metamorpho where he went to help his friends and team mates. (The Terrifics v1 #12)
He was responsible for keeping Simon Stagg alive by shaping his hand into lung tissue to keep him barely alive in the hospital. Despite his aid, Simon's body was unable to continue to function and he seemingly perished as a result with everyone attending the funeral. During that time, the robot Staggatron arrived with the Stagg heir which was Sapphire's brother Sebastian Stagg. (The Terrifics v1 #28)
Overview
Personality and attributes
He also came to be known as the Element Man. (Brave and the Bold v1 #57)
He had a reputation for being a famed soldier of fortune who went on expeditions to recover hidden secrets in the world. (Brave and the Bold v1 #57)
Mason came to be involved with Sapphire Stagg who was the rich and beautiful daughter of Simon Stagg. She came to be his fiancée though their relationship was something her father disapproved of as he did not like Rex Mason. (Brave and the Bold v1 #57)
Powers and abilities
Rex Mason was originally an ordinary human being who came to be a soldier of fortune. (Brave and the Bold v1 #57)
He was transformed by exposure to radiation from a meteor that the Pharaoh Ahk-Ton had used to create the Orb of Ra. This turned him into a being who could change into the elements. (Brave and the Bold v1 #57) It was said that his body was in constant flux with his abilities being almost without limit. (Metamorpho: Year One v1 #6) He was able to replicate all the elements in another person. (Birds of Prey v1 #52) Originally, his transformation into various states was done so on instinct. (Brave and the Bold v1 #57)
It was shown that he could turn himself into gas allowing him to escape a locked chamber. (Brave and the Bold v1 #57)
Mason was able to shoot out doses of ice-cold liquid nitrogen from his hands. (Justice League Europe v1 #12) It was shown that he could turn a pool of water freezing cold. (Metamorpho: Year One v1 #5) He could replace all the hydrogen atoms with oxygen to allow his comrades to breath. (Justice League America v1 #94) Similarly, he was able to create a breathable atmosphere in an area. (Infinite Crisis v1 #6)
He could turn his palms to acid in order to burn a person's arm upon touch. (Outsiders: Five of a Kind - Metamorpho/Aquaman v1 #1)
Rex could drain high density elements out of the soil and become heavier than the ground under him allowing him to sink through it. (Justice League International v2 #64) Mason was able to absorb substance from the environment to replace any lost matter from his form. (Outsiders: Five of a Kind - Metamorpho/Aquaman v1 #1) He could seek shelter in another person's body where his main mass permeating their body to escape any blast that could dispel his form. Once inside, he remained there until he could regenerate his body whereupon he expelled from the person's body. (Batman and the Outsiders Special v2 #1)
Mason was shown to be capable of interfacing directly with technology. He was able to shut down cameras which was noted for being easy whilst directly interfacing with computers was a more advanced skill. (Outsiders v3 #40)
A more advanced ability was the capacity of changing parts of his body to replicate organic traits. An example of this was reforming his hand into lung tissue to help a person breath. (The Terrifics v1 #28)
He was shown to be able to resist attempts at transmutation of his body by pulling the carbon out of himself. (Justice League International v2 #64)
Metamorpho could form satellite versions of himself that were separate and could act independently of him with these being re-absorbed at a latter date. These parts were noted to lack much of his memories and skills. (Outsiders v3 #40) Separated parts of him were able to reform and become a clone of Mason with his powers though only portions of his memory. Metamorpho was able to re-absorb these parts back into himself though it meant killing the new personality formed from that fragment. (Outsiders v3 #7)
In one instance, he was resurrected when his body was reconstituted following the detonation of the Gene Bomb on Earth. (Invasion! v1 #3)
During a mission with The Terrifics, an ordinary dog was exposed to elemental energies from Element World and was transformed into Element Dog that had similar powers as Metamorpho. (The Terrifics v1 #5) The dog came to be a pet for the team and stayed with Rex Mason. (The Terrifics v1 #12)
Notes
- Metamorpho was created by Bob Haney and Ramona Fradon where he made his first appearance in the Brave and the Bold v1 #57 (January, 1965).
Alternate Versions
- In Batman: Arkham Knight v1 #8 (2015), an alternate version of Metamorpho was shown in the comic tie-in set in the Arkhamverse. He was a forced to take part in Stagg Industries experiment that saw him mutated with material taken from Clayface that was merged with radiation from an artefact brought Egypt as part of Project: Meta. The result of the experiments led to his transformation into a creature able to replicate various elements and labelled as a Metamorph.
- In The Terrifics v1 #12 (2019), an alternate version of Metamorpho was shown to exist on Earth-44 in the Multiverse where he was a robot similar to other heroes and villains on their world. He was recruited by Doc Dread to join the ranks of his Dreadfuls who ambushed Mr. Terrific.
In other media
Television
- In the DC Animated Universe, Metamorpho made a number of appearances in the shared continuity setting.
- In Justice League, Rex Mason made his first appearance in the animated television series in the episode "Metamorphosis" where he was voiced by actor Tom Sizemore.
- In Justice League Unlimited, Metamorpho appeared in the animated television series where he was not voiced in the series.
- In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Metamorpho appeared in the animated television series where he was voiced by actor Scott Menville.
- In Beware the Batman, Metamorpho appeared in the animated television series where he was voiced by actor Adam Baldwin.
- In Young Justice, Metamorpho appeared in the animated television series third season Outsiders where he was voiced by actor Fred Tatasciore.
Films
Appearances
- Brave and the Bold v1: (1965)
- Justice League of America v1:
- Batman and the Outsiders v1:
- Invasion! v1:
- Doom Patrol v3:
- Outsiders:
- Outsiders: Five of a Kind - Metamorpho/Aquaman v1:
- Justice League International v2:
- Justice League Europe v1:
- Legends of Tomorrow v1:
- The Terrifics v1:
External Links
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