DCU

As a young man, Rex Mason was fearless. With varied interests, Rex eventually became a crack racing driver on the Grand Prix circuit, but that wasn't thrilling enough for Rex. He became a soldier of fortune, and found himself in tight spots all around the globe: from the Arctic Circle to the Sahara; and he faced threats of all kinds. And yet, there was one thing that could change all that: a young lady named Sapphire Stagg.

Sapphire Stagg was the debutant daughter of power-hungry millionaire Simon Stagg. Stagg, always on the lookout for power, even ressurrected a million-year-old ape man named Java from an Indonesian bog to aid him in his various quests. When Stagg learned of Rex's love for Sapphire, he forbid the two to marry, or Sapphire would be cut from his will.

Rex, realizing that the only way to finally win the heart (and the expensive tastes) of Sapphire was to earn enough money and marry Sapphire, accepted Simon's offer of employment. Simon's first mission for Rex: go to the lost canyons of the upper Nile and find the legendary Orb of Ra. Rex's reward: one million dollars. Naturally, the fearless Rex accepted.

Stagg sent both Rex and Java on the mission, and the two eventually found the pyramid of Ahk-Ton, home of the Orb. Entering the pyramid, Java eventually ditched Rex, leaving Mason alone and unconscious after being hit in the head by a falling rock. It seems Java too has fallen for Sapphire, and, out of jealousy as well as orders from Stagg, found a way to "get rid" of the meddlesome Mason.

Regaining consciousness, Mason began searching for an exit and came across the Orb of Ra, which was, in fact, a mysterious meteor. Bathed in weird rays being emitted by the meteor, Rex Mason was transformed into Metamorpho, the Element Man. Rex gained the power to transform himself into any element found in the human body, but also found his body grotesquely changed. Using his powers, Mason escaped from the pyramid and returned to Stagg.

Stagg, of course, reneged on his deal, and never gave Rex the million. Stagg, however, offered to aid Rex in finding a cure to his position, but intil then, Metamorpho would work for Stagg. Still attached to Sapphire, Rex agrees, but soon finds himself a reluctant super-hero.

Over the next years, Metamorpho found himself playing the role of the hero, however reluctantly. Based at Stagg's complex in Haleyville, Metamorpho found himself against a wide array of threats, such as the Balkan Brothers, T.T. Trumbull, Doctor Dread, Stingaree, Vrag-Kor, the Thunderer, Jezeba, and the Queen of Fury. He found himself facing atomic bombs, berserk robots, crazy scientists, and alien conquerors, and even found an ally when the Orb of Ra transformed a young woman by the name of Rainie Blackwell into the Element Girl.

Metamorpho and the Element Girl soon faced their greatest threat: Algon, the first Element Man. Algon lived in the ancient city of Ma-phoor, and was the first human to find the Orb of Ra and become fantastically transformed. Algon vowed to destroy all other Element Men, and thus set his sights on Rex and Rainie. The three battled within an active volcano, and the two young heroes defeated the man Algon. Afterwards, Element Girl decided to retire from super-heroics.

About this time, an alien known only as the Unimaginable came to Earth and became fascinated with the Justice League of America. The League had decided to invite a new hero to join, and they agreed upon Metamorpho. Suddenly, the Unimaginable made himself known and wanted to join the League. When the League declined, the Unimaginable attacked them with alien creatures of his creation. Metamorpho teamed up with Leaguers Superman, Atom, Flash, Batman, and Green Lantern, and the six of the defeated the Unimaginable. The League extended membership to Metamorpho, but Rex refused, citing that he was only acting as a hero until Stagg could find a cure. Though not a Leaguer, Metamorpho often came to the aid when needed, such as when the League battled the Iron Hand. It was during this adventure that Metamorpho met Earth-2's Justice Society of America and Seven Soldiers of Victory.

Though Metamorpho was a reluctant hero, he, as well as Simon Stagg, Sapphire Stagg, and Java, found himself in many an unusual situation. It was during this time when Metamorpho even saved the President of the United States against Dr. Achille Destinee, the phantom of Washington.

Simon Stagg, wishing to rebuild the Orb of Ra and gain more power, brought it to Haneyville, where Java rebuilt the Orb. However, reassembling the Orb proved dangerous: the Orb somehow affected Java's mind, driving him crazy and attacking Stagg. Sapphire called Metamorpho to warn him, as Java began randomly changing elements around the countryside. Java's rampage drew the attention of Superman, and he and Metamorpho, with Stagg's aid, subdued the mad Java. In the end, the Orb of Ra exploded in the atmosphere, seemingly destroying the meteor forever.

As an Outsider, Metamorpho and his teammates and their mentor Batman faced the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Metamorpho aided the Outsiders and the New Teen Titans in New York City when the red skies came, and was on hand for Supergirl's funeral. Metamorpho also joined the Outsiders on a strike team to a villain-captured Earth-X along with the Justice Society and Infinity Inc. of Earth-2. (JH)

Rex eventually took time off to finally marry Sapphire Stagg.  The happy couple was split up, however, when Metamorpho was disintegrated during the Manhunters' campaign to destroy the heroes of Earth (MILLENNIUM #7)  But during the Dominator's recent interplanetary invasion, Rex's molecules were fused back together by the mysterious "gene-bomb," returning Metamprpho back to life (INVASION! #3)

Rex's susequent "rebirth" was rather traumatic, and he suffered from near-total amnesia.  His valiant service during the Dominator affair prompted Maxwell Lord to offer him a position with Justice League International's new European branch, which Rex accepted for lack of anything better to do (JLEI-001).

Shortly thereafter, Sapphire Stagg Mason appeared at the League's Parisian embassy to be reunited with Metamorpho, followed by Java, who had married Sapphire himself when Metamorpho was declared dead.  Java and Meatmorpho fought and the conflict snapped Metamorpho out of his amnesia.   Simon Stagg arrived just in time to break up the fight and took Sapphire and Java back home (JLEI-008).  Later, Metamorpho learned that he had a baby son and tried to take custody of the child, but reconsidered when he learned that the baby had uncontrollable superpowers (JLEI-011). (RW)

Metamorpho remained a stalwart member of the JLE eventually building romantic relationship with the Crimson Fox (JLEI-041) and mutating into an even more grotesque form (JLEI-061>062).  He continued with the League after the JLI disbanded by joining Wonder Woman's Justice League America (JLIA-000).  Metamorpho left the ranks of the  League shortly after he avenged the death of Crimson Fox Vivian d'Aramis (JLIA-098, JLIA-111).

Later, having been ambushed by the Hyperclan on the orbitting JLA Refuge, Metamorpho heroically protected his Justice League teammates during re-entry from space rendering him inert.  Rex was briefly "resurrected" when the otherdimensional Id granted his son's wish for him to be alive (JLA-052).  With the help of Sapphire and the Orb of Ra, Rex was eventually restored (JLAJSASF-01).

After recently experiencing a memory lapse again, Metamorpho accepted an invitation to join the new Outsiders (THE OUTSIDERS V3 #1). (GA)

Metamorpho is able to transform his entire body into any possible combination to any degree of any element found in the human body. He can alter the shapes and consistencies of these elements and combine them to form complex compounds to a certain degree. Metamorpho can also shape parts and portions of his body instead of the whole. He can form such complex shapes as a tank and a bicycle and such simple forms as a cloud or a spring.

Metamorpho's main weakness occurs when he is exposed to portions of the meteor that gave him his powers. These meteor portions can weaken him even to the point of death. One such meteor is known as the Orb of Ra, an archaeological find currently in the hands of Simon Stagg.

Metamorpho, disfigured by his accident, had, for a while, a fake face and a wig made so he could interact with other people without scaring them. It is unknown with what the face and wig were composed. (JH)

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