Metamorphae

Metamorphae
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
Characteristics
Place of origin	Earth
Inherent abilities	Shapeshifting

Metamorphae are a class of superpowered beings existing in the fictional DC Comics universe. Metamorphae are humans who have been transformed by the sun god Ra to serve as warriors in his battle against the god Apep (also known as the serpent that never dies). Metamorphae are beings with the ability to shapeshift and change into any element found in the human body, or any combinations thereof.

To date five different metamorphae have been chronicled:

• Rex Mason, the superhero adventurer known as Metamorpho (first appearance Brave and the Bold #7)
• Urania "Rainie" Blackwell, known as Element Girl (first appearance Metamorpho vol. 1 #10)
• Algon, Roman centurion and paramour of Jezeba, Queen of Ma-Phoor (1st mentioned in Metamorpho #16, 1st appearance in Metamorpho #17)
• Ahk-Ton, known as Metamorph (first appearance Batman and the Outsiders #17, January 1985)
• Jillian Conway' (first appearance Metamorpho vol. 2 #1, August 1993)
• Shift (first appearance Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day #3)

Metamorpho's son Joey Stagg inherited abilities similar to those of his father's, but was not an actual Metamorph. Joey Stagg could affect the elements around him instead of those part of him. These days, he has lost this metahuman ability.

The lifespan of metamorphae is unknown. Algon was said to have lived two thousand years before his demise in a volcano.

As Death pointed out to Element Girl, the god Apep died some 3,000 years ago. Death claims to have informed Ra of this, but Ra continues to create metamorphae regardless, suggesting that he is unable to understand or accept that his "never-ending battle" has ended.