Metamorpho the Element Man

Rex Mason was a daring adventurer who was exposed to a mysterious meteorite called the Orb of Ra in Egypt, transforming him into Metamorpho — a freak of nature able to transmute his body into any element or compound found in the human body.

Few characters from DC's Silver Age carry quite the chemical charisma of Metamorpho the Element Man, who burst onto the scene in 1966 courtesy of the brilliant pairing of writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky in Justice League of America #42. A genuinely offbeat figure in DC's roster, he's built a presence across four decades of publishing — turning up in his own Metamorpho series, 1st Issue Special, and Batman and the Outsiders Annual — proof that this elemental oddity has staying power far beyond a novelty act. He keeps remarkable company in his adventures, sharing pages with the likes of Rex Mason, Simon Stagg, Java, Sapphire Stagg, and the kindred spirit Element Girl, giving his corner of the DC universe a wonderfully distinct, almost pulpy flavor. If you're drawn to Silver Age comics with genuine personality and a hero who stands apart from the cape-and-cowl crowd, Metamorpho is absolutely worth your time.