With Metamorpho (Rex Mason) making his big-screen debut in Superman, now is the perfect time to dive into the strange, tragic, and utterly fascinating origin story of this lesser-known but immensely powerful DC Comics hero. Known as the Element Man, Metamorpho first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #57 in 1965, created by Bob Haney and Ramona Fradon. His story is part pulp adventure, part mad science, and part love story — all blended into a uniquely comic book concoction. In this blog we will learn about The Origin of Metamorpho: DC’s Element Man and His Unforgettable Beginning.
Rex Mason: Adventurer, Daredevil, and Soldier of Fortune
Rex Mason wasn’t always the chemical-charged superhero we know. Before becoming Metamorpho, Rex lived the life of a globe-trotting adventurer — a soldier of fortune in the Indiana Jones mold. Funded by the powerful and enigmatic Simon Stagg (a wealthy industrialist nicknamed “Mr. Millions”), Rex took on dangerous missions across the world. His latest mission had him returning from South America with knowledge of an ancient potion used by witch doctors to shrink human bodies.
Rex’s larger-than-life personality matched his high-stakes lifestyle. Upon his return, he even parachutes from his plane mid-flight to land directly in the passenger seat of his fiancée Sapphire Stagg’s convertible. It’s flashy, it’s reckless, and it’s very Rex Mason.
Enter: Simon Stagg and Java the Caveman
While the public adored Rex, one man certainly did not — Simon Stagg, his employer and the father of Sapphire. Watching from afar through hidden cameras, Stagg seethed with jealousy and disdain for Rex. Alongside him was Java, his brutish bodyguard and a semi-intelligent caveman Rex had brought back from an expedition. Java, too, loved Sapphire and despised Rex with a primal jealousy.
Stagg, unwilling to let Sapphire marry Rex without his blessing, concocted a plan: send Rex on a perilous new mission to retrieve the mysterious Orb of Ra — with Java as his overseer and backup.
The Fateful Mission to the Nile
Despite Sapphire’s warnings and premonitions, Rex accepted the job. Stagg promised $1 million whether Rex succeeded or not — a fortune he hoped would free him and Sapphire from Stagg’s manipulative grasp forever.
Rex and Java journeyed to an ancient pyramid in the upper Nile valley, the resting place of the Orb of Ra. But this mission wasn’t just dangerous; it was a setup. Inside the pyramid, after locating the orb — a glowing meteor encased in quartz and shaped like a pharaoh’s scepter — Java betrayed Rex, knocking him unconscious and fleeing with the orb.
Transformation in the Pyramid
Rex’s unconscious body activated a long-forgotten mechanism inside the pyramid. He was transported to the core chamber, where he was left to die next to a searing-hot, glowing rock. Realizing he’d been left to die, Rex remembered a special chemical formula Stagg had given him in the past — a last resort meant to be used when facing death. With no options left, Rex drank the formula.
Instead of dying, Rex Mason woke up… changed.
The Birth of Metamorpho
When Rex came to, the rock had cooled, but he felt strange — wrong. Upon seeing his reflection, he realized the horrifying truth: his body had been altered beyond recognition. Each limb and feature now resembled different elements and materials — he was no longer just a man.
Trapped in the sealed pyramid, Rex instinctively discovered he could change his body into gas and slip through the cracks to escape. He even repaired his plane using his new ability to transform his arm into magnesium.
Rex Mason was gone. Metamorpho, the Element Man, had been born.
Back from the Dead
Meanwhile, Java returned to Stagg with the orb. When Sapphire begged her father to rescue Rex, Stagg feigned concern, sending out search parties — believing Rex dead and out of the picture. But Rex wasn’t done yet.
Returning in secret, Rex infiltrated Stagg’s lab by transforming into hydrogen gas and moving through vents. When Sapphire saw his new monstrous form, she fainted from shock. Java tried to fight Rex, but Rex turned into fluorine gas to escape his grip, then shifted into marble and cobalt to overpower him.
Even bullets couldn’t harm Rex now. His new elemental body made him impervious to conventional weapons.
Stagg’s Bargain and Sapphire’s Love
Stagg, terrified and outmatched, claimed he never intended for Rex to suffer. He promised to find a cure and began experimenting on him, but the tests proved useless.
Rex, filled with rage, only wanted one thing — his old life back with Sapphire. But Sapphire reassured him, saying she still loved him no matter how he looked. She urged him to use his new powers for good while they searched for a cure together.
For the first time since his transformation, Rex saw hope.
Java’s Last Stand and the Fire Rescue
But the chaos wasn’t over. Humiliated, Java set the lab on fire in a final act of revenge. With Sapphire trapped in the flames, Rex acted fast. He transformed into fire foam to douse the fire and created a calcium spiral slide to carry her to safety.
When she awoke in his arms, she confirmed her love once more, convincing Rex that he could still be a hero — no matter what he looked like.
Metamorpho: Hero of the Elements
As the story closed, Stagg hid the powerful Orb of Ra in a shark tank, hinting at future attempts to control Metamorpho. But for now, Rex had found his purpose. Though he may look like a patchwork of living elements, Metamorpho chose the path of heroism.
Powers of Metamorpho
Metamorpho isn’t just a man with freakish looks — he’s one of the most versatile heroes in DC Comics. His powers include:
- Elemental Transmutation: He can turn any part of his body into any element or compound found in the Earth or human body.
- Shapeshifting: He can mold his limbs into weapons, shields, or even machines.
- Gas, Liquid, Solid Transformations: He can become a gas to escape through tight spaces or a solid metal to deliver devastating blows.
- Invulnerability: Resistant to bullets, heat, cold, electricity, and even radiation.
- Healing Factor: Able to regenerate lost limbs and recover from nearly any injury.
- Chemical Intuition: Possesses deep instinctive knowledge of chemistry, using precise element combinations for various scenarios.
Also Read: The Origin Story of Nick Fury in Marvel Comics
