Sapphire Stagg

Storyline

Attack of the Atomic Avenger

(in Metamorpho #1, July 1965)

Metamorpho and Sapphire went on a date, and she was continually amazed with his sense of whimsy and fun. He rescued a school bus 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 force-field 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, and was assisted by Java, still bent on winning Sapphire’s love. 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.

Terror from the Telstar

(in Metamorpho #2, Sept 1965)

Stagg put Metamorpho’s remains 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. Sapphire was thrilled, she would have found life unbearable without her lover. 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 rocket ship 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.

Who Stole the USA?

(in Metamorpho #3, Nov 1965)

Simon Stagg announced that he was engaged to wealthy and young Zelda Trumbull, although Sapphire objected because they were the same age. Stagg 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 anted 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. Simon relived his college boxing days and knocked out T.T.T. for daring to use Zelda to toy with his emotions while Sapphire gave Zelda what for.

The Awesome Escapades of the Abominable Playboy

(in Metamorpho #4, Jan 1966)

Sapphire pressured Metamorpho about their marriage, and even though she loved him as is he didn’t want her to marry a freak. She broke up with him and planned to make him jealous enough to marry her. She went so far as to get engaged to Cha-Cha Chaves, Playboy of the Pampas. Simon Stagg approved of their engagement, and still refused to work on a cure for Metamorpho, finding him more valuable as an Element-Man. Cha-Cha had planes bombard the Stagg mansion with flowers, and they would have been crushed if Metamorpho didn’t save them. He then had Sapphire’s face carved into Mt. Rushmore, and Metamorpho obliterated it, partly because he was jealous, but also because he hated seeing a national monument defaced. They all went on a cruise with Cha-Cha’s home as the destination, and there were several attempts on Chavez’ life by his countrymen. Metamorpho questioned him, but Cha-Cha feigned ignorance as to why anyone would want him dead. At Cha-Cha’s engagement fiesta rebels kidnapped Simon and Java, and Metamorpho rescued them from a firing squad. He learned that Cha-Cha supplied the country’s dictator El Lupo with armaments, and agreed to help the rebels overthrow him. Cha-Cha only got engaged to Sapphire so his men could steal a piece of paper from Sapphire’s favorite clockwork toy. Chemist Heinrich Von Glockenspiel designed the toy, and he left the secret formula of a super-explosive inside it. Cha-Cha loaded up a bull’s horn with the explosive and planned to have it detonate at a bullfight, taking out the rebel army. Metamorpho acted as bullfighter, avoiding a massacre by disabling the bull, and then knocked out Cha-Cha with one punch. Sapphire and Metamorpho reunited.

Will the Real Metamorpho Please Stand Up?

(in Metamorpho #5, Mar 1966)

Metamorpho and Sapphire went Christmas shopping, and when they returned Simon Stagg introduced them to architect Edifice K. Bulwark, who’d designed a chemo-scraper for him, a skyscraper using chemical reactions to change shape and function. Simon needed Metamorpho’s skills to construct it, but Metamorpho had seen recent press that called Bulwark’s design a possible threat to the city and refused. Simon pressed him, so he left his service and went to the tropics with Sapphire to celebrate Christmas. In his absence Simon used the Orb of Ra to recreate Bulwark as Metamorpho II and construct the chemo-scraper, and when Metamorpho returned Simon told him his services were no longer needed. The chemo-skyscraper’s dome flew off, bathing the city in chemicals. Bulwark knew this could happen, and was happy to destroy the work of rival architects. Metamorpho confronted his double and defeated him, and then turned into an iron meteorite to destroy the out-of-control chemo-tower.

Never Bet Against an Element Man!

(in Metamorpho #6, May 1966)

Metamorpho, Simon, Sapphire and Java went on vacation in the French Riviera, and Simon was determined to break the bank at Achille le Heele’s casino using what he thought was an infallible method. He lost millions and wagered Metamorpho’s services to le Heele, losing once again. Metamorpho reminded Simon that he didn’t own him, and refused to work for Heele, so Heele kidnapped Simon. Sapphire told Metamorpho she’d never talk to him again if he didn’t save her daddy, so Metamorpho capitulated. Heele told Metamorpho that an international police agent obtained evidence documenting his criminal exploits, and before Heele’s men shot him they heard him tell his superiors the evidence was hidden with the seven wonders. Le Heele took this to mean it was hidden in one of the modern Seven Wonders of the World and wanted Metamorpho to steal them one by one. Metamorpho melted the Eiffel Tower with nitric acid and became a superheated coil to melt Taj Mahal, but le Heele’s men found not a scrap of evidence. The next target was the Empire State Building, and Metamorpho had had enough, so he located Stagg on the island of Monte Cristo and rescued him. International police approached them and revealed that seven wonders was code for a complimentary pillow sent to Stagg when he arrived in the Riviera, and that the evidence was imprinted on his leg. Le Heele once again kidnapped Simon, but Metamorpho and Java saved him and turned Heele over to the police. The police promised to pardon Metamorpho’s actions as long as he put the Eiffel Tower and Taj Mahal back the way he found them.

Terror from Fahrenheit 5,000!

(in Metamorpho #7, July 1966)

Simon went to a vulcanologist conference on the island of Tarboli, despite Sapphire’s protests that she couldn’t bear his absence, and left Metamorpho in charge of things back home. Simon and the other vulcanologists were kidnapped, and a distressed C.I.A. and a weepy Sapphire demanded that Metamorpho find her daddykins. Metamorpho, Sapphire and Java found a super-villain lair inside the Tarboli volcano, and caught sight of Simon, but were forced to flee when an unseen attacker used a heat-ray on them. Metamorpho was then called to Seashell II, a scientific platform drilling the Mohole, an opening into Earth’s crust. The Mohole was rapidly draining the ocean, but Seashell’s vulcanologist Otto Von Stuttgart told Metamorpho not to interfere, and briefly solved the problem with counter-molecular catalysts. Metamorpho suspected Stuttgart, the world’s only vulcanologist no kidnapped on Tarboli, and when the Mohole reopened Stuttgart panicked and revealed he’d caused the drain with his neutron dissolver, and kidnapped the other vulcanologists so he’d be the one to play hero. Stuttgart was mad, happy that the dissolver would end life on Earth, so he didn’t care that he’d failed. Metamorpho rescued Simon Stagg, and turned himself into a drill, boreing deep into the earth until he found the dissolver and smashed it.

Element Man, Public Enemy

(in Metamorpho #8, Sept 1966)

Metamorpho and Sapphire went to a hipster club, where they did the latest dance-craze, the “Element Man,” although Sapphire wasn’t happy that he was acting like a show-off. Java summoned them back home, where Simon was waiting with the governor and police commissioner. They needed Metamorpho’s help in apprehending the criminal mastermind Doc Dread. They’d been unable to gain any solid evidence for a search warrant, so Metamorpho created the villainous identity of Dyna-Man to infiltrate the gang.. Java broke into Doc’s castle and gave away Metamorpho’s identity, hoping that Doc would kill him and that Sapphire would then be his. Doc broke into Stagg’s mansion, stole the Orb of Ra, and then told Dyna-Man their next job, stealing the government computer Smarty-Pants as it was being transported via railroad. They pulled the heist, and as Dyna-Man was about to apprehend Doc Dread the villain produced the Orb. The Orb weakened Metamorpho, and his true identity was revealed, so the gang switch allegiance back to Dread and made off with the computer. Sapphire saved Metamorpho was hurling the Orb into the distance, and Metamorpho caught up with Doc and his gang and captured them.

The Valley that Time Forgot

(in Metamorpho #9, Nov 1966)

Simon Stagg’s satellites located a South American valley filled with immobile giant robots, and he brought Metamorpho, Sapphire and Java along to investigate. They were attacked by prehistoric cavemen, but Metamorpho fought them off.

Professor Carlos Goya appeared out of the jungle, claiming to be a lost scientist, and promised to help Simon uncover the mystery of the robots.

They hypothesized that the robots were created by the cavemen’s ancestors, who were an advanced race that later devolved.

They seemingly gained control of the robots after reactivating them, at which point Goya revealed himself as El Mantanzas, an exiled dictator, and at he led the robots to his former country and forced the rebels to capitulate.

The robots then revealed that they were only playing along until they were ready to strike. They were a space-faring race that transferred their minds into machines but were immobile in South America’s climate.

Metamorpho went into action, defeating Mantanzas and sinking the robots into the bottom of a river.

They road back on their donkeys to their plane to go home, Java comically having to extricate himself from his own unwanted admirer on the way back.

The Sinister Snares of Stingaree

(in Metamorpho #10, Feb 1967)

Metamorpho agreed to marry Sapphire with Simon’s blessing, but their marriage ceremony was interrupted by Element Girl, a woman who’d gained her powers the same way as Rex in order to battle the criminal organization Cyclops. She demanded that Metamorpho help take down Cyclops’ leader Stingaree with her. He agreed, although Sapphire said she’d never forgive him, and was convinced by her feminine intuition that Element Girl wanted Metamorpho for herself. Simon promised her she’d have an even better wedding when she married Rex. Metamorpho and Element Girl penetrated Cyclops’ hq, but when Stingaree turned the full force of Cyclops against them, and they were forced to flee and hide. Sapphire convinced Simon and Java to fly to Europe to find Metamorpho, and when Cyclops targeted their plane Metamorpho had to reveal himself to save the woman he loved. Stingaree confronted the heroes, seemingly destroying them with the chemical cocktail in his scorpion tail before turning his attention to the Staggs. Metamorpho’s body fell in salt-water, reviving him, and he saved Sapphire, and clipped Stingaree’s tail, rendering him helpless. As a last act of revenge Stingaree pushed a button to flood the European villages above their hq, but Metamorpho turned into a giant iron bulldozer, saving the day. He retrieved Element Girl’s body, and asked Simon to bring her back to life, although this made Sapphire jealous.

They Came from... Beyond?

(in Metamorpho #11, Apr 1967)

Simon Stagg couldn’t resurrect Element Girl, and Metamorpho staid by her body and blamed Stagg for not trying hard enough.

Sapphire believed that Metamorpho had fallen for someone like himself, and although he wouldn’t admit it to her, Metamorpho realized that Element Girl got under his skin. Sapphire jilted him, called him a freak, and told him she regretted turning down so many eligible bachelors to be with him.

Trap of the Test-Tube Terrors! / The Return from Limbo

(in Metamorpho #12 and #13, Jun-Aug 1967)

Simon announced the Stagg Prize, a million dollars and full access to his labs for the scientist with the best idea for curing Metamorpho. Sapphire was overjoyed, convinced that she could soon marry Metamorpho as a normal man, but Metamorpho suspected that Simon had ulterior motives, because he’d never part with his cash without a self-serving reason, and he was correct, Simon planned on awarding the prize to a crackpot. That way he appeared to be doing everything he could to cure Metamorpho while keeping him as a useful lackey. Professor Franz Zorb won the prize, playing Simon like a fiddle, and using his lab to create the Test-Tube Terrors, a number of element-based robots. They defeated Metamorpho in combat and burned down Stagg’s mansion. Simon used an atomic oscilloscope to track them to his alma mater State tech, and learned that Zorb was after nucleonic moleculizer projector, created on campus and hidden in a trophy football currently being used in the annual State Tech vs. State U. game.

The Test-Tube Terrors posed as State U. while Metamorpho played for Tech in a battle to get control of the moleculizer. The Terrors defeated Metamorpho and made away with the moleculizer, so Stagg decided to resurrect Element Girl. Metamorpho was behind the plan, but Sapphire thought he was so enthusiastic because he was in love with Element Girl, and broke down in tears. Metamorpho reminded her that it was her duty to safeguard the world, and that only Element Girl could help him defeat Zorb, but she just told him that girls didn’t like logic, continued to weep and told him it was over between them. Secretly Metamorpho knew that he harbored deep feeling for Element Girl, a freak like him. They found Element Girl’s containment case already empty, Zorb had accidentally revived her with the moleculizer. When Zorb tried toi take over Stagg Building Metamorpho and Element Girl teamed-up, with Element Girl gaining Zorb’s trust to make him vulnerable, and defeated him and the Test-Tube Terrors. Element Girl proclaimed her deep love for Metamorpho, and Simon was pleased with the unstoppable team they made.

Enter The Thunderer! / Armageddon Is Now!

(in Metamorpho #14 and #15, Oct-Dec 1967)

Sapphire and Element Girl both tried to woo Metamorpho, Sapphire with a wedding dress and Element Girl with a bikini. The jealous women tried to attack each other, but Metamorpho broke up their spat, and when Simon warned him of a coming Armageddon he was glad for the distraction. Neutrog, a servant of the cosmic Thunderer destroyed the Simon Stagg School of Science to draw in Metamorpho and defeated the hero by activating an atomic reactor, causing an explosion. Simon claimed that he couldn’t remove the nuclear contamination in Metamorpho’s system and rocketed him into space. Sapphire wept, but Simon told her it would be okay. This was a ruse to make the Thunderer feel safe enough to make himself known. He landed his spaceship in Washington and demanded the world’s surrender. Element Girl revived Metamorpho, and the duo returned from space to confront the Thunderer. The Thunderer once again sent Neutrog after the heroes, but when he proved incapable of defeating him his master blasted him into a river. Metamorpho and Element Girl attacked the Thunderer, but were blasted by the villain into the sub-atomic realm. Thunderer repeated his demands of Earth’s surrender to the U.N., and Sapphire arrived in a rage, believing Metamorpho to be dead. Java attacked the Thunderer to prove his love for Sapphire, but the alien tossed him aside and took Sapphire hostage. Boy genius Billy Barton detected Element Girl and Metamorpho’s presence in a speck of dust and used a chemical reagent to bring them back to size. They fought the Thunderer again, and Billy aided them with a laser guitar that disrupted Thunderer’s beams. The battle seems unwinnable when other members of Thunderer’s alien race appeared and took him into custody, explaining that he was a renegade.

Jezeba Queen of Fury!

(in Metamorpho #16, Feb 1968)

Sapphire jilted Metamorpho for playboy wastrel Wally Bannister, who she married. Metamorpho was heart-broken, but unbeknownst to him so was Sapphire. Sapphire and Wally left for their honeymoon on a luxury cruise.

Last Mile for an Element Man!

(in Metamorpho, Apr 1968)

Wally was killed on their honeymoon, thrown overboard and drowned by someone who looked like Metamorpho. In truth it was Algon, a metamorph hired by the supervillain Prosecutor on behalf of a mysterious client. International police arrested Metamorpho, and Sapphire doubted his guilt, but still decided she hated him, and refused to speak up on his behalf. Metamorpho couldn’t muster an adequate defense, partly because he’d given up now that Saph hated him. Metamorpho was convicted and sentenced to execution by freezing his body in an execution box, which was tossed into the ocean after his fate was sealed. Element Girl was convinced of his innocence and freed him, vowing to clear his name.

The Day the Elements Went Wild!

(in DC Comics Presents #40, Dec 1981)

Metamorpho and the Staggs moved to Haneyville, and Metamorpho became the local hero. Simon Stagg reconstructed the Orb of Ra to return Metamorpho to human, but needed to test it. Java saw this as an opportunity to destroy Metamorpho and win over Sapphire, so he knocked out Simon and stole the Orb. Unfortunately the new Orb randomly displaced elements in its vicinity, and as it made nearby elements unstable it was becoming a fusion bomb. Superman teamed with Metamorpho to stop Java, and his Orb approached critical mass, so Metamorpho snatched it away and flew into the stratosphere. It exploded harmlessly, and Metamorpho reunited with his love Sapphire.

Marriage to Rex / Justice League Europe

Sapphire and Rex eventually married, in which Sapphire was kidnapped during their wedding and had to be rescued. Soon, the couple had a son together, Joey. Joey had inherited the transmutative properties of his father, but could also use these abilities to affect the chemical properties of other objects as well.

For a time, Sapphire believed that Metamorpho had died, and her father arranged for her to marry a man named Java. Java was an apish man, and one of Simon Stagg's experiments. Although she remained loyal to Java, her heart always belonged to Rex. Eventually, Sapphire discovered that Metamorpho was alive and was working in Paris as a member of Justice League Europe. The two reunited soon afterwards.

Birds of Prey

Java comes upon Black Canary while searching for help for Sapphire. His story is that Sapphire and Joey, Metamorpho's son, has been caught in a lab explosion and merged into a single energy being who was taking revenge upon Simon Stagg's former colleagues. In issue #52, it is revealed that not only were Sapphire and Joey merged, but so was Simon; it is he who is directing the revenge. Black Canary realizes that Java is actually Metamorpho, somehow affected to believe he is Java. The three are separated once more; Simon claims to have been overcome by the energy itself and unable to control his actions. As the comic ends, he steps away from the joyous family reunion to check on a growing clone of Java.

Profile

• Occupation: Heiress
• Group Affiliation: The Outsiders, Justice League Europe
• Known Relatives: Rex Mason (Metamorpho, husband), Joey Stagg (son), Wally Bannister (ex-husband, deceased), Sabrina Stagg (ancestor), Simon Stagg (father), “Steamboat” Stagg (ancestor), “Stingy” Stagg (ancestor)
• Base of Operations: Haneyville

Animated Series

Justice League

(in "Metamorphosis" part 1 and part 2, Oct 2002)

Sapphire met Rex Mason through his employment at her father's company, which led to an affair between the like-minded, passionate individuals. They kept their relationship a secret from her father until she told him that she was going with Rex to Chicago. It was then that Stagg decided to make Mason the test subject for his Metamorpho project to eliminate him from his daughter's life. His plan failed, however, as Sapphire still loved Rex after his transformation.

She was voiced by Danica McKellar.

Beware The Batman

(in "Toxic" Aug 2013 and "Monsters" Mar 2014)

Sapphire Stagg is the only daughter of Simon Stagg, a wealthy industrialist in Gotham City. He believed she lacked the head for business. She fell in love with Rex Mason, a security guard at Stagg Industries. Despite his misgivings, she assured Mason her father would accept their love. Mason admitted to Simon Stagg he loved Sapphire and would always protect her. She was saddened and confused by Mason's transformation into Metamorpho. She refused to believe Batman's accusations that her father had a role in Mason's current situation. Sapphire went unconscious after being tasered in the battle between Batman and Metamorpho. Metamorpho ran off with her and kept her safe. When Metamorpho was trapped in the Project Metamorpho lab again, Sapphire Stagg admitted she couldn't love him anymore. But when the antidote failed and Metamorpho vanished, Sapphire was irate. She was further distraught when Batman revealed security footage confirming her father was behind Mason's transformation and ran from his side.

Over six months later, she showed her true colors. Stagg used the resources of Stagg Industries to build advanced military grade battle suits and armed several thugs with them. She sent them to scare off residents of Old Gotham. She planned to buy the land cheap and redevelop for a profit. Unknown to her, Rex Mason settled in a church near her unit at Gotham Arms so he could secretly keep her safe. Batman deduced her connection to the armored thugs but she implored him to try and prove it. She was undaunted by her failure but asked if the Golem of Old Gotham was Mason. Batman reiterated Mason was did and her father was in prison for it. Batman warned her to stay away from Old Gotham and left.

She was voiced by Emmanuelle Chriqui.