Editing Metamorpho (section)

==Publication history==
Metamorpho's creator, [[Bob Haney]], had seen success with DC Comics in 1964 with the titles ''[[Metal Men]]'' and ''[[Doom Patrol]]'', featuring bands of superheroes exhibiting fantastic powers. Under the editorial management of [[George Kashdan]], Haney was asked to capitalize on these titles' popularity with a similar character.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wells |first=John |title=American Comic Book Chronicles: 1960-64 |date=2015 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |isbn=978-1605490458 |pages=178–179}}</ref> Metamorpho debuted in ''[[The Brave and the Bold]]'' #57 (January 1965).<ref>{{cite book| last= McAvennie |first= Michael| editor-last= Dolan| editor-first= Hannah |chapter= 1960s|title = DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle| publisher= [[Dorling Kindersley]] |year=2010 |isbn= 978-0-7566-6742-9 |page= 114 |quote = Scribe Bob Haney and artist Ramona Fradon were truly in their element...Haney and Fradon's collaborative chemistry resulted in [Rex] Mason becoming Metamorpho.}}</ref>

As first conceived, Metamorpho was a parody of the fantastic characters that populated comic books in the 1960s.<ref>{{cite book | last=Jones | first=Gerard |author2=Will Jacobs | title=The Comic Book Heroes | location=[[Rocklin, California]] | publisher=Prima Lifestyles | pages=76–77 | date=October 23, 1996 | isbn=978-0-7615-0393-4}}</ref> Artist [[Ramona Fradon]] was coaxed out of maternity retirement to illustrate Metamorpho's first appearances. The popularity of Metamorpho's appearances in ''The Brave and the Bold'' led to a 17-issue [[ongoing series]] between 1965 and 1968. Metamorpho also appeared in two issues of ''Justice League of America'' (#42 and #44), but did not join the eponymous group and became a reserve member.

Metamorpho appears on the cover of ''Aquaman'' #30 as one of the pallbearers (along with [[Batman]], [[Hawkman]], and [[Superman]]) at the "Sea King's Funeral".<ref>{{cite web| url= http://comicvine.gamespot.com/aquaman-30-the-death-of-aquaman/4000-108970/ |title=Aquaman #30 – The Death of Aquaman |website=Comic Vine |access-date=15 April 2016}}</ref> Metamorpho also appears in a series of backup stories in ''[[Action Comics]]'' #413–418 and ''[[World's Finest Comics]]'' #218–220 and #226, #228 and 229.<ref>{{cite journal|last = Stroud|first = Bryan|title = Metamorpho in ''Action Comics'' |journal= [[Back Issue!]] |issue = 64 |pages = 22–27| publisher = [[TwoMorrows Publishing]] |date = May 2013}}</ref>

In 1975, Metamorpho appeared in ''[[1st Issue Special]]'' #3, a brief anthology series consisting of one-shots. That issue was written by Bob Haney and illustrated by Ramona Fradon, Metamorpho's creators. Haney and Fradon had met at the 1974 [[San Diego Comic-Con]], and while reminiscing, it emerged that both of them regarded Metamorpho as one of the features they'd most enjoyed working on, leading them to ask DC if they could do one more Metamorpho story together.<ref name="back71">{{cite journal|last=Abramowitz |first= Jack| title= 1st Issue Special: It Was No ''Showcase'' (But It Was Never Meant To Be)| journal= [[Back Issue!]]| issue=71 |page= 42| publisher= [[TwoMorrows Publishing]]| date= April 2014 |location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref> Fradon later commented: "I think we both felt that Metamorpho was our baby. I never had an experience like I had working with Bob Haney on ''Metamorpho''. It was like our minds were in perfect synch ... it was one of those wonderful collaborations that doesn't happen very often".<ref name="back71"/>

After becoming a charter member of the Outsiders in 1983, and member of the European branch of the [[Justice League International]], Metamorpho received his own four-issue mini-series in 1993. In 2005, DC Comics reprinted Metamorpho's early ''The Brave and the Bold'' appearances and the entirety of the 1965 series as one of the company's volumes of ''[[Showcase Presents]]''. In 2007, [[Dan Jurgens]] launched the six-issue series ''Metamorpho: Year One''.

As part of ''[[Wednesday Comics]]'', [[Neil Gaiman]] wrote a 12-page Metamorpho story that [[Mike Allred]] illustrated.<ref>{{cite news | first= Remy | last= Minnick | url= http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=19775 | title=Gaiman & Allred on Metamorpho | work=[[Comic Book Resources]] | date=January 30, 2009 | access-date=January 31, 2009}}</ref> In 2016, Metamorpho starred in the anthology series ''Legends of Tomorrow'' alongside [[Firestorm (character)|Firestorm]], [[Sugar and Spike]], and the [[Metal Men]].<ref>{{Cite news |url= http://comicvine.gamespot.com/articles/aaron-lopresti-talks-metamorpho-in-new-dcs-legends/1100-155102/ |title= Aaron Lopresti Talks Metamorpho in New DC's LEGENDS OF TOMORROW Series|work=Comic Vine |access-date= 2018-09-23|language=en}}</ref>

In 2024, Metamorpho received a new ongoing series, ''Metamorpho: The Element Man'', as part of the [[DC All In]] initiative. It is written by [[Al Ewing]] and illustrated by [[Steve Lieber]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnston |first=Rich |author-link=Rich Johnston |date=September 20, 2024 |title=DC's New ''Metamorpho: The Element Man'' Series Ahead Of Superman Movie |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/dc-metamorpho-element-man-series-superman-movie/ |access-date=December 25, 2024 |website=[[Bleeding Cool]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=September 19, 2024 |title=DC Announces New Comic Book Series ''Metamorpho: The Element Man'' |url=https://www.dc.com/blog/2024/09/19/dc-announces-new-comic-book-series-metamorpho-the-element-man |access-date=November 25, 2024 |website=DC |language=en-us}}</ref>