Element Girl

Not to be confused with the similar DC Comics character: Element Woman

Origin

Element Girl sought out Metamorpho after receiving her powers and the two had an attraction to each other probably based out of their shared “condition”. In the end Metamorpho made it clear that he didn’t want a relationship with her as he was already involved with another woman at the time and the two lost touch.

Creation

Element Girl was created by Metamorpho writer Bob Haney in Metamorpho #10.

The character was unheard of for decades before being revived by Neil Gaiman for an acclaimed single issue story in The Sandman.

Major Story Arcs

The Sandman

Element Girl was revived for a single issue of The Sandman in issue #20. It was revealed she had planned to throw herself into her work as a secret agent but her new metahuman condition made her too conspicuous and she lost her job. She sank into a depression and became completely isolated from the world as she now felt she was a freak. She tried to kill herself many times but her body keep adapting to every threat she aimed at herself.

Death of the Endless eventually noticed her plight and intervened. She told Element Girl that she couldn’t take her life as she was granted immortality by Ra. She also revealed that Ra had given her powers and many others to battle the serpent god Apep. Ra was unaware Apep was already dead. Death tells Element Girl to look into the sun and ask Ra to remove her gifts. Element Girl dies and leaves behind a pile of ash with an expression of pure happiness.

Other Versions

Gaiman would once again write the character alongside artist Mike Allred in Metamorpho silver age themed adventures in Wednesday Comics.

A character named Element Woman was created for the new DC Universe.

A character called Elemental Girl appeared in the short “Real Life” featured in Shade, the Changing Girl at the end of issue #4.