Princess Calliope

Origin

Although her origin is never fully developed either in the fairy tale or the Grimm Fairy Tales version, she has clearly been raised in a royal family and is quite self centered

Creation

Her first appearance was in Grimm Fairy Tales #10.

Major Story Arcs

The story of the Frog Prince is told in Grimm Fairy Tales with Calliope taking the role of the princess in the classic tale. The modern version is set against a high school biology class where a frog is being dissected where two teenagers are paired together – Lizette and Neville. Neville has a crush on Lizette and does her homework for her, but as the two begin dissection she indicates that she is squeamish with the dissection. She gets Neville to do most of the work, and then when she asks why he wears a scarf everyday she pulls it away to find a birthmark. She is “grossed out” by this and runs away in disgust. Sela intercepts her and gives her the story of the Frog Prince to read. The story introduces the vain Princess Calliope for whom no mirror in the land is good enough to show her reflection so she travels to a well in the forest which she feels can properly show her beauty. While she is looking down the central gem on her tiara falls into the water. It is retrieved by a frog who offers it back to her if she will become his friend. She initially agrees but then goes back on her word, and leaves without him. He shows up later as she is having a meal with one of her suitors and her father insists that she honour her agreement. She takes the frog to her room to sleep for the night, but when he asks to sleep in the warm bed she initially takes him in but then throws him again the window frame causing him to fall outside and seemingly die. He is retrieved by one of his assistants and dropped in the well where he completes a transformation into a human. He visits the princess and asks for her hand in marriage, but as they leave he offers her a drink at his well. Although she insists she is as beautiful on the inside as out, she drinks the water and her lies, cruel behaviour and vanity causes that she turns into a frog. The story switches back to the modern day and the Lizette rebuffs Sela’s story. Sela tells Neville to forget about her, and after drinking from a fountain Lizette has an outbreak of warts on her body.

Despite being intended as a one time only character, she later appeared in the Grimm Fairy Tales Swimsuit Issue (2010 edition).

Powers and Abilities

Apart from her exceptional beauty she has no powers or abilities, and in fact her luxurious life has made her not particularly effective at most tasks.