Emerald Empress
Encyclopedia
The Emerald Empress is a fictional character
, a DC Comics
supervillain
that is an enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes
and a member of the Fatal Five
. She was created by Jim Shooter
and Curt Swan
, and first appeared in Adventure Comics
#352 (January 1967).
and the Legion to combat the menace of the Sun-Eater
. Once the Sun-Eater was defeated, she joined the Fatal Five with Tharok
, Validus
, Mano
and the Persuader
.
The Empress had no innate super-powers
; rather, she employed a powerful mystical item called the Emerald Eye of Ekron, an approximately 2' diameter sphere that obeyed her mental commands. The Eye could fly and emit blasts of energy, and allowed the Empress to fly as well as survive in space. The Eye's residual energy also gave her, on at least one occasion, super-strength. It caused her to grow to gigantic stature during one battle. The Eye could also reform itself if shattered.
The Eye is an item of immense power; it defeated Superboy
directly more than once, though it seemed to have more trouble with Mon-El, perhaps because he was immune to Green Kryptonite
and its blasts may have contained elements of it. Despite this, for unknown reasons, the Eye does not like green Kryptonite, and being exposed to a chunk of it has made the eye flee on more than one occasion (leaving the Empress behind temporarily).
The Emerald Empress died when Legionnaire Sensor Girl used her powers of illusion to mask Sarya's presence from the Eye of Ekron. As the Empress' body quickly withered and decomposed, she expressed relief to be free from the Eye's control, indicating both that their symbiotic relationship was unwilling and that the Empress was far older than she appeared.
(for whom she harboured an infatuation) for her appearance, Kesh fled in embarrassment and anger, and was found by the Emerald Eye. Transformed by it into an idealised version of herself, and with all the powers of the Eye boosting her own, she succumbed to the Eye's influence and turned to a life of crime with the other members of the Fatal Five. At the same time, Leland McCauley
found a second Emerald Eye with which he hoped to turn his girlfriend into the new Emerald Empress. Instead, Cera killed her and gained the power of both Eyes. She was not seen again, as the timeline she was a part of ended shortly thereafter.
, where it was controlled by, or controlled, the L.E.G.I.O.N.naires Garryn Bek
and Marij'n Bek. Under its influence, the two would kill innocent people.
event and the subsequent reboot
of the Legion's continuity
, a character simply called the 'Empress' appeared, unconnected to the Eye of Ekron (which appeared separately later). Although she had no powers, she was as dangerous as the rest of the Fatal Five, being a sadistic murderess who had taught herself how to kill any known lifeform.
The Eye itself was in possession of the super villain Scavenger, but was discovered by Shrinking Violet, who fell under its control. With the Legion's help, Violet managed to break the Eye's hold on her, but not before she had sent half the team into the past and attracted the attention of the ancient sorcerer Mordru
.
Eventually, the Eye came into the hands of the Empress. The Empress seemed to have broken the Eye's will, leaving her unequivocally in control.
This version of the Legion is still in continuity, but now established as taking place on a parallel world. Which means that this Eye is not the same as the one the original Legion encountered, but the Eye of an alternate universe.
, in the possession of Lobo, and in The Brave and The Bold back in the hands of the Emerald Empress.
Lobo, unable or unwilling to use its powers, kept the item in a small chest under his supervision. When Starfire used the Eye to save the population of sector 3500 from a swarm of strange creatures, Lobo revealed that he knew something more on the origins of the Eye. An Emerald Head of Ekron also existed and was searching for its lost eyeball. Ekron is apparently a member of the Green Lantern Corps
, but has been driven insane by the destruction of the space sector under his protection by Lady Styx
. The Emerald Eye itself is later revealed as a precursor of the technology that later led to the power ring
worn by all Green Lantern
s, with less functionality but nevertheless a formidable weapon.
's Legion of Super-Villains
.
In Legion of Super-Heroes Annual 1 (2011), the Eye finds a new Empress on the planet of Orando. This young girl fights Shrinking Violet
, Light Lass, Sun Boy
, Sensor Girl and Gates
of the Legion before being defeated by Violet. The girl was released from the Eye's control, but the Eye itself managed to flee the planet.
" (2006), the Eye was once a real eye for the cosmic entity called "Ekron". But, somehow Emerald Empress got the Eye and got it to work for her. In the 52 weekly series, Lobo kept the eye in a box while watching it. Soon Starfire
used it to stop villains from destroying an entire space sector. Lobo revealed that the eye was part of the Emerald Head of Ekron, that was a member of the Green Lantern Corps
, until driven insane by his space sector being destroyed. The eye was a early prototype for the power rings.
However, when the Eye was reintroduced in the Legion Annual of 2011, none of this was acknowledged. Rather, Ekron was referred to as a world where the Eye had once been worshipped as a god.
The "52" explanation also neglects any existence of the Eye wielded by Garryn Bek
of L.E.G.I.O.N.
in the 21st century.
The eye can emit energy blasts and give the user the ability to survive in the vacuum of space, super strength and flight.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
that is an enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
and a member of the Fatal Five
Fatal Five
The Fatal Five are fictional characters, a supervillain team of the 30th century in the DC Comics universe. They were created by Jim Shooter and first appeared in Adventure Comics #352 as enemies of the Legion of Super-Heroes....
. She was created by Jim Shooter
Jim Shooter
James Shooter is an American writer, occasional fill-in artist, editor, and publisher for various comic books. Although he started professionally in the medium at the extraordinarily young age of 14, he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comics' ninth...
and Curt Swan
Curt Swan
Douglas Curtis Swan was an American comic book artist. The artist most associated with Superman during the period fans and historians call the Silver Age of comic books, Swan produced hundreds of covers and stories from the 1950s through the 1980s.-Early life and career:Curt Swan, whose Swedish...
, and first appeared in Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 and then revamped from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman...
#352 (January 1967).
Sarya
Sarya of the planet Venegar (referred to simply as 'the Empress') was recruited by SuperboySuperboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
and the Legion to combat the menace of the Sun-Eater
Sun-Eater
A Sun-Eater is a fictional, artificially created living weapon in the DC Comics universe. It has played an important role in various storylines.-History:...
. Once the Sun-Eater was defeated, she joined the Fatal Five with Tharok
Tharok
Tharok is a DC Comics supervillain and an enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes. He is the leader of the Fatal Five. Tharok and the Fatal Five were introduced in Adventure Comics #352 , and were created by Jim Shooter....
, Validus
Validus
Validus is a fictional DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes and a member of the Fatal Five.-Fictional character biography:...
, Mano
Mano (comics)
Mano is a fictional character that is a DC Comics supervillain living in the 30th century and, as a member of the Fatal Five, a foe of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
and the Persuader
Persuader (comics)
The Persuader is the name of three fictional characters featured in comic books published by DC Comics. Nyeun Chun Ti first appeared in Adventure Comics #352 , and was created by Jim Shooter and Curt Swan...
.
The Empress had no innate super-powers
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
; rather, she employed a powerful mystical item called the Emerald Eye of Ekron, an approximately 2' diameter sphere that obeyed her mental commands. The Eye could fly and emit blasts of energy, and allowed the Empress to fly as well as survive in space. The Eye's residual energy also gave her, on at least one occasion, super-strength. It caused her to grow to gigantic stature during one battle. The Eye could also reform itself if shattered.
The Eye is an item of immense power; it defeated Superboy
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
directly more than once, though it seemed to have more trouble with Mon-El, perhaps because he was immune to Green Kryptonite
Kryptonite
Kryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
and its blasts may have contained elements of it. Despite this, for unknown reasons, the Eye does not like green Kryptonite, and being exposed to a chunk of it has made the eye flee on more than one occasion (leaving the Empress behind temporarily).
The Emerald Empress died when Legionnaire Sensor Girl used her powers of illusion to mask Sarya's presence from the Eye of Ekron. As the Empress' body quickly withered and decomposed, she expressed relief to be free from the Eye's control, indicating both that their symbiotic relationship was unwilling and that the Empress was far older than she appeared.
Cera Kesh
Cera Kesh first appeared as the Emerald Empress in Legionnaires #2. Slightly overweight and with poor skin, she was also telekinetic and sought to join the Legion through their open audition programme. Mocked by Legion member InfernoSun Boy
Sun Boy is a fictional character, a superhero in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Comics universe. Sun Boy is a Legion of Super-Heroes member with the ability to unleash internal solar energy to whatever degree he wishes, from enough to light a single candle to enough to melt nearly any...
(for whom she harboured an infatuation) for her appearance, Kesh fled in embarrassment and anger, and was found by the Emerald Eye. Transformed by it into an idealised version of herself, and with all the powers of the Eye boosting her own, she succumbed to the Eye's influence and turned to a life of crime with the other members of the Fatal Five. At the same time, Leland McCauley
Leland McCauley
Leland McCauley are fictional characters in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Universe. They have been frequent antagonists of the Legion of Super-Heroes.-Leland McCauley III:...
found a second Emerald Eye with which he hoped to turn his girlfriend into the new Emerald Empress. Instead, Cera killed her and gained the power of both Eyes. She was not seen again, as the timeline she was a part of ended shortly thereafter.
Garryn Bek & L.E.G.I.O.N.
The Emerald Eye also appeared in L.E.G.I.O.N.L.E.G.I.O.N.
L.E.G.I.O.N., is a team of fictional extraterrestrial superheroes, a science fiction comic book published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Invasion! #1, and were created by Keith Giffen, Bill Mantlo and Todd McFarlane...
, where it was controlled by, or controlled, the L.E.G.I.O.N.naires Garryn Bek
Garryn Bek
Garryn Bek of the planet Cairn is a fictional extraterrestrial character published by DC Comics. Created by Keith Giffen, Bill Mantlo, and Todd McFarlane, the character first appeared in Invasion! #1 , and went on to become a founding member of L.E.G.I.O.N..-Publication history:As a member of the...
and Marij'n Bek. Under its influence, the two would kill innocent people.
Empress
After the Zero HourZero Hour (comics)
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time is a five-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1994. In it, the former hero Hal Jordan, who had until then been a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, mad with grief after the destruction of...
event and the subsequent reboot
Reboot (continuity)
The verb reboot, in media dealing with serial fiction, means to discard much or even all previous continuity in the series and start anew with fresh ideas...
of the Legion's continuity
Continuity (fiction)
In fiction, continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer over some period of time...
, a character simply called the 'Empress' appeared, unconnected to the Eye of Ekron (which appeared separately later). Although she had no powers, she was as dangerous as the rest of the Fatal Five, being a sadistic murderess who had taught herself how to kill any known lifeform.
The Eye itself was in possession of the super villain Scavenger, but was discovered by Shrinking Violet, who fell under its control. With the Legion's help, Violet managed to break the Eye's hold on her, but not before she had sent half the team into the past and attracted the attention of the ancient sorcerer Mordru
Mordru
Mordru is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Comics' main shared universe.Mordru is the most prominent Lord of Chaos who is fated to survive even after the end of the universe, although he is usually shown as a powerful wizard...
.
Eventually, the Eye came into the hands of the Empress. The Empress seemed to have broken the Eye's will, leaving her unequivocally in control.
This version of the Legion is still in continuity, but now established as taking place on a parallel world. Which means that this Eye is not the same as the one the original Legion encountered, but the Eye of an alternate universe.
52
In the present, the Emerald Eye has appeared in the pages of 5252 (comic book)
52 was a weekly American comic book limited series published by DC Comics that debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. The series was written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid with layouts by Keith Giffen...
, in the possession of Lobo, and in The Brave and The Bold back in the hands of the Emerald Empress.
Lobo, unable or unwilling to use its powers, kept the item in a small chest under his supervision. When Starfire used the Eye to save the population of sector 3500 from a swarm of strange creatures, Lobo revealed that he knew something more on the origins of the Eye. An Emerald Head of Ekron also existed and was searching for its lost eyeball. Ekron is apparently a member of the Green Lantern Corps
Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
, but has been driven insane by the destruction of the space sector under his protection by Lady Styx
Lady Styx
Lady Styx is a fictional supervillain in the . Her first appearance occurred in the weekly series 52.-Publication history:Lady Styx first appeared in 52 #31 as the main antagonist to Adam Strange, Animal Man, and Starfire. She later made appearances in Omega Men and Countdown to Adventure...
. The Emerald Eye itself is later revealed as a precursor of the technology that later led to the power ring
Power ring (weapon)
A power ring is a fictional object featured in comic book titles published by DC Comics. It first appeared in All-American Comics #16 .-Origin:...
worn by all Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
s, with less functionality but nevertheless a formidable weapon.
Final Crisis and beyond
Emerald Empress (possibly Cera Kesh), alongside the other Fatal Five members, was among the supervillains in Superboy-PrimeSuperboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime, also known as Superman-Prime, or simply Prime, is a DC Comics superhero turned supervillain, and one of several alternate Supermen. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #87 , and was created by Elliot S...
's Legion of Super-Villains
Legion of Super-Villains
The Legion of Super-Villains is a team of fictional supervillains that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. They are adversaries of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the future...
.
In Legion of Super-Heroes Annual 1 (2011), the Eye finds a new Empress on the planet of Orando. This young girl fights Shrinking Violet
Shrinking Violet
Shrinking Violet , also known as Atom Girl, is a fictional character, a superhero and Legion of Super-Heroes member in the DC Universe's 30th and 31st centuries. She comes from the planet Imsk. She was created by writer Jerry Siegel, the co-creator of Superman, and artist Jim Mooney...
, Light Lass, Sun Boy
Sun Boy
Sun Boy is a fictional character, a superhero in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Comics universe. Sun Boy is a Legion of Super-Heroes member with the ability to unleash internal solar energy to whatever degree he wishes, from enough to light a single candle to enough to melt nearly any...
, Sensor Girl and Gates
Gates (comics)
Ti'julk Mr'asz, codename Gates, is a fictional character, a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the DC Universe. Like all natives of the planet Vyrga, Gates has a largely insectoid body...
of the Legion before being defeated by Violet. The girl was released from the Eye's control, but the Eye itself managed to flee the planet.
Emerald Eye of Ekron
According to the year-spanning maxiseries "5252 (comics)
52 was a weekly American comic book limited series published by DC Comics that debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. The series was written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid with layouts by Keith Giffen...
" (2006), the Eye was once a real eye for the cosmic entity called "Ekron". But, somehow Emerald Empress got the Eye and got it to work for her. In the 52 weekly series, Lobo kept the eye in a box while watching it. Soon Starfire
Starfire (comics)
Starfire is the name of several fictional comic book characters published by DC Comics. The most prominent Starfire is Koriand'r, the fourth character to use that name...
used it to stop villains from destroying an entire space sector. Lobo revealed that the eye was part of the Emerald Head of Ekron, that was a member of the Green Lantern Corps
Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
, until driven insane by his space sector being destroyed. The eye was a early prototype for the power rings.
However, when the Eye was reintroduced in the Legion Annual of 2011, none of this was acknowledged. Rather, Ekron was referred to as a world where the Eye had once been worshipped as a god.
The "52" explanation also neglects any existence of the Eye wielded by Garryn Bek
Garryn Bek
Garryn Bek of the planet Cairn is a fictional extraterrestrial character published by DC Comics. Created by Keith Giffen, Bill Mantlo, and Todd McFarlane, the character first appeared in Invasion! #1 , and went on to become a founding member of L.E.G.I.O.N..-Publication history:As a member of the...
of L.E.G.I.O.N.
L.E.G.I.O.N.
L.E.G.I.O.N., is a team of fictional extraterrestrial superheroes, a science fiction comic book published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Invasion! #1, and were created by Keith Giffen, Bill Mantlo and Todd McFarlane...
in the 21st century.
The eye can emit energy blasts and give the user the ability to survive in the vacuum of space, super strength and flight.
Television
- The Cara Kesh version of the Emerald Empress has appeared in the episode "Far From Home" of Justice League UnlimitedJustice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
with the other Fatal Five against the Legion. She was voiced by Joanne WhalleyJoanne Whalley-Early life:Whalley was born in Salford but brought up in Stockport where she studied at the Braeside School of Speech and Drama, Marple.Whalley first appeared as a child in How We Used To Live and bit parts in soap operas, especially Coronation Street and Emmerdale...
. In that episode the eye was more powerful than a Green Lantern Power RingPower ring (weapon)A power ring is a fictional object featured in comic book titles published by DC Comics. It first appeared in All-American Comics #16 .-Origin:...
.
- The Sarya version of the Emerald Empress is the leader of the Fatal Five in the Legion of Super HeroesLegion of Super Heroes (TV series)Legion of Super Heroes is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation that debuted on September 23, 2006, based on characters appearing in the DC Comics comic book series. The series centers on the young Superman's adventures in the 31st century, fighting alongside a...
animated series, voiced by Jennifer HaleJennifer HaleJennifer Hale is a Canadian-born American actress and singer best known for her voice over work in video games like Grandia II, the Mass Effect trilogy, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Tales of Symphonia, the Metroid Prime trilogy, the Metal Gear Solid games, Brütal Legend, and Disney's...
in season 1 and Tara StrongTara StrongTara Lyn Strong is a Canadian actress, voice-over artist, singer, who is best known for her voice work in cartoons.-Early life and career:...
from then on. Some clues to this version's relationship with the Emerald Eye can be observed in the first season finale "Sundown": She had been separated from it for some time during her imprisonment, and she hugged it when it was returned to her. She suffered no physical effects when Shrinking Violet damaged its circuitry from within, once the Fatal Five betrayed the Legion, or when Matter-Eater LadMatter-Eater LadMatter-Eater Lad is a superhero in the DC Universe. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes and possesses the power to eat matter in all forms, as do all natives of his home planet, Bismoll...
took a bite out of it.
Film
- The Emerald Empress made a cameo appearance with the other villains in Justice League: The New Frontier.
External links
- Emerald Eye at Cosmic Teams Obscure Characters Index