On an archaeological mission in Egypt, Rex Mason was left to die. However, he was exposed to a meteor which transformed him into a multi-coloured freak with the power to transform his body, in whole or in part, into any element or compound found in the normal human body. Encouraged by his love Sapphire Stagg (whose father Simon had arranged for Mason's intended death), he became a hero and adventurer, teaming up with the Outsiders and later the Justice League. He has fathered a son, Joey, and recently gave his life to save his Justice League team-mates from certain death. However, Metamorpho can never truly be labelled as 'dead', but rather 'inert', and has returned from the grave to act as a hero once more.
When billionaire Simon Stagg sent adventurer Rex Mason to Egypt to retrieve the Orb of Ra from a pyramid, he never expected him to return. Stagg's henchman, Java, cleaned Rex's clock. Left for dead, Rex fell into a hidden chamber and was exposed to a radioactive meteorite. The radiation changed Mason into a bizarre looking shapechanging element man, Metamorpho. Manipulated by Stagg to do tasks for the corrupt billionaire, Metamorpho maintained his integrity and battled bizarre forces of evil. Many a battle was also fought between the element man and Java for the affections of Sapphire Stagg with Rex always coming out ahead. Regardless of Rex's looks and self-conscious feelings, Stagg's daughter Sapphire would have no other man than Rex Mason, whom she eventually married. Metamorpho later joined the first Outsiders group and died on one of their missions. However during Invasion Rex was revived when the Dominion dropped the Gene-bomb on earth. Suffering from amnesia Metamorpho joined Justice League Europe, an later learned that Sapphire had re-married after his supposed death. Metamorpho went on to join the American branch of the Justice League and died once again when a group of White Martians attacked Earth but has once again been brought back to life.
