Elementals (DC Comics)

Last updated
Elementals
Elementalsdcu0.jpg
The Elementals, art by Ramona Fradon; from left to right, Salamander, Undine, Sylph, Gnome
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance Super Friends #14 (October 1978)
Created by E. Nelson Bridwell (writer)
Ramona Fradon (artist)
In-story information
Member(s)Gnome
Salamander
Sylph
Undine

The Elementals are a fictional team of superheroes published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Super Friends #14 (October 1978), and were created by E. Nelson Bridwell and Ramona Fradon.

Contents

Team history

The Elementals first appear inside four giant translucent jewels located in four different cities: a ruby appeared near the Gotham City Police Department's central station, an emerald appeared atop Metropolis' Galaxy Communications Building, a diamond appeared outside New York City's United Nations building, and a sapphire appeared on a beach near the Aquacave, Aquaman's headquarters.

Superman fought a hooded man in brown who called himself the Gnome. Aquaman fought a woman in a green fishlike costume who called herself the Undine. Elsewhere Wonder Woman fought a blonde woman in blue who called herself the Sylph. Additionally, Batman fought a fiery woman in a red reptilian costume who called herself the Salamander. Strangely, their costumes proved to be ill-fitted for their powers; despite this, the Elementals put the heroes in grave danger.

The veteran heroes manage to subdue the Elementals with the help of Robin, the Wonder Twins and Gleek.

Back at the Super Friends' Hall of Justice in Gotham City, Batman identified the four Elementals as self made local socialites. The Gnome was really Grant Arden, a chemical engineer and founder of Arden Chemicals; Sylph was actually the famous vocalist named Jeannine Gale, who first appeared in Super Friends #4; Undine was really Crystal Marr, best-selling author; and Salamander was Ginger O'Shea, who first appeared in Super Friends #6, an established fashion designer and the owner of the Chez O'Shea fashion boutique. [1]

Bruce Wayne had met all four the previous evening at the Carousel restaurant in the Wayne building. It turns out that another Gotham socialite by the name of Sandor Fane had secretly shown the future Elementals a manuscript that he believed had been written by the legendary alchemist Paracelsus. Fane uses the manuscript to summon elementals and bind them to his victims, making them the unwilling hosts of four primal elementals: an actual Gnome, Undine, Sylph and Salamander. The elemental spirits now shared the bodies of the four humans. The spirits are not evil; in fact, they must perform good acts so they can gain true souls. Fane tricked them into believing the Super Friends were evil. He also gave them their costumes, apparently not knowing their powers very well.

The spirits and their human hosts come to an understanding, and become four new heroes pledged to assist the League in their fight against Sandor Fane (whom the League previously knew only as the world conquering Overlord). Ginger O'Shea designed new costumes for them using special new materials created by Grant Arden, which work better with their powers. From their descriptions what Grant creates seems to be the DCU equivalent of Unstable Molecules (with two of the costumes made out of "air" and "water"). Meanwhile, the Overlord unleashed four simultaneous element-themed attacks: in Texas, he went after a Wayne Petroleum Complex, the city of Poseidonis was threatened with Greek Fire, Paradise Island was threatened by a meteor shower, and the JLA satellite was threatened by solar winds. All four attacks were thwarted with the help of the Elementals.

Meanwhile, Batman and the Wonder Twins discover the Overlord's castle lair and defeat Sandor Fane. This was the only recorded appearance of the Elementals.

Membership

Related Research Articles

Legion of Doom Group of super villains in the DC universe

The Legion of Doom is a group of supervillains who originated in Challenge of the Super Friends, an animated series from Hanna-Barbera based on DC Comics' Justice League. The Legion of Doom has since been incorporated into the main DC Universe, appearing in comics, as well as further animated and live-action adaptations, and also video games.

Elemental Magical entity who embodies/personifies one of the four classical elements

An elemental is a mythic being that is described in occult and alchemical works from around the time of the European Renaissance, and particularly elaborated in the 16th century works of Paracelsus. According to Paracelsus and his subsequent followers, there are four categories of elementals, which are gnomes, undines, sylphs, and salamanders. These correspond to the four Empedoclean elements of antiquity: earth, water, air, and fire, respectively. Terms employed for beings associated with alchemical elements vary by source and gloss.

<i>Super Friends</i> American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1986

Super Friends is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1985 on ABC as part of its Saturday-morning cartoon lineup. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and was based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics.

A sylph is an air spirit stemming from the 16th-century works of Paracelsus, who describes sylphs as (invisible) beings of the air, his elementals of air. A significant number of subsequent literary and occult works have been inspired by Paracelsus's concept: Robert Alfred Vaughan noted that "the wild but poetical fantasies" of Paracelsus had probably exercised a larger influence over his age and the subsequent one than is generally supposed, particularly on the Rosicrucians, but that through the 18th century they had become reduced to "machinery for the playwright" and "opera figurantes with wings of gauze and spangles".

A sprite is a supernatural entity in European mythology. They are often depicted as fairy-like creatures or as an ethereal entity.

Undine Elemental beings associated with water

Undines are a category of elemental beings associated with water, stemming from the alchemical writings of Paracelsus. Later writers developed the undine into a water nymph in its own right, and it continues to live in modern literature and art through such adaptations as Danish Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" and the Undine of Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué.

Aquaman in other media Wikimedia list article

Aquaman has made several appearances in numerous adaptations since his comic book debut in 1941. The character has also been referenced beyond the scope of traditional comics entertainment.

Siren (DC Comics) Comics character

Siren is the name of two supervillains, both appearing in books published by DC Comics; The first character to use the name is Hila, the identical twin sister of Mera. Originating from the same underwater sub-realm as her sister, Hila was the younger twin and considered the black sheep of the family. She eventually makes herself an enemy of both Mera and Aquaman. The second Siren was a minor Lwa that resembles a mermaid. An eco-terrorist, the second Siren joined forces with known super-villain Vandal Savage and is cast as a villain enemy of the Teen Titans.

<i>The All-New Super Friends Hour</i>

The All-New Super Friends Hour is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from September 10, 1977, to September 2, 1978, on ABC. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and is based on the Justice League and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics.

<i>The Worlds Greatest SuperFriends</i>

The World's Greatest SuperFriends is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from September 22, 1979, to September 27, 1980, on ABC. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and is based on the Justice League and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics.

<i>The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians</i>

The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 1985 to 1986. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and is based on the Justice League and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics.

The Bizarro League, also known as the Bizarro Justice League, are the Bizarro version of the Justice League.

Super Juniors are a group of fictional DC Comics characters based on members of the Justice League of America, designed as baby versions in order to appeal to younger audiences and introduce them to the publisher's most popular properties. At Kenner's request, first appeared in José Luis García-López's 1982 DC Comics Style Guide and had their first and only adventure in Super Jrs. Holiday Special: The Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest #58 in a story written by Tom DeFalco and drawn by Vince Squeglia. There was a considerable amount of merchandise based on them.

<i>Robot Chicken DC Comics Special</i> 2012 television film directed by Seth Green

Robot Chicken DC Comics Special is an episode of the television comedy series Robot Chicken and it was aired as a one-off special during Cartoon Network's Adult Swim on September 10, 2012.

<i>The Dark Knight III: The Master Race</i> 2015–2017 comic book limited series co-written by Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello

The Dark Knight III: The Master Race, also stylized as DK III: The Master Race and later collected as Batman: The Dark Knight III - The Master Race, is a 2015-2017 nine-issue DC Comics limited series co-written by Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Miller, Andy Kubert, and Klaus Janson.

References

  1. "Obscure Characters, E". Archived from the original on August 31, 2006. Retrieved November 29, 2006.