Amphibian (comics)

Superherobox|

caption = Amphibian as featured in "Squadron Supreme" vol. 2, #1 (May 2006). Art by Gary Frank and Jonathan Sibal.
character_name = Amphibian
real_name = - Kingsley Rice (male)
- Kingsley Rice (female)
publisher = Marvel Comics
debut = (Rice (male))
"The Avengers" #145 (Mar 1976)
(Rice (female))
"Supreme Power" #2 (Nov 2003)
creators = (Rice (male))
Steve Engelhart
(Rice (female))
J. Michael Straczynski
Gary Frank
alliances =(Both)
Squadron Supreme [Each character is a member of the Squadron of their own reality: the Squadron Supreme of Earth-712 and the Squadron Supreme of Earth-31916.]
aliases =
powers =(Both)
Telepathy,
Ability to breathe underwater,
Superhuman strength,
Sharp claws,
Metamorphic abilities

Amphibian is the name of two different fictional characters that have appeared in publications from Marvel Comics.

The first debuted as a member of the team of superheroes called the Squadron Supreme in "The Avengers" #147 (May 1976). The other first appeared in "Supreme Power" #2 (Nov 2003), later joining a team of super heroes also called the Squadron Supreme. Both characters are not from the main reality where stories are set in the Marvel Universe, but are from two separate alternate universes.^{(See Sidebar)}

Publication and character history

quadron Supreme

Publication history

Amphibian first appeared in "The Avengers" #145 (March 1976), and was created by Steve Engelhart.

The character subsequently appears in "The Avengers" #148-149 (June-July 1976), "The Defenders" #112-114 (October-December 1982), "Squadron Supreme" #1-6 (September 1985-February 1986), #9 (May 1986), #12 (August 1986), "Avengers West Coast Annual" #4 (1989), "Web of Spider-Man Annual" #5 (1989), "Squadron Supreme: New World Order" #1 (September 1998), and "Exiles" #78 (May 2006).

Amphibian appeared as part of the "Squadron Supreme" entry in the "Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition" #12.

Fictional character biography

Amphibian debuted in the second appearance of the Squadron Supreme during Steve Engelhart's "The Serpent Crown" arc in "The Avengers". [Comic book reference| Story = The Serpent Crown| Title = The Avengers| Volume = 1| Issue = 141-144 (Nov., 1975 through Feb., 1976) & #147-149| Date = (May through July, 1976)| Publisher = Marvel Comics] In this story arc, he along with the rest of the Squadron are employed by the Roxxon Corporation to contain the Avengers. The two teams eventually work together to thwart Roxxon and the Serpent Crown, which had been working in both realities through Roxxon's CEO on the Avenger's Earth and the President of the United States on the Squadron's. The story leaves Amphibian and his teammates setting out to repair the damage the Crown has done to their world.

The story presented Amphibian as already being a long-standing member of the Squadron and did not provide an origin for the character. This was filled out by comments and flashbacks in later issues, instead of a full origin story or story. Over time, it is revealed that he is a mutant, whose name may be Kingsley Rice,Comic book reference|Title = The Official Handbook Of The Marvel Universe| Volume = 2| Issue = 12| Date = (Nov, 1986)| Publisher = Marvel Comics] and that he claims to be the fourth strongest being of his world, after Hyperion, Redstone, and Power Princess.issue The character's role in the founding of the Squadron Supreme is also shown in flashback.issue

In 1985, Mark Gruenwald wrote a limited series for Marvel which focused on the Squadrons efforts in their home reality. Early in the story, Amphibian questions the teams actions and goals. As the rest of the team supports the "Utopia Project", with the Squadron taking the role of a world government, he resigns rather than be part of the autocratic plan.

The character is brought back in later stories. Here he rejoins the team along with a new Nighthawk and Skymax at the request of Power Princess.issue

This Amphibian's abilities are adaptive; the greater the ocean depth he inhabits, the more fish-like his physiology becomes.

upreme Power

In 2003 Marvel published a series written by J. Michael Straczynski entitled "Supreme Power" under its MAX imprint. For this series he created characters based on the Squadron Supreme works of both Roy Thomas and Gruenwald, including Amphibian. While Straczynski kept some aspects of the characters the same or very similar to the previous works, he did make some notable alterations. With Amphibian he gave the character an origin that actually played out during the series, changed gender, and, with artist Gary Frank, reworked the physical appearance to incorporate fish-like elements, making the character appear more non-human.

Amphibian was introduced into Straczynski's story in "Supreme Power" #2 (Nov 2003). In that issue she is left to die in the ocean after her mother commits suicide and her father goes insane, both as a result of their daughter's birth. Due to her amphibious nature, she is able to survive and grows up as a feral child, not encountering humans until she is an adult. [Comic book reference|Title = Supreme Power|Issue = 2-6|Date = (Nov 2003 through Mar 2004)|Publisher = Marvel Comics The point in the story where this encounter occurred was one of two pivotal events for Amphibian. In this encounter, she comes across a female diver who panics when confronted with her inhuman appearance. The diver's air hose breaks, causing her to suffocate in front of Amphibian. She surfaces with the dead body, returning it to a nearby boat where the divers husband is waiting. He also panics, assuming she had killed his wife, and attacks her with a spear gun. She retaliates, killing him. [Comic book reference|Title = Supreme Power|Issue = 7|Date = (Apr 2004)|Publisher = Marvel Comics ]

The second pivotal event for the character happened after the confrontation between Hyperion and Doctor Spectrum. At this point, Amphibian discovers Doctor Spectrum on the ocean floor, regenerating in a cocoon generated by his power crystal. When he awakens, they discover that she has some form of telepathic ability, and are able to converse. Spectrum finds himself attracted to her, and promises to return after reporting to his superiors. When he does, he takes her to a remote vacation home that once belonged to one of his targets. He's integrated the house with a giant open-air salt-water aquarium, and Amphibian is quite pleased with her new accommodations. Spectrum then voices his attraction to her and christens her "Kingsley Rice". [Comic book reference|Title = Supreme Power|Issue = 13|Date = (Nov 2004)|Publisher = Marvel Comics ]

In the follow up series, "Squadron Supreme" vol. 2, also written by Straczynski, Kingsley is among the superhumans that either volunteer or are drafted into the Squadron Supreme. As a member of that team she is also given the codename "Amphibian".issue

In keeping with the premise of her being a feral child, Straczynski has played up two character elements. First, that she does not speak in the stories, but instead relies on a telepathic ability. This follows from her growing up in an environment that prevented vocalization, and not having had anyone to teach her speech. Second, aside from public appearances with the Squadron, the character is seen in the nude. This also follows from her environment, clothes not being a natural or needed thing. The latter was also a visual element that was supported by the series being published under the MAX imprint. Since the imprint was designed for stories containing material for mature readers, Gary Frank had a freer hand in showing this aspect of the character.

In addition to a telepathic ability, the character has been shown to possess superhuman strength and retractable organs similar to that of a predatory fish (gills, fins, sharp claws) that she extends when expressing intense emotion.

References

External links

* [http://www.comicvine.com/amphibian/6914 ComicVine.com page]