Metamorphia is a synthetically-engineered shape-shifting lifeform created by Grimer by order of Dr. Robotnik. She was created for the specific purpose of destroying Sonic the Hedgehog and his band of Freedom Fighters but failed miserably on every attempt. She later had her powers nullified and was cast out.
History
Introduction
Metamorphia's first appearance. Art by Mike Hadley and John M Burns.
Metamorphia first appeared in Sonic the Comic Issue 30, in the one-shot story Metamorphia. She arrived in the Emerald Hill Zone disguised as a little girl and begged Sonic to help stop a monster that was rampaging through her home Zone. Sonic agreed, leaving his friends behind and taking the girl back to the Grim Zone, a desolate town of fire and ruin. Sonic was ambushed by a squad of Troopers but quickly defeated them. Whilst Sonic was distracted, the girl transformed into a large, monstrous version of herself - her true form. She attacked Sonic and subdued him by turning into a cloud of poison gas. With Sonic incapacitated, Metamorphia sealed him inside a Retro Block, a prison cell that kept Sonic contained by directing whatever energy he used back at him. However, Sonic escaped by not using any energy at all, causing the Retro Block to malfunction and burst. When Sonic attacked, Metamorphia morphed into a rocket and fled. Sonic pursued but soon found that Tails had arrived in the Grim Zone. When asked why he was there, Tails responded in an impudent manner and told Sonic to "button it". He pointed out that Metamorphia had changed into a thistle and was hiding by a cliff edge. When Sonic looked, Tails leapt at him from behind, hoping to kick him into the flaming pit over the ledge. Sonic dodged the attack, knowing that 'Tails' was really Metamorphia in disguise. Metamorphia had copied Tails's form but not his flying ability, and she fell into the flaming pit. Believing her dead, Sonic returned to Emerald Hill, unaware that Metamorphia had made herself fireproof at the last second and had survived.
Round Two
As Cosmic, Metamorphia stuns Sonic. Art by Mike Hadley and John M Burns.
Metamorphia returned in the very next issue in the one-shot story, The Pretender. Assuming a fake identity named Cosmic the Hedgehog, she arrived in the Emerald Hill Zone whilst it was under attack from Badniks. Cosmic defeated the Badniks and claimed that he was superior to Sonic, and was willing to prove it by challenging Sonic to a race. Sonic agreed and the two raced to the outskirts of the zone. Sonic won, and then Cosmic revealed his true nature: he was Metamorphia in disguise. The race was a trick to lure Sonic away from the village while another group of stronger Badniks attacked and destroyed it. Metamorphia tried to stop Sonic with a net form and her gaseous form, but Sonic managed to escape. In order to catch up to him, Metamorphia copied Sonic's form and pursued him back to the village (her Sonic form was green, for some reason). When she arrived, the attacking Buzz Bombers mistook Metamorphia for Sonic and fired on her. Sonic took advantage of this and destroyed the Badniks, however no trace of Metamorphia was found. The Freedom Fighters thought she may have been vaporised by the Buzz Bombers, but Sonic suspected she had probably escaped in another form.
Revenge
In disguise as Sonic's "brother", Tonic. Art by Gary Andrews.
After a lengthy absence, Metamorphia returned in Issue 51 in Face From the Past, Part One. She assumed the false identity of Sonic's long-lost brother, Tonic the Hedgehog, and set a trap for the Freedom Fighters in the Jungle Zone. She joined a Badnik prison convoy, believing that the Freedom Fighters would be in the area to rescue the prisoners. When released from the cell, "Tonic" told the group that he was Sonic's brother and that he wanted to join them. The others were willing to accept him, but Sonic didn't buy it. Tonic ran away in tears, taking cover in some undergrowth to contact Dr. Robotnik and tell him that the plan was working. Tails had followed to check on Tonic but overheard his conversation, prompting Metamorphia to drop her disguise and eliminate him. Sonic and the others intervened before she could kill Tails and she decided that she would have to kill them all at once. She morphed into a mass of sticky goo in order to engulf the team, but Sonic used his speed to whip her up and disorient her. Realising she was outnumbered, Metamorphia jumped over a waterfall and made her escape. She reported back to Robotnik, who was enraged that she had failed for the third time. She stated that she was determined for Robotnik to admire her because she adored him. Robotnik merely laughed at this, calling her a monster.
Last Chance
Metamorphia, moments before having her powers removed. Art by Carl Flint and John M Burns.
In the Sonic's World story Cybernik Strikes Back, Metamorphia was charged with the task of eliminating Shortfuse. When Shortfuse and Tekno the Canary entered the Chemical Plant Zone to destroy one of Robotnik's factories, Metamorphia was waiting for them. She and Shortfuse fought whilst Tekno armed a bomb to blow up the factory. Metamorphia managed to subdue Shortfuse and capture Tekno, leaving the Cybernik to die as the factory exploded. When she returned to Citadel Robotnik, she told Robotnik what had happened and the doctor was furious. As punishment for allowing the factory to be destroyed on top of all her other failures, Robotnik stripped Metamorphia of her shape-shifting powers and sentenced her for Badnik processing.
Final Transformation
Metamorphia's final transformation and the start of a new life for her. Art by Mike Hadley and Steve White.
In the Issue 83 Tails story Mystery Villain, Metamorphia had been assigned to guard the Grim Zone from trespassers. Tails had entered the zone and she attacked him in her new Badnik battle-suit. Tails gave her quite a runaround until he lured her toward a towering industrial chimney. Metamorphia tried to blast Tails with her lasers, but Tails dodged the attack and the blast brought the chimney crashing down on Metamorphia. She pulled herself out of the rubble, her armour destroyed and her identity revealed. She began to weep over how she had repeatedly failed Robotnik and that he never appreciated her, and decided she would abandon him. Despite having her powers removed, Metamorphia underwent one final change: she morphed into a little bear girl and disappeared to start a new life. She has never been heard from since.
Different Forms
Below is a list of all the different forms that Metamorphia has assumed throught STC.
- True Form - In her standard form, Metamorphia appears to be an anthropomorphic bobcat (though she appeared to be a bear in her first appearance). She has black eyes with white pupils which have usually appeared as horizontal slits. She normally wears a purple jumpsuit, but has also worn a torn yellow dress with black spots and a green jumpsuit (under her Badnik armour).
- Little Girl - Metamorphia first appeared to Sonic as a little girl wearing a yellow dress with a bow on her head. When she underwent her final transformation in Issue 83, her form looked rather similar to her first little girl form, though this time she wore a green dress and her eyes were white with blue irises.
- Gaseous Form - Metamorphia has used a gaseous form multiple times, either to knock out Sonic or to evade an enemy's attack.
- Rocket Form - Seen in Issue 30. Metamorphia transformed into a fat rocket shape in order to escape from Sonic.
- Tails - Metamorphia assumed Tails's form in Issue 30 in order to ambush Sonic. Although she assumed his form, she didn't gain Tails's flight.
- Fireproof Form - Makes Metamorphia immune to fire.
- Cosmic the Hedgehog - Cosmic looks a lot like Sonic, but has green fur, has 'C' emblazoned on his forehead and torso, and wears a red cape. This form could fly and was supposed to be able to mimic Sonic's speed, but could only keep up with Sonic for so long.
- Net Form - Metamorphia formed a cable net to trap Sonic in Issue 31, but he escaped by digging underground.
- Pickaxe - Metamorphia turns her arm into a pickaxe in Issue 31.
- Sonic - Metamorphia mimicked Sonic's form in Issue 31 so she could catch up with him, but was green for some reason. How the Badniks mistook her for the real Sonic is rather perplexing.
- Tonic the Hedgehog - Tonic looks exactly how Sonic used to before he gained his powers. Metamorphia assumed this form as part of a divide-and-conquer strategy to eliminate the Freedom Fighters one by one.
- Sledgehammer - Metamorphia turned her hand into a sledgehammer to crush Tails after he discovered the truth about Tonic.
- Orange Monster - Metamorphia attacked the FF in this form but changed tactics after one quick whack from Johnny Lightfoot's staff.
- Sticky Goo - An amorphous pile of orange gunk that Metamorphia became to engulf and smother the Freedom Fighters. Sonic overcame this by running around her and twisting her around.
- Armoured Warrior - Metamorphia's standard form beefed up to a more muscular physique. She used this form to battle Shortfuse in Issue 65.
- Metal Claw - A skeletal, metallic-looking hand.
- Battle Axe - Metamorphia shifted her arms into axes in her armoured form.
- Tentacle Monster - After being knocked into the polluted waters of the Chemical Plant Zone, Metamorphia emerged in this form and tried to crush Shortfuse in powerful tentacles.
- Blaster - It seems Metamorphia can even form projectile energy weapons.
- Badnik - After having her powers revoked, Metamorphia was turned into a Badnik. Her Badnik suit was humanoid with a green and yellow chassis, was equipped with jet boots for flight and was armed with laser blasters built into her palms.
Trivia
- The exact species of Metamorphia's standard form is questionable. In her first appearance, she had small, round ears like a bear, but in later appearances her ears have elongated and become tapered, more like a feline.
- The exact circumstances behind Metamorphia's creation are a total mystery, so it's unknown exactly what she's really made of (though nano-technology could be a possibility).
- Metamorphia makes a brief reappearance in Issue 130 as one of the many villains Robotnik resurrects using the power of the Chaos Emeralds.
- Metamorphia made a brief cameo in the Sonic Archie Comics.