| Amethyst | |
|---|---|
 Amethyst as depicted inYoung Justice vol. 3 #1 (March 2019). Art byAmy Reeder. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Legion of Super-Heroes #298 (April 1983) |
| Created by | |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Amaya / Amethyst(birth name) Amy Winston(human name) |
| Species | Homo Magi(Cosmic entity) |
| Place of origin | Gemworld |
| Team affiliations | House of Amethyst The Banned Lords of Order Justice League Dark Young Justice |
| Notable aliases | Princess of Gemworld |
| Abilities |
|
Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld is asword and sorcerysuperheroine published inAmerican comic books created byDC Comics. Created by writersDan Mishkin,Gary Cohn and artistErnie Colón, she debuted inLegion of Super-Heroes #298 in April 1983. While considered one of DC Comics' "under-rated classics" for its female representation and strong fantasy themes, the character's eponymous series struggled to engage the broader contemporary DC readership.[1][2]
While subjected to various revisions in her history, the character is often cast as youngAmy Winston who discovered on her 13th birthday she originates from the extradimensional realm known as Gemworld, a magical realm in which its twelve ruling families are themed aftergemstones, has strong ties to theLords of Chaos and Order, and grants her the body of a twenty year old. Born PrincessAmethyst, she originates from the eponymous House of Amethyst, considered the most powerful of the ruling families, and is destined to be its ruler and protector. She also discovered her heritage makes her among theLords of Order albeit born with a human form. Embracing her role, she learns to become Gemworld's chief protector and leader while battling foes including: Dark Opal, Child and Flaw, andMordru.[3][4]
Following theNew 52, the character was temporarily revised as seventeen year oldAmaya (whose human identity was "Amy Winston"), princess of Nilia raised by her mother, Queen Graciel to help eventually liberate Gemworld from a tyrannical ruler and reclaim their throne.[5] From DC Rebirth onward, much of the character's history was reverted with some aspects kept, such as her Amaya birthname.[6][7] This version also instead seeks to balance her ordinary life on Earth with her role as princess.[7]
The character has received several media adaptations, having been featured in a short animation series featured on theDC Nation block onCartoon Network.
Amethyst's premise was initially pitched toDC Comics under the title "Changeling", wherein its main character had been left on Earth as an infant. However, because another DC superhero formerly namedBeast Boy was currently using that name at the time,Dan Mishkin decided on the alternative "Amethyst" as a replacement.[8] This in turn inspired the jewel-themed renaming of the other characters in the series and the concept being reworked into Gemworld.[9]
Amethyst first appeared as aspecial insert preview inLegion of Super-Heroes #298 (April 1983).[10] Her original story began shortly afterward in the twelve-issueAmethyst: Princess of Gemworldlimited series in 1983, written and created by Dan Mishkin andGary Cohn withErnie Colón as the artist. The initial 12-issuelimited series (identified by DC Comics as a "maxi-series") establishes Gemworld, Amethyst's identity, and several of her recurring villains. The limited series was followed by a 1984annual and a sixteen-issue ongoing series.[11] The ongoing series was followed by the 1986Amethyst Special one-shot and a four-issue limited series that ended the character's adventures (penciled byEsteban Maroto). There was also a one-shot withSuperman inDC Comics Presents #63 (Nov. 1983).[12]
The character re-emerged in 2005 after 18 years of sporadic appearances, in theInfinite Crisis mini-series. In 2012, Amethyst appeared as the main character of the newSword of Sorcery as part ofThe New 52 line.[13][8] This lasted until May 2013, whenSword of Sorcery was cancelled.[14]
In 2019, DC relaunched theYoung Justice title, with Amethyst as one of the members. A six-issue miniseriesAmethyst (2020) byAmy Reeder was published the following year.[15]
| Date | Name | Editor | Script and story | Penciling | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1983 | Legion of Super-Heroes #298 | Karen Berger Dave Manak | Dan Mishkin;Gary Cohn | Ernie Colon | [16] |
| Date | Name | Editor | Script and story | Penciling | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1983 | Amethyst #1 | Karen Berger | Dan Mishkin;Gary Cohn | Ernie Colon | [17] |
| June 1983 | Amethyst #2 | Berger | Mishkin; Cohn | Colon | |
| July 1983 | Amethyst #3 | Berger | Mishkin; Cohn | Colon | |
| August 1983 | Amethyst #4 | Berger | Mishkin; Cohn | Colon | |
| September 1983 | Amethyst #5 | Berger | Mishkin; Cohn | Colon | |
| October 1983 | Amethyst #6 | Berger | Mishkin; Cohn | Colon | |
| November 1983 | Amethyst #7 | Berger | Mishkin; Cohn | Colon | |
| December 1983 | Amethyst #8 | Berger | Mishkin; Cohn | Colon | |
| January 1984 | Amethyst #9 | Berger | Mishkin; Cohn | Colon | |
| February 1984 | Amethyst #10 | Berger | Mishkin; Cohn | Colon | |
| March 1984 | Amethyst #11 | Berger | Mishkin; Cohn | Colon | |
| April 1984 | Amethyst #12 | Berger | Mishkin; Cohn | Colon |
| Date | Name | Editor | Script and story | Penciling | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1985 | Amethyst (Vol. 2) #1 | Karen Berger | Dan Mishkin;Gary Cohn | Ric Estrada | [18] |
| February 1985 | Amethyst (Vol. 2) #2 | Berger | Mishkin; Cohn | Estrada | |
| March 1985 | Amethyst (Vol. 2) #3 | Berger | Mishkin; Cohn | Estrada | |
| April 1985 | Amethyst (Vol. 2) #4 | Berger | Mishkin; Cohn | Kurt Schaffenberger | |
| May 1985 | Amethyst (Vol. 2) #5 | Berger | Mishkin; Cohn | Estrada | |
| June 1985 | Amethyst (Vol. 2) #6 | Berger | Mishkin; Cohn | Estrada | |
| July 1985 | Amethyst (Vol. 2) #7 | Berger | Mishkin; Cohn | Estrada | |
| August 1985 | Amethyst (Vol. 2) #8 | Berger | Mishkin; Cohn | Dan Jurgens | |
| September 1985 | Amethyst (Vol. 2) #9 | Berger | Cohn | Ernie Colon | |
| October 1985 | Amethyst (Vol. 2) #10 | Berger | Cohn | Colon | |
| November 1985 | Amethyst (Vol. 2) #11 | Berger | Cohn | Colon | |
| December 1985 | Amethyst (Vol. 2) #12 | Berger Julius Schwartz | Mindy Newell | Colleen Doran | |
| February 1986 | Amethyst (Vol. 2) #13 | Berger | Robert L. Fleming;Keith Giffen | Colon | |
| April 1986 | Amethyst (Vol. 2) #14 | Berger | Fleming; Giffen | Colon | |
| June 1986 | Amethyst (Vol. 2) #15 | Berger | Giffen; Newell | Colon | |
| August 1986 | Amethyst (Vol. 2) #16 | Berger | Giffen; Newell | Colon |
| Date | Name | Editor | Script and story | Penciling | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1986 | Amethyst ("Kismet") | Karen Berger | Keith Giffen;Mindy Newell | Ernie Colon | [19] |
| Amethyst ("A Thrice-Told Tale") | Newell;Len Wein | Esteban Maroto |
| Date | Name | Editor | Script and story | Penciling | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 1987 | Amethyst (1987 limited series) #1 | Karen Berger | Keith Giffen;Mindy Newell | Esteban Maroto | [20][21] |
| December 1987 | Amethyst (1987 limited series) #2 | Berger | Giffen; Newell | Maroto | |
| January 1988 | Amethyst (1987 limited series) #3 | Berger | Giffen; Newell | Maroto | |
| February 1988 | Amethyst (1987 limited series) #4 | Berger | Giffen; Newell | Maroto |
| Date | Name | Editor | Script | Penciling | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2020 | Amethyst (2020 limited series) #1 | Andy Khouri | Amy Reeder | [22] | |
| May 2020 | Amethyst (2020 limited series) #2 | Khouri | Reeder | ||
| August 2020 | Amethyst (2020 limited series) #3 | Khouri | Reeder | ||
| September 2020 | Amethyst (2020 limited series) #4 | Khouri | Reeder | ||
| October 2020 | Amethyst (2020 limited series) #5 | Khouri | Reeder | ||
| February 2021 | Amethyst (2020 limited series) #6 | Khouri | Reeder | ||
| Date | Name | ISBN | Publisher | Script and story | Art | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 9, 2021[23] | Amethyst Princess of Gemworld | 978-1779501226[23] | DC Comics | Shannon Hale and Dean Hale | Asiah Fulmore | [24][25] |
In 2012, DC published anAmethyst volume of theShowcase Presents series. It reprinted the character's appearances inThe Legion of Super-Heroes #298, the originalAmethyst, Princess of Gemworld 12-issue limited series,Amethyst Annual #1,DC Comics Presents #63, and the first 11 issues of the 16-issue ongoingAmethyst series.[26]
| Date | Name | ISBN | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2, 2012[27] | Showcase Presents: Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld Vol. 1 | 978-1401236779[27] | DC Comics |
Amethyst appeared in the 1997 "Convergence"crossover that ran throughBook of Fate,Night Force,Challengers of the Unknown andScare Tactics. This story depicts an alternate Gemworld experiencing a civil war. Here, Amethyst is portrayed as a villain who wants to unify the houses in Gemworld by any means.
In physical appearance, Amy appears as a 5'1" and 90lbs child with blond hair and violent eyes. While she retains the same physical features in a adult form within Gemworld, her height is instead stated to be 5'8" and 112lbs.[4] Following her appearances after New 52, the character is consistently 5'8" and 122 lbs as she was previously although she is depicted more teenaged in appearance.[5][6][7] While she is a natural blonde,[5][6][7] the character is designed to have dyed her hairlavender.[28]
During the character's publication in the first and secondAmethyst series, she is described as having evolved in personality; beginning as a ordinary and spirited American child whose life revolved around her friends and family, this changed following her 13th birthday and discovery of Gemworld, where she learned of her potential as a sorceress and princess status. She would acclimate quickly into the role, eventually prioritizing it over her former life on Earth.[4] Amethyst is also characterized as being a potentially powerful sorceress due to her heritage as a Lord of Order;[3][4] A crossover withDoctor Fate implies she is among the most powerful beings in theDC Universe.[29]
In more recent publications, she retains a similar characterization but is more rebellious in personality and attempts to balance between the role and a normal human life on Earth.[7][30][31] She also retains her status as a Lord of Order in human form.[6] In the 2021Amethyst limited series, the character is sixteen and is temporarily branded a rogue and while House Amethyst was officially dissolved, she is instead made princess of the Banned.[28]
The primary setting in which the character's stories takes place is the extradimensional realm known asGemworld (also known asNilaa orThe Gem); a magical dimension once under dominion of the Lord of Chaos, In the realm, Gemworld simulates but is not bound by the laws of physics, with concepts such as gravity being dependent on the magical inhabitants' whims, and consists of one great land mass surrounded by a sea with several clusters of islands and is circular and around in a never ending falls, with what's below remaining unknown. Gemworld also features a sun as a living entity that that blazes its energy throughout the day in its orbit but becomes a moon when its energies wane, simulating day and night. The dimension came to house countless magical creatures, beings, humans, and homo magi following a exodus to the dimension led by a young witch known as Citrina to preserve magic and creatures (unicorns, imps, dragons, etc.) of magical origin when magic begin waning following a major supernova in space and its violent explosions affecting the physical and mystically plain, disrupting "zodiac alignments" and had major repercussions in which included the gradual waning of mystical energies.[32]
The ruling community, the twelvehouses modelling and themed after gemstones (Amethyst,Aquamarine,Diamond,Emerald,Garnet,Moonstone,Opal,Ruby,Sapphire,Sardonyx,Turquoise, andTopaz), each rule a portion of Gemworld in which aligns with the properties of their respective gemstone, also form a Council of Houses that governs Gemworld. Throughout its history, several of the houses has assumed supreme rule; the first being the House of Ruby. Much later, the House of Amethyst became the supreme rulers of Gemworld, credited as had the longest and beneficial reign until the House of Opal, led by the villain Dark Opal and with assistance of Lords of Chaos Vandaemon, overthrew the House of Amethyst and its supporter from the Lords of Order, Pantagones, using underhanded tactics. A infant Princess Amethyst is hidden away by Witch-Mother Citrina in an effort to preserve the House of Amethyst.[32][3]
Later stories revise some of Gemworld's history, omitting the historically recent involvement of the Lords of Chaos and Order (Pantagones and Vandaemon respectively), and cast the House of Amethyst's prior rulers to Amethyst as morally corrupt. House Diamond is also stated to be responsible for Gemworld's legislative duties and includes the Banned, historical Gemworld outcasts whom previously opposed the unification of the twelve houses and were nearly wiped out, with a remnant surviving and becoming a travelling band of mercenaries and criminals. Overtime, they became less dangerous.[28]
Amethyst is the princess of the House of Amethyst, one of several houses in Gemworld. After Dark Opal kills Amethyst's parents, the witch Citrina sends her to Earth to be raised by the Winston family. At the age of thirteen, Amethyst is attacked by Dark Opal, learns of her heritage, and returns to Gemworld, where she defeats Dark Opal and frees Gemworld from his rule.
Amethyst participates in the events ofCrisis on Infinite Earths, where she is blinded by a Shadow Demon.[33][34] She later learns that she is aLord of Order and battles the Lord of Chaos Child before fusing herself and Child with Gemworld.[35] The third volume ofAmethyst takes place two decades afterCrisis on Infinite Earths. Topaz and Turquoise, members of their namesake houses, are married and have three children: Wrynn, Donal, and Amber. The entityMordru possesses Wrynn and becomes a powerful sorcerer.[36] Some time later, Gemworld is transported to the main universe and renamedZerox. Zerox is destroyed during the Magic Wars in the 30th century, which kills Amethyst.[37] Amethyst is resurrected during theInfinite Crisis event, whichretcons her death from continuity.[38]
Following the New 52 reboot, Amethyst's history is heavily revised. Her real name is Amaya and she originated from the realm of Niliaa, but was raised on Earth as "Amy Winston" by her mother, Lady Graciel. Trained as a warrior in secret and being a troubled high-school student, she learns of her true history on her 17th birthday and helps her mother liberate Nilaa from the tyrannical rule of Lady Mordiel Garciel's sister and fellow member of the Amethyst bloodline. She also later battles Eclipso and later joins the Justice League Dark.[5][39][40][41]
DuringDC Rebirth, much of the character's history and characterization resemble more closely to her prior version in Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earth albeit with differences; having faced Dark Opal and Lords of Chaos in the past, her history omits her ascension as a Lord of Order and roughly continue from her second series, wherein she has since come into frequent conflict with the Council of Houses due to her rampant disregard for their rulings as a rebel but is protected due to her heroic and legendary status in Gemworld.[31][6]
In the 2019Young Justice series, the first storyline showcases her teaming up with Young Justice when Dark Opal's chaotic and dark magical abilities grow more powerful to the point of being able to alter reality and being great enough to intimidate the Council of Houses, in which some members are reluctant on frequently challenging and decline Amethyst's plea to come together and discuss on ridding of House of Opal altogether. As Dark Opal conspires to once more take dominion of Gemworld and to destroy Amethyst and her kingdom, the team assists in defeating him. She later leaves to return to Earth to aid the Young Justice team, unaware the Council had used the opportunity to banish and exile her from Gemworld unbeknownst to her.[31]
In the 2021Amethyst series, Amethyst returns to Gemworld on her sixteenth birthday to find her kingdom in ruins and subjects vanished. Coldly received by ally Lady Turquoise and shunned by the other Houses, she suspects Dark Opal's manipulations but learns of the House of Diamond's involvement. Aided by Maxxie of Aquamarine, Phoss, and Prince Topaz, she uncovers the House Diamond's culpability in a confrontation with their court: the court learned her birth parents were alive and preserved in amethyst and also discovered her parents' failed conspiracy to seize Gemworld's throne. Provoking Dark Opal in hopes his tyrannical reign would instill loyalty, they faked their deaths and plotted a triumphant return via Citrina's aid but this effort was thwarted when the amethyst preserving their body was stolen. Illegitimating House Amethyst's claim as a supreme house, the court dissolve it, trap her subjects in amethyst, and brand her a rogue from belief she was aware of the conspiracy. Breaking free and with help from Aquamarine and the outcasted Banned, Amethyst defeats Dark Opal's bid to annihilate her birth parents, liberates her subjects and family (destroying all amethyst crystals in the process and depowering her kingdom, to her parent's chagrin), and accepts the Banned's offer to become their princess after realizing her birth parent's power hungry and selfish nature.[28][6]
Throughout her publication history, she is expressed to possess a wide breadth of power due to her heritage as a Lord of Order in human form and being a native of a royal house in Gemworld;[3][4][42] While typically considered a trainee sorceress or learning to advance her abilities,[6][4] she possess a diverse range of abilities including spell-casting, flight, force-fields, create powerful bolts of energy, energy manipulation, matter manipulation, can create interdimensional portals between Earth and Gemworld, and can tap into the unique powers of mystic forces within the other houses of Gemworld.[3][4][42]
In addition to her magical abilities, she was trained in the art of war and is adept in several forms of weaponry (lances, swords, shields, etc.), archery, and strategy.[43] She is also credited as having strong leadership abilities and courage despite her young age.[4]
While the New 52 version of Amethyst features a different histories and depiction, both share core abilities around being a expert swordswoman and wielding magical powers in which is shared by House Amethyst.[5][6] Alternatively, however, the magic of House Amethyst were expressed to be a form of magic carried by her bloodline, usually carrying a third of Amethyst bloodline's complete power (the remaining others carried by her mother and corrupt aunt) and can enhance her physical abilities, create constructs made up of light-esque constructs, and could act as a catalyst for other magical powers. Her Turquoise bloodline grants her some abilities in transformative powers.[44]
Like prior, in addition to her expertise as a swordswoman, she is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant and also similarly is skilled in several different weaponry.[44]
An alternate timeline version of Amethyst appearsFlashpoint as a member of theSecret Seven.
Amethyst appears as a character summon inScribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.[50]
{{cite book}}:|last3= has generic name (help){{cite book}}:|last7= has generic name (help)The other-dimensional Gemworld found a new princess in the form of Amy Winston, an ordinary young girl from a distant reality, in the pages of a sixteen-page insert comic by writers Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn, and artist Ernie Colón. Standing strong against the forces of the nefarious Dark Opal, Amethyst was gearing up for her own self-titled maxiseries in May.
This new series...will launch with the return of Amethyst to the New 52. Written by Christy Marx with art by Aaron Lopresti, the comic will show how Amethyst finds out she's the lost princess of Gemworld.
DC Comics this afternoon announced the May cancellations of six more series, a mix of first-, second- and third-wave New 52 titles:Deathstroke,The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man,The Ravagers,The Savage Hawkman,Sword of Sorcery andTeam 7.
