Reep Daggle as Chameleon Boy, as depicted in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #4 (June 1985). Art by Keith Giffen and Karl Kesel.
Reep Daggle is from the planet Durla, whose inhabitants, the Durlans, developed shapeshifting abilities to adapt to an environment destroyed by nuclear war.[3] He has orange skin, pointed ears and antennae, and has no hair in his usual humanoid form. He is the son of Legion financer R. J. Brande, who was trapped in the form of a human after contracting Yorggian fever.[4][5][6] However, Reep does not learn that Brande is his father for many years due to him and his twin brother Liggt being raised by their aunt Ji. Due to being twins, Reep and Liggt are forced to fight to the death, with Reep winning and killing Liggt.[7]
As Durlans are viewed with suspicion by other species, Reep applies for membership in the Legion to set an positive example.[8] His powers and deductive reasoning make him skilled in espionage, with him becoming the leader of the Legion's Espionage Squad.[9] Reep acquires a protoplasmic alien named Proty, who also possesses shapeshifting abilities and becomes a beloved Legion mascot.[10]
Zero Hour reboot
Post-Zero Hour, Reep is known simply as 'Chameleon' and is unrelated to R. J. Brande. He is the son of Durla's spiritual leader and heir to the title, though he refuses to accept the role, believing that he serves his people better as part of the Legion.[11]
2005 "Threeboot"
In the Threeboot continuity, Reep is still referred to as Chameleon, but is now an androgynous humanoid who lacks antennae.[12]
Post-Infinite Crisis
In Infinite Crisis, Chameleon Boy is included in the Legion, but is considered "missing"; Superman #696 reveals that he has been posing as a member of the Science Police.[13] In Adventure Comics (vol. 2), it is revealed that Chameleon Boy is part of a secret team that R. J. Brande sent to the 21st century to save the future.[14]
In Doomsday Clock, it is revealed that Doctor Manhattan previously altered the past, erasing Chameleon Boy, the Justice Society of America, and the Legion of Super-Heroes from existence. The two groups are resurrected when Superman convinces Manhattan to restore the timeline.[15]
Powers and abilities
As a Durlan, Chameleon Boy possesses innate shapeshifting abilities and the ability to transform into forms both larger and smaller than he is, creating or disregarding mass. He can elongate his body and rearrange his internal anatomy without entirely transforming.
As a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, Chameleon Boy is provided a Legion Flight Ring, which allows him to fly and protects him from the vacuum of space and other dangerous environments.
Reep Daggle as Chameleon Boy appears in the one-shot comic Batman '66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes.[22]
Cultural impact
Chameleon Boy's design served as inspiration for the eponymous character of Resident Alien.[23]
References
^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 63. ISBN978-1-4654-5357-0.
^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Manning, Matthew K.; McAvennie, Michael; Wallace, Daniel (2019). DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle. DK Publishing. p. 182. ISBN978-1-4654-8578-6.
^McCraw, Tom; Waid, Mark (w), Moy, Jeffrey (p), Boyd, Ron (i), McCraw, Tom (col). "Close Encounters" Legionnaires, vol. 1, no. 0 (October 1994). DC Comics.
^Johns, Geoff (w), Reis, Ivan; Prado, Joe (p), Campos, Marc (i), Sno-Cone Studios (col). "Superboy and the Legion (Part II of II)" Teen Titans/The Legion Special, vol. 1, no. 1 (November 2004). DC Comics.
^Robinson, James (w), Guedes, Renato (p), Magalhães, José Wilson (i), Curiel, David (col). "Man of Valor - Part Three" Superman, vol. 1, no. 696 (March 2010). DC Comics.
^Gates, Sterling (w), Moore, Travis (p), Ferreira, Julio (i), Pantazis, Pete (col). "Last Stand of New Krypton — Prologue Part Two: The Future Is Now" Adventure Comics, vol. 2, no. 8 (May 2010). DC Comics.
^ abcde"Chameleon Boy Voices (Legion of Super Heroes)". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on March 10, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
