Amphibian

Gallery

Real Name

Kingsley

Current Alias

Amphibian

Affiliation

Squadron Supreme

Characteristics

Gender

Female

Skin

Blue

Origin

Universe

Earth-31916

Created by

J. Michael Straczynski

First appearance

Supreme Power #2
(November, 2003)

HistoryEdit

As a baby, Amphibian's parents were shocked of their child's strange appearance in which she was abandoned in the ocean after her her mother commits suicide and her father goes insane. 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^[1]. In her first encounter with humans, 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 diver's husband is waiting. He also panics, assuming she had killed his wife, and attacks her with a spear gun. She retaliates, killing him^[2]. (2-6)</ref>.

Amphibian's second encounter with humans 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"^[3].

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".

Powers and AbilitiesEdit

Powers

Telepathic ability, superhuman strength and retractable organs similar to that of a predatory fish (gills, spines, fins, sharp claws) that she extends when expressing intense emotion. She is able to perceive luminous halos around certain individuals, including Power Princess and Doctor Spectrum, which apparently allude to their nature^[4].

NotesEdit

• In keeping with the premise of Amphibian being a feral child, the creator of the Supreme Power Amphibian, J. Michael 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.

LinksEdit

• 27 Appearances of Amphibian (Earth-31916)
• 5 Images featuring Amphibian (Earth-31916)
• Quotations by or about Amphibian (Earth-31916)
• Character Gallery: Amphibian (Earth-31916)
• Fan-Art Gallery: Amphibian (Earth-31916)

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