Proty II
	Name: Proty II Home Planet: Planet of the Antares system Super-Powers: Shape-changing & telepathy Member Since: 2964

Origin | Super-Powers | Personal Data | Membership Record

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Many years ago, a super-scientific race called the Llorn colonized a planet of the great sun Antares. They discovered simple but friendly creatures and the two peace-loving races lived together in harmony. Later, a passing star altered the planet's orbit. This, combined with increased sunspot activity in their sun, caused terrible storms which forced the Llorn colony underground. When conditions worsened, and landquakes began, the Llorn were forced to abandon their colony and return to their own world. Before leaving, they made provisions for the survival of their native friends and used an evolution ray, which altered their bodies into protoplasmic blobs and transformed them into shape-shifting proteans that could adapt to any form necessary to meet the weirdly changing climate (Adventure Comics No. 334).

After the first Proty sacrificed his life to revive Lightning Lad (Adventure Comics no. 312/1), his friend Proty II volunteered to take his place as Chameleon Boy's new pet (Jimmy Olsen No. 72/1).

First Appearance: Jimmy Olsen No. 72/1 (written by Jerry Siegel, drawn by Curt Swan)

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Proty II can mimic any shape or form he "sees". At first when he imitated a human he could not speak vocally for himself (Jimmy Olsen No. 72/1), or he would mouth the words while really "speaking" telepathically (Adventure Comics No. 317 "The Legion Outpost"). Through frequent experimentation, Proty has learned to imitate the human tongue and diaphragm so perfectly that he can now talk (322, 325 "The Legion Outpost").

Proty's body is similar to an amoeba's in that he can subdivide into multiple parts, each posessing the ability to transform into a different shape; these parts can then recombine into the original whole (Superman No. 165/1, 167 "Metropolis Mailbag"). Also, if Proty loses a small portion of his protoplasmic body, he does not feel pain and will survive - though that much less massively (Adventure Comics No. 341).

Proteans do not have to breathe air (Adventure Comics No. 312/1).

Limitations and Weaknesses: While Proty can imitate Superboy, he cannot duplicate the Boy of Steel's super-powers. Cancelite can freeze him in one form (Adventure Comics No. 326, 334). When not in the form of a bird, Proty must fly by wearing a flying belt (322) or by keeping a flight-ring with him (Superman No. 165/1).

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Physical Description: In his natural state, Proty resembles a knee-high yellowish-white blob.

Personality: Proty II is highly intelligent, able to outsmart the Legionnaires (Adventure Comics No. 322), and devise complex puzzles quickly, earning praise from Saturn Girl, who called him a "protoplasmic genius" (323). Still, despite his great intellect, or perhaps because of it, he likes the simple life of just being taken care of as a pet.

He has a great sense of humor and likes to make jokes (Adventure Comics No. 341) and imitate people, objects and creatures to mimic and fool humans (342). Despite his great intelligence, Proty is quite young and childlike given the long life span of a Protean - adult Proteans are roughly a dozen times more massive than he is. Proty never plays up to strangers and likes to be carried (334).

Skills: Computer data entry (Adventure Comics No. 364). He is also good at contructing things that look complicated but don't actually do anything (322).

Interests: Proty is interested in making puzzles and pulling pranks.

Previous Occupations: None

Nicknames: None

Relationships: Proty II is quite attached to Chameleon Boy, his "master", and, being telepathic, has a great affinity for Saturn Girl (Adventure Comics No. 323, 334). Proty also likes to be near Brainiac 5 (340) and has helped Supergirl conduct scientific experiments (326). He also gets along really well with all his teammates in the Legion of Super-Pets. Proty II was also friends with his predecessor, Proty I (Jimmy Olsen No. 72/1).

Known Relatives: His family lives back on his home world.

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Application: With all Legionnaires being kept busy in the effort to defeat the Time Trapper, the Super-Pets were enlisted to stand guard in the clubhouse. Saturn Girl made the Super-Pets temporarily telepathic so they could communicate with each other while on duty. Seeing them at the special table Superboy had made for them, Chameleon Boy's friend Proty II decided that he, also being a super-pet, would like to join their Legion. The other animals were doubtful as, compared to their super-strength he was "just a blob", but pledged that he could join if he passed a series of tests given to him by each of them in turn.

Induction: Comet gave Proty II his first test: to impersonate Superboy and carry out the next mission assigned to him. Proty passed, using his ingenuity and shape-changing powers to get some of the rare element Vorium the Legionnaires needed for their efforts.

Streaky's test was for him to join Saturn Girl on a mission, without letting her learn his identity. Proty II impersonated his master, Chameleon Boy, a big black jellyfish, and even himself while rescuing Saturn Girl and destroying a remote-controlled electronic eye that was spying on the Legion.

Beppo's test for Proty was to keep the Legionnaires out of their clubhouse for one hour, which Proty accomplished by building a strange-looking machine and playing dead beside it, making it seem that incomprehensible scientific traps were set in the clubhouse.

Krypto gave him one final test: to track him down, no matter where he hid on earth, within two hours. With the aid of a flying belt, Proty pursued the super-dog using his power and his wits, eventually saving Krypto from Green Kryptonite and an attacking shark.

When the Super-Pets saw Krypto return to the clubhouse with a muddy blob in his mouth, they assumed that Proty had failed despite the persistent courage he had had shown in the other tests. But then the dog revealed himself to really be the heroic shape-changer, with a still kryptonite-weakened Krypto disguised in a covering of sea-ooze. Finally, the Super-Pets were proud to welcome Proty II into their Legion (Adventure Comics No. 322).

Positions Held: None

Aliases Used: None, other than disguising himself as various people from time to time.

Career Highlights:

Adventure Comics No. 320 (May 1964) "The Revenge of the Knave from Krypton"

Dev-Em hid Proty II in the cape he loaned Superboy so that when Molock the Merciless was abount to spring a lead box containing gold-K on him, Proty switched places with the kryptonite and helped Superboy defeat the Cosmic Spy Ring.

Adventure Comics No. 323 (Aug.1964) "The Eight Impossible Missions"

When the Legionnaires had a difficult time choosing the method to use for the leadership election of term 3, Proty II devised a clever puzzle with tests for seven Legionnaires - Saturn Girl, Ultra Boy, Phantom Girl, Element Lad, Pete Ross, Brainiac 5 and Jimmy Olsen. Changing himself into a "Bizarro" and calling himself Ytorp, it was Saturn Girl who solved the anagram puzzle and became the leader for a second term.

Adventure Comics No. 334 (July 1965) "The Unknown Legionnaire"

Proty II returned to his home world in the system of Antares and alerted the Legionnaires to the ambush by his fellow Proteans, who were duped by Dr. Norm Eldor into revealing the location of the powerful Llorn weapon.

Adventure Comics No. 337 (Oct. 1965) "The Weddings That Wrecked the Legion"

The Legion of Super-Heroes planted a trap for some villains by inticing them to try out for membership in the team. They were able to figure out which candidates were spies because Proty II was able to detect which of them were shielding their thoughts - as only untrustworthy applicants would do.

Adventure Comics No. 341 (Feb. 1966) "Colossal Boy's One-Man War"

In order to distract Computo and free the captive Legionnaires, Superboy created a plan for Proty to carry out. As the "Weirdo Legionnaire", Proty II's insults and bravado (provided by Superboy via super-ventriloquism) shook Computo's confidence and forced him into "analysis mode" with the intention of finding a weakness in his mysterious opponent. Thus distracted, Colossal Boy was left free to rescue Star Boy and Sun Boy.

Adventure Comics No. 342 (Mar. 1966) "The Legionnaire Who Killed"

As part of his defense in the trial of Star Boy, Superboy took Proty II with him to the Interplanetary Zoo to see the Saturnian scorpion beast. He then asked Proty to change into the deadly animal's shape and enter the clubhouse, trying to entice someone to attempt to kill it in self-defense. However, as Proty's claws did not drip acid like a real scorpion beast's would, Brainiac 5 was not fooled.

Adventure Comics No. 343 (Apr.1966) "The Evil Hand of the Luck Lords"

After noticing that the Super-Pets had all touched Proty disguised as a Durlan jinx-stone that seemed to be causing the Legion bad luck, yet were not affected by it, the Legionnaires took them along to investigate the unlucky world of Thaun. When the Luck Lords overcame the super-heroes with their jinxes, the captive Saturn Girl called the super-animals from the cruiser with her thought-casting power, and they came to the rescue.

Adventure Comics No. 364 (Jan. 1968) "The Revolt of the Super-Pets"

After an argument with the Legionnaires over a mission, the Super-Pets walked out on them and were soon picked up by a Thanlian whose people idolized the super-animals. They were taken to Thanl and given a headquarters of their own. The Legionnaires followed them to Thanl and pleaded with them to return home, after which a brawl ensued and the Legion were forced away. Rikkor Rost, the head Thanlian, manipulated Comet and Proty II into infiltrating the Legion ranks as Biron the Bowman and Blockade Boy II. The Legionnaires had deliberately let them into the Legion so they could use the computers to discover for themselves that the Thanlians were really space-pirates using them for protection. Speeding back to Thanl, the human and animal Legions lit into the Thanlians, overthrowing their corrupt high council.

Adventure Comics No. 375/376 (Dec. 1968/Jan. 1969) "The King of the Legion" / "The Execution of Chameleon Boy"

Proty II, disguised as an instrument box, tagged along with Chameleon Boy on his mission to hunt down Psyche of the super-group the Wanderers, after the team had been turned evil by the radiation of a space-cloud. When she used her power over emotions to turn Bouncing Boy against them, Proty leapt to Chameleon Boy's defense. He duplicated Chameleon Boy's form, and she shot at him. Proty was injured badly enough to "lock him" into his current form, but he had managed to distract Psyche long enough for the real Legionnaire to slap her senseless, stopping her spell of hate.

Adventure Comics No. 380 (May 1969) "The Legion's Space Odyssey"

When Dream Girl foresaw several Legionnaires being killed by a ray-blast directed at the headquarters, Superboy and Mon-El enlisted the Super-Pets aid in keeping then away from Earth until the ray had destroyed robot doubles of them instead.

Proty II and Streaky worked together to slow the Legionnaires down on their route back to Earth. On a world almost entirely covered with water, Proty pretended to be a Legion cruiser and then Superboy on nearby islands; when the Legionnaires approached, Streaky used his super-speed to whisk him away.

Action Comics No. 390 (July 1970) "The Tyrant and the Traitor"

Proty II was an integral part of the Espionage Squad's mission to liberate the planet Lahum from the conquering President Peralla and the Dark Circle-backed revolutionary Diol Masrin. After the squad took over the ship of a group of interstella gunrunners, Chameleon Boy took the place of their captain and instructed Proty to take the shape of a gun. When Masrin's lieutenant, Chavak, came onboard to inspect the guns they had brought, he picked up the Proty-gun, who ensnared him in tentacles. After Chameleon Boy disguised himself as Chavek, Proty took his place as the ship's captain and flew the gunrunners' ship, with the real Chavak still onboard, back to the other Legionnaires.

For information concerning Proty II after 2969, click here.

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