| Chameleon Boy | |
|---|---|
 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. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Action Comics #267 (August 1960) |
| Created by | Jerry Siegel Jim Mooney |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Reep Daggle |
| Species | Durlan |
| Place of origin | Durla |
| Team affiliations | Legion of Super-Heroes |
| Notable aliases | Chameleon, Cham |
| Abilities | Shapeshifting Elasticity Enhanced senses |
Reep Daggle, also known as Chameleon Boy and Chameleon, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, primarily as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries.[1]
Reep Daggle as Chameleon Boy has appeared in various media outside comics, primarily those featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes. He is voiced by Alexander Polinsky in Legion of Super Heroes (2006) and Dee Bradley Baker in Young Justice.
Publication history
[edit]Chameleon Boy first appeared in Action Comics #267 (August 1960)[2] and was created by Jerry Siegel and Jim Mooney.
Fictional character biography
[edit]Reep Daggle is from the planet Durla whose inhabitants, the Durlans, developed shapeshifting abilities to adapt to an environment destroyed by nuclear war.[3] In pre-Zero Hour continuity, he is the son of Zhay Daggle and Ren Daggle / R. J. Brande, a businessman and the Legion's financier who was trapped in human form after contracting Yorggian fever.[4][5][6] Reep does not learn that Brande is his father for many years, as he and his twin sibling Liggt are raised by their aunt Ji. The Durlans have a negative reputation, so Reep joins the Legion to set a positive example and counter prejudice.[7] His powers and deductive skills make him skilled in espionage, with him becoming the leader of the Legion's Espionage Squad.
Zero Hour reboot
[edit]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.[8]
2005 "Threeboot"
[edit]In the 2005 reboot of the Legion, Reep is still referred to as Chameleon, but is now an androgynous humanoid who lacks antennae.
Post-Infinite Crisis
[edit]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.[9] 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.
In Doomsday Clock, it is revealed that Doctor Manhattan previously altered the past, erasing 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.[10]
Powers and abilities
[edit]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.
In other media
[edit]Television
[edit]
- Reep Daggle as Chameleon Boy appears in the Superman: The Animated Series episode "New Kids in Town", voiced by Jason Priestley.[11]
- Reep Daggle as Chameleon Boy makes a non-speaking appearance in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Far From Home".
- Reep Daggle as Chameleon Boy appears in Legion of Super Heroes (2006), voiced by Alexander Polinsky.[11]
- Reep Daggle as Chameleon Boy appears in Young Justice, voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.[11][12] This version sports a reptilian appearance.
Film
[edit]- Reep Daggle as Chameleon Boy makes a non-speaking appearance in Justice League vs. the Fatal Five.[11]
- Reep Daggle as Chameleon Boy makes a non-speaking appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes (2023).[11]
- The Legion of Super Heroes (2006) incarnation of Chameleon Boy makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too!.[13]
Video games
[edit]Reep Daggle as Chameleon Boy appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.[14]
Miscellaneous
[edit]- Reep Daggle as Chameleon Boy appears in Smallville Season 11.
- Reep Daggle as Chameleon Boy appears in Adventures in the DC Universe #10.[15]
- Reep Daggle as Chameleon Boy appears in Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century.[16]
- Reep Daggle as Chameleon Boy appears in the one-shot comic Batman '66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes.[17]
Cultural impact
[edit]Chameleon Boy's design served as inspiration for the eponymous character of Resident Alien.[18]
References
[edit]- ^ 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. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
- ^ Jimenez, Phil (2008). "Chameleon". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.). The DC Comics Encyclopedia. New York: Dorling Kindersley. p. 77. ISBN 978-0-7566-4119-1. OCLC 213309017.
- ^ Fleisher, Michael L. (2007). The Original Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes, Volume Three: Superman. DC Comics. p. 41. ISBN 978-1-4012-1389-3.
- ^ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Manning, Matthew K.; McAvennie, Michael; Wallace, Daniel (2019). DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle. DK Publishing. p. 182. ISBN 978-1-4654-8578-6.
- ^ Secrets of the Legion of Super-Heroes #3 (March 1981)
- ^ Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 2) #263 (May 1980)
- ^ Secrets of the Legion of Super-Heroes #1 (January 1981)
- ^ Legionnaires #0 (October 1994)
- ^ Superman #696 (March 2010)
- ^ Doomsday Clock #12 (December 2019)
- ^ a b c d e "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.
- ^ Matadeen, Renaldo (April 24, 2022). "Young Justice's Most Important Time-Traveler Gave the Legion a Massive Upgrade". CBR. Archived from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
- ^ "soranatus - Looks like in 2021 Digital eMation was working on a Scooby-Doo Meets Krypto DTV..." Tumblr. September 6, 2022. Archived from the original on March 10, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ Eisen, Andrew (October 4, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Archived from the original on October 11, 2013. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
- ^ "Adventures in the DC Universe #10 - The Blobs (Issue)". Comic Vine. Archived from the original on June 18, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ "Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century #17 - Thanagarians At The Gate (Issue)". Comic Vine. Archived from the original on June 9, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
- ^ "Batman '66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes #1 - Atomic Batteries To Power, Flight Rings To Speed (Issue)". Comic Vine. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
- ^ Hickey Jr., Patrick (March 23, 2013). "Review Fix Exclusive: Interview With Resident Alien Creator Peter Hogan". Review Fix. Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
External links
[edit]- Chameleon Boy at the DC Comics wiki
