Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld

Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld
Amethyst as depicted in Young Justice vol. 3 #1 (March 2019). Art by Amy Reeder.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	The Legion of Super-Heroes #298 (April 1983)
Created by	Dan Mishkin Gary Cohn Ernie Colón
In-story information
Alter ego	Amy Winston (current) Amaya (Post-Flashpoint; later changed in DC Rebirth)
Species	Cosmic entity (original) Homo magi (current)
Place of origin	Gemworld
Team affiliations	House of Amethyst Lords of Order Justice League Dark Young Justice
Notable aliases	Princess of Gemworld
Abilities	(Both): Magic Crystal Empowerment Crystal Manipulation Crystal Generation Spell Casting Eldritch Blasts Conjuration Reanimation Summoning Scrying Binding Enchantments Elemental Control Energy Manipulation Energy Construct Creation Matter Transmutation Atmokinesis Photokinesis Telekinesis Telepathy Teleportation Dimensional Rulership Reality Alteration Weapon proficiency

Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld is a superhero published in American comic books created by DC Comics. Created by writers Dan Mishkin, Gary Cohn and artist Ernie Colón, she debuted in The Legion of Superheroes #298 in April 1983.^[1]

Born into the Amethyst royal family of Gemworld, a fictional dimension full of magic and magical creatures, her parents were killed shortly after her birth by her future archenemy, Dark Opal. She is hidden on Earth by a witch and is adopted into a family, given the name Amy Winston. Eventually, she travels to Gemworld on her thirteenth birthday, learning of her heritage and became Gemworld's chief protector by opposing the Lords of Chaos and their agents, including Dark Opal. After the events of Flashpoint, the character was retroactively rebooted, having first been raised by her mother Graciel to help eventually liberate Gemworld from a tyrannical ruler. Her given birth name is Amaya while her human identity is Amy Winston. After DC Rebirth, the character's original origin is restored, albeit without significant connection to the Lords of Chaos and Order.

The character has received several media adaptations, having been featured in a short animation series featured on the DC Nation block on Cartoon Network.

Amethyst's premise was initially pitched to DC Comics under the title "Changeling", wherein its main character had been left on Earth as an infant. However, because another DC superhero formerly named Beast Boy was currently using that name at the time, Dan Mishkin decided on the alternative "Amethyst" as a replacement.^[2] This in turn inspired the jewel-themed renaming of the other characters in the series and the rebranding of the entire concept as "Gemworld".^[3]

Amethyst first appeared as a special insert preview in The Legion of Super-Heroes #298 (April 1983).^[4] Her original story began shortly afterward in the twelve-issue Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld limited series in 1983, written and created by Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn with Ernie Colón as the artist. The initial 12-issue limited 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 1984 annual and a sixteen-issue ongoing series.^[5] The ongoing series was followed by the 1986 Amethyst Special one-shot and a four-issue limited series that ended the character's adventures (penciled by Esteban Maroto). There was also a one-shot with Superman in DC Comics Presents #63 (Nov. 1983).^[6]

The character re-emerged in 2005 after 18 years of sporadic appearances, in the Infinite Crisis mini-series. In 2012, Amethyst appeared as the main character of the new Sword of Sorcery as part of The New 52 line.^[7][2] This lasted until May 2013, when Sword of Sorcery was cancelled.^[8]

In 2019, DC relaunched the Young Justice title, with Amethyst as one of the members. A six-issue miniseries Amethyst (2020) by Amy Reeder was published the following year.^[9]

In 2012, DC published an Amethyst volume of the Showcase Presents series. It reprinted the character's appearances in The Legion of Super-Heroes #298, the original Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld 12-issue limited series, Amethyst Annual #1, DC Comics Presents #63, and the first 11 issues of the 16-issue ongoing Amethyst series.^[20]

Amethyst appeared in the 1997 "Convergence" crossover that ran through Book of Fate, Night Force, Challengers of the Unknown and Scare 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.

Amethyst is the princess of the House of Amethyst, one of several houses on 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. She learns of her heritage and returns to Gemworld, where she eventually defeats Opal. Amethyst later learns that she is a Lord of Order and battles the Lord of Chaos Child before fusing them both with Gemworld.

The Amethyst miniseries sees the characters' return from their fates and takes place two decades after Crisis on Infinite Earths. Topaz and Turquoise are married and have three children: Wrynn, Donal, and Amber. The entity Mordru possesses Wrynn and becomes a powerful sorcerer. Additionally, Child returns and kidnaps Emerald before Amethyst defeats him.

In the final issue of the miniseries, Mordru is imprisoned within Gemworld, which Amethyst merges with once more. Some time later, Gemworld is transported to the main universe and renamed Zerox. Late in the 30th century, Zerox is destroyed during the Magic Wars, killing Amethyst in the process.^[22]

Infinite Crisis retroactively erases the events of the Amethyst miniseries and resurrects Amethyst.

In The New 52 continuity reboot, Amethyst is named Amaya and was sent to Earth to protect her from her aunt Mordiel.^[23] She later joins Justice League Dark.^[24][25][26]

Amethyst possesses a myriad of powers, including flight, spellcasting, energy manipulation, energy constructs, eldritch blasts, matter transmutation, magic resistance, atmokinesis, chronokinesis, chlorokinesis, elemental control, life creation, reality alteration, crystal enchantments, crystal generation, conjuration, summoning, size alteration, divination, hypnotism, emotion manipulation, telepathy, telekinesis, teleportation, dimensional travel, invisibility, illusion casting, invoking spirits, necromancy, healing others, and hyperawareness, as well as the ability to tap into other mystical sources so she can amplify her own capabilities to near-incalculable levels. Amethyst’s magical prowess is so vast that Doctor Fate once said she can be considered one of the most powerful beings in the entire universe. ^[27] She is capable enough to engage in battle with the Spectre and survive.^[28]

An alternate timeline variant of Amethyst appears Flashpoint as a member of the Secret Seven.

• Amethyst appears in a self-titled segment of DC Nation Shorts, voiced by Sophie Oda.^[29] This version is a human who is magically transported into the Gemworld video game to battle the forces of Dark Opal and sports a modernized design reminiscent of magical girls.^[30][31]
• Amethyst makes non-speaking cameo appearances in Teen Titans Go!.

• Amethyst appears in DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year, voiced by Cristina Pucelli.^[29]
• Amethyst makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in Teen Titans Go! To the Movies.^[32]

Amethyst appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.^[33]

• Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on April 4, 2012.
• DCU Guide: Amethyst
• Absorbascon: Amethyst retrospective
• Sequential Tart: Amethyst retrospective
• TangonaT: Amethyst retrospective
• ComiXology: Amethyst retrospective (Archived 2009-10-25)