Who's Who: Proty

Proty
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: None

Super-Power(s): Shape-shifting; limited telepathic ability.
Planet of Origin: Protea in the Antares system

Relationship to Legion: Chameleon Boy's sidekick; member of the Legion of Super-Pets

Legion Log
The first creature to be named Proty was found when the Legion broke a smuggling gang and found that their cargo was some of the rarest animals in the universe. Among these kidnapped beasts was a "shapeless little animal" from the planet Protea, who took an instant liking to Chameleon Boy. Instead of returning the animal to Protea, Cham kept the creature as a pet, giving it the name Proty.

Soon after Cham adopted Proty, however, it sacrificed its own life to save those of Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad. Lightning Lad could be awakened from his death-like coma via a life-force transfer, so Saturn Girl intended to give up her life as the conduit to save his. Because Proty had telepathic abilities, it knew what Saturn Girl intended to do, so it assumed her form and sacrificed itself for her.

Heart-broken and lonely, Chameleon Boy adopted another Protean and named it Proty II. Whether this being was related in any way to the original Proty was never established. And whereas Proty was described as being one of a rare species, Cham apparently had no trouble whatsoever replacing it.

Proty II had a long, eventful career with the Legion. It joined the Legion of Super-Pets as its fifth (first non-original) member, it created a leadership puzzle that decided the team's third leader, and it helped repel several alien invasions. In general, for several years it was Chameleon Boy's constant companion and became friendly with all of the Legionnaires of that time.

Towards the end of the Silver Age of the Legion, Proty II retired from heroics and started a holo film studio where it recorded weddings, anniversary parties, and Bar & Bot Mitzvas. It also became a leader of a movement to demand Protean Civil Rights. Proty II continued in this activity up through the Magic Wars.

After the so-called Five-Year Gap, it was revealed that Proty I had neither saved Lightning Lad nor lost its life. It had, in fact, BECOME Lightning Lad, its consciousness transferred to Garth Ranzz's body in order to do so. See Who's Who: Lightning Lad for his career after that. As for Proty II, it was revealed that he maneuvered himself into the Legion looking for the essence of his people's sentience, the fabled Star of Antares, which was masquerading as the original Kid Quantum (see his Who's Who entry for more). Proty never figured it out during that period, but years later would confide in R.J. Brande and with his help fulfill his quest.

After the Reboot, the Proteans attack Earth while the Legion is facing the Fatal Five. The civilian members of the Legion manage to destroy all but one of the Proteans, which is adopted as a pet by Lori Morning and named "Proty". It is Lori's constant companion, and to the best of its abilities, tries to keep her out of trouble, especially once she starts planning to use an H-dial to become a Legionnaire.

After the Threeboot, Proty does not exist, and the Proteans are never seen.

After Infinite Crisis, Proty's original history has presumably been more or less restored, though it is unlikely that Lightning Lad is actually Proty I, nor that Proty II infiltrated the Legion to find the Soul of Antares.

Important Proty Stories:

Adventure Comics (v1) #308
 (reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 2
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 1)

The Legion rescues Proty from a gang of animal smugglers 

Adventure Comics (v1) #312
 (reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 2
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 1)

Proty gives its life so that Lightning Lad could live again

Jimmy Olsen #72
(reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 2
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 1)

The debut of Proty II as Chameleon Boy's new "pet"

Adventure Comics (v1) #316
 (reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 2
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 1)

 
The Legion has set up a memorial for Proty, 
even as Chameleon Boy has replaced him with Proty II.

Adventure Comics (v1) #320
 (reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 3
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 1)

Proty II helps Dev-Em save Superboy from Gold Kryptonite

Adventure Comics (v1) #322
 (reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 3
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 2)

Proty II joins the Legion of Super-Pets

Adventure Comics (v1) #323
 (reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 3
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 2)

Proty II is directly responsible for picking the Legion Leader for Year Three

Adventure Comics (v1) #334
 (reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 4
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 2)

 
We learn the origin of the Proteans' ability to shape-shift

Adventure Comics (v1) #337
 (reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 4
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 2)

Proty II helps the Legion stop an alien invasion

Adventure Comics (v1) #340

 (reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 5
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 2)

We learn that Proty II has a man-crush on Brainiac 5

Adventure Comics (v1) #341
 (reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 5
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 2)

Proty II poses as the Weirdo Legionnaire to keep Computo occupied during a Legion rescue attempt

Adventure Comics (v1) #342
 (reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 5
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 2)

Superboy asks Proty II to help him defend Star Boy during his trial for murder

Adventure Comics (v1) #343
 (reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 5
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 2)

Proty II turns into a "Jinx-Stone," giving several Legionnaires bad luck

Adventure Comics (v1) #364

 (reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 7
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 3)

Comet and Proty II pose as new Legion Applicants in a complicated plot to outwit more alien invaders

Adventure Comics (v1) #376
 (reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 8
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 4)

Proty II helps Cham convince the Legion that he is the greatest Legionnaire of them all

Adventure Comics (v1) #380

 (reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 9
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 4)

The last scene with Proty II in action in a Legion story

Action Comics (v1) #387
 (reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 9
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 4)

 The final appearance of Proty II in a Silver Age Legion story

Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #300

 (reprinted in 1,050 Years of the Future TPB
and The Curse )

Proty II is hired to film the Legion's anniversary celebration

Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #301

Proty II turns over his film from the Legion's anniversary celebration
and returns to his holo-filming career

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #7

Proty II leads the movement for full Protean Rights

The Legion of Substitute Heroes Special #1

Proty II sings a little story about a group of Subs

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #16

Proty II attends the baptism of Graym Ranzz

Son of Ambush Bug #5

Proty II gives his opinion about Ambush Bug's trial

Legion of Super-Heroes (v4) #33

In the 5YL era, the two Proties discuss the Soul of Antares

Legion of Super-Heroes (v4) Annual #3

Proty II and Chameleon Boy give the Legion a little show during their team reunion

Bizarro World GN

Can the Legionnaires figure out what Proty is disguised as?

Legionnaires #35

After the Reboot, Proty is rescued and adopted by Lori Morning

Legionnaires #60

Proty finally finds a dialed hero it can relate to

Legionnaires #69

Proty betrays Lori to the Legion to save her from the Time Trapper's machinations

Tiny Titans #28

Proty is part of the Tiny Titans universe's Legion of Super-Pets

Booster Gold (v2) #43

Proty plays bad cop to Cham's good cop when Booster Gold visits the 30th Century

Tiny Titans #49

The Tiny Proty is a member of the so-called "Squishy Titans"