by Russell & Siskoid
Real Name: Iris Jacobs
Super-Power(s): Diamond-hard body
Planet of Origin: Earth
Planet of Origin: Earth
Relationship to Legion: 20th-Century Karate Kid villain
Legion Log
Diamondeth was really 20th-Century Gotham City school teacher Iris Jacobs. Iris met and became friends with Karate Kid after he was ordered by King Voxv of Orando to spend time in the 20th Century in order to prove his love for the King's daughter, Princess Projectra.
Because Iris was falling in love with Karate Kid, she decided to volunteer at S.T.A.R. Labs in an experiment to create "future beings." Unfortunately, the experiment went very badly wrong. Iris was transformed into an angry but otherwise mindless living diamond woman, Diamondeth. Karate Kid was able to capture and calm her with the timely assistance of Robin the Teen Wonder.
Karate Kid then used his Time Bubble to take Iris into the future in order to cure her. However, due to ministrations by the Lord of Time and Major Disaster, Karate Kid and Diamondeth were waylaid into an alternate future where a boy named Kamandi was the only known human in an otherwise mutated world.
Eventually Karate Kid managed to return to "his" true future and Iris was cured by doctors on the medical facilities on Mercury. Iris then returned to her previous life and era. Sometime later Karate Kid returned to 20th-Century Gotham City to invite Iris to his wedding, an invitation she tearfully rejected.
Diamondeth was never seen again, in any continuity.
After Infinite Crisis, Diamondeth's original history has presumably been more or less restored.
Important Diamondeth stories:
Karate Kid #1
Karate Kid meets Iris Jacobs for the first time
Karate Kid #13
Iris Jacobs turns into Diamondeth
Karate Kid #14
Karate Kid #15
Kamandi #58
Karate Kid and Diamondeth eventually head into their "real" future
Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #246
The medical facilities on Mercury cure Iris of being Diamondeth
The Brave & The Bold (v1) #198
Iris Jacobs says good-bye to Karate Kid forever
Seems odd that a Legion-centric character had separate run-ins with Batman AND Robin. That B&B issue always puzzled me since I had never read (or even knew about) Karate Kid's solo book.
ReplyDeleteChris
My brain is boggled over how close Karate Kid could've been to becoming a member of the extended Batman Family.
DeleteI've read a few issues of the KK series over the years. I wish I could have read them all in a row.
ReplyDeleteP.S: Odd Sound Effect - *KRUNKLE*
Trying to invite a woman with an unrequited love for him to his wedding? It's fortunate for Val that good King Voxv prized battle skills over brains. Otherwise, he would've been a VERY lonely Legionnaire.
ReplyDeleteI always felt sorry for Iris - how could she compete with Jackie when they drew her as a freckled frump?
ReplyDeleteSeeing those pages took me right back to being a kid. Joy attack!