Amethyst is a sword and sorcery superheroine published in American comic books created by DC Comics. Created by writers Dan Mishkin, Gary Cohn and artist Ernie Colón, she debuted in Legion of Super-Heroes #298 in April 1983. While considered one of DC Comics' "under-rated classics" for its female representation and strong fantasy themes, the character's eponymous series struggled to engage the broader contemporary DC readership.
While subjected to various revisions, the character's history consolidates her as Amy Winston, a young girl who discovered her origins to the extradimensional Gemworld, a magical realm ruled by twelve families themed after gemstones and with strong ties to the Lords of Chaos and Order; born as Princess Amaya of the House of Amethyst, Amy is sent to Earth by her sorceress nanny Citrine to prevent her assassination by the villain, Dark Opal. Discovering the truth on her 13th birthday, Amy returns to Gemworld and inherits both her magical abilities and responsibilities as the last scion of House Amethyst, balancing her life on Earth with her duties as princess of Gemworld, making her a prominent protector and Lord of Order.
Briefly, the New 52 revised her origin as a princess of Nilia raised by her mother, Queen Graciel to help eventually liberate Gemworld from a tyrannical ruler and reclaim their throne. This was reversed, with small aspects such as the "Amaya" birth name retained.
The character has received several media adaptations, having been featured in a short animation series featured on the DC Nation block on Cartoon Network.
Publication history Concept and creation 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. This in turn inspired the jewel-themed renaming of the other characters in the series and the concept being reworked into Gemworld.Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld #2 (June 1983)
Comic book appearances
Amethyst first appeared as a special insert preview in Legion of Super-Heroes #298 (April 1983). 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. 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).
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. The series continued until May 2013, when Sword of Sorcery was cancelled. Concurrently 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.
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. Characterization
Amy Winston / Amethyst In physical appearance, Amy appears as a 5'1" and 90lbs child with blond hair and violet eyes. While she retains the same physical features in an adult form within Gemworld, her height is instead stated to be 5'8" and 112lbs. Following her appearances after New 52, the character is consistently 5'8" and 122 lbs as she was previously although she is depicted more teenaged in appearance. While she is a natural blonde, the character is designed to have dyed her hair lavender.
During the character's publication in the first and second Amethyst series, she is described as having evolved in personality; beginning as an ordinary and spirited American child whose life revolved around her friends and family, this changed following her 13th birthday and discovery of Gemworld, where she learned of her potential as a sorceress and princess status. She would acclimate quickly into the role, eventually prioritizing it over her former life on Earth. Amethyst is also characterized as being a potentially powerful sorceress due to her heritage as a Lord of Order; A crossover with Doctor Fate implies she is among the most powerful beings in the DC Universe.
In more recent publications, she retains a similar characterization but is more rebellious in personality and attempts to balance between the role and a normal human life on Earth. She also retains her status as a Lord of Order in human form. In the 2021 Amethyst limited series, the character is sixteen and is temporarily branded a rogue and while House Amethyst was officially dissolved, she is instead made princess of the Banned.
Gemworld The primary setting in which the character's stories takes place is the extradimensional realm known as Gemworld (also known as Nilaa or The Gem); a magical dimension once under dominion of the Lord of Chaos, In the realm, Gemworld simulates but is not bound by the laws of physics, with concepts such as gravity being dependent on the magical inhabitants' whims, and consists of one great land mass surrounded by a sea with several clusters of islands and is circular and around in a never ending falls, with what's below remaining unknown. Gemworld also features a sun as a living entity that that blazes its energy throughout the day in its orbit but becomes a moon when its energies wane, simulating day and night. The dimension came to house countless magical creatures, beings, humans, and homo magi following an exodus to the dimension led by a young witch known as Citrina to preserve magic and creatures (unicorns, imps, dragons, etc.) of magical origin when magic begin waning following a major supernova in space and its violent explosions affecting the physical and mystically plain, disrupting "zodiac alignments" and had major repercussions in which included the gradual waning of mystical energies.
The ruling community, the twelve houses modelling and themed after gemstones (Amethyst, Aquamarine, Diamond, Emerald, Garnet, Moonstone, Opal, Ruby, Sapphire, Sardonyx, Turquoise, and Topaz), each rule a portion of Gemworld in which aligns with the properties of their respective gemstone, also form a Council of Houses that governs Gemworld. Throughout its history, several of the houses has assumed supreme rule; the first being the House of Ruby. Much later, the House of Amethyst became the supreme rulers of Gemworld, credited as had the longest and beneficial reign until the House of Opal, led by the villain Dark Opal and with assistance of Lords of Chaos Vandaemon, overthrew the House of Amethyst and its supporter from the Lords of Order, Pantagones, using underhanded tactics. An infant Princess Amethyst is hidden away by Witch-Mother Citrina in an effort to preserve the House of Amethyst.
Later stories revise some of Gemworld's history, omitting the historically recent involvement of the Lords of Chaos and Order (Pantagones and Vandaemon respectively), and cast the House of Amethyst's prior rulers to Amethyst as morally corrupt. House Diamond is also stated to be responsible for Gemworld's legislative duties and includes the Banned, historical Gemworld outcasts whom previously opposed the unification of the twelve houses and were nearly wiped out, with a remnant surviving and becoming a travelling band of mercenaries and criminals. Over time, they became less dangerous.
Fictional character biography Amethyst is the princess of the House of Amethyst, one of several houses in 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, learns of her heritage, and returns to Gemworld, where she defeats Dark Opal and frees Gemworld from his rule.
Amethyst participates in the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, where she is blinded by a Shadow Demon.Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 (March 1986)Amethyst (vol. 2) #13 (February 1986) She later learns that she is a Lord of Order and battles the Lord of Chaos Child before fusing herself and Child with Gemworld.Amethyst (vol. 2) #15 - 16 (June - August 1986) The third volume of Amethyst takes place two decades after Crisis on Infinite Earths. Topaz and Turquoise, members of their namesake houses, are married and have three children: Wrynn, Donal, and Amber. The entity Mordru possesses Wrynn and becomes a powerful sorcerer.Amethyst (vol. 3) #1 (November 1987) Some time later, Gemworld is transported to the main universe and renamed Zerox. Zerox is destroyed during the Magic Wars in the 30th century, which kills Amethyst.Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 3) #63 (August 1989) Amethyst is resurrected during the Infinite Crisis event, which retcons her death from continuity.Infinite Crisis #2 (January 2006)
New 52 Following the New 52 reboot, Amethyst's history is heavily revised. Her real name is Amaya and she originated from the realm of Niliaa, but was raised on Earth as Amy Winston by her mother, Lady Graciel. Trained as a warrior in secret and being a troubled high-school student, she learns of her true history on her 17th birthday and helps her mother liberate Nilaa from the tyrannical rule of Lady Mordiel Garciel's sister and fellow member of the Amethyst bloodline. She also later battles Eclipso and later joins the Justice League Dark.Justice League Dark Annual #1 (December 2012)Justice League Dark #14 (January 2013)Justice League Dark #23 (October 2013)
DC Rebirth onwards During DC Rebirth, much of the character's history and characterization resemble more closely to her prior version in pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths albeit with differences; having faced Dark Opal and Lords of Chaos in the past, her history omits her ascension as a Lord of Order and roughly continue from her second series, wherein she has since come into frequent conflict with the Council of Houses due to her rampant disregard for their rulings as a rebel but is protected due to her heroic and legendary status in Gemworld.
In the 2019 Young Justice series, the first storyline showcases her teaming up with Young Justice when Dark Opal's chaotic and dark magical abilities grow more powerful to the point of being able to alter reality and being great enough to intimidate the Council of Houses, in which some members are reluctant on frequently challenging and decline Amethyst's plea to come together and discuss on ridding of House of Opal altogether. As Dark Opal conspires to once more take dominion of Gemworld and to destroy Amethyst and her kingdom, the team assists in defeating him. She later leaves to return to Earth to aid the Young Justice team, unaware the Council had used the opportunity to banish and exile her from Gemworld unbeknownst to her.