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BLUE DIAMOND

Real Name: Elton Morrow

Identity/Class: Human mutate

Occupation: Adventurer,
                      former professor of anthropology

Group Membership: Formerly Crazy SUES (Specialized Unit, Enhanced Soldiers; American Ace/Ace Masters, Archie the Gruesome, sergeant Byrd, Captain Flame/Frank Cortez, Captain Strong, Davey Drew, the Fin, Flash Foster, Invisible Man/William Gade, Albert 'Slo-Mo' Jones, Jim "Taxi" Taylor, T-Mech, Vagabond/Pat Murphy, Victory Boys, Young Avenger/Bill Bryon), Liberty Legion (Jack Frost, Miss America/Madeline Joyce Frank, Patriot/Jeff Mace, Red Raven, Thin Man/Bruce Dickson, Whizzer/Robert Frank)

Affiliations: Destroyer (Roger Aubrey), Invaders (Bucky/James Barnes, Captain America/Steve Rogers, Human Torch/Jim Hammond, Sub-Mariner/Namor McKenzie, Toro/Thomas Raymond), Mastermind Excello (Earl Everett), Moon Man( Larry), Phantom Reporter (Richard Jones), Rockman, Shanga the Star Dancer, Thing (Ben Grimm), Union Jack (Brian Falsworth)

Enemies: Brain Drain (Werner Schmidt), Iron Cross (Helmut Gruler), Doctor Erik Karlin, Colonel Krieghund (Wilhelm von Strohm), Lava Men, Master Man (Willie Lohman), Meranno, Princess Volcana, Red Skull (Johann Shmidt), Skyshark (Elias Schleigal),

Known Relatives: Unidentified wife, deceased

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile throughout space,
                                   formerly Hartsdale, Massachusetts
                                   formerly mobile throughout Europe and the US,
                

First Appearance: Daring Mystery Comics I#7 (April, 1941)

Powers/Abilities: After exposure to slivers of an alien lifestone, Elton Morrow gained a variety of supernatural abilities. His skin grew as dense and impenetrable as diamond, making him bulletproof and immune to electricity and most energy blasts. His strength was vastly enhanced (lifting somewhere between 25-75 tons) and his reflexes and speed became well above human levels as well. Morrow retained his powers as he aged, even though physical impairments like cardiac issues reduced his effectiveness. Morrow had trouble with typical superhero banter, often trying to sound tough and imposing by quoting dialogue from gangster movies with limited success. Cosmically enhanced by Shanga the Stardancer, Morrow's body was transformed into a living crystalline form that allowed him the power of unassisted flight and survival in outerspace.

Height: 6'2"
Weight: 495 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: White (brown in youth, none in diamond form)

History:

(Daring Mystery Comics I#7) - On an expedition to Antarctica, professor Elton Morrow was excited to unearth a massive blue, shimmering diamond. En route back to the United States with his treasure, Morrow was forced to evacuate with the heavy gem when a German submarine attacked the boat. In the water, Morrow was shot at by Nazis. Stray bullets hit the diamond, causing Morrow to be showered in diamond fragments.

(Thunderbolts I#46 - BTS) - Unbeknownst to Morrow, the diamond he recovered was actually part of the Lifestone Tree, a collection of artifacts left over from the Big Bang that granted various powers to its wielder.

(Daring Mystery Comics I#7) - When Morrow was eventually rescued by a British ship, doctors were amazed to find most of the diamond slivers had fused with his body. A large fragment was stuck near the base of his skull and could not safely be removed. However, Morrow soon found he was stronger than ever and his skin was so dense he barely felt any pain. Morrow tested the limits of his strange new abilities by rescuing a child from a passing car, toppling a tree with a single punch and easily stopping a robbery. Inspired to do good, Morrow created a costume for himself and dedicated his life to fighting crime as the Blue Diamond.

(Daring Mystery Comics I#8) - Working late at night at the museum's anthropology department, Morrow was startled when four freshly arrived corpses suddenly sprang to life and attacked him. He easily fought them off and chased them down to the museum's basement where a hidden tunnel led to the nearby federal reserve bank. Forcing one of the "corpses" to talk, Morrow learned they were accomplices of doctor Eric Karlin, a powerful hypnotist who had sent them to capture the frozen assets of Nazis. Concluding Karlin must be a Nazi agent, the Blue Diamond barged in on the doctor. Immune to his hypnosis, the hero chased Karlin to his basement where the villain tried to drown him in a vat of powerful acid. Instead, he slipped and fell in himself. The following day, Morrow feigned ignorance as a colleague told him about the Blue Diamond's deeds.

(Marvel Premiere I#29 - BTS) - Following his two initial outings, Morrow decided to voluntarily retire the Blue Diamond to focus on his anthropological interests. However, he always carried his superhero costume with him.

(Marvel Premiere I#29) - Morrow was lecturing at a Manhattan college about the origins of mankind. A band of masked Nazis was outraged at his claims that man started in Africa and violently interrupted the lecture. Quickly changing into his Blue Diamond outfit, Morrow dispatched the miscreants. Right after the fight, he heard Bucky (James Barnes) on a nearby radio asking all available heroes to help him rescue the Invaders who had been mindcontrolled by Red Skull.

(Marvel Premiere I#29 - BTS) - Around the same time, Bucky (James Barnes) went on national radio to ask all available heroes to help him rescue the Invaders who had been mind-controlled by Red Skull.

(Marvel Premiere I#29) - Right after dispatching the Nazis, Blue Diamond heard Bucky's broadcast and decided to go to the nearby radiostation. There he met Patriot, Whizzer, Red Raven, Thin Man and Miss America. Their meeting almost proved fatal when a Nazi spy threatened to let a bomb explode, but the arriving Jack Frost stopped him cold. Bucky got Diamond and the other heroes to join him as the Liberty Legion in rescuing the Invaders.

(Invaders I#6) - Bucky introduced Blue Diamond and the other members of the Liberty Legion to the American radio audience during an impromptu press conference. He promised this new team of heroes would do everything to prove themselves.

(Invaders I#6 - BTS) - Blue Diamond joined the other members of the Liberty Legion in a series of attacks against Nazi operatives along the Northeastern coast of the United States. They stopped plots and ploys from New York to Boston, angering the Red Skull and his associate colonel Krieghund. The Skull took control of the radio waves to answer the challenge of the Liberty Legion and dared them to come face him at Philadelphia's Independence Hall, the Statue of Liberty and the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.

(Invaders I#6) - Suspecting a trap, the Liberty Legion nevertheless went along with the Skull's challenge. Jack Frost and Blue Diamond went to Lady Liberty where they found the mind-controlled Namor waiting for them. Frost quickly captured the Sub-Mariner in ice, which could have ended the fight if Blue Diamond didn't decide to get a few licks in. His punch broke the ice, causing the struggle to continue. However, the Skull mentally commanded Namor to return to base, leaving B.D. and Frost empty handed.

(Marvel Premiere I#30) - The Liberty Legion met with Bettman P. Lyles, unaware he was actually the Red Skull in disguise. Lyles learned of the Legion's plans before excusing himself.

(Marvel Premiere I#30 - BTS) - Using the information he'd gathered from his meeting the Legion, the Red Skull took to the airwaves and issued a challenge to the Liberty Legion. He dared them to come to Yankee stadium to fight the Invaders. If his team won, that would prove the superiority of the Third Reich.

(Marvel Premiere I#30) - Blue Diamond and the other heroes agreed to take on the Skull and the Invaders. Arriving at a packed Yankee Stadium, they waited for the arrival of the Skull who, along with his henchman Colonel Krieghund, set the mind-controlled Invaders loose upon the heroes. Blue Diamond took on Namor the Sub-Mariner and held his own, long enough for the Invaders' junior members Toro and Bucky to destroy the Skull's airship, which effectively ended his domination over the heroes. Scrambling to keep the crowds safe from the debris of the ship, Blue Diamond used his strength to punch a few more exits in the walls of the stadium. In the aftermath, the newly recovered Invaders met with the Liberty Legion and congratulated them on a job well done.

(Captain America Patriot I#1) - The Liberty Legion made quite a name for itself, thanks in no small part to the positive press they received courtesy of reporter Jeffrey Mace (actually the Patriot). Blue Diamond was billed as a girl's best friend, a reference to a popular song of the time. Blue Diamond was seen attending the press conference Thin Man gave after surviving a nearly fatal gun shot.

(Marvel Two-in-One Annual I#1) - In 1942, Blue Diamond, Jack Frost and Red Raven swung into action when the Nazi villain Skyshark and his squadron of stukas attacked New York City in a bold attempt to demoralize the population. Red Raven dropped Blue Diamond on one of the aircraft, destroying it on impact. Raven caught B.D. before he could crash to the ground. Landing near the others, Blue Diamond met the time-traveling Ben Grimm who had returned to the past to find a missing container of vibranium that could potentially wreak havoc with the future.

(Marvel Two-in-One Annual I#1 - BTS) - Eager to get to a new top secret airbase, the Liberty Legion left Thing to his own devices, even though they didn't quite believe his time travel story.

(Marvel Two-in-One Annual I#1) - Arriving at the base, the Legion found it ransacked by Master Man. The Nazi villain made short work of Whizzer and easily took Blue Diamond's strongest punch before knocking both the hero and his teammate Miss America out with a single blow. Master Man then took off with an experimental new cockpit design which the Nazis needed to complete their new superweapon, the flying swastika.

(Marvel Two-in-One I#20) - While the Thing tried to deal with Brain Drain piloting the giant flying swastika attacking New York, the Liberty Legion rushed back to help out. They arrived in time to save Thing from the clutches of Master Man, Merrano/U-Man and Skyshark. Eager for a rematch with Master Man, Blue Diamond instead got to deal with Merrano, whom he quickly dispatched. In the aftermath, only Skyshark got away, but Thing managed to retrieve the missing vibranium which allowed him to restore the timeline. 

(Invaders I#35 (fb) ) - Blue Diamond attended a Liberty Legion meeting in which they discussed whether or not they should reveal their civilian identities to the authorities. The subject was tabled when both Red Raven and Jack Frost turned out to have no civilian id's to begin with. Their next agenda point concerned an FBI request to investigate the loyalty of a number of German-Americans.

(Invaders I#35 (fb) - BTS) - Striking out on her own, Miss America discovered the Iron Cross, an armored German vigilante who had come to New York to capture German born scientist professor Schneider, whom he deemed a traitor.

(Invaders I#35) - Miss America proved no match for Iron Cross, but she led him to Blue Diamond and the other members of the Liberty Legion. Iron Cross knocked out the entire team with a potent gas blast from his glove. Only Whizzer managed to get away to go for help.

(Invaders I#36) - Iron Cross captured the unconscious members of the Liberty Legion, transporting them and professor Schneider to his submarine.

(Invaders I#36 - BTS) - Whizzer went to New York City to search out the newly arrived Invaders and begged them for help. Using Namor's royal vessel, the Invaders tracked Iron Cross' submarine. Namor took the attack to him and during the fight, Iron Cross inadvertently damaged his ship and the stasis containers in which he'd been keeping the Liberty Legion trapped. Iron Cross beat a quick retreat with professor Schneider, forcing Namor to stay behind and rescue Blue Diamond and the others from the sinking submarine.

(Invaders I#37) - Blue Diamond helped subdue the remaining German operatives on the sub while Thin Man covered the breach in the hull with his body, thereby allowing Namor to lift the sub out of the ocean. Jack Frost created an icesheet for the boat to sit on while the heroes focused their attentions on the escaping Iron Cross. Blue Diamond watched as the Invaders and the flying members of the Liberty Legion teamed up to defeat their armored assailant who sank to the bottom of the ocean. In the aftermath, the two teams worried about the fate of the Iron Cross before returning to shore together.

(Invaders I#38) - Blue Diamond and the other Liberty Legionaires were stunned to hear Whizzer announce his plans to take a leave of absence to join the Invaders. They were even more stunned when Miss America decided she would join him.

(Miss America Comics 70th Anniversary Special I#1) - Blue Diamond, Miss America and Whizzer were on special assignment to Germany where they thwarted one of Brain Drain's massive mind control schemes. While Whizzer and Blue Diamond held off the mind-controlled mobs, Miss America proved instrumental in obtaining technology that turned the Nazi villain's armies against him.

(All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes I#1 - BTS) - In the final months of World War II, Blue Diamond was recruited into the Crazy SUES, a combat unit funded by the US military comprised of diversely-enhanced Super-Soldiers, under orders of general Dwight D. Eisenhower.

(All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes I#1) - On a mission to Nazi occupied France in June of 1944, Blue Diamond was captured alongside his ally the Invisible Man (William D. Gade). Because B.D.'s powers made him next to immune to torture, the Nazi commander roughed up Gade to get him to talk. However, it was all a ploy to get the SS officer to give up vital information on their troops. Once he spilled the beans, Taxi Taylor showed up to rescue them both.

(All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes I#4 (fb) ) - Blue Diamond was on hand with several other Crazy SUES members to help welcome new US army recruits. They were told to put up a happy front and not reveal too much of the gruesome reality of combat that awaited the trainees.

(All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes I#5 (fb) ) - Blue Diamond and the other members of the Crazy SUES celebrated the liberation of Paris on August 29th, 1944. He wasn't aware of the secret romance between his teammates American Ace and Captain Flame, so he didn't know why Flame was shocked when Ace revealed he had a wife at home.

(All Winners Squad: Band of Heroes I#5 - BTS) - Blue Diamond and the other Crazy SUES were ordered to move from village to village, freeing France from the Germans as they went.

(All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes I#5) - The Crazy SUES were caught by Nazi forces in an ambush that killed Moon Man. Blue Diamond was pinned down by artillery fire powerless to do anything. In the end, they were saved when Slow Mo Jones forced the reluctant Captain Flame to use his powers by threatening to reveal he was gay if he didn't.

(Captain America Patriot I#1) - In early April of 1945, a group of Lava Men attacked San Francisco. Blue Diamond and the Liberty Legion were on hand to save the city and broker a peace treaty called the "magma carta." Blue Diamond looked on as his teammate Jack Frost seemed clearly smitten with the female Lava Man known as Princess Volcana.

(The Twelve: Spearhead I#1) - On April 11th, 1945, the Blue Diamond was in Germany when mentalist Mastermind Excello discovered the existence of an occult weapons storage near Kohnstein. Blue Diamond was briefed on the situation by Excello and Captain America. Their meeting was briefly interrupted by the arrival of the Phantom Reporter who wished to be included in the mission.

(The Twelve: Spearhead I#1 - BTS) - Using information gained from Excello, a plan of action was formed to take out the weapons lab and retrieve the fabled "lance of Maurice," also known as the mystical Spear of Destiny.

(The Twelve: Spearhead I#1) - Blue Diamond accompanied Captain America, Mastermind Excello, Phantom Reporter and Rockman aboard his Digger, a subterranean craft strong enough to tunnel for miles underneath the surface. The digger car delivered them inside the weapons lab, surprising the Nazis while other heroes led by Vision attacked from the air. Blue Diamond proved instrumental in assisting Excello in obtaining the Lance even as the others took out the plant and arrested dozens of enemy soldiers. Their main opponent, the Red Skull, managed to escape.

(The Twelve I#1) - On April 25th, 1945, Blue Diamond and his fellow Liberty Legion members joined other allied superheroes in a final push to liberate Berlin from Nazi occupation.

(Citizen V & The V-Battalion: The Everlasting I#1) - In 1953, Blue Diamond and the other members of the Liberty Legion traveled to Great Britain to attend the funeral of Union Jack (Brian Falsworth) who had died in a car crash.

(Marvel Two-in-One I#79 (fb) - BTS) - A few years after the war, Morrow retired the Blue Diamond identity. He married his high school sweetheart and settled down in the small town of Hartsdale, Massachusetts. Though he retained his superpowers and low key longed for his old life as a superhero, he instead focused on his anthropology career. As the years passed, he became known as a quirky, stuffy old professor. When his wife fell ill and died, Morrow retreated even more and more into his home, dreaming of better days and wishing he had made different choices.

(Marvel Two-in-One I#79 - BTS) - Passing through space, the cosmic Shanga the Star-Dancer was looking for her ideal mate using her people's finely honed matrix-sense which allowed her to perceive fortuitous points in her destiny. Picking up Elton Morrow's life essence, Shanga was sure he was her match. She made her way to Earth to investigate. Her arrival in Hartsdale coincided with Thing and his girlfriend Alicia Masters visiting the small town for a holiday.

(Marvel Two-in-One I#79) - Shanga sealed off Hartsdale in an impenetrable dome so she could more easily look for her perfect mate. The consternation led the Thing to fight her and Morrow to feel the need to come out of retirement and help out. Now 76 and with a weak heart, he feared this might be his last adventure as the Blue Diamond. His suspicions proved to be true: he suffered a near fatal cardiac episode saving Alicia Masters and was near death after he allowed Thing to throw his diamond hard form at Shanga. With Morrow having only minutes to live, Shanga was stunned to find the Blue Diamond was her true mate. To save his life, Shanga used the power cosmic to transform Morrow's carbon body to an invincible living diamond form. Moments later, he and Shanga took off to the stars together to "dance until the galaxies themselves envy our joy."

(Quasar I#14 (fb) - BTS) - Not too long after they ventured out into space, Shanga and Blue Diamond were separated when the Star Dancer was captured by the Stranger and taken to his Laboratory World for study.

(New Invaders I#9 (fb) - BTS) - Returning to Earth and, seemingly losing his diamond form under unrevealed circumstances, the Blue Diamond kept a low profile.

(New Invaders I#9) - Along with the Invaders and a great number of Earth's heroes, Blue Diamond attended the unveiling of Jim Hammond's memorial statue in Dymhurst, United Kingdom.

Comments: Created by Ben Thompson.

    Talk about a diamond in the rough... The Blue Diamond's been around since 1941, but has only made a handful of appearances that did very little to explore his character. A shame, because even though his origins, powers and personality are a tad generic there's plenty to dig into. From the revelation he's powered by the Lifestone to his cosmic transformation by Shanga, apparently getting slighted by the Stranger or his current status in the 21st century. How this guy never made it to the Penance Council is beyond me.

    The timeline of the Blue Diamond's wartime adventures is a little hazy. He seemed to be everywhere in the Spring of 1945, hopping continents to help the allied forces with their final push on Germany and even finding time to be in San Francisco to fight the Lava Men. Let's chalk all that ultra fast traveling up to Namor and his super speedy Atlantean aircraft.

    The full story of Blue Diamond's exploits as a member of the Crazy SUES will most likely never be told. The All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes limited series was cancelled with issue 5, but the announcements for the final three issues teased Loki's involvement.

    Blue Diamond received profiles in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I# 13 (as part of the Liberty Legion), Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Golden Age Marvel and Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z I#2, as well as the A to Z hardcover.

    This profile was completed 03/13/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Norvo

CLARIFICATIONS:
  The Blue Diamond has no known connections to

Mrs. Morrow

    Elton Morrow's high school sweetheart who waited for him to return to her after the war. The couple married and lived in Hartsdale, Massachusetts without children. Mrs. Morrow was seemingly unaware of her husband's past as the Blue Diamond or his desire to return to superheroics. After decades of married bliss, she succumbed to an unrevealed illness.

-- Marvel Two-in-One I#79 (fb)











images: (without ads)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Golden Age Handbook 2004 p6 (main image)
Daring Mystery Comics I#7, p1, pan3 (discovers massive diamond)
Daring Mystery Comics I#7 p6, pan4 (has to remain a hard guy )
Marvel Two In One Annual I#1 p36, pan4 (knocked out by Master Man)
Marvel Two-in-One I#20 p21, pan1 (really not good at superhero talk)
Invaders I#37, p2, pan4 (fights nazis in submarine)
All Winners Squad Band of Heroes I#1 p20, pan6 (knocks out a nazi)
The Twelve Spearhead I#1 p21, pan4 (inside Rockman's digger)
Marvel Two-in-One I#79, p7, pan4 (old man closeup)
Marvel Two-in-One I#79, p21, pans3&4 (transformed to crystalline form)
Marvel Two-in-One I#79, p8, pan4 (Mrs. Elton Morrow)

Appearances:
Daring Mystery Comics I#7 (April, 1941) - Ben Thompson (writer, pencils, inks), Vincent Fago (editor)
Daring Mystery Comics I#8 (January, 1942) - Ben Thompson (writer, pencils, inks), Vincent Fago (editor)
Marvel Premiere I#29 (April, 1976) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), Don Heck (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks)
Invaders I#6 (May, 1976) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), Frank Robbins (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks)
Marvel Premiere I#30 (June, 1976) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), Don Heck (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks)
Marvel Two-in-One Annual I#1 (June, 1976)  - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), Sal Bucscema (pencils) Sam Grainger (inks)
Marvel Two-in-One I#20 (October, 1976) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), Sal Buscema (pencils), Sam Grainger (inks)
Invaders I#35 (December, 1978) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), Alan Kupperberg & Don Heck (pencils), Rick Hoberg (inks)
Invaders I#36 (January, 1979) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), Alan Kupperberg (pencils), Chic Stone (inks)
Invaders I#37 (February, 1979) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), Alan Kupperberg & Rick Hoberg (pencils), Chic Stone (inks)
Invaders I#38 (March, 1979) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), Alan Kupperberg & Don Heck (pencils), Chic Stone (inks)
Marvel Two-in-One I#79 (September, 1981) - Tom DeFalco (writer), Ron Wilson (pencils), Chic Stone (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Thunderbolts I#46 (January, 2001) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Mark Bagley (pencils), Greg Adams (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Citizen V & The V-Battalion I#1 (March, 2002) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Lewis LaRosa (pencils), Jim Royal (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
New Invaders I#9 (June, 2005) - Allan Jacobsen (writer), C.P. Smith (pencils & inks), Andy Schmidt (editor)
The Twelve I#1 (March, 2008) - J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Chris Weston (pencils) Garry Leach (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Miss America Comics 70th Anniversary Special I#1 (August, 2009) - Jen van Meter (writer), Andy McDonald (pencils & inks), Stephen Wacker (editor)
The Twelve: Spearhead I#1 (May, 2010) - Chris Weston (writer/pencils/inks), Gary Eskine (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Captain America: Patriot I#1 (November, 2010) - Karl Kesel (writer), Mitch Breitweiser (pencils & inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes I#1 (August, 2011) - Paul Jenkins (writer), Carmine Di Giandomenico (pencils & inks), Bill Rosemann (editor)
All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes I#4 (November, 2011) - Paul Jenkins (writer), Carmine Di Giandomenico (pencils & inks), Bill Rosemann (editor)
All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes I#5 (December 2011) - Paul Jenkins (writer), Carmine Di Giandomenico (pencils & inks), Bill Rosemann (editor)

First Posted: 09/01/2021
Last Updated: 08/28/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

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