Born beneath a silver sun on the tropical world of Venegar, a young woman found an ancient relic within a hidden cavern. This object, known as the Emerald Eye of Ekron, promised knowledge and power to the woman, who accepted it eagerly. This woman's name was Sarya, but after using the power of the Eye to take over her planet's government and people, she renamed herself the Emerald Empress.
Venegar's people eventually rebelled against her, and with the support of the United Planets, the deposed Empress was taken away and imprisoned on the planet Takron-Galtos, where she would have remained, were it not for a galactic emergency. When people of exceptional power were recruited to help take down the creature known as the Sun-Eater, Sarya was set free to assist. Afterward, she formed an alliance with four other powered individuals, forming the terrorist group known as the Fatal Five, waging war against the United Planets and their willing lapdogs, the Legion of Super-Heroes.
After the group disbanded due to the death of their leader, Sarya allied herself with another terrorist group, the Dark Circle, and took over the United Planets' artificial planetoid, Weber's World. There, she was once again defeated by the Legion, and was eventually forced to join a new version of the Fatal Five, fueled by new emnity for the Legion, and the desire for more power. All the while, her sanity began to slip away, and the power from the Eye (and the being behind it) began to subsume her personality and sense of identity, causing her to refer to herself as "Eye" from that point forwards.
The Empress went on one final rampage, destroying cities and severely injuring Legionnaires in her wake, more powerful than every before. At this point, the Eye was mostly in control, and Sarya's personality had fractured away from that of the Empress. Finally, after this rampage was concluded, Sarya appealed to Legionnaire Sensor Girl (AKA Projectra of Orando), asking for help from a "fellow royal" to free her from the influence of the Eye. Hidden from its presence via Projectra's illusory abilities, Sarya was finally freed, but at the cost of her life force. Withering away and dying in Projectra's arms, Sarya was finally dead. The Eye, on the other hand, moved on to new subjects and victims craving its power.
Other Incarnations
DC Rebirth: Sarya has appeared in the current comics line, prior to her death, and from a separate universe than the current canon. While her appearance is never fully explained, this is the original Emerald Empress, who is in the present seeking revenge against a time-travelling Saturn Girl, and then against Supergirl (Kara Zor-El) for slights not yet realized. To this end, she forms a new Fatal Five in the modern day DC Universe, but is defeated by the Kryptonians present in the time period. She also served on the Suicide Squad during this time, captured while searching for Saturn Girl.
DC Animated Universe: Sarya appeared with the Fatal Five in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Far From Home", in which she and the rest of the Five involved Supergirl, Green Lantern, and Green Arrow in their war with the Legion of Super-Heroes. Another version of Sarya appeared in this universe in the film Justice League vs. the Fatal Five, where she had been sent to the past and imprisoned in Green Lantern Sciencells, keeping her away from the Eye, and away from the rest of the Fatal Five. She was eventually broken out and wreaked havoc on the Green Lanterns, before joining with the Five and facing off against the Justice League and Legionnaire Star Boy.
Legion of Super-Heroes: Sarya is the leader of the Fatal Five, as well as its most single-handedly powerful member. Waging war against the United Planets and the Legion, she and the Five are later recruited to fight against the Sun-Eater on the behest of their mortal enemies. Three years later, she is released from prison by Imperiex's actions, alongside many other Legion enemies, only to see her Eye destroyed by Matter-Eater Lad, who was driven temporarily mad by the energies within. After this point, this version of Sarya is stripped of her power, and never seen again.
Thanks for reading!
Check out my currently ongoing Legion of Super-Heroes essay series ( Part One | Two | Three | Four ) on a proposed television series if you're interested!
Thanks everyone for going on this journey with me. If you’d like to help support me and my art, all of these pieces are for sale on my Store Envy Page.
I’ll also be collecting them into a sketchbook with optional sketch cover. Y’know, just incase I didn’t draw your favorite Hero or Villain from the series. I’ll be getting that out as soon as I can organize the art and get it to the printers.
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