Shrinking Violet

The Original Shrinking Violet

Arn Digby and his wife were natives of the planet Imsk, but their daughter, Salu, was born on Earth. Notes: Shrinking Violet's name and homeworld were revealed in Superman Annual #4 (1961). Her birth on Earth was revealed in Who's Who in the Legion #6 (Oct. 1988).

When the teenager from Imsk first applied to the Legion, Shrinking Violet was a fitting name for her, not only because of her native Imskian power to reduce herself to microscopic size, but also for her shyness and lack of self-confidence. It was partially because of this that she failed in her first attempt at joining. (Action #276) But luckily, Triplicate Girl saw a kindred spirit in Salu, and convinced her to try again, whereupon she was accepted. (Adventure #290) Notes: Violet's induction to the Legion was originally undepicted. It happened between her first and second appearances.

Once in the Legion, she performed her duties admirably, but was still not completely comfortable around other people, forming a long-distance romance with Duplicate Boy of the Heroes of Lallor rather than allowing herself to become close with anyone nearby. (#324) While most Legionnaires were called by their given names during their downtime, her behavior was so well described by her code name that almost everyone called her "Violet" (or "Vi" for short).

Though they maintained a long distance relationship, Violet stayed true to Duplicate Boy, even in the face of other suitors such as her fellow Legionnaire Colossal Boy. Once, Violet's vacation with Duplicate Boy on Imsk was rudely interrupted by the Fatal Five and he was nearly slain by Validus. In the aftermath, Colossal Boy expressed romantic interest in Shrinking Violet, and he was visibly disappointed when she later chose to return to Duplicate Boy. (Superboy vol. 1 #219)

As time went on, Vi became more and more self-assured. But her progress was violently interrupted by a group of Imskian independence fighters led by Legion reject, Micro Lad. They kidnaped Vi, put her in a sensory deprivation tank, and replaced her in the Legion with the Durlan actress named Yera. (Legion vol. 2 #286, 304) By the time the Legion caught onto the scheme, Vi had been captive for months. (#304-305), and when she emerged, she decided she'd never again be weak and defenseless. (#312)

Her newfound aggressiveness helped her recover in record time, and she embarked on a training program that made her skill in unarmed combat third among Legionnaires behind only Karate Kid and Timber Wolf. She took control of her personal life as well, breaking off her relationship with Duplicate Boy (who had known of her predicament but had done nothing about it, #313) and pursuing men previously "unattainable," such as Sun Boy. She soon realized the shallowness of such dalliances, and began to build close friendships among her fellow Legionnaires, especially with Lightning Lass. (Legion vol. 3 #22) She has since forgiven Colossal Boy for marrying the woman who helped kidnap her.

Over the years, Imsk's relationship with the United Planets has also been strained. They once threatened to secede from the U.P. over a dispute involving hunting rights. When Earth's solar system was ravaged by a mysterious shrinking plague, the U.P. accused Imsk and caused tension between Shrinking Violet and her fellow Legionnaires. They eventually discovered that the plague was engeineered by the evil Dr. Regulus. (Superboy & the Legion #232)

Notes

Jim Shooter on Shrinking Violet: "More than a little like a female version of Ultra Boy. She is very hung up on Ultra Boy. She is very hung up on Duplicate Boy and is rather a depressive sort—but not as extreme as U-Boy. Just being a girl helps, because it is easy to relax into a follower's role and her essential underlting morbidity is interpreted as shyness. She is very emotional, bright, attractive, and confusing to simpler types like Colossal Boy who can't understand that she is happiest when wallowing in loneliness, suspicion, doubt abd fear. She gets all her weird sex from Duplicate Boy and waiting and worrying just makes it sweeter." —Interlac (1976)

Glorith Reality (Legion vol. 4)

In Glorith Reality continuity, Violet went on to prominent service in the Legion. Her newfound assertiveness helped her recover in record time, and she embarked on a training program that made her skill in unarmed combat third among Legionnaires behind only Karate Kid and Timber Wolf. She took control of her personal life as well, breaking off her relationship with Duplicate Boy (who had known of her predicament but had done nothing about it) and chasing after men previously thought unattainable, such as Sun Boy. However, she soon realized the shallowness of such dalliances, and began to build close friendships among her fellow Legionnaires, especially with Lightning Lass.

Although Shrinking Violet was a dedicated Legionnaire, she was an Imskian first, and when the planet Braal declared war on Imsk, she quit the Legion to join its army. She was one of the officers who oversaw the damper project, the building of a machine to cancel Braalians' magnetic powers. She was present when the damper was set off at Venado Bay in the Braal system, and was horrified at the results. When a semiconscious Rokk Krinn stumbled upon the Imskian military base there, she did all she could to prevent further harm from coming to him...even as he slashed her right eye in his delirium. She decided to protest the damper's use publicly, but for her disobedience, she was placed in the stockade for two years, where the moral support of her fellow Legionnaires helped her bear the ordeal. Though the Imskian army tried to silence her, they were unable to thwart her will, and to this day she wears the scar on her eye as a symbol of her protest. When she was finally discharged from the army (dishonorably), she took Ayla Ranzz up on her offer to join the Ranzz family at its plantation on Winath. She was there when Roxxas the Butcher came to kill former Legionnaires, and when the Legion re-formed, she was one of the first in line to join.

She has since made her peace with Rokk Krinn...who had felt just as guilty about warring against her as she had against him. She recently lost a leg in battle against the Khunds, and it has been replaced with one from an android Probe. She has also recently assumed leadership of the Legion, which has gone on the run, and for security purposes used the code-name Virus. They have since been cleared of any wrongdoing during the attempted Khundish bombing of Weber's World, a fight which she survived thanks to Ayla...but which Laurel Gand did not.

Batch SW6: Shrinking Violet II

The Shrinking Violet of Batch SW6 is still a Shrinking Violet in both name and manner. She fell in love with Devlin O'Ryan during the war for Earth's liberation. Despite this, she turned down his offer to join him in the adult Legion team, preferring to stay with her friends on New Earth, where she is among the Legionnaires based there. She is presently trying to ward off unwanted (?) advances from the younger Matter-Eater Lad.

Notes

Tom & Mary Bierbaum on Shrinking Violet: "Painfully shy, insecure and possibly not quite competent in the early years. Probably was dealing with issues of sexual identity, not able at first to accept her lesbian nature. Never really had it together until she found Ayla, but after that, she become one of the Legion's best." —Interlac (2000)

Retroboot: Post-Infinite Crisis

On the planet Orando (home of the Legionnaire Projectra), the Emerald Eye of Ekron resurfaced and empowered a young woman named Falyce. This new Emerald Empress brought a passing Legion cruiser carrying Lightning Lass and Violet, who were on vacation. Legion reinforcements arrived and Violet ultimately ventured inside the Emerald Eye. She leapt straight into it's energetic core, then grew from inside and shattered it. The Eye reformed and departed but Violet was also seen with a spark that indicated she may now be connected to its power. (Legion of Super-Heroes Annual vol. 6 #1)

Powers

Shrinking Violet has the natural Imskian ability to shrink herself and the air and clothing surrounding her.

Appearances + References