I'm a grown woman, Simon... one who's sick and tired of being abused... and I've had all I can take! 
Metamorpho (Volume 2) #4 is an issue of the series Metamorpho (Volume 2) with a cover date of November, 1993.
Synopsis for "Criminal Element"
Sapphire Stagg arrives in Casablanca and finds Metamorpho. She admonishes him for taking their son away and Metamorpho tells her that he had left her a note explaining his actions. He took Joey in the hopes of finding the Orb of Ra so he could cure his condition. Sapphire determines that her father, Simon, must have destroyed the note before she had the chance to see it. She then tells Rex how her father had murdered Java in cold blood. In turn, Metamorpho tells her that Jillian Conway betrayed him and intends on using the Orb to cure herself. The restorative power of the Orb can only be used once.
Simon Stagg, Jillian Conway and the infant Joey Mason go to the pyramid of Ahk-Ton in Egypt. They find the Orb of Ra in its original resting place. Simon doesn't know that the power of the Orb can only be used once to cure a metamorphae and he actually intends on using it to restore Metamorpho's humanity. His logic is that if Metamorpho is human, then he can be killed.
Metamorpho arrives at the pyramid, but Simon keeps him at bay with the power of the Orb. An enraged Saffire tackles her father and the artifact falls to floor. Jillian Conway wraps it in a blanket and takes off down one of the corridors. She knows that the Orb must be placed in a special receptacle at the top of the pyramid in order for its power to work. Metamorpho comes to realize that Jillian mis-translated the hieroglyphics pertaining to the Orb. Although she believes the Orb will reverse an elemental's transformation, in truth, it actually completes the process. Metamorpho turns into a rocket and flies to the top of the temple in the hopes of stopping Conway. He is too late however. She places the Orb into its proper place just as the rays of the sun shine down upon it. The sunlight focuses through the Orb, killing Jillian Conway.
Joey Mason is present during the spectacle, but because he was born with his particular abilities and did not derive them from the Orb, the effect actually cures his condition. Rex and Sapphire are overcome with joy that their son is cured.
Appearing in "Criminal Element"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Jillian Conway (Final appearance; dies)
- Simon Stagg
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- Metamorpho appears next in Justice League International (Volume 2) #58.
- This series re-interprets Simon Stagg's devotion to his daughter Sapphire, suggesting that his feelings for her extend beyond that of traditional paternal love. This adds a darker element to the character that was never hinted at in any previous stories.