Proteus in popular culture
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Proteus In Greek mythology, Proteus (; Ancient Greek: Πρωτεύς, ''Prōteus'') is an early prophetic sea-god or god of rivers and oceanic bodies of water, one of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the Sea" ''(hálios gérôn)''. ...
appears and is referenced often in popular culture.


In modern fiction

*In the 1980s adventure television series ''Airwolf'', a U.S. Senator tells Dr. Charles Henry Moffett, "I'd like to shake your hand." Moffett replies, "You already have, Senator. On ''Project Proteus.'' " *In
Anne Ursu Anne Ursu is an American novelist and children's writer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Biography She attended Brown University. Ursu's first novel, ''Spilling Clarence'', is about a drug that wafts through the air of a small Minnesota town. Th ...
's book ''The Siren Song'', the second book in ''The Cronus Chronicles'', the Greek Proteus, an ally of Poseidon, disguises as protagonist Charlotte's cousin Zee to keep the fact from her that he has kidnapped Zee himself. He is also the father of Charlotte's crush, Jason Hart, a mortal who does not appreciate his father's shapeshifting abilities. Once Charlotte finds this fact, she abandons Jason. *The term "Proteus" and "Vombis" also were used in a
James Blish James Benjamin Blish () was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is best known for his ''Cities in Flight'' novels and his series of ''Star Trek'' novelizations written with his wife, J. A. Lawrence. His novel ''A Case of Conscienc ...
short story, "A Hero's Life" about a race of alien beings who could change shape at will, but were not as malevolent as the Thing written about by
John W. Campbell John Wood Campbell Jr. (June 8, 1910 – July 11, 1971) was an American science fiction writer and editor. He was editor of ''Astounding Science Fiction'' (later called ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'') from late 1937 until his death ...
. *In the film ''
Fantastic Voyage ''Fantastic Voyage'' is a 1966 American science fiction adventure film directed by Richard Fleischer and written by Harry Kleiner, based on a story by Otto Klement and Jerome Bixby. The film is about a submarine crew who are shrunk to microscop ...
'', ''Proteus'' is the apt name for the experimental submarine which is shrunk to sub-cellular size, and injected into a dying scientist to save his life. *In the animated TV series ''
The Real Ghostbusters ''The Real Ghostbusters'' is an American animated television series, a spin-off/sequel of the 1984 comedy film ''Ghostbusters''. The series ran from September 13, 1986, to October 5, 1991, and was produced by Columbia Pictures Television and DI ...
'', Proteus is a shape-shifting, lightning-throwing, primal god who captures the Ghostbusters in the episode titled "
Janine Melnitz Janine Melnitz is a fictional character in the ''Ghostbusters'' series. She is the Ghostbusters' secretary, confidante, and occasionally, a ghostbuster herself. She was played by Annie Potts in the first two movies, and in ''The Real Ghostbusters ...
: Ghostbuster." *In the animated TV series '' Gargoyles'', Proteus is the shapeshifting menace and archenemy of the city of New Olympus in the episode titled "The New Olympians." *Kurt Vonnegut's novel ''
Player Piano A player piano (also known as a pianola) is a self-playing piano containing a pneumatic or electro-mechanical mechanism, that operates the piano action via programmed music recorded on perforated paper or metallic rolls, with more modern i ...
'' revolves around the actions of Paul Proteus, a manager of a machine works in New York. Paul's life mirrors Proteus in that he must change his "shape" (character) to find his place in a machine-controlled society with which he is out of sympathy. *In the film ''
Lost in Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...
'', "''Proteus''" is the name of the space ship that is sent to look for the Robinson Family in an alternate time. The ship is subsequently destroyed. *In another film, ''
Demon Seed ''Demon Seed'' is a 1977 American science fiction–horror film directed by Donald Cammell. It stars Julie Christie and Fritz Weaver. The film was based on the 1973 novel of the same name by Dean Koontz, and concerns the imprisonment and forc ...
'', the evil supercomputer is named "''Proteus IV''" *In Craig Thomas' novel ''Sea Leopard'', the British submarine is named ''HMS Proteus''. *In ''
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and the fifth novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series. It follows Harry Potter's struggles through his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witc ...
'', the Protean Charm is a complex spell used by
Hermione Granger Hermione Jean Granger ( ) is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's '' Harry Potter'' series. She first appears in the novel ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' (1997), as a new student on her way to Hogwarts. After Harry and Ron ...
to enchant coins so that changing the serial number on one affected the others as well. She used it to communicate the times of secret meetings. It was also used by Voldemort to communicate with his Death Eaters. *In the
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
series ''
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
'', Proteus is the villain identity of reality-changing mutant Kevin MacTaggert, son of
Moira MacTaggert Dr. Moira MacTaggert (sometimes spelled ''MacTaggart'', ''McTaggart'', ''McTaggert''), more recently known as Moira X, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men ...
on Muir Isle Mutant Research Facility. *In the
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
pre-''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' ''
Legion of Super-Heroes The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st c ...
'' stories, the Proteans are a race of telepathic shapeshifters. Shapeshifting Legionnaire
Chameleon Boy Chameleon Boy (Reep Daggle), also known as Chameleon, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. Publication history Chameleon Boy first appe ...
kept a Protean as a pet, whom he dubbed "Proty". After Proty sacrificed itself to save
Saturn Girl Saturn Girl (Imra Ardeen) is a fictional superheroine appearing in American DC comic books. A talented telepath from the 30th century, Saturn Girl is a founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Imra's "Saturn Girl" title refers to her homewo ...
and resurrect
Lightning Lad Garth Ranzz, also known as Live Wire and Lightning Lad, is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually those featuring the Legion of Superheroes, a 30th and 31st century group of which he is a founding mem ...
, Chameleon Boy obtained a new Protean pet, "Proty II". Later, Proty II became a member of the
Legion of Super-Pets The Legion of Super-Pets is a fictional team of superhero pets in the DC Universe. The original membership included Krypto the Superdog, Streaky the Supercat, Beppo the Super-Monkey, and Comet the Super-Horse, with the shape-shifting alien Pro ...
. *In Rick Wakeman's song "The Battle/The Journey" Proteus is described as a giant prehistoric man who herds mastodons in the center of the Earth (itself an image from
Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...
's '' Journey to the Center of the Earth'') *In Dean Koontz's ''Phantoms'' the character is referred to as being like Proteus by one of his victims. *In Charles Sheffield's science fiction novels titled ''Proteus in the Underworld'' and ''Proteus Combined'', Proteus refers to the process of using biofeedback equipment to change the shape of the characters' bodies. *In James P. Hogan's novel ''
The Proteus Operation ''The Proteus Operation'' is a science fiction alternate history novel written by James P. Hogan. The plot focuses on an Anglo-American team of soldiers and civilians sent back in time from the Nazi-dominated world of 1975 to prevent an Axis ...
'', the term Proteus seems to relate to the ability to change time and reality, it that it is "flexible". He also uses it to refer to quantum mechanics, wherein it seems as if something changes to avoid being caught (i.e.: the act of measuring something changes it). *In the ''Atraxa'' trilogy by Desmond Ravenstone, the Atraxa Defense Services use "proteon suits" which incorporate
nanotechnology Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal o ...
to sense the approach of a bullet or other high-speed projectile and change density so as to protect the wearer. *In the
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
animated film '' Treasure Planet'', the alien Morph, a pink blob who takes the form of everything he sees (much like a parrot repeats what it hears), is referenced to come from the fictional planet Proteus 1, a reference to his shapeshifting abilities. *In Rick Riordan's '' The Titan's Curse'', Percy Jackson captures a Proteus-like man, Nereus, to ask where the monster that, when its entrails are burned, will give you the power to destroy
Mount Olympus Mount Olympus (; el, Όλυμπος, Ólympos, also , ) is the highest mountain in Greece. It is part of the Olympus massif near the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea, located in the Olympus Range on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, be ...
. *In
Ralph Ellison Ralph Waldo Ellison (March 1, 1913 – April 16, 1994) was an American writer, literary critic, and scholar best known for his novel ''Invisible Man'', which won the National Book Award in 1953. He also wrote ''Shadow and Act'' (1964), a collecti ...
's ''
Invisible Man ''Invisible Man'' is a novel by Ralph Ellison, published by Random House in 1952. It addresses many of the social and intellectual issues faced by African Americans in the early twentieth century, including black nationalism, the relationship b ...
'', Proteus is the middle name of the con artist Rinehart. *In the children's TV series ''
Thomas and Friends ''Thomas & Friends'' (originally known as ''Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends'' and later ''Thomas & Friends: Big World! Big Adventures!'') is a British children's television series that aired across 24 series from 1984 to 2021. Based on ''The ...
'', Proteus is the name of the very first
steam engine A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be trans ...
to have been built on The Isle of Sodor. * In John C. Wright's '' Chronicles of Chaos'', Proteus is the father of Quentin Nemo.Fugitives of Chaos by John C. Wright Dramatis Personae
* In
Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work. ...
's "The Bees and the Flies", the poem recounts how a hero won a secret from Proteus. * In the
Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
series '' Penny Dreadful'', Proteus is the name chosen by Dr. Victor Frankenstein ( Harry Treadaway)'s creation (
Alex Price Alex Price (born 8 May 1985) is a British actor who has appeared in various television programmes including '' Being Human'', ''Merlin'' and ''Doctor Who''. He starred in feature-length films, such as ''A Horse with No Name'', and in a variety ...
), when flipping through a book of
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's plays (presumably, ''
The Two Gentlemen of Verona ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1589 and 1593. It is considered by some to be Shakespeare's first play, and is often seen as showing his first tentative steps in laying ...
''). The name has a double meaning - both to denote his closeness to Victor and using the name's nautical connotations as a reference to Proteus' previous life as a fisherman. * "Proteus: The City" is the title of Book Four of Thomas Wolfe's autobiographical novel ''Of Time and the River''. *" Protean Challenge", an episode of '' Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'', features Proteus. * The alien character of Prot in the book trilogy by
Gene Brewer Gene Brewer (born Eugene N. Brewer, July 4, 1937) is an American writer, the author of the ''K-PAX'' book series, about a man who claims to be a visiting extraterrestrial from a planet called K-PAX: ''K-PAX'' (1995), ''On a Beam of Light'' (200 ...
and played by
Kevin Spacey Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolades ...
in the movie ''
K-PAX ''K-PAX'' is an American science fiction novel by Gene Brewer, the first in the ''K-PAX'' series. The series deals with the experiences on Earth of a being named Prot. It is written in the first person from the point of view of Prot's psychiat ...
'', like Proteus was said to embody, was a modernized "shape shifter" and magical type of advanced mystical ET who "walked in" to humanoid bodies, and shared wisdom and insights into the human condition. * The crew of the ''Jupiter 2'' in the 1998 film ''
Lost in Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...
'' encounter and board a derelict space station named the ''Proteus''. *Company name in Eve_of_Destruction_(miniseries)


In gaming

*''Proteus'', the board game, was invented by Michael Waitsman in 1983 and is still published b
Kadon Enterprises
The game is played on a 3 by 3 grid with nine tiles and six pieces. It is described as a brain-burning, rule-changing meta-game. It was rated one of the best new games of the year by
Games Magazine ''GAMES World of Puzzles'' is a puzzle magazine formed from the merger of Games and World of Puzzles in October 2014. The entire magazine interior is now newsprint (as opposed to the part-glossy/part-newsprint format of the original ''Games'') an ...
. The board game was adapted for th
iPhone
by Paul Nord in 2012. *''Proteus'' was first used as the name of a roleplaying game published in 1992 by
Bruce Gomes Industries
and written by Bruce Gomes and Duncan Barrow. Non-standard races and an original world setting, using skill rolls under stats on 1d30. Currently out of print. *''Proteus'' is the name of a cross-genre roleplaying game. ''Proteus'' is a freely downloadable game available throug
Base113 Games
The game focuses on characters with incredible mental powers, Psionics. Proteus was a project to artificially create such people for military purposes. The name of the Greek god was chosen to reflect both the fact that these individuals are extremely adaptable and that they are among the first of their kind. An expanded version, ''Proteus: Second Edition'', is currently in the works. *''
Proteus In Greek mythology, Proteus (; Ancient Greek: Πρωτεύς, ''Prōteus'') is an early prophetic sea-god or god of rivers and oceanic bodies of water, one of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the Sea" ''(hálios gérôn)''. ...
'' is the name of an open world exploration game released in 2013 and created by Ed Key and David Kanaga. In it, the player explores a randomly generated island, drawn in a pixel art style. The lack of missions and goals has led some players to declare it an anti-game. *The collectible card game '' Magic: The Gathering'' references Proteus in the card Proteus Machine from the Scourge expansion that is able to change its creature type to any type when it is morphed. Recently in the ''Dissension'' expansion, the creature Protean Hulk allows its controller to replace it with other creatures when it dies. *''Proteus'' is the name of an expansion for the collectible card game '' Netrunner''. *Proteus is also the name of a key document in the computer game ''
Freelancer ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...
''. *In the role-playing game '' Vampire: The Masquerade'' and '' Vampire: the Requiem'', vampires of the Gangrel clan may possess a discipline named Protean that enables them to shapeshift into bats, wolves, mist and such, grow claws and see in the dark. *In the Paragons setting for role-playing game ''
Mutants & Masterminds ''Mutants & Masterminds'' (abbreviated "M&M" or "MnM") is a superhero role-playing game written by Steve Kenson and published by Green Ronin Publishing based on a variant of the d20 System by Wizards of the Coast. The game system is designed to ...
'', Proteus is a silvery shapeshifting paranormal. He is a paranormal supremacist with uncertain origins - everything from regular paranormal to shapeshifting alien to artificial construct made of
nanomachines A molecular machine, nanite, or nanomachine is a molecular component that produces quasi-mechanical movements (output) in response to specific stimuli (input). In cellular biology, macromolecular machines frequently perform tasks essential for l ...
has been proposed. *Protean, a villain in the ''
City of Heroes ''City of Heroes'' (''CoH'') was a massively multiplayer online role-playing game which was developed by Cryptic Studios and published by NCSOFT. The game was launched in North America on April 28, 2004, and in Europe by NCsoft Europe on Febru ...
'' franchise, takes his name from Proteus. *In the game ''
F.E.A.R. ''F.E.A.R.'' is a first-person shooter psychological horror video game series created by Craig Hubbard in 2005. Released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, there are three main games in the series; '' F.E.A.R.'' (2005), '' F.E.A ...
'', 'Proteus' is the name for a text file concerning the Icarus and Perseus Projects. *In the game ''
Culdcept Saga is a video game in the ''Culdcept'' series developed exclusively for the Xbox 360 video game console. It is the first entry for a Microsoft console in the franchise. A demo of the title was made available to Xbox Live users on December 4, 2007. ...
'', a 'Protean Ring' tool will transform the user's creature into another random creature for the duration of the battle. *In the MMORPG '' EVE Online'', from the ''Apocrypha'' expansion onwards, the Gallente Strategic Cruiser is named the 'Proteus' Class. Strategic Cruisers (including those of other races) allow players to change the shape of the ship depending on the subsystems incorporated into its fitting. The in-game description of the 'Proteus' contains a fictitious excerpt that describes the freedom of life in space as a "protean existence". *By shooting down the FB-22 ace Proteus on mission 18 of ''
Ace Combat 5 ''Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War'' is a 2004 combat flight simulation video game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2. The game was developed by Project Aces, an internal Namco group credited with the development of the ''Ace Com ...
'', the aforementioned aircraft's SP colours will be unlocked for the player to use. *In the multiplayer role-playing game '' Rift'', Proteus is a boss in the Planebreaker Bastion summoned from the Plane of Water. *In Will Harvey's video game '' The Immortal'', wearing the Protean Ring allows you to change into a different creature, which helps solve a puzzle. *A gaming mouse made by
Logitech Logitech International S.A. ( ; often shortened to Logi) is a Swiss multinational manufacturer of computer peripherals and software, with headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, and Newark, California. The company has offices throughout Europe, ...
is named the G502 Proteus Core. *In the ''
Pokémon (an abbreviation for in Japan) is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures (company), Creatures, the owners of the trademark and copyright of the franchise. In terms of ...
'' franchise, there are several Pokémon who can have the ability Protean. When attacking, they change their typing to the type of that attack (and thus overwriting their own typing). *In the 2017 Nintendo 3DS game Metroid: Samus Returns, the surprise final boss is named Proteus Ridley, who is a cyborg version of series protagonist Samus Aran's nemesis Ridley, his name most likely refers to how Ridley is able to recover from battle wounds easily, as he seemingly dies in almost all appearances.


In history

The German–American scientist Carl August Rudolph Steinmetz, who had several physical disabilities, changed his name to Charles Proteus Steinmetz. This name reflected his identification with a figure that could easily alter its outward form.


References

{{reflist Classical mythology in popular culture Greek and Roman deities in fiction