I know, my dear, because I am a Cironielian Chrysalis Eater.
- ―The Chrysalis Eater, to Starfire[src]
The Cironielian Chrysalis Eater is a member of a hostile alien species and a special enemy of Starfire.
Character history
One day, Starfire began to undergo the Transformation, her homeworld's equivalent of puberty. However, while Starfire knew of the effects of the Transformation, the changes on her body were unusually bizarre even by Tamaranean standards, leading her to believe that she was transforming into a monster. The other Titans eventually came to see her new looks, and, feeling ashamed, Starfire fled into space to look for a new home. Starfire was, unbeknownst to her, spotted by the Cironielian Chrysalis Eater and trailed for the remainder of her journey.
Not much is known about Cironiellian Chrysalis Eaters, and whether this is their true racial name and why they would prefer to consume Chrysalises in the first place, is not entirely known. However, it is known that the rarity of their prey forces them into a nomad existence, drifting through space until they encounter a fledgling Chrysalis, whereupon they will stalk it until the Transformation is underway, then consume their prey while it is helpless.
Eventually, Starfire reached an uninhabited, though rather hostile, planet. Sunk in despair, she was approached by a robed elven-humanoid woman who proceeded to tell her about the true nature of her change, informing her that she was developing into a chrysalis. But afterwards, a cocoon formed around Starfire, rendering her helpless, and it was in this moment that the Chrysalis Eater shed her disguise to reveal her true, form, which is that of a praying mantis and spider combined.
Before the Chrysalis Eater could begin her feasting on Starfire, the other Titans, who had been tracking Starfire, attacked her, diverting her attention. Robin freed Starfire from her cocoon, to find out that the Transformation had run its final course, changing her back to her former appearance and granting her the ability to fire energy blasts from her eyes. With renewed confidence, Starfire engaged the Chrysalis Eater and used her new power to hurl it into the forest, where she was promptly set upon, killed, and devoured by a monstrous flesh-eating plant.
Powers and abilities
Cironelian Chrysalis Eaters possess superhuman strength and speed. Since they have to go and actively seek their rare prey, Chrysalis Eaters have also evolved the ability to survive the harsh conditions in outer space.
Despite their name, Cironeilian Chrysalis Eaters devour prey besides Chrysalis, as the one encountered attempts to do so to Beast Boy and threatens to do so to the other Titans, meaning that Chrysalis is more likely a delicacy for them, rather than a primary food source, due to the sheer rarity of such a meal. When hunting their desired prey, instead of approaching it in direct combat, they prefer stealth and deception to get close to their prey, then strike while it is helpless. This is aided considerably by their innate shape-changing ability, with which they can assume a more humanoid appearance, though they retain some physical insectoid traits.
Trivia
- The name of the Chrysalis Eater's home world is a pun on serial director Ciro Nieli.
- The term Chrysalis refers to an insect in the last stages of transformation from a larvae into an adult (i.e. the pupal stage), particularly butterflies.
- Catherine Cavadini, the Chrysalis Eater's voice actress, plays Blossom from The Powerpuff Girls, another popular Cartoon Network series.
- The Chrysalis Eater is NOT a member of the The Brotherhood of Evil because it never met its ranks.
- The Chrysalis Eater resembles a white-and-magenta form of the Acklay from Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones.
- The Chrysalis Eater makes a reappearance in Teen Titans GO, in the episode 'Parasite'.
- The Chrysalis Eater shares a few similarities with the Preserver, a villain from Superman: The Animated Series. Both are white-skinned, robed aliens capable of levitating themselves through the air as a means of locomotion, have an obsession with rare alien specimens, and have the ability to transform into larger, more hostile creatures.