Plans change. And in the case of Geoff Johns; they changed drastically. Whatever happened? his star fell at DC from where he was Chief Continuity Officer (and he really was all about continuity) to where he’s writing only the occasional spluge outside of specific continuity such as Shazam or 3 Jokers.
Geoff set the course for the whole fricker universe starting with Infinite Crisis through Green Lantern; Flash; Flashpoint and the Justice League. Element Girl came up as part of Flashpoint and then his Justice League run. And then the tide changed. Not Johns fault here, I think. Too many oars in the water at DC’s corporate masters, trying to second guess the writers; I think.
I would like to see Emily Sung come back (and as part of the Doom Patrol) but she didn’t figure into Gerard Way’s run, that remember. But I wouldn’t see her stripped from continuity, as
if I were the Time Trapper, because I’m all about any appearance by the element freaks.
Johns did put the original Element “Hussey”, as Sapphire Stagg called her, into Doomsday Clock. And Metamorpho has rocked it in The Terrifics; but unfortunately the elemental heroes always seem a little too off-beat to last long.