| Starman | |
|---|---|
 A collage of various Starmen (clockwise from top): Thom Kallor (background), Mikaal Tomas, Ted Knight, the Starman of 1951, Prince Gavyn, Jack Knight, and Will Payton (center). Art by Tony Harris andAlex Ross. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Ted: Adventure Comics #61 (April 1941) Wayne: Detective Comics #247 (September 1957) Star-Man: Detective Comics #286 (December 1960) Tomas: 1st Issue Special #12 (March 1976) Gavyn: Adventure Comics #467 (January 1980) Payton: Starman #1 (October 1988) David: Starman #26 (September 1990) Jack: Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #1 (September 1994) Kallor: Kingdom Come #2 (June 1996) McNider: Starman Secret Files #1 (April 1998) Farris: JLA #23 (October 1998) Old West/Sono: Jonah Hex (vol. 2) #27 (March 2008) |
| Created by | Ted: Gardner Fox Jack Burnley Star-Man: Sheldon Moldoff Tomas: Gerry Conway Mike Vosburg Gavyn: Paul Levitz Steve Ditko Payton: Roger Stern Tom Lyle David: Roger Stern Dave Hoover Jack: James Robinson Tony Harris Farris: Grant Morrison Howard Porter Old West/Sono: Jimmy Palmiotti Justin Gray |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Theodore Knight Bruce Wayne (pre-Crisis) Mikaal Tomas Prince Gavyn Will Payton David Knight Jack Knight Thom Kallor Charles McNider Farris Knight Victor Sono |
| Place of origin | Tomas: Talok III Gavyn: Throneworld Kallor: Xanthu |
| Team affiliations | Justice Society of America Justice League |
| Abilities | Star-Man: Superhuman strength Tomas: Flight and energy projection derived from the sonic crystal Invulnerability Gavyn: Flight, energy manipulation, light/heat and radiation immunity self-sustenance able to withstand exposure to space Payton: Flight, superhuman strength and durability, limitedshapeshifting, energy projection David: Use of the "Gravity Rod" Kallor: Mass and density manipulation Farris: Use of the "Quarvat" |
Starman is a name used by several differentDC Comicssuperheroes, most prominentlyTed Knight and his sons David andJack.
The original Starman, Ted Knight, was created by writerGardner Fox and artistJack Burnley. He first appeared inAdventure Comics #61 (April 1941).[1] Knight is anastronomer who invented a "gravity rod", later reinvented as a "cosmic rod", that allows him to fly and manipulate energy. He donned a red and green costume with a distinctivefinned helmet.
Like mostGolden Age heroes, Starman fell into obscurity in the 1950s. In the ensuing years, several characters, with varying degrees of relation to the original, briefly took the mantle of Starman.
InZero Hour: Crisis in Time! #1 (September 1994), writerJames Robinson and artistTony Harris introduced Jack Knight, the son of the first Starman. A reluctant non-costumed hero, he inherited his father's name and mission and used his technology to create a cosmic staff. He starred in a critically acclaimed series, written by Robinson, from 1994 until 2001.
The current successor of Starman isStargirl, formerly the secondStar-Spangled Kid.
Starman, announcing that he comes "from the past", appears inJustice League (vol. 4) #7 (November 2018) and subsequent issues.[2]
Below, in chronological order of activity (not of appearance), are the characters to have used the name "Starman".
Theodore Henry Knight is a 1940s DC Comics superhero who wore a red costume with a finned helmet and a green cape, and wielded a "gravity rod" (later "cosmic rod") which enabled him to fly and fire energy bolts.[3] He is a member of theJustice Society of America.[4]
The Starman of 1951 is a superhero who operated in theDC Universe in 1951. In pre-Crisis continuity, the Starman of the 1950s was actuallyBatman, who briefly took up that mantle inDetective Comics #247 (September 1957), using variants of his usual equipment, but with a starmotif instead of a bat, due to him having been hypnotized to be given a fear of bats in the belief that this would render him incapable of being a hero.
Post-Crisis, the character wasretconned inStarman Secret Files and Origins. The name was first used by the originalDoctor Mid-Nite,Charles McNider. When David Knight, son of the original Starman, is drawn back in time, he takes over the identity from McNider for a brief period.
InDetective Comics #286, a villainous Star-Man appeared to menace Batman andRobin whose super-strength waned in the presence of aTibetan belt worn byBatwoman.[5]
Mikaal Tomas is an alien who traveled to Earth to help conquer it, but instead turned against his war-like people in defense of the human race. He first appeared in1st Issue Special #12 (March 1976).
Prince Gavyn is a DC Comics superhero created byPaul Levitz andSteve Ditko inAdventure Comics #467 (January 1980). He is a spoiled, blond, playboy prince of an alien empire who discovered he was a mutant who could survive unaided in space.
Will Payton, a 1980s DC Comics superhero, was created byRoger Stern andTom Lyle.[6] Payton gained his powers of flight, super strength, the ability to alter his appearance and fire bolts of energy from his hands after being struck by a bolt of energy from asatellite in space. He was in his early twenties and worked as a magazine copy editor. He first appeared inStarman #1 (October 1988).[7]
David Knight, a 1990s DC Comics superhero, was the son of the original Starman and elder brother of the 1990s Starman, Jack. He first appeared inStarman #26 (September 1990), having taken up his father's mantle, and was killed by an assassin inStarman (vol. 2) #0 (October 1994). However, his spirit returns to advise Jack.
InStarman (vol. 2) #81 (a one-issue revival and tie-in toBlackest Night), David temporarily returns as aBlack Lantern.
Jack Knight, a 1990s DC Comics superhero, is the son of the original Starman, Ted Knight. He wields a cosmically powered staff, but refuses to wear a costume, instead preferring a T-shirt, leather jacket (with star emblem on the back), aCracker Jack prize sheriff's star,[8] and goggles. A reluctant hero who assumes the mantle after David's death, he is the protagonist of the comic book series written by James Robinson. Jack briefly joins theJSA, but retires at the end of theStarman series and gives his cosmic rod toStargirl.
Thom Kallor is a member of theLegion of Super-Heroes in the 31st century who can manipulate mass and density. Normally known as Star Boy, he becomes Starman after being transported to the 21st century.[9]
The Starman of the 853rd century isFarris Knight, a member ofJustice Legion Alpha and was a major character in the seriesDC One Million. He is a distant descendant of Jack Knight andMist's son. Farris commands an alien artifact called a "quarvat", similar in function to the "cosmic rod". He lives on a space station in the orbit ofUranus from which he monitors the artificial sunSolaris. He asserts that being the descendant of the Mist as much as the Knights, he was predisposed to villainy, and Solaris eventually corrupts Farris. The man arranges for the defeat of the two JLAs and travels back in time to kill the originator of his hated responsibility, Ted Knight. Meeting Ted, however, changes his mind and Farris sacrifices himself to save Earth from Solaris.[10]
Introduced inJonah Hex (vol. 2) #27 (March 2008), the "Star Man" of theOld West originally came toNew York City with his father fromItaly just after theCivil War ended. His name wasVictor Sono. His father tried to get work as asheriff, but the group of lawmen with whom he interviewed mocked and killed him for being disabled. Young Victor later found his body hanging outside the building and decided to avenge his death. He pickpocketed a pistol and fired on the group. Before he could do much damage, however, the owner of the pistol,Jonah Hex, who was in town collecting a bounty, knocked him out and took his gun back. He nearly left the boy to the "lawmen", but after recalling his own terrible childhood, came back and rescued Victor, whom he left at an orphanage. Years later, Hex and Victor would cross paths again, Victor now calling himself the Star Man. He had dedicated his life to killing unjust lawmen and adding their sheriff's stars to his coat.[11] The Star Man has a habit of manipulating Hex for his own ends, although he does know that he owes Hex his life.[12]
Each of the different incarnations of Starman has his own enemies:
| Starman (vol. 1) | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | Superhero |
| Publication date | October 1988 – April 1992 |
| No. of issues | 45 |
| Main character | Starman (Will Payton) |
| Creative team | |
| Created by | Roger Stern Tom Lyle |
Starman (vol. 1) was a DC Comics ongoing series starring Starman (Will Payton). The series was published from October 1988 to April 1992. This Starman also appeared in a short story inAction Comics Weekly #622 released October 18, 1988.[19]
| Starman (vol. 2) | |
|---|---|
_0.jpg) Cover toStarman (vol. 2) #0, art byTony Harris and Alex Jay. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | Superhero |
| Publication date | October 1994 – August 2001 |
| No. of issues | 81 (plus issues #0 and 1,000,000; 2Annuals; and various specials and miniseries) |
| Main character | Starman (Jack Knight) |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | James Robinson |
| Artist(s) | Tony Harris Peter Snejbjerg and others |
| Collected editions | |
| Starman Omnibus Vol. 1 | ISBN 978-1401216993 |
| Starman Omnibus Vol. 2 | ISBN 978-1401221942 |
| Starman Omnibus Vol. 3 | ISBN 978-1401222840 |
| Starman Omnibus Vol. 4 | ISBN 978-1401225964 |
| Starman Omnibus Vol. 5 | ISBN 978-1401228897 |
| Starman Ominbus Vol. 6 | ISBN 978-1401230449 |
Starman (vol. 2) was an ongoing series published by DC Comics from October 1994 to August 2001, starring the superhero Starman (Jack Knight). The series was written by James Robinson with art primarily by Tony Harris from issues #0–45 andPeter Snejbjerg from issues #50–80.[20]
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Starman included a number of signature thematic and stylistic elements, which helped make it distinctive. One was the importance of collectibles and collecting. James Robinson was an avid collector of a number of different things and transferred this interest to the hero, Jack Knight, who ran a collectibles shop. Many of the guest characters would also discuss their collecting interests. The book also dealt with the past and nostalgia quite frequently. One manner was through the irregular appearance of "Times Past" issues set in a different time period. These usually, but not always, focused on one of the other Starmen or the Shade. Text pieces, dubbed "The Shade's Journal" and dealing with that character's adventures over his long life, also appeared irregularly instead of a letter column. In addition, most of the characters who appeared in the book had some connection to a legacy from the past. They were either immortal, had inherited a role from a family member, or were the reincarnation of a previous hero. The book also featured a number of discussions and meditations on age. Another stylistic theme in the book was the often impressionistic approach to violence and conflict. The lead up to, and aftereffects of, violence were generally much more important in theStarman comic book than the violence itself. A number of confrontations that Jack Knight had with "villains" ended peacefully, such as an early encounter with a bounty hunter who broke into Jack's shop looking for an enchanted shirt. After a short scuffle, Jack, seeing no reason not to, agrees to sell the man the shirt. When violence was depicted, it was often much more impressionistic instead of the highly choreographed and detailed violence seen in many superhero comics. Finally, a sense of place informed many Starman stories. James Robinson has stated his appreciation for the fictional cities of the DC Universe. WithStarman (vol. 2), he attempted to develop the setting of Opal City as a real place with a distinct character. Robinson and artist Tony Harris developed maps of Opal City and came up with a fictional history of it. Characters would often make mention of specific locations in the city and small bits of its history.
Commenting on the character and series, comic writerGeoff Johns wrote:
During the mid '90s, during the height of revamping and reintroducing characters (since everything, and unfortunately anything was selling),Starman hits the stands. Among all the knives and guns, shoulder pads, and line-filled art, Jack Knight looked out of place. There were no "Bad Girl" pin-ups or brutal vigilantism, just a regular guy flying around in his jacket and sneakers. A guy who would rather see Browning'sFreaks than put on a cape and stop crime. But it worked. It totally worked. While most gun-toting anti-heroes and bad girls faded away, Jack Knight became an instant classic. And to a lot of readers, Starman had become "the" favorite hero.[21]
Starman was nominated in the 1995Eisner Awards for "Best Continuing Series" and "Best Serialized Story" for the story arc "Sins of the Father" (issues #0–3) and won the Eisner Award for "Best Serialized Story" for the story arc "Sand and Stars" (issues #20–23).[22] It was also nominated for "Best Continuing Series" in 1997.[23]
Most of theStarman (vol. 2) series has been collected in severaltrade paperbacks. Uncollected issues in this series are #36, 42, 44, 46, 54 and 74,Starman 80-Page Giant #1,Starman: The Mist #1,Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #0,JSA: All Stars #4,The Shade #1–4 andBatman/Hellboy/Starman #1–2.
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sins of the Father | Starman (vol. 2) #0–5 | January 1996 | 978-1563892486 |
| Night and Day | Starman (vol. 2) #7–10, 12–16 | March 1997 | 978-1563892707 |
| A Wicked Inclination | Starman (vol. 2) #17, 19–27 | March 1998 | 978-1563894091 |
| Times Past | Starman (vol. 2) #6, 11, 18, 28,Annual #1;Starman Secret Files and Origins #1 | February 1999 | 978-1563894923 |
| Infernal Devices | Starman (vol. 2) #29–35, 37–38 | October 2000 | 978-1563896330 |
| To Reach the Stars | Starman (vol. 2) #39–41, 43, 45,Annual #2;The Power of Shazam! #35–36 | May 2001 | 978-1563897122 |
| A Starry Knight | Starman (vol. 2) #47–53 | March 2002 | 978-1563897979 |
| Stars My Destination | Starman (vol. 2) #55–60 | January 2004 | 978-1401200114 |
| Grand Guignol | Starman (vol. 2) #61–73 | October 2004 | 978-1401202576 |
| Sons of the Father | Starman (vol. 2) #75–80 | April 2005 | 978-1401204730 |
The entireStarman (vol. 2) series has been collected in sixDC Omnibus hardcovers.
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starman Omnibus Volume 1 | Starman (vol. 2) #0–16 | June 2008 | 978-1401216993 |
| Starman Omnibus Volume 2 | Starman (vol. 2) #17–29,Annual #1; relevant stories fromShowcase '95 #12,Showcase '96 #4–5 | March 2009 | 978-1401221942 |
| Starman Omnibus Volume 3 | Starman (vol. 2) #30–38,Annual #2;Starman Secret Files and Origins #1;The Shade #1–4 | June 2009 | 978-1401222840 |
| Starman Omnibus Volume 4 | Starman (vol. 2) #39–46;Starman 80-Page Giant #1;Starman: The Mist #1;The Power of Shazam! #35–36;Batman/Hellboy/Starman #1–2 | February 2010 | 978-1401225964 |
| Starman Omnibus Volume 5 | Starman (vol. 2) #47–60, 1,000,000;Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #0;All Star Comics 80-Page Giant #1;JSA: All Stars #4 | October 2010 | 978-1401228897 |
| Starman Omnibus Volume 6 | Starman (vol. 2) #61–81 | January 2011 | 978-1401230449 |
The entireStarman (vol. 2) series is being collected in largerCompendium editions.
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starman Compendium One | Starman (vol. 2) #0–42,Annual #1;The Shade #1-4;Starman Secret Files and Origins #1;Showcase '95 #12,Showcase '96 #4,Showcase '96 #5,The Power of Shazam! #35-36 | August 2021 | 978-1779509413 |
| Starman Compendium Two | All-Star Comics 80-Page Giant #1,Batman/Hellboy/Starman #1-2,JSA All-Stars #4,Starman #43-81,Starman #1 (1998),Starman/Congorilla #1,Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #0, andThe Shade #1-12 | July 2022 | 978-1779515223 |
