Starman(Theodore Henry"Ted"Knight) is a fictionalsuperheroappearing in media published byDC Comics,primarily as a member of theJustice Society of America.Created by writerGardner Foxand artistJack Burnley,he first appeared inAdventure Comics#61 (April 1941).
| Starman | |
|---|---|
 Textless cover ofStarman#72 (December 2000), art by Andrew Robinson. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Adventure Comics#61 (April 1941) |
| Created by | Gardner Fox Jack Burnley |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Theodore Henry "Ted" Knight |
| Species | Human |
| Team affiliations | Justice Society of America All-Star Squadron Justice League |
| Abilities | Fine hand to hand combatant Gifted inventor Brilliant intellect Via gravity and cosmic rods:
|
Publication history
edit
Invited by editorWhitney Ellsworthto create a new superhero character, Burnley drew the Starman costume as a variation ofSuperman's famous outfit, topped with aBuck Rogers-style helmet.Gardner Foxdeveloped the character, and science-fiction writerAlfred Besteralso contributed Starman scripts. Later in the run, Emil Gershwin wrote the stories, with art byMort MeskinandGeorge Roussos.[1]
His first story inAdventure Comics#61 (April 1941) pitted Starman against the sinister Dr. Doog, who threatened the world with his invention, the Ultra-Dynamo.[2]
He continued to appear inAdventure Comicsthrough #102 (Feb 1946), andAll-Star Comics#8 (Dec 1941) to #23 (Winter 1944).[1]
Fictional character biography
editAs Starman, Ted wears a caped costume of red and green topped with a helmet with a fin on the top. He uses a gravity rod (later cosmic rod) of his own invention which allows him to fly and manipulate energy.[3][4]
Initially intending the rod as a power source, Ted is convinced by his cousin,Sandra Knight / Phantom Lady,to use it to fight crime. In the original 1940s stories, Starman operated out ofGotham City,[5][6][7]but this wasretconnedin the 1990s to Opal City.
Starman's first recurring villain isMist,an elderly scientist who wields an invisibility potion.[8]Starman's rogues gallery also includes Astra the Astrologist, Cuthbert Cain, Dr. Doog and the Secret Brotherhood of the Electron, and the Veil.[9]
He is a frequent ally of theFBIand a member of theJustice Society of Americafor much of the 1940s and, like other "mystery men" of the time, serves in the wartimeAll-Star Squadron.In 1942, Ted enlists in theU.S. Army Air Forceand briefly serves as a pilot duringWorld War II.[10]
At this time, the love of Ted's life is a woman named Doris Lee, who often chastises her layabout playboy boyfriend for his pretended laziness andhypochondria,unaware of Ted's costumed persona. Doris is murdered in the late 1940s, leading Ted to suffer a nervous breakdown.
In the 1990s-eraStarmanseries, Ted returns to active duty, partially inspired by his time-traveling sonJack.Additionally, it is revealed that he had a brief affair with the firstBlack Canary(Dinah Drake) in the 1960s.
Like the rest of the Justice Society, Starman spends many years in retirement following the end of theGolden Ageof heroes, but returns to help mentor the team's spiritual successors theJustice League of America.During this time, Ted Knight marries a woman named Adele Doris Drew and has two children, Jack and David. InZero Hour: Crisis in Time!,Ted loses his slowed aging and is forced into retirement.[11]
Ted later battlesDoctor Phosphorus,whose radiation gives him terminal cancer. He is killed in battle with Mist while stopping his bomb from destroying the city.[12]
Powers and abilities
editTed Knight has no natural, superhuman powers. His abilities stem from the use of his inventions, the gravity rod and the cosmic rod. These devices channel an unknown form of stellar radiation, which Ted is able to manipulate through the rod. As Starman, he possesses the ability to fly, project bursts of stellar energy, light, and heat, create force fields and simple energy constructs, and levitate objects. Extended use of the cosmic rod created a bond between it and Ted, allowing him to mentally summon the rod when separated from it.
Ted possesses a brilliant intellect, mastery of several sciences, and a gift for invention. In addition to the gravity and cosmic rods, Ted created the cosmic staff used by his son, Jack, and the cosmic converter belt worn by his JSA teammates, theStar-Spangled KidandStargirl.[13]
Other versions
edit- InJLA: Age of Wonder,Starman is portrayed as a fellow inventor alongsideSuperman,Thomas Edison,andNikola Tesla,who invents his cosmic rod with technology gleaned from the rocket ship which brought Superman to Earth.
- InJSA: The Unholy Three,Starman is an intelligence agent working at theChernobylnuclear power plant, and is code-namedStar.
- InJLA: Another Nail,Starman made a brief appearance when all time periods melded together.
Collected editions
edit- Golden Age Starman ArchivesVol. 1 (Starman stories fromAdventure Comics#61-76)
- Golden Age Starman ArchivesVol. 2 (Starman stories fromAdventure Comics#77-102)
In other media
edit- Ted Knight / Starman appears in theBatman: The Brave and the Boldepisode "Crisis: 22,300 Miles Above Earth!", voiced byJeff Bennett.[14]
- Ted Knight / Starman appears inJustice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths.[15]
- Ted Knight / Starman received a figure inMattel'sDC Universe Classicsline.
References
edit- ^abBenton, Mike (1992).Superhero Comics of the Golden Age: The Illustrated History.Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company. pp. 130–131.ISBN0-87833-808-X.RetrievedApril 1,2020.
- ^Wallace, Daniel (2010). "1940s". In Dolan, Hannah (ed.).DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle.DK Publishing. p. 32.ISBN978-0-7566-6742-9.
- ^Wallace, Dan (2008). "Starman's Cosmic Rod". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.).The DC Comics Encyclopedia.New York:Dorling Kindersley.p. 92.ISBN978-0-7566-4119-1.OCLC213309017.
- ^Markstein, Don."Starman".Don Markstein's Toonopedia.RetrievedApril 23,2020.
- ^Portelli, Philip."The Weekly TPB----Starman Vol.1---A Prologue".The Comics Round Table.RetrievedAugust 6,2014.
- ^Garrison, TWS."Misc. DC Nits 2".Nitcentral's Bulletin Brash Reflections.RetrievedAugust 6,2014.
- ^Cronin, Brian."Foundationed Deep – Starman and Phantom Lady".Comic Book Resources.RetrievedAugust 6,2014.
- ^Mitchell, Kurt; Thomas, Roy (2019).American Comic Book Chronicles: 1940-1944.TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 73.ISBN978-1605490892.
- ^Nevins, Jess (2013).Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes.High Rock Press. p. 255.ISBN978-1-61318-023-5.
- ^All-Star Comics#11 (June–July 1942)
- ^Zero Hour: Crisis in Time#2 (September 1994)
- ^Starman(Vol. 2) #72. DC Comics.
- ^Infinite Crisis#6 (May 2006).
- ^"Starman Voice -Batman: The Brave and the Bold(TV Show) ".Behind The Voice Actors.RetrievedNovember 23,2024.A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
- ^"Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One:'The Wave' Exclusive Clip ".IGN.January 8, 2024.RetrievedMarch 24,2024.
External links
edit- Starman (1941)atDon Markstein's Toonopedia.Archivedfrom the original on October 23, 2017.
- JSA Fact File: Starman I
- Earth-2 Starman Index