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Shooting Star (comics)
Encyclopedia
Shooting Star is a comic book superhero appearing in Marvel Comics
.
. She is the daughter of Remington Starwin, a wealthy Texas
oil
baron and amateur rodeo
performer. When she was a child, her father encouraged his daughter's aspirations to perform professionally in rodeos. He hired scientists to build for her a special six-shooter that shoots star-shaped paralysis pellets for her sharp-shooting act. At some point in her performing career, she met a rodeo performer and former superhuman adventurer, the Texas Twister
, and the two formed a dual act. Her father then had scientists design a pair of jet-boots that enabled her to stabilize her flight when swept up in the Twister's cyclonic vortex.
Shooting Star and Texas Twister were the star attractions at Cody's Rodeo Extravaganza when they intercepted a shortwave radio message sent by Rick Jones
meant for the hero team known as the Avengers
. Jones was being held captive by the villainous Corruptor, who had the Hulk
under his influence. Shooting Star and Texas Twister went to answer the distress call and discovered that three other individuals had responded as well — Firebird, the Phantom Rider
(then called Night Rider), and Red Wolf
. Although the five Southwestern adventurers were unable to stop the Hulk's rampage, they did enable him to defeat the Corruptor. At the battle's end, Texas Twister suggested that the five of them get together whenever a threat to the Southwest crops up. They agreed and took the collective name of the Rangers
. However, because of the geographical separation among the members, the first incarnation of the Rangers didn't last long.
Shooting Star's identity was at some point taken over by an unnamed demon in the employ of Master Pandemonium
, who believed Firebird to be one of the possessors of his fragmented soul. To keep the Rangers from meeting regularly and perhaps posing a threat to him before he had completed his study of Firebird, Pandemonium dispatched the demon to take Shooting Star's place. Firebird nevertheless believed the demon to be hiding among the Avengers' West Coast branch and with her guidance the Rangers confronted the heroes, only to flush the demon in Shooting Star out of hiding. The demon claimed that Shooting Star was a human guise it had taken long before, that there never was a Victoria Star. The Avengers imprisoned the demon at their Compound and began an investigation of Master Pandemonium, but the Texas Twister, demonstrating a curious lack of concern, did not accompany them.
Soon, however, Texas Twister returned to the Avengers Compound at a time when Hawkeye was alone, demanding to see the captive demon. Twister declared his love for the demon, which turned back into Shooting Star. Texas Twister went on to explain that the demon had come to him months ago when Twister's powers seemed to be fading, making him afraid that he'd lose Shooting Star if their rodeo act broke up on account of his lost powers. The demon offered to augment the Twister's powers in exchange for his soul, and the Twister agreed, but after his powers were restored he begged to be spared, so the demon possessed Shooting Star instead, casting a spell that prevented Twister from telling anyone about this. Twister studied the occult until he found a means to expel the demon from Star.
The demon then possessed Twister himself and battled Hawkeye and Shooting Star. Ultimately, Star threatened to kill the demon rather than allow the possession to continue, and the demon reluctantly imprisoned itself in a statue. Texas Twister and Shooting Star were reunited.
#1. As a registered hero, Shooting Star trained at Camp Hammond before becoming a member of Texas' new government-sponsored superhero team, The Rangers
.
Victoria is seen attempting to convince the President
to leave his home and get to cover away from the HYDRA
attack, but he refuses, saying he has faith in the Initiative. Shooting Star later helps the Initiative repel the Skrull invasion. She begins to succumb to a lethal gas used by the Skrull impersonating Yellowjacket
, but is saved by the quick intervention of the super-speedster Whiz Kid (on the original script, she was yanked away in time by Great Lakes Avengers
member Flatman
) and recovers immediately..
and rodeo
rider. Shooting Star wears a pair of specially-designed "star shooters," which look like six-shooters but which actually shoot projectiles made of an unknown material, shaped like five-pointed stars. The stars paralyze living beings they hit, with one star capable of paralyzing a 6 feet (1.8 m) man for approximately 30 minutes. She wears boots which contain miniature gyroscope
s, which keep her oriented correctly as she rides the winds generated by Texas Twister.
and Henry Pym
. Her real name is "Vicki" and she possesses flight and energy powers which manifest as glowing circles around her hands.
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
.
Fictional character biography
Shooting Star was born Victoria Starwin, in El Paso, TexasEl Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
. She is the daughter of Remington Starwin, a wealthy Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
baron and amateur rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
performer. When she was a child, her father encouraged his daughter's aspirations to perform professionally in rodeos. He hired scientists to build for her a special six-shooter that shoots star-shaped paralysis pellets for her sharp-shooting act. At some point in her performing career, she met a rodeo performer and former superhuman adventurer, the Texas Twister
Texas Twister
Texas Twister is a fictional comic book superhero that appears in publications from Marvel Comics.-Fictional character biography:Drew Daniels was born in Amarillo, Texas. He is working as a cattle hand at a ranch when a tornado and radiation from a nearby nuclear reactor affect him at the same time...
, and the two formed a dual act. Her father then had scientists design a pair of jet-boots that enabled her to stabilize her flight when swept up in the Twister's cyclonic vortex.
Shooting Star and Texas Twister were the star attractions at Cody's Rodeo Extravaganza when they intercepted a shortwave radio message sent by Rick Jones
Rick Jones (comics)
Richard Milhouse "Rick" Jones is a fictional comic book character in the .-Publication history:Rick Jones first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1, as a sidekick to the Incredible Hulk...
meant for the hero team known as the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
. Jones was being held captive by the villainous Corruptor, who had the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
under his influence. Shooting Star and Texas Twister went to answer the distress call and discovered that three other individuals had responded as well — Firebird, the Phantom Rider
Hamilton Slade (Rangers)
Hamilton Slade is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He first appeared in issue #56 of the supernatural-motorcyclist series Ghost Rider.-Fictional character biography:...
(then called Night Rider), and Red Wolf
Red Wolf (comics)
Red Wolf is the name of a number of fictional characters in Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe.-Johnny Wakeley:Johnny Wakeley was the adopted name of a Cheyenne man who was raised from childhood by a white couple in the late 19th century. His adoptive parents were killed by Native...
. Although the five Southwestern adventurers were unable to stop the Hulk's rampage, they did enable him to defeat the Corruptor. At the battle's end, Texas Twister suggested that the five of them get together whenever a threat to the Southwest crops up. They agreed and took the collective name of the Rangers
Rangers (comics)
The Rangers are a superhero team published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #265 and was created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema.-Fictional history:...
. However, because of the geographical separation among the members, the first incarnation of the Rangers didn't last long.
Shooting Star's identity was at some point taken over by an unnamed demon in the employ of Master Pandemonium
Master Pandemonium
Master Pandemonium is a supervillain in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Martin Preston was born in Rutland, Vermont. He was originally an actor who lost an arm in a car crash, and made a pact with Mephisto to regain his limb. Mephisto instead took the man's other three limbs,...
, who believed Firebird to be one of the possessors of his fragmented soul. To keep the Rangers from meeting regularly and perhaps posing a threat to him before he had completed his study of Firebird, Pandemonium dispatched the demon to take Shooting Star's place. Firebird nevertheless believed the demon to be hiding among the Avengers' West Coast branch and with her guidance the Rangers confronted the heroes, only to flush the demon in Shooting Star out of hiding. The demon claimed that Shooting Star was a human guise it had taken long before, that there never was a Victoria Star. The Avengers imprisoned the demon at their Compound and began an investigation of Master Pandemonium, but the Texas Twister, demonstrating a curious lack of concern, did not accompany them.
Soon, however, Texas Twister returned to the Avengers Compound at a time when Hawkeye was alone, demanding to see the captive demon. Twister declared his love for the demon, which turned back into Shooting Star. Texas Twister went on to explain that the demon had come to him months ago when Twister's powers seemed to be fading, making him afraid that he'd lose Shooting Star if their rodeo act broke up on account of his lost powers. The demon offered to augment the Twister's powers in exchange for his soul, and the Twister agreed, but after his powers were restored he begged to be spared, so the demon possessed Shooting Star instead, casting a spell that prevented Twister from telling anyone about this. Twister studied the occult until he found a means to expel the demon from Star.
The demon then possessed Twister himself and battled Hawkeye and Shooting Star. Ultimately, Star threatened to kill the demon rather than allow the possession to continue, and the demon reluctantly imprisoned itself in a statue. Texas Twister and Shooting Star were reunited.
Initiative/Secret Invasion
After the Civil War event, Victoria has been identified as one of the 142 registered superheroes who appear on the cover of the comic book Avengers: The InitiativeAvengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series from Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with artwork initially by Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and Harvey Tolibao, the series dealt with the aftermath of Marvel's Civil War crossover Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series...
#1. As a registered hero, Shooting Star trained at Camp Hammond before becoming a member of Texas' new government-sponsored superhero team, The Rangers
Rangers (comics)
The Rangers are a superhero team published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #265 and was created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema.-Fictional history:...
.
Victoria is seen attempting to convince the President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
to leave his home and get to cover away from the HYDRA
HYDRA
HYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra...
attack, but he refuses, saying he has faith in the Initiative. Shooting Star later helps the Initiative repel the Skrull invasion. She begins to succumb to a lethal gas used by the Skrull impersonating Yellowjacket
Henry Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27...
, but is saved by the quick intervention of the super-speedster Whiz Kid (on the original script, she was yanked away in time by Great Lakes Avengers
Great Lakes Avengers
The Great Lakes Initiative, originally known as The Great Lakes Avengers , are a fictional superhero team that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters were first introduced in West Coast Avengers vol. 2, #46 , and were created by John Byrne.-Publication history:The team...
member Flatman
Flatman
Flatman is a surname and may refer to:*Barry Flatman, a Canadian TV and film actor*David Flatman , an English rugby player*Frederick Flatman , a New Zealand Member of Parliament*Nat Flatman, a 19th century English champion jockey...
) and recovers immediately..
Skills, abilities and equipment
Shooting Star has no known superhuman powers, although in her initial appearance she claimed to have "stellar powers." She is an expert markswomanMarksman
A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision, or a sharpshooter shooting, using projectile weapons, such as with a rifle but most commonly with a sniper rifle, to shoot at long range targets...
and rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
rider. Shooting Star wears a pair of specially-designed "star shooters," which look like six-shooters but which actually shoot projectiles made of an unknown material, shaped like five-pointed stars. The stars paralyze living beings they hit, with one star capable of paralyzing a 6 feet (1.8 m) man for approximately 30 minutes. She wears boots which contain miniature gyroscope
Gyroscope
A gyroscope is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, based on the principles of angular momentum. In essence, a mechanical gyroscope is a spinning wheel or disk whose axle is free to take any orientation...
s, which keep her oriented correctly as she rides the winds generated by Texas Twister.
Other versions
In Fantastic Four Big Town, Shooting Star is a blonde superhero created by Professor XProfessor X
Professor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
and Henry Pym
Henry Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27...
. Her real name is "Vicki" and she possesses flight and energy powers which manifest as glowing circles around her hands.