Star Brand
Encyclopedia
The Star Brand is the name of a number of similar fiction
al comic book
objects of power all of which exist in the multiverse
created by the shared universe
s of Marvel Comics
. Two of these Star Brands have been prominently featured in two separate series published by Marvel.
The original Star Brand is a star-shaped tattoo
-like mark that first appeared in the comic book series Star Brand, published by Marvel Comics as a part of its New Universe
imprint
from 1986
to 1989
. All of the other Star Brands are alternates of this original version.
The Star Brand gave its bearer infinite, god-like powers, limited only by the wielder's imagination (see below). After the end of the series and the New Universe imprint, the Star Brand made appearances in Marvel's main shared universe, the Marvel Universe
.
The second notable Star Brand is a glowing glyph
, shaped like the original Star Brand and giving identical powers. This Star Brand is featured in newuniversal
, a series featuring a universe that is a reimagining
of the original New Universe that began publication in 2006
.
The power of the Star Brand must be called up by the bearer's will (except for its preservative properties, which function subconsciously). If the bearer is frightened or disoriented, it is possible for their control to slip and leave him defenseless. Anger focuses the power, and will automatically activate it before the user can consciously do so. In time, the bearer uses the Star Brand instinctively until, if he wishes it, he has to consciously choose to turn it off.
With time, imagination and will, the bearer of the Star Brand can expand its abilities into anything he can conceive of. Early examples are learning to direct its destructive energy into controlled bolts and healing wounds of the bearer or others at will. Expanded powers have included the
ability to "burn-out" the powers of other paranormals, creating objects from nothing (up to entire cities), reconstructing and redesigning the bodies of living beings, rendering inert all nuclear warheads on the planet and even time travel.
The brand itself is roughly the size of the palm of the hand and as far as has been shown is immaterial and effectively only two-dimensional. The Brand is utterly black in color and is smooth and warm to the touch. As long as it is somewhere on their skin the bearer may wield its powers. The brand can be transferred to another part of the body if the bearer wills it by skin-to-skin contact, thus the bearer can choose to place the Star Brand anywhere on his person, willing it into his hand then placing it anywhere on their body. However, this transfer involves some energy discharge, and the brand will burn off any hair it is placed over. The Star Brand and its power can be transferred to another person, but former owners are always left with a remnant of about 10% of its power, a remnant which regenerates and in time will grow to equal the original. In the series, the inaccuracy of the statement "10% of infinity" was noted, but never dealt with directly.
The Star Brand must be carried by a sentient being, otherwise its energy is spontaneously released in a massive uncontrolled explosion. The two most significant events of the New Universe, the White Event
and the destruction of Pittsburgh (later dubbed the Black Event), were caused by attempts to transfer the Star Brand to inanimate objects.
There is some risk of "fallout" from massive uses of the Star Brand's power. Backlash from the Star Brand has occasionally altered nearby landscape and life.
, was a result of one user's attempt to place the Star Brand on an inanimate object (an asteroid
) in order to rid himself of the power. The brand, unchecked by a higher intelligence, released a huge amount of energy in a single blast. This energy bombarded Earth, mutating a portion of the population and endowing them with various paranormal traits or abilities. This phenomenon set the stage for all the New Universe titles.
, the writer of the New Universe title DP7
, who still retained a great fondness for the New Universe, decided to use the Star Brand and other New Universe characters some years later when he was the writer for Quasar
. He later used them in the Starblast limited series
and crossover
which ended when The Stranger
used the Starbrand to move the Earth of the New Universe into orbit around his labworld.
#19, published in August 2000. Writer Fabian Nicieza
asked illustrators Yannick Paquette and Sean Parsons to include Star Brand as one of the characters glimpsed in a page that showed a variety of Marvel's alternate realities.
re-imagined the New Universe and has since named it newuniversal
, portraying Kenneth Connell as the Star Brand, originally from Optima Down, Oklahoma. The origin of the Star Brand is central to the entire New Universe re-imagining. The Star Brand was supposedly artificially created by a long-dead alien race as a tool that confers amazing powers to its wielder. The purpose of the Star Brand glyph (tattoo) is to help the transition of a world through the inevitable paradigm shift
caused when it comes into contact with a web of strange matter
, called "newuniversal structure", wherein normal physical laws operate differently. Specifically, the newuniversal web causes normal humans to become superhumans, or paranormals.
Ken represents an average man whose life is drastically changed, which is one of the major themes in newuniversal. Ken’s life is a relatively normal one where the most dangerous thing about it is that the city’s sheriff hates him because he is dating his daughter, Madeline Felix. After a night out drinking Kenneth and Madeline fall asleep on a hillside. In the early hours of March 1, 2006, while they sleep, the White Event
takes place, granting him the Star Brand glyph. Ken wakes to find Madeline dead beside him, burned to death when the White Event granted him the star brand. The energies were so strong that a symbol of the Star Brand had been scorched into the hillside around them, with Kenneth at its center. The events of the following few hours push him over the edge as they move far too quickly for him to handle.
Ken spends the next two weeks in a deep depression, coming to terms with his new powers and supposed responsibilities. Believing that Madeline’s death was caused by the fact that he was asleep and therefore unable to consciously control the energies of the Star Brand (not limiting the Star Brand with conscious control), he decides to ”wake up” and deal with it.
The re-imagined newuniversal has only just begun, as such the powers and abilities of the Star Brand have yet to be fully explained.
during that series' "Worlds Tour" story-arc. The issues depicting this story are #72 - 74, January through March of 2006
.
This story is set in a slightly different version of the New Universe (designated as Earth-15731), prior to the Pitt. It sees the Exiles join forces with D.P.7
and Ken Connell to prevent an alternate version of Proteus
from taking control of Connell's body and the Star Brand itself.
, a version of Ken Connell appeared briefly as one of the Alternate Avengers fighting in The Destiny War.
The three Star Brand marks are also pictured - each one looks distinctly different (and none of them resemble the New Universe version).
limited series
Legends
(March-1987), Guy Gardner
battles a villain called "Sunspot", who is a parody of both Ken Connell and original Star Brand creator Jim Shooter (who modeled many aspects of the Connell character on himself). At one point Sunspot exclaims "I wield the ultimate power...the power to create a New Universe..." Issued around the time of the failure of the New Universe line and Shooter's departure from Marvel, the scene in Legends depicts Shooter/Connell/Sunspot accidentally shooting off his own foot.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
objects of power all of which exist in the multiverse
Multiverse (Marvel Comics)
Within Marvel Comics, most tales take place within the fictional Marvel Universe, which in turn is part of a larger multiverse. Starting with issues of Captain Britain, the main continuity in which most Marvel storylines take place was designated Earth-616, and the multiverse was established as...
created by the shared universe
Shared universe
A shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes. Work set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. Shared universes are contrasted with collaborative writing, in which multiple authors work on a single story....
s of Marvel Comics
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...
. Two of these Star Brands have been prominently featured in two separate series published by Marvel.
The original Star Brand is a star-shaped tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
-like mark that first appeared in the comic book series Star Brand, published by Marvel Comics as a part of its New Universe
New Universe
The New Universe is a comic book imprint from Marvel Comics that was published in its original incarnation from 1986 to 1989. It was created by Jim Shooter, Archie Goodwin, Eliot R. Brown, John Morelli, Mark Gruenwald, Tom DeFalco and edited by Michael Higgins.In 1986, in honor of Marvel Comics'...
imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
from 1986
1986 in comics
-Year overall:* Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, a four-issue limited series written and drawn by Frank Miller and published by DC Comics, debuts...
to 1989
1989 in comics
-Year overall:* "Inferno" company-wide Marvel Comics crossover continues, involving the mutant titles The Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, The New Mutants, and Excalibur, as well as the X-Terminators limited series and various other Marvel titles...
. All of the other Star Brands are alternates of this original version.
The Star Brand gave its bearer infinite, god-like powers, limited only by the wielder's imagination (see below). After the end of the series and the New Universe imprint, the Star Brand made appearances in Marvel's main shared universe, the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
.
The second notable Star Brand is a glowing glyph
Glyph
A glyph is an element of writing: an individual mark on a written medium that contributes to the meaning of what is written. A glyph is made up of one or more graphemes....
, shaped like the original Star Brand and giving identical powers. This Star Brand is featured in newuniversal
Newuniversal
newuniversal is a comic book series by writer Warren Ellis, artist Salvador Larroca and colorist Jason Keith, published by Marvel Comics. The series is a re-imagining of Marvel's New Universe concepts, launched to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the New Universe's creation in 1986.As with the...
, a series featuring a universe that is a reimagining
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
of the original New Universe that began publication in 2006
2006 in comics
-January:*January 1, 2006: Newsweek offer a look back at 2005 through editorial cartoons. *January 2, 2006: The Cincinnati Enquirer cartoonist Jim Borgman starts a blog to detail his creative process...
.
Powers and function
The most easily attainable powers of the Star Brand are flight, incredible strength, invulnerability and the ability to unleash blasts of destructive energy, up to the equivalent of a nuclear explosion in force (this last power is problematic, as the blast manifests as a sphere centered on the wielder indiscriminately destroying everything in his vicinity). In addition, the brand makes the bearer immortal, preserving him from aging and reviving and regenerating his body upon its violent death (Upon reviving, the Star Brand bearer will first take on a transitory but freakish alien shape before reverting to his normal human appearance; more than once, this has led observers to erroneously believe that the bearer is an alien masquerading as a human). The Star Brand's power also has a minor mutagenic aspect, in that those who wield it for a great number of years will grow taller and more massive. It is possible that all these "basic" abilities are the result of the infinite power of the Star Brand responding to the subconscious desires of the bearer.The power of the Star Brand must be called up by the bearer's will (except for its preservative properties, which function subconsciously). If the bearer is frightened or disoriented, it is possible for their control to slip and leave him defenseless. Anger focuses the power, and will automatically activate it before the user can consciously do so. In time, the bearer uses the Star Brand instinctively until, if he wishes it, he has to consciously choose to turn it off.
With time, imagination and will, the bearer of the Star Brand can expand its abilities into anything he can conceive of. Early examples are learning to direct its destructive energy into controlled bolts and healing wounds of the bearer or others at will. Expanded powers have included the
ability to "burn-out" the powers of other paranormals, creating objects from nothing (up to entire cities), reconstructing and redesigning the bodies of living beings, rendering inert all nuclear warheads on the planet and even time travel.
The brand itself is roughly the size of the palm of the hand and as far as has been shown is immaterial and effectively only two-dimensional. The Brand is utterly black in color and is smooth and warm to the touch. As long as it is somewhere on their skin the bearer may wield its powers. The brand can be transferred to another part of the body if the bearer wills it by skin-to-skin contact, thus the bearer can choose to place the Star Brand anywhere on his person, willing it into his hand then placing it anywhere on their body. However, this transfer involves some energy discharge, and the brand will burn off any hair it is placed over. The Star Brand and its power can be transferred to another person, but former owners are always left with a remnant of about 10% of its power, a remnant which regenerates and in time will grow to equal the original. In the series, the inaccuracy of the statement "10% of infinity" was noted, but never dealt with directly.
The Star Brand must be carried by a sentient being, otherwise its energy is spontaneously released in a massive uncontrolled explosion. The two most significant events of the New Universe, the White Event
White Event
The White Event was a fictional occurrence which played a key role in Marvel Comics' New Universe line.-New Universe:The White Event was the name given to a mysterious blinding flash of light which bathed the Earth on July 22, 1986, at 4:22am EST...
and the destruction of Pittsburgh (later dubbed the Black Event), were caused by attempts to transfer the Star Brand to inanimate objects.
There is some risk of "fallout" from massive uses of the Star Brand's power. Backlash from the Star Brand has occasionally altered nearby landscape and life.
Back story
The defining event of the New Universe, the White EventWhite Event
The White Event was a fictional occurrence which played a key role in Marvel Comics' New Universe line.-New Universe:The White Event was the name given to a mysterious blinding flash of light which bathed the Earth on July 22, 1986, at 4:22am EST...
, was a result of one user's attempt to place the Star Brand on an inanimate object (an asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
) in order to rid himself of the power. The brand, unchecked by a higher intelligence, released a huge amount of energy in a single blast. This energy bombarded Earth, mutating a portion of the population and endowing them with various paranormal traits or abilities. This phenomenon set the stage for all the New Universe titles.
Wielders
There were four men who wielded the power of the Star Brand during the course of the original series run:- Ken Connell is the main character through most of the series. He is a car mechanic from PittsburghPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
who receives the Star Brand on Saturday, August 2, 1986, from a mysterious Old Man he meets in the woods while dirtbiking. Ken tries to use his powers to help others, but usually finds his efforts thwarted by the complexities of the real world, his own personal failings and his unwillingness to publicly reveal himself. At first, he was given a costume by the Old Man based upon his dirtbiking suit, which was allegedly as invulnerable as he. However, he rarely had the chance to change into it during a crisis and eventually its invulnerability was exposed as an illusion. Later, Connell attempted to become a traditional superhero, donning a spandex bodysuit and mask to openly thwart terrorists on several occasions. However, this superhero career was short-lived and led to disaster. Though intelligent, he was self-involved and lacked the imagination and curiosity that would allow him to understand and wield the brand to its fullest potential. He eventually decided that he would be better off without his powers, and unintentionally caused the destruction of all of Pittsburgh (the Black Event) when attempting to transfer the brand to a non-living object.
- The Old Man was the first known wielder of the brand. Originally he claimed to be an alien warrior engaged in a cosmic struggle against conquerors who desperately wanted to steal his power for themselves. Later it was revealed that he was a centuries-old Dutch trader who had received the Star Brand from a blast from the sky and had been kept alive by its power. After his failure to get rid of the Star Brand by placing it on an asteroid in space (and thereby causing the White Event), he returned to Earth and gave the brand to the first person he encountered, Ken Connell. Later regretting this decision, he attempted to trick Connell into giving the brand back to him, and failing that, resorted to terrorizing Connell on numerous occasions. After being defeated by Connell several times, he was revealed to be an older version of Connell himself who had been thrown 500 years into the past by the Star Child.
- The Star Child/Star Baby: was the illegitimate son of Ken Connell and his girlfriend Debbie "The Duck" Fix. Conceived while Connell wielded the Star Brand, he was born fully possessed and conscious of its power, growing at an extremely accelerated rate both physically and mentally due to its influence. He was much more selfless than his father, and had a much more instinctual grasp of the Star Brand and how to use it, but was at first painfully ignorant of the ways of the world. After several naive attempts to improve the world through direct use of his power, he retreated to space to meditate for an extended time on how best to apply the star brand's potential. Eventually, he realized that the Star Brand was a cosmic anomaly and no good could come of its continued existence. Soon after he formulated and enacted a plan to seal its power away forever by gathering all the bearers of the power and locking them in a loop of time. However, the Star Child neglected to isolate the power which had accidentally been transferred to pilot Jim Hanrahan, who later, when Quasar was blasted into the New Universe, transferred his portion of the power to QuasarQuasar (comics)Quasar is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the . He is one of Marvel's cosmic heroes, a character whose adventures frequently take him into outer space or other dimensions...
.
- Jacob Burnsley was the fourth wielder of the Star Brand, chosen by the Star Child to watch over the world while he contemplated the Star Brand's role in isolation. Deciding that much of the trouble caused by the Brand was the result of it being held by a young man lacking wisdom or experience, the Star Child instead chose an older man who would be less impulsive. Burnsley was a retired janitor and veteran of World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
who used his power only after much consideration and put it to many new uses. In his time, he depowered the power-hungry paranormal president of the United States Philip Nolan VoigtPhilip Nolan VoigtPhilip Nolan Voigt is a fictional character from Marvel Comics New Universe, first appearing in D.P. 7 #1 in 1986.- Fictional character biography :...
and attempted to restore Pittsburgh after its destruction.
Writers
- Jim ShooterJim ShooterJames Shooter is an American writer, occasional fill-in artist, editor, and publisher for various comic books. Although he started professionally in the medium at the extraordinarily young age of 14, he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comics' ninth...
- Star Brand #1-7 (October 1986-May 1987) - Roy ThomasRoy ThomasRoy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
- Star Brand #7 (May 1987) - Cary BatesCary BatesCary Bates is an American comic book, animation television and film writer.-Biography:Bates began submitting ideas for comic book covers to DC Comics at the age of 13, and a number of them were bought and published, the first as the cover to Superman #167...
- Star Brand #8-9 (July 1987-September 1987) - George CaragonneGeorge CaragonneGeorge Caragonne was a writer of comic books, primarily for Marvel Comics and their subsidiary Star Comics, throughout the 1980s...
- Star Brand #10 (November 1987) - John Byrne - The Star Brand #11-19 (January 1988-May 1989)
- Bobbie Chase - Star Brand Annual #1 (1987)
Art
- John Romita, Jr.John Romita, Jr.John Salvatore Romita, Jr. is an American comic book artist best known for his extensive work for Marvel Comics from the 1970s to the 2000s...
- Star Brand #1-2, 4-7 (October 1986-November 1986, January 1987-May 1987) - Alex SaviukAlex SaviukAlex Saviuk is an American comic book artist primarily known for his work on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man.-Biography:Saviuk was born on August 17, 1952 Alex Saviuk (born August 17, 1953) is an American comic book artist primarily known for his work on the Marvel Comics character...
- Star Brand #3 (December 1986) - Arvell JonesArvell JonesArvell Jones is an American comic book illustrator best known for his work for Marvel Comics, and for DC Comics and its imprint Milestone Media.-Biography:...
- Star Brand #8 (July 1987) - Keith GiffenKeith GiffenKeith Ian Giffen is an American comic book illustrator and writer.-Biography:Giffen was born in Queens, New York City....
- Star Brand #9 (September 1987) - Mark BagleyMark BagleyMark Bagley is an American comic book artist. He has worked for Marvel Comics and DC Comics on such titles as The Amazing Spider-Man, Thunderbolts, New Warriors, and Ultimate Spider-Man.- Early life and career :...
- Star Brand #10 (November 1987) - John Byrne - The Star Brand #11-19 (January 1988-May 1989)
- Geof Isherwood - Star Brand Annual #1 (1987)
Collections
- Star Brand Classic Vol. 1 (collecting Star Brand #1-7, paperback), ISBN 0-7851-2352-0.
Reintroduction
Following the dissolution of the New Universe imprint, Mark GruenwaldMark Gruenwald
Mark E. Gruenwald was an American comic book writer, editor, and occasional penciler. Gruenwald got his start in comics fandom, publishing his own fanzine, Omniverse, which explored the concept of continuity...
, the writer of the New Universe title DP7
DP7 (comics)
D.P. 7 was a 32-issue comic book series published by Marvel Comics as a part their New Universe imprint. It ran from 1986 to 1989. Along with Justice and Psi-Force, it was one of the few New Universe titles to last for 32 issues....
, who still retained a great fondness for the New Universe, decided to use the Star Brand and other New Universe characters some years later when he was the writer for Quasar
Quasar (comics)
Quasar is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the . He is one of Marvel's cosmic heroes, a character whose adventures frequently take him into outer space or other dimensions...
. He later used them in the Starblast limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
and crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
which ended when The Stranger
Stranger (comics)
The Stranger is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The Stranger first appeared in X-Men #11 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
used the Starbrand to move the Earth of the New Universe into orbit around his labworld.
Wielders
During this period there were five individuals who wielded the Star Brand:- Jim Hanrahan first appeared in the final issue of the original Starbrand series, though his last name was not given until Quasar #56. Jim was a fighterFighter aircraftA fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
pilotAviatorAn aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
who, during a flight encountered the Star Child, lost control of his jet and crashed. When he awoke on the ground he was unharmed save for a strange tattoo on his hand. The revelation of this remnant of the Starbrand surviving its destruction was the last panel of the original series, and served as a "stinger" ending to the complete story. After recovering, Hanrahan's new powers manifested and he had a recurring dreamDreamDreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
in which the Star Child saved him during his crash and used the Starbrand to heal him by imparting it to him. Fearing a repetition of the paranormal disaster which had destroyed Pittsburgh, Hanrahan kept his abilities a secret and never used them. Stranded in the New Universe, the hero Quasar sought him out to acquire the Star Brand's power to return home. Leery of giving the power to a complete stranger (one who claimed to be a superhero from what in the New Universe was a fictional comicbook, no less) Hanrahan spent hours questioning Quasar to learn his character before relenting and giving the Star Brand away.
- Quasar returned to the mainstream Marvel universe through the use of the Starbrand. At first, he believed that the supreme effort of bridging not just dimensions but whole quanta of reality (the New Universe was not simply a parallel reality but a fundamentally different continuum from any of the alternate Marvel universes) had used up all the power of the Starbrand. However, a trace remained and once back he accidentally passed it on to his secretarySecretaryA secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
Kayla Ballantine, unconsciously imprinting the Star Brand on to the base of her neck.
- Kayla Ballantine was Quasar's secretary at the time she received the Star Brand. Once her powers began to manifest, she became the target of numerous alien individuals and groups. These include the Dance, the Chief ExaminerChief ExaminerThe Chief Examiner was a fictional character, an alien appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. It would study a superhuman, often by forcing them to run through some sort of deathtrap scenario, then used the collected data to create duplicates of the superhuman being. It appeared in the Questprobe...
, and a group of interplanetary mauraders known as the Starblasters. Ballantine would eventually pass the Star Brand on to The StrangerStranger (comics)The Stranger is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The Stranger first appeared in X-Men #11 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
in order to prevent Skeletron (the leader of the Starblasters) from forcibly taking the Star Brand. After the threat posed by the Starblasters was over the Star Brand was returned to Ballantine. She remained on the New Universe Earth after it was moved into the Marvel Universe and cut off from the rest of that universe.
- Ereshkigal, a Deviant who briefly succeeded in taking the Star Brand from Kayla Ballantine and began to wreak havoc with it. EreshkigalEreshkigal (Marvel Comics)-Goddess:Ereshkigel, a Babylonian goddess, first appeared in Thor Annual #10, in 1981. She was part of a group of Death gods trying to increase their power, but she was absorbed along with the others by Demogorge, the God-Eater. Ereshkigal and the other gods were freed by Thor, and have not made...
was swiftly confronted by Quasar and the Silver SurferSilver SurferThe Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
. When the Living TribunalLiving TribunalThe Living Tribunal is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #157 June 1967 and was created by Stan Lee, Marie Severin and Herb Trimpe.-Publication history:The Living Tribunal debuted in a storyline called "The...
intervened, she chose suicide over surrender, using the Brand's power to disintegrate herself.
- The Stranger's first action after taking possession of the Star Brand was to move the earth of the New Universe into the Marvel Universe and place it in orbit around his labworld. His intention was to use it for his experiments. This was prevented when the Living Tribunal arrived and judged the Star Brand to be a threat to the hierarchy of the cosmic powers of the Marvel Universe. A barrier was placed around the New Universe Earth in order to quarantineQuarantineQuarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
it from the rest of the universe.
Cameo appearances
The Star Brand appeared briefly in GambitGambit (comics)
Gambit is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero that has been a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee, the character first appeared briefly in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 , weeks before a more comprehensive appearance in Uncanny X-Men #266...
#19, published in August 2000. Writer Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza is an American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Cable and Deadpool, and Thunderbolts, for all of which he helped create numerous characters.-Early life:The son of Omar and Irma Riguetti Nicieza, Fabian...
asked illustrators Yannick Paquette and Sean Parsons to include Star Brand as one of the characters glimpsed in a page that showed a variety of Marvel's alternate realities.
newuniversal - Star Brand
Writer Warren EllisWarren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
re-imagined the New Universe and has since named it newuniversal
Newuniversal
newuniversal is a comic book series by writer Warren Ellis, artist Salvador Larroca and colorist Jason Keith, published by Marvel Comics. The series is a re-imagining of Marvel's New Universe concepts, launched to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the New Universe's creation in 1986.As with the...
, portraying Kenneth Connell as the Star Brand, originally from Optima Down, Oklahoma. The origin of the Star Brand is central to the entire New Universe re-imagining. The Star Brand was supposedly artificially created by a long-dead alien race as a tool that confers amazing powers to its wielder. The purpose of the Star Brand glyph (tattoo) is to help the transition of a world through the inevitable paradigm shift
Paradigm shift
A Paradigm shift is, according to Thomas Kuhn in his influential book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions , a change in the basic assumptions, or paradigms, within the ruling theory of science...
caused when it comes into contact with a web of strange matter
Strange matter
Strange matter is a particular form of quark matter, usually thought of as a "liquid" of up, down, and strange quarks. It is to be contrasted with nuclear matter, which is a liquid of neutrons and protons , and with non-strange quark matter, which is a quark liquid containing only up and down quarks...
, called "newuniversal structure", wherein normal physical laws operate differently. Specifically, the newuniversal web causes normal humans to become superhumans, or paranormals.
Ken represents an average man whose life is drastically changed, which is one of the major themes in newuniversal. Ken’s life is a relatively normal one where the most dangerous thing about it is that the city’s sheriff hates him because he is dating his daughter, Madeline Felix. After a night out drinking Kenneth and Madeline fall asleep on a hillside. In the early hours of March 1, 2006, while they sleep, the White Event
White Event
The White Event was a fictional occurrence which played a key role in Marvel Comics' New Universe line.-New Universe:The White Event was the name given to a mysterious blinding flash of light which bathed the Earth on July 22, 1986, at 4:22am EST...
takes place, granting him the Star Brand glyph. Ken wakes to find Madeline dead beside him, burned to death when the White Event granted him the star brand. The energies were so strong that a symbol of the Star Brand had been scorched into the hillside around them, with Kenneth at its center. The events of the following few hours push him over the edge as they move far too quickly for him to handle.
Ken spends the next two weeks in a deep depression, coming to terms with his new powers and supposed responsibilities. Believing that Madeline’s death was caused by the fact that he was asleep and therefore unable to consciously control the energies of the Star Brand (not limiting the Star Brand with conscious control), he decides to ”wake up” and deal with it.
The re-imagined newuniversal has only just begun, as such the powers and abilities of the Star Brand have yet to be fully explained.
Exiles
Alternate versions of Ken Connell and the Star Brand appear in ExilesExiles (Marvel Comics)
The Exiles are a group of fictional characters that feature in three Marvel Comics series, Exiles, New Exiles, and Exiles vol. 2. The Exiles consists of characters from different dimensions, or realities, which have been removed from time and space in order to correct problems in various alternate...
during that series' "Worlds Tour" story-arc. The issues depicting this story are #72 - 74, January through March of 2006
2006 in comics
-January:*January 1, 2006: Newsweek offer a look back at 2005 through editorial cartoons. *January 2, 2006: The Cincinnati Enquirer cartoonist Jim Borgman starts a blog to detail his creative process...
.
This story is set in a slightly different version of the New Universe (designated as Earth-15731), prior to the Pitt. It sees the Exiles join forces with D.P.7
DP7 (comics)
D.P. 7 was a 32-issue comic book series published by Marvel Comics as a part their New Universe imprint. It ran from 1986 to 1989. Along with Justice and Psi-Force, it was one of the few New Universe titles to last for 32 issues....
and Ken Connell to prevent an alternate version of Proteus
Proteus (comics)
Kevin MacTaggert, best known as Proteus and also called Mutant X, is a Marvel Comics character, associated with the X-Men.Kevin was the mutant son of Scottish genetic researcher Moira MacTaggert and politician Joseph MacTaggert...
from taking control of Connell's body and the Star Brand itself.
Avengers Forever
In 1998 - 1999 miniseries Avengers ForeverAvengers Forever
Avengers Forever is a twelve-issue comic book limited series published from December 1998 to November 1999 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern and drawn by Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino.-Publication history:...
, a version of Ken Connell appeared briefly as one of the Alternate Avengers fighting in The Destiny War.
Untold Tales of the New Universe
Untold Tales of the New Universe: Star Brand (2006) briefly mentions three more alternate versions that have been investigated by Arden and her fellow Lateral Shifters:- The Star Brand of Earth-541 has united the world under his own rule, appointing himself as a global monarch and imposing world peace.
- The Star Brand of Earth-723 has channeled his power into music, using that power to unite the people of his world.
- The Star Brand of Earth-886 protects her world from "powerful evil forces" and is the "idol of billions".
The three Star Brand marks are also pictured - each one looks distinctly different (and none of them resemble the New Universe version).
Legends
In issue number five of the DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
Legends
Legends (comics)
"Legends" was a comic book crossover story line that ran through a six-issue, self titled limited series and various other titles published by DC Comics in 1986 and 1987...
(March-1987), Guy Gardner
Guy Gardner (comics)
Guy Gardner is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. He is a core member of the Green Lantern family of characters, and for a time was also a significant member of the Justice League family of characters.He was created by John Broome and Gil Kane in Green Lantern...
battles a villain called "Sunspot", who is a parody of both Ken Connell and original Star Brand creator Jim Shooter (who modeled many aspects of the Connell character on himself). At one point Sunspot exclaims "I wield the ultimate power...the power to create a New Universe..." Issued around the time of the failure of the New Universe line and Shooter's departure from Marvel, the scene in Legends depicts Shooter/Connell/Sunspot accidentally shooting off his own foot.