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Starfire (DC Comics)
Encyclopedia
Starfire is a fictional character
a swordswoman published by DC Comics
. She first appeared in Starfire #1 (August 1976), and was created by David Michelinie
and Mike Vosburg
.
in 1972. Her series lasted only eight issues. According to this original series, Starfire's world was long ago involved in a civil war
between two caste
s: the warrior-priests and the Lightning Lords (scientist
s). Unable to prevail upon each other alone, each caste summoned an alien race to serve their cause. The warrior-priests summoned the Mygorg and the Lightning Lords the Yorgs. The two alien races were hereditary enemies and indeed resumed their war in their new planet. However, both turned the tables on their summoners and intended masters by enslaving them. The world was divided among the two, Mygorg and Yorg, which continued to war against each other. The original human
-like inhabitants continued to survive in slavery
. Starfire was born as the daughter of two slaves of different skin color
. Her father was "yellow" and her mother "white". Both slaves belonged to the Mygorg. Sookarooth, King of the Mygorg took notice of the young girl of mixed heritage and beautiful appearance. He arranged for her to be raised free and educated in his own palace, Castle Mollachon.
When Starfire reached her eighteenth birthday, Sookarooth announced her to be his future mate. She fled in disgust but was pursued by the royal forces. She was saved by Dagan, a warrior-priest. The two became lovers and Dagan trained her as a warrior. Starfire became skilled in swordsmanship
, archery
, tracking
, and other skills typical to a warrior-priest. Their shared life ended when Dagan was captured by Sookarooth. He was at first tortured and then executed. A vengeful Starfire returned to Castle Mollachon and raised its slaves in revolt. She slew Sookareth herself and then vowed to free her people from slavery. The following issues had Starfire recruiting additional followers to her side and seeking more effective weapons against the Mygorg, the Yorg, and a number of hostile local factions. The series ended before a resolution could be reached.
were revealed as two of the "eternal champions of the Sornaii" on the world of Pytharia (pseudo Earth). The implications of this revelation were never explored as the Star Hunters series ended in a cliffhanger
. Presumably writer David Michelinie was inspired by the Eternal Champion
concept of Michael Moorcock
.
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
a swordswoman published by DC Comics
DC 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...
. She first appeared in Starfire #1 (August 1976), and was created by David Michelinie
David Michelinie
-Biography:Some of his earliest work is for DC Comics's House of Secrets and a run on Swamp Thing , following Len Wein and preceding Gerry Conway, illustrated by Nestor Redondo. Michelinie did a run on Aquaman in Adventure Comics which led to the revival of the Sea King's own title in 1977...
and Mike Vosburg
Mike Vosburg
Mike Vosburg is an American comic book artist primarily known for his work on the Tales from the Crypt TV series.-Biography:...
.
Origin
The fourth DC Comics character to use the name Starfire was a dark-haired woman. The character's series took place on a strange alien world. Starfire was the first DC heroine to receive her own title since SupergirlSupergirl
Supergirl is a female counterpart to the DC Comics Superman. As his cousin, she shares his super powers and vulnerability to Kryptonite. She was created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino in 1959. She first appeared in the Action Comics comic book series and later branched out...
in 1972. Her series lasted only eight issues. According to this original series, Starfire's world was long ago involved in a civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
between two caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
s: the warrior-priests and the Lightning Lords (scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
s). Unable to prevail upon each other alone, each caste summoned an alien race to serve their cause. The warrior-priests summoned the Mygorg and the Lightning Lords the Yorgs. The two alien races were hereditary enemies and indeed resumed their war in their new planet. However, both turned the tables on their summoners and intended masters by enslaving them. The world was divided among the two, Mygorg and Yorg, which continued to war against each other. The original human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
-like inhabitants continued to survive in slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
. Starfire was born as the daughter of two slaves of different skin color
Human skin color
Human skin color is primarily due to the presence of melanin in the skin. Skin color ranges from almost black to white with a pinkish tinge due to blood vessels underneath. Variation in natural skin color is mainly due to genetics, although the evolutionary causes are not completely certain...
. Her father was "yellow" and her mother "white". Both slaves belonged to the Mygorg. Sookarooth, King of the Mygorg took notice of the young girl of mixed heritage and beautiful appearance. He arranged for her to be raised free and educated in his own palace, Castle Mollachon.
When Starfire reached her eighteenth birthday, Sookarooth announced her to be his future mate. She fled in disgust but was pursued by the royal forces. She was saved by Dagan, a warrior-priest. The two became lovers and Dagan trained her as a warrior. Starfire became skilled in swordsmanship
Swordsmanship
Swordsmanship refers to the skills of a swordsman, a person versed in the art of the sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to any martial art involving the use of a sword...
, archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
, tracking
Tracking (hunting)
Tracking in hunting and ecology is the science and art of observing animal tracks and other signs, with the goal of gaining understanding of the landscape and the animal being tracked...
, and other skills typical to a warrior-priest. Their shared life ended when Dagan was captured by Sookarooth. He was at first tortured and then executed. A vengeful Starfire returned to Castle Mollachon and raised its slaves in revolt. She slew Sookareth herself and then vowed to free her people from slavery. The following issues had Starfire recruiting additional followers to her side and seeking more effective weapons against the Mygorg, the Yorg, and a number of hostile local factions. The series ended before a resolution could be reached.
Star Hunters
In Star Hunters #7 (Oct.-Nov. 1978), Starfire and Claw the UnconqueredClaw the Unconquered
Claw is a fictional character, a sword and sorcery hero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Claw the Unconquered #1 , and was created by David Michelinie and Ernie Chan.Similar in many ways to Robert E...
were revealed as two of the "eternal champions of the Sornaii" on the world of Pytharia (pseudo Earth). The implications of this revelation were never explored as the Star Hunters series ended in a cliffhanger
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
. Presumably writer David Michelinie was inspired by the Eternal Champion
Eternal Champion
The Eternal Champion is a fictional creation of the author Michael Moorcock and is a recurrent feature in many of his novels.-About the Eternal Champion:...
concept of Michael Moorcock
Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
.
Time Masters: Vanishing Point
Starfire returns in Time Masters: Vanishing Point #2 where she meets Booster GoldBooster Gold
Booster Gold is a fictional DC Comics superhero. Created by Dan Jurgens, he first appeared in Booster Gold #1 and has been a member of the Justice League, DC Comics' all-star team of heroes. The character is initially depicted as a glory-seeking showboat from the future, using knowledge of...
.
Other versions
- In Swamp ThingSwamp ThingSwamp Thing, a fictional character, is a plant elemental in the created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson. He first appeared in House of Secrets #92 in a stand-alone horror story set in the early 20th century . The Swamp Thing then returned in his own series, set in the contemporary world and in...
vol. 2 #163 (February, 1996), Starfire and Claw were among several sword and sorcerySword and sorcerySword and sorcery is a sub-genre of fantasy and historical fantasy, generally characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural...
characters attempting to escape an increasingly unstable NightmasterNightmasterThe Nightmaster is a fictional character, a sword and sorcery hero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Showcase #82 , and was created by Denny O'Neil and Jerry Grandenetti.-Publication history:...
. That storyline apparently revealed that they were all creations of the subconscious mind of Nightmaster himself. According to Swamp Thing: "nothing more than your retreat from the real world … brought to life by the scale of your misery". Later appearances by both Nightmaster and the other sword and sorcery characters have chosen to ignore this storyline and its implications. - In StarmanStarman (Jack Knight)Starman is fictional character, a comic book superhero in the , and a member of the Justice Society of America. He is the son of the original Starman, Ted Knight...
#55 (July, 1999), Jack Knight and Mikaal TomasStarman (comics)Starman is a name used by several different fictional DC Comics superheroes, most prominently Ted Knight and his sons David and Jack.Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Jack Burnley, the original Starman, Ted Knight, first appeared in Adventure Comics #61...
are reported to have saved Starfire from Jarko the space pirateSpace pirateSpace pirates are a type of stock characters from science fiction. They operate as pirates in outer space and travel by spacecraft; as opposed to the more traditional pirates on the high seas of Earth, who travel by boat...
. However the issue featured the incident retold in three different flashbackFlashback (narrative)Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
versions by Space CabbySpace CabbieSpace Cabbie is a science fiction character that first appeared in the comic book Mystery in Space #21 . He was series created by Otto Binder and Howard Sherman.-Fictional character biography:...
, Space RangerSpace RangerSpace Ranger is a science fiction hero who was published by DC Comics in several of their 1950s and 1960s anthology titles. He first appeared in Showcase #15 , and was created by writers Edmond Hamilton and Gardner Fox, and artist Bob Brown...
, and Ultra the Multi-AlienUltra the Multi-AlienUltra the Multi-Alien was a science fiction superhero featured in comics published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Mystery in Space #103 , pushing out Adam Strange and Space Ranger from that title...
. Each version involved different Starfires. One version featured this Starfire while the other two featured Leonid KovarRed Star (comics)Red Star is a fictional Russian superhero in the DC Universe. A former member of the Teen Titans, he first appeared under the name Starfire in Teen Titans #18...
and Koriand'rStarfire (comics)Starfire is the name of several fictional comic book characters published by DC Comics. The most prominent Starfire is Koriand'r, the fourth character to use that name...
respectively.