Starman (DC Comics Modern Age)
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Starman (Jack Knight) is fictional
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...
in the and a member of the
Justice Society of America The Justice Society of America (JSA) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic Books. It first appeared in '' ...
. He is the son of the original Starman,
Ted Knight Ted Knight (born Tadeusz Wladyslaw Konopka; December 7, 1923August 26, 1986) was an American actor known for playing the comedic roles of Ted Baxter in ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'', Henry Rush in '' Too Close for Comfort'' and Judge Elihu Sm ...
. Created by James Robinson and Tony Harris, he first appeared in '' Zero Hour'' #1 (September 1994).


Publication history


Fictional character biography


Origin

Jack is the son of
Ted Knight Ted Knight (born Tadeusz Wladyslaw Konopka; December 7, 1923August 26, 1986) was an American actor known for playing the comedic roles of Ted Baxter in ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'', Henry Rush in '' Too Close for Comfort'' and Judge Elihu Sm ...
, who, as Starman, was a
Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during wh ...
superhero. Although as a child Jack is fascinated by his father's heroic life, he becomes more and more rebellious as he grows older. By the time he reaches adulthood, Jack is disdainful of his father's past. Jack's older brother David takes over his father's mantle, while Jack often regards the superhero role with open disdain. Although Jack is shown as both schooled and talented in fine art, his true passion is collectibles. He eventually becomes the owner and operator of an antique and collectibles store. Jack's role in the family changes after David is murdered by the son of
Mist Mist is a phenomenon caused by small droplets of water suspended in the cold air, usually by condensation. Physically, it is an example of a Dispersion (chemistry), dispersion. It is most commonly seen where water vapor in warm, moist air meets ...
, one of his father's old arch-foes. The Mist then attempts to murder Jack as well, who narrowly escapes by using one of his father's old gravity rods. Jack resolves to track down the Mist out of a desire to protect his father. He eventually kills Mist's son in battle and captures both Mist and his daughter Nash, who vows revenge. Mist later succumbs to dementia after the death of his son.


Early career

Jack reluctantly makes a deal to become Starman if his father agrees to devote his scientific knowledge to the betterment of mankind. Jack eschews a "uniform", instead opting to wear street clothes and protective goggles. Nash returns as the new Mist and attempts to become Jack's nemesis. She drugs and
rapes Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person w ...
Jack, with the intent of becoming pregnant. She later gives birth to Jack's son Kyle Knight. Mist intends to raise him to hate Jack and all he stands for. Although Jack discovers many latent heroic qualities within himself, he only fully embraces them when Nash theorizes that she and Jack are two sides of the same coin. Jack vows to prove her wrong. To do so, he travels to
Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...
to rescue two men he hardly knows, tries valiantly to save a friendly incarnation of Solomon Grundy, and helps prove
Bulletman Bulletman and Bulletgirl are fictional superheroes originally published by Fawcett Comics. Publication history Created by Bill Parker and Jon Smalle, Bulletman first appeared in ''Nickel Comics'' #1 (May 1940). This comic was distinct from other ...
's innocence when he is accused of having been a
Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
agent during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Later, Jack joins the
Justice Society of America The Justice Society of America (JSA) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic Books. It first appeared in '' ...
, following in his father's footsteps. Working alongside his father's contemporaries, Jack fights the wizard
Mordru Mordru, also known as Mordru the Merciless, is a supervillain featured in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jim Shooter and artist Curt Swan, Mordru made his first appearance in ''Adventure Comics'' #369 (June 1968). ...
, the terrorist organization Kobra, and the time-traveler
Extant Extant or Least-concern species, least concern is the opposite of the word extinct. It may refer to: * Extant hereditary titles * Extant literature, surviving literature, such as ''Beowulf'', the oldest extant manuscript written in English * Exta ...
. Jack has to split his time between Opal City and the JSA's hometown of New York, making him a part-time member. He resigns from the team following his father's death and the end of his superhero career. Jack lives and operates out of
Opal City This page lists the locations in the DC Universe, the shared universe setting of DC Comics. Sites Arrowcave The Arrowcave is the former base of operations of the Green Arrow and Speedy. Avernus Cemetery Avernus Cemetery is a hidden burial grou ...
and has a number of allies. First are the O'Dares, a family of Opal City police officers. In addition, Jack regularly receives advice from a fortune teller named Charity, who has a shop in the alleys of the Opal. Charity had appeared before in a 1970s series called ''
Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion ''Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion'' was a horror-suspense- romance anthology comic book series published by DC Comics from 1971 to 1974, a companion to ''Secrets of Sinister House''. Both series were originally inspired by the successful ABC soap ...
'' where she appeared as narrator and host to self-contained stories, not unlike the numerous DC comics horror anthology series. Jack also rescues
Mikaal Tomas Starman (Mikaal Tomas) is a fictional character in DC Comics and is one of the Starmen within the DC Universe. He is openly bisexual. Creation Writer Gerry Conway said he simply liked the name Starman and created the character as an homage, not t ...
, an alien who briefly operated in New York under the name Starman during the 1970s. Jack's most intriguing ally is the
Shade Shade, Shades or Shading may refer to: * Shade (color), a mixture of a color with black (often generalized as any variety of a color) * Shade (shadow), the blocking of sunlight * Shades or sunglasses * Shading, a process used in art and graphic ...
, an immortal Golden Age supervillain who aids Jack because he considers Opal City his home and wants it to remain quiet. Over time, Jack comes to question whether or not the Shade's motives are more noble than he lets on. Jack also finds common ground with Jake "Bobo" Benetti, a retired super-strong bank robber from his father's days.


Among the Stars and Return to Earth

During his heroic career, Jack meets and falls in love with a woman named Sadie. When she reveals that she is the sister of
Will Payton Starman (Will Payton) is a DC Comics superhero who was created by Roger Stern and Tom Lyle, and one of several characters to have the Starmen name. Publication history Starman was created by Roger Stern and Tom Lyle, and first appeared in ''Starm ...
, yet another hero to bear the name of Starman, he vows to set off into space to find her missing brother. Jack first seeks help in his journey from both Captain Marvel and the
Justice League of America The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in '' The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived t ...
. Finally, equipped with his father's consciousness duplicated in a
Mother Box Mother Boxes are fictional devices in Jack Kirby's Fourth World setting in the DC Universe. The Mother Boxes appeared in the feature films ''Justice League'' and ''Zack Snyder's Justice League'' of the DC Extended Universe. History Created b ...
, and joined by Mikaal Tomas, Jack sets off on an intergalactic journey. However, a chance encounter diverts Jack from his intended route, and he is lost in both time and space. He meets the
Legion of Super-Heroes The Legion of Super-Heroes is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st centuries of t ...
, counsels
Jor-El Jor-El is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, Jor-El first appeared in the Superman (comic strip), ''Superman'' newspaper comic strip in 1939. Jor-El is Supe ...
(father of
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
), and then helps
Adam Strange Adam Strange is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by editor Julius Schwartz and designed by Murphy Anderson, he first appeared in '' Showcase'' #17 (November 1958). Adam Strange made his live-action de ...
fight an invading empire. As a prisoner of the empire, Jack foments revolt to escape, working with members of the
Green Lantern Corps The Green Lantern Corps is a intergalactic Peacekeeping, peace keeping agency appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the plan ...
, the
Omega Men The Omega Men are a fictional team of extraterrestrial superheroes who have appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics. They first appeared in ''Green Lantern'' (vol. 2) #141 (June 1981), and were created by Marv Wolfman and Joe ...
and the
New Gods The New Gods are a fictional extraterrestrial race appearing in the eponymous comic book series published by DC Comics, as well as selected other DC titles. Created and designed by Jack Kirby, they first appeared in February 1971 in ''New Gods'' ...
. Jack meets Will Payton, whose body has been merged with the mind of yet another Starman, Prince Gavyn. Together, the many Starmen work together to save Gavyn's empire. Jack leaves Gavyn/Payton to run the empire, and returns to Earth to tell Sadie her brother's fate. Upon his return, Jack faces almost all of his foes in a massive battle that nearly destroys Opal City. During the battle, Jack's father sacrifices himself to save the city. Following his father's death, Jack undertakes one final adventure, to resolve the mystery of the last recorded Starman, the Starman of 1951. Having the answer to that final riddle, Jack retires and takes his son to live with him and Sadie in
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
.


After Jack Knight

Jack has passed his cosmic rod on to
Courtney Whitmore Courtney Elizabeth Whitmore, known as Stargirl and formerly as the second Star-Spangled Kid, is a superhero created by Geoff Johns and Lee Moder who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character's name, appearance, and pers ...
, who calls herself "Stargirl" and currently operates with the JSA. Jack had an appearance in ''
Identity Crisis In psychology, identity crisis is a stage in Erik Erikson's theory of personality development. This stage happens during adolescence. It is a period of deep reflection and examination of various perspectives on oneself. The Erikson's stages of ps ...
'' #1, a non-speaking cameo, sitting next to Stargirl at
Sue Dibny Susan Dibny (née Dearbon) is a fictional character from DC Comics associated with the Elongated Man. Created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, the character first appeared in ''Flash'' vol. 1 #119 (March 1961). In 2004, Sue Dibny became a fl ...
's funeral. In addition, it has been recently revealed that
Manhunter (Kate Spencer) Manhunter (Kate Spencer) is a fictional superheroine appearing in DC Comics. She is the eighth DC Comics character to be given the name Manhunter, but was the first woman. The character first appears in ''Manhunter'' (vol. 3) #1 (October 2004) a ...
is the granddaughter of
Phantom Lady Phantom Lady is a fictional superheroine appearing in media published by Quality Comics and DC Comics. She was created by the Eisner & Iger studio, one of the first to produce comics on demand for publishers. The character's early adventures we ...
, who is Ted's first cousin once removed, making Kate Jack's second cousin once removed. He and the Shade were seen in a non-speaking cameo appearance, attending
Green Arrow Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' No. 73 on September 19, 1941 (cover dated November 1941), th ...
and
Black Canary Black Canary is the name of two superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. As one of the earliest female superheroes in the DC Comics universe, the character has made numerous appearances in prominent team-up titles, ...
's wedding in the ''Green Arrow/Black Canary Wedding Special''. According to '' Manhunter'' vol. 3, #23, he is still living in San Francisco. James Robinson returned to the ''Starman'' series in January 2010 for a single issue (#81) that was a tie-in to the DC event, ''
Blackest Night "Blackest Night" is a 2009–10 American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous central miniseries, written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis, along with a number of tie-in i ...
''. It was one of the eight "dead" titles being revived for one issue. This issue did not feature Jack Knight, but instead focused on Opal City, the Shade, and a
Black Lantern The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of wikt:corporeal, corporeal revenants (resembling intelligent zombies or jiangshi) appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, related to the emotional spectrum. The group is composed of d ...
Starman. During the events of the issue, David's corpse is reborn as a Black Lantern; he attacks the Shade and Hope O'Dare, and announces plans to go to San Francisco to kill Jack, but he is ultimately defeated. In the acclaimed alternate future tale ''
Kingdom Come Kingdom Come may refer to: * "Kingdom come", a phrase in the Lord's Prayer in the Bible Film * ''Kingdom Come'' (1919 film), a Western short featuring Hoot Gibson * ''Kingdom Come'' (2001 film), a comedy starring LL Cool J * ''Kingdom Come'', ...
'', Jack has a teenaged African American successor known as "Stars". Though he takes his name and motif from the Star-Spangled Kid, Stars uses Jack's cosmic staff and dresses in a similar leather jacket and bandana. Though Jack's ultimate fate is not explicitly mentioned,
Thom Kallor Thom Kallor is a character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, primarily as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. The character has also been known as Star Boy and Starman. Kallor as Star Boy has appeared in various media outside ...
has replaced him as Starman in this reality. In the alternate future of the ''
Titans Tomorrow "Titans Tomorrow" is a storyline of a possible alternate future in the DC Comics Universe, from ''Teen Titans'' vol. 3 #17–19 (2005), by Geoff Johns and Mike McKone. The story arc has been collected as part of the ''Teen Titans: The Future is No ...
'', Courtney has changed her name to "Starwoman" and now carries Jack's trademark jacket in addition to the staff. This is based on an earlier concept introduced in ''
Young Justice Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen T ...
: Sins of Youth'' when Courtney and Jack temporarily changed roles after being turned into an adult and child, respectively.


Powers and equipment

Jack Knight has no superpowers. Although he has been told by Charity that he possesses the same sight as she, only to a lesser degree, he has never truly explored it. Instead, he wields a "cosmic staff", a device invented by Jack's father Ted, the original Starman. The cosmic staff utilizes the same technology as the prototype "gravity rods" that Ted once wielded, and which Jack used before his father created the cosmic staff for him. The cosmic staff grants Jack powers including rapid flight, levitation of objects, and energy manipulation. The staff absorbs stellar energy which can then be manipulated into defensive force fields and offensive energy blasts of incredible power. Jack can use both powers at once to protect himself from atmospheric damage in high-velocity flight. Another power of the rod, seen late in the series, is that it is capable of receiving Jack's mental commands from a distance (this is a feature of the device, an ability to "attune itself to the user", and not a power of Jack's). At present, the staff is attuned to its current wielder, Stargirl; it seems difficult to quickly change the staff's affiliation. Jack is also a competent martial artist, trained primarily in
jujutsu Jujutsu ( , or ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu (both ), is a Japanese martial art and a system of close combat that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subdue one or more weaponless or armed and armored opponent ...
.


Reception

The character of Jack Knight, specifically his relationship with his father and Opal City, has been seen as an example of a "new wave" of DC Comics from the 1990s reviving Golden Age heroes, with an emphasis on nostalgia, legacy, and mythology building.


In other media


Television

A television series based on Jack Knight / Starman and his father
Ted Knight Ted Knight (born Tadeusz Wladyslaw Konopka; December 7, 1923August 26, 1986) was an American actor known for playing the comedic roles of Ted Baxter in ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'', Henry Rush in '' Too Close for Comfort'' and Judge Elihu Sm ...
was being developed by the creators of ''
Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero fiction, superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produce ...
'' and ''
Birds of Prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as (although not the same as) raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively predation, hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and smaller birds). In addition to speed ...
''. Following the latter series' failure in 2003, the ''Starman'' series was described as "indefinitely on hold".


Merchandise

* Jack Knight / Starman received two figures in the
DC Direct DC Direct is a division of Warner Bros. Discovery that sells collectibles based on DC Comics characters (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc.). Prior to 1998, merchandise sold by DC Comics was branded with the DC Comics logo rather than with t ...
line in 1999. * Jack Knight / Starman received a figure in
Mattel Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company headquartered in El Segundo, California. Founded in Los Angeles by Harold Matson and the husband-and-wife duo of Ruth Handler, ...
's
DC Universe Classics DC Universe Classics was an action figure toyline, a sub-line of the DC Universe toy brand manufactured by Mattel. They were 6-inch scale figures based on the fictional characters owned by DC Comics. The entire line was sculpted by the Four Horse ...
line.


See also

*
List of Starman characters Starman (Jack Knight), ''Starman'' was a comic book published by DC Comics between 1994 and 2001. It was created by James Dale Robinson, James Robinson and Tony Harris (cartoonist), Tony Harris, starring their creation of Jack Knight, son of the ...


References


External links


Starman (1994)
at
Don Markstein's Toonopedia Don Markstein's Toonopedia (subtitled A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge) is an online encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation, initiated February 13, 2001. Donald D. Markstein, the sole writer and editor of Toonopedi ...

Archived
from the original on October 23, 2017. * * {{Justice Society of America Characters created by James Robinson Comics characters introduced in 1994 DC Comics martial artists DC Comics male superheroes DC Comics telekinetics DC Comics titles Eisner Award winners Fictional characters with energy-manipulation abilities Fictional characters with gravity abilities Fictional shopkeepers Fictional stick-fighters Starman (DC Comics) Vigilante characters in comics