Kickers Inc. #1 (November 1986)

Back in February of 2021, I wrote a review of D.P.7 #1 (November 1986). Unlike most of Marvel's titles, this series was set in the New Universe, a Jim Shooter-spearheaded imprint created to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the debut of the Fantastic Four in 1961. The basic caveat of the New Universe was that unlike the Marvel Universe, this was a world just like ours, with none of the fantastical elements of Marvel's other superhero books, until a White Event hit on July 22, 1986, at 4:22 a.m. EST, causing this world to have its first generation of superhuman beings. 

The line launched with eight titles, including this one. Kickers, Inc. had been created by writer Tom DeFalco and artist Ron Frenz for the New Universe before the imprint got fleshed out. The original title was Mr. Magnificent and the Team Supreme, the group being in the vein of the Challengers of the Unknown, including having an all-terrain "Ultramobile". DeFalco and Frenz intended the book to be a rather tongue-in-cheek adventure title. However, when the New Universe got more fleshed out, DeFalco realized that the book would not fit, but Shooter convinced them to bring the book in, as he wanted a "sports book"...even though being football players was just the group's day job, and the focus was meant to be on their adventures off the field.

Kickers, Inc., like all the other New Universe titles, didn't last very long, only 12 issues. This was mainly due to the book being unable to keep a creative team (DeFalco had lost interest in doing the book early on, only writing the first two-and-a-half issues, and plotting out the next two to be written by others). It was a problem that plagued most of the other New Universe books had as well. 

Did this book start with some promise? Well, let's find out as we look at Kickers. Inc #1! 

The cover is a Ron Frenz piece. It's pretty neat, showing one of the main characters of the series getting empowered while the rest of the presumed Kickers are watching with concern. It's a pretty neat cover, not much else to say about it. I do like the masthead logo, the usage of a solid blocky font and the little football helping show the sport connection these characters have. 

"This Legend Born!"
Writer: Tom DeFalco
Penciler: Ron Frenz
Inker: Sal Buscema
Colorist: George Roussos
Letterer: Phil Felix
Editor: Michael Higgins
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins, naturally on the gridiron. The New York Smashers are in a bit of a pickle. They're losing the game to their unnamed opponents with 17 points to 21. There's only seconds left before the game ends. Smashers Quarterback Giovanni "Jack" Magniconte attempts to make one last pass as the opposing team's linemen jump at him. 

Despite this, Jack manages to make a pass. His teammate Dallas "Dasher" Corbin manages to make the catch but gets tackled hard on the two-yard line. 

However, Corbin managed to get himself knocked out of bounds, forcing the game's clock to stop. He managed to buy the Smashers time for maybe one or two more plays.

Jack gets the ball, but he gets blitzed. But Mr. Magnificent has a plan.

He manages to fake a fumble, forcing the clock to stop again. Another snap, and one Thomas "Suicide" Smythe (yeah that's his nickname. Don't look at me, I didn't write this) runs the ball. Thanks to their teammate Beauford "Brick" Wohl (pronounced "wall" for the sake of the pun) mowing down the other team like a weedwhacker through...weeds, Smythe is able to make the touchdown. This gives the Smashers six points, giving them the win, 23 to 21.

In the locker room, the team enjoys and celebrates their win, which allows us to see a bit of the team's personalities. Jack is the humble leader, Smythe is the showoff, Wohl is the intelligent financier, and Corbin is the refined rich guy. We also see a bit of the dynamics of the team, mainly in Smythe and Corbin pranking each other. We also learn that Jack enjoys drinking a nutritional drink made by his brother Steve, who is a nutrition expert. After the team gets cleaned up and changed, Jack goes to meet his beloved wife Darlene. The two head out to meet Steve. Darlene wishes he wouldn't spend so much time with him, as Steve had a gambling problem and as such, she sees him as a bad figure in Jack's life. Jack rationalizes that gambling was a way for Steve to keep involved in sports after his knee got wrecking playing football in college. Also, Steve raised Jack by himself after their parents died. Makes sense Jack would feel a great loyalty to him after that.

Anyway, the two head out for Steve's business.

"And to think, honey, this started as a pizza joint..."

Jack is really proud of his elder brother. He's seemingly kicked his addiction and turned his life around, with Darlene pointing out that the reason he was able to start a business was because of money he borrowed from Jack. Steve greets the two and introduces them to his invention: the "Intensifier".

"Bobby suggested 'The Man Enlarger'. He doesn't work here anymore."

The device is meant to artificially stimulate muscles and increase their mass, making someone stronger, faster, tougher. Regular treatment with this device could increase a man's speed and strength by ten, possibly fifteen percent.

Like the great comic book scientist he is, Steve's been testing it on himself. So far, he's seemingly suffered no ill effects. Yeah, you can tell this was originally not intended to fit into the New Universe. More on that later. In Central Park, Jack and Darlene discuss the device. Darlene is naturally worried it would cause harm to Jack. But Jack isn't worried. He trusts his brother, and this machine could make him a better player. As they return home, the White Event hits, and Jack momentarily gets dizzy. 

The next day, Jack prepares to undergo the Intensifier. Steve warns him to not expect miracles. It may take months and regular treatment to show results. Steve flips the switch, and well...a miracle happens.

Steve did not remember putting in a system for dyeing hair.

Steve is shocked, as the Intensifier is not supposed to work this well this quickly.

He runs some tests on Jack and finds nothing wrong with him. Jack himself decides to go for a nice head-clearing jog. He gets splashed by a car driven by some pranksters and angrily runs after it. Evidently Jack wants to go Mortal Kombat on those punks. 

To the passengers' amazement, Jack is able to keep up with their car, and it's going 40 miles per hour (around 64.4 kilometers per hour for you metric folks). Jack grabs the car, but it manages to drive away...leaving him holding the rear bumper.

Later at the Sports Power Plus building, Steve run more tests...and he's left utterly baffled. He asks his brother not to tell anyone about this until he's studied the effects more closely. Don't want any nasty side effects to suddenly pop up, after all. Jack agrees and heads to practice. After Jack leaves, Steve gets a phone call from a man named Sloane, demanding the money he is owed. Thing is, Steve already spent it developing the Intensifier. 

Sloan...is surprisingly fine with it. He even offers Steve a chance to break even, booking a couple bets for him in the next football game. After all, Sloan sees the Magnicontes as an investment in the future that will pay off big time. Maybe Darlene was right about Steve after all.

Speaking of Darlene, Jack is showing off his new powers to her. She's far more worried than impressed, thinking he really needs to see a doctor. But Jack is too excited. He can't wait to see what he can do on the field.

The day of the game arrives, and problems arise thanks to Jack's new powers. He throws a pass at Dasher, only to end up cracking his ribs.

Yeah, new power comes with new problems. Despite this, the Smashers win the game. Over the next few weeks, the Smashers become one of the winningest teams in the League (presumably the NFL but not named due to legal reasons). The team also makes a massive profit thanks to appearances in commercials, product endorsements, and doing charitable events. They even do their own version of the "Super Bowl Shuffle". However, over time, Jack seems to grow more depressed. It's like despite holding back, football doesn't challenge him anymore. He's now undoubtedly the strongest, fastest, and most powerful man in the League. It's...become too easy. 

Back at Sports Power Plus, Steve is giving a man an Intensifier treatment. But so far, it seems only Jack has become powerful because of it. Steve is worried about this, as he's invested everything he had in it. He even started gambling again in an attempt to clear his debts but only ended up owing more money. I'm assuming he's betting on other sports besides football, because otherwise, it makes Steve look like an idiot.

The Smashers win their conference championship, guaranteeing a ticket to the Super Bowl. But Jack is too depressed to celebrate. Unaware of his powers, this leaves his fellow teammates utterly confused. While this went down, Sloan suggests an opportunity for Steve to clear his debts. You see, the bookies theorize the Smashers will win the Super Bowl by 17 points. Sloan wants Steve to convince Jack to make sure the team doesn't let that happen. Win or lose, it cannot be by 17 points. Steve refuses (likely because he knows Jack will never go for it) and gets a Mighty Punch to the side from Sloan's enforcer for his trouble. 

The next day, Steve is testing Jack, his mind in conflict about Sloan's demand. Jack hears his older brother muttering, and fears that he's fallen off the gambling wagon again. But there's something more important on his mind, the Intensifier's effects being reversed. He wants to be his old self again, as he feels he's a living cheat code for football. 

That night, he laments to Darlene that he can't do the thing he loves anymore because of his new power. He feels there is nowhere to go that would understand his problems. Remember, DP7 exists in this universe as well, but Jack is unaware he's a paranormal (what superhumans in the New Universe are called).

The Super Bowl arrives, and thanks to Jack, the Smashers win it, 65-17. Sloan is not going to be happy...

After the game, Jack goes to visit Steve, only to find a crime in progress.

"HEY! YOU OWE ME A PIZZA!"

Jack hands a Mighty Beatdown to Sloan and his men. However, they managed to fatally shoot Steve. In his last moments of life, Steve laments that things got out of hand, and he gives an apology to his younger brother before dying in his arms. 

Three weeks pass. Wohl, Smythe, Dasher and Darlene are meeting Jack at Steve's old business. Jack shows off his powers to them and catches them up on everything. He has them undergo the Intensifier...even though it was shown earlier that it didn't work...and the only reason Jack seemingly got power from it was because of a delayed reaction to the White Event. 

A few days pass. At Jack's apartment, the group put together plans to create something new, something to help people with...unusual personal issues like Jack had. It'll give the group something to do in the off-season...and allow them to keep doing something once they have to hang up the cleats. Darlene remarks that these "dumb kickers" are going to need more than a new name if they break her lamp (Jack and Dasher were tossing it around like a football), and with that, they got a name: Kickers, Inc.

I though this issue was...decent. You can tell this was meant to fit into the New Universe if you knew anything about the ground rules of it, though. For example, the Intensifier. One of the ground rules of the New Universe was that it was meant to be a world just like ours, the real world. No aliens, no monsters, no demons, no super-high-tech stuff. The Intensifier can qualify as that.

Also, Jack being hit by the White Event. In the New Universe, the White Event occurred between 4 and 5 AM.  Unless the Smashers playing a game really late at night, which I doubt as even football players need to sleep, then he should have been hit while he was asleep, not walking with Darlene in presumably the middle of the day or evening. 

Speaking of Jack, he's clearly the main character of this story, and it does do a decent job establishing who he is: a humble man who has a bit of an obsession with being the best at football. And in the classic Marvel tradition, he finds his new power more of a curse, and his origin has a touch of tragedy. I also like that we get to see a bit of the personalities and dynamics of the other Kickers, ripe for growth and development in future issues 

I've talked about Frenz's work in the past. You can see the Jack Kirby reverence in the way he draws faces, hands, and certain poses. 

I don't think this is bad, but DeFalco and Frenz would go on to do better stuff. For example, their Thor run, which I think is ridiculously underrated. Sadly, Kickers Inc. has never been collected in trade form, so you'll have to scour a comic book shop's back issue bins and hope you find this if you want to read this for yourself. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!

Nightmask #1 (November 1986)

Let's go back! Back to the New Universe! We've visited this attempt by Marvel Comics in the 1980s to create a more "realistic" superhero universe in the past, starting with D.P. 7 #1 (November 1986). We also met some other figures of the NU over the years: the teenage psionic runways known as Psi-Force in Psi-Force #1 (November 1986), as well as Ken Connell, a man who found himself gifted with the godlike power of the Star Brand in Star Brand #1 (October 1986). As such, I thought I'd introduce you all to another prominent figure of the New Universe: Keith Remsen, the Nightmask.

Much like many of the other NU titles, Nightmask's book would have trouble retaining a regular creative team (Archie Goodwin, his creator, left the book after four issues, and it had several fill-ins), his series lasting only 12 issues. Despite this, Keith Remsen's dreamwalking alter-ego would retain a regular presence in the New Universe, thanks to getting supporting appearances and getting backup tales in other books set in the NU for much of its remaining run. 

Versions of Nightmask would continue to appear in Marvel titles in the years since. However, an Earth-616 (the world of Marvel's comic books) Keith Remsen would never be introduced. For example, the mainstream Marvel Universe's Nightmask is an artificial being created by Ex Nihilo introduced in Jonathan Hickman's Avengers run who took up the name Adam Blackveil. And in newuniversal, a re-imagining of the New Universe by Warren Ellis and Salvador Larocca done to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the line, the reimagined Nightmask was a Japanese-American girl named Izanami Randall. 

So, how did Keith Remsen's adventures start? Let's find out in Nightmask #1! 

The cover is an Al Milgrom and Bob Wiacek piece. I really like it. It depicts our man Keith facing off against an unseen threat with a hammer in a dream while a teenage girl in a wheelchair tries to wake him up. It really shows that the Nightmask is not your typical superhero. 

"The Awakening"
Writer: Archie Goodwin
Penciler: Tony Salmons
Inker: Bret Blevins
Colorist: Andy Yanchus
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Editor: Michael Higgins
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with Keith Remsen running. What is he running from? What is he running to? Nobody knows. He also happens to be naked. Evidently our man Keith is a bit of a closet streaker. Takes all types, I guess. 

Keith has seemingly ran for eternity, running on that hill, running on empty, running for his life, running to the hills... 

The running stops when he sees a light. He then hears the voice of his sister Theodora, aka Teddy, calling out to him. Despite his fears (and lack of pants), Keith leaps into the light.

“All I did was go out to get some pizza…”

Page 5, Panel 5

Waking up in a hospital, our Mr. Remsen is naturally rather confused. Where is he? Why is he in the hospital? And where his and Teddy's parents? It then comes back to him. We have to go back.

In particular, we have to go back to some time earlier, at Dulles International Airport. 

Keith's family (including his dad Adam and mother Lenore) are there to see him off. You see, he's going to spend his summer in Zurich, doing summer studies at the Kleinmann Institute. The Institute was where his parents met. They worked on dream research, drawing on the work of Horst Kleinmann himself, the namesake of the Institute. Unseen by anyone, someone dropped a bag nearby Keith's own luggage. Keith's family goes to gather his luggage, including the bag. He ends up getting a very bad feeling and runs for it.

That feeling ends up saving his life as the bag turned out to be a bomb. And not the kind of bomb that you see at the box office.

The explosion killed his parents, crippled Teddy, and left him comatose. The Remsen kids, having seemingly no other relatives, were left in the care and convalescence of Dr. Lucian Ballad, a friend of the family. He reveals that the authorities believe that a terrorist was responsible for the bomb. The White Event had gone off, causing Keith to wake from his coma. He's suffering from survivor's guilt, which is understandable considering what happened to him. 

Later, the Remsen kids are talking at a pool, where Teddy is apparently undergoing some form of hydrotherapy. The two discuss their situation, Teddy pointing out she feared she'd die too, and she also not only mourned the loss of her parents, but the loss of her ability to walk. Dr. Estrellita "Lita" Mercado walks in. Seeing Keith feeling a bit down, she has a little fun with him by tossing him into the pool, playfully chiding him for getting in the way of her "star pupil". 

That night, Keith has a dream about the hospital. In the dream, the hospital is abandoned and has seemingly been that way for years. There's dust and cobwebs everywhere. Despite that, Keith hears sobbing. He follows the noise and finds a man entangled by tentacles.

Keith tries to free the man, but for every one he manages to rip away, more appear. He notices they're coming from below the hospital. The man reveals that the source of the tentacles is a being known only as "The Gnome". Keith spots something heading towards them.

The man says he has to die for the Gnome, to protect his "treasures", like the others before him. Keith refuses to accept that. He's seen enough death. He couldn't save his parents or his sister's mobility, but he's sure going to save this man.

The man insists that he can't be saved, but Keith manages to free him, much to his surprise. The man realizes that he knows our man. And Keith's clothes change.

“Aw, man! I was hoping for an Armani suit.”

Keith realizes he's wearing the outfit he had on when the bombing happened. And the man is the responsible party. But before he can confront the bomber, another being makes himself known. But before anything else happens, he wakes up. 

He remembers hearing Teddy calling to him. His head is pounding...and the moon-shaped scar on his head is glowing. Teddy tells him that she had a similar dream herself. She realizes that she and Keith shared the dream somehow. For her, it was like she was in a trance, like she was in a place between awake and asleep. The Remsens hear a commotion in the hall.

It was the man in the room next to them. Like the Remsen kids, he was also injured in the bombing. And he just had a heart attack.

The next day, the two discuss this dream with Dr. Ballad. Ballad theorizes that Keith's dream may have been subconsciously influenced by the other victim having a heart attack, and also his desire to get justice for the death of his and Teddy's parents. Keith wonders if this has anything to do with his and Teddy's parents' work. They were trying to find ways to use technology to peer into people's dreams, and the kids would help out here and there. 

Teddy gives Dr. Ballad a bit of artwork she doodled. Lita arrives with a photograph of the other bombing victim, a blown-up passport photo. Ballad puts the drawing and the photo together.

Page 13, Panel 8

They're an exact match. That night, Lucien tries out a little experiment. Lita dreams of being on a cruise ship, dancing with the man of her dreams. Keith is in her dream, just quietly watching her dance. Teddy helps wake him up, joking that she may have saved him from an angry Lita...until she wakes up. Keith hopes she remembers she volunteered for this. Dr. Ballad is amazed by the readings he's getting from his instruments. It turns out that somehow, Keith has gained the power to enter people's dreams.

As the group drive...somewhere, Dr. Ballad points out that Keith's new power is dangerous. His instruments showed that when Keith enters people's dreams, it's not just his mind that syncs up with the dream, his body does, too. If a dream ends violently, or a dreamer dies, it could potentially kill Keith, too.

Teddy is terrified by this, but Keith is able to reassure her by pointing out that she's his anchor, his link to the waking world. If something happens, she can pull him back. Keith refuses to give up. If the man is the bomber, then this could be the only shot they have of proving it. Yeah, Keith. Because the courts will accept that evidence. 

Besides, Ballad points out that Keith's presence just may have caused the man to have a heart attack. But before they can talk further, Keith slips into a dream...even though no one around him is asleep. Our man finds himself in a cemetery. A door opens in a mausoleum, and Keith enters it. He passes by what looks like the interior of the hospital, now covered with bones and skeletons. And he's not alone.

Page 16, Panel 4

Ladies, gentlemen, whatever you choose to identify as, say hello...to the Gnome. The bomber begs the Gnome for mercy. He did his job, he left the bomb. But the Gnome was at fault for tampering with the bomb's timer. The Gnome admits that he was short-sighted there, but despite the Remsen family seemingly being out of the way, his treasure is still in danger. The Gnome spots Keith, and attacks. But Keith tries to strike back.

Page 18, Panel 1

Despite the snazzy new suit, Keith is not a fighter. He's not an athlete. And he's still recovering from a coma. It affects his physical performance in the dream, as the Gnome is able to easily out-muscle the Nightmask. Thankfully, Teddy is able to pull him back to the real world. He wakes up in Ballad's lab. Dr. Frey, the surgeon of the bomber bursts in, demanding to know why Ballad took the file on him. Ballad states he took it because he thought something in it will help with Keith and Teddy's therapy. Frey doesn't believe it, thinking Ballad took it because he believes Ballad views himself as the head of the hospital and can do whatever he wants. It doesn't matter, because no amount of therapy can help a man who not only won't wake up, but whose heart metaphorically explode at any moment.

Later that day, Keith is thinking about the bomber and the Gnome. Teddy gets him out of his head by showing him a book on mythology that Lita gave her. She shows him a page from it on gnomes. The gnome in the comic is described as a Germanic myth. In reality, that's sort of right. The word "gnome" actually comes from the Renaissance Latin word "gnomos", which is derived from a Greek word meaning "earth-dweller". The modern gnome did come from German miner myths about spirits that could move through the Earth.

This gets Keith's brain working. Kleinmann is a Germanic name, and since gnomes come from Germanic myth...maybe there's a connection. 

This gives Keith an idea.

Ballad meets with a woman who is presumably the hospital's accountant. She warns him that whatever inheritance the Remsens have, it can't pay for their hospital bills and lab time forever. Ballad agrees and says he'll work on helping them get a life outside the hospital. Lita arrives to tell him that Keith has vanished. Where has he gone? Well, he made his way to a quiet area of the hospital to enter some dreams.

Page 22, Panel 1

He sees the Gnome tell the bomber to go to a fountain, encouraging to drink the water in it. The water will give him life. Keith points out it's a trick. The bomber will die. And that's a shame, because he wants the bomber to tell the word that Kleinmann paid him to kill him and his parents. Nightmask confronts the Gnome, revealing that he knows everything. Kleinmann's name is German for "Small Man", and in that one cemetery dream, there were lots of German names. And gnomes are generally described as small creatures that protect treasure.

Page 23, Panels 3-5

Kleinmann had a treasure to protect, and he feared that the Remsens were after it. He believed they wanted Keith to play James Bond, to spy on him and steal his secrets of his dream research. The bomber then falls into the water, claiming he is finally beyond the Gnome. Only the pool is now an abyss, and the dream world starts to fall apart, the mind of the dying man fading. Kleinmann wonders why Keith doesn't abandon him to the abyss, but Keith wants his parents' killer punished. Kleinmann begs Keith to get them out of the dream, use his own machines as Kleinmann himself has. But Keith has no such gadgetry. He has Teddy. She pulls him out of the dream, and Keith and Kleinmann end up separated.

He wakes up to see a relieved Teddy, Lita, and Ballad. Ballad points out the Keith has a gift, and he should consider how best to use it. The story ends with a castle in Zurich, a pair of voices pointing out that Kleinmann will recover, and that they will rebuild.

I liked this issue. It did everything I feel a first issue should do: It introduced us to Keith Remsen, gave us his origins, showed what he can do, set up a storyline or two, and showed off his supporting cast. I do have one question about Keith's power, though: Teddy. How did she become an anchor to him? Why does he need her to help get out of dreams? Did she get a power from the White Event that complimented his? Is it because of their familial bond as siblings? I don't think it's ever explained. 

As for the art, I remember reading somewhere that Tony Salmons was picked for the art as his style was reminiscent of Steve Ditko's. Personally, I...don't quite see it. It may just be me.

Fun fact, the Gnome storyline would not be completed in the book's original run. Archie Goodwin left the title after four issues, which left the Gnome storyline abandoned. The book never held on to a stable creative team afterwards, contributing to its short run. Sadly, Goodwin himself would never return to resolve this storyline before his death in 1998. However, it would be resolved in 2006. As part of the 20th anniversary celebration of the New Universe that would lead up to Ellis and Larocca's newuniversal, Marvel published a series of stories called Untold Tales of the New Universe that told, well, new stories set in the original NU. One of those tales focused on Nightmask, and it told the tale of how he finally defeated the Gnome once and for all.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2018 trade paperback Nightmask: New Universe.

Star Brand #1 (October 1986)

The New Universe. We've visited this 80s imprint before in reviews of D.P. 7 #1 and Psi-Force #1. This imprint introduced its fair share of characters, and among the most prominent of them was Kenneth Connell, aka the Star Brand. 

Created by Marvel's then editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, Star Brand was intended to be the flagship title of the New Universe line, and it was originally titled "Will Power". An unused concept by the late Archie Goodwin would provide Star Brand with its name. The original Star Brand title lasted three years, 19 issues and an Annual. 

Despite its short number of issues, the title had numerous creative teams. When the New Universe imprint was dissolved, Mark Gruenwald would use characters from its titles in Quasar to tie things up. However, this would not be the end for the Star Brand.

In 2007, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the New Universe, the series newuniversal was released. Written by Warren Ellis and with art by Salvador Larocca, this was a reimagining of the New Universe's characters and concepts, including the Star Brand. This version of the Star Brand was one of four powerful glyphs given to mortals to help guide Earth through an upcoming paradigm shift. 

A version of the Star Brand would eventually appear in the mainstream Marvel Universe. This version of the Star Brand first debuted in Avengers #7 (May 2013), originally wielded by a college student named Kevin Connor. This version of the Star Brand is currently (as of this blog entry's original writing) being wielded by Brandy Selby. So, with that out of the way, let's take a look at Star Brand #1!

The cover is a John Romita Jr. piece. It's a simple cover that basically shows our man Star Brand flying in space, seemingly over the Earth. It gives us an idea of the power that this man has. I think it looks really cool because the idea of being able to fly over the Earth is awesome to me.

"The Star Brand"
Writer: Jim Shooter
Penciler: John Romita Jr.
Inker: Al Williamson
Colorist: Christie Scheele
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Editor: Michael Higgins
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with a young man dirtbiking in the mountains of Western Pennsylvania.

"WHEEEEEEEEEE AWW NOT THE GOOD CHEEK!"

This man is Kenneth "Ken" Connell. And his life is about to take a turn for the weird. And it all starts with him finding what looks like a burned-out clearing.

"...Aw man, the Hulk got drunk again..."

Ken wonders what could have caused something like this. It couldn't have been a forest fire. Too neat. It looks like everything was bombed out. He goes to get a better vantage point, when he finds a weird old man hanging out by his bike.

"Pardon me, but do you know where a man can get some steamed hams?"

The old man claims that he almost didn't make it here. And he's on his last legs. He was hoping to find Ken here today, as he has a gift for him. All Ken has to do is look into his eyes...

Connell wakes up and finds out he spent the night seemingly out cold. He then finds himself recalling what happened last night. It seemed like a dream. The Old Man explains that he didn't cause the clearing. He was there because he wanted to check it out. He's glad it did, because it brought him to Ken. You see, the Old Man sees himself and Ken as a rare breed of man, a man worthy of the gift he wants to give. The Old Man is dying, and before he goes, he wants to pass his gift on to Ken.

"And yes, I was drunk when I got it. Next question."

It seems to be an ordinary tattoo. Ken notices that it's now on its palm, showing it not an ordinary bit of body art. But it can be moved around if he wants to. Ken wonders where the Old Man wandered off to. He finds some tracks and follows them to the edge of a cliff. He finds the Old Man's corpse, seemingly fallen off the cliff. He also notices that the Old Man's appearance has changed, making him look like an alien being. Ken gives the Old Man a proper burial by lifting up a massive rock and putting him in the cave it creates. He flies back to his bike and rides back to the Pittsburg suburbs. 

When he arrives home, he starts thinking about the newfound power he has, and tries to figure it out. He describes the titular Star Brand as a kind of warmth. When he concentrates, this warmth fills his whole body. He discovers that he's likely invulnerable and incredibly strong. He also decides to take a flight to visit a friend who lives over in West Mifflin.

"So what if it's bent in half and has no wheels? It's still good! It's still good!" 

Meet Myron Feldman. He found a bent-up wheel-less bike by the side of a road and plans to fix it up. He's actually a psychiatrist in his day job. Ken bends the bike frame back into shape...while floating in the air, which gets Myron all like "HOLY COW".

Myron wants to see the Old Man's body. The two discuss the Star Brand and why Ken ended up with it. However, their conversation is tabled by an unwanted guest.

"Pardon me, but do you have any Grey Poupon?"

Ken realizes this Yautja wannabe is after the Star Brand itself. Ken flies off, luring the alien bounty hunter to a slag dump. Ken tries to hide behind some railroad cars to ambush the alien, but the cars get blown away. Ken tries to throw one of the busted-up cars at the alien, but his Star Brand power seems to go out on him.

The alien tries to force Ken to give it the Star Brand, claiming the Old Man lied to the young dirtbiker, that Ken is being duped into a role that will ruin his life. The alien claims he is more worthy of the Brand than Ken is. Ken manages to summon the Star Brand power, thanks to his anger coming from his fear of the alien killing him. He then makes the area explode.

Myron finds him. The alien seems to be gone...and so are Ken's clothes. Whoops. In Whitehall, a woman is watching news coverage of the explosion. 

"🎵 Doin' alright, gettin' good grades! The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades...🎵"

Meet Madeline Felix, aka "Debbie the Duck". I have no idea why she's nicknamed that. She and Ken do like to greet each other by saying "Quack", so maybe it's that?

Anyway, Ken comes to her place, as he needs a place to crash for the night. You see, when his clothes got vaporized, he lost his keys and his wallet. 

The next day, she heads to work, promising to tell Ken's boss he can't make it today. As Ken gets dressed, he remembers he has a date with a woman named Barb tonight...as well as get a new driver's license and visa card. They got vaporized, remember? he flies off to the makeshift cave where he buried the Old Man. The body is gone, but a costume is left behind.

"...aw great, I got a naked zombie to deal with..."

That night, Ken is enjoying some dinner with the lovely Barbara Petrovic at her place. A single mother, Barbara sends her kids off to bed. Ken and Barbara are about to make out on her couch when he hears a thumping from outside. They go to check it out, and they find that Barbara's daughter Laurie is holding a strange golden toy. Ken takes it, recognizing it as one of the alien's blasters. Laurie herself seems to be in a trance, like she's under hypnosis.

An angry Ken rushes out and takes to the air, trying to find the alien. But the search is fruitless. He heads home and calls Myron. Myron reveals that the FBI have been asking questions, piling on to Ken's worries. Madeline comes over, telling him that Ken's boss has a message: If you don't come in tomorrow, don't bother coming in ever again. 

"Four-day weekend!"

Debbie's visit made him realize something important. The next day, Ken is hard at work. He works at the car repair shop at a dealership. Yeah, dealerships do have repair centers in them. His boss John asks him to bring his car down from the roof lot. Ken does...with his powers. Later on, Ken suits up. He's in a fighting mood.

"Time for evil to get Branded! ...I'll work on that."

He finds the alien and its craft in the Laurel Mountains (I'm assuming Shooter meant the singular mountain, which is part of Pennsylvania's Forbes State Forest). Star Brand is easily able to overpower the alien. He tosses the extraterrestrial malcontent into his ship and tosses him away. The story ends with Ken proclaiming he was the right man to be the Star Brand, and he's going to keep it...even if he has to fight the whole universe to get it.

I admit, I did enjoy this comic. It's your standard origin story, and it sets up some interesting mysteries...despite the presence of the alien violating one of the rules of the New Universe (one of the rules of the New Universe was that it was not supposed to have any of the more fantastical elements of the Marvel Universe, like gods and aliens). 

You know, reading this comic, I can't help but wonder if some inspiration was taken from Green Lantern for Star Brand. Think about it. How Ken gained the Brand seems to be somewhat similar to how Hal Jordan became a part of the Green Lantern Corps. Yeah, some details are altered, but the basic idea is still there: Man gets powerful weapon from alien being. Only here, there are no Star Brand Corps to train Ken in the usage of the Brand and help counsel him on how he can use his power.  Ken does possess some bravery and smarts, but he'll be struggling with his power as time goes on. It does feel like Star Brand is a slight deconstruction of Green Lantern.  

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2016 trade paperback Star Brand: New Universe Vol. 1. Thanks for reading this blog entry!