Starman #4 (December 1988)

Legacy is a big deal in the DC Universe. Mantles are often passed around like candy there. For example, Barry Allen is actually the second man to wear the Flash mantle, having succeeded Jay Garrick, and himself being succeeded over the years by his nephew Wally West and grandson Bart Allen. Not to mention all the Flashes of various future timelines.

Among those heroes that have passed down their mantles is Starman. Ted Knight, the original Starman, debuted in Adventure Comics #61 (April 1941). Created by Gardner Fox and Jack Burnley (sort of. Editor Whitney Ellsworth conceived the character, but Fox expanded the concept), Ted Knight was an astronomer and inventor. He created a "cosmic rod" that could collect energies from the stars in the sky (Including the Sun presumably, as the Sun is a star). This device allowed Starman to fly and shoot energy beams. 

With the 1950s, Ted and his fellow Golden Age heroes fell into obscurity as superhero comics fell from popularity. However, Detective Comics #247 (September 1957) saw a brief appearance of a new Starman that would become known as the "Starman of 1951". This was originally Batman taking up a new persona after being hypnotized to fear bats. That Starman would be retconned to be Charles McNider/Dr. Mid-Nite I and David Knight, older brother of future Starman Jack Knight.  

with the rise of the Silver Age, new versions of Golden Age heroes like Green Lantern, the Flash, and the Atom were introduced. Starman himself was revived, but it took longer for a new one to show up: Mikaal Tomas. First introduced in 1st Issue Special #12 (March 1976), he was a member of an alien race of conquerors who would end up turning against his people and defending Earth. He would be regarded as one of DC's first LGBTQ+ characters, established to be gay, then bisexual in later stories. 

The 1980s would see another Starman introduced: Prince Gavyn. Debuting in Adventure Comics #467 (January 1980). He was a playboy alien prince who could survive in space unaided, as well as absorb and process stellar energies. Gavyn didn't last very long, ending up seemingly killed off in the Crisis on Infinite Earths maxiseries...although later on, it would be established that his actual fate was...a bit weirder.

After the Crisis, DC was focused on the new. A new Justice League, a new history for Superman and Wonder Woman, etc. And among that wave of "new stuff"...was a brand-new Starman. This one being Will Payton, an editor who got hit with a beam of energy and got superpowers from it. Created by Roger Stern and Tom Lyle, Will would actually be the first Starman to get his own comic series. This series lasted 45 issues, from 1988 to 1992. So, with that out of the way, let's look at Starman #4!

The cover is a Tom Lyle piece. It's pretty good, depicting the titular hero being surrounded by the Power Elite, the enemies he'll face here. It gives the impression our man is in big trouble.

"Baptism of Fire"
Writer: Roger Stern
Penciler: Tom Lyle
Inker: Bob Smith
Colorist: Julianna Ferrer
Letterer: Bob Pinaha
Editor: Robert Greenberger
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

The story begins with Will doing what a superhero does best: save the day. The Norchemco chemical plant is ablaze, and our man is doing what he can to get people out so the firefighters can concentrate on putting out the fires. He manages to rescue the foreman, but she tells him that there's still one other man trapped in there. Naturally, he succeeds. 

"Here I come to save the dayyyyyyyy!"

He gets them to an ambulance so they can get treated for smoke inhalation. The fire chief tells Starman there's still plenty do to, as the factory is still burning, but then the whole thing goes kablooie.

The night passes, revealing that Will has spent the whole night helping to keep the fire from spreading. The plant couldn't be saved, but at least the fires are out. Not to mention those two plant workers Will saved will be fine. 

The firefighters are amazed by Will's powers. After all, it's not often that the southwestern US gets a superhero of their own. Will points out that they're the real heroes. After all, they willingly choose to fight fires with no superpowers, just their equipment. 

One firefighter asks how he doesn't sound hoarse after going in and out of smoke all night. He must have breathed quite a bit of it in. Will tells him that he doesn't have to breathe if he doesn't want to. 

Later, he goes to bathe in Roosevelt Lake. This allows him to think about the effect he has on people as Starman. He even, in the classic cliche, starts to wonder if he or Starman is the real person. The scene then changes to a man showing a satellite.

It took twelve billion LEGO bricks to make that.

This satellite is the reason Will Payton has his powers in the first place. A man named Melrose gives as the 411 on it. Sent up four years earlier by the Hutchings Institute, the purpose of the satellite was to collect energy and use it to give a person powers. The powers were meant to go to a group of people presumably working for the Institute. However, as it goes in these things, something went wrong. A piece of space junk hit the satellite, wrecking it. Yeah, evidently it was made from tissue paper.

But before it was destroyed, the satellite did discharge a beam of energy. That energy beam hit Will, and that's why he's now the then-newest Starman. Melrose recaps Will's previous adventures to a group of superhumans that the Institute created:

- Olivia Hardy, the super-strong powerhouse
- Samantha Morgan, the shape-shifter (she mainly prefers taking the form of a super-strong muscular giant)
- Frank Donovan, the plasma pyrokinetic
- Dennis Blake, who can fire concussive blasts from his hands. 
- David Winters, the Cyclops expy of the bunch. He can shoot radioactive beams from his eyes.  
- Stanley Hale, the telekinetic.

Meet the Power Elite. These folks were empowered by the Institute for the purpose of creating a new team of superheroes to protect American interests. 

Melrose wants the power the Starman has back, and he's brought this group of superhumans, his Power Elite together to go get him.

Back home, Will is doing some editing work for a novelist. He then gets himself a visitor.

"Shut up, Will! This is all I can afford!"

Meet Jayne Payton, Will's sister. He has a good laugh about her outfit, as it makes her look like an old-fashioned school marm (Jayne is a junior high school teacher). She asks him if anything is wrong, and Will has to admit, there is. He hasn't been sleeping much, but then again, h doesn't seem to get tired that often anymore. And when he does sleep, he gets...strange dreams. Dreams of being around faceless people that chase him down and seemingly kill him. But he's not really dead despite a doctor declaring him so. And he wakes up with Starman's face. 

Jayne thinks it's just Will's subconscious messing with him. He's been through a lot. After all, he's only human. But that leads Will to wonder if he still is anymore. He woke up as Starman, not Will. It makes him wonder if Starman is taking over. Jayne finds it ridiculous. Which she isn't wrong about. Will may not have chosen to get powers, but he certainly did choose to use them to be a superhero. Jayne is pretty proud of him for that. 

Later, Will buys a newspaper, feeling good about his new job. He then notices a want ad from a research lab asking for Starman's help in testing some new heat shielding they developed. Unknown to our man, this want ad is a trap.

That afternoon, the Starman is flying towards the lab when he hears a cry for help.

I'd make a Hush joke, but it's 15 years too early.

Naturally, being a superhero, of course Starman is going to see if he can help anyone out here. The little girl tells Will the car flipped over because her dad tried to avoid a jackrabbit that jumped onto the road. She was thrown out, but her parents are still trapped in the car. Will naturally gets them out, believing that they're just shaken up, thankfully. However, the "mother" has a nasty surprise for our hero. 

"Ah! Stranger Danger!"

Yeah, it's a swerve that would have made Vince Russo proud. 

The members of the Power Elite have set up an ambush for our man. The group manages to give Starman a beatdown, knocking him cold.

The story ends with the knocked-out Starman being loaded into a truck. They're going to find out what makes him tick.

This was a pretty enjoyable comic. Roger Stern and Tom Lyle are a very good team. I have read a bit of this series before, and I think it was one of DC's hidden gems. It's not revolutionary, it isn't a groundbreaking series, but it still is a darn good comic. It has good writing, good artwork, everything you want in a comic. And that's perfectly okay. It has a nice mix of action and character stuff, and the scene with Will and Jayne made me chuckle and smile. I also liked the little bits of personality the Power Elite showed, like Olivia's bloodlust, Denny's cockiness. Helps show they are more than just disposable mooks.

So, what happened to Will Payton? Well, after his series was cancelled, he was killed off in the 1992 crossover Eclipso: The Darkness Within. The 1990s Starman series that focused on the Jack Knight incarnation of the character revealed that the beam of energy that empowered Will contained the essence of Will's predecessor Prince Gavyn, possibly causing them to fuse into one being. In 2020, Scott Snyder resurrected Will in his Justice League run. With his return, Will's origin was further tweaked (he was now empowered by a cosmic energy source) and was given a couple additional powers: the ability to create star-shaped portals a la America Chavez, and the power to see into alternate universes. And as far as I know, Will is still back in action. 

Sadly, the Will Payton Starman series has never been collected in trade format, you'll have to scour your local comic shop's back issue bins and hope you find some issues. Maybe now that DC has their DC Finest trade line going, that will change. After all, it did collect some of the Detroit-era JLA in the past. If you do find issues of this comic in your comic book shop's back issue bins, pick them up. You'll be glad you did. Thanks for reading his blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!

Starman #15 (October 1989)

Starman is not one of DC Comics' most famous superheroes, but various incarnations of the character have been active in the DC Universe for 70 years. The original Starman was Theodore Henry "Ted" Knight. First appearing in Adventure Comics #16 (April 1941), he was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Jack Burnley. Ted Knight was a scientist and astronomer who created a device known as the Cosmic Rod (originally called the "Gravity Rod"), which allowed him to fly and to manipulate energy. The original Starman would go on to join several other Golden Age-era superheroes to be part of the Justice Society of America and the All-Star Squadron. Sadly, like many of his heroic compatriots, Ted Knight would seemingly fade into obscurity with the end of the Golden Age of Comic Books.

Unlike the Green Lantern, Flash, or the Atom, Starman never got a revamp like they did during the Silver Age of Comics. That was always odd to me as a character who uses cosmic energy for power would have been a great fit in the more sci-fi-obsessed 1950s and 60s. Ted Knight himself would get revived alongside his JSA teammates, their new adventures now taking place on Earth-2.

The 1970s would see a new Starman: Mikaal Tomas, who first appeared in 1st Issue Special #12 (March 1976). Created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Mike Vosburg, Tomas was an alien who originally came to Earth to conquer it, but then ended up being one of its protectors. He would also eventually be revealed to be one of DC Comics's first gay superheroes.

The 1980s would introduce another new Starman, one of two in fact: Prince Gavyn. This Starman first appeared in Adventure Comics #467 (January 1980), written by Paul Levitz, and drawn by Steve Ditko. He was a mutant alien prince, who used a staff and jeweled wristbands to manipulate the cosmic energies in his body to fly interstellar distances and shoot energy bolts. He was a casualty of the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

In the 1990s, the Starman legacy would be taken to new heights thanks to an ongoing Starman series that focused on Jack Knight, the youngest son of Ted Knight. Created by James Robinson and Tony Harris, this Starman series would be critically-and-fan-acclaimed, lasting 81 issues with annuals and special issues. Jack Knight was a reluctant superhero, eschewing his father's classic red-and-green Starman costume for street clothes and goggles. Jack would go on to join the Justice Society until he retired and passed the Cosmic Rod to Courtney Whitmore, who would take up the name "Stargirl" afterwards. This Starman series was also notable for tying together all the previous incarnations of Starman u to that point...including the one we're going to focus on here.

Remember when I said that the 1980s introduced two new Starmen? Well, the second one is who I'm spotlighting here. After the death of Prince Gavyn in Crisis, the newly house-cleaned DC Universe introduced the world to a spanking-new Starman: William "Will" Payton. Created by Roger Stern and Tom Lyle, Payton first appeared in Starman #1 (October 1988). Yes, Payton was the first of the Starmen to get his own ongoing series, years before Jack Knight. Payton was once an ordinary man, until he got hit by an energy beam from a satellite. This energy beam gave him super strength, limited shapeshifting, and the power to fire energy blasts from his hands. His superhero career would be rather short, and he would seemingly get killed in an event known as Eclipso: The Darkness Within. The 90s Starman series would reveal that his gaining his powers was...more complicated than previously thought.

I had found this comic in the back issue bins of a comic shop that my dad found in a mall. I thought that it would be a fun comic to look at. The scans come from the actual comic instead of a trade (The Stern/Lyle Starman title has never been collected in trade as far as I know). Also, in a sad case of cosmic kismet, it turns out that one of Will's co-creators, Tom Lyle, had recently passed away. As such, I thought that looking at this comic would be a nice tribute to Mr. Lyle.

I would also like to say that I would like to apologize for the scan quality. You see, I normally scan from trades. But this is from an actual comic book that is about 30 years old. Please keep that in mind. So, for my 800th blog entry, let's take a look at Starman #15!

The cover is pretty neat. It's a Tom Lyle piece. We see Starman get ambushed by the villainous Deadline. The cover really does help show Deadline's skill and powers. I do wish this Starman included a mask with his costume. I know he can change his face, but having a mask would be a great additional layer of security for his secret identity. Can't be too careful with that.

"Look--Up In The Sky...!"
Writer: Roger Stern
Penciler: Tom Lyle
Inker: Scott Hanna
Colorist: Carl Gafford
Letterer: Bob Pinaha
Editor: Brian Augustyn
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

The story begins with a man in a rundown hotel room, being rather frightened.

"I worry too much. I should just go see a show or something."

Meet Daniel Finster, a man way in over his head. He's worried about some gambling debts he ran up with a local Mafia boss names Sal Galvagno. He tries to relax, as he's been in this situation before. However, Daniel Finster is a man who seems to like pushing his luck. As such, he's in debt again. This time, Galvagno is not going to be patient.

Danny gets a call from his brother Morris. He and Joey Finster, Danny's brothers, are in Las Vegas. They've actually managed to win big at a casino. They almost got the money they need to pay off Galvagno. However, Daniel finds himself having some company, and he's not there to have coffee.

"You don't think my armor is too garish, do you?"

Meet Deadline, assassin for hire. Galvagno hired him to...let's just say tie up the loose end that is Danny Finster. Finster tries to shoot Deadline, but it turns out that the hired gun is superpowered, particularly intangibility. Basically, he can pass through solid surfaces a la Kitty "Shadowcat" Pryde. Deadline kills Finster, and decides to pay the newly-deceased man's brothers a "visit" in Vegas. It's there that the scene shifts to Sin City, which has a superpowered guest of its own.

"VEGAS, YOU JUST GOT GRACED BY THE LIGHT OF STARMAN!"

Will Payton just wanted to enjoy the fruits of the Silver City. You know, see a show, do a bit of gambling, enjoy a buffet, that kind of thing. But a superhero is never truly off duty, as he finds a Lear jet about to crash into the city. Starman gets the pilot to cut the plane's engines. Once that's done, Will flies underneath the plane and with great effort, is able to save the Lear jet and keep it from crashing into downtown Vegas.

"Lifting a plane that is full of people who just left the buffet. How does Superman DO this?!"

The crowd goes wild, cheering for the cosmic champion. With the crisis averted, the Starman is able to return to being plain ol' Will Payton once more. He's off to meet a friend named Phil Easton. He heads towards Easton's room, where he hears someone covering Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man".

"Huh. I didn't know Phil could sing."

Turns out Phil is doing a bit of performing for a captive audience. I'm wondering how he's got this party going in a hotel room. We also see that quite a few of the female partyers are quite interested in our hero. Will wonders how Phil is able to afford this. Well, it turns out that Lady Luck had smiled on Phil, and he won a very nice chunk of change at the slot machines. He invited Will here because he's got money to burn, and he wants to...well, burn it. Will thinks he should put that money away for the future. Phil has some of the money saved up, but he's never had an opportunity to really live it up before. He finally has, and he wants to take it!

Will agrees to come along and help Phil live it up and stay out of trouble...in exchange for him paying to see Jay Leno's comedy show at Caesar's Palace. The two get some nice tuxedos and live it up.

"Ohhh, we are going to have so many drunken misadventures..."

Meanwhile, Morris "Morrie" Finster heads back to his hotel room. Unlike Phil, his night was a lousy one. He lost quite a lot of cash, but that's the least of his problems as Deadline is in town to pay him a visit. The superhuman assassin tells him he killed Danny, and he's next. Joey Finster also arrives, just as Deadline fixes the kink in Morrie's neck by snapping it.

It happens to be then that Will is helping the drunk Phil into a cab. He hears a gunshot, and goes to check it out. But not before making sure the cabbie gets Phil back to his hotel room and reimbursing him for his trouble. It's then he spots Deadline going after Joey. Will changes his face to resemble Jay Leno and confronts Deadline.

"Hey, Guns! Wanna see my garage?!"

Joey takes advantage of Deadline being distracted to run for his life. Deadline also decides to make his escape, because he was paid to kill the Finsters. After getting two of them, he's not going to let the third get away because of some fancy-dressed superhero. Deadline pursues Joey into a casino. He manages to catch up to the portly man and is about to kill him, but Starman is all "Nope to that, pal!"

"Ohhhh, epic fail, Deadline!"

Deadline is able to use his intangibility power to escape the cosmic champion, and pursues him into the storage areas under the casino. Deadline tries to ambush Starman with his intangibility powers and a knife to the neck, but Starman's durability makes cutting his neck rather tough. Deadline tries phasing his shotgun partially into our hero's body and firing, but that doesn't work either. The super-assassin runs for it, and is able to escape Payton's alter ego.

Meanwhile, the cops managed to get Joey Finster. Starman warns the police about Deadline and his powers. They take the sole surviving Finster brother to a holding cell, where he feels he is finally safe.

"I'm the BOOGEYMAN, and I'm comin' to GET YOU!"

Yeah, a regular holding cell is not going to stop Deadline. The next morning, Will and Phil are enjoying some breakfast at a diner. Phil is nursing the mother of all hangovers. Will decides to check out the local paper...where he learns that Deadline managed to kill Joey Finster. He blames himself for it, but is brought out of his funk by Phil noticing a photo of a man who resembles Will, only much older. Does Will have any relatives in San Francisco named "Deming"? Well, as it turns out, the name is not an unfamiliar one to our man.

"Dad, what did you DO?!"

Yup, that's our hero's father. And it looks like he's not in a good place right now.

This was a fun issue. Although, I will admit, I may be a bit biased because I'm a bit of a fan of Roger Stern, thanks to his work on Spider-Man and The Avengers. It was quite fun seeing Will live it up and have some fun in Las Vegas. We also get some great action in the comic. It's a good challenge for Starman to face a foe that he literally could not touch.

Deadline himself isn't much to write home about. He's seemingly just your standard assassin claiming to be "the best" at it. Him having superpowers is a nice touch, though. And it would make sense that in a world of superheroes and supervillains, there would be superpowered assassins. I did like that he was shown to be a skilled assassin, using his powers to great effect, as well as very hard to catch...not to mention that he won in the end. All three Finster brothers are dead. Better luck next time, Starman. I did also like that Starman was shown to be competent. Deadline had to work to evade the rookie hero. That was good to see.

Tom Lyle's art is very-well done. It's detailed, and a joy to look at. That's pretty much all I can think of to say about it, really. It's very nice. There are some minor issues, but they're more nitpicky. Lyle's characters are expressive, and he can draw some good action.

If you want to read this for yourself, well...the original Starman has never been collected in trade as far as I know (DC never really tends to release a lot of their 80s stuff in trade outside of New Teen Titans, Crisis on Infinite Earths, or Dark Knight Returns), nor is it out officially on digital platforms (again, as far as I know, as I've never really bought comics in digital before). You'll have to search the back issue bins for this.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! Join me the week after next (I'll be out of town, so no comic review next week), where we join one of DC's most infamous Western-era characters as they deal with life in a post-apocalyptic future...