Star Hawkins
Encyclopedia
Star Hawkins is a science fiction
detective character published by National Comics
(now known as DC Comics
) in their flagship science-fiction anthology title Strange Adventures
. He and his ever-present robot assistant Ilda first appeared in Strange Adventures #114 (March 1960) and featured in 21 issues of the title, but after that only made four other appearances in other DC Comics before he was killed off in Mystery In Space vol 2 #2 (December 2006). The characters were created by John Broome
and Mike Sekowsky
.
. A series of 8/9-page stories was then published in rotation with two other series, The Atomic Knights and Space Museum, and appeared in every third issue of Strange Adventures from #119 - 158 (August 1960 - November 1963), all by the Broome-Sekowsky-Sachs team, and #162 (March 1964), written by France Herron. After Jack Schiff took up the editorial reins on Strange Adventures he brought Star Hawkins back in issue #173 (February 1965), featuring him again in every third issue until #185 (February 1966), this time all written by Dave Wood and drawn by Gil Kane
. Star Hawkins never featured on the cover of Strange Adventures.
He later appeared in "Whatever will Happen to Star Hawkins" in DC Comics Presents
#33 (May 1981), an 8-page tale by Mike Tiefenbacher (a freelance writer who was then editor of comics magazine The Comic Reader (TCR)), with artists Alex Saviuk
and Vince Colletta
. Star Hawkins' only other appearances were in the non-canonical mini-series Twilight (1990) by Howard Chaykin
and his death in the mini-series Mystery In Space
vol 2 #2 (December 2006), written by Jim Starlin
.
His first known case comes when he is paid to hunt for a Martian who had been paid to go into hiding to avoid being a witness over the ownership of a jewel mine, which he solves on his own. However, for his next cases it is Ilda who accidentally cracks a betting and forgery scam, and uncovers a robot theft scam when pawned once again, then steps in and takes the next job when Star is injured while fighting the Metal Men of Andromeda. Eventually Star's reputation gets work from the National Science Center, Earth's law-enforcement agency, although it does not solve his perennial money problems.
Star Hawkins cases often have a humorous edge to them - once Ilda accidentally cleans the wrong apartment (in 2079 everyone has an identical apartment with the same furniture and accessories in the same place) and breaks up an alien invasion plan being plotted in the flat above 'terrible danger - apartment upstairs - alien invasion' . She diagnoses a robot criminal as mad because he literally 'has a screw loose' , falls in love with a robot that is part of an alien invasion plan, and attempts a film career (as Scarlet O'Toole in 'Gone With the Rust' - with a robot that looks like Cary Grant), although she was only being duped for her information on Star.
Ilda cracks another case when, jealous of Star's attention to a stunning blonde, accidentally discovers an interplanetary spy ring, although her 'Intuition Tubes' were wrong for once - the blonde was not one of the gang but an undercover agent for the government who had infiltrated them. Shortly afterwards Ilda gets a massive electric shock which scrambles her circuits into thinking she's the criminal 'The Slinker From Saturn'. They come up against one group of space terrorists, the 'League of Five Planets', more than once; thwarting a plan to steal security codes and attack Earth's outer planetary bases and then defeating them again in their last ever case more than fifteen years later.
On three occasions, by blind luck Star Hawkins and Ilda become catalysts for significant changes to robot rights. Ilda is saved from being scrapped, having reached the end of her robot model's life, reprieved by the Government in recognition of her usefulness in crime solving. Both her and Star receive a Medal of Valor and incidentally save all other robots of her model from the obsolescence law. Star and Ilda are also instrumental in changing apartheid-style rules when solving a case in a resort hotel in the asteroid belt. Prior to this case, robots were classed as servants and not allowed in hotels but forced to stay outside. After Ilda smuggles herself into the hotel and Star and her prevent a crime, the law is repealed. Their third piece of legal history comes when Star retires and all robots are given their freedom and the right to 'life-pairing' because of Ilda's heroism.
Star Hawkins retires in 2092, after defeating the 'League of Five Planets' again and earning 250 million credits reward. He marries Stella Sterling, a girl he had been guarding during this last case, and a descendant of Prof. Miller Sterling, the creator of Automan; while Ilda marries Automan. They open the 'Hawkins-Sterling Academy of Robot Detection', and Automan and Ilda become Head of Faculty, training robots as private detectives.
At some stage after this Star is transported back to the 20th Century, although how and why is unknown. Eventually he takes up living on 'Hardcore Station
', a corrupt commercial satellite station with a population of several million in a free space zone between a number of trading civilisations. Now a tragic figure, he lives near the Stardocks 'just an old man watching ships take off and land' . Star has lost his private investigator license, is down on his luck again and a drunk - Captain Comet
is his only known friend. Nobody is sure who or what he was, Comet describes him as '... more than a bit crazy, always claiming he was from the future whenever he got drunk' . Ilda hangs broken in his room like a puppet; although Comet offers to help fix her, Star won't because 'we'd never be able to get the ol' gal the way she was - and the Star Hawkins she knew is ancient history. Wouldn't want her to see me ... like ...' .
Star Hawkins is murdered shortly afterwards by a rogue telepath.
Ilda is highly intelligent, and able to use a range of robot abilities - strength, supersonics, and can shoot electric bolts and use heat powers by overloading her transistors or using an Infra-Red beam (normally used for emergency cooking). She has Super-X vision, which enables her to see through walls, a certain measure of telepathic ability and 'Intuition tubes' which warn her of danger (mainly from other females). She is immune to ray-shots and can forensically analyze soil samples.
and José Luis García-López
in 1990. In this version his real name is Axel Starker, the estranged brother of Jon Starker, Manhunter 2070. He is bitter and twisted, with a deep resentment of Ilda, telling her he would have junked her years ago if he'd been allowed to. Eventually John Starker merges with Ilda, and is killed on an attack on the crazed dictator Tommy Tomorrow
.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
detective character published by National Comics
National Comics
National Comics may refer to:* National Comics: An early name for the comic book publisher known later as DC Comics.* National Comics : a 1940's comic book series published by Quality Comics....
(now known as 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...
) in their flagship science-fiction anthology title Strange Adventures
Strange Adventures
Strange Adventures was the title of several American comic books published by DC Comics, most notably a long-running science fiction anthology that began in 1950.-Original series:...
. He and his ever-present robot assistant Ilda first appeared in Strange Adventures #114 (March 1960) and featured in 21 issues of the title, but after that only made four other appearances in other DC Comics before he was killed off in Mystery In Space vol 2 #2 (December 2006). The characters were created by John Broome
John Broome (writer)
John Broome , who additionally used the pseudonyms John Osgood and Edgar Ray Meritt, was an American comic book writer for DC Comics.-Early life and career:...
and Mike Sekowsky
Mike Sekowsky
Michael Sekowsky was a Jewish American comic book artist best known as the exclusive penciler for DC Comics' Justice League of America during most of the 1960s, and as the regular writer and artist on Wonder Woman during the late 1960s and early 1970s.-Early life and career:Mike Sekowsky began...
.
Publication history
Star Hawkins appeared in 21 issues of Strange Adventures, first in the story "The Case of the Martian Witness" in Strange Adventures #114 (March 1959), written by creator John Broome and drawn by co-creator Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs under the editorship of Julius SchwartzJulius Schwartz
Julius "Julie" Schwartz was a comic book and pulp magazine editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in the Bronx, New York...
. A series of 8/9-page stories was then published in rotation with two other series, The Atomic Knights and Space Museum, and appeared in every third issue of Strange Adventures from #119 - 158 (August 1960 - November 1963), all by the Broome-Sekowsky-Sachs team, and #162 (March 1964), written by France Herron. After Jack Schiff took up the editorial reins on Strange Adventures he brought Star Hawkins back in issue #173 (February 1965), featuring him again in every third issue until #185 (February 1966), this time all written by Dave Wood and drawn by Gil Kane
Gil Kane
Eli Katz who worked under the name Gil Kane and in one instance Scott Edward, was a comic book artist whose career spanned the 1940s to 1990s and every major comics company and character.Kane co-created the modern-day versions of the superheroes Green Lantern and the Atom for DC Comics, and...
. Star Hawkins never featured on the cover of Strange Adventures.
He later appeared in "Whatever will Happen to Star Hawkins" in DC Comics Presents
DC Comics Presents
DC Comics Presents was a comic book published by DC Comics from 1978 to 1986 featuring team-ups between Superman and a wide variety of other characters of the DC Universe...
#33 (May 1981), an 8-page tale by Mike Tiefenbacher (a freelance writer who was then editor of comics magazine The Comic Reader (TCR)), with artists Alex Saviuk
Alex Saviuk
Alex Saviuk is an American comic book artist primarily known for his work on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man.-Biography:Saviuk was born on August 17, 1952 Alex Saviuk (born August 17, 1953) is an American comic book artist primarily known for his work on the Marvel Comics character...
and Vince Colletta
Vince Colletta
Vincent Joseph Colletta was an American comic book artist and art director best known as one of industry legend Jack Kirby's frequent inkers during the 1950s-1960s period called the Silver Age of comic books...
. Star Hawkins' only other appearances were in the non-canonical mini-series Twilight (1990) by Howard Chaykin
Howard Chaykin
Howard Victor Chaykin is an American comic book writer and artist famous for his innovative storytelling and sometimes controversial material...
and his death in the mini-series Mystery In Space
Mystery in Space
Mystery in Space is the name of two science fiction comic book series published in the United States by DC Comics, then known as National Comics. The first series ran for 110 issues from 1951 - 1966, with a further 7 issues continuing the numbering during a 1980s revival of the title...
vol 2 #2 (December 2006), written by Jim Starlin
Jim Starlin
James P. "Jim" Starlin is an American comic book writer and artist. With a career dating back to the early 1970s, he is best known for "cosmic" tales and space opera; for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock; and for creating or co-creating the Marvel characters...
.
Fictional character biography
Star Hawkins is a down-at-heel private investigator living in New City, Earth in the 21st Century. He is first shown in 2079, with a robot receptionist, cleaner and general dogsbody, Ilda (Robot F2324), bought from the 'Super-Secretary Robot Factory'. Because Star is always short of money, Ilda is regularly pawned (although Star always promises that was the last time). Although a sharp detective with athletic skills, it is normally Ilda who exhibits the intelligence and power to solve the crime or is critical to defeating the 'zips' (criminals) with low-powered telepathic ability - 'standard equipment in all models the year of Ilda's manufacture' , or other robot powers.His first known case comes when he is paid to hunt for a Martian who had been paid to go into hiding to avoid being a witness over the ownership of a jewel mine, which he solves on his own. However, for his next cases it is Ilda who accidentally cracks a betting and forgery scam, and uncovers a robot theft scam when pawned once again, then steps in and takes the next job when Star is injured while fighting the Metal Men of Andromeda. Eventually Star's reputation gets work from the National Science Center, Earth's law-enforcement agency, although it does not solve his perennial money problems.
Star Hawkins cases often have a humorous edge to them - once Ilda accidentally cleans the wrong apartment (in 2079 everyone has an identical apartment with the same furniture and accessories in the same place) and breaks up an alien invasion plan being plotted in the flat above 'terrible danger - apartment upstairs - alien invasion' . She diagnoses a robot criminal as mad because he literally 'has a screw loose' , falls in love with a robot that is part of an alien invasion plan, and attempts a film career (as Scarlet O'Toole in 'Gone With the Rust' - with a robot that looks like Cary Grant), although she was only being duped for her information on Star.
Ilda cracks another case when, jealous of Star's attention to a stunning blonde, accidentally discovers an interplanetary spy ring, although her 'Intuition Tubes' were wrong for once - the blonde was not one of the gang but an undercover agent for the government who had infiltrated them. Shortly afterwards Ilda gets a massive electric shock which scrambles her circuits into thinking she's the criminal 'The Slinker From Saturn'. They come up against one group of space terrorists, the 'League of Five Planets', more than once; thwarting a plan to steal security codes and attack Earth's outer planetary bases and then defeating them again in their last ever case more than fifteen years later.
On three occasions, by blind luck Star Hawkins and Ilda become catalysts for significant changes to robot rights. Ilda is saved from being scrapped, having reached the end of her robot model's life, reprieved by the Government in recognition of her usefulness in crime solving. Both her and Star receive a Medal of Valor and incidentally save all other robots of her model from the obsolescence law. Star and Ilda are also instrumental in changing apartheid-style rules when solving a case in a resort hotel in the asteroid belt. Prior to this case, robots were classed as servants and not allowed in hotels but forced to stay outside. After Ilda smuggles herself into the hotel and Star and her prevent a crime, the law is repealed. Their third piece of legal history comes when Star retires and all robots are given their freedom and the right to 'life-pairing' because of Ilda's heroism.
Star Hawkins retires in 2092, after defeating the 'League of Five Planets' again and earning 250 million credits reward. He marries Stella Sterling, a girl he had been guarding during this last case, and a descendant of Prof. Miller Sterling, the creator of Automan; while Ilda marries Automan. They open the 'Hawkins-Sterling Academy of Robot Detection', and Automan and Ilda become Head of Faculty, training robots as private detectives.
At some stage after this Star is transported back to the 20th Century, although how and why is unknown. Eventually he takes up living on 'Hardcore Station
Hardcore Station
Hardcore Station is a location in the DC Comics Universe, a corrupt commercial satellite station with a population of several million in a free space zone between a number of trading civilisations....
', a corrupt commercial satellite station with a population of several million in a free space zone between a number of trading civilisations. Now a tragic figure, he lives near the Stardocks 'just an old man watching ships take off and land' . Star has lost his private investigator license, is down on his luck again and a drunk - Captain Comet
Captain Comet
Captain Comet is a fictional DC Comics superhero created by DC Comics Editor Julius Schwartz, writer John Broome, and artist Carmine Infantino....
is his only known friend. Nobody is sure who or what he was, Comet describes him as '... more than a bit crazy, always claiming he was from the future whenever he got drunk' . Ilda hangs broken in his room like a puppet; although Comet offers to help fix her, Star won't because 'we'd never be able to get the ol' gal the way she was - and the Star Hawkins she knew is ancient history. Wouldn't want her to see me ... like ...' .
Star Hawkins is murdered shortly afterwards by a rogue telepath.
Powers and abilities
Star Hawkins has no powers, he is an ordinary human. However, he does have a sharp mind and a keen eye, and is athletic and physically quick, and carries a ray gun. He is known to use an instant disguise spray to look like an old man.Ilda is highly intelligent, and able to use a range of robot abilities - strength, supersonics, and can shoot electric bolts and use heat powers by overloading her transistors or using an Infra-Red beam (normally used for emergency cooking). She has Super-X vision, which enables her to see through walls, a certain measure of telepathic ability and 'Intuition tubes' which warn her of danger (mainly from other females). She is immune to ray-shots and can forensically analyze soil samples.
Other versions
A version of Star Hawkins appears in the Twilight mini-series by Howard ChaykinHoward Chaykin
Howard Victor Chaykin is an American comic book writer and artist famous for his innovative storytelling and sometimes controversial material...
and José Luis García-López
José Luis García-López
José Luis García-López is a Spanish comic book artist who works in the United States of America, mostly for DC Comics. He has most recently penciled an arc in Batman Confidential, the Metal Men storyline in the 2009 Wednesday Comics weekly anthology, and, in 2011, one of the stories in The Spirit...
in 1990. In this version his real name is Axel Starker, the estranged brother of Jon Starker, Manhunter 2070. He is bitter and twisted, with a deep resentment of Ilda, telling her he would have junked her years ago if he'd been allowed to. Eventually John Starker merges with Ilda, and is killed on an attack on the crazed dictator Tommy Tomorrow
Tommy Tomorrow
Tommy Tomorrow was a long-running science fiction hero published by DC Comics in several of their titles from 1947 to 1963. He first appeared in Real Fact Comics #6...
.
Reprints
One Star Hawkins story is reprinted in the DC Comics trade paperback anthology "Pulp Fiction Library: Mystery in Space" (DC Comics , 1999) ISBN 1563894947External links
- Star Hawkins entry at 'Don Markstein's Toonopedia' - http://www.toonopedia.com/sthawkns.htm
- An appreciation of Star Hawkins at 'Mike’s Amazing World of DC Comics' - http://www.dcindexes.com/planet/weeklyplanet.php?issue=50