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Starhawk (comics)
Encyclopedia
Starhawk is a fictional character
created by Steve Gerber
(writer) and Sal Buscema
(artist). He is an antihero in the Earth-691
timeline
of the Marvel Comics
universe
.
Stakar was fated to eventually re-inhabit his infant body, reliving his life over countless times. Because of the knowledge of things to come, he manipulated events to affect what he felt would be the best outcome, referring to himself as "One Who Knows". He made many enemies in doing so, but his tampering and guidance also led to the formation of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the 31st Century.
Upon receiving his power from the Hawk God, Starhawk identified himself and summarized his purpose by saying "I am the wisdom and the glory of your ancestors. I am the light and the giver of light. I am your heritage and your destiny! I am the POWER that was Arcturus!"
and Kismet
in the about the year 2002 of the Earth-691
timeline. As such, he was half human
and half-artificially created being. Just as soon as he was born on the planet Vesper, he was kidnapped and deposited on the planet Arcturus IV. The baby was discovered by an Arcturian couple who were among the last of their planet's mutants
; for much of his life, Stakar would believe that these mutants were his birth parents. The mutants were found and slain by the Reavers of Arcturus, Arcturian military cadres dedicated to eradicating the mutants of their race. The Reaver Ogord discovered the infant and, assuming him to be a normal Arcturian, adopted the child and raised it as his own with his wife Salaan, naming the boy Stakar.
Stakar cultivated an interest in science
and archaeology
and explored ruins containing the Hawk God. Around the year 2020, he and his adoptive sister Aleta Ogord
reanimated the dormant deity and were physically transformed. They took turns occupying the same physical space, while the other stayed in a type of "limbo." They were given extraordinary power and left Arcturus IV for the stars; when dominant, Stakar adopted the costumed identity of Starhawk. Developing romantic feelings for one another, Stakar and Aleta petitioned the Hawk God to temporarily separate them. During this time, they had three children together: Sita, John and Tara.
in the year 3014. He aided them in overthrowing the Badoon
occupation of Earth. Starhawk joined the Guardians of the Galaxy in a space mission, and helped defeat the Topographical Man. It is later revealed he manipulated events to bring the Guardians together; for example, when Charlie-27 teleported from Jupiter to escape the Badoon, Starhawk caused him to be transported to Pluto where he met Martinex.
During this time, Stakar's three children were changed into energy vampires by Aleta's father and sent to kill Stakar. They died of accelerated old age. Aleta thereafter blamed Stakar (rather than her father) for the deaths of their children, and their relationship never recovered.
Starhawk teamed with the time-traveling Thor
, and battled Korvac
and his Minions of Menace. Starhawk later traveled to the 1970s alongside his fellow Guardians, and assisted the Avengers
in battle against Korvac
. Alongside the Guardians, the Fantastic Four
, Dargo, and Keeper
, Starhawk battled manifestations of Korvac's power in various eras.
In 3017, Starhawk accompanied the Guardians on a quest to find the lost shield
of Captain America
. He battled Taserface and the Stark
, and was physically separated from Aleta in an accident. Aleta was the stronger of the pair, and Stakar forcibly reabsorbed her to sustain himself. The two struggled for dominance of their physical space, and Stakar metemorphosed into a 'dark' version of himself, projecting 'black light'.
Because of Stakar's assault on their teammate, the Guardians chose to expel him from the team. Eventually, Aleta became dominant, and reverted Stakar's body to an infant state. Aware of his destiny, she sent him back in time to begin his life cycle again.
, their native timeline was altered - to the extent that Starhawk had lived his entire life over again and was waiting for their arrival. Stakar and Aleta had harsh words for each other, and the Hawk God appeared and intervened, attaching the two ex-lovers by bonding their fingers together. After being forced to work together for a time, the Hawk God again granted them audience, allowing them to plead their cases. He separated them, and allowed both to retain power.
Although Aleta chose to stay with the Guardians, the Hawk God told Stakar the truth about his heritage. He then went on a quest to learn more and found his mother Kismet
, alive and living in a secluded religious retreat on the planet Vesper. At that, a creature who called himself Era, the son of Eon
, revealed himself. It admitted having kidnapped Stakar at birth, along with other vile deeds.
With the encouragement of the Hawk God, Starhawk and Kismet dedicated themselves to locating and confronting Era.
timeline, Starhawk met up with that era's equivalent of the Guardians of the Galaxy. His cause was unclear, but it has something to do with Vance Astro
, aka Major Victory who was found by this new squad of Guardians. After a while Starhawk changed to a female form. She later sacrificed her life to save the Guardians.
Starhawk can manipulate light to create concussive force blasts of photon
ic energy, heat, and solid-light constructs. He can also fly at the speed of light by tapping anti-gravitons, and survive in the vacuum of space. By tapping into Aleta's powers (when merged with her), he can also generate solid constructs of light; it is unknown if he can do so since their separation. His natural senses, especially eyesight, are enhanced to a superhuman degree; in addition, his powers give him extrasensory sensitivity to energy patterns and fluctuations in his environment, and he can track energy trails across intergalactic distances.
He has superhuman strength and durability, and he can enhance these further by reinforcing his body with light energy; on one occasion, he was able to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the thunder god Thor
. He has an immunity to most known diseases and radiation sickness.
He seemingly has precognition
, designating himself as "One-Who-Knows", but this is actually an effect of remembering what happened in his previous life cycle. However, due to Starhawk's efforts to change events for the better in each cycle, as well as the manipulations of beings with greater understanding of the universe (such as Mephisto
), these memories can become unreliable; the overall thrust of events may be the same, but vital details might differ from his previous incarnation.
When he forced Aleta to re-merge with him after their second separation, Starhawk's power changed from light to dark, and he was able to create constructs out of solid darkness, and fire blasts of shadowy force. Valentino had initially decided to call him Shadowhawk
, but Tom DeFalco
convinced him to save the name for a brand new character.
Stakar has knowledge of the archaeology of the planet Arcturus IV. He also has extensive knowledge of various civilizations throughout the Milky Way Galaxy.
His costume is made of alien materials, including a retracting transparent facemask and life support system, and retractable solar wind collector wings.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
created by Steve Gerber
Steve Gerber
Stephen Ross "Steve" Gerber was an American comic book writer best known as co-creator of the satiric Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck....
(writer) and Sal Buscema
Sal Buscema
Silvio "Sal" Buscema is an American comic book artist, primarily for Marvel Comics, where he enjoyed a ten-year run as artist of The Incredible Hulk...
(artist). He is an antihero in the Earth-691
Earth-691
In the fictional Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth 691 or Earth-691 is the name used to identify a secondary continuity inhabited by Killraven and the original Guardians of the Galaxy.-Overview:...
timeline
Timeline
A timeline is a way of displaying a list of events in chronological order, sometimes described as a project artifact . It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labeled with dates alongside itself and events labeled on points where they would have happened.-Uses of timelines:Timelines...
of the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
.
Stakar was fated to eventually re-inhabit his infant body, reliving his life over countless times. Because of the knowledge of things to come, he manipulated events to affect what he felt would be the best outcome, referring to himself as "One Who Knows". He made many enemies in doing so, but his tampering and guidance also led to the formation of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the 31st Century.
Upon receiving his power from the Hawk God, Starhawk identified himself and summarized his purpose by saying "I am the wisdom and the glory of your ancestors. I am the light and the giver of light. I am your heritage and your destiny! I am the POWER that was Arcturus!"
Origin
A male child was born to the superheroes QuasarQuasar (comics)
Quasar is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the . He is one of Marvel's cosmic heroes, a character whose adventures frequently take him into outer space or other dimensions...
and Kismet
Kismet (Marvel Comics)
Kismet, also known as Paragon and Her is a fictional superheroine that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics...
in the about the year 2002 of the Earth-691
Earth-691
In the fictional Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth 691 or Earth-691 is the name used to identify a secondary continuity inhabited by Killraven and the original Guardians of the Galaxy.-Overview:...
timeline. As such, he was half human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
and half-artificially created being. Just as soon as he was born on the planet Vesper, he was kidnapped and deposited on the planet Arcturus IV. The baby was discovered by an Arcturian couple who were among the last of their planet's mutants
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
; for much of his life, Stakar would believe that these mutants were his birth parents. The mutants were found and slain by the Reavers of Arcturus, Arcturian military cadres dedicated to eradicating the mutants of their race. The Reaver Ogord discovered the infant and, assuming him to be a normal Arcturian, adopted the child and raised it as his own with his wife Salaan, naming the boy Stakar.
Stakar cultivated an interest in science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
and explored ruins containing the Hawk God. Around the year 2020, he and his adoptive sister Aleta Ogord
Aleta Ogord
Aleta Ogord, briefly also known as Starhawk, is a fictional character, a superheroine in a future of the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:...
reanimated the dormant deity and were physically transformed. They took turns occupying the same physical space, while the other stayed in a type of "limbo." They were given extraordinary power and left Arcturus IV for the stars; when dominant, Stakar adopted the costumed identity of Starhawk. Developing romantic feelings for one another, Stakar and Aleta petitioned the Hawk God to temporarily separate them. During this time, they had three children together: Sita, John and Tara.
Guardians of the Galaxy
As an adventurer and protector, Starhawk revealed himself to the Guardians of the Galaxy and the DefendersDefenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
in the year 3014. He aided them in overthrowing the Badoon
Badoon
The Badoon are a reptilian alien species in the fictional Marvel Comics universe. They are notable for having a gender schism, resulting in two separate societies; the Brotherhood of Badoon and the Sisterhood of Badoon .The Brotherhood live on the planet Moord, while the Sisterhood reside on the...
occupation of Earth. Starhawk joined the Guardians of the Galaxy in a space mission, and helped defeat the Topographical Man. It is later revealed he manipulated events to bring the Guardians together; for example, when Charlie-27 teleported from Jupiter to escape the Badoon, Starhawk caused him to be transported to Pluto where he met Martinex.
During this time, Stakar's three children were changed into energy vampires by Aleta's father and sent to kill Stakar. They died of accelerated old age. Aleta thereafter blamed Stakar (rather than her father) for the deaths of their children, and their relationship never recovered.
Starhawk teamed with the time-traveling Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
, and battled Korvac
Korvac
Michael Korvac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Giant-Size Defenders #3 Michael Korvac (often called Korvac or The Enemy) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character...
and his Minions of Menace. Starhawk later traveled to the 1970s alongside his fellow Guardians, and assisted the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
in battle against Korvac
Korvac
Michael Korvac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Giant-Size Defenders #3 Michael Korvac (often called Korvac or The Enemy) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character...
. Alongside the Guardians, the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
, Dargo, and Keeper
Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
, Starhawk battled manifestations of Korvac's power in various eras.
In 3017, Starhawk accompanied the Guardians on a quest to find the lost shield
Captain America's shield
Captain America's shield is a fictional item, the primary defensive and offensive piece of equipment used by the Marvel Comics superhero Captain America; he is seldom seen without it. Over the years, Captain America has had the use of several different shields of varying composition and design...
of Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
. He battled Taserface and the Stark
Stark (species)
The Stark are a matriarchial purple-skinned alien species of warriors in the Earth-691 timeline of the fictional Marvel Universe. They are named for Anthony Stark, commonly known as Iron Man, on whose technology their society is based. Their society seems to be run by females. With female Starks...
, and was physically separated from Aleta in an accident. Aleta was the stronger of the pair, and Stakar forcibly reabsorbed her to sustain himself. The two struggled for dominance of their physical space, and Stakar metemorphosed into a 'dark' version of himself, projecting 'black light'.
Because of Stakar's assault on their teammate, the Guardians chose to expel him from the team. Eventually, Aleta became dominant, and reverted Stakar's body to an infant state. Aware of his destiny, she sent him back in time to begin his life cycle again.
Freed from rebirth
When the Guardians traveled back in time to the 20th century of Earth-616Earth-616
In the fictional Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 or Earth 616 is the name used to identify the primary continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place.-Origin of Earth-616:...
, their native timeline was altered - to the extent that Starhawk had lived his entire life over again and was waiting for their arrival. Stakar and Aleta had harsh words for each other, and the Hawk God appeared and intervened, attaching the two ex-lovers by bonding their fingers together. After being forced to work together for a time, the Hawk God again granted them audience, allowing them to plead their cases. He separated them, and allowed both to retain power.
Although Aleta chose to stay with the Guardians, the Hawk God told Stakar the truth about his heritage. He then went on a quest to learn more and found his mother Kismet
Kismet (Marvel Comics)
Kismet, also known as Paragon and Her is a fictional superheroine that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics...
, alive and living in a secluded religious retreat on the planet Vesper. At that, a creature who called himself Era, the son of Eon
Eon (comics)
Eon is one of the fictional cosmic entities in Marvel Comics' universe.-Publication history:Eon was created by Jim Starlin, and first appeared in Captain Marvel #29 to proclaim Mar-Vell as the Protector of the Universe...
, revealed himself. It admitted having kidnapped Stakar at birth, along with other vile deeds.
With the encouragement of the Hawk God, Starhawk and Kismet dedicated themselves to locating and confronting Era.
Return
In the 21st century of the Earth-616Earth-616
In the fictional Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 or Earth 616 is the name used to identify the primary continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place.-Origin of Earth-616:...
timeline, Starhawk met up with that era's equivalent of the Guardians of the Galaxy. His cause was unclear, but it has something to do with Vance Astro
Vance Astro
Vance Astro, born Vance Astrovik and going by the nickname Major Victory, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero from the Earth-691 timeline of the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
, aka Major Victory who was found by this new squad of Guardians. After a while Starhawk changed to a female form. She later sacrificed her life to save the Guardians.
Powers and abilities
The true extent of Starhawk's powers is unknown, but they are said to be immense in nature. He has an incredibly long lifespan, possibly inherited from his mother or due to his empowerment by the Hawk God.Starhawk can manipulate light to create concussive force blasts of photon
Photon
In physics, a photon is an elementary particle, the quantum of the electromagnetic interaction and the basic unit of light and all other forms of electromagnetic radiation. It is also the force carrier for the electromagnetic force...
ic energy, heat, and solid-light constructs. He can also fly at the speed of light by tapping anti-gravitons, and survive in the vacuum of space. By tapping into Aleta's powers (when merged with her), he can also generate solid constructs of light; it is unknown if he can do so since their separation. His natural senses, especially eyesight, are enhanced to a superhuman degree; in addition, his powers give him extrasensory sensitivity to energy patterns and fluctuations in his environment, and he can track energy trails across intergalactic distances.
He has superhuman strength and durability, and he can enhance these further by reinforcing his body with light energy; on one occasion, he was able to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the thunder god Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
. He has an immunity to most known diseases and radiation sickness.
He seemingly has precognition
Precognition
In parapsychology, precognition , also called future sight, and second sight, is a type of extrasensory perception that would involve the acquisition or effect of future information that cannot be deduced from presently available and normally acquired sense-based information or laws of physics...
, designating himself as "One-Who-Knows", but this is actually an effect of remembering what happened in his previous life cycle. However, due to Starhawk's efforts to change events for the better in each cycle, as well as the manipulations of beings with greater understanding of the universe (such as Mephisto
Mephisto (comics)
Mephisto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Silver Surfer #3 and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema, loosely modeled on Mephistopheles - a character from the Faust legend.Debuting in the Silver Age of comic books,...
), these memories can become unreliable; the overall thrust of events may be the same, but vital details might differ from his previous incarnation.
When he forced Aleta to re-merge with him after their second separation, Starhawk's power changed from light to dark, and he was able to create constructs out of solid darkness, and fire blasts of shadowy force. Valentino had initially decided to call him Shadowhawk
Shadowhawk
ShadowHawk is a fictional comic book vigilante anti-hero created by Jim Valentino.He was first introduced in the Malibu Sun free promotional magazine in May of 1992...
, but Tom DeFalco
Tom DeFalco
Tom DeFalco is an American comics writer and editor, well known for his association with Marvel Comics and in particular for his work with Spider-Man.-Career:...
convinced him to save the name for a brand new character.
Stakar has knowledge of the archaeology of the planet Arcturus IV. He also has extensive knowledge of various civilizations throughout the Milky Way Galaxy.
His costume is made of alien materials, including a retracting transparent facemask and life support system, and retractable solar wind collector wings.