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He is the law: a JUDGE DREDD history! ber 20

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Nova • CONWAY & VOSBURG’s Starman • LEVITZ & DITKO’s Starman • POTTER & COLAN’s Jemm, Son of Saturn • SIMONSON’s Justice Peace (from Thor) featuring BAGLEY, BOLLAND, DeFALCO, GIBSON, GRANT, LARSEN, MARRINAN, NICIEZA, OSTRANDER, WAGNER, WEISS & many more

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SCI-FI SUPERHEROES ISSUE!

1

with JIM STARLIN & friends

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Dreadstar and Company © Jim Starlin. Judge Dredd © Rebellion A/S. All Rights Reserved.

Septem

Volume 1, Number 115 September 2019 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Eury PUBLISHER John Morrow

Comics’ Bronze Age and Beyond!

DESIGNER Rich Fowlks COVER ARTIST Jim Starlin COVER COLORIST Glenn Whitmore COVER DESIGNER Michael Kronenberg PROOFREADER Rob Smentek SPECIAL THANKS Richard J. Arndt Mark Bagley Roy Batty Tom Brevoort Jarrod Buttery Robert V. Conte Gerry Conway Peter David Bill Davis, Sr. Tom DeFalco Jo Duffy Jay Faerber Danny Fingeroth Ron Frenz Ian Gibson Grand Comics Database Heritage Comics Auctions Klaus Janson Dan Jurgens James Heath Lantz Erik Larsen Paul Levitz Alan Light Ron Lim Ed Lute Chris Marrinan Val Mayerik Luke McDonnell

Bob McLeod Angel Medina Robert Menzies Ian Millsted Fabian Nicieza Luigi Novi John Ostrander Portsmouth Comic Con Darick Robertson Bob Rozakis Cavan Scott Walter Simonson Evan Skolnick Doug Smith Anthony Snyder Jim Starlin Joshua Thayer Mikaal Tomas Gerry Turnbull Mike Vosburg John Wagner Rob Williams Chuck Wojtkiewicz Michael Zeno DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF Carlos Ezquerra

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ONE-HIT WONDERS: The Starman of ’76! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Gerry Conway and Mike Vosburg discuss their man who fell to Earth BEYOND CAPES: Judge Dredd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 From 2000AD to your metroplex, Mega-City One’s one-man cop, judge, and executioner UNKNOWN MARVEL: Walt Simonson’s Homage to Judge Dredd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Justice Peace, from Thor to Fantastic Four… plus the scoop on Thug Thatcher FLASHBACK: Adventure Star: Starman Prince Gavyn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Paul Levitz remembers his sci-fi collaboration with Steve Ditko BEYOND CAPES: Dreadstar: Jim Starlin’s Odyssey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 A comprehensive look back at Starlin’s (and friends’) space opera ROUGH STUFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Pencil art by Swan, Kirby, Williamson, Lim, and Jurgens FLASHBACK: Jemm, Son of Mars Saturn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Martian Manhunter’s almost-cousin and his troubled DC history FLASHBACK: Nova: The Human Rocket Returns! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 The Man Called Nova’s comeback in New Warriors and beyond BACK TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Reader reactions to BI #109, our Superman: The Movie tribute… featuring rare Superman images!

BACK ISSUE™ is published 8 times a year by TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614. Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief. John Morrow, Publisher. Editorial Office: BACK ISSUE, c/o Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief, 112 Fairmount Way, New Bern, NC 28562. Email: euryman@gmail.com.

Eight-issue subscriptions: $82 Economy US, $128 International, $32 Digital. Please send subscription orders and funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial office. Cover art by Jim Starlin. Dreadstar and Company TM & © Jim Starlin. Judge Dredd © Rebellion A/S. All Rights Reserved. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © 2019 Michael Eury and TwoMorrows. Printed in China. FIRST PRINTING.

Sci-Fi Superheroes Issue • BACK ISSUE • 1

Mikaal Tomas, DC Comics’ new Starman, circa 1976, actually debuted in December 1975, in the pages of 1st Issue Special #12 (Mar. 1976). Under a dynamite cover by Joe Kubert, the story was edited and written

by Gerry Conway and illustrated by Mike Vosburg and Mike Royer. Mind you, this Starman wasn’t the 1940s Gardner Fox/Jack Burnley version of the character.

This was a totally new version.

TM

FRIEND OR FOE?

The origin tale opens with a bang, as Tomas’ spaceship crashes in the wetlands off the North Bronx. In the midst of 18 heavily plotted pages, he is attacked by thugs, knifed, learns English, and is stalked and finally confronted by an alien “guardsman.” We learn that his commander and the commander’s paramour, in a hidden base on the dark side of the Moon, have sent the guardsman to track down Tomas and kill him for treason. In a flashback, gerry conway we learn the reason for the treason is that his lady love, Lyysa, wanted to warn Earth of her people’s intent to commit genocide of all humanity. Her mission ended when she was killed in her attempt. A furious Tomas kills her assassin and decides to complete her attempted mission to warn Earth. The issue ends with a cliffhanger as Mikaal and the guardsman, one Turran Kha, face off in the streets of the Bronx.

There would be no second issue to show the fight.

As Gerry Conway explains, “1st Issue Special was one of Carmine Infantino’s concepts. Carmine had noticed that the first issue of a series always seemed to sell well.

So [laughs], he came up with this idea of a monthly book that was going to be all first issues. That was the logic that we were operating under.

“At the time, I was the new editor in town, so I was thrown a lot of the responsibility to come up with those first-issue concepts. One character that I always liked, although I didn’t think it was modern enough for an audience of the 1970s, was Starman. I liked the revival of the 1940s characters, especially Hourman, who was teamed up with Dr. Fate in either Showcase or The Brave and the Bold in the 1960s. It was done

by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson. [Editor’s note: Gerry is referring to the two-part Dr. Fate/Hourman team-up in Showcase #55–56, and the two-part Starman/ Black Canary team-up in Brave and Bold #61–62, both in 1965.] I don’t think it led to a series for either one of them, but I really liked that as a kid.”

Conway continues, “I wanted to revive Starman, but by the mid-1970s I knew that kind of character would be considered old-fashioned and wouldn’t get a lot of fan traction at the time. I thought we could

Feeling Blue Readers’ first glimpse of the new Starman, on the Joe Kubert cover of 1st Issue Special #12 (Mar. 1976).

TM & © DC Comics.

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by

Richard Arndt

Old Time Revival (top) Aside from Justice Society appearances in Justice League of America, the Golden Age Starman got a tryout team-up with Black Canary in 1965. Brave and Bold #61 cover by Murphy Anderson. (bottom) The other “Starman” of the ’70s, David Bowie’s single, had no influence on the FIS character, says creator Gerry Conway.

Comic and characters TM & © DC Comics. Record © 1972 RCA Records.

do something like what Julie Schwartz had accomplished with Green Lantern and the Flash. Present, or rather update, totally new characters with much the same powers, using the old names.

I just liked the names.

“So I hashed out this premise of an alien crashing to Earth.

He would have a mysterious background that we could explore in future issues. So that was basically the story for the one-shot, done under the necessity of having to create a new concept every month for a one-shot appearance, combined with my own liking of the character’s name.”

Conway takes exception to an online myth linking 1st Issue Special’s Starman to a legendary rocker. “Contrary to Wikipedia, my concept had no inspiration from the song by David Bowie,” Gerry asserts. “I have listened to Bowie’s ‘Starman,’ and I can’t come up with any common link between his song and my version of Starman. I wasn’t a particular fan of Bowie at the time. During that period, my tastes ran more towards Credence Clearwater Revival or Cream. Bowie was more avant-garde than I was at the time.”

When asked if the name Mikaal Tomas (a.k.a. Michael Thomas) had any significance, Conway tells BACK ISSUE, “only in the sense of striking a parallel between Tomas and J’onn J’onzz (John Jones), that if he used an Earthly alter ego he wouldn’t have to change how his name sounded. As it was, he could easily pass as ‘Michael Thomas.’ It was really playing off those things that DC had done before.

“At DC at that time, I was really trying to embrace the things I loved about those DC comics that I’d read in the early 1960s,” Conway explains. “That was really why I wrote or edited stories about the Metal Men, Dr. Fate, Codename: Assassin, the New Gods, and Kobra. That last one was a new [Jack] Kirby book, but we had to rewrite and partially redraw it. In that case, Carmine didn’t like what Kirby had done with the character. I was trying to operate, in a way, as a separate unit within the DC Universe, trying to claim some of the Earth-Two characters for myself without having to step over into the mainstream characters and books.”

STARMAN’S ILLUSTRATORS

Conway, as editor, also chose the artistic team for the one-shot and picked Mike Vosburg as penciler and Mike Royer as inker.

Assessing his choice of Royer, Conway says, “I really liked his work on Jack Kirby for DC and on Russ Manning on Tarzan at Gold Key. Two more different types of artists would be hard to find, and he did great work on both. He was also a great letterer, which was

Stars in His Eyes Mike “Voz” Vosburg and his beloved wife, Anna, dubbed “she who must be obeyed” on Voz’s online gallery, www.vozart.com.

Sci-Fi Superheroes Issue • BACK ISSUE • 3

“He is the Law! And you’d better believe it!”

TM

by

Ian Millsted

The above quote is the text that accompanied the illustration of Judge Dredd in the first issue (Feb. 26, 1977) of the long-running British science-fiction anthology comic 2000AD. That picture was the only sight of Dredd in that premiere issue, serving as a house advertisement for the second issue, in which Judge Dredd would join the other five features that made the cut for the launch.

From such humble beginnings, the character of Judge Dredd has gone on to become a phenomenon, not only in comics but across the range of media. As of January 2019, 2000AD has been published continually for 42 years on a mostly weekly basis. Judge Dredd has appeared in all but four issues. The companion monthly title Judge Dredd Megazine was launched in 1990 and is now past 400 issues. Both titles have also had numerous annuals and specials with Dredd front and center. A third title, Judge Dredd: Lawman of the Future, ran for 23 issues from 1995 to 1996. Judge Dredd also had an extensive run as a strip in the British newspaper The Daily Star from 1981 until 1998. The Daily Star was, and remains, a lousy newspaper, and Judge Dredd was easily the best thing in it, but those strips also represent the highest circulation, and therefore visibility, that Dredd achieved in comic form.

DC Comics licensed Judge Dredd in 1994 and produced 31 comics under two separate titles over the next two years. More recently, comics publisher IDW has issued a range of Dredd series. Then there are the appearances the character made in heavy-metal music magazine Rock Power and the crossover titles with Batman and Lobo. There have been 18 novels featuring the character as well as, in e-book format, shorter novellas. Dredd has been utilized in video games, role-playing games, boardgames, card games, and, oh, yes, a couple of movies.

But who, and what, is Judge Dredd? How did this character rise to become Britain’s most culturally significant comics character?

The origins of Judge Dredd are rooted in the era in which he first appeared.

THE ROOTS OF JUDGE DREDD

Britain in 1977 was a country in transition. Politically, the Labour government had lost its majority and was struggling with a range of economic and social challenges.

The postwar consensus was being challenged by the rise to the leadership of the Conservative Party of new-rightinfluenced Margaret Thatcher. Unemployment was on the rise and inflation seemed to rise irrespective of whatever was tried to halt it. In sports, the England football (soccer) team failed again to qualify for the World Cup tournament, while the national cricket team had been beaten badly by Australia and the West Indies in successive years. Culturally, punk rock was challenging the establishment (though most of the bands eagerly signed up to the established music labels and took

Lethal Lawman Detail from Brian Bolland’s cover to Eagle Comics’ reprint title Judge Dredd #1 (Nov. 1983), many US readers’ first exposure to 2000AD’s breakout star.

TM & © Rebellion A/S.

Sci-Fi Superheroes Issue • BACK ISSUE • 7

pat mills Wordpress.com.

Earthmen Wanted!

From 1977, early editions of 2000AD, issues #2 and 7.

TM & © Rebellion A/S.

8 • BACK ISSUE • Sci-Fi Superheroes Issue

the cash). And in comics there was the arrival of 2000AD and Judge Dredd.

Up until the mid-1970s, British comics tended to be fairly conservative in both tone and content (with some notable exceptions such as The Beano, which produced anarchic humor aimed at seven- to ten-year-olds).

The most popular boys’ stories in the 1950s and 1960s had been the likes of science-fiction serial Dan Dare (in The Eagle from 1950 to 1967) and soccer strip Roy of the Rovers (in Tiger from 1954 until 1977, and in Roy of the Rovers from 1976 to 1995). Both were clean-cut goodguys that were unlikely to shock or offend any parent that might idly pick up their kid’s comics to glance at.

That was already starting to change by the time that the Judge Dredd concept was being developed. The revolution started in comics being produced for girls.

The British comics industry, and it was an industry then, of the 1970s was dominated by two large companies.

In Dundee, Scotland, was DC Thomson. Thomson’s was a family-owned publisher with conservative management and a reputation for paying lower freelance rates than their rivals. The likes of Brian Bolland, Dave Gibbons, and Grant Morrison all cut their teeth with work at DC Thomson. Their rival was IPC (also known, at times, as Fleetway) in London. IPC had four main divisions producing comics. There was a nursery department publishing titles aimed at preschool children, a humor department with titles for seven- to 11-year olds, and departments for both boys’ and girls’ adventure comics.

The boys’ comics tended to be quite staid and appeared to be aimed at a middle-class readership, although there were good stories that rose above the average.

BACK ISSUE readers may be aware of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel’s work on The Spider in the comic Lion.

The management of the girls’ comics department had a different outlook. In 1971 Fleetway launched a new anthology title Tammy. Tammy immediately overtook DC Thomson’s Bunty as the top-selling comic for girls.

Steve MacManus, who worked for IPC from the early 1970s, explained in his 2016 book The Mighty One: My life inside the nerve center, “Tammy was not a clone of Bunty. Bright and sassy, Tammy knew exactly which entertainment dramas its readers were watching on television and actively sought to emulate them. Tammy’s downtrodden yet gutsy protagonists were also put through darker, nastier trials than those endured by the heroines in Bunty. True, the traditional Cinderella plot principle was still evident, but that was no guarantee each serial would have a happy ending. This editorial ethos saw sales of Tammy soar to 200,000 copies a week.

Reality fiction had become the name of the game and the girls’ comics were targeting this new sweet spot with unerring accuracy, leaving the boys’ adventure titles looking increasingly out of touch.”

Tammy had been created by Gerry Finley-Day. Among the freelance writers from whom Finley-Day commissioned stories were Pat Mills and John Wagner.

Tammy was followed by Jinty in 1974.

Jinty also sold well and gradually started to include a range of science-fiction serials among its stories. The overall management of IPC realized that the john wagner future of boys’ comics required the approach that had been taken in the Emperor. girls’ comics department.

Meanwhile, DC Thomson had enjoyed a big success with a new comic for boys, Warlord (which had nothing to do with DC Comics’ The Warlord, created by Mike Grell). Warlord was a war-themed anthology title.

by

Robert Menzies

Give Peace a Chance Justice Peace and his Hopsikle, on the cover of Thor #371 (Sept. 1986). Art by Walter Simonson. All scans and photos accompanying this article are courtesy of Robert Menzies, unless otherwise noted.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

Under the gazes of the incongruous combination of Charles Dickens and a giant Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters, Walter and Louise (“Weezie”) Simonson were the headline guests at the inaugural Portsmouth Comic Con. Taking place over the sunny bank holiday weekend of May 4–5, 2018, in the city’s grandiose Victorian Guildhall, I had the great thrill of finally meeting these two giants of the comics biz.

It was also an opportunity, an invitation, even, to ask Walt about the creation of Justice Peace, an obvious homage to the most popular British comic character of them all, Judge Dredd. The 1980s was a period where many 2000AD alumni like Alan Moore, Brian Bolland, Alan Grant, Neil Gaiman, Dave Gibbons, and others were headhunted by US publishers, usually DC, resulting in what is sometimes called “The British Invasion.”

This influx led to Watchmen and The Killing Joke, to name but two milestones, and has been reported on in great detail [including BACK ISSUE #63, our “British Invasion” issue—ed.]. However, what has never been investigated, to my knowledge, is how 2000AD’s characters influenced the American comics, and that’s what I was keen to speak to Walt about.

What Walt told me was surprising, as I don’t believe many appreciate just how deep his and Weezie’s connections to the UK and 2000AD are.

First, however, a little scene setting. As noted in detail elsewhere in this issue, Judge Joe Dredd shot his first perp in the pages of 2000AD #2, cover-dated March 5, 1977. Although Pat Mills—often referred to as the “godfather” of British comics—and editor Kelvin Gosnell had input into the creation of Dredd, his two core creators are John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra. Wagner was born in Pennsylvania in 1949 but moved to Scotland at age 12. Most of his career has been devoted to British comics, where he has written an incredible amount of classic storylines, with a brief foray into Gotham City, when he co-wrote some Batman stories, including the Dredd/Batman crossovers. Spaniard Carlos Ezquerra was one of the great visionaries of European comics and also co-created Strontium Dog with Wagner, generally acknowledged as the most popular 2000AD character after Dredd. Ezquerra also found a welcome at DC, collaborating on numerous projects with Garth Ennis, including two Preacher specials. To the continuing delight of many, both Wagner and Ezquerra continued to create Dredd stories.

The character of Judge Dredd is a combination of leather-clad biker, Dirty Harry, and Frankenstein from Death Race 2000 filtered through Ezquerra’s unique design sense and Wagner’s singular imagination.

Mega-City One’s top lawman inhabits a dystopian future metropolis that is overcrowded and lawless and where the police force has been given sentencing and execution powers. It was and is a highly political strip, packed with social commentary and violent black humor. While in interviews Wagner has described Dredd as a “good guy and a bad ass,” even he would concede that the judge system that Dredd represents is repressive and that Dredd himself, often referred to as “Old Stoney Face” even by his fellow judges, is thoroughly unsympathetic and unlikeable.

Unexpectedly, in the pages of Thor #371 (Sept. 1986), writer Walter Simonson, in concert with artists Sal Buscema, Bret Blevins, and Al Williamson, introduced a character called Justice Peace, who bears more than a passing familiarity to Dredd. Mega-City One is a post-atomic area roughly equivalent to the Eastern seaboard of the USA; Peace operates in Brooklynopolis. Dredd’s multi-function handgun is called his Lawgiver; Peace has his Peacemaker (a nice play on the nickname of the famous Colt .45, “The Gun that Won the West”). All judges in Mega-City One ride a Lawmaster motorcycle; Peace rides a flying bike he calls his Hopsikle. Dredd wears his name on a badge; Peace has his on his uniform’s chest emblem. Both have their faux obscenities.

Even in profile, Peace’s jutting lip resembles Dredd’s.

After a Thor two-parter, Justice Peace reappeared during Simonson’s amazing and all-too-brief tenure as writer and (usually) the artist on Fantastic Four #334–354 (Dec. 1989–July 1991). In issues #352–354, Peace reappears, with his employers at the Time Variance Authority (TVA) now playing a prominent role.

Walter Simonson kindly revisits those stories in the interview that follows.

– Robert Menzies Sci-Fi Superheroes Issue • BACK ISSUE • 23

ROBERT MENZIES: Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed, Walt, I know you’re still badly jetlagged from your trip here. I write for TwoMorrows…

WALTER SIMONSON: TwoMorrows? Wait, forget it! I’m not doing those bums! [laughs] MENZIES: [laughs] And I usually write about Marvel’s British connections. I was buying Thor back in the day, because I was obviously following your fantastic run, but my jaw hit the ground when I saw this. [Holds up copy of Thor #371.] I thought, “He’s doing Judge Dredd! Do the Americans know this?!” [Simonson laughs.] So, I wanted to know about your awareness of 2000AD and your exposure to characters like Dredd and Strontium Dog. SIMONSON: In the 1980s—I don’t remember when Judge Dredd started—there used to be a convention in London called UKCAC that was held every year. [Author’s note: The United Kingdom Comic Art Convention was the only major annual con to run in Britain at the time.] And we came over for UKCAC maybe four times, five times, in the 1980s. Every couple of years we were over here. We really enjoyed it. I knew Brian Bolland before that—he came to my apartment in New York in ’77—so Brian came by, and we met Mick McMahon, Kevin O’Neill [Note that the two children in the story in Thor #371–372 are called Mick and Kevin.]—I don’t know if I ever met Carlos [Ezquerra]…

I’ve forgotten who else. Several of the early Judge Dredd artists from back then, we got to know. And so we got to see their work and were really blown away by a lot of it.

And one of our best friends then, and still a close friend, is Richard Burton, one of the early editors on 2000AD. [Author’s note: Burton was the third 2000AD editor, holding the post from 1987 until 1994.] Frequently, when we came to London, we would stay with Richard. So, we saw a lot of 2000ADs, and eventually Titan brought out a bunch of the collections, and I’ve a bunch of the collections of the early Judge Dredds. I did a cover for Rogue Trooper, one of their collections

He Upholds the Peace (top) Walter Simonson holding a Justice Peace sketch and (bottom) a copy of Thor #371. Photos taken on the second day of Portsmouth Con, May 6, 2018.

SO… THE INEVITABLE QUESTION: WHAT DID CARLOS EZQUERRA AND JOHN WAGNER MAKE OF JUSTICE PEACE? Surprisingly, neither man knew about this homage. When I asked John about it, he said: “I like Walt’s work but I’ve never seen this.”

In May of 2018, I contacted Carlos, who knew me on Facebook from commissions over the previous five years, and showed him some images of Justice Peace. Carlos admitted he’d never seen the character before and wasn’t aware of the homage, adding, slightly apologetically: “My knowledge of superheroes is nil. I don’t read comics, only humor ones…”

At the risk of alienating any North Americans, there is a common perception in Britain that most American creators don’t quite get the 2000AD characters. That may be because, as Howard Chaykin once said to me at a London con, Dredd is part of our comic DNA. Interestingly, Carlos commented that “Americans tend to associate Dredd with Brian Bolland,” and that they can miss the black humor of the character.

He also believes that “my style has never been too popular there,” which, if true, is a big difference between the UK and US as Carlos is the top dog here. (Okay, a poor in-joke: Carlos also co-created Strontium Dog.) Carlos also agreed with Walt Simonson’s recollections that they had never met at UKCAC, although Carlos was a guest on at least one occasion. (The Wikipedia entry for the UKCAC guest lists is incomplete.)

I asked Carlos about Simonson and he said, “He is great.

I like his work!” When I then opined that Simonson was the most consistently great American artist of his generation, Carlos replied, “I agree.”

He had to sign off as he was working on a new project, Judge Dredd creators John Wagner (left) but Carlos ended by saying, “Give him my regards and I hope I and Carlos Ezquerra (right), with can meet him one day!”

Sadly, that never happened, as Carlos died on October 1, 2018.

Robert Menzies (center).

24 • BACK ISSUE • Sci-Fi Superheroes Issue

“There’s a starman waiting in the sky. He’d like to come and meet us, but he thinks he’d blow our minds. There’s a starman waiting in the sky.

He’s told us not to blow it ’cause he knows it’s all worthwhile.”

– David Bowie Like David Bowie, Paul Levitz and Steve Ditko had become legends in their field by the time 1979 rolled around. Levitz had Legion of Super-Heroes, Aquaman, and Justice Society stories under his writing belt, and Ditko had drawn Amazing Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, Blue Beetle, and the Question. The pair also collaborated in 1975 on the sword-and-sorcery series Stalker before co-creating the alien Prince Gavyn—the latest (but not the last) DC hero to be called Starman— in Adventure Comics #467 (Jan. 1980).

BACK ISSUE will go to the stars and back to look at the life and creation of this Starman in our salute to sci-fi superheroes.

A STARMAN IS BORN

by

James Heath Lantz

Political intrigue, Shakespearean treachery, and science-fiction adventure combined in a new serial that debuted in the same year that The Blues Brothers and the Friday the 13th franchise came to cinemas.

Adventure Comics #467, like The Empire Strikes Back some months later, took us to far-away galaxies.

The opening chapter of “Starman” began as the anthology comic book’s second feature, after a story starring Plastic Man, who at the time was the star of a Saturday morning cartoon series. Titled “First Encounter,” the story, written by creator Levitz, drawn by character designer Ditko, and inked by soon-to-be New Teen Titans embellisher Romeo Tanghal, sees Starman save a spaceship from being hurtled into a sun.

After our hero redirects the craft with stellar energy bolts emitted from his wristbands, its commander, Lord Protector Oswin—Guardian of the Galactic paul levitz Rift and Elect of the Empire—wishes to thank Starman… or so we and he believe at first. In reality, © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. Oswin wants to learn Starman’s secrets, like how he can move and breathe in space without a ship, force-field, or spacesuit.

This chapter begins to combine space opera with a political thriller as Starman discovers that Oswin is holding Imperial Security Officer Jediah Rikane prisoner. All of this is part of the lord protector’s plan to usurp Throneworld’s sovereignty and become emperor.

Starman helps Rikane escape Oswin’s torturous cell, and with the aid of his mentor, the enigmatic alien appropriately named Mn’Torr, Starman sets out to stop an insurrection.

“Len Wein was the editor responsible for offering the assignments,” Paul Levitz tells BACK ISSUE. “He asked me to come up with a series to fit a slot in Adventure Comics. I had just read a history of the Ottoman Empire, which talked about a period when it was the practice to kill off all rival claimants to the throne when a new sultan was named. I twisted that into a science-fiction background, and was lucky enough to get Steve and Romeo as the artists.”

BACK ISSUE readers may be asking why the character was named Starman when other characters had used that moniker in the past, much like the reuse of the names Flash, Sandman, and Green Lantern.

The answer is a simple one.

“I’m not a great namer,” Levitz admits, “and it was a great name we weren’t using at the time and suitable for a very different incarnation.”

Lost in Space The coming of creator/writer Paul Levitz’s Starman, from Adventure Comics #467 (Jan. 1980). Art by Steve Ditko and Romeo Tanghal.

TM & © DC Comics.

Sci-Fi Superheroes Issue • BACK ISSUE • 29

World-Builder Ditko’s unique style was perfect for Starman’s (top) wild spaceships and planets and (middle) its royal-marked characters. Both, from Adventure #468. (bottom) Of course, the artist was no stranger to drawing weird worlds from his work on Dr. Strange and offbeat Marvel monster stories.

Starman TM & © DC Comics. Dr. Strange TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

On Steve Ditko and Romeo Tanghal being part of Starman, Levitz adds, “Steve would have had the practical option of turning it down, as there was other work available for him. Romeo probably just got it as a straight assignment. I’m glad they signed on.”

How did Levitz’s collaboration with Ditko on Starman differ from their partnership on Stalker some years before? “Well, I hope I had learned a fair amount in the intervening years,” says the writer, “and I was giving him tighter scripts to work from. At the time I did Stalker I think I was still amazed at my youthful luck in working with him and Woody [Wally Wood, Stalker’s inker]. I imagine I was more professional on Starman.

“Both Steve and Romeo were total professionals,” Levitz continues. “Steve was, of course, one of the great storytellers and world builders. He gave Starman a distinctive look and feel.”

Readers can see the truth in Levitz’s words in the second chapter of Starman, which kicks off Adventure Comics #468. The title character arrives on Throneworld. Ditko’s steve ditko world-building skills really come into play when readers see settings, spaceships, technology, and backdrops that would give Alex Raymond and George Lucas a run for their money. Ditko even gave certain members of the royal family a particular mark on their foreheads—a curved horizontal line with a circle on each end—as a form of identification.

Starman, with the aid of Mn’Torr and Jediah Rikane, must prevent Oswin from taking control of the planet and its empire on the day of the empress’ coronation. Starman’s past comes back to haunt him when he learns the one who must give the empress the crown is the woman he loves, Lady Merria. Starman’s familiarity with her forces him to unmask, revealing himself as Prince Gavyn, the empress’ brother, who is believed to be dead.

Prince Gavyn lived the life of a typical spoiled playboy until the death of Emperor Rilsom the XVIIIth forces him and his sister Clryssa to grow up. As Gavyn himself words it, one must move on to a nobler existence or lose their life. To prevent a civil war, whoever is not chosen by the high council of those who are next in line for Throneworld’s seat must be executed. When Clryssa is appointed to rule the empire, Gavyn must be jettisoned into space to perish in the void.

As fate would have it, this is not the end of Prince Gavyn’s story.

Granted, he didn’t go into the vastness of the universe without a fight, but as he floats among the stars he is found by Mn’Torr, a mysterious alien who bestows Gavyn with special wristbands. Said gauntlets help Gavyn control his cosmic powers that also allow him to survive the vacuum of space without a suit. Mn’Torr helps Gavyn master those abilities. Some of his powers are flight, channeling and firing energy, and absorbing various types of radiation.

Paul Levitz stated that the Ottoman Empire inspired his Starman stories. However, one could also see Shakespearean influences with the whole saga. Prince Gavyn could be considered like Hamlet in the sense he’s trying to right a wrong. Yet, whereas Hamlet sought revenge for his father’s death, Gavyn is trying to start a new life after his own supposed demise while making sure nothing happens to Clryssa. Gavyn feigns to be someone else for a time, while Hamlet pretends to be mad. The lives of Hamlet and many of those around him end in tragedy. The coronation ceremony of Clryssa ends happily. Starman has been victorious…

At least for now.

30 • BACK ISSUE • Sci-Fi Superheroes Issue

by

Jarrod Buttery

Valiant Vanth Jim Starlin’s epic swashbuckler, Vanth Dreadstar, from the back cover of Dreadstar #2 (Jan. 1983), from Marvel’s Epic Comics imprint. Unless otherwise noted, scans accompanying this article are courtesy of its writer, Jarrod Buttery.

TM & © Jim Starlin.

BACK ISSUE celebrates comics’ Bronze Age, and the Bronze Age has established favorites: Batman: The Dark Knight; Watchmen; Chris Claremont and John Byrne’s Uncanny X-Men; Walt Simonson’s Thor; Frank Miller’s Daredevil; David Michelinie, Bob Layton, and John Romita, Jr.’s Iron Man, amongst others. But the Bronze Age also holds personal favorites—smaller titles that are treasured by fans, and are waiting to be discovered by others.

Inordinately simplistically, Dreadstar is a space opera. But in the hands of creator Jim Starlin it is much more than that.

As Starlin himself described, “The real theme behind the series is: ‘Anything you believe you can do, you can do. You can change

the universe—one person. Things can be better than they are right now.’

“The other theme is humanity. I don’t want to have perfect characters.

All my heroes have clay feet. Maybe I’m trying to say that our leaders don’t have to be perfect, they have to be human.” (Quotes courtesy of “Starlin” by David Anthony Kraft, Comics Interview #4, June 1983.)

Also—importantly—the series explores the choices that we make and the prices for those decisions. From the beginning Starlin was playing the long game, telling us, “I’ve got about a thousand pages of material sort-of plotted in my head” (“After the Galaxy Dies”

by Archie Goodwin, Epic Illustrated #9, Dec. 1981).

Sci-Fi Superheroes Issue • BACK ISSUE • 35

Science-fiction Fairy Tale “The Meeting of Slayers,” featuring Vanth’s first encounter with Aknaton.

One of six full-color plates produced by Jim Starlin for his Metamorphosis Odyssey Portfolio, published in 1980

by S. Q. Productions.

Courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com).

TM & © Jim Starlin.

METAMORPHOSIS ODYSSEY

to end the Zygotean threat. Aknaton was appointed the Having illustrated some paperback covers, in The Art of Horn’s guardian and, in his preparations, Aknaton introduced Jim Starlin: A Life in Words and Pictures (IDW Publishing, potential on four disparate planets.

Centuries later, as the Zygoteans finally overrun the 2010), Starlin wrote that, “The idea of painting an entire comic book seemed like the next logical step. I had this Orsirosians, Aknaton sets his plan into motion. He recruits vague notion that I’d like to do something along Za from the planet Tyjor, Whis’par from the World the lines of a science-fiction fairy-tale. It would of the Woods, and Juliet from the doomed planbe a sweet and gentle little story, full of et Earth. Juliet is saved as the Zygoteans fairies and furry critters. I decided to call utterly destroy Earth (and this only in it the ‘Metamorphosis Odyssey’.”

Chapter III!). These three—the fruits of Marvel published the Spring 1980 Aknaton’s seeds—possess the ability cover-dated first issue of Epic Illustrated— to sound the Horn but, until then, a magazine promising: “A new expethey need protection. In Chapter V, Akrience in adult fantasy and sciencenaton returns to the frozen world of fiction adventure.” Its first serial was Byfrexia whereupon he left a mystical Jim Starlin’s “Metamorphosis Odyssey.”

Sword of Power centuries before. The Starlin was working on this in 1979, sword is now wielded by Vanth, who is and so BACK ISSUE is proud to celebrate known as the Cold Man—a warrior who a 40th Anniversary retrospective! has forestalled Zygotean advances.

Chapter I introduces Aknaton, last Aknaton perceives Vanth to be an jim starlin survivor of the Orsirosians—the most unstoppable, destructive, one-man army. ancient and powerful race in the galaxy Pat Loika.

The sword can cut through anything and the root of all humanoid life throughout the Milky and is capable of absorbing energy, conferring superWay. Aknaton’s narration tells us of the Zygoteans: human abilities upon Vanth, and—at Vanth’s discretion— unstoppable alien conquerors and enslavers, spreading releasing said energy as destructive force. Aknaton remarks through the galaxy like a cancerous wave. The people that he did not initially see Vanth carrying the sword. of Orsiros foresaw the inevitable and thus used their vast Vanth replies, “The sword was not hidden… it is part of mystical and technological power to create the Infinity Horn me. When I need it, I simply call it forth.”

36 • BACK ISSUE • Sci-Fi Superheroes Issue

Cat Scratch Fever Jim Starlin calls Oedi—shown here in detail from the back cover of Dreadstar #4—“the most human character in the book.” (inset) A younger Jim Starlin’s interest in Richard “Grass” Green’s fanzine character Xal-Kor the Human Cat was a partial inspiration for Oedi. This Alter Ego-hosted Xal-Kor one-shot was published by TwoMorrows in 2002.

TM & © Jim Starlin. Xal-Kor © Grass Green estate.

Dreadstar #1 recaps what has come before and shows an unrevealed scene from the graphic novel emphasising that Oedi survived the attack on Caldor, and subsequently joined Vanth and Syzygy. The issue also formally introduces Willow, a blind telepath who sees through the eyes of her pet monkey, Rainbow. It’s an action-packed story as our team raids an Instrumentality Treasury Satellite. As Oedi asserts, “Revolutions, like everything else in life, cost money.” Successful, Vanth exclaims that they can now afford to start Plan M. Chagrined, the Lord High Papal asks the Twelve Gods of the Instrumentality to grant him powers to deal with Dreadstar and Darklock.

“Archie approached me to be the first one because I had sort of a reputation of being the guinea pig to send into the caves to see how it works—from the first Captain Marvel graphic novel on through,” laughs Starlin to BACK ISSUE. “So I started off and it became a big hit right off the bat. We were selling very good numbers at that point—150,000, I think, on average—which was quite good for that time. We did have books like Spider-Man and X-Men outselling us, but we were right up there with fairly popular books at the time like Thor and a couple of other ones who were the second-tier characters at Marvel.”

Issue #2 (Jan. 1983) delineates Willow’s dark backstory. Although she has a different look and is now blind, we are categorically told that she is the mineworker whom Vanth saved in Epic #15. It is hinted at down the line, but Starlin explicitly says, “She was a telepath and looked into Oedi’s mind and realized that she looked like Vanth’s wife.

And so she changed her look so that she would be different. We worked on this thing for close to ten years, so we thought a lot of these things out along the way [laughs].”

Issue #2 also introduces Skeevo.

“I remember the day Jim introduced Skeevo, and swore to us with a character name like ‘Skeevo Phlatus’ that he was going to be a minor character who almost never appeared,” laughs Duffy. “That was how he got away with a name like that: ‘Oh, it’s almost never going to be used!’

“My opinion—based on nothing except the character marks— is that the current incarnation of Rocket Raccoon owes a lot to Skeevo,” she continues. “I know Rocket predates Skeevo, but Rocket was originally a much more straightforward adventurer, but he ended up filling the role that Skeevo filled in Dreadstar. I don’t know if there’s any causality, but to me it will always look like Skeevo was one of the ancestors of at least the cinematic Rocket.”

Starlin admitted previously, in Amazing Heroes #98, “I wanted a character who was very earthy and somewhat silly. My wife and I took a walk in the rain out in Queens one day and we came up with a whole family of names. It turns out Skeevo’s got a wife called Ghurgl. He also has a brother called Blato.” He later elaborated, “Skeevo is a direct descendent of Pip the Troll [from Warlock]. In fact, when I first started up on this, I tried to talk to Marvel about maybe buying Pip from them. They didn’t think it was such a hot idea. I’m sure they’ll never do anything with Pip, but they kind of shied away from selling him. I needed some kind of comedy interest.

Skeevo was created to fill a void that Oedi didn’t quite fill.”

Continuing to set itself aside from other books on the stands, Dreadstar #3 (Mar. 1983) highlights the horror of war as the Lord Papal nukes the city of Chichano—home to 15 million of his own citizens—in an attempt to kill Vanth and Syzygy. Our heroes were simply there as decoys, whilst Willow, Oedi, and Skeevo steal a newly developed teleportation drive from an Instrumentality starship. Starlin cited in Comics Interview the aftermath scenes of this issue—along with the confrontation between Syzygy and Willow in issue #2—as sequences that he was happiest with.

Attempting to prevent the Instrumentality from developing an insurmountable advantage over the Monarchy, Dreadstar and Company mass-replicate the stolen teleportation drive and present it to the Monarchy, in issue #4 (May 1983). King Gregzor of the Monarchy is shadowed by his Vizier—a cloaked and helmeted man simply known as Z. It is feared an assassination attempt will be made Sci-Fi Superheroes Issue • BACK ISSUE • 41

upon Gregzor, and Z asks Dreadstar for help in protecting the king. Z is correct. A lone Instrumentality assassin, called the Hand of Darkness, possesses an outfit containing a holographic projector and voice modulator—allowing him to look and sound like anyone he chooses. As Willow is distracted, the Hand of Darkness makes his move, but he has counted without Oedi’s enhanced sense of smell. In this author’s personal view, the back cover to issue #4 presents one of the most beautiful portraits in comics.

Syzygy is ambushed and captured by Cardinal Spydar of the Instrumentality, in issue #5 (July 1983). It is up to Oedi and Skeevo to rescue Syzygy from Spydar’s tremendously strong—but not-terribly-bright—bodyguard, Tuetun (sic).

This leads to an energetic chase sequence with such memorable lines as, ‘Tuetun smash!’, ‘Tuetun pulverize!’, and, ‘Tuetun mangle!’ before Tuetun falls (pun intended) for one of the oldest tricks in the book. Spydar, for his troubles, is banished to an alien dimension by Syzygy. In another example of how plots change as comics progress, Starlin noted to David Anthony Kraft, “Issue #5 was originally supposed to be a very grim piece featuring Dreadstar—but the closer I came to it, the more I liked the idea of making it very whimsical and featuring Oedi and Skeevo. So it was basically the same plot—with a very different ending.”

Throughout the first five issues, references are made to Plan M. Issue #6 (Sept. 1983) reveals that “M” stands for Maxilon—the newest member of the team—providing an alternative voice to both the Monarchy and the Instrumentality for the citizens of the Empirical Galaxy.

Issue #5 includes the first instalment of “How to Write and Draw Comics Good” by Jim Starlin and Daina Graziunas. This is a hilarious fumetti series that ran until issue #12. The series features photographs of Daina and Jim, with added text, except that Jim refuses to be photographed (“I’m a very private person!”) and consequently always appears with a paper bag over his head—with appropriate facial expressions drawn on the bag.

In a scoop for BI, Starlin confesses, “A little-known fact is that I’m never underneath the bag. I’m always taking the pictures. It was either Bernie Wrightson, Carl Potts—in one case my wife, Daina Graziunas—got into a baggy set of sweats and I stuck catnip all over her so that the cats would crawl around on top of her. I shot pictures and that became the one where the cats (Oedi and Elektra) tell me how the Dreadstar plot goes.

We had to fill up that page with something and I think I came up with the idea of doing the fumetti because somebody else I knew had done one recently and it looked like fun.”

Dreadstar #6 and 7 feature the short-lived backup series “The Interstellar Toybox” by Bernie Wrightson. The protagonist

Double Vision (top left) Vanth is joined in combat by Syzygy Darklock, Willow, and Oedi on Starlin’s dynamite cover to Dreadstar #1 (Nov. 1982), which launched the ongoing series for Marvel’s Epic Comics. (top right) Nearly 30 years later, the artist/writer recreated that cover, with some character substitutions, for ’Breed III #6 (Oct. 2011). (bottom) Signed splash/title page from Starlin’s Dreadstar #2 (Jan. 1983), which was soon reprinted in Dreadstar and Company #2 (Aug. 1985). Courtesy of Anthony Snyder (www.anthonyscomicbookart.com).

TM & © Jim Starlin.

42 • BACK ISSUE • Sci-Fi Superheroes Issue

ANSWERS!

Pick of the Litter An expertly rendered Oedi fight sequence by Starlin, from Dreadstar #13 (Aug. 1984).

TM & © Jim Starlin.

(Again: MAJOR SPOILERS!) Readers had to wait a few months for the transition to take effect, but Dreadstar #27 (Nov. 1986) was published by First Comics. Therein, Oedi explains the whole story. He appropriated and repaired the holographic suit worn by the Hand of Darkness (issue #4). Oedi is seen wearing a backpack (issue #19) as the team penetrates Mezlo’s lair. Skeevo even asks, “What’s in the bag?” and Oedi tells him, “Extra weapons.”

Mezlo is killed, Oedi takes his place (and is shielded from Monalo’s telepathy by Mezlo’s chair), and soon determines the identity of the traitor from Spydar’s information.

In Oedi’s own words: “There’s only one person it ever could have been. There’s only one man in our group who was ever captured by the Church, or more specifically, Cardinal Spydar.” Whereupon Oedi shoots Syzygy.

FINAL SPOILERS: Ultra Violet reminds everyone that the Lord Papal found Dreadstar and Company (issue #13) just after Spydar’s return (issue #11). When Syzygy was captured (issue #5), Spydar implanted a multidimensional tracking device (undetectable by scanners) into Syzygy’s prosthetic ear—the ear that Oedi has just shot off.

There was never a traitor, just a bug. Starlin plotted this for years, laid all the clues, and faked the death of the series’ most popular character. “I wanted to do that one,” Starlin admits. “I wanted to jerk everybody’s chain there on that one. Basically, by wringing it as long as we did, it really looked like Oedi was gone. When I started working with the late J. C. Spink on the [Dreadstar] television series—

46 • BACK ISSUE • Sci-Fi Superheroes Issue

which died with him—that was the one part of the series that he didn’t like. He said, ‘We’re not going to do that in the TV series,’ which I was disappointed in. But the show never happened. J. C. passed away and we’re looking for another home for Dreadstar on the screen.”

The move to First Comics seemed to reinvigorate Starlin, who reported to David Smay in Amazing Heroes #98, “I get a check from them every week.

They’ve never been late once and I’ve been having fun with the book again.” Starlin also mentioned that he was committed contractually to provide art for at least six issues at First.

Spoiler warnings or not, it can’t be avoided that the returned Oedi plays a prominent role in the rest of the series. And with the Instrumentality fleet in disarray, it was the perfect opportunity to gather the remaining Monarchy forces and invade the Church’s homeworld.

Dreadstar #28 (Jan. 1987) features the invasion of Altarix.

Skeevo retrieves Maxilon who addresses the galaxy.

The revolution is televised and the populace rises up.

An unrepentant Infra Red is captured. Vanth penetrates the Papal’s war room, finds the Holy Orb of the Gods, and tells the Twelve Gods to get out of the galaxy.

Starlin said that he wanted to do two confrontations with Monalo. Issue #29 (Mar. 1987) presents the rematch.

Whilst Oedi deals with Mass, a more-experienced Willow defeats the super-telepath—with a little help from a source that was not unexpected for anyone who had been paying attention, but was still, nevertheless,

SUPERMAN

by CURT SWAN

captions by

Michael Eury

We couldn’t do a Sci-Fi Superheroes issue without including the Man of Tomorrow, now could we? This undated sketch of the Last Son of Krypton and his lady love, Lois Lane, by Swan (1920–1996)—considered by many to be THE all-time Superman artist—may indeed be rough, but it shows Curt’s graceful fluidity with rendering Superman in flight.

Superman TM & © DC Comics.

56 • BACK ISSUE • Sci-Fi Superheroes Issue

Comic books are a family affair. Some of the best storylines in comics feature characters that are related to each other: the Summers brothers (Scott, Alex, and Gabriel) as well as Scott’s son Cable, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch (along with their daddy Magneto), Batman and his son Damian Wayne… and don’t forget the first family of Marvel Comics, the Fantastic Four, whose adventures usually feature family-related drama. These relationships help to create some of the most dynamic stories in comic-book history, such as Grant Morrison’s Batman and Son and the classic story from Fantastic Four #237 by writer/artist John Byrne in which Sue Richards miscarried, to name just two.

However, a potential addition to comic-book familial relationships that was supposed to happen was changed at the 11th hour. DC Comics’ Jemm, Son of Saturn was supposed to be a cousin of J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter. Their looks and powers are very similar, so this relationship seems like a no-brainer. Unfortunately, this familial connection never materialized.

But why didn’t it happen, and was Jemm better served with a later-established connection with J’onn?

Let’s take a look at Jemm’s solo maxiseries, the original idea for Jemm, why this family idea wasn’t allowed, and how a new relationship with J’onn was eventually created.

MARTIAN ORIGINS

by

Ed Lute

Jemm first appeared in Jemm, Son of Saturn #1 (Sept. 1984). Jemm, pronounced “Jim,” according to the series, was co-created by writer Greg Potter and the late, great artist Gene Colan (1926–2011).

Attempts to arrange an interview with Greg Potter proved unsuccessful, so we’ll flip through Jemm, Son of Saturn’s “Saturnian Salutations” letters columns for some greg potter background. In issue #1, Potter recounted, “Back in Amazon.com. the ‘old days’ (circa 1979), I’d written a few stories for DC’s House of Mystery and Secrets of Haunted House under Paul [Levitz]’s able editorship. So I wrote to Paul, telling him I was on the freelance circuit and asking about the chances of doing more scripting for the DC line. To my unbounded joy, Paul wrote back that DC was actually looking for more writers and I should come down and talk with Executive Editor Dick Giordano… Dick sent me back home with this edict: ‘Create a new super-hero character. Plot the first story of that character. If what we see is good… well, we’ll see.’ I knew that whatever I came up with had to be different from any other concept on the market today.”

So how did Potter come up with a concept that was different? In the same column, he told of his inspirations: “I began thinking about the fantasy concepts that had really captured my imagination over the past few years—including Steven Spielberg’s E.T., Frank Miller’s Daredevil, George Lucas’ Star Wars, and all the others… Somehow, some way, all that came together one day (and in a sudden, exhilarating rush of creativity) in the form of Jemm. Like Miller’s Daredevil, Jemm would be a larger-than-life hero operating in the mostly stark, gritty environs of urban life. Like Spielberg’s E.T., Jemm would be alone, a stranger in a strange land, and as frightened of Earthlings as Earthlings are of him. Finally, like Lucas’ Star Wars, I decided that the saga of Jemm would eventually open up on a grand scale.”

Potter used these influences to develop Jemm, Son of Saturn. In the spirit of Spielberg’s E.T., Jemm was an alien from Saturn who crash-landed on Earth and developed a deep friendship with an Earth boy. Most of the action on Earth took place in a dark urban setting, like Miller’s Daredevil.

Finally, after leaving Earth, Jemm’s travels took him into outer space.

Potter used three diverse influences and melded them into one.

Close Encounter Jemm drops in… no not from Mars, but from Saturn.

Cover to Jemm, Son of Saturn #1 (Sept. 1984)

by Gene Colan and Klaus Janson.

TM & © DC Comics.

Sci-Fi Superheroes Issue • BACK ISSUE • 61

SATURNIAN SOLUTION

TM & © DC Comics.

continuity. Since the maxiseries was not as far along in the production as was the JLA, we, i.e., the Jemm team, retrenched and brought you Jemm, Son of Saturn.”

DC Comics’ Answer Man Bob Rozakis, who was DC’s production manager at the time of the series, confirms Race’s account: “Yes, he was originally supposed to be J’emm, Son of Mars, but there were plans or a storyline in the works involving J’onn J’onzz that would have been ruined by it.

So Jemm lost his apostrophe and moved to Saturn.”

The abandonment of the Martian connection posed an immediate problem since the first three issues of the series had been written.

In the “Saturnian Salutations” from Jemm, Son of Saturn #11, Race told readers, “My hat is off to Greg for rewriting Jemm to be a Saturnian instead of a Martian.

It was only after the changes were completed that Greg told me how hectic his life was at the point when I told him of the revisions he needed to make. A new job, a new home, and rewriting three issues of a maxiseries would be enough to make the average person want to gene colan run out and play in traffic, but not our Greg. Pro that he is, he maintained his © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. sanity and good humor throughout.”

Jemm was originally proposed to be a cousin of J’onn J’onzz. However, his origins had to be changed, because although the Martian Manhunter hadn’t been used very much in DC Comics at that time, he was scheduled to make a return to the Justice League with Justice League of America #228 (July 1984).

According to Jemm series editor Janice Race in response to a letter in the “Saturnian Salutations” column in Jemm #10 (June 1985), “When Jemm was first conceived, the storyline called for Jemm to be the cousin of J’onn J’onzz, the Manhunter from Mars… Well, about two or three months down the road, we editor-types at DC realized that we had a problem on our hands between the new maxiseries entitled Jemm, Son of Mars and the Justice League of America.

You see, both books had storylines containing the Manhunter from Mars, and, unfortunately, these storylines conflicted and played havoc with

JEMM, PRINCE OF SATURN

With the problem of his planet of origin solved and the first three issues rewritten, it was time for the series to hit the newsstands. The 12-issue maxiseries started off with African-American youth Luther Mannkin finding Jemm in a back alley in Harlem. Luther then took Jemm home to meet his grandfather. Jemm, Luther, and Luther’s grandfather became the victims of gang violence, with Luther’s grandfather paying the ultimate price. Jemm and Luther escaped and made their way into the streets of the city.

In Jemm, Son of Saturn #2 (Oct. 1984), the series introduced Kamah, the White Saturnian who had been sent by Synn, the Supreme Commander of the White Saturnians, to hunt down and kill Jemm, a Red Saturnian, on Earth. While Kamah failed in her mission to kill Jemm, it was learned that there was racial hatred between the White Saturnians and Red Saturnians.

The allegorical part of the maxiseries with the hatred between the red and white Saturnians was not only a major part of the series but one of its best. Like the best science-fiction stories that take everyday problems and present them to readers or viewers in a thought-provoking way, Jemm, Son of Saturn makes readers take a hard look at racism and how bigotry can overcome people.

Issue #3 (Nov. 1984) presented Jemm’s origin story.

Readers learned Jemm was a Prince of Saturn, and because of the gem birthstone on his forehead he was seen as the savior to unite the warring races of Saturn. Jemm was

A Boy and His Alien The relationship between Elliot and E.T. (inset) imprinted writer Greg Potter when creating the concept that would become Jemm, Son of Saturn. (main image) Luther is startled by an otherworldly visitor in Jemm #1.

Jemm, Son of Saturn TM & © DC Comics. E.T. © 1982 Universal.

From a lobby card courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

62 • BACK ISSUE • Sci-Fi Superheroes Issue

TM

The 1980s saw a number of successful and characterchanging comics published with great fanfare, including Crisis on Infinite Earths, Secret Wars, and The Dark Knight.

However, one character conspicuously absent from the shelves at that time was Marvel’s “ultimate superhero,” Nova, the space-faring teenage hero who starred in his own comic book from 1976 through 1979.

FROM NOVA TO NEBULA

After relinquishing his powers in ROM #24 (Nov. 1981), the former Nova, Richard Rider, had been returned to Earth and wasn’t seen for most of the decade outside of a couple of in-continuity pages in What If? #36 (Dec. 1982). That’s not to say his legacy was completely forgotten.

In Avengers #260 (Oct. 1985), the domed world Xandar was destroyed by the space pirate Nebula while she was in possession of Thanos’ warship Sanctuary II. This event continued in “The SuperNova Saga” in Avengers #301–303 (Mar.–May 1989) with the arrival of a new character named SuperNova, who possessed the entire Nova Force, insanely seeking vengeance on Nebula. Nova’s legacy was on the verge of collapsing into a black hole.

Fortunately, the ’80s also saw the rise of teenagehero groups. This trend was largely due to the success of DC Comics’ The New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. Indirectly, Wolfman, Nova’s creator, was responsible for blazing the return path for one of his favorite creations.

In an instance of serendipity, another Nova appearance during this period was in The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe series. In the late 1980s, writer of The Mighty Thor and Marvel’s editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco was forming a new team of teen heroes for Marvel Comics. He discovered Nova in the handbook while selecting characters for the team.

“I sat down with [Marvel editor] Mark Gruenwald when I first became editor-in-chief of Marvel and worked out a three-year publishing plan,” DeFalco explains to BACK ISSUE. “We decided that we wanted to introduce a new team of teenage superheroes, with the idea of eventually spinning off one or more members into their own books. I went through a list of Marvel’s teenage characters and Nova seemed a likely choice.”

Rich Rider blazed back to the comic pages in Mighty Thor #411 and 412 (Dec. 1989) as part of the New Warriors (originally to be called “Young Warriors”). However, there were two unexpected changes revealed to longtime fans of The Man Called Nova series [which this same author covered back in BACK ISSUE #33—ed.].

While the helmet was the same, the costume was no longer the blue-and-yellow bodysuit with three starbursts on the chest. Nova was now wearing a red bomber-style sleeveless jacket. What led to such a drastic change?

“To my memory it had most to do with a variety of

StarLost Hero Wow! This attention-grabbing original cover art by Darick Robertson and Larry Mahlstedt would make a Nova fan out of a diehard DC Comics reader. New Warriors #40 (Oct. 1993) cover art from the collection of Doug Smith.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

66 • BACK ISSUE • Sci-Fi Superheroes Issue

by

Doug Smith

Big Doings for Nova (top left) The Human Rocket first blasted off in Nova #1 (Sept. 1976). Cover by Rich Buckler and Joe Sinnott. (top right) Nova with the New Champions in ROM #24 (Nov. 1981). Cover by Al Milgrom. (bottom) Super-Nova gets a grip on Hawkeye in Avengers #303 (May 1989).

Written by Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio, IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PREVIEW, drawn

by Buckler and Tom Palmer.

CLICK THE LINK TO ORDER THIS ISSUE IN PRINT OR DIGITALTMFORMAT! & © Marvel Characters, Inc., except ROM © Hasbro. color in the design of the team,” according to Thor artist Ron Frenz.

“There was a lot of blue already and some red needed.” As for the design itself, Frenz recalls, “the main influences were [Jonny Quest’s] Race Bannon and the original [Fawcett Comics] Captain Marvel.”

The other major change to Rich Rider came in the name of the character. Readers browsing #412’s cover noticed that he was now called Kid Nova! Tom DeFalco reveals, “We did go with Kid Nova because we already had a character called Nova at that time [Frankie Raye].

I thought it would lead to all sorts of confusion to have two characters with the same name, not to mention trademark issues.”

Following the team-up with Thor against the Juggernaut, the New Warriors began the process of launching into their own monthly title.

With the new title came a new creative team including writer Fabian ISSUEBagley, #115and editor Danny Fingeroth.

Nicieza,BACK artist Mark SCI-FI SUPERHEROES! In-depth looks at JIM STARLIN’s Dreadstar DeFalco explains itJudge wasDredd. all Also: part of the publishing plan from the and Company, and the dystopian lawman beginning: plan was always Nova, GERRY CONWAY“The & MIKE VOSBURG’s Starman, PAUL to launch the New Warriors in LEVITZ & STEVE DITKO’s Starman, WALTERFingeroth SIMONSON’s Justice their own title.

Danny was named the editor of the title Peace (from the pages of Thor), and GREG POTTER & GENE COLFabian and Mark—and I am so glad he did because AN’sand Jemm, he Son ofchose Saturn! With a Dreadstar and Company cover

by STARLIN WEISS! job!” they and didALAN a terrific (84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) Fingeroth elaborates on $8.95 the selection of his team: “Fabian handed (Digital Edition) in the best proposal for$4.95 the series. He was bursting with ideas. I’d worked http://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_54&products_id=1430 with Mark as writer and editor on other projects and knew he was a terrific, creative artist and also great with deadlines.”

Mark Bagley also recalls, “[The] interesting thing about Nova, Fabian wanted me to draw him as a really scrawny loser (after losing the Nova Force), working in a pizza place or some such. I just couldn’t wrap my head around the ‘scrawny’ part, so I came up with the idea that he was jacked from lifting weights to compensate for his loss of power, and the ensuing loss of self-esteem. Fabian really liked that idea.”

NOVA BECOMES A STAR

With the team in place, New Warriors #1 (July 1990) hit the shelves. The story takes place prior to the events of Thor #411 and begins with the mysterious depths is a tried and true story arc for sequential team founder Night Thrasher holding a powerless Rich publishing, and that gave me a chance to do that for Rich.”

Rider from a rooftop!

Was he worried about the reaction of Nova fans?

After confirming his captive’s identity, Night “Worried? No,” Nicieza says. “I knew it was a bit risky, tom defalco Thrasher unceremoniously drops Rich Rider towards but I had benchmarks in place in my mind already— the street and certain death. However, during roughly issue #12 to restore his name and costume, issues © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. the fall, Rider’s once-lost powers reactivate and #30–40 in my mind to restore the Nova Corps, etc.

Nova is reborn!

“I expected Nova fans would see his gradual progression and not Rider is at first grateful and then angry at Night Thrasher when he only enjoy it, but feel their complaints were being validated, when the learns that his kidnapper had no guarantee of his stunt’s success truth was that was the plan all along.” in restoring the powers. Night Thrasher dismisses Nova’s attack The New Warriors became extremely popular, with Nova being but clarifies that he restored the powers and now wants the Human a fan-favorite. As the series progressed, Nova’s new personality Rocket to be part of his team in return. changes included growth as a leader. Driven by his distrust of Night Along with a new costume, Rich Rider had also been given a new Thrasher, Rich Rider would question the team founder’s decisions attitude. He had become a more cynical, angrier person than he had on many occasions. been portrayed in his previous series. According to Nicieza, it was all Along with the internal conflict came battles with a variety part of his long-range plans for the character: “The way we open with of villains ranging from the street level up to the cosmic kind.

Rich was purposeful for three reasons: 1) to create a differentiator that Nova’s role throughout this time was generally as a teammate and would show he had changed—for the worse—since his series had ended; counterpoint to Night Thrasher.

However, a subplot running through the title’s first year was very 2) to piss off his fans just enough they would be talking about his return but not piss them off so much they wouldn’t be curious to see what Nova-centric. Readers followed a mysterious Egyptian woman as she would come next; and 3) because building a character up from the recovered an ancient artifact called the Scepter of Ka. She uses advanced Sci-Fi Superheroes Issue • BACK ISSUE • 67