THE STAR BRAND

Classification: Alien (New Universe origin) power source

Creator: The Star Brand

User/Possessors: Kenneth Connell, Roger Price, Jake Burnley, Quasar, Jim Hanrahan, Kayla Ballantine, Erishkigal, the Stranger, Skeletron

Powers/Abilities/Functions: The Star Brand is a tattoo-like mark which appears upon the skin of whoever possesses its power. Many of the Star Brand's powers require the possessor to consciously will them into functioning; the only involuntary power is the immortality it bestows, allowing anyone with the Star Brand to recover from death. After returning to life, the possessor takes upon the appearance of an alien-like, pink-skinned creature, until the body heals more fully.

By willing it so, a Star Brand wielder may call upon virtually any ability they can fathom; flight is one of the easiest powers to attain, and several wielders have floated in bed while asleep. The possessor can also summon superhuman strength, powerful energy blasts, manipulation of matter, teleportation, telepathy, the ability to resurrect others, and prevent death itself from occuring. Wielders are limited by their own imagination, and by how fully they believe in the Star Brand's power.

The Star Brand may also be transferred by the one who possesses it to another part of their body (by placing it over one's eye, the wielder gains vast superhuman vision capabilities), or to another person. Whoever transfers the Star Brand to another still retains 10% of the power they had. Eventually, even this residue will run out, but only by extreme abuse of the power. The Star Brand cannot be affixed to a non-human object. The "Old Man"'s attempt to do so caused The White Event that resulted in the appearance of paranormals on Earth-148611, and Ken Connell's attempt to do so caused "the Black Event", destroying Pittsburgh, and re-shaping it into the PITT. Any attempt to transfer the Star Brand to a non-human object will result in a similar destructive blast of energy.

First Appearance: Star Brand#1 (October, 1986)

History: (Star Brand#12 (fb)) - 500 years ago, a "Dutch count" came to possess the Star Brand. Over the centuries that followed, his power grew inside of him, until he was unable to take it any more. On July 22, 1986, now an old man, he attempted to transfer it to an asteroid. The resulting explosion was seen in the skies above Earth, and came to be known as "the White Event". Unknown to the "Old Man", this blast of energy had traveled back in time 500 years, bestowing the Star Brand upon himself.

(Star Brand#1) - The Old Man decided to be rid of the Star Brand once and for all, and passed it on to Pittsburgh mechanic Ken Connell.

(Star Brand#2-5) - Over time, Connell began to adjust to the Star Brand, and became something of a hero, all the while debating with himself what to do with the great power that had been bestowed upon him.

(Star Brand#6-7) - But the Old Man returned, claiming to be an alien, and demanded that Connell join him on a mission to the other side of the universe to fight in an alien war. Connell refused, and fought the Old Man off, realizing he wasn't an alien. Connell seemingly killed the Old Man, and tossed his body into orbit.

(Star Brand#8-10/Star Brand Annual#1) - Connell continued to use the power, gaining greater control over it.

(Untold Tales of the New Universe: Star Brand#1) - Connell met Arden, an explorer from an alternate reality who made Ken aware of what the Star Brand had accomplished on other worlds, and showed him ways that he could use his power for some greater good.

(Star Brand#11)- Ultimately, he decided to become his world's first "super-hero", calling himself "Star Brand", and presenting himself to the public in a costume. The entire world was astonished by his abilities, and his popularity soared.

(Star Brand#12/The PITT) - But at a comic book convention in Pittsburgh on December 19, 1988, the Old Man returned, and their fight destroyed the entire building, killing hundreds of innocent bystanders. From contact with the Old Man, Connell learned his true origins, and became convinced that he had to remove the Star Brand once and for all. His friend Myron Feldman suggested that he attempt to affix it to a barbell on the other side of the moon. Not wanting to be too far from a hospital, Connell instead flew only 10 miles up, then attempted to pass the Star Brand to the barbell...and the explosion that resulted destroyed Pittsburgh, raking the Earth's crust down to the core.

(Star Brand#13) - Two months later, Madeline Felix gave birth to her and Connell's son, dying in the process. Connell's son was born with the Star Brand inside of himself already, quickly grew older, and became known as "the Starchild".

(Star Brand#14) - The Starchild then confronted his father, and removed the Star Brand from him, driving him insane. He also visited Roger Price, whom he had killed before, brought him back to life, and gave him the Star Brand.

(Star Brand#15-16) - The Starchild learned more about life on Earth, and decided to prevent anymore death from ever occuring. However, Roger and Jane Price made him see that it was wrong to deny humanity the release of death, and un-did this, and also removed the Star Brand from Roger. He also visited Jacob Burnley, and passed the Star Brand on to him.

(Star Brand#17) - Burnley attempted to un-do the PITT, but found that even the Star Brand could not restore all that had been lost.

(Star Brand#18) - Burnley was convinced by Randy O'Brien and Dave Landers that President Philip Nolan Voigt was an evil paranormal, fought him, and removed his parabilities.

(Star Brand#19)- The Starchild came to the realization that he, Connell, and the Old Man were all one entity, and that the Star Brand had created itself during the White Event. He removed all traces of the Star Brand from Burnley and Price, and then merged with Connell and the Old Man to prevent a chaotic disruption of the space/time continuum. However, unknown to the Starchild, Jake Burnley had passed the Star Brand onto American fighter pilot Lt. Jim Hanrahan.

(The War#3)- The merged Starchild entity sensed Earth's distress as it lay on the verge of World War III. When nuclear missiles were launched from four countries, the Starchild used its powers to nullify their nuclear capability, saving the Earth.

(The War#4)- But the war continued. Disgusted with humanity's propensity for destroying itself, the Starchild nullified all weapons on the planet, and revealed itself to every person on the planet, taking responsibility for the White Event, and the PITT.

(Quasar#31)- When the Earth-616 hero Quasar became stranded in the New Universe, he learned of the Star Brand, and sought Jim Hanrahan out to ask him to transfer that power to him. Jim had resolved to never use his power, and did not feel he could trust anyone else with it; but after hours of talking, Quasar convinced him he was trustworthy. Quasar used the Star Brand to return home, and falsely believed he had burned it out of his system. In fact, he transferred it to his girlfriend Kayla Ballantine when he embraced her, and his remaining Star Brand lay hidden beneath his Quantum Bands.

(Quasar#33)- Kayla soon began to manifest the Star Brand's power, by floating in her sleep.

(Quasar#34) - When Kayla was assaulted by the Angler, she consciously activated the Star Brand for the first time, using it to hurl the Angler away from her.

(Quasar#36-38) - Kayla was brought to the planet Scadam (along with her friend Holly Steckley) by Quagmire, who was working for the Chief Examiner. The Chief Examiner wanted to duplicate the Star Brand's power to defend his people from the Black Fleet, but while analyzing the Star Brand's power, he was destroyed. As the Black Fleet attacked, they assaulted Kayla, killing her.

(Quasar#39-43) - The Star Brand, as always, restored her to life, and she used its power to destroy the Black Fleet. She and Holly then spent several weeks trying to find a way back to Earth.

(Quasar#43) - In the White Room, the afterlife for Protectors of the Universe, Quasar learned while battling the Blue Marvel that he still possessed his 10% of the Star Brand, and used it to defeat the Blue Marvel.

(Quasar#44-46) - Placing the Star Brand over his eye, Quasar was able to find his pathway back to Earth, and used it in battling Quagmire, Quantum, the Anti-Body, and the Presence.

(Quasar#47-48) - Just as he burned out the last of his 10% of the Star Brand, Quasar finally recovered his lost Quantum Bands. All that was left of his Star Brand was expended against the Possessor.

(Quasar#49) - Back on Earth, Kayla came into conflict with Kismet, whom she savagely beat in combat. Wanting to rid herself of the Star Brand, Kayla gave it to Holly -- only to learn "Holly" was really the Deviant Erishkigal!

(Quasar#50) - With the power of the Star Brand, Erishkigal attempted to conquer the multiverse from the Nexus of All Realities, and came into conflict with the Living Tribunal. When the Living Tribunal's champion, the Silver Surfer, bested hers, Quasar, she destroyed herself to prevent the Living Tribunal from claiming the Star Brand. However, the Living Tribunal did obtain it, and claimed he would dispose of it properly.

(Quasar#51-53) - Kayla soon learned that the Living Tribunal had "disposed" of the Star Brand by returning it to her.

(Starblast#1/Quasar#54) - Skeletron, sole survivor of the Black Fleet, came looking for the entity who had destroyed his people, and with his Starblasters, captured Kayla.

(Starblast#2/Quasar#55) - Skeletron brought Kayla to the Stranger for study, and he determined that the Star Brand was her power source, and that they should attempt to remove it.

(Starblast#3) - The Stranger appeared to Kayla in a dream, claiming to be God, and convinced her to give him the Star Brand.

(Quasar#56) - While Kayla was transported to the New Universe's Earth, the Stranger studied the Star Brand and learned of its origins. Meanwhile, Skeletron journeyed into the New Universe with the intention of absorbing all the Star Brand energies on the New Universe Earth -- even if it meant killing every paranormal!

(Starblast#4) - As Skeletron and the Stranger fought, the Stranger teleported the New Universe's Earth into the Earth-616 universe to protect it from Skeletron. Ultimately, Skeletron was trapped within the now-lifeless New Universe, after draining the Stranger of all his Star Brand energy.

(Quasar#57) - Before the Stranger could continue his study of the New Universe's Earth, the Living Tribunal appeared and erected a barrier to prevent the Star Brand energy held there from infecting the Earth-616 universe. Kayla was therefore left behind on the New Universe Earth.

Comments: Created by Jim Shooter and John Romita Jr. Explained by John Byrne and Tom Palmer.

In Untold Tales of the New Universe: Star Brand#1, mention is made of alternate reality versions of the Star Brand. These include:

• Earth-886, where a female wielder uses its power to battle evil
• Earth-723, where a musician uses the power to create music that united the people of his world
• Earth-541, where the wielder became a monarch, ruling his world as a fascist