STYGIAN STARBENDER
Real Name: Glakandar
Identity/Class: Extra-terrestrial (Stygian) technology user
Occupation: former Protector of the Universe
Group Membership: Protectors of the Universe
Affiliations: Former agent of Eon.
A duplicate of Glakandar was a member of the Quantum-Banders (Marvel Boy duplicate (Rob Grayson), Ree duplicate, and Trantra duplicate)
Enemies: Stygian Starbender duplicate: Quasar (Wendell Vaughn)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: The White Room; formerly the known Universe
Appearances: (mentioned) Quasar#3 (November, 1989), (pictured) Quasar#26 (September, 1991)
Powers: It is unclear whether Stygians have superhuman physical powers. However, he did use the Quantum Bands, which gave him vast energy manipulative powers, on the level of Quasar.
History: Very little has been revealed about the Stygian Starbender. He lived at least millions, if not billions of years ago. Very little has been revealed about his career. His life span and period of activity are unrevealed.
When the mad titan Thanos obtained the Infinity Gauntlet, he created four duplicates of the Quantum Bands, as well as four duplicates of previous wearers of the Bands (their bodies were formed from the corpse of Eon). One of these was a duplicate of the Stygian Starbender. Thanos recreated the memories of the originals from the remnants of the mind of Eon. Three of these duplicates were overloaded and destroyed by Quasar, including the Stygian Starbender duplicate.
After Quasar utilized the Ultimate Nullifier, he appeared in the White Room, which appeared to be some sort of purgatory, holding all of the beings that had ever been Protector of the Universe. In the White Room, Quasar encountered Glakandar, who had been held there in a chair for an untold period of time. At the conclusion of this adventure, Eon explained that the White Room was in fact composed of the body of Eon, and the beings there were animated by the spirits of residue left on the Quantum Bands. Eon claimed that the whole experience had been enacted to test the spirit of Quasar.
Comments: Created by Mark Gruenwald and David Hoover.
When first mentioned, the name mentioned was Glakandra. I'm not sure if this indicates that Mark had originally intended the first Protector to be female. ...And I'm pretty sure that that's about as certain as it is possible to be.
Quasar (not Wendell), now known as Neutron, of the Imperial Guard is also a Stygian. These, of course, have no connection to the natives of Stygia (ie. Thoth-Amon) of the Hyborian era.
Thanos states that the Starbender was the "First Protector of the Universe ever appointed by Eon." The statement is ambiguous enough that it does not necessarily mean that he was the first to wear the Quantum Bands. If he was, he would have to lived several billion years, as Ree, an Archeopian, whose race was exterminated by Galactus shortly after his awakening 4-5 billion years ago, was seen wearing them. In fact, Eon states that he himself is eight billion years old, meaning perhaps that he has been appointing Protectors for that long.
As stated above, its not obvious whether any of the above mentioned appearances were actually of the Stygian Starbender, or just duplicates of him.
Other appearances:
Quasar#27 (October, 1991) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Greg Capullo (pencils), Paul Becton (inks), Kelly Corvese (editor)
Quasar#42-43 (January - February, 1993) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Andy Smith (pencils), Ralph Cabrera (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Last Updated: 08/01/02
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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