ALTARRA Altarra armed with pistols

Real Name: Altarra

Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial

Occupation: Assistant to Kraal and Dr. Sha-Han

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Beepie, Sha-Han, Ben Tucker (Solarman); (former) Kraal

Enemies: Kraal, Kraal's killer robots

Known Relatives: Sha-Han (father)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile at an interstellar level onboard Kraal's Star Cruiser

First Appearance: Solarman#1 (January, 1989)

Powers/Abilities: She displayed normal strength but was very proficient in firing handguns with both hands. She appeared to be about 5'6" tall and was of the same human-like race as Kraal; she had pale blue skin, blue eyes and short black hair.

Altarra carried the same marking on her right chest as Kraal did, indicating that she operated in a military capacity. She also wore an orange-metallic tiara that incorporated ear covers, which may have provided shipboard communications to her directly.

It is unknown if she also had the ability to appear as a ghost after death as her father did.

Altarra portrait History: The exact origins of Altarra have not been revealed.

(Solarman#1) - With her father, Altarra witnessed Kraal destroying suns and entire solar systems. She also saw Kraal bully her father, and was ordered to accompany her father in collecting the Circlet of Power for Kraal. She agreed privately with Sha-Han that Kraal had to be stopped.

When Kraal learned of Sha-Han's deception, she begged Kraal not to open fire upon Sha-Han's Escape Jet, and wept openly when his craft was hit by Kraal's lasers.

(Solarman#1 - BTS) - Alterra learned of the arrival of Ben Tucker onboard the Star Cruiser, along with the Circlet of Power that her father sought to remove from his clutches. She armed herself and resolved to defend the Earthling.

(Solarman#1) - She helped Ben Tucker escape the clutches of Kraal's killer robots by firing the laser pistol she held in each hand, but was hit in a boot by a blast from a killer robot as she slid under a lowering door. She died very soon after, saying that she acted as she did for her father.

Comments: Created by Stan Lee (script), Jim Mooney (penciler) & Dennis Janke (inker); original Solarman created by David Oliphant.

Altarra may have belonged to an offshoot of the Kree.

Boyd Kirkland, who did layouts for Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, Spider-Man & Hulk, also drew storyboards for the Solarman animated pilot. On 13 June 2004, he stated that "If I remember correctly, Stan Lee wrote it for another client who funded it (I can't remember who). The intention was to create a new series/toy franchise independent of the Marvel Universe. It never took off."

The advert at the end of the comic shows what look to be drawings for the figurines. Indeed, this initial story suggests many marketing opportunities for figurines and spaceships.

Profile by Grendel Prime

Clarifications:

Altarra has no known connections to:

images:
Solarman#1, p22, pan1 (with pistols),

p4, pan5 (head)

Appearances:
Solarman#1 (January, 1989) - Stan Lee (writer), Jim Mooney (pencils), Dennis Janke (inks), Bob Budiansky (editor)

Last updated: 10/12/05

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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