Starman (DC Comics)

Starman is a name used by several different DC Comics superheroes, most prominently Ted Knight and his sons David and Jack. The original Starman, Ted Knight, was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Jack Burnley. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #61 (April 1941). Knight is an astronomer who invented a "gravity rod", later reinvented as a "cosmic rod", that allows him to fly and manipulate energy. He donned a red and green costume with a distinctive finned helmet. Like most Golden Age heroes, Starman fell into obscurity in the 1950s. In the ensuing years, several characters, with varying degrees of relation to the original, briefly took the mantle of Starman. In Zero Hour: Crisis in Time! #1 (September 1994), writer James Robinson and artist Tony Harris introduced Jack Knight, the son of the first Starman. A reluctant non-costumed hero, he inherited his father's name and mission and used his technology to create a cosmic staff. He starred in a critically acclaimed series, written by Robinson, from 1994 until 2001. The current successor of Starman is Stargirl, formerly the second Star-Spangled Kid. Starman, announcing that he comes "from the past", appears in Justice League (vol. 4) #7 (November 2018) and subsequent issues. Below, in chronological order of activity (not of appearance), are the characters to have used the name "Starman".