Bronze-Age version of Star Boy on the cover of Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 2, #306 (December 1983), art by Keith Giffen and Larry Mahlstedt.
Star Boy is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, a group of young heroes living a millennium in the future.[3] He is born to astronomer parents on an observation satellite orbiting the planet Xanthu, and can temporarily increase the mass of an object, up to the mass of a star. Although he temporarily acquires Kryptonian-level powers similar to those of Superboy when he was caught in the tail of a comet, they eventually fade, leaving only his original density-increasing power. Early in his Legion career, he travels to the 20th century to meet Superboy. While he is there, Lana Lang threatens to expose his identity (a secret on Xanthu) if he refuses to pretend to be her boyfriend, to make Superboy jealous. However, Superboy overhears her and her plan fails.[4]
Star Boy is expelled from the Legion for killing his girlfriend Dream Girl's ex-boyfriend Kenz Nuhor in self-defense, in violation of the Legion's rule against killing. After this, he and Dream Girl join the Legion of Substitute Heroes before returning to the Legion.[5] Although Star Boy originally wears a purple uniform with a white cape and five-pointed yellow star on his chest, his best-known costume is a full-body starfield suit with white gloves and boots.
After Zero Hour
After the events of Zero Hour and the death of Kid Quantum, Xanthu's original representative to the Legion, Star Boy joins the Legion. He does not get along with Leviathan, partly because Leviathan blames himself for Kid Quantum's death and sees his replacement as a reminder of his failure as a leader.
In addition to his mass-increasing powers, Star Boy temporarily acquires several Kryptonian-like powers and the ability to breathe fire after spaceship accidents. He finds these abilities difficult to control.
When Xanthu leaves the United Planets, Star Boy and fellow Xanthian Legionnaires Kid Quantum and Monstress spread the word that the government of their home planet has been deceived and are astonished at the decision to remain with the Affiliated Planets.
Starman, volume two
In a Starman storyline, the post-Zero Hour Thom Kallor discovers that he is destined to travel back to the 21st century, assume the mantle of Starman (as Danny Blaine), and die. The Danny Blaine version of Thom Kallor was inspired by the Kingdom Come character, designed by Alex Ross.
Legion's 2005 reboot
Kallor in the Legion's 2005 reboot, art by Barry Kitson.
Mark Waid's 2005 Legion reboot depicts Star Boy as black. He is described as Cosmic Boy's right-hand man, and remains loyal to him during the Legion until his disappearance at the end of the Dominators storyline. This version of Star Boy (and his version of the Legion) inhabits Earth-Prime, the home of Superboy-Prime.[6]
2006
The Starman in Justice Society of America volume three is a Thom Kallor similar to his pre-Crisis incarnation. He travels from his future to the Kingdom Come universe (re-created as Earth-22 at the end of 52), and then to the present.[7] He is later diagnosed with schizophrenia and becomes a patient at the Sunshine Sanitarium. His condition is normally managed with 31st-century technology, but present-day medication is less effective.[7] In the sanitarium, he assumes the identity of Danny Blaine, his favorite pulp hero on Xanthu.[8] The god-like Gog soon restores Thom's sanity.[9][10] During a battle with the Justice Society Infinity of Earth-2, it is revealed that his suit was designed by three multiversal counterparts of Brainiac 5 and is a map of the multiverse.[11]
The rest of the Justice Society of America arrive after learning from Sandman that Gog is rooting himself into the Earth, and they must kill him and separate his head from the planet. Gog's followers try to protect him, until they see him attack a Society member. He punishes them by removing his blessings, including Starman's sanity.[12] The JSA remove Gog's head and Starman opens a gate to the Source Wall, where Superman places the head. Superman asks Starman to return him to Earth-22.[13]
In the Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds miniseries, it is revealed that Starman received his mission from Brainiac 5 during a 31st-century conflict between the Legion and the united forces of Superboy-Prime and the Legion of Super-Villains. Starman's mission was to exhume Superboy's body and place it in the regeneration chamber in the Fortress of Solitude used to restore Superman after his death. The healing process takes a millennium, and in the 31st century, Superboy is reborn to join the fight.[14] Starman does not return to the 31st century at the end of the series; he remains in the 21st century to carry out R. J. Brande's will.[6] In the "Last Stand of New Krypton" storyline, Starman is part of a secret Legion team who Brande sends to the 21st century to save the future.
The New 52
Kallor reappears on the Legion roster after the Flashpoint reality-altering event, although he is inexplicably paraplegic. He later leaves the team to rescue Dream Girl from the Dominators after she and Brainiac 5 are kidnapped. Although Star Boy dies when the Legion headquarters collapses during the Fatal Five's onslaught,[15] he is resurrected before the Infinitus Saga in Justice League United.[16]
In Doomsday Clock, Star Boy is among the Legion members who are erased from existence when Doctor Manhattan alters the timeline. However, he is restored when Superman convinces Manhattan to undo the changes.[17]
In The New Golden Age, Star Boy is among the Legion of Super-Heroes members who arrive in the present and confront the Justice Society over their decision to recruit Legionnaire, a young, heroic incarnation of Mordru.[18]
Powers and abilities
Star Boy possesses the ability to temporarily increase the mass and density of any object or person. The version of Thom working with the Justice Society of America can travel between universes using a combination of his mass-controlling powers and his uniform, a map of the multiverse created by Brainiac 5.[13]
As a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, Thom has a Legion Flight Ring, which enables him to fly and survive in space and other dangerous environments.
Thomas Kallor / Star Boy, based on the post-Infinite Crisis incarnation, appears in Justice League vs. the Fatal Five, voiced by Elyes Gabel.[20][19] This version suffers from a form of schizophrenia and takes medication despite it no longer working. After accidentally traveling back in time to the 21st century while trying to stop the Fatal Five, Kallor loses his medication and most of his memories and is incarcerated in Arkham Asylum. However, he escapes after seeing the Fatal Five on the news, which triggers some of his memories. He later encounters the Justice League and Jessica Cruz and befriends the latter before sacrificing himself to stop Emerald Empress from destroying the sun.[21][22][23]
Thom Kallor as Star Boy appears in the one-shot comic Batman '66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes.[25]
References
^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 281. ISBN978-1-4654-5357-0.
^Greenberger, Robert; Pasko, Martin (2010). The Essential Superman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. pp. 371–373. ISBN978-0-345-50108-0.
^Justice Society of America Vol. 4 #10. DC Comics.
^ ab"Star Boy Voices (Legion of Super Heroes)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved October 22, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
