By the time 1st Issue Special #12 hit the comic book spinner racks the name "Starman" was pretty well established. I first encountered Ted Knight the Starman, a hero from the Golden Age in the pages of Justice League of America when he appeared alongside his Justice Society allies from Earth-2. He seemed a rock-steady hero armed with a snazzy if retro costume and a "magic wand" of sorts that drew energy from the very stars themselves. His "Cosmic Rod" had been turned over to a young hero named Star-Spangled Kid who used it as a member of the "Super Squad" a short-lived subset of the JSA created by Gerry Conway.
It's Conway who is responsible for this new Starman, a blue-skinned alien who comes to Earth in an attempt to escape the clutches of his warlike race who are stationed on the Moon and are plotting the downfall of the planet Earth. His name is "Mikaal Tomas" and he and girlfriend Lyssa plotted to undermine their society's war plans when Lyssa was killed and Mikaal was given a death sentence. He escaped and comes to Earth and for a time is kept safe by a well-meaning Earth family while the police and military search for him, having found his craft. He is being hunted by a special soldier named "Turran Kha" and as the two confront one another the story abruptly ends.
Despite some tasty artwork by the young Mike Vosburg this Starman fails to hit and this is his only appearance in the pre-Crisis DCU. The name Starman will soon be given to yet another outer space hero, this one drawn by Steve Ditko. Later yet another alien adopts the name for a post-Crisis run in the 80's. Later still Ted Knight and his son give the name new life in the 90's.
Next time we wrap up these 1st Issue Special reviews with the last issue which features the return of some of Jack Kirby's most potent characters.
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