Starfire is a superheroine created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez appearing in American comic books created by DC Comics. She debuted in a preview story inserted within DC Comics Presents #26 (October, 1980). Since the character's introduction, Starfire has been a major recurring character in Teen Titans and various other iterations of the team, sometimes depicted as the team's leader, and a significant love interest for Dick Grayson. Within the main continuity of the DC Universe, her origin is revealed to be Princess Koriand'r, an alien princess from the planet Tamaran and heiress to the throne until she was ousted in a coup by her elder sister, Komand'r (also known as Blackfire), who sold her into slavery. Subjected to torture and sexual exploitation, Koriand'r was also subjected to experiments performed by Psion scientists, which gave her additional powers. Escaping her captors, she found herself on Earth and befriended the Teen Titans, becoming a long-lasting member of the team. The character has appeared on several other teams, including the Outsiders, Outlaws, and Justice League Odyssey. While on Earth, the character has been depicted as a model under the alias Kory Anders, occasionally the leader of the Teen Titans, and was the principal of Teen Titans Academy during a period in which the Titans help trained future superheroes of the DC Universe. Starfire has been featured in various media outside comic books. Within television, she is notably voiced by Hynden Walch in the animated series Teen Titans and Teen Titans Go!. Kari Wahlgren voices the character in the DC Animated Movie Universe, Injustice 2, and Lego DC Super-Villains.
Publication history Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, Starfire first appeared in a in DC Comics Presents #26 (October 1980), in a preview story heralding a new incarnation of the Teen Titans that also introduced Cyborg and Raven. The new series, The New Teen Titans, debuted in November 1980, and the Teen Titans subsequently became DC Comics' most popular superhero team of its day. Wolfman named the character as a pun on the word coriander. Pérez said of his design for Starfire:
...I figured based on the description, was Red Sonja in outer space, so she ended up having a visual cue from that. When Joe Orlando passed by and saw the character sketches he suggested that maybe her hair should be longer. That I took to the ninth degree and gave her the Mighty Mouse contrail.
Fictional character biography
Princess Koriand'r is a humanoid alien, born on the planet Tamaran, located in the Vega system as the second of three children. She and her brother Ryand'r are placed first in the line of succession after their older sister Komand'r is crippled by a childhood illness that leaves her unable to fly or absorb solar radiation. Shunned and embittered by Tamaran's society, Komand'r allies with the Citadel and helps them conquer Tamaran. Koriand'r is enslaved for six years by the Citadel, surviving numerous incidents of sexual, physical, and mental abuse. She and Komand'r are then both abducted by the Psions, who experiment on them to determine the limits of their solar absorption. Both sisters gain the ability to project blasts of solar energy, referred to as "starbolts". Koriand'r escapes and eventually finds her way to Earth, where she gains the help of the Teen Titans.
New life on Earth and as a member of the Teen Titans Starfire would join the new iteration of the Teen Titans with Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, Cyborg, Changeling and Raven. The first adventure she had with her teammates was battling against Grant Wilson aka the Ravager, the son of the mercenary Deathstroke, who was gifted enhanced abilities like his father due to the experiments by the terrorist organization H.I.V.E.. She would also aid the Titans by protecting the planet Earth and the dimension of Azarath from the demon Trigon and battling against various supervillains including the Fearsome Five, Brother Blood and the former members of the Brotherhood of Evil, Madame Rouge, and General Zahl. As she became more comfortable among human society, Starfire took up a short-lived modeling career using the name "Kory Anders", which remained her teammates' affectionate nickname for her. Starfire was also romantically linked with Dick Grayson (aka Robin, later Nightwing) in various runs of Teen Titans. In New Titans, Tamaran is attacked by the Psions, who destabilize the planet's core. Starfire's parents Myand'r and Luand'r manage to evacuate the planet before it is destroyed, but choose to remain behind in an attempt to defend Tamaran and are killed in the ensuing explosion.
Infinite Crisis and aftermath In Infinite Crisis, Starfire is among the heroes who battle Alexander Luthor Jr. and stop him from destroying the multiverse. She is presumed dead but survives and is teleported to another planet alongside Animal Man and Adam Strange due to Luthor altering the Zeta Beams that would have returned them to Earth. After returning to Earth, the three heroes reunite on several occasions, including the limited series Countdown to Adventure and Rann–Thanagar War.
Justice League and R.E.B.E.L.S. Following the dissolution of the current JLA after Blackest Night, Starfire is invited by Donna to join Kimiyo Hoshi's new Justice League. After a short time with the team, Starfire quit the team and left a note to Dick explaining why. She then returns to where Tamaran used to be, to find that it had mysteriously returned. It is revealed that Vril Dox has moved the planet Rann where Tamaran used to be. Starfire agrees to join Legion and enters into a relationship with Captain Comet. Tamaranean refugees led by Blackfire attack Rann, believing that since the planet was in Tamaran's orbit they had claim to it. Dox resolves the conflict by allowing the Tamaraneans to live on Rann's uninhabited southern continent.
Red Hood and the Outlaws
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