Starlad

Real Name: Billy Bryant

Identity/Class: Human mutate

Occupation: Star Guardian Junior Grade

Affiliations: Ro-ss

Enemies:

Known Relatives:

Aliases:

Base of Operations:

First Appearance: Eerie #136 (Warren)

Powers/Abilities: Armed with an ionizer pistol. Shares the knowledge of Star-Guardian Ro-ss.

History: The Creators were an ancient and wise extraterrestrial race who had dedicated themselves to protecting younger, less-developed lifeforms across the galaxy. Once every solar revolution they would send their newly maturing children out into space to counsel and guide the less fortunate, and defend them from the perils of the violent universe. New Star-Guardian Ro-ss had hoped for his first assignment to be planetary defence duty, saving a world, but to his disappointment was instead given patrol duty alongside his sister Lo-gan. After a year on the fringes of the universe, they came across a Star-Guardian Seed Vessel, designed to spread life across the universe, that had been attacked and left derelict. While spacewalking to check for survivors, they were attacked by the monster that had destroyed the Seed Vessel; Lo-gan was injured and the creature escaped while Ro-ss was busy saving her life. They pursued the creature to Earth, where it went to ground; Ro-ss adopted the human persona of Dr. Ross, but while the Star-Guardians were present on Earth, the monster stayed hidden. Eventually, Ro-ss told his tale to his patient Billy Bryant, a young boy enamoured of superheroes, presumably expecting the child to think it just a tale. Instead Billy volunteered to help: "The monster doesn't know me. I could sneak up on it and use your blaster to finish it off!" With barely a moment's hesitation, Ro-ss accepted: "Hmmm! Maybe you could at that! It would never suspect a little tadpole like you!" Declaring Billy a Star-Guardian Junior Grade, Ro-ss laid his hands on his patient's forehead and shared his powers and thoughts with Billy, transforming him into Starlad.

Comments: Created by Vic Catan and Bill DuBay.

While at first glance the beginning of Starlad's tale reads like the worst case of child endangerment in the "space guardians empower random human to join their ranks" stakes (see DC's Green Lanterns, Marvel's Nova, and Jim Starlin's Kid Cosmos), there is a twist in the tale. Billy is terminally ill, and Ross is really just a human doctor, his story a fiction to cheer a dying child.

CLARIFICATIONS: Not to be confused with

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

Back to US Independents Page

Home

All images and characters depicted on this site are copyright their respective holders, and are used for informational purposes only. No infringement is intended and copyrights remain at source.