Shooting Star (comics)
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| Shooting Star | |
 Hulk #265 Art by Sal Buscema |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Incredible Hulk #265 (Nov 1981) |
| Created by | Bill Mantlo Sal Buscema |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Victoria Star |
| Team affiliations | The Rangers |
| Abilities | Expert markswoman |
Shooting Star is a comic book superhero appearing in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
[edit] Fictional character biography
Shooting Star was born Victoria Starwin, in El Paso, Texas. She is the daughter of Remington Starwin, a wealthy Texas oil baron and amateur rodeo performer. When she was a child, her father encouraged his daughter's aspirations to perform professionally in rodeos. He hired scientists to build for her a special six-shooter that shoots star-shaped paralysis pellets for her sharp-shooting act. At some point in her performing career, she met a rodeo performer and former superhuman adventurer, the Texas Twister, and the two formed a dual act. Her father then had scientists design a pair of jet-boots that enabled her to stabilize her flight when swept up in the Twister's cyclonic vortex.
Shooting Star and Texas Twister were the star attractions at Cody's Rodeo Extravaganza when they intercepted a shortwave radio message sent by Rick Jones meant for the hero team known as the Avengers. Jones was being held captive by the villainous Corruptor, who had the Hulk under his influence. Shooting Star and Texas Twister went to answer the distress call and discovered that three other individuals had responded as well — Firebird, the Phantom Rider (then called Night Rider), and Red Wolf. Although the five Southwestern adventurers were unable to stop the Hulk's rampage, they did enable him to defeat the Corruptor. At the battle's end, Texas Twister suggested that the five of them get together whenever a threat to the Southwest crops up. They agreed and took the collective name of the Rangers. However, because of the geographical separation among the members, the first incarnation of the Rangers didn't last long. [1]
Shooting Star's identity was at some point taken over by an unnamed demon in the employ of Master Pandemonium, who believed Firebird to be one of the possessors of his fragmented soul. To keep the Rangers from meeting regularly and perhaps posing a threat to him before he had completed his study of Firebird, Pandemonium dispatched the demon to take Shooting Star's place. Firebird nevertheless believed the demon to be hiding among the Avengers' West Coast branch and with her guidance the Rangers confronted the heroes, only to flush the demon in Shooting Star out of hiding. The demon claimed that Shooting Star was a human guise it had taken long before, that there never was a Victoria Star. The Avengers imprisoned the demon at their Compound and began an investigation of Master Pandemonium, but the Texas Twister, demonstrating a curious lack of concern, did not accompany them. [2]
Soon, however, Texas Twister returned to the Avengers Compound at a time when Hawkeye was alone, demanding to see the captive demon. Twister declared his love for the demon, which turned back into Shooting Star. Texas Twister went on to explain that the demon had come to him months ago when Twister's powers seemed to be fading, making him afraid that he'd lose Shooting Star if their rodeo act broke up on account of his lost powers. The demon offered to augment the Twister's powers in exchange for his soul, and the Twister agreed, but after his powers were restored he begged to be spared, so the demon possessed Shooting Star instead, casting a spell that prevented Twister from telling anyone about this. Twister studied the occult until he found a means to expel the demon from Star.
The demon then possessed Twister himself and battled Hawkeye and Shooting Star. Ultimately, Star threatened to kill the demon rather than allow the possession to continue, and the demon reluctantly imprisoned itself in a statue. Texas Twister and Shooting Star were reunited.
[edit] Civil War/The Initiative
After the Civil War event, Shooting Star was seen as a member of Texas' new government-sponsored superhero team, The Rangers.[3]
Victoria has been identified as one of the 142 registered superheroes who appear on the cover of the comic book Avengers: The Initiative #1. [4] In Avengers: The Initiative #2, Victoria is seen attempting to convince the President to leave his home and get to cover away from the HYDRA attack, but he refuses, saying he has faith in the Initiative.
[edit] Powers and abilities
Shooting Star has no known superhuman powers, although in her initial appearance she claimed to have "stellar powers." She is an expert markswoman and rodeo rider. Shooting Star wears a pair of specially-designed "star shooters," which look like six-shooters but which actually shoot projectiles made of an unknown material, shaped like five-pointed stars. The stars paralyze living beings they hit, with one star capable of paralyzing a six-foot tall man for approximately 30 minutes. She wears boots which contain miniature gyroscopes, which keep her oriented correctly as she rides the winds generated by Texas Twister.
[edit] Other versions
In Fantastic Four Big Town, Shooting Star is a blonde superhero created by Professor X and Henry Pym. Her real name is "Vicki" and she possesses flight and energy powers which manifest as glowing circles around her hands.
[edit] References
- ^ Sal Buscema (plot), Bill Mantlo (plot, script) (w), Sal Buscema (p), Sal Buscema (i). "You Can't Always Get What You Want, But If You Try Sometime You Just Might Find You Get What You Need!" Incredible Hulk, The #265 (November 1981) Marvel Comics
- ^ Steve Englehart (w), Al Milgrom (p), Joe Sinnott (i). "A Bird In The Hand" West Coast Avengers vol. 2, #8 (May 1986) Marvel Comics
- ^ Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines (i). Civil War vol. 1, #7 () Marvel Comics
- ^ Avengers: The Initiative #1 Character Map
