Starfire is a

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

ine created by Marv Wolfman and

George Pérez George Pérez (; June 9, 1954 – May 6, 2022) was an American comic book artist and writer, who worked primarily as a penciller. He came to prominence in the 1970s penciling ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' and ''The Avengers (c ...

appearing in

American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...

s created by

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

. 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 The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...

and various other iterations of the team, sometimes depicted as the team's leader, and a significant love interest for

Dick Grayson Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman, Teen Titans and Justice League. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in ' ...

. Within the main continuity of the

DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the shared universe in which most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. In context, the term "DC Universe" usually refers to the main DC Continuity (fiction), continuity. It contains v ...

, her origin is revealed to be Princess Koriand'r, an alien princess from the planet Tamaran and heir 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 Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons including corporal punishment, punishment, forced confession, extracting a confession, interrogational torture, interrogation for information, or intimid ...

and sexual exploitation, Koriand'r was also subjected to experiments performed by alien 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 ''

'' and ''

Teen Titans Go! ''Teen Titans Go!'' is an American animated television series developed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic for Cartoon Network. It premiered on April 23, 2013, and is based on DC Comics' fictional superhero team the Teen Titans. The series ...

''.

Kari Wahlgren Kari Wahlgren (born July 13, 1977) is an American voice actress who has provided English-language roles for animated movies, TV series, and video games. She got her start in anime voice-overs as List of FLCL characters#Haruko Haruhara, Haruko H ...

voices the character in the DC Animated Movie Universe, '' Injustice 2'', and '' Lego DC Super-Villains''.

Publication history

Created by Marv Wolfman and

, Starfire first appeared in a in '' DC Comics Presents'' #26 (October 1980), in a preview story heralding a new incarnation of the

that also introduced

Cyborg A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetics, cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both Organic matter, organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.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. Pérez said of his design for Starfire:

Fictional character biography

Princess Koriand'r was born on the planet Tamaran, which is located in the Vega system. Koriand'r was the second of three children. Her older sister, Komand'r was the first in the line of succession, but she was crippled by a childhood illness that robbed her of her natural Tamaranean ability to convert ultraviolet light into flight energy. Therefore, she was deemed unworthy to be queen and the succession fell to Koriand'r. When both sisters were sent to train with the legendary Warlords of Okaara, the bitter Komand'r ran off, allying herself with the Citadel. They used Komand'r's information to successfully invade Tamaran, and King Myand'r turned Koriand'r over to the Citadel to ensure peace. Koriand'r spent living in the Citadel for six years under physical and emotional torture, even sexual abuse, until she and Komand'r were both captured by the Psions for experimentation. Widely known to be a sadistic scientific extraterrestrial race, the Psions performed a deadly experiment on both sisters to see just how much energy their Tamaranean bodies could absorb before exploding from the overload. During the procedure, forces loyal to Komand'r attacked the Psion ship to rescue her, and while the Psions were distracted, Koriand'r broke free using her new ability of starbolts (destructive blasts of solar energy) acquired through experimentation. Against her better judgment, she decided to free Komand'r who was still absorbing energy. However, far from grateful, Komand'r struck her sister down with the same - but much stronger - starbolt power and had her restrained for later execution. Koriand'r escaped and eventually found her way to Earth, where she gained 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 A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetics, cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both Organic matter, organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.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 The Terminator, who was gifted enhanced abilities like his father due to the experiments by the terrorist organization

H.I.V.E. The Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination (H.I.V.E.) is a fictional terrorist organization appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The H.I.V.E. organization has appeared in ''Teen Titans (TV series), Teen Titan ...

. She would also aid the Titans by protecting the planet Earth and the dimension of Azarath from the demon Trigon The Terrible, 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. At one point, she became a successful super model under her human alias "Kory Anders". She dated and fell in love with a human man named Franklin Crandall. Crandall turned out to be a freelance spy working for H.I.V.E. , and was eventually killed because he decided he truly loved Starfire and couldn't betray his feelings towards her. Starfire attempted to kill the H.I.V.E. agent who committed the murder, but was stopped by Wonder Girl. Starfire was also romantically linked with Dick Grayson (aka Robin, later Nightwing) in various runs of ''Teen Titans''.

''Infinite Crisis'' and aftermath

In ''

Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, ...

'', Starfire is among the heroes who battle Alexander Luthor Jr. and stop him from destroying the

multiverse The multiverse is the hypothetical set of all universes. Together, these universes are presumed to comprise everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, matter, energy, information, and the physical laws and constants that describ ...

. She is presumed dead, but survives and is teleported to another planet alongside Animal Man and Adam Strange. 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 JLA in '' Blackest Night'', Starfire joins Kimiyo Hoshi's new

Justice League The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived the ...

. She quits the team shortly afterward and joins L.E.G.I.O.N. The group battles a group of Tamaranean refugees led by Blackfire and agrees to let them live in an uninhabited portion of Rann.

''Red Hood and the Outlaws''

In ''

The New 52 The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero American comic books, comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint" Fictional crossover, cros ...

'' continuity reboot, Starfire was sold to the Citadel to protect Tamaran from them. Additionally, Blackfire is a neutral figure who assists her in retaking Tamaran from the parasitic Blight.

''Starfire''

In 2015, Starfire received a self-titled series where she returns to Earth and moves to

Key West Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida, at the southern end of the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it con ...

. Additionally, she adopts Syl'Khee, a worm-like alien based on Silkie. She desired to experience a normal human life and appeared to have no interest in heroism or her former life. She befriended the local Sheriff, Stella Gomez, who helped her find a place to live and constantly dealt with Kori's naiveté regarding human culture. Kori also got to know Stella's widowed brother, Sol (who happened to bear a striking resemblance to Dick Grayson), and later began dating him. Starfire later met Atlee, a waitress who was secretly a super-powered woman from a civilization living below the Earth's surface. Despite no longer wanting be a hero, trouble continued to find Kori in her new home and she was forced to defend Key West from various threats. After a trip to Atlee's home, Starfire decided that she should once again use her powers to help others. She left her friends in Key West and tried her hand at being a hero once again.

Character overview

Sexuality and cultural preferences

Within the depiction of Tamaran's culture in the DC Universe, concepts such as open marriage are more common and accepted. Due to her upbringing, Starfire's sex-positivism and free-thinking habits such as a fondness for practicing nudism, openness to polygamous relationships and acceptance of "open sex" and pansexual "free-love" with persons regardless of terrestrial

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

, race or

gender Gender is the range of social, psychological, cultural, and behavioral aspects of being a man (or boy), woman (or girl), or third gender. Although gender often corresponds to sex, a transgender person may identify with a gender other tha ...

, usually lead her into conflict with Earth's more reserved culture and customs. In recent years, the character was developed to be polyamorous and pansexual.

Powers and abilities

Starfire is a Tamaranean and as such her physiology is designed to constantly absorb ultraviolet radiation. The radiation is then converted to pure energy, allowing her to fly at supersonic speeds. Starfire is capable of using this power to fly in space and even go fast enough to cross several solar systems in minutes to seconds. This energy also gives her incredible superhuman strength and durability. After being experimented on by the Psions, Starfire gained the ability to release her absorbed energy into powerful blasts called "starbolts". Starfire is also proficient in hand-to-hand combat, having been trained by the Warlords of Okaara. Her natural strength, combined with her fighting skills, allowed her to defeat the powerful Donna Troy about one out of three times during purely hand to hand matches. She later proved strong enough to fight against Wonder Woman for a short period of time and, during a fit of rage, was so strong that Donna Troy was unable to contain her without the help of Mon-El. In the 2003 TV series, Starfire was strong enough to easily throw vehicles and destroy entire streets with her blows. As shown in the "Insiders" crossover story arc (''Teen Titans'' and '' Outsiders''), Starfire can also release nearly all of her stored energy as a powerful omni-directional explosive burst, many times stronger and more powerful than her standard blasts. The released energy leaves her in a weakened state. She's also shown that she can absorb ambient ultraviolet energy consciously. Starfire demonstrated more control over her powers in the New 52 reboot, using her internal energy to melt the metal of Jason Todd's gun when it came into contact with her skin. Starfire, like all Tamaraneans, is capable of assimilating languages through physical contact with another person. When Starfire attempts to do so with a male, she typically does so by kissing because it is "more fun" for her. She also doesn't need to eat, drink, or sleep, and doesn't require an atmosphere to breathe unless she is low on ultraviolet energy.

Other versions

* Shatterstarfire, a fusion of Starfire and

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

character Shatterstar, appears in the

Amalgam Comics Amalgam Comics was a collaborative publishing imprint shared by DC Comics and Marvel Comics, in which the two comic book publishers merged their characters into new ones (e.g., the DC Comics character Batman and the Marvel Comics character Wolver ...

series. * An alternate universe variant of Starfire appears in '' Kingdom Come''. This version died under unspecified circumstances, leading her and Nightwing's daughter Mar'i Grayson to become Nightstar. * Star Canary, an amalgamation of Starfire and Black Canary, appears in ''

Superman/Batman ''Superman/Batman'' is a monthly American comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular superheroes: Superman and Batman. ''Superman/Batman'' premiered in August 2003, an update of the previous series, ' ...

'' #60. * An alternate timeline variant of Starfire appears in the '' Flashpoint'' event. This version is a member of the

Amazons The Amazons (Ancient Greek: ', singular '; in Latin ', ') were a people in Greek mythology, portrayed in a number of ancient epic poems and legends, such as the Labours of Hercules, Labours of Heracles, the ''Argonautica'' and the ''Iliad''. ...

' Furies before being killed by

. * An alternate universe variant of Starfire appears in '' Teen Titans: Earth One''. * An alternate universe variant of ''Nightwing: The New Order''. This version was temporarily depowered alongside 90% of metahumans after Nightwing activated a device to end an ongoing feud among them. Prior to this, Dick and Kory were married and have a son named Jake, who eventually restores the metahumans' powers.

Reception

Starfire placed 21st on IGN's 2013 list of the "Top 25 Heroes of DC Comics".Schedeen, Jesse (November 19, 2013)
"The Top 25 Heroes of DC Comics"
.

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

. She was also ranked 20th in '' Comics Buyer's Guide''s "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list. ''

Comic Book Resources ''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...

'' ranked Starfire 13th in their "The 20 Strongest Female Superheroes, Ranked" list,

Collected editions

In other media

Television

* Starfire appears in the 1984 Keebler PSA "New Teen Titans Say No to Drugs" as a member of the New Teen Titans. * Starfire appears in ''

'' (2003–2006), voiced by Hynden Walch. 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. This version is a founding member of the eponymous

who does not use contractions in her speech, possesses a limited grasp of Earth culture, and a tendency to misstate or misunderstand common idioms. Additionally, she displays initially unrequited romantic feelings for team leader Robin. * Starfire appears in the "New Teen Titans" segment of '' DC Nation Shorts'', voiced again by Hynden Walch. This version is a member of the Teen Titans. * Starfire, based on the ''Teen Titans'' (2003) incarnation, appears in ''

'' (2013–present), voiced again by Hynden Walch. This version is a member of the Teen Titans who is oblivious to Robin's romantic feelings for her, seeing him instead as a brother. Additionally, the ''Teen Titans'' (2003) incarnation of Starfire appears in the episode "The Academy" via archival footage. * Starfire makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in a '' DC Super Friends'' short. * Starfire appears in ''

Titans In Greek mythology, the Titans ( ; ) were the pre-Twelve Olympians, Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (mythology), Uranus (Sky) and Gaia (Earth). The six male ...

'' (2018–2023), portrayed by Anna Diop. This version was sent to Earth to kill Rachel Roth to prevent her from releasing Trigon, only to lose her memories following a car crash. While in this state, she joins forces with

and Gar Logan to protect Roth. Despite eventually regaining her memories, Starfire chooses to stay on Earth as act a member of Grayson's Titans and help Roth control her powers. ** Starfire makes a cameo appearance in "

Crisis on Infinite Earths ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' is a 1985 to 1986 American comic book fictional crossover, crossover series published by DC Comics. Written by Marv Wolfman and penciller, pencilled by George Pérez, it was first released as a 12-issue limited ser ...

" via archival footage from the ''Titans'' episode "Titans". * A young Starfire appears in the '' DC Super Hero Girls'' (2019) episode "#TweenTitans", voiced by

Grey DeLisle Grey DeLisle (; born Erin Grey Van Oosbree; August 24, 1973), sometimes credited as Grey Griffin, is an American voice actress and singer-songwriter. DeLisle is known for various roles in animated productions and video games. On September 27, ...

. * Starfire will appear in a self-titled series.

Film

* The ''Teen Titans'' (2003) incarnation of Starfire appears in '' Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo'', voiced again by Hynden Walch. While helping the Titans combat Brushogun in Japan, she and Robin eventually become a couple. * Starfire appears in '' Superman/Batman: Public Enemies'', voiced by Jennifer Hale. This version works for President Lex Luthor. * Starfire appears in films set in the DC Animated Movie Universe (DCAMU), voiced by

: ** A picture of Starfire appears in '' Batman vs. Robin''. ** Starfire makes a cameo appearance in '' Batman: Bad Blood''. ** Starfire appears in '' Justice League vs. Teen Titans''. Here, she becomes the leader of the Teen Titans following the departure of previous leader

. ** Starfire appears in '' Teen Titans: The Judas Contract''. While combating

Deathstroke Deathstroke is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, the character first appeared in ''The New Teen Titans'' #2 (December 1980) as Deathstroke the Terminator. In his co ...

and Brother Blood, she experiences doubt over leading the Titans, though Grayson assures her he named her his successor for a good reason. ** Starfire makes a non-speaking appearance in '' Justice League Dark: Apokolips War''. She leads the Titans in defending Earth from

Darkseid Darkseid () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer-artist Jack Kirby, the character first made a cameo appearance in ''Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen'' #134 (December 1970), before being fully in ...

's Para dooms, only to be captured, brainwashed, and converted into a cyborg Fury before being freed two years later. * Starfire appears in '' Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Gotham City Breakout'', voiced again by Hynden Walch. * Starfire appears in ''

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies ''Teen Titans Go! To the Movies'' is a 2018 American animated superhero comedy film featuring the DC Comics superhero team, the Teen Titans. Based on the Cartoon Network animated television series ''Teen Titans Go!'', it was produced by Warner ...

'', voiced again by Hynden Walch. * The ''Teen Titans Go!'' (2013) and ''Teen Titans'' (2003) incarnations of Starfire appear in '' Teen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans'', with both voiced again by Hynden Walch. Additionally, several alternate reality versions of Starfire appear throughout the film, such as her '' Tiny Titans'', ''New Teen Titans'' comic, and DCAMU counterparts. * The ''Teen Titans Go!'' (2013) incarnation of Starfire appears in '' Teen Titans Go! See Space Jam'', voiced again by Hynden Walch. * The ''Teen Titans Go!'' (2013) incarnation of Starfire appears in '' Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse'', voiced again by Hynden Walch.

Video games

* Starfire appears as a playable character in ''

'' (2005), voiced again by Hynden Walch. * Starfire appears as a playable character in ''

'' (2006), voiced again by Hynden Walch. * Starfire appears in '' DC Universe Online'', voiced by Adrienne Mishler. * Starfire appears as a character summon in '' Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure''. * Starfire, based on the ''Teen Titans'' (2003) incarnation, appears as a playable character in '' Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham'' via the "Heroines vs Villainesses" DLC pack. * Starfire appears as a downloadable playable character in '' Injustice 2'', voiced again by Kari Wahlgren. This version is a member of the Teen Titans who died years prior. * The ''Teen Titans Go!'' (2013) incarnation of Starfire appears as a playable character in '' Lego Dimensions'', voiced again by Hynden Walch. * Starfire appears as a playable character in '' Lego DC Super-Villains'', voiced again by Kari Wahlgren. * Starfire appears in '' Teeny Titans'', voiced again by Hynden Walch. * Starfire appears as a playable character in ''DC Unchained''. * Starfire appears as an alternate skin in '' Fortnite''.

Miscellaneous

* The ''Teen Titans'' (2003) incarnation of Starfire appears in ''

'' (2004). In issue #46, it is revealed that she has a younger brother named Wildfire, who was sent off of Tamaran amidst a Gordanian invasion years prior. After Blackfire works with Madame Rouge to manipulate Starfire into believing Wildfire had returned, Starfire disowns Blackfire and vows to find Wildfire, viewing him as the only family she has left. Additionally, an evil, alternate universe variant of Starfire, also named Blackfire, appears in issue #48 as a member of the Teen Tyrants. * Starfire appears in the '' Injustice: Gods Among Us'' prequel comic as a member of the Teen Titans. * Starfire appears in '' DC Super Hero Girls'' (2015) and its tie-in films, voiced again by Hynden Walch. This version is a student and costume designer at Super Hero High School. * Starfire appears in the '' Injustice 2'' prequel comic as a member of the Teen Titans.

Merchandise

* Starfire received two figures from DC Direct, with the second being released as part of the "New Teen Titans" four-pack. * Starfire received a figure in the DC Comics Super Hero Collection. * Starfire appears in the ''Teen Titans'' trading card game.

References

External links

Titans Tower: Starfire
* * DC page
Starfire
{{Authority control Characters created by George Pérez Characters created by Marv Wolfman Comics characters introduced in 1980 DC Comics aliens Fiction set around Vega DC Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds DC Comics characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability DC Comics characters with superhuman senses DC Comics characters with superhuman strength DC Comics extraterrestrial superheroes DC Comics female superheroes Fictional characters who can levitate Fictional characters with energy-manipulation abilities Fictional characters with nuclear or radiation abilities Fictional characters with solar abilities Fictional extraterrestrial characters Fictional princesses Fictional slaves