Ever since his WWE debut, the Superstar known as Stardust has kept a foot planted squarely in his comic book fan roots. Whether sporting Archangel-inspired tights or a Dr. Doom-esque mask as “Cody Rhodes,” or in his current cosmic persona, Stardust is a wrestler seemingly designed from the ground up to appeal to comic book readers.
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After fully transmogrifying into his current identity, Stardust and his brother Goldust had a successful run in WWE’s tag team division, before eventually splitting up under rather acrimonious circumstances. Now, with WWE’s biggest event of the year, WrestleMania, mere weeks away, Stardust is setting his red-tinged eyes on a new goal.
We caught up with Stardust to talk about his quest for the Cosmic Key, possible connections to the Infinity Gauntlet, the inspiration for his iconic ring gear and the Stardust that lives inside each of us…whether we want it to or not.
I know that you and your brother Goldust had been searching for the Cosmic Key. I was hoping you could give us a bit of explanation of what exactly the Cosmic Key is. I know a lot of fans of both comic books and wrestling assumed that it might be similar to the Infinity Gauntlet…
StarDust: Ohhhhhh…well, well, well…to say it is similar to the Infinity Gauntlet is not too far out there. But there is a difference: Comic books are make believe. But you’re absolutely in the ballpark. The “Cosmic Key” wasn’t just vague, mundane vernacular…it was a specific title in WWE, and that was the WWE Tag Team Championships, which we ultimately did find.
Since then, you and Goldust have had some difficulties as a team and as brothers. Is what we saw at WWE Fastlane the end of the Stardust/Goldust union?
SD: Is it the end…? Is it the beginning…? I don’t know. I know that Goldust has had a wonderful career, but by all means, his wonderful career should genuinely be…over. So I don’t see a future where Goldust and Stardust are questing for the Cosmic Key. But in mentioning the Cosmic Key and in mentioning the Infinity Gauntlet, that just…makes you a genius. I don’t know if you’ve heard but Stardust is pining, is lusting, is questing for another item in the WWE Universe…Have you heard? Do you know?
NOTE: This interview was conducted before last week’s SmackDown, on which Stardust seemed to express a desire for the WWE Intercontinental Title and before being added to the Intercontinental Title match at Wrestlemania.
I…don’t think so?
SD: Stardust is out amongst the molecular clouds. With hand on his forehead, like Christian of the WWE, he sees far, far beyond, looking for…the Ivory Enterprise.
And the Ivory Enterprise…this is the new focus of your galactic quest?
SD: It’s dear to me. It was mine before it was theirs. It’s most precious.
It’s been great to watch the evolution of your ring gear. What kind of thought goes into the changing color schemes and the brand-new gear you debuted at WWE Fastlane?
SD: Everything Stardust wears to the ring has a purpose. It’s not madness – a lot of it is based off of the moonchart, which is genuinely…if you look at dates of pay-per-views and Raw and you see “last quarter of a new moon” or you see “waning crescent,” then there might happen to be a brand new outfit that night. They coordinate very well with one another.
The Fastlane duds (as we call them) I’m not sure if they were inspired so much or just that…Stardust works out. Hard. Just like any human man, Stardust hits the weights. Stardust won’t always be trapped in a Mevlar Suit, but Stardust has quite a few left, and you haven’t seen the last of them.
In Japan, there’s a long, long history of characters making the leap from comics to the ring. Tiger Mask, Jushin Liger and others. Are there American comic book characters that Stardust would like to face in the ring?
SD: You’re talking about someone coming from the medium known as comics and entering the WWE ring? Is that what you’re saying?
Yessir, that’s exactly what I’m saying.
SD: There’s a lot! There’s a lot, but you want them to translate. If you’re going to say you’re such-and-such, then you better look like such-and-such. You better be such-and-such. Hmmm…There’s a few that would be absolutely excellent. Wolverine comes to mind right out of the gate, though the Adamantium claws would obviously not be allowed.
Deathstroke. Deadpool…these are the type of characters. I’m specifically looking at characters who wear a similar….not Mevlar, I don’t think they can afford Mevlar…but they wear a bodysuit. Those are characters that could match up well when you see that WWE graphic “Deathstroke vs. Stardust.”
Can you go into a bit more detail on what Mevlar is?
SD: Yes, it’s a combination of mesh and kevlar. And actually, the same thing formulated by spiders when they make their little webbings. It’s that strong.
Can I ask where you even obtain Mevlar?
SD: You cannot.
I have one final question for you…
SD: The final question!
You and your brother Goldust…who’s Thanos and who’s Starfox?
SD: Who is Thanos…And who is Starfox… Did you know that the moon Titan…the actual moon Titan…is getting a small percentage closer and closer to its home planet every year on it’s rotation? Did you know that?
I did not.
SD: You can actually project out to where it will eventually crash into Saturn. And that’s a real thing. I’m sorry, I got off-track.
That’s great information for people to have.
SD: I want people to have the facts!
So, Thanos, the Mad Titan, and his brother Eros, also known as Starfox. They’re brothers, but they’re also diametric opposites…who in the Dust Brothers duo is Thanos, and who is Starfox?
SD: Goldust was a harbinger of Stardust and not the other way around. Goldust was already here, but Stardust…is in all our bodies. And another fact for you…this is as accurate as it comes: Our bodies are 90% Stardust. Stardust was here all along! Goldust was just a harbinger of the fervor…of the excitement that came to WWE, so…I don’t know if it truly qualifies as one or the other…The best way to answer it is that Stardust was first, then Goldust. Not the other way around.
What you’re saying then is…We are all Stardust?
SD: We are all Stardust. Literally. You know Cosmos?
I do. With Neil Tyson-Degrasse.
SD: These are all real things. You can go straight to him and you can ask him: 90% of your body…I’m there. I’m inside you.
Watch Stardust on WWE Raw, Monday nights at 8PM ET on USA Network, and WWE SmackDown, Thursday nights at 8PM ET on Syfy. And make sure to tune in to WrestleMania 31 live on WWE Network Sunday, March 29th 7PM ET.
