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DC Is Giving Starfire the Spotlight at Last (And Sending Her Into Her Most Personal Adventure Yet)

It is a great time to be a Starfire fan. A show dedicated to Starfire is on the upcoming slate for animated DC projects and a Starfire solo comic was recently announced with the recent additions to the DC All-In lineup. Starfire may be better known as part of the Teen Titans, now Titans, or as an addendum to books like Red Hood and the Outsiders, but DC is giving Starfire another chance at the limelight, and itโ€™s about time.ย 

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Originally debuting in Marv Wolfmanโ€™s The New Teen Titans, Starfire quickly became a standout of the team, given her iconic look and distinct backstory. Unlike the other members who came from different backgrounds on Earth, Starfire hailed from the planet Tamaran.ย 

When the DC Universe rebooted in the 2010s with the New 52, Starfireโ€™s origins stayed mostly consistent. In the original continuity, Starfire couldnโ€™t go back to Tamaran because sheโ€™d been sold by her father to Tamaranโ€™s enemies in order to save it. The New 52 changed the person responsible from Starfireโ€™s father to her sister Komandโ€™r aka Blackfire, still in order to protect the citizens of Tamaran from the Citadel.ย 

Another Alien Who Couldnโ€™t Go Back Home

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Starfire, similar to DC icons Superman and Supergirl, is another alien who couldnโ€™t go back home. At first, it was because she was fleeing her captors. Then, across both the original universe and the New 52, Tamaranโ€™s situation became complicated. 

During the New Titans run, the Psions attacked Tamaran, destabilizing the planetโ€™s core and killing those who stayed behind in an explosion. Following Infinite Crisis, Starfire returned to where her planet used to be to find another planet in its spot. Blackfire with Tamaran refugees attack the planet, asserting their claim that given its location in Tamaranโ€™s old orbit it should belong to them. The conflictโ€™s resolved by the Tamarans moving into the uninhabited southern part of the planet.ย 

The New 52 would give Tamaran new threats such as the Blight and Helspont, plunging the planet into consistent peril and frequent destruction. Continuity around Tamaran quickly became a mess with the planet regarded as destroyed even with stories continuing to feature it, suggesting either out of continuity stories about Tamaran or the Tamarans deciding to colonize a new planet off panel to have as their home. 

When it comes down to her friends and her home planet, Starfire chooses her home planet at the end of the day. Part of the reason sheโ€™s remained a mainstay of teams like the Titans is that she cannot go home, at least not for long. 

Starfire Outside of the Teen Titans

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Given that itโ€™s where she debuted as a character, and itโ€™s how sheโ€™s been adapted into other mediums โ€” the Teen Titans animated series, Teen Titans Go!, and the live action television show Titans โ€” Starfire is practically synonymous with the Titans. The New 52 gave her a brief reprieve but just as quickly slotted her into the Outsiders with Roy Harper and Jason Todd, having her date Roy Harper instead of her more popular love interest Dick Grayson.ย 

The stories of Starfire outside of a team book are rare but they do exist. From 2015 to 2016, Starfire had a solo run by writers Jimmy Palmotti and Amanda Conner. Running for twelve issues, the series explored a Starfire that had given up on being a superhero, going simply by Kori and living in Key West. Through forming connections with people in town and helping them, Starfire remembers why she wanted to be a hero in the first place and resumes heroism. 

Starfire played a supporting role in Mariko Tamakiโ€™s I am Not Starfire, a graphic novel for DCโ€™s Young Adult Imprint that came out in 2021. I am Not Starfire centered around Starfireโ€™s  teenage daughter who felt like the complete opposite of her mom. Starfire has also featured in Gabriel Piccoloโ€™s Teen Titans graphic novels โ€” such as Teen Titans: Starfire โ€” which reimagine the Teen Titans in the modern day based on their characterization from the hit 2000s animated series. 

What Returning to Tamaran Means for Starfire

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With writer Alyssa Wong attached โ€” who recently wrote the From the Ashes era Psylocke mini-series centered around Kwannon โ€” All-In: Starfire is sending Starfire back to her roots. More specifically, itโ€™s stated to send her back to Tamaran, following up on Starfire’s recent exit from Titans in search of a home.

Given the All-In initiativeโ€™s goal of both an easy jumping-on point for new readers and meaning to serve as a wide, connected story, there are some common threads fans can likely expect. Most notably, itโ€™d be a shock if Komandโ€™r, aka Blackfire, didnโ€™t make an appearance. Blackfire is fiercely protective of Tamaran, sometimes to Starfireโ€™s detriment, and if Starfireโ€™s really returning home, thereโ€™s no way her sister wouldnโ€™t be part of it.

Thereโ€™s also the question of ruling โ€” will Starfireโ€™s return to Tamaran be a short stint, or is she ready to take on her crown as Tamaranโ€™s reigning leader? Tamaran has no shortage of enemies, and taking on full royal responsibilities would surely keep Starfire more than busy. She’s no longer part of the Titans but does that mean she’s ready to say goodbye to Earth for good?

Weโ€™re excited to see whatโ€™s next for Starfire โ€” let us know in the comments below what you think is in store for the character and what predictions you have for her upcoming series!

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