Stardust the Super Wizard is a fictional superhero from the Golden Age of Comics who originally appeared in American comic books published by Fox Feature Syndicate. The character was created by writer-artist Fletcher Hanks, and made his first appearance in Fantastic Comics #1 (December 1939).

Publication history

Golden Age stories

Stardust the Super Wizard was featured in 16 issues of Fantastic Comics (December 1939–March 1941) and Big 3 #2 (January 1941). All features, with exceptions of Fantastic Comics #6 and #9, were both written and illustrated by Fletcher Hanks. According to Jess Nevins' Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes, Stardust's foes include "ordinary criminals, the Brain-Men of Mars, the Super Fiend, Skullface Kurd, and Yew Bee and his Fifth Column".

Reprints and collections

Stardust stories were reprinted in: Gwandanaland Comics issued the complete collection of Stardust stories from the Golden Age of Comics in Gwandanaland Comics #9: Stardust the Super Wizard (September 2016). The complete works of Fletcher Hanks have been collected in the Fantagraphics Books: The last volume is a combination of the first two with additional material. The complete collection catalogs all 15 of Fletcher Hanks' classic Stardust stories. In 2008, editor Paul Karasik received an Eisner Award for "Best Archival Collection/Project: Comic Books" for his work on I Shall Destroy All Civilized Planets! In 2009, Fantagraphics started to include a Fletcher Hanks mini-comic coloring book titled Color Me or Die!, featuring a cover by Charles Burns, to people who ordered volumes of The Complete Fletcher Hanks.

Index

Fictional character biography

Stardust, whose vast knowledge of interplanetary science has made him the most remarkable man that ever lived, devotes his abilities to crime-busting. In later episodes, he changes his focus to racket-busting. In his Golden Age adventures, Stardust patrolled the entire occupied Solar System. The stories, however, focused primarily on his dealings with the planet Earth. Nothing is known of Stardust's past. Stardust stories followed a tried-and-true formula. The Super Wizard would use his omniscient powers to eavesdrop on criminals plotting a crime. The main villain would describe his grandiose plan (e.g. to commit genocide, lay waste to a city, destroy democracy, etc.). Stardust would pontificate on how evil the villain's plans were but did nothing to prevent them. The villain would then put his plan into action, and many people were either killed or forced to flee. When Stardust arrived on the scene, he would verbally berate the villains and then set into motion a series of increasingly bizarre and violent acts of revenge against the evildoers, often turning their own schemes against them. When the dust cleared, the citizenry would often bemoan the fact that they were unable to thank their hero who had already flown back to his secret headquarters in the stars.

Further adventures

Stardust the Super Wizard is in the public domain, and has been appeared in stories published by various creators over the decades, including those who have rendered individual interpretations of the original character, which in some cases provide backstories, explain in plot holes in the original stories, or otherwise develop the character. Publishers of tabletop role-playing games have created campaigns featuring Stardust the Super Wizard, allowing players to interact, collaborate, and write their own stories.

Powers and abilities

Skills

Stardust is a master of space and planetary forces, possessing a vast knowledge of interplanetary science. He is also a skilled detective specializing in data collection. Although Stardust has never exhibited any formal combat training, his physical size and strength make him a formidable brawler.

Physicality

Physically, Stardust appears as a clean-cut, blond-haired, blue-eyed, white human male of heroic proportions. His height has been estimated anywhere between 7'3" and 9'9" tall. His genealogy has never been revealed. Although he has vested interests in Earth, it is unclear if he is of Earthly origin. Stardust has exhibited a number of powers that are not attributed to his mastery of space and planetary forces. These powers may be attributed to an alien physiognomy, cybernetic augmentation, genetic modification, tetralogical manipulation, or a combination of these factors. The unexplained powers of Stardust include:

Star-metal Suit

Stardust wears a flexible sky-blue unitard made of star-metal that fits him like a second skin. It is controlled through rays from a distant sun, rendering him invulnerable to chemicals and indestructible by electrical or violent force. Stardust has worn mid-calf boots in both blue and red.

Radiation belt

Stardust wears a corset-sized gold radiation belt (aka ray belt) around his midsection. The belt is in a starburst motif and features two rows of red studs. The radiation belt empowers Stardust with a wide array of beams, rays, and arcs. Each ray is represented by its own red stud. Energies from the belt can be used at a local level to affect individual persons or expanded to levels that affect the movement of planetary bodies. The radiation belt does not need to be charged and is not dependent on an outside energy source. It has never overloaded or shown even minor stress despite the great demands that have been made of it. Stardust appears to be limited merely by the breadth of his scientific knowledge and his ability to make good choices.

Thought-recording collar

Stardust wears a thought-recording collar that reproduces his internal monologue. The recordings are transmitted via thought-recording rays in order to establish telepathic communication with individuals or groups of people. The collar is gold colored and designed in starburst motif. It features a row of red studs similar to the ones found on Stardust's radiation belt.

Tubular spacial

The tubular spacial is a luminous forcefield that enables Stardust to travel on accelerated super-solar light waves at tremendous speeds. Stardust has been recorded at speeds of up to 300,000 miles a minute (18 million miles an hour). When pushed to its utmost, the tubular spacial leaves a trail of friction-fire in its wake. It is Stardust's primary mode of interplanetary transportation. He is able to control the speed and direction of the tubular spacial at will. The field is impenetrable and virtually indestructible. The tubular spacial generates a null field that neutralized all forms of energy (kinetic, electrical, magnetic, gamma, gravitational, etc.) and also protects him from the crushing forces of acceleration. The tubular spacial preserves and protects him from the vacuum of space. Stardust can use the field for his own use, extend it to accommodate a passenger, or expand it further to encompass a large group of people. The tubular spacial can discharge a cloud of acid-proof dust that acts as chaff and a radar countermeasure. Stardust can expand the wake of the tubular spacial and generate luminous skywriting.

Stardust flash

Stardust's trademark flash grants him the power of teleportation, allowing near instantaneous transportation between two fixed points. A brilliant flash shaped like a 5-pointed star accompanies each transfer. The flash can range in size from 10 feet wide to thousands of miles in diameter. There does not seem to be a limit to the distance over which an object can be flashed. However, Stardust has never used his flash outside of a planet's gravity well. His flash can teleport individual objects, people, groups, and even entire facilities. The flash can be further calibrated to target specific individuals, as when Stardust transported the entire staff of the F.B.I. from their offices and left all their office furniture behind. Objects can also be safely transferred into occupied space, as when Stardust instantly outfitted the Sixth Columnists with uniforms. Furthermore, the flash recalibrates and redirects the momentum of the object it transfers. This allows an object to match the relative velocity of its destination. Stardust was able to safely flash the President from a moving plane to the stationary White House in Washington D.C. Stardust's flash is also capable of affecting the momentum and vector of objects in its immediate vicinity. The flash is capable of affecting local objects, but can be expanded to a planetary scale. Stardust uses his flash to launch his tubular spacial. He also uses the flash at the end of his flight to remove momentum—allowing him to calmly walk out of his star. Stardust routinely uses his flash to enter buildings. If he enters a building after a long interplanetary flight, the building will shake just before he appears. Stardust typically announces his arrival before he appears.

Stardust's astral observatory

Stardust's headquarters is a crime-detecting laboratory and observation post that is located on what is referred to in early stories as a "private asteroid" and in later stories as his "private star". Stardust's private star has a breathable atmosphere capable of sustaining human and plant life. It features rolling hills, a lush forest, and paved roads. Stardust lives in a massive castle which is a short walk from the observatory. The star has enough mass to sustain a number of small satellites. From his marvelously equipped observatory, Stardust stays apprised of the affairs of the planets. Equipment Stardust has utilized in the Astral Observatory, broken down into categories, include:

Crime detection

Criminal investigation

Remote observation

Mobile Technology

Reception

In American Comic Book Chronicles: 1940-1944, comics historian Kurt Mitchell writes that the Stardust stories "highlighted Hanks' straitfaced absurdity and distinctively ugly dramatis personae. In style and attitude, Hanks anticipated the underground comics of the 1960s and early '70s".

Articles

Histories

Stardust the Super Wizard is featured or referenced in the following books on comic book history:

Footnotes