Comic Book Beard: DC's Starman

Back from the future, bearded and bugnuts crazy... just how I
like Starman! From writer Geoff Johns and artist
Dale Eaglesham in Justice Society of America #2 (March 2007).

In the comic book universe of DC Comics, there have been many Starmen, but the one I am most familiar with is former Star Boy, Thom Kallor. Thom was part of the Justice Society of America during a fantastic run spanning the latter half of the 2000s, the time during which I followed the teams' adventures through a number of different volumes and line-ups.

From the back up to Magog #1 (2009), by writer Geoff Johns and artists Scott Kolins.

My own understanding of the character is limited to that period, though he does have a much lnger history as a member of the Legion of Superheroes. Fortunately "The Secret Origin of Starman" backup story appeared in the January 2009 one-shot, Kingdom Come Special: Magog #1, to bring readers such as myself up to speed. On a side note, reading back through the previous JSA runs, only makes me miss the inter-generational old school niche it so entertainingly filled before being replaced with Earth 2 as part of DC's ongoing New 52 initiative. But this post is about comic book beards...

Starman being all crazy and what-not, courtesy of writer Geoff Johns and
artist Dale Eaglesham in Justice Society of America #6 (July 2007).

A member of the Legion of Superheroes in the future, Thom was sent back in time for, as Braniac 5 puts it, "one unsettling, but vital task." Unfortunately, while the future, baby-faced Star Boy did make it back to the past, a price was paid. In the process, his brain had been scrambled. Upon removing his mask in the present, it was revealed in the full-page scene at the top of the post, that Starman had somehow grown a beard while on his time trip. Going slightly against type, when Thom did regain his sanity briefly during this run, it was the state of lucidity that troubled him. While the more common comic book trope is for characters to become disheveled (and for men, beared) as his or her super-sanity begins to crumble, Thom avoided shaving as an external manifestation of being coherent, Thom maintained his bearded look for the issues that followed.

I've lost track of Thom Kallor (as well as many DC characters) since the New 52. I do understand though that he is alive and well, though drastically different in his physical characetrization and, sadly, beard-free.