Jack Knight

Origin

Jack Knight is the second son of Ted Knight and Adele Doris Drew. His mother died when he was young and he grew distant from his father and brother David as a result. Jack began to develop a love for antiques while David became more fascinated with their father’s super heroics. Years later, Jack runs his very own antiques shop in Opal City while David picks up the mantle of Starman.

History

However, David is soon killed by Kyle, the son of Ted’s old enemy the Mist. The Mist sets off a crime wave that nearly kills Jack and Ted, prompting Ted to supply Jack with an old cosmic staff he designed. With this new weapon, Jack manages to kill Kyle.

Jack then rescues a group of sideshow freaks from an Incubus by the name of Bliss. Among them is an alien by the name of Mikaal Tomas, who previously used the name Starman in the seventies. At first catatonic, Mikaal eventually starts talking again and becomes close friends with Jack.

Jack is captured by Kyle’s sister Nash, which leads to her drugging and raping him. Jack escapes and months later learns through a letter from Nash that she has given birth to Jack’s son, named Kyle Theodore (after both of their fathers).

Jack met and fell in love with a woman named Sadie Falk. After they develop a relationship Sadie tells Jack that her real name is Jayne Sadie Payton, and she seduced Jack to try and convince him to find her brother Will, who was the fifth Starman. Will was apparently killed years before but Sadie believes that he is in outer space somewhere.

Jack agrees to find Will, and manages to acquire a rocketship, which sends he and Mikaal into space.

After a long adventure in space, Jack finds Will alive, and soon discovers that he has merged with Prince Gavyn, the sixth Starman, also assumed dead. After Jack helps Gavyn reclaim his throne, he and Mikaal return home with the help of Adam Strange, with Will deciding to stay behind.

They return to find Opal under attack by a new enemy named Culp. Culp soon blocks off the entire city with a magic spell with the intention of blowing the city up. However Jack, with the help of old and new allies, manages to foil Culps plan. Celebrations are cut short by the arrival of the original Mist, who returns seeking revenge for his son's death. He kills his own daughter Nash, who dies giving Jack his son. The Mist almost succeeds in killing Jack and others, but Ted shows up and saves them, sacrificing his own life in the process.

Jack learns that Sadie has decided his career as a hero is too dangerous, and that she is pregnant, so she makes the decision to move away to San Francisco. After Jack travels back in time to 1951, and solves the mystery of that year’s Starman, he decides to retire and gives his cosmic rod to Courtney Whitmore, who then calls herself Stargirl. Jack then takes his son and leaves Opal to be with Sadie, who eventually gives birth to a daughter.

Weapons and Abilities

Jack uses a Cosmic Staff designed by his father. The staff is capable of levitating objects, including Jack and other people, firing blasts of energy, producing intense heat, and generating force fields. The staff can also be attuned to the user’s thoughts, so that it can respond to commands even from a distance.

Jack also has experience in hand-to-hand combat, including Jujitsu training.

Allies

Jack made many friends while he operated as Starman.

Mikaal Tomas: An alien and the third Starman.

The Shade: A former villain who slowly gains Jack’s trust.

The O’Dares : A family of police officers in Opal City, their father, Billy, was considered Ted’s sidekick.

Charity : A fortune teller who aids Jack.

Solomon Grundy : A friendly version of Grundy lived with Ted for a while, and referred to Jack as ‘Jackstar’.

Jake “Bobo” Bennetti : A reformed bank robber who now guards one.

Hamilton Drew: A great detective, whom Jack saved from a demon.

Jon Valor: The ghost of a pirate who has placed a curse on the city, he enlists Jack to help him break the curse.

Also, Jack met with other Starmen, including Will Payton, Prince Gavyn, and the Starman of 1951.

He teamed up with several heroes while in space, including Adam Strange and the Green Lantern corps member Medaphyl.

Several heroes aided Jack when Culp captured the city. Among them was Phantom Lady, Black Condor, and Ralph and Sue Dibny.

Talking with David

Every year, Jack (and sometimes Mikaal) would have a vision of David from beyond the grave. It is not known whether this occurs while Jack is dreaming, but David visited Mikaal once while he was conscience but losing oxygen (as he was in deep space) so it might not depend on that. David explains in one of the final issues of the series that he, along with all the other deceased citizens of Opal, are stuck in a sort of purgatory due to Jon Valor’s curse. This, along with the magical abilities of Kent Nelson, a deceased friend of Ted, allows David to visit Jack once a year. On some occasions, David is not alone, as he has given Jack the opportunity to talk with deceased Justice Society members, as well as their mother, and Ted after he had passed.