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    Starlight

    Character » Starlight appears in 73 issues.

    Member of The Seven and former member of the conservative religious superhero team the Young Americans. She is friends with Wee Hughie although neither realizes what the other's "day job" is. In the show, she becomes a double agent helping The Boys take down Vought.

    Short summary describing this character.

    Starlight last edited by gravenraven on 07/10/23 11:04AM View full history

    Origin

    Costume Redesign
    Costume Redesign

    Starlight is an active superhero that possesses the ability to fly and emit a powerful blinding light, hence her superhero code name. Her real name Annie January, Starlight served on the conservative teenage superhero team the Young Americans in her early years where she also dated the leader of the team Drummer Boy. Anne was very religious and conservative, appealing to the good in people and with a sincere wish to do good. The Young Americans themselves were Vought-American sponsored but also affiliated with various conservative Christian youth groups as well with the Young Republicans. After the death of the Seven member the Lamplighter, Starlight got her biggest opportunity to date so far, being called upon to serve in the worlds premiere and top superhero team, the Seven. The opportunity so large and unexpected Starlight was positively excited to become a member of the Seven. Leaving the Young Americans to move onto supposedly bigger and better things Starlight was to be escorted by the Homelander himself on a tour of the Seven's headquarters. Reality would shatter Starlight unfortunately as after a fairly routine tour, Homelander presented a very different side to himself demanding that Starlight engage in oral sex with him. A shocked and horrified Starlight was in a state of disbelief, as more members of the Seven, A-Train and Black Noir would enter the room removing their pants with sinister grins on their faces. Homelander would explain that no one was going to force themselves on her, but explained to Starlight this was simply a matter of how much she wanted to be on the worlds biggest superhero team. After that horrible ordeal Annie attempts to find solace in the woman's bathroom, experiencing physical illness at the events that occurred prior. Seeking sympathy from her fellow female on the team Queen Maeve leaves Starlight cold as Queen Maeve seems as flippant and insensitive as the other members of the Seven.

    Worse was to come for Starlight with A-Train mocking her constantly, even in team meetings making crude gestures at her. She quickly discovers that almost all the Seven are ego-maniacal, greedy, insensitive jerks. Also sponsored by Vought-American. Team meetings seem designed around matters of finance and self promotion rather than any actual heroic work. Her teammate A-Train became an ever increasing annoyance in her life, telling her she was only hired so the other teammates could mock her. Initially accepting her teammates abuse, she grows to defend herself against their actions as well as refuse changes Vought-American tries to force upon her. For example, a smaller costume, a breast augmentation, and a back story involving rape to give her a greater 'dark and more sexual' appeal. However, standing up for herself comes with the cost of changing her previously innocent character becoming prone to expletives, drinking, and violence like the other members of the Seven. Starlight has a habit of chatting with her fellow female super hero Queen Maeve despite the two initially not liking one another. Some time later her team mate A-Train attempts to rape Starlight and during the fight she used her powers to blind one of his eyes.

    Creation

    Starlight is a Dynamite Entertainment character and was created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Darick Robertson. Starlight first appears in The Boys #3 released in 2006. One focal point in her creation, was the emphasis on her conservative, wholesome superhero outfit as so to later maximize the dramatic contrast her new, more sexualized outfit that she would have to wear as a part of The Seven. Darick Robertson describing the process "Starlight's costume was all about covering her up and making her sweet and innocent so when the Seven get a hold of her the contrast would be clear." Starlight also serves as the romantic interest of the main protagonist Hughie Campbell.

    Character Evolution

    Appearing in Garth Ennis The Boys series initially Starlight is characterized by her chaste and wholesome appearance and naivety, a stark contrast as far as the morally ambiguous characters she would often interact with. A superhero in a conservative teenage superhero team the Young Americans, Starlight would almost be one dimensional in her innocence, upbeat and enthusiastic, the character is soon met with a harsh reality and her morals tested in order to continue on her dream of being a major superhero. Drafted into the Seven, the worlds biggest and most powerful superhero team Starlight is forced into group oral sex and constantly verbally berated by her teammates as well as mocked. The characters dramatic situation change causing as a catalyst to many new character developments. Starlight develops an attitude to allow her to stick up for herself, she loses her faith in god and when she meets Hughie Campbell the two main characters' romantic relationship becomes one of The Boys series' main ongoing subplots. Starlight's confidence grows as she settles into being in the world's greatest superhero team.

    Major Story Arcs

    Wee Hughie

    With Hughie
    With Hughie

    Eventually while out of costume Starlight meets the Boys member Wee Hughie. The two happen to sit in the same park bench in Central Park, and Starlight is amused by Wee Hughie's thick Scottish accent. The two strangers talk and the two appear to experience a positive lift in mood exchanging pleasantries After an extended conversation with each other but not telling the other about their real jobs a friendship established between them. They part ways unsure if they will meet each other again. Sometime later Starlight almost depressed by her circumstance decides to visit her boyfriend Drummer Boy from her former team the Young Americans. Deciding to catch a train as she didn't feel like flying, Starlight travels in casual wear. Returning to the Young Americans headquarters Starlight is further shocked to find her boyfriend Drummer Boy openly engaging in sex with Holy Mary, a fellow member of the Young Americans. Drummer Boy attempts to make excuses and then placing the blame on Starlight for leaving the Young Americans, but regardless Starlight's world is turned upside down yet again. Starlight would attempt to seek religious guidance sitting in a church and thinking of the last few days, and whether it was worth it to be a member of the Seven, but finding no answers, she appears to lose faith, turning her back on her religion. Returning to the bench in Central Park where she met Hughie, Starlight is almost overcome with emotion to see he is there. She gives him a strong and tearful hug as the two get to talk cryptically of all the troubles that have weighed on them since the last time they spoke. They arrange to have a night out.

    Herogasm

    Starlight's attending her first Herogasm provides confusing as first with Queen Mauve explaining the finer details explaining Herogasm as an opportunity for superheroes to relax en masse without worrying about media, paparazzi, responsibility and other such annoyances. The cover story is that all the heroes have teamed up to fight the Battelite of the Marith'Rai out in deep space. Instead they will all gather on an island west of Costa Rica. Although Starlight has become accustomed to crude and unusual acts she is still quite stunned by the amount of superhero debauchery and sexual activity taking place around her on the island. Not really enjoying herself Starlight only finds enjoyment in calling and hearing from Hughie. Things get more complicated when the Vice President of America (also known as Vic The Veep) arrives to the island to indulge in Herogasm. Unbeknownst to the heroes and Starlight, the Boys are on the island as well with a specific plan to take down the Veep. Starlight continues her time on the island typically accompanying Queen Mauve despite the two not having the best of friendships, ironically almost choosing to accompany each other because they don't get on well with the majority of heroes present. On the awards night Starlight presents the retired superhero Uncle Dreams with a lifetime achievement award.

    The Seven

    Now that she is dating Hughie, and has at least one friend to confide in, and with more time and experience in the Seven, Starlight starts to assert herself more, and her interactions with her fellow teammates aren't as dramatic as they first were. Starlight even misses some meetings but she appears to be forming some sort of loose bond with Queen Maeve. Starlight's relationship with Hughie appears to be going fantastically with the two sharing many sweet moments, albeit some embarrassing ones. A-Train continues to aggravate Starlight but her ability to verbally defend herself typically means its A-Train on the defensive as Starlight seems the superior as far as wit and insulting. Given their relatively junior status on the Seven team, Starlight and A-Train are given a very special cleaning task they now nothing of. Heading to a lower level of the Seven's headquarters, the two heroes are shocked to discover that the Seven keep a zombified version of the Lamplighter in their basement. The undead Lamp Lighter is covered in his own filth in a dirty putrid room and its their job to clean it. Starlight and A-Train continue to continually make verbal jabs at each others expense, but both seem as shocked at Lamplighter's state and circumstance. Near completion of their task, Starlight makes a particular insulting remark towards A-Train after he made a crude joke. Moments later A-Train would attempt to force himself onto Starlight but she would fight him off using her powers to blind him. The Seven would reappear at home base and A-Train would appeal to them bitter that he had been both rejected and blinded but his words would fall on deaf ears.

    Powers and Abilities

    Starlight possess the ability to generate, project and emanate a blinding light from her hands and she might possess a degree of super hearing. Starlight has the ability to fly and she is generally athletic as well as being a trained gymnast. Her light energy bursts are capable of blinding even super powered beings as demonstrated when A-Train attempted to force himself on Starlight, however earning her anger as she blinded him with an attack.

    In Other Media

    The Boys

    Starlight appears in the Amazon adaptation of the series, portrayed by Erin Moriarty.

    Live-Action
    Live-Action

    In this live-action version, She wasn't born with her powers. Instead, Compound V was injected into her when she was a baby, and she never blinded her parents. Upon joining The Seven, Starlight is initially sexually propositioned by The Deep, as opposed to A-Train as portrayed in the comics, who tells her is the 2nd in command and her standing in the group will depend on his approval. She begrudgingly goes through with the act of performing oral sex on him. In later episodes her attitude changes and she does stand up to The Deep who continues to berate her and make fun of her, telling him that if he ever touches her again, she will burn his eyes out. This makes The Deep back off from continuing to degrade her, as he is secretly afraid of her abilities. Starlight has a romantic relationship with Hugh Campbell like in the comics. However, in the show Hughie is able to recognize her in her uniform instantly. She eventually learned that her parents agreed to have her injected with Compound V, so that they could be famous for having a Supe daughter. When she found out she was furious, and considered to stop caring, until Maeve convinced her not to change. Starlight then rescued the Boys from a blacks ops group, and after that, decided to become more active against Vought.

    Abilities

    Much like on the comics, Starlight has the power to blast light out of her hands like a weapon. In the series, Starlight's powers are slightly different than the comics. She uses her powers more, and they're dependent on electricity. Her powers can also be used to cauterize wounds.

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