Starman #3

Sins of the Father, Chapter IV

Previously, in Starman –

The Mist has brought his son, Kyle and daughter, Nash to Opal City as part of his revenge on the original Starman, Ted Knight. After returning from Limbo with the rest of the Justice Society of America and following the events of Zero Hour, Ted has retired and passed on the gravity rod to his oldest son David. Who immediately becomes the first casualty in The Mist’s scheme. David is shot dead while on patrol; Ted is wounded and his observatory blown up; and, Ted’s youngest son, Jack, is shot and his novelty store is torched.

Opal City plunges into chaos. Bolder because of David’s murder, a crime wave sweeps across the city. The Shade, a longtime resident ponders his role in preserving his beloved Opal. When The Mist outlines his plan over the phone to Ted Knight, recovering in a hospital room with the O’Dare clan, he tells his son Jack to leave and go into hiding. When he learns that The Mist’s gang has set about destroying his Mother’s wing at the museum, he uses a gravity rod to fight The Mist’s gang. With Jack outside the museum, The Shade routes a couple of Kyle’s goons inside the museum.

After another attempt by Kyle to kill him, Jack makes his way back to his apartment. He grabs a jacket – with an astrological star on the back - to keep warm against the chill wind while flying in the sky; a sheriff’s star to appease his father; and World War II goggles for eye protection. Leaving his apartment, he has to fight off Kyle’s goons, and he encounters his sister, Nash. Jack asks Nash why she is trying to kill him. Having nothing personally against him, she lets him go.

Next, Jack meets Charity a fortune teller new to Opal City. She tells him three things; first, he will go to the Far East; second, he will go into outer space; and third he will have an unforgettable night at the circus.

Afterward, Ted sends Jack to find another Cosmic Rod among his things in storage. The Shade spirits the retired Starman off to The Mist’s hideout after waylaying the O’Dares.

At the start of the concluding chapter, Hope O’Dare alone is proud of Jack’s bravery and heroism in accepting The Mist’s challenge. Her brothers seem skeptical. Nash now regrets sparing Jack’s life. Kyle promises to come back and treat his sister to a movie. The Shade leads the O’Dares and a ninja strike force of Opal City police officers on The Mist’s hideout. Nash vows her own vengeance on Jack. Ted comes to pity his arch-nemesis. Jack and Ted strike a deal – Jack will continue as Starman on his own terms and Ted exercise his abilities for humanitarian purposes rather than his own personal gain and amusement.

This is a dark and violent end to the first story line. But, if you’ve been reading this far along, you already knew that it would be. The fight between Jack and Kyle is brutal and graphic. But, not really shocking or gratuitous. The Shade seems a lot like Two-Face/Harvey Dent, making choices to be either selfless or self-serving. Kind of a sad end for the original Mist, but you know sooner or later Nash will be back. And in the end, Charity was right. Jack has some exciting things ahead.