Starman III: Mikaal Tomas

 

Mikaal Tomas was a member of a blue-skinned race bent on conquering Meridian (Earth), not because its own world was dying, but because thess species "required conquest emotionally." His race lived on Talok III, but was originally the lost 13th Tribe from Talok VIII (future home of Shadow Lass) of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Mikaal, one of the Talokian Warrior Elite, and his lover, Lyysa Jurndaal, were among a group sent to establish a hidden base on the moon. It was to be the staging point for the invasion. (Originally his planet was unnamed but described as being 3,000 light-years away from Earth and in orbit around a red dwarf star.)

Lyysa did not share her race's addiction to conquest, however, and sought to warn Earth. Mikaal failed to talk her out of her plan and she was killed attempting to steal a shuttle craft. Distraught, Mikaal attacked the guard who shot her, only to be knocked out and hauled before the base's leaders, Lady Cormell, Master Komak and an unnamed third alien. He was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death.

But Mikaal escaped and traveled to Earth, where his stolen shuttle crashed in the North Bronx. Flying from the doomed ship at the last minute, Mikaal was spotted by a gang of thugs who attempted to rob him. Despite being stabbed, Mikaal defeated the toughs and walked off.

Soon, police, led by Inspector Dave Clarson and Sgt. Jack O"Donnell, arrived to investigate the crash. They had barely begun when Col. Magruder of the USAF arrived and announced his men would take over. A dispute over jurisdiction was cut short when the shuttle exploded, killing Clarson. Magruder would later try to recruit O"Donnell in his efforts to hunt down the shuttle's pilot.

Meanwhile, Mikaal, broke into a grocery store and was confronted by its owner, Franklin Clay. Suspecting Mikaal to be a burglar, Clay threatened him with a rifle, but the alien used his 'sound stuff" to make the weapon vanish. Then he collapsed. Clay decided "the boy needs a bed more'n jail," then thought, "and if I can make myself some money off that sound gadget he's got, well, nobody says a Good Samaritan's gotta take a loss."

Mikaal awakened in Clay's apartment and told his story to the man and his wife, Ruth. They obviously didn"t believe him, so when Ruth excused herself, Mikaal was certain she had gone to call the police. Declaring that he must be free to fight against his people, he flew out a window.

On the moon, Komak had enlisted the aid of a "mind-slaver" — First Guardsman of the Worldstone Turran Kha — to hunt down and kill Mikaal. Kha attacked Mikaal on Earth and as the two aliens faced off in front of startled humans, Mikaal thought, "A guardsman — here on Earth. Then the Mind Council is serious, and the threat to Earth — is deadly! I only pray I have the strength to do... what must be done!"

And then the story ended with a standard "write in and let us know if you want to see more of Starman" blurb. Unfortunately for anyone who did want more, it would be nearly 20 years before Mikaal Tomas" story would be continued. (1st Issue Special #12)

Most people forgot about Mikaal, and those who didn"t debated whether he was ever part of the DC Universe in the first place. He next appeared emaciated and ragged; Mikaal was "The Cosmic Freak" at a circus owned by a man named Bliss. (Starman vol. 2 #3)

Four issues later, Jack Knight, the newest Starman, visited the circus during a trip through Turk County in search of collectibles. He found the chained alien, who could no longer speak English. Mikaal managed to touch him, filling Jack's mind with disjointed images from his past. Disturbed, Jack spoke to Bliss and was told the Freak was only Greg Bailey, a performer from Albany. Jack was not convinced, so Bliss ordered his hulking servant Crusher and the other freak show performers to attack the fledgling hero.

In the following issue, Jack learned Bliss was an incubus, a demonic creature that fed upon the emotions of humans. Watching Jack's battle with the monster, Mikaal felt hope stir within him and was at last able to use his crystal — now mysteriously fused to his chest — to join the fray. Bliss was destroyed, Crusher fled and Mikaal and the other freaks were free.

Ted Knight began working to restore Mikaal's memories. As his memories trickled back, Mikaal became Jack's ally and a friend to a "tame" incarnation of the swamp creature Solomon Grundy. He would even find happiness with a new love, an African-American man named Tony. (#10)

He would later accompany Jack into space, traveling to Rann and "Throneworld," where they learned the surprising connection between Starman IV (Prince Gavyn) and Starman V (Will Payton). Detours into the timesteam would allow them to visit a young Jor-El on Krypton and the 30th Century, where Mikaal learned his race's true past and his possible future.

But what had happened to Mikaal after his first appearance? The details would be scattered throughout the series.

In 1976, the blue Starman traveled America, fighting his people and more terrestrial threats. He believed he had killed Turran Kha, but that later proved to be incorrect. Other members of his race, such as the Rahndolph Twins and the Mighty Zag, did die at his hands.

He wound up in Ted Knight's hometown of Opal City because "that's the place for a Starman." Along the way, he ran afoul of the original Green Lantern Alan Scott after a gang of robbers painted themselves blue to pass as members of his race. After making peace, they caught the real criminals. Mikaal was impressed by Scott's heroism.

He also teamed up with the Martian Manhunter. This may have occurred after a similar "misunderstanding," judging from art in issue #63. Mikaal also fought the sorcerer Felix Faust, possibly with J"Onn's help. This would have predated Faust's first appearance in "Justice League of America" by several years. Mikaal also defeated a super-villain called The Goner and battled another named No Mercy.

Then his people disappeared and he found himself at loose ends. Because of his race's tendency toward addictive behavior, Mikaal turned to hedonistic pursuits, including drug use. For a while, he lived with a couple of hustlers named Bruce and Tiffany. (Starman 80-Page Giant #1)

That ended when Tiffany brought No Mercy home, offering him sex in exchange for drugs. Although stoned, Mikaal recognized his old enemy. During their battle, No Mercy stabbed Bruce to death with a ceremonial dagger hidden inside an African statue (Tiffany had stolen it from future police officer Matt O"Dare) and Mikaal blasted his foe out a window.

Master Komak finally caught up with Mikaal in an Opal disco. By this time, Mikaal was so far gone from drug use he did not recognize Komak or even remember much of his own past. (#28)

"For six months you fought us," Komak said. "But by the seventh month, you would have died. If our race had had a seventh month."

He explained an invasion of Daxam by their race had gone badly. Fearing retaliation by the potentially super-powered Daxamites, the blue-skinned race created a genocide device to use against Daxam. First, however, Darkstar Chaser Bron attacked the "Worldstone," outraged the Talokians had destroyed one of his favorite planets. During the melee, the genocide device went off, destroying the planet and its 39 million inhabitants.

When word of this reached the moonbase, many committed suicide. Others went out into space to meet their fates. Komak planned to do this, but first traveled to Earth, where he succumbed to sexual addiction and contracted herpes. Incurable but not fatal among humans, the disease was proving lethal to Komak.

A warrior to the end, Komak asked Mikaal for a fight to the death. Using a device and drugs, the two aliens left their bodies in their astral forms. Komak died and Mikaal returned to his body to find his sonic crystal fused to his chest and apparently useless. Leaving the disco to seek a drug connection, Mikaal was attacked by unknown men and spirited away.

The rest of the story would be revealed in issue 64. Mikaal was essentially sold into slavery, passing from one person to another for 12 years. For a while, he was part of a Japanese businessman's collection of super-hero memorabilia. Then he was traded to a European countess for the Red Torpedo's ship. The countess used the alien for her pleasure until Bliss killed her and took him to feed off his emotions. Mikaal was Bliss" prisoner for seven years.

During the 'stars My Destination" storyline, Mikaal learned Turran Kha was still alive. When war broke out between Rann and Throneworld, the two warriors fought again. This time, Mikaal made certain Kha would not return. This marked a change in the "gentle" warrior. By the time Mikaal and Jack returned to Earth, he had become more violent, more like others of his species. In one issue, he blew up a carload of fleeing felons. In his defense, he pointed out they had killed at least one person. Shortly after this, he was captured by the evil Culp.

During the "Grand Guigol" storyline, it was revealed that No Mercy, whose real name was Louie Soul, had died at Mikaal's hands. His son, Frankie, had worked for the Mist II and was among the criminals recruited by Culp to destroy Opal. He wanted to kill Mikaal, but found himself standing in line behind Solomon Grundy. The kindly Grundy had sacrificed himself during the "Infernal Devices" storyline and a new, more traditionally vicious Grundy had arisen in his place. Grundy claimed his good persona was gone forever, yet when Soul fired a bazooka at Mikaal, Grundy stepped in the way. The swamp monster died (temporarily, again) claiming he didn"t know why he saved his foe. Mikaal apparently then killed the younger Soul.

Mikaal also appeared, briefly in a one-shot part of a fifth-week special event. But characterization was off, with "Mikaal" acting bored and disinterested in doing anything to protect Earth. Frankly, I suspect he was really a Durlan in disguise. (Justice League of Aliens)

When last seen, Mikaal was among the heroes left by Jack Knight to defend The Opal. In the aftermath of "Grand Guigol" and his father's death, Jack retired from "the Life" to be with his children and the woman he loved. Before leaving Opal City behind, he visited with Mikaal and told him he considered him a brother.

He also spoke to Tony, who worried about Mikaal's new, more dangerous attitude. Jack told Mikaal, who was already aware of Tony's fears. Hopeful, Jack said the couple would work it out.

"Or we won"t," Mikaal said bluntly.

Mikaal's current activities are unknown, but it can be assumed that he still operates in Opal City, although not under the name Starman. In one possible future — one that leads to the current incarnation of the Legion — his "years of wandering" end in 2021 when he travels to Talok VIII. He becomes the planet's champion and dies valiantly, leaving behind a legend that will still inspire the planet's inhabitants a millennium later.

Powers

Highly skilled unarmed combatant, flight through the use of "flight pods." Mikaal also possessed a 'sonic crystal" which originally alerted him to approaching danger and generated sonic bursts that could be directed against an opponent. It was later said to harness cosmic energy and may have become the source of his flight powers. Because of something unique in Mikaal's physiology, the crystal would work for him, but few other Talokians.

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