Starwoman #1 by Neil Gow

Seven years ago, Jack Knight handed the mantle of 'Starman' over to young Courtney Whitmore - at the time, the Star-Spangled Kid. Three years ago, Courtney left the Justice Society and took an extended leave of absence. Now, today, she returns to her duty - to protect Opal City - but the city she left behind has changed and her stay may be a short one...

The Grand Station, Opal City

Seven years ago, Jack Knight summoned me to this station to give me a gift greater than anything else I had ever received. It wasn't the cosmic rod. although many people would have thought it. No, and it wasn't the rather classy leather jacket on my back or the goggle ensemble that I've got stashed in this bag. What Jack gave me that evening was the responsibility to protect this great city and carry on a legacy that has spanned decades - from Ted Knight, to David and Jack and now onto me. Opal City can be a place of enduring beauty and joy, but it can also be a dark and dangerous place and when that happens, Opal needs it's star. However, this time it's star is not a Starman, but a Starwoman.

The piercing buzz of the carriage door breaks Courtney's revelatory train of thought as she stands amidst the chaos on the station platform in Opal City. She could have flown into the city, of course, but such a vulgar use of her powers just didn't seem appropriate. Opal was a peculiar city at the best of times, and having a new hero in town would be enough of a change without it being rammed down their throat.

Courtney lifts her backpack onto her left shoulder and tucks the long cloth wrapped form of the cosmic rod under her right arm and slowly manages to make her way across the platform and out of the station. She raises her hand to hail a taxi but fumbles a little and drops the cosmic rod onto the sidewalk. As she bends to pick it up, the man behind her nips in and grabs her cab. " Hey! That's my cab!" The man just shrugs and closes the door.

Courtney doesn't rise from her crouch, but she extends her fingers and the rod jumps into her hand. It's a minor thing - petty really - but that little show of power just made her feel better. She had jobs to do - a huge list of people to see and places to go. She had to visit the remains of the Knight Family Observatory. Jack had asked her to check it out when he spoke to her last. She had to pick up the keys to her apartment as well. That was provided by Jack as well. His painting career was in a 'creative lull' but he still received a sizeable lump sum from his father's patents. A man of some means and little incentive to use it on himself - or his son. She had to check out Opal - see who was here, who was gone, what had changed. A lot can happen in three years, even to a place like Opal, where time seems to have a harder job working it's entropic wonder.

Courtney has a lot to do and only a little time to do it. She knows that sooner or later, they'll be coming to get her, and when they do, she's going to have to be prepared. Fully prepared. She looks around for another cab, but sees none. This is pointless, she thinks, they are going to have to get used to it sooner or later. She pulls a strap on her package and the wrapping falls away to reveal the golden wonder of the cosmic rod. She feels the tingle run along the rod and up her arm and then in a flood of golden light she springs into the air and flies off through the sky, much to the shock and surprise of the onlookers!

Downtown Opal

" No! No! No! Aw c'mon officer! I was only parked there so I could get some medicine for my sick old Aunt Judy! You're not seriously going to give me a ticket?" The young man stands over his black convertible sports car, gesticulating at the traffic cop writing the ticket.

" Sir, there are no chemists on this street, you've been parked here for over two hours and I've just observed you coming out of that bar across the street. So please, here's your ticket and please don't waste my time. Oh, and have you been drinking?"

The young man holds his hand up in front of him." No, no - absolutely not. Here, see, you can smell by breath. Alcohol - never touch the stuff." The officer taps a finger against the side of the car and looks down to the empty bottle of vodka lying under the passenger seat. " Oh, would you believe it? I can't leave that woman with my car for a day without her messing it up."

" And which woman would that be sir?"

" My Aunt Judy of course." He flashes her a wide white toothy smile and crumples the ticket into the pocket of his designer leather jacket.

Suddenly, his vision becomes blurred and he staggers against the car.

" Sir?"

In his mind's eye, the policeman in front of him is transformed into a Sheriff from the old West. His uniform has become dusty old leathers and his sidearm has changed into a six-shooter. Even his badge has changed from the familiar Opal Police Department shield into a rather tarnished star.

" Ah don't need your help Sheriff. Ah can look after m'self!"

" Sir! Stand away from the car sir!" The officer reaches for his cuffs but the young man collapses on the ground, unconscious.

DeLuce Antique Jewelry Emporium, The Commerce District

" Freeze! Come out with your hands up!" A crescent of Opal Police Department squad cars surround the small, rather classy jewelry shop as it's alarm rings shrill through the late evening. Inside, four men armed with semi-automatic pistols are ramming holdalls full of anything that looks as if it could be valuable. Behind them on the floor, the bleeding body of the shop's owner is propped up against a broken cabinet. Her leg is bleeding when they shot her in the knee.

" Hurry up! If we don't get out of here in a couple of minutes, the police will come in and we'll be finished."

" Boys, I think you were finished the moment you popped from your poor mother's womb. It's just taken a little time for reality to catch up with you." Floating in mid-air in front of the shattered window of the shop, is Courtney, in her full Starwoman garb. Her short blonde hair is pushed up by the goggles sitting above her forehead. The leather jacket - still a little large for her, even though she has filled out somewhat since she first received it - sits on top of her vest and shorts and her reliable combat boots finish the ensemble. Of course, she has one thing that the old Star-men didn't have. Her belt is a minaturised version of the old Cosmic Converter Belt that she used for so long as the Star Spangled Kid. It's a back-up for the rod, and a nasty shocker for those that think she's powerless without it.

" Let her have it!" All four guns open up on Courtney. With a flick of her wrist, the cosmic rod generates a shield that not only stops the bullets from harming her, but gathers them safely rather than having them ricochet around the shop.

" Is that it boys - oh I am so disappointed." Spinning the cosmic rod down like a rifle, she shoots two golden bolts into the first two men, knocking them off their feet and into the glass cases behind them. Another levels his gun again at her, but she gestures with the rod and he finds himself flying into the air and slamming into the plaster decorations on the roof. Finally the last gang member rushes at her, but she brings her left leg up and around in a sweeping arc, placing the rough sole of her combat boot into his chin before he can lay a finger on her.

She floats into the shop and lands, kneeling next to the injured woman. " Your knee...are you OK?"

" I've been shot but I'll survive, my dear. Those were some pretty gutsy moves there. They remind me of ... what's your name dear?"

" It's Cour...I'm Starwoman."

" Are you know?" The voice comes from behind her, from a police officer. " I don't know who you are, Miss, but we had this under control. It's been a long time since we've needed your sort of help."

" Don't tell me - that was gratitude right?" Courtney stands and puts her hands on her hips.

" This is a proud city, Miss, with a proud heritage and we don't take kindly to outsiders coming in here and trying to muscle in on those that have died to keep us safe. You might think that impersonating Starman is a quick way to get popular in Opal, but it isn't. It's a quick way to being ran out of town. Now, get out of here, before I arrest you for interfering with police business!"

The crowded street of the Commerce District

A limousine drives slowly past the unfolding scene at the Jewelry Emporium. Behind the blackened windows a young man is sitting quite still, staring straight ahead. His eyes are hidden by a pair of designer mirror shades. He taps his finger slowly against a heavy crystal tumbler. One set of thugs was not great loss - even one as seemingly talented as the Winstone gang - no, the more disturbing upshot of this little display is the unpredicted appearance of this young woman.

" Where would you like me to take you now sir?" The voice of the chauffeur comes over the car's intercom.

" Just drive. Let me see my city for a while. I need to think..."

Two years ago, Opal had been, in modern terms, a quiet, law-abiding city. Of course, there was crime - nowhere is without a little crime - but as a den of scum and villainy, Opal was pretty poor. That made it prime real estate for a criminal genius. I arrived here and saw the potential - a city without a huge swathe of indigenous protectors that had developed a soft underbelly. - and exploited it. First, procuring a suitable amount of influence within the more useful offices of the city - both public and private - and a sizeable chunk of prime real estate on which to base my operations Next, I moved in some of my men from Chicago and Detroit. Not the heavies that others might have used - I needed skilled operators; hackers, seducers - male and female, media consultants and more than a few specialists in getting those little bits of information out of people that they really don't want to give up. Finally, I took the liberty of removing some of the more ambitious scum that were milling around the outskirts of Opal. Some people think it is above them to get their hands dirty with that sort of business, but I think it keeps you in touch with your people.

Since then, Opal has fallen into place just about as well as I could have planned. Whilst the general public have no idea who Mr. Fingers is, anyone of any importance does. I know their secrets, their dreams and their fears. I have their lives in my hands and every so often I squeeze a little to remind them. The fruits of these labours keep in the lifestyle I have become accustomed to, and keep that drooling imbecile O'Dare off my back. And the quite exquisite upshot of the breadth of my connections? None of them know that any of the others is one of my 'friends' and so they never talk to each other about it. The upper echelons of an entire city, being blackmailed and manipulated, in silence and fear. Wonderful

Now, if this young woman intends to spoil that for me, I will have to change things somewhat. The question is, how do I change it and who will die as a consequence?

A gargoyle high above the streets of Opal

Sitting on a carving with her knees tucked close under her chin, Courtney looks down on the city and her mind wanders. She remembers when she first fought with the Justice Society - when she really was a rookie. They guided her then, and helped her learn her art, her craft. Even her school years were filled with that sort of thing. Even after Pat retired, she still played her role, into her senior years. It was only when she had to make that other great choice - which college to go to - that it really hit her. Too much, too young. She was too young to carry on doing the superhero schtick. If she did, she would never really have time to grow up. All of her friends in the JSA tried to persuade her to go to college. Jesse even tried to get her a place at UCLA so that she would be nearby, but in the end, she had known that she wasn't cut out for college. If she was perfectly honest she wasn't that bright. No, she had decided to disappear - to go where no-one knew she was a hero - and grow in the ways that she wanted to grow. Those three years had been revelatory, but in the back of her mind she knew that the longer she stayed away from Opal, the more chance there would be that it would rot and decay, She had to go back.

And now she was back, it would appear that some of them aren't too keen. Great....

Downtown Opal

" Johnny! Johnny! Come on you retard! He's gonna catch you if you don't hurry up man!" One young boy sprints down the crowded street, screaming over his shoulder to his friend. The other boy, more portly, tries to keep up, but his chest is rasping and his cheeks are scarlet. Under his arm is the cause of the pursuit, a girly magazine grabbed from a street side news vendor. Behind them both, the balding old vendor tries to keep up, but he is in worse shape than Johnny. Only fury at the impudence of youth is keeping him in the chase.

Johnny barrels around the corner and ducks past a bewildered old woman and comes to a halt against a wall. His chest heaves and falls and he begins to panic as he hears the cries of the vendor behind him. Without thinking he changes direction and ducks down an alley and hides behind an overflowing garbage dumpster.
He tries to be as still as possible, as his lungs burn in his chest. His mom said he should have got something for his asthma. Slowly his breathing slows down and he feels safer. Dwayne was so stupid! What was he thinking about, stealing in broad daylight.

" Hi there, Johnny. How are you doing?" A soft female voice catches him by surprise and he jumps, scrabbling back through the rotting garbage. " Don't worry, Big Man, everything is going to be alright." A gorgeous voluptuous blonde in a silver bikini kneels down next to Johnny and strokes his face.

" You ...you.. what?" Johnny speechless babbling ceases when the manicured hand wraps around his face and his eyes flash open, and he drops dead. The woman stands, shimmers and then wanders into the shadows.

As Johnny's body drops face first in the alley, the magazine spills from under his arm, the cover fluttering in the breeze. The cover showing a gorgeous voluptuous blonde in a silver bikini...

The Adelphi Buildings

" You are one lucky woman, Mrs. Whitmore."

" Ms - I'm not married" As soon as the words left her mouth, Courtney knew she had made a major mistake. The rather sweaty and frankly overweight man, wiped his hands down his stained vest - as if that was going to make it any better - and flashed a predatory smile at her. " but..but..I'm sure my fiancé will love it!" The man's chest deflates and he turns his attention back to the apartment.

" Yeah, whatever. Like I said, you're lucky. Mr. Knight had this apartment put on retainer for you before he left. To be honest I never thought you were gonna come but I wasn't gonna complain about steady dollars in the bank."

Courtney lets her heavy bag drop to the floor, and then places the wrapped cosmic rod down on top of it. " Mr. Angelino, it's a beautiful room, but ... where's the furniture?" The room is totally bare.

" Oh, Mr. Knight was very specific. What did he say? ' I'd hate someone to fill my house with their sort of rubbish - I'd just have to throw it out anyway, so I'm not going to inflict my taste on Courtney' - Yeah, that's what he said."

" There's not even a bed, Mr. Angelino?" Courtney holds her hands out, as if by pointing out the expanse of the bare floorboards, her landlord might fathom the seriousness of the situation. As soon as she mentioned bed, he got that look on his face again and finally Courtney decides that it is a lost cause. " It's OK Mr. Angelino...I'm sure I can get some stuff soon. Is minimalism in nowadays?"

He looks at her with a blank stare, shakes his head and leaves.

When the echo of the door closing dies off Courtney walks over to the window and opens the twisted wrought-iron shutters, opening onto her balcony and looks out across Opal as night falls. Even up here on the hill, she can hear the bustle from downtown, and see the lights as they spread out into the suburbs and beyond. What a beautiful place.

" Delightful view, is it not? So much better in the dark than during the bright light of day..."

Courtney spins on her heel to see her room filled with a shroud of writhing shadows and in the centre, a tall, gaunt man stands, wearing a black morning suit and a pristine top hat. His left hand rests on a smooth black cane, shod in silver. " Good evening dear. I would have words with you..."

The Police Commissioner's Officer.

" Yes Mr. Mayor, thank you, yes, I'll tell my secretary to make room in my diary. I'm sure Nancy would love to come." Clarence O'Dare takes his earpiece out and rests it down on his desk. What would it costs to have an honest-to-goodness handset for these things? When the technical section suggested a video-screen, he gave them a straight-out 'no' but the earpiece was mandatory now. Time was catching up fast on Clarence O'Dare. Next year, the force would b retiring him. There was a huge part of him that was dreading the day when he would have to hang up his gun and badge for the last time, but he was more than aware that deep, deep down there was a growing part of him that was relieved. This wasn't his world anymore. This world belongs to another generation.

" Mr. Commissioner? I think there's something on the box that you might want to see!" Clarence's secretary pokes her head around the door and points towards the vast flat-screen on the wall opposite the Commissioner's desk. Clarence picks up a remote and shoots it at the screen, blowing across the top in a comic fashion. The screen blinks and comes to life.

"....Incident in the Commerce district was brought to a sudden and unexpected end after the intervention of a woman claiming to be - and this is not a late April Fool joke - Starwoman. The Winstone Gang have been the bane of the Opal Police Force for the last six months, carrying out a series of audacious robberies in the City. The gang were attempting a heist at the DeLuce Antique Jewelry Emporium when Opal Police arrived and shots were fired. It was at this point, the new Star-woman arrived and using what appeared to be a remarkable facsimile of Starman's cosmic rod, cleaned up the situation in double quick time. The questions on the lips of the Opal public are many; who is this woman? Where has she come from? And what right does she have to impersonate the greatest hero ever to grace our skies? The .."

The screen blinks out again and Clarence O'Dare rests back in his seat, rubbing his chin. So, the Star has returned at last. Things had been a little quiet after all.

" It's terrible isn't it sir. That someone would try to take the place of Starman?" The secretary looks genuinely disturbed.

" Terrible? No Bernice, it isn't terrible. If you ask me, it's just what this city needs..."

The Adelphi Buildings

" Do you know me child? Do you know who I am?" The shadows in the room swirl around, crawling with almost sentient life up the walls and over the ceiling. Courtney feels wisps run like feathers across her bare knees, making her shiver nervously. She glances across at the cosmic rod, lying no more than a few feet away. The gaunt man laughs out loud " Oh my dear child, please, don't even entertain the thought. I'm sure that during your time in the wilderness of obscurity, you have managed to master the controls of Theodore's most enduring creation, but be assured that I would have you shredded to the bone before you could ever do me any harm."

Courtney brushes away an intrusive shadow tendril that has got to near to her cheek. " I do know you - you're the Shade and I suppose this is your way of welcoming me to Opal? Trying to scare the bejesus out of me?"

" Oh this is far more than a welcome, young Miss Whitmore. This is, of course, by way of a formal introduction and a declaration of terms."

" Terms?"

" You see, my dear, I too have taken some time away from this more glorious of cities. A sojourn to Keystone, some time in Gotham and even a little time traveling Eastern Europe. Opal and I are linked in a way, you see dear, and I knew that you were on your way here. And when the light returns, so does the shadow - it's a rather wonderful balance, isn't it?"

" That's...illuminating, Shade, but I'm still none the wiser to these 'terms'?"

" Courtney Whitmore ... The Star-Spangled Kid. Oh, sorry, I forget that you go by the far more mature 'Starwoman' nowadays, yes? Well, you see my dear, we have a problem. Now, don't get me wrong, my respect for Jack Knight is only eclipsed by my respect for his father. Dear old Ted Knight, how I miss him. The Knights and their legacy, the Shade and his presence - these are things tied to Opal by those bonds of tradition and metaphysics that none of you truly understand. You do not understand, but I do, and unfortunately dear, you are not part of that legacy. I believe, that Jack made a mistake when he retired, a mistake he compounded by passing his legacy onto you. You are not a Knight, my dear. You may have the rod, and the costume and even the name, but you do not have that inner light, that sparkle, that ... words escape me dear."

Courtney cannot help but smile. " Oh, is that all? I'm sorry, Shade, but like the rest of the people in Opal, you're just joining to have to get used to a few things." Courtney reaches her left hand out and the cosmic rod flies across her apartment, slapping comfortably into her palm. " First, I am not the naive little girl that you once knew, so please can we drop the dramatics with the shadows?" The cosmic rod flares into life and the shadow wisps retreat behind The Shade, almost hiding. " Second, if Jack Knight saw fit to hand over his legacy to me, I'm going to uphold that legacy to the best of my ability, whether you like it or not." She turns the point of the cosmic rod down and tucks it under her arm, turns and comes face to face with The Shade. Raising her hand slowly between them, it glows and shimmers, tiny stars falling from it, illuminating their faces. " Finally, Shade, I have all the light and all the sparkle in the world - more than enough light to handle any darkness you care to throw my way."

The Shade takes a step back and raises his hands. " Courtney, Courtney, Courtney...please, enough of the junior superhero dramatics. I am not seeking some futile confrontation of the physical sort. I would have expected a less testosterone fuelled response from a member of the fairer sex? No, my terms are simple. I am watching you, Courtney Whitmore. I will not allow Theodore's legacy to be undermined. Be the best you can be, young girl, and do your predecessors proud. If you do, I will leave you to your task, but if you do not... I will remove you, for the good of Opal." As he speaks, Shade's face changes from a conciliatory smile to a dark and brooding glower.

" What makes you think you have the right to threaten me, Shade?"

Darkness spreads out behind The Shade and it provides a stark contrast to the cold, piercing whites of his eyes. He touches his cane to the brim of his top hat and steps backwards into the darkness. " Because I am Opal, my dear - before you were here, now and long after you are dead and forgotten. I am the most powerful creature your nightmares have been too scared to create. Do not cross me Courtney Whitmore...do not cross me......"

And then Courtney is alone. She looks around her bare apartment, lit only by the glow from the cosmic rod, and walks to the ornate doors, leading to the balcony. Leaning against the iron frame, she stares out across Opal, listening to the sounds and soaking in the sights. Across the city, she can see the soft golden beam from the Knight memorial. A tear rolls down her cheek as she sob gently. Maybe she isn't read for this? Maybe she's wrong and the Shade is right - she can't fill the legacy. Maybe this is a huge, huge mistake?

The Home of Mr. Fingers

On the other side of the city, Mr. Fingers stands on the balcony of his penthouse apartment, sipping champagne from a long flute. A raven haired young woman hangs on his arm, stroking his shoulder, her black silk dress providing scant coverage of her perfect skin and ample breasts. Her hand reaches up again, but he stops it with his spare hand, extending two fingers and flicking her away. Tonight is not the night for decadence, tonight is a night for quiet contemplation and decision-making. This new heroine, this Starwoman, could be a serious threat to everything he has worked to achieve. She should be removed and yet...no, no, she should be removed. He would sign the contract on her life in the morning.

Next Issue: Starwoman#2 - The scum of Opal City rises to the top, answering Mr. Finger's call to remove Starwoman, Courtney gets a job and an old friend arrives to help her get some perspective on life.

The Lettercol with No Name (except for 'The Lettercol with No Name')

First off, you know the score - suggest a name for the letter column and become a recurring character in the book ( well, your name is anyway. Gary Dreslinski suggested Greener Pastures for Jesse and Jade, and became Gary, the chief geek, but please, don't let that put you off!)

So, why Starwoman? A number of reasons really. Firstly, Starman was one of my favourite comics when it was being published. The characters and the setting were so beautifully rendered on the page that, in my opinion, they had a life that has never really been achieved in the DCU before. Robinson appears to be trying the same trick in Hawkman, but it's going to take some time to see whether St. Roch becomes as vibrant as Opal. Secondly, I was a major fan of Stars and STRIPE until it too was ended. Now, when various parts of the DCU started making references to an adult Courtney - in JSA, Starman and the Sins of Youth crossover - it flared my interest in melding the concepts and using them in the AS2K universe. Of course, it would have to be a little in the future, but that was sort of cool because it allowed for a little fudging of some continuity. Good stuff, as long as I don't try to be clever.

One of the challenges of the book is going to be balancing the new material and the old - making this a new tale and not just a Starman redux. Another challenge is going to be giving Courtney a distinct personality that has a differing voice from my other 20-something female characters, Jesse and Jade. One thing I do intend to continue is the AS2K tradition of basing the new on the old; Mr. Fingers, whilst a new character, shares the name of an old, old Starman villain....

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the first issue. Drop me a line if you want, or if you have any suggestions for the title - or indeed, if you have anymore spottings of 'Starwoman' that I've missed!

Thanks
Neil