Starfire (New 52): Needless Character Analysis

There was a lot of criticism to the New 52 version of Starfire. Recently, the character has seen a little redemption thanks to a new series by Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti and Emanuela Lupacchino. Given that the character has a high profile from her inclusion the animated versions of Teen Titans, it seemed like a re-visit was due to see if the character has been redeemed by her current series enough to be an entry point for younger fans more familiar with her animated counterpart.

Starfire (New 52)

In the New 52 continuity, Koriand’r is a princess of Tamaran. She was sold into slavery to the Citadel by her sister in order to spare Tamaran from the tyranny of the Citadel. She was experimented on giving her powers greater than normal Tamaraneans. She escaped, freeing numerous slaves and crashed on a deserted island on Earth. She had a relationship with Dick Grayson, although the full extent of that relationship is unknown at this time. She believed that he was dead, which would explain why she kept some of his clothes on her ship.

She rescued Jason Todd and nursed him back to health on the island. He adopted his Red Hood “uniform” from some of Dick Grayson’s clothes that Koriand’r had kept. She assisted him in rescuing Roy Harper and forming a team called the outlaws. She developed a close relationship with Roy Harper. Koriand’r’s past became an issue as Helspont sought to conquer Tamaran. After repairing the relationship with her sister, Koriand’r returned to Tamaran to help return her sister to health following her assistance in defeating Helspont.

Starfire later returned to Earth, settling in Key West, Florida and developing her own supporting cast including Sherriff Stella Gomez, her brother Sol, and Atlee, a superhuman from a subterranean race (in pre-new 52 continuity as Terra). Recently she reunited with Dick Grayson, but given that she was trying to develop a romantic relationship with Sol, the two parted as friends.

Starfire gets her power from ultraviolet radiation, notably sunlight. She is super-humanly strong and durable and can fly, although not without the aid of gravity. Starfire can release energy in the form of green “starbolts” that are greatly destructive. She can also assimilate languages through physical contact, which she usually does with men by kissing. Her prior depiction of being very casual about physical, romantic relationships was revealed as a fabrication by Koriand’r. She often plays off the perception others have of her as an alien with a completely foreign concept of Earth culture. She has had two notable romantic relationships, Dick Grayson and Roy Harper.

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