Koriand'r (New Earth)



Real Name: Koriand'r

Aliases: Kory Anders

Status
Occupation: Adventurer, Model, Teen Titans

Legal Status: Exiled citizen of Tamaran

Identity: Secret

Martial Status: Twice Widowed

Group Affiliation: Teen Titans

Place of Birth: Planet Tamaran

Known Relatives: King Myand'r (father), Queen Luand'r (mother), Queen Komand'r (sister, Blackfire), Ryand'r (brother), Prince Karras (husband, deceased), Ph'yzzon (husband, deceased)

First Appearance: DC Comics Presents #26 (October, 1980)

History
Tamaran's Princess Koriand'r was the second of three children. Her older sister, Komand'r proved unable to fly, so she was deemed not worthy to be queen and the succession fell to Koriand'r. When both sisters were sent to train with the legendary Warlords of Okaara, the bitter Komand'r ran off, allying herself with the Citadel. They used Komand'r's information to successfully invade the planet Tamaran. King Myand'r turned Koriand'r over to the Citadel to ensure peace. Koriand'r endured six years of torture until she and Komand'r were both released for experimentation by the Psions. Both sisters escaped, with Koriand'r finding her way to Earth with the help of the Teen Titans. She chose to remain with the team and took the name Starfire.

Psions, who are largely sadistic scientists, performed a deadly experiment on both of the sisters to see just how much energy their Tamaranian bodies could absorb before exploding from the overload. During the procedure, Komand'r's forces attacked the Psion ship to rescue her and while the Psions were distracted, Kory broke free with the starbolts, destructive blasts of solar energy, a result of the experimentation. Against her better judgement, she decided to free Komand'r who was still absorbing energy. However, far from grateful, Komand'r struck her sister down with the same, but more intensified, power and had her restrained for later execution.

Kory is regarded as extremely physically attractive even by the standards of the superhero. She also displays the traits of Tamaran's highly sensuous culture, coupled with a no nonsense warrior attitude. For a time, Kory had a career as a fashion model.

She has been married twice, both times to Tamaranean men: once to the prince Karras to seal a peace treaty, and once to General Phy'zzon for love. Both of her husbands died in battle.

She nearly married Dick Grayson, but their wedding was interrupted by Raven (who had gone evil at the time). Raven murdered the priest before he could pronounce Dick and Kory husband and wife. The relationship was already on unsteady ground, with Kory fearing that Dick was rushing into marriage, also concerned by the anti-alien sentiments that sprang up in response to the news of the impending nuptials.

Starfire has served as mentor/teacher to the latest roster of Titans, and also began serving with the Outsiders.

Starfire was stranded on a paradise-like planet with fellow heroes Animal Man and Adam Strange after the battle with Alexander Luthor and Superboy-Prime. After several weeks, Adam was able to get his spaceship working, and they departed for Earth. Their ship, however, was attacked by Devilance, who they had encountered on the planet and who had pursued them into space. Lobo appeared just in time to destroy Devilance, and after a some negotiation, agreed to help them out.

Animated Series
Starfire was born and raised on the distant planet Tamaran before arriving on Earth and joining the Teen Titans. The Tamaraneans are an emotional race who see feelings as the force that drives their very livelihood. In fact, it's their emotions that fuel their natural abilities of flight and starbolt power. Because of this, Starfire is inherently the most sensitive of the Titans.

Starfire's background also has some similarities with her comic version. In the episode "Go", Starfire is held prisoner as a "prize" by a group known as the "Citadel". She manages to escape and flees to the closest planet, which happens to be Earth. Starfire runs into Robin and the other soon-to-be Titans who help her fight off the Citadel forces pursuing her. After the battle, Starfire elects to stay on Earth with the Titans.

Presumably because English is not her first language, Starfire speaks without contractions, and misuses idioms (e.g. "Kick the butt!" as opposed to "Kick butt!"). This also may be due to her being Tamaran's princess and future queen--she cannot forget her manners that she learned in the palace. Additionally, she uses several Tamaranian nouns, such as "bumgorf" (parental term of endearment), "K'norfka" (parent or guardian), and "shlorvak" (dream).

Starfire is naive and somewhat insecure, but her naivete is not to be mistaken for stupidity. It is this naivete that endears her to others, especially to Robin, who occasionally shows signs of interest for Starfire. She and Robin are the closest out of all the Titans, and he takes time out to explain the ways of Earth to her. An alien and an outsider, she is still rather new to Earth and its customs. This leads to much confusion for her and others, such as the awkwardness in casually drinking mustard, or sleeping with her head hanging off the foot of the bed and her feet on the pillow.

She takes friendship very seriously, and is easily distressed when others, especially her friends argue or fight. Above all, she wishes to be friends with everyone she meets, and for everyone to get along. Starfire will not, however, hold back on someone who very much deserves justice.

As homage to the comic books, the series hints at the potential relationship between Starfire and Robin, in some episodes more heavily than others. Episodes in the fourth season, such as "Stranded", have shown Starfire obviously having feelings for him, as when she becomes mad because he says that "she's not [his] girlfriend." Many other episodes outlining the relationship of Robin and Starfire are: "Sisters", "Date With Destiny", and "Betrothed". Although nothing overly romantic has taken place, fans of the comic books are optimistic. At the Teen Titans panel at Comicon 2005 in San Diego, Sam Register asked Story Editor Rob Hoegee if Robin and Starfire would ever kiss. "Pretty safe bet. But we're not saying for sure," Rob replied. In the season 5 episode "Go!" Robin and Starfire's first kiss is shown (however, since she started speaking english immediatly afterward, this was most likely just her way of assimilating the english language).

Starfire has the power of flight (although she does not leave the distinctive contrail of the original) and super-strength, greater than that of her teammate Cyborg (as proven in the recently-aired episode "Overdrive"). She is also immune to radiation and low temperatures, and is also capable of surviving the harsh conditions of outer space. Most notably, she has the power to throw Starbolts, extremely powerful bursts of energy. It is unknown whether all Tamaraneans possess this ability (much like in the comic, only Starfire and Blackfire have been seen to use starbolts in the series, but it has never been stated outright that other Tamaraneans cannot).

Recently, however, after going through the Tamaranean version of puberty, referred to as the "Transformation" (also the name of the episode in which it took place), Starfire has appeared to have gained new powers. For example, she can now channel her starbolt energy from her eyes, which is largely reserved as a surprise attack or when her limbs are restrained.

Starfire apparently also has the ability to survive in the vacuum of space without any sort of protection or survival gear.

In Apprentice part 1 we learn that Starfire, like many Tamaraneans, is allergic to Metallic Chromium. When she sneezes, she unleashes Star-Bolt energy out her nose and mouth.

Characteristics


Height: 6' 4

Weight: 158 lbs

Eyes: Green

Hair: auburn

Skin: Orange

Powers
Known Powers: Tamaranean Solar Absorption: Starfire's alien physiology constantly absorbs ultraviolet radiation and converts it to energy, for various purposes. Such as:

Flight: which leaves a distinctive energy contrail behind, looking at if it is coming directly from her hair.

Starbolts: The solar absorption experiments performed on her by the alien Psions granted her the ability to channel and project that same energy into destructive blasts called "starbolts".

Ligustical Assimulation: She is also capable of assimilating other languages through physical contact with another person.

Superhuman Strength: Starfire possesses superhuman strength--the uppermost level of which is not known as yet, but it is much greater than that of normal human beings.

Known Abilities: Starfire is also an extremely proficient in armed and unarmed combat, having been trained in those arts by the Warlords of Okaara.

Miscellaneous
Equipment: No known equipment. Transportation: No known transportation. Weapons: No known weapons.

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 * Starfire (Koriand'r)/Appearances