Star Sapphire (comics)
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Star Sapphire is the name of several female supervillains in DC Comics, all connected in origin. For millions of years, an immortal race of warrior women, The Zamarons, had chosen physically identical mortals from across the cosmos to serve as host body for their Queen, whom they called Star Sapphire. She is then given the Queen's symbolic weapon, a crystal resembling an actual star sapphire which grants the user powers similar to the power ring of a Green Lantern.
Queen of the 7th Dimension
The first version of the character appeared during the Golden Age.
She was the queen of the 7th dimension who, after attempting to take over Earth twice, disappeared for decades.
On the first time, Star Sapphire brought her planet close to Earth and began removing our planet's oxygen. She faced and captured the Golden Age Flash, stranding him on her own world. Combining the altered physical laws of the 7th dimension and his speed, the Flash was able to destroy her machine and stop the attack.
Her second attack banished Earth's men to another dimension, leaving the female population for her to rule. Again, the Flash defeated her by making use of the differing rates of time in each dimension.
A later retcon connected her with the Zamaron Star Sapphires, explaining that she had been chosen as Queen of the Zamarons, but had proved unworthy, hence her banishment to the 7th dimension.
She made no further attacks on Earth for decades, until a new Star Sapphire (Carol Ferris) surfaced in Coast City. When the second Flash encountered the new Star Sapphire (Carol Ferris), he discovered that the original was manipulating her and that the original had been the Zamarons’ previous ruler, deposed and exiled for being unfit to rule. This unfitness was likely in part due to her fear of men. In the course of the battle with Flash and Green Lantern, the ruler of the 7th dimension was trapped in the Star Sapphire gem. She has not been seen since. (Brave and the Bold v3 # 6)
Powers
The Star Sapphire's powers, while vast, are poorly defined. She seems equipped with an arsenal of weapons, including a replicate Zamaron star sapphire, but their origins are largely unknown. She also seems to have a variety of personal powers, through whether they stem from herself or her personal armament is also unknown.As with her powers, the limitations of the Star Sapphire are unclear. Psychologically, she has displayed an bizarre preoccupation with gender, suspected of reflecting a pathological fear of men. She also has a less than accurate grasp of the variations in physics between dimensions. She has been foiled in both of her recorded cases primarily by her own over-confidence.
Carol Ferris
Star Sapphire made no further attacks on Earth for decades, until a new version of her surfaced in Coast City. She was an Earth woman named Carol Ferris, the only child of aerospace mogul Carl Ferris.
As Ferris Aircraft's Vice President, Carol had hired Hal Jordan and quickly found herself attracted to the fearless test pilot, who was secretly the superhero Green Lantern. However, the young couple’s romance quickly became complicated when Carol took over the company from her father and The Zamarons crowned her the new Star Sapphire. When the Zamarons discovered that she was in love with Green Lantern, a servant of their estranged mates, The Guardians of the Universe, they sent her to defeat Green Lantern in battle as Star Sapphire. Over the years, Sapphire and GL would duel again and again, but each time Hal would defeat Carol and revert her back to normal.
Predator
When Carol Ferris had been cured from her evil Star Sapphire persona, she developed a third subconscious identity, the male Predator. Deprived of Hal Jordan's love at the time, Carol found everything she wanted from a man in the Predator - masculinity, strength, and care. Physically separated from Carol's body, the Predator repeatedly appeared as a mysterious figure, protecting Carol's beloved company Ferris Aircraft from the threats of Eclipso, the Demolition Team and Jason Bloch. He also established the company Intercontinental Petroleum (Con-Trol) to let her regain control of Ferris Aircraft. Finally, the Predator started to court Carol (who did not know that the Predator was a part of herself) and battled Hal Jordan for her love. Hal defeated the Predator and witnessed him merging with Carol into Star-Sapphire.
Later, the Predator reappeared and revealed that it was actually an ancient parasite from the planet Maltus. With Jordan powerless, The Predator transformed Carol into a totally evil incarnation of Star Sapphire (who eventually murdered Katma Tui), and he impregnated Star-Sapphire with a demonic entity.
Still later, Carol became the newly-hired administrator for Extreme Justice's Mount Thunder facility. Soon, both the Predator and the Star Sapphire were completely separated from Carol, and Star Sapphire actually gave birth to the child (it was revealed that Carol Ferris and Star Sapphire are two separate beings, and Sapphire was not Carol transformed as had previously been believed, but some sort of energy being who inhabited Carol's body). Shortly afterwards, the parents (Predator and Star Sapphire) were killed by Neron, who departed with their baby in his arms. (Extreme Justice #10-11)
End of Star Sapphire
In Green Lantern Vol. 3 #119, Hal (as The Spectre) decides to visit Carol. He makes himself visible and tells Carol he is going to help her, but she won't remember his visit. He reaches "into" Carol and pulls out the Star Sapphire gem, which causes Star Sapphire herself to re-emerge (it appeared she was previously killed by Neron, but somehow a part of her survived in Carol). The Spectre detains her and puts her back in to the gem. He hands the gem to Carol and lets her finish the job, which she does (essentially finally killing the Star Sapphire persona that would take control of her), and starts feeling much better.In Green Lantern: Rebirth #6, Hal and Carol finally come to terms with their relationship
In Northern California at Ferris Aircraft, Carol Ferris says she thinks she understands. Hal tells her that he knows its hard and that he can barely get his head around it himself. Carol asks if he remembers anything from when he was the Spectre. Hal says kind of, but just like he was watching it from the outside. How Spectre thinks, who he talked to beyond this life, Hal can't recall. Hal apologizes for everything Carol had to go through. Carol says she survived and that she's not going to sell the airbase. She says that if Hal can rebuild his life, so can she and that she's going to do it with her husband, Gil. Carol says that she can use a good pilot. Hal says that he appreciates the offer, but he has other plans.
Carol hugs Hal and tells him to take care of himself, and Jordan tells her to do the same. She says it's "funny." And Hal asks what. She says that he's not so cold anymore.
Powers
Star Sapphire can use her gem of power to fly and to hurl blasts of force nearly equal to the power of a Green Lantern's ring. Moreover, the Sapphire bestows upon her a certain amount of invulnerability and allows her to survive in airless space.Dela Pharon
A third woman became Star Sapphire during the same time as Carol Ferris.
During a charity event, Carol Ferris is mysteriously attacked. Green Lantern rescues her and takes her to the hospital. There, she awakens and seeks out the star sapphire jewel. When she finds it, she resumes her Star Sapphire identity. Green Lantern finds her, but she stuns him and leaves.
When Hal recovers, he follows Star Sapphire. He finds her battling another woman who is also Star Sapphire. The Zamarons meet GL and explain that the other woman is Dela Pharon from the planet Xanador. The Zamarons chose her as their new queen, but the woman became angry when dissenters claimed that Carol would have made a superior queen. Dela came to Earth and attacked Carol. This provoked Carol to become Star Sapphire again.
The two women finish their duel with Carol seemingly the victor. She then challenges and defeats GL, forcing him to return to Zamaron as her husband. Before the wedding, GL discovers that the woman is really Dela Pharon. She has tricked everyone in order to marry GL. Hal brings the real Carol, who was living Dela Pharon's life on Xanador, to Zamaron. He then defeats Dela and returns Carol to Earth with no knowledge of events or her Star Sapphire persona (Green Lantern v2 #41, Dec 1965). Dela Pharon has not been seen since, and her current status is unknown.
Debbie Darnell
Remoni-Notra, of the planet Pandina, was chosen by the Zamarons to be to be their queen, an honor previously bequeathed upon Earth's Carol Ferris, but refused. Remoni-Notra was given one of the five star sapphire gems and was told of the existence of the other four. Using her powers, she came to Earth to locate and steal Carol Ferris' gem and joined the Secret Society of Super Villains in hopes of finding a clue to the gem.
On Earth she took the name Deborah Camille Darnell and became a stewardess at Ferris Aircraft, in hopes of getting closer to Carol to take the Star Sapphire gem. As Debbie Darnell, she often dated long-time hero Captain Comet. She also portrayed a French real estate agent named Camille on Earth. Her whereabouts were unknown until recently when it was revealed that she was mind-wiped and put in a coma. She was most likely mind-wiped at the request of Green Lantern Hal Jordan to protect Carol Ferris. She was in a coma following the mind-wipe, and was revived by her teammates in the Secret Society. Together, they again battled the Justice League of America.
In Infinite Crisis #6, several magic-users summon The Spectre. He singles out Darnell, and says "Deborah Camille Darnell. As Star Sapphire, you have terrorized and enslaved men across the universe. You decapitated and slaughtered those who did not bow down before you. Your hatred for men has resulted in the torturous deaths of hundreds. Vengeance must be had!"
He then transforms her into a sapphire and shatters her, killing her in front of the rest of the magic-users.
Other versions
In the Amalgam Comics title Iron Lantern #1, Carol Ferris and Madame Masque were merged to become the character Madame Sapphire.Other media
Star Sapphire has appeared in episodes of Justice League and Justice League Unlimited played by Olivia d'Abo.
Star Sapphire joined Lex Luthor's cause when he asked for villains to help him destroy the Justice League. When that failed, she joined forces with Aresia to destroy the men of the world. She successfully tricked Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl into believing that she cared about the men, leading them into a trap that took them and Wonder Woman's mother, Hippolyta, on board of Aresia's plane. She was knocked out by Wonder Woman and she fell to the sea, but later she showed up again to battle Green Lantern, losing that battle as well.
Star Sapphire's power comes from the stone in her mask, giving her Green Lantern-like power that enables her to form shields, make objects, and generally cause havoc.
External links
Golden Age Queen of the 7th Dimension:- [Golden Age Star Sapphire Biography]
- [Golden Age Star Sapphire Biography II]
- [The Unofficial Star Sapphire I Biography]
- [Carol Ferris Profile]
- [Emerald Dawn.com: Star Sapphire Biography]
- [GL Corps.org: Star Sapphire Biography]
- [GL Freak: Star Sapphire Biography]
- [Oracle Files: Star Sapphire]
- [Star Sapphire Rapsheet]
- [The Unofficial Carol Ferris Biography]
- [The Unofficial Predator Biography]
- [The Unofficial Star Sapphire II (Carol Ferris) Biography]
- [Green Lantern Vol. 2 #41 - First Appearance]
- [The Unofficial Star Sapphire III (Dela Pharon) Biography]
- [JLU Animated Profile - JLAnimated.com]
- [JLU Animated Profile - JLCentral.net]
- [JLU Animated Profile - Toonzone.net]
- [JLU Animated Profile - Worlds Finest Online.com]
- [Amalgam Comics: Madame Sapphire]
- [The Star Sapphire Turorial]
- [The Unofficial Star Sapphire I-IV Biography]
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