Warning: SPOILERS for Star #1
Writer Kelly Thompson (Captain Marvel, Deadpool) and artists Javier Pina and Filipe Andrade are putting Ripley Ryan a.k.a. Star back in the game in Star #1, and there are a whole host of people that are none too pleased with her return. Ripley may be in possession of the Reality Stone, but even that power may not be enough to save her from the heroes ready to separate them.
Ripley’s reality has already shifted multiple times even without the aid of an Infinity Stone. Once a successful reporter for Ms. Magazine hired to interview Carol Danvers, Ripley soon got caught in the crossfire of Captain Marvel’s fight with Nuclear Man and was taken hostage. Due to either the trauma of months of captivity or a hidden darkness already present in her personality, after she gained her freedom, Ripley started an ill-fated crusade to gain her own superpowers with the help of Minn-Erva, a Kree geneticist. The saga ended badly for Ripley, to say the least, when Captain Marvel was forced to punch a hole through Ripley’s chest in order to save New York City.
Now, it seems Marvel heroes Jessica Jones and Scarlet Witch are ready to follow in Captain Marvel’s footsteps in order to separate Star from the Reality Stone. Neither hero wants to see Star with that kind of power, particularly in Jessica’s case given Star’s attempt to kill her friend Carol. Star does not help her case when she makes the fatal error of attempting to force Jessica to help her. Anyone familiar with the super-powered private investigator will understand why mind control on Jessica Jones is the very last thing Ripley should have attempted.
Star’s bond with the Reality Stone allowed her to escape her imprisonment on the Raft, but so far it has not been doing her any favors. The power of the Reality Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones, allows the user to twist the fabric of reality to their will but only with the correct application of will. While Ripley’s intentions seem worryingly amoral, the real problem (for Star at least) is that her requests of the stone are also imprecise, allowing more experienced heroes and villains alike to best her. Given the potential for more serious misuse on several levels, maybe parting Ripley from the Reality Stone is the best option.
The decision to pit Star against Jessica Jones and Scarlet Witch, in particular, adds an interesting dimension to Star’s reemergence in the Marvel Universe. While neither hero seems inclined to offer Star their sympathies, both women have also faced their own demons at the crossroads of good and evil. Jessica has never entirely fit the superhero mold, even with her strong sense of justice, but her actions while being abused by Kilgrave have continued to haunt her among other things. The Scarlet Witch, perhaps more so than Jessica, has cause to understand being driven to unthinkable acts given story arcs like House of M. Instead of removing Star’s Infinity Stone, is there a chance that the two heroes could instead convince Star to become a superhero once again?
Despite a very rough start, Star seems potentially poised to make a major decision about the direction of her new reality. Whether Star, the onetime superhero turned burgeoning supervillain, will opt for the side of good or evil remains murky. Either way, according to Scarlet Witch, Ripley is currently just “screwing everything up.”
Star #1 is on sale at your local comics shop and digitally.
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