A mere 47 years from now...
...the 21st Century's Deep Space will look a lot like the 19th Century's Wild West!
This short appeared in the back of DC's Showcase V1 #90 (1970), leading into the final three issues of the series' original run, dedicated to one of Mike Sekowsky's more innovative projects...
Sekowsky had quite a bit of latitude at DC as a writer/artist/editor during this period, revamping Wonder Woman, Metal Men and Supergirl (in Adventure Comics) while also presenting a couple of potential series in Showcase, Jason's Quest and Manhunter 2070.
This prequel was written and penciled by Mike Sekowsky, inked by Dick Giordano.
We re-presented the entire never-reprinted saga...
"Planet of Death" Part 1
"Planet of Death" Part 2
"Planet of Death" Conclusion
"D.O.A." Part 1
"D.O.A." Conclusion
"Next Issue"
...the final chapter takes the reader to a near-future we have more than a passing familiarity with...
"D.O.A." Conclusion
"Next Issue"
"Never Trust a Red-Haired Greenie!" Part 1
"Never Trust a Red-Haired Greenie!" Part 2
"Never Trust a Red-Haired Greenie!" Conclusion
The story ended on a cliffhanger, and the apparent death of Starker.
For twenty years, except for a cameo in the revived Showcase's 100th issue, during a multiverse and time-spanning tale featuring almost every character who headlined a strip in Showcase...except James Bond from #43's adaptation of the movie Dr No...Starker had disappeared from the DC Multiverse.HA!
Fooled Ya!
In 1990, Howard Chaykin and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez created Twilight, a mini-series combining and "updating" an assortment of DC Comics' 21st Century-based characters including (from left-to-right) Star Hawkins & Ilda, Tommy Tomorrow, Karel Sorenson (and the rest of the not-pictured Star Rovers), and Manhunter 2070 (who apparently survived the ambush), along with the Space Cabbie, Knights of the Galaxy, Space Ranger, and even the Space Museum!
It was also revealed that interplanetary private eye Star Hawkins was actually Axel Starker, brother to Manhunter 2070, whose full name was Jon Starker...contradicting the only-child storyline from the Showcase series.
Note: Star Hawkins was co-created by artist Mike Sekowsky (who, as a writer/artist/editor created Manhunter 2070) and writer John Broome, so the two characters were "brothers" sharing a "father", as it were.
Chaykin had already radically re-envisioned several other characters, including Blackhawk and The Shadow, and while his controversial Shadow updating (continued by Andy Helfer, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Kyle Baker) wasn't considered "official", the changes he introduced into Blackhawk became part of post-Crisis on Infinite Earths canon.
As to where Twilight stands in terms of continuity...well, we're not sure.
The events in the story have never been referenced in any other DC titles, nor has it ever been reprinted.
Which may be just as well, since Jon Starker dies during the tale.
But, Manhunter 2070 still had one more life left!
DC's continuity being what it is (or isn't) these days, it seems you can't keep an interplanetary bounty hunter dead for long.
In 2012, comics legend Walt Simonson wrote and illustrated a one-shot graphic novel, Judas Coin...
The coin falls into the hands of various people throughout recorded history (including a number of both notable and almost-forgotten DC characters)...
Yep, Starker survived!
Have a look at Manhunter 2070, a worthy addition to our collection of Space Heroes!
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