Red Star (comics)

Red Star
Red Star from Teen Titans #38
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Teen Titans #18 (December, 1968)
Created by	Len Wein (writer) Marv Wolfman (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Leonid Konstantinovitch Kovar
Team affiliations	Teen Titans
Notable aliases	Starfire
Abilities	Superhuman strength, reflexes, agility, endurance and durability Radiation creation and control Immunity to all types of radiation Flight Creation of pure radioactive creatures Pyrokinesis Heat generation

Red Star (real name Leonid Konstantinovitch Kovar) is a fictional Russian superhero in the DC Universe.

A former member of the Teen Titans, Red Star first appeared under the name Starfire in Teen Titans #18 (Dec. 1968) and was created by Len Wein and Marv Wolfman.

While still a young teenager, Leonid Kovar and his father Konstantin (an archaeologist) investigate a spaceship that has crashed into the Yenesi River; during their investigation the ship explodes. It imbues Leonid with energy and gives him super-strength, speed, and pyrokinesis. Being a Russian patriot who believes in communism, he offers his services to his country and becomes the first official Russian superhero in the DC Universe; taking the name Starfire. He does not reappear until New Teen Titans (vol. 1) #18 in 1982. A new character named Starfire is on the team at this point, and Leonid subsequently changes his codename to "Red Star". He is one of the heroes that assemble to fight the Villain War in Crisis on Infinite Earths, although his politics cause friction with both Hawk and Negative Woman, a Soviet defector.

In New Titans #76 (1991), Red Star joins the Teen Titans. After two years, Red Star leaves the Titans with Pantha and Baby Wildebeest to form a family. They eventually move to the Soviet locale called 'Science City'.

He is not seen again until the JLA/Titans miniseries in 1999. He makes a few minor appearances over the next few years and is featured in Infinite Crisis #4, in which he is frozen solid by Superboy-Prime after witnessing the brutal murder of Pantha and Baby Wildebeest. In the Infinite Crisis hardback collection, he is seen several hours later at a mass for fallen heroes.