Starjammers

The Starjammers are a fictional team of space pirates appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Starjammers have often appeared in pages of the X-Men comic books. The Starjammers first appeared in X-Men #104 (April 1977) and were created by Dave Cockrum.^[1] The name "Starjammers" was created on the basis of the type of sailing ship known as "Windjammer".

Concept and creation

While working in the mining camp, Christopher witnessed the guards mercilessly beating a feline-like female. He stepped in, trying to get them to stop, but was then beaten himself. The woman was taken to the holding cells and Christopher huddled up in a corner, ashamed of himself. A little while later, Raza and Ch'od passed by and asked Christopher for the whereabouts of their comrade Hepzibah. Christopher was too afraid to answer. After they had left, he felt guilty and went to the guards' quarters, starting a fight after killing one of them. Raza and Ch'od jumped in, and together they got past the guards, freed the cat-woman, and sneaked on board a Shi'ar starship. Christopher used his pilot call-sign, Corsair. Naming Christopher their captain, they became the Starjammers, a group of space pirates rebelling against D'Ken's tyranny.

Further adventures

The Starjammers have had many adventures across the universe, many of them on Earth with the

A recent Starjammers series introduced a new member of the Starjammers. Although some readers believed it was out of Marvel Universe continuity, the events of the series were referenced in a recent entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe series, confirming its canonical status.

The Rise and Fall of the Shi'ar Empire

The Starjammers figured significantly in the Uncanny X-Men story arc "The Rise and Fall of the Shi'ar Empire", a 12-issue story arc following on the events of X-Men: Deadly Genesis.

Within this story arc, the long-lost third son of Corsair, Gabriel Summers, now the powerful mutant known as

Hepzibah expresses no wish to return to the Starjammers following Corsair's death, and has decided to stay on Earth and become an X-Man. The Starjammers are now: Havok, Polaris, Ch'od, Marvel Girl, Raza, Korvus,

Marvel has announced that the Starjammers will play a large role in the upcoming sequel to Emperor Vulcan called X-Men: Kingbreaker.^[5] They will also be seen prominently in the War of Kings storyline, which also features Vulcan, the Inhumans, Nova, and the Guardians of the Galaxy.^[6]

Poison X

When Chris was talking to Cyclops from the past, the Starjammers are attacked by mercenaries with symbiotes. The mercenaries wanted them so they could go to steal with the help of their navigator. The X-Men Blue team, with the help of a reluctant Venom, went to space so they could save the Starjammers. When the symbiotes bonded with the Starjammers, the X-Men went to the mercenaries' ship and Cyclops freed the team. While the symbiotes were battling amongst themselves, the Poisons arrived, consumed the mercenaries, and began attacking the X-Men since they themselves were now bonded to symbiotes. They survived and after escaping the Poisons and the X-Men gave their symbiotes to the Starjammers to return them to Klyntar.^[7]

Death of Thanos

In the aftermath of the "Infinity Wars" storyline, the Starjammers were present at Thanos' funeral. Starfox shows all the guests a recording of Thanos stating that he uploaded his consciousness in a new body before his death. The funeral is attacked by the Black Order, who steals Thanos's body and rip open a black hole in space, sending everyone into the rip. Though Silver Surfer was able to rescue the Starjammers with the cost of his own wellbeing, everyone else were still trapped.^[8] Everyone is saved by the arrival of Gladiator and the Shi'ar Empire.^[9]

Membership

Characters marked in bold lettering are current members of the Starjammers.

• Binary: Carol Danvers. A human/Kree hybrid who controls vast amounts of cosmic energy, has super strength, flight, and the ability to survive unaided in space. Now Captain Marvel, she is currently a member of the Avengers.
• Havok, as well as the villain Vulcan. He was the lover of fellow Starjammer Hepzibah until his death,^[10] but since his return^[11]
  has rekindled his romance with her.
• Ch'od: Large reptilian creature, a member of the Saurid race.
• Cr'eee: A white, furry companion for Ch'od which only he can understand.
• Cyclops: Scott Summers, member of time-displaced original X-Men, fires optic blasts; joined Starjammers to bond with his father.^[12][13]
• Havok
  : Alexander Summers, former interim leader/captain, former X-Man, fires plasma blasts.
• Hepzibah: Corsair's lover until his death. A member of the Mephitisoid race; her true name is nearly unpronounceable to humans. She left the Starjammers after Corsair's death, joining the X-Men and later X-Force.^[14] She had Corsair resurrected by The Shrouded^[15] and rejoined the Starjammers to be with him.
• Keeyah: A
  pilot.^[16]
• Korvus: Descendant of a Shi'ar host for the Phoenix Force.^[17]
• D'Ken
  .
• Marvel Girl: Rachel Summers, former member of the X-Men and Excalibur; telepath/telekinetic, has been a host for the Phoenix Force.
• Lilandra Neramani: Former Empress of the Shi'ar Empire. Killed by Darkhawk (who was controlled by Razor) in War of Kings.
• Polaris: Lorna Dane, the lime-haired former X-Men member with the mutant power of magnetism.
• telepath. Briefly a member after the events of Uncanny X-Men
  #200.
• Sikorsky: Insect-like robot, expert-physician.
• Tolo Hawk: Former cadet in the Union Defense Corps.[18]
• Waldo: The artificial intelligence of the Starjammers' ship, destroyed beyond repair.