Origin | Super-Power | Personal Data | Membership Record
One day, while taking a spin in the family spacemobile, Thom passed through the thin gases of a glowing comet's tail. His skin tingling, Thom drove home. Engine failure made him crash, but amazingly he flew from the burning wreckage without a scratch. His parents, being scientists, wanted to know how their son could suddenly be invulnerable and fly. His father put him through many tests and concluded that the glowing comet's tail must have contained peculiar radioactive rays that filled Thom with super-energy "for life". His parents decided to make "good use" of Thom's wonderful new powers and made him a costume so he could "battle injustice and crime as... Star Boy". Only his parents would know his secret identity as Thom Kallor (Adventure Comics No. 282).
First Appearance: Adventure Comics No. 282 (written by Otto Binder, drawn by George Papp)
His powerful radiations once prevented an alien shrine to a national hero from blowing away in a tornado (Adventure Comics No. 321). He can cause walls and doors to collapse under their own super-induced weight (360, 368). He can also use his power on ion-force screens by making the electrified particles heavy enough to fall to the ground (363). Once, by exerting all his super-power, he made Atlantis so super-heavy it sank into the sea (333). Star Boy can also use his power on animals and people (Adventure Comics No. 318, 326). He can make flying creatures too heavy to fly (Adventure Comics No. 317, 318), and people too heavy to walk or stand (318). Once he made his own body so massive that he sunk deep down into the ground (326). He has used his power on people flying through space-vortexes so that it would be harder for them to be carried away by the powerful currents (318). Star Boy's power does not manipulate gravity in any way. The object his power affects gets heavier only because it is more massive. An object he induces super-mass into does not grow bigger in size because the extra mass it gains is super-compressed. In this way, his power's effect is similar to the matter in a white dwarf star, in which only a handful can weighs tons (Adventure Comics No. 372 "The Legion Outpost"). His powers will even work under weightless conditions; once, when on a ship in outerspace with no artificial gravity, he made a gun too massive for a villain to fire, and the villain too massive for his muscles to move his own body (Action Comics No. 385/2). The induced-mass effect does fade away after a few hours (Adventure Comics No. 317). At one time, Star Boy could neutralize his weight-increasing rays at will in order to instantly restore objects to their normal mass. After his super-power was neutralized by Starfinger, however (Adventure Comics No. 335), this ability to cancel the mass-effect never returned . This is why Star Boy was left paralyzed and at the mercy of Kenz Nuhor after his power was reflected back on himself, and he had to wait with Dream Girl on Karak for hours until his weight returned back to normal (342). Limitations and Weaknesses: Star Boy's power can be reflected back on him through the use of special energy-reflecting shields (Adventure Comics No. 342). Being born to it, Star Boy's mass-power is closely tied into his physical health and well-being. Once, when his power was neutralized by Starfinger's special super-lightning, he fell into a coma and had to be orbited close to a giant star for treatment. After several days of orbiting, the star-energy fully revived him and restored his power (Adventure Comics No. 335). Speculative Explanation of Power: Stellar radiation periodically induces mass loss in stars, and all stars eject mass as solar flares. These coronal mass ejections produce streams of highly energetic particles in the form of solar wind. These high-energy protons travel at half the speed of light and so only take fifteen minutes to reach Earth's magnetosphere, where they are evidenced as auroras. Star Boy can safely tap into these energetic protons and channel them into objects. The condensed super-mass is held in an electromagnetic field within the mass of the object he is affecting. In this way, the object becomes more massive and, therefore, heavier. Over time, the electromagnetic field will dissapate, allowing the once-trapped protons to pass through the object, so that its normal mass and weight are regained. Whether he is on a planet or a spaceship, Star Boy induces mass from the closest star to him within a solar system. He cannot draw mass from distant suns, but he can induce it from any type of star, whether it is yellow or red.
Former Limitations and Weaknesses: Star Boy's x-ray vision couldn't penetrate copper just as Superboy's x-rays can't pass through lead. Also, Star Boy did not have all the powers that Superboy does. For instance, he could not travel through time under his own power, and had to use a time-ship to do so. Furthermore, he did not display any evidence of having super-senses such as super-hearing or telescopic vision. At the same time, that is no indication that he didn't have them (Adventure Comics No. 282). Despite his father's prediction that his new super-powers were "for life", Star Boy's comet-powers were only temporary and he lost them shortly after he joined the Legion of Super-Heroes (Adventure Comics No. 324 "The Legion Outpost"). Speculative Explanation of Former Powers: Normally, when Star Boy uses his mass-induction power on his own body, the super-condensed mass makes him denser and too heavy to move. It does not result in him gaining super-strength - and other powers associated with Superboy's super-dense molecular structure - because Thom was not born on a heavy-gravity world, like Daxam or Krypton. Those that are have a naturally "super-charged" nervous system, producing the superior electrochemical signals necessary to stimulate and move far denser and heavier muscle tissue. When Thom Kallor passed through the tail of a glowing comet, its peculiar radioactive rays and electrical forces super-charged his body so that, instead of being immobilized by any super-mass he purposefully induced into his body, he could reap the super-powered benefits of having an increased molecular density, as Superboy does (see Superboy page for details). Star Boy's electrical vision is achieved through the super-charged nature of his cells. Why his x-ray vision can't see through copper can be explained if that power is based less on actual x-ray electromagnetic frequency emission and more on the electrical displacement of matter. Copper is a non-magnetic metal just like lead, but it is also a highly conductive element so it would interfere with his ability to focus through such matter. How Star Boy used his electrical vision to make a super-jewel for Lana out of common Xanthu diamonds can be explained if you consider that the comet he passed through was like (or was) the one that long ago passed by the planet Korr. The electrical force in that comet's head created the famed comet jewels of that planet (Adventure Comics No. 309), and Star Boy seems to have inherited that comet's ability to achieve similar results. The reason why Star Boy quickly lost his Superboy-like powers can be attributed to the continued use of his electrical vision. Each time he emitted a charge through his eyes - whether to see through objects, re-charge batteries, or make super-diamonds - he drained away a portion of that energy. Because it was necessary to have a super-charged body to take advantage of the super-mass induced into him, the reduction of that charge resulted in him losing those extra powers. Physical Description: Thom has crewcut brown hair. His facial features include: a forehead crease, thick eyebrows, a slightly aquiline nose, and a wide chin. He has a dimple crease on each cheek that extends in a line down to his jaw. Personality: Thom kept his Star Boy identity a secret until he lost his comet-gained powers (Adventure Comics No. 282), but he continues to have a dual nature to his personality. On the one hand, he craves excitement but on the other hand, when things get too busy or dangerous, he often plays it low-key (359, 360). Basically, Thom tends to seek the middle ground in situations. Slightly pessimistic, Thom often looks on the gloomier side of things (318, 339, 359, 360). He feels extra-vulnerable since he lost his comet-powers (317), and often stays in the background of confrontations as a result (359, 360). Thom seems to have no compunctions about the idea of killing criminals in self-defense, as evidenced by the time he could have drowned Starfinger after making him super-heavy (Adventure Comics No. 335), and when he used a gun to shoot down Kenz Nuhor (342). Thom is more than slightly dominated by his father's wishes. Mr. Kallor subjected him to a battery of tests with each new display of his powers and even decided on the name Star Boy for him (Adventure Comics No. 317, 282). Both of his parents chose how best he should use his powers without giving Thom the benefit of the doubt that he was capable of making an altruistic decision by himself (282). With this in mind, it makes one suspect that Thom's little "spin" in the family spacemobile could have been a subconscious attempt to escape their strict authority, if only temporarily. It is little wonder that Thom harbors feeling of self-doubt regarding his usefulness and his comparitively "unimpressive" power (Adventure Comics No. 328, 333). When Thom planned to visit them on the far-off planet Karak, his parents made an early departure without even thinking to inform their son of the change of plans (342). Since Star Boy killed Kenz Nuhor there and was expelled, his parents have felt bad and so have since tried to be more supportive of him, such as when they came to Earth to ride with Star Boy on the lead Legion float of the Parents' Day parade (356), and warmly welcomed him and his Legion friends when a mission brought them to Xanthu (Action Comics No. 385). Thom likes to play with children (Adventure Comics No. 318). He lives alone in a classy apartment in Metropolis which includes a ship valet, and owns a one-man spaceship (Adventure Comics No. 330). Back on Xanthu, Thom had a laboratory with a garden that the people of Xanthu donated to him. He had to learn English before coming to Earth (282).
Interests: Thom enjoys gardening (Adventure Comics No. 282), and, when off-duty, playing with his Mind-Engineer set (330). His favorite beverage is the "wonderfully refreshing" Neptune Nectar (317). Previous Occupation: Resident super-hero of Xanthu (Adventure Comics No. 282)
Thom likes "palling around" with his comrades, but his closest friends in the Legion are Superboy (Adventure Comics No. 282, 342), Matter-Eater Lad (317), Element Lad (340), and Sun Boy (321, 341, 363). Thom is a friendly person, almost too nice a guy, as typified by his not holding a grudge against any of those members who voted for his expulsion, in particular the chief prosecutor, Brainiac 5. On Xanthu he once had a girlfriend named Zynthia (282). Known Relatives: Thom's parents live on Xanthu (Adventure Comics No. 282, Action Comics No. 385/2), but their occupations as astronomers can take them to various planets throughout the galaxy at times (Adventure Comics No. 342). Application: Star Boy, the hero of Xanthu, visited Earth in 2962 and learned its language. His fame preceded him and one day he was called to the headquarters of the Legion of Super-Heroes and invited to become a member of the team (Adventure Comics No. 282). We can assume that Star Boy demonstrated his powers to the Legionnaires by performing a spectacular super-feat, although we aren't shown what it was, because at this point in time hopefuls had to compete against one another for membership, with the applicant who performed the most impressive feat joining the team.
Induction: Star Boy and Supergirl were among those trying out for the Legion at the same time. Although both of them performed spectacular feats, Star Boy was the one chosen to join, as Supergirl had to be disqualified for membership when red kryptonite turned her into an adult (Action Comics No. 267). Comments: Star Boy's early career was spent on "detached service" for the team on "a mission of the utmost importance", the details of which were promised but never revealed (Adventure Comics No. 308 "The Legion Outpost"). He was back with the team in time to join the fight against Mask Man, but his Superboy-like powers had worn off by then - evidenced by how he could have been (temporarily) killed by a Legion cruiser explosion (Adventure Comics No. 310). Expulsion: Star Boy was court-martialed after breaking the Legion's Code against killing, even though he did it in self-defense. It was a close vote, but Star Boy was found guilty, 10-to-9, and expelled from the Legion. Dream Girl had foreseen this event and joined the Legion of Substitute Heroes just prior to the trial. Polar Boy then invited Star Boy to join the Subs (Adventure Comics No. 342). Interim: Star Boy and Dream Girl operated in the Legion of Substitute Heroes for nine months. He dropped in on his former teammates each month to receive a copy of the Legion Bulletin, which all auxiliary members get, because the Subs are a reserve branch of the Legion (Adventure Comics No. 343). Reinstatement: Supergirl and Superboy named Miss Terious and Sir Prize as their replacements after a cloud of green kryptonite encircling the Earth forced their honorable discharge. Unknown to the Legionnaires, Miss Terious and Sir Prize were really Dream Girl and Star Boy in disguise, trying to restore Dream Girl's sister, the White Witch. They were allowed to regain their former memberships after their true identities were revealed (Adventure Comics No. 350/351). Positions Held: Former member of the Legion of Substitute Heroes, a reserve branch of the Legion Aliases Used: Sir Prize (nicknamed "Lead-clad Lad" and "Lead-head", Adventure Comics No. 350/351) Career Highlights: Adventure Comics No. 282 (Mar. 1961) "Lana Lang and the Legion of Super-Heroes"
Adventure Comics No. 317 (Feb. 1964) "The Menace of Dream Girl"
Adventure Comics No. 335/336 (Aug./Sept. 1965) "Starfinger" / "The True Identity of Starfinger"
Adventure Comics No. 342 (Mar. 1966) "The Legionnaire Who Killed"
Adventure Comics No. 350/351 (Nov./Dec. 1966) "The Outcast Super-Heroes" / "The Forgotten Legion"
Action Comics No. 385 (Feb. 1970) "The Fallen Star Boy"
For information concerning Star Boy after 2969, click here. |
"Thom Kallor was born
in an orbiting observatory in space, where his
astronomer-parents from the planet Xanthu lived,
picking up starlight for research. This starlight
gave Thom the power to draw mass from the stars
and induce it into any object, making it
super-heavy." 
Thom
Kallor was born with the power to draw mass from the
stars and induce it into any object to make it
super-heavy. Star Boy can increase the weight of objects
at least a thousand-fold (Adventure
Comics No. 362). 
Former
Super-Powers:
After Thom piloted his family's spacemobile through the
tail of a glowing comet, he gained super-powers similar
to Superboy's: invulnerability, super-strength, the
ability to fly, super-cooling breath, infra-red vision
(the heat-waves of which could melt metals), and a type
of x-ray vision. He also had one power that Superboy does
not possess: electrical vision, which could charge
batteries with a thousand volts and alter and condense
the atomic structure of objects (Adventure
Comics No. 282).
Skills: Thom's talents include
making unusual apparel, both exotic and functional (Adventure
Comics No. 282, 319). He once
designed and constructed, for both him and Dream Girl,
self-contained lead-armor space-suits, complete with
built-in radios and independent air supplies (351).
Relationships: Thom has been romantically
interested in Dream Girl since 2964. He was the first
member to comment on Dream Girl: "Wow! What a
beauty!" and "She's as lovely as the Sleeping
Beauty!" He was also the first to congratulate her
on becoming a member and was hopeful to impress her with
his powers (Adventure Comics
No. 317). After she quit the Legion and returned to
Naltor, he carried a torch for her for two whole years,
but their reunion was a bittersweet one given that Thom
had just killed her rejected suitor, Kenz Nuhor (342).
After fighting along side Dream Girl in the Legion of
Substitute Heroes, their romance blossomed into love
(342). 
With
Supergirl and Superboy's help, Dream Girl and
Star Boy joined the Legion as Miss Terious and
Sir Prize in order to locate Dream Girl's missing
sister, the White Witch, who was transformed into
the Hag by Prince Evillo's bottled evil essence.
Star Boy insisted on helping Dream Girl, and
designed their lead armor. As Sir Prize, he
helped stop the Devil's Dozen from robbing the
Interplanetary Bank by countering and knocking
out the loudspeaker beast-guard. He also went on
a non-chronicled mission with Invisible Kid.