Starman (William Will Payton)

Will Payton gained extraordinary abilities after being struck by a beam of stellar energy from space, transforming him into Starman. He can fly, project cosmic energy blasts, and reshape his appearance, using these powers to operate as an independent hero.

Few characters carry the cosmic weight of a name like Starman, and this DC figure — born in the pages of Adventures of Superman #444 in 1988, courtesy of the formidable creative pairing of John Byrne and Jerry Ordway — arrived right at the dawn of comics' Copper Age with serious pedigree baked in from the start. Over a publishing span stretching more than three decades into 2019, this Starman carved out a presence across some of DC's most storied titles, from Action Comics to Adventures of Superman and a dedicated Starman series of their own. The company here is rarefied — sharing pages with the likes of Batman, Green Lantern, and Will Payton speaks to a character woven into the broader fabric of the DC universe rather than tucked away in a corner. For collectors with an eye for Copper Age gems with genuine longevity, this is a figure well worth tracking down.