THE OLD MAN

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human, extradimensional, Star Brand-empowered, (Earth-New Universe)

Occupation: Madman

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Jacob Burnley, Kenneth Connell, Madeline Felix

Known Relatives: Stan Connell (father), Ellie Connell (mother), Carol Connell (sister), Paul (brother-in-law), Starchild (son/himself)

Aliases: Kenneth Connell

Base of Operations: Mobile, usually around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Earth-148611

First Appearance: Star Brand#1 (October, 1986)

Powers/Abilities: The Old Man wielded the Star Brand, and possessed all of the abilities it bestowed. Although during his most recent encounters he possessed only 10% of the Star Brand's power, he knows how to manipulate his portion of the power much better than his other self, Ken Connell. Like all Star Brand wielders, he cannot be slain, possesses flight, life support, the ability to channel powerful energy blasts, and superhuman strength. He also uses subtle mind control techniques on others.

History: (Star Brand#12 (fb)) - In the 1500's, a Dutch count was struck by a strange glow of energy, which left a mark upon him -- that of the Star Brand. Afraid of what had happened, he drew away from others. Over the centuries that followed, he grew in size and strength, and drifted from place to place. Then, in 1985, he was crushed in a cave-in, yet survived in a strangely mutated form. Afraid that the Star Brand was making him into something inhuman, he eventually determined that he would be rid of it for good. He tried to transfer the power into other life-forms and objects, but the power transfer would destroy them, and still left him with 10% of what he had had before. Finally, he decided to transfer it into something large -- an asteroid. But even this failed, and caused an explosion seen by many down on Earth. The sudden flash of light in the sky on July 22, 1986 became known as "the White Event".

(Star Brand#1)- On July 27, 1986, he finally sought out Ken Connell, and placed a hypnotic spell upon him. While Connell was in a trance, he transfered the Star Brand to him. When Connell awoke, he found the "Old Man"'s body, mutated as it was in the process of regenerating. He believed that the Old Man had been an alien, and lay his body behind a slab of rock.

Subsequently, the Old Man attacked Connell disguised as an alien warrior, to test Connell's mettle and determine if he was worthy of the Star Brand's power. He placed a hypnotic spell upon Laurie Petrovic, daughter of Connell's girlfriend Barbara, and he tried to trick Connell into returning the Star Brand to him, but Connell fought back, and drove the "alien" off of Earth.

(Star Brand#6) - On November 11, 1986, the Old Man returned and met with Connell, claiming that he was an alien, and that as the new bearer of the Star Brand, Connell had a responsibility to return with him to another world and assist him in using the Brand in an alien war. He also mind-controlled Connell's girlfriend Madeline Felix into falling in love with him, to Connell's disgust. Connell began to guess that what he had seen before was an illusion created by the Old Man, and finally decided to simply return the Star Brand to him -- but then realized that the Old Man knew too much about the Earth to be an alien as he claimed and refused. The Old Man beat Madeline Felix badly in an attempt to trick Connell into abandoning Barbara Petrovic and her children so that he could take them hostage, but Connell guessed what his plan was and attacked him, and they unleashed powerful energies during their battle, which finally propelled them into space. The Old Man abandoned Connell in space, and returned to Earth.

(Star Brand#7) - By November 17, 1986, Connell had returned to Earth, but the Old Man began leaving messages around his house and his parents' ordering him to return the Star Brand to him or that he would kill his loved ones. Finally, the two confronted each other in Madeline Felix's hospital room, and again fought. This time, Connell unleashed more power than before, and seemingly slew the Old Man permanently. He then threw his body's lifeless husk into space.

(Star Brand#12) - On December 19, 1987, the Old Man returned, and confronted Connell at a comic book convention in Pittsburgh, again demanding that he return the Star Brand to him. In the course of their battles, such powerful energies were released that the entire convention site was destroyed. Before the Old Man died again, atomized by Connell, he passed along to Connell all of his memories.

(Star Brand#19) - In 1989, the Old Man's body finally regenerated from his wounds, and he arose from where Pittsburgh had once been (now called "The Pitt"), following Connell's accidental destruction of the city. He again set out to find Connell, but was intercepted by Jacob Burnley, an elderly man who had been granted the Star Brand by Connell's son, the Starchild. Burnley managed to subdue the Old Man and brought him to the Starchild, where Ken Connell was also waiting. The Starchild then revealed to the Old Man and Connell that all three of them were the same man -- that when the Old Man had caused the White Event, it sent its energies back in time 500 years to bestow them upon the Dutch count. The Old Man was indignant at this revelation, but Connell consoled him. The Starchild determined that in order to maintain the space/time continuum, the three of them would have to merge into one being, and then manipulate past events so that their lives would intertwine perfectly. They set off to explore their new existence.

Comments: Created by Jim Shooter, John Romita Jr. and Al Williamson.

Because the Old Man, Ken Connell, and the Starchild all turned out to be the same entity, semantics could be incredibly confusing if we allow them to be. So let's just refer to them as three different people, okay?

by Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Old Man should not be confused with:

• The Old Man, previous wearer of Cloak's cloak, @ Cloak and Dagger III#2
• Old Man, Verdelet, heir to Varnae, @ Midnight Sons Unlimited#6
• Old Man of the Ultraverse, trained Freex, @ Freex#7
• Old Man of the Sea, unleashed the Wani, @ Marvel Spotlight II#5
• Old Man of the Sea, lived on other side of Neptune's Eye, @ Marvel Comics Presents#58/3
• Old Man Cole, long-lived neanderthal, @ Cable II#96

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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