JACOB BURNLEY

Real Name: Jacob Burnley

Identity/Class: Alternate Reality (Earth-148611/"New Universe") human mutate;
    citizen of the United States

Occupation: None;
    formerly quartermaster corps sergeant

Group Membership: United States Army (retired)

Affiliations: Colonel MacIntyre Browning, Kenneth Connell, "DP7" (Antibody/Randy O'Brien, Chrome/Jenny Swensen, Friction/Charlotte "Charly" Beck, Glitter/Stephanie Harrington, Mastodon/Dave Landers, Sponge/Merriam Sorensen), Lt. Bobby Hanrahan, Jonsen, Mrs. Parmenter, Roger Price, Star Child, the Witness (Nelson Kohler)

Enemies: The Old Man, Overshadow (Philip Nolan Voigt), Pinhead, Spotty

Known Relatives: Billy Burnley (grandson)

Aliases: "Jake"

Base of Operations: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area;
    formerly the Moon

First Appearance: Star Brand I#15 (September, 1988)

Powers/Abilities: Burnley was an ordinary human until the Star Child transferred a portion of the Star Brand to him. As a Star Brand wielder he could fly, project and manipulate tremendous quantities of energy, survive unaided in space, and reshape his surroundings on an enormous scale.

    He was seen creating a large self-contained, Earth-like refuge on the Moon.

    He later attempted to restore Pittsburgh, though he only managed to manifest a temporary memory of the city drawn from the memories of those who had died there.

    Burnley could perceive the original White Event energy underlying other paranormal powers and use the Brand against them. He could see through illusions and force others to use their powers.

    Practically immortal, he could survive otherwise fatal injuries by reviving in a grotesque regenerative form.

    Burnley could transfer the Star Brand to others. He seemingly retained none of its power after the Star Child removed the Brand again.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'7")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 165 lbs.)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Grey

History:

(Star Brand I#18 (fb) - BTS) - As a young boy in school, Jacob Burnley learned about US history from his third-grade teacher Mrs. Parmenter.

(Star Brand I#17 (fb) - BTS) - Jacob Burnley served in the United States Army as a member of the Quartermaster Corps. He remained with the army until he retired with the rank of captain.

(Star Brand I#15 (fb) - BTS) - Burnley retired to the Pittsburgh area where he spent time with his family (see comments). He was particularly close to his grandson Billy who idolized the kindly old man.

(The Pitt I#1 - BTS) - When Ken Connell tried to rid himself of the Star Brand, he accidentally caused the destruction of Pittsburgh. Billy Burnley lost his parents in the explosion and was critically injured in the event.

(Star Brand I#15 (fb) - BTS) - Seventy-seven year old Jacob Burnley spent nearly seventy-eight hours at the hospital without sleep, refusing to leave the bedside of his grandchild.

(Star Brand I#15) - When the attending physician told him there had been no improvement, Jacob still clung to the hope that some miracle might save the boy. He explained that Billy was all he had left in the world because the child's mother and father were gone. The doctor finally told Burnley that Billy was beyond medical help, leaving the old man facing the apparent loss of his last family member.

(Star Brand I#16 (fb) - BTS) - Burnley did not want Billy to suffer needlessly and told the doctors not to take any extraordinary measures to prolong the boy's life.

(Star Brand I#16 (fb) - BTS) - The Star Child tried to end all the suffering in the world by making sure nothing could ever die again. The Star Child also became aware of Jacob Burnley, sensing his pain and need and deciding he would be ideally suited as the next host of the Star Brand. Before revealing his existence to the old man, the Star Child used his powers to make Billy well again.

(Star Brand I#16) - Jacob Burnley was amazed when the Star Child appeared before him, but even more astonished when he took him from the hospital to Earth's orbit for a conversation. The Star Child assured the astonished Burnley that he was the right person: his accumulated wisdom and the good, kind heart the Star Child sensed in him made him less likely to abuse the power. The Star Child transferred the Star Brand to Burnley and assured him that nothing could harm him. Jacob cautiously experimented with his new abilities, including unaided flight, while trying to understand what he was supposed to do with power on such a scale.

(Star Brand I#16 - BTS) - Burnley decided to use his newfound might to create a large self-contained, Earth-like refuge on the Moon complete with flora, fauna and a breathable environment. He then picked up his now fully recovered grandson from the hospital.

(Star Brand I#16) - Jacob told Billy about his power while they were out fishing in their new home on the Moon. Billy only remembered having been sick and taken to the hospital. Jacob explained that "Starboy" had given him the power so he could repair some of the damage done to the world after Pittsburgh's destruction. Asked if he could make the entire world like their lunar home, Burnley admitted he did not know.

(Star Brand I#17) - Burnley decided that the Pitt was the greatest problem the Star Child had left him to solve. He ordered Billy to remain behind where he would be safe and flew to the devastated Pittsburgh area. On the way Jacob reflected uneasily on the scope of his assignment. The Star Child had given him enough power to "fix" the world's problems, but Burnley understood how easily a person in that position could begin to think of himself as a messiah. He believed the job required humility. At the Pitt, Jacob unleashed the Star Brand on a massive scale and seemingly restored Pittsburgh, complete with streets, buildings and inhabitants. He encountered Colonel MacIntyre Browning and after introducing himself, proudly pointed toward the city, claiming he had "just fixed Pittsburgh."

    The paranormal Witness, Nelson Kohler, confronted Burnley and told him that he had not actually restored the city. Jacob angrily rejected the claim until the Witness led him far enough away to perceive what the Star Brand had really created. What Burnley had called back was the memory of the city, shaped from the thoughts, hopes and dreams of the people who had died there. However, Pittsburgh itself remained destroyed. The Witness could perceive it because he and Burnley were both tied to the same power behind the White Event. Burnley was forced to accept that even the Star Brand had not enabled him to resurrect millions of dead people and that the phantom city would eventually fade.

(Star Brand I#18) - In New York City, Burnley aided members of a group of seven displaced paranormals ("DP7") in their fight against the paranormal criminals Pinhead and Spotty. Burnley used the Star Brand to disable Spotty's large-scale illusions, allowing the displaced paranormals to gain the upper hand. In the aftermath, Burnley accompanied the group to their hideout where they asked him to rid the world of US president Philip Nolan Voigt whose schemes threatened everyone with superpowers. Stunned by this request, Burnley returned home to the Moon to discuss the matter with his grandson Billy. After talking it over, he decided to act. After all, he believed the Star Child had entrusted him with the power to correct what was wrong with the world, and Voigt now seemed likely to be one of its most serious problems. Rather than simply attack the President, Jacob decided to first investigate him.

(Star Brand I#18 - BTS) - Before flying to Washington D.C., Burnley brought Billy to displaced paranormals' New York hangout, figuring he would be safe there should anything happen to him.

(Star Brand I#18) - On his way to the nation's capital, Burnley realized that in all his seventy-eight years he had somehow never been there.

(Star Brand I#18 - BTS) - Burnley's approach was picked up by the Washington defense perimeter. President Voigt was alerted and immediately spotted the old man coming from miles away. He told his chief of staff Jonsen to prepare for company.

(Star Brand I#18) - Landing outside the White House, Burnley was greeted by Jonsen, who told him the president would see him immediately. Voigt greeted his visitor warmly, but the meeting soon turned violent when Burnley refused to tell who had sent him. Voigt used his powers on the elderly Star Brand wielder, who easily turned his might against him. Voigt continued to boast and brag, claiming he could summon and wield the power of every paranormal on Earth. Unimpressed because he sensed Voigt's powers were merely a piece of the Star Brand, Burnley forced the president to manifest dozens of conflicting abilities at once. The strain almost killed Voigt, but Burnley seemingly succumbed as well.

(Star Brand I#18 (fb) - BTS) - Burnley's corpse was brought to a local morgue. There, the Star Brand's regenerative powers kicked in. He was brought back to life, briefly stuck in a monstrous "regenerative form." He managed to slip away.

(Star Brand I#18) - It took Burnley three days to make his way to New York City. He showed up at displaced paranormals' brownstone, still stuck in his monster form, but Billy immediately recognized him. Burnley told the stunned displaced paranormals that he had forced president Voigt to burn out his paranormal powers. However, when Mastodon wanted to celebrate this apparent victory, Burnley openly wondered if they had truly won.

(Star Brand I#19 (fb) - BTS) - In the months that followed, Burnley regained his original form. He retired to the Moon where he lived a quiet life with Billy, barely even using his powers anymore.

(Star Brand I#19) - One day, Billy and Burnley sensed the approach of the Star Child. The being gathered everyone touched by the Star Brand: Burnley, Roger Price and the newly revived Ken Connell. He brought them together in orbit over Jupiter where he explained that the power's existence had created a paradox threatening time itself. Burnley apologized to the Star Child for failing in his mission to right the world's wrongs, but the being assured him no one would have been able to singlehandedly solve every problem on Earth. He then sent him back to Earth to collect the Old Man, the original wielder of the Star Brand who had also just regenerated after Connell nearly atomized him months earlier. Burnley found the Old Man in the same grotesque regenerative condition Jacob himself had experienced after Voigt killed him. The Old Man demanded Ken Connell's location and became violent. Jacob tried to bring him back peacefully, but when the Old Man attacked he had to use the Brand's might to defend himself.

(Star Brand I#19 - BTS) - During their fight, a stray energy blast hit the plane of fighter pilot Bobby Hanrahan who crashed nearby.

(Star Brand I#19) - Before returning to Jupiter with the Old Man, Burnley used his powers to save Hanrahan's life. He secretly left him a portion of the Starbrand power as well. Back on Jupiter, Burnley listened as the Star Child revealed that Ken Connell, the Old Man and the Star Child were three stages of the same person caught in a temporal loop. To repair the damage to reality, the Star Child said every remaining trace of the Star Brand had to be removed. He drew the residual power out of Jacob and Roger Price, leaving Burnley an ordinary human again, then completed the self-contained time loop involving Connell and his other selves.

(Star Brand I#19) - Jacob returned to the Pittsburgh area with Roger Price, where Billy happily reunited with his grandfather (see comments). Burnley described what had happened as "a little bit of an adventure." He knew the world remained badly damaged, but after everything he had seen he allowed himself to hope that it might finally have a chance.

Comments: Created by John Byrne, Chris Ivy and Tom Morgan.

    It's no secret Jim Shooter based the Star Brand's original wielder Ken Connell on himself. John Byrne took over the book after Shooter was let go at Marvel. So who does Byrne creates to fix up the mess left by Connell... Why, kindly old veteran J. Burnley, of course! Burn...ley? Sigh, subtlety was never John Byne's strong suit. Just ask Big Bertha or Pink Pearl. Still, Jacob Burnley just might be the most likable person in the entire Star Brand series, even if he's a paper-thin cliche of a character. Byrne never even bothers to explain what happened to his wife. Nor does he waste a panel grieving for the loss of Billy's parents.
    Although they didn't look alike, Burnley always reminded me of Wilford Brimley, perhaps just in their no-nonsense approaches.
 
    We also don't know how Billy was able to instantly recognize his grandpa when he was still stuck in his monstrous regenerative form. It seems to imply the boy had some kind of extrasensory perception, he also sensed the approach of the Star Child well before his grandfather did.

    Burnley's home with Billy is on the Moon Starting from Star Brand I#16, Burnley's home with Billy is on the Moon. At the beginning of the final issue, the dome is still on the lunar surface but at the end of the story it's somehow back in Pittsburgh again. Maybe it's one of the Star Child's final gifts, though we're never told or shown that explicitly.

    This profile was completed 10/12/2026, but it was saved for the Appendix's celebration of the New Universe's 40th Anniversary.

Profile by Norvo

CLARIFICATIONS:
Jaco Burnley should not be confused with

• any other "Jacob" or "Burnley" characters, groups, items, events, races or places...
  

Images: (without ads)
Star Brand I#16, p16, pan1 (main)
Star Brand I#16, p12, pan4 (closeup)
Star Brand I#17, p20, pan3 (Witness)
Star Brand I#18, p18, pan2 (fighting Voigt)
Star Brand I#18, p22, pan3 (regenerative form)
Star Brand I#19, p25, pan4 (little adventure)

Appearances:
The Pitt I#1 (December, 1987) - John Byrne & Mark Gruenwald (writers), Sal Buscema (pencils), Stan Drake (inks), Howard Mackie (editor)
Star Brand I#15 (September, 1988) - John Byrne (writer & breakdowns), Chris Ivy & Tom Morgan (finishes), Andy Yanchus (colors), Rick Parker (letters), Howard Mackie (editor)
Star Brand I#16 (November, 1988) - John Byrne (writer, pencils & inks), Andy Yanchus (colors), Rick Parker (letters), Howard Mackie (editor)
Star Brand I#17 (January, 1989) - John Byrne (writer & breakdowns), Tom Morgan (finishes), Andy Yanchus (colors), Rick Parker (letters), Howard Mackie (editor)
Star Brand I#18 (March, 1989) - John Byrne (writer & breakdowns), Tom Morgan (finishes), Andy Yanchus (colors), Rick Parker (letters), Howard Mackie (editor)
Star Brand I#19 (May, 1989) - John Byrne (writer & breakdowns), Jeff Albrecht (finishes), Andy Yanchus (colors), Rick Parker (letters), Howard Mackie (editor)

First Posted: 10/24/2026
Last Updated: 10/17/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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