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MYRON FELDMAN

Real Name: Doctor Myron Feldman

Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Earth-148611) human, citizen of the United States

Occupation: Psychoanalyst

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Kenneth Connell, Debbie Fix, Leroy, his patients (Bob, Janet, Kathy, Rob Leonetti, Sheila Leonetti, Jorgas Revinskas, unnamed others)

Enemies: None

Known Relatives: unidentified mother

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: West Mifflin, Greater Pittsburgh

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

Powers/Abilities: Myron Feldman possesses no known superhuman abilities. A trained psychologist, he specializes in group therapy and psycho-analysis. Feldman has obsessive compulsive hoarding tendencies, collecting junk he claims will be worth a fortune. Feldman can be rude, manipulative and harsh.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'2")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 140 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown

learns about the Star Brand

History:

(Star Brand I#4 (fb) - BTS) - Myron allowed Kathy, one of his patients to move into one of his guestrooms. In return for custodial services, he provided her with room, board and free therapy sessions.

(Star Brand I#1) - Myron was working on a bent bicycle frame he found on the side of the road when his friend Kenneth Connell came by, claiming he'd flown to his house. To prove his new found powers, Connell flew up and straightened out the frame. This caught Feldman's attention who sat down to listen to Kenneth's encounter with the Old Man who gave him a weird tattoo called the Star Brand, telling him to guard it well. During their talk, Feldman's home was invaded by an alien ready to claim the Star Brand power for himself. Connell took the fight outside and eventually vaporized the assailant and his clothes. When Myron caught up with his friend, baseball bat in hand, he found him naked and very confused.

(Star Brand I#1 - BTS) - The alien encounter left Myron spooked, especially when the FBI started to canvas his neighborhood, asking questions about the damage in the aftermath of the fight. Feldman told them nothing of value.

(Star Brand I#1) - When Kenneth next called Myron, he learned of the recent FBI investigation. It had Feldman so spooked, he even insisted on using a pay phone just in case his landline had been tapped. Myron told his friend these new powers were of great concern to him.

(Star Brand I#2 - BTS) - Myron decided to host a group therapy session to get Connell to talk about his experiences with his newly found superpowers. When he couldn't reach Kenneth at his home, he contacted his girlfriend Debbie Fix to get him the message he needed to see him at 18.00 that day for something very important.

(Star Brand I#2) - Just as Kenneth and Debbie were arriving, Myron was working on the rusted wreck of an old electric car he had found sitting in a farmer's field. Convinced that electric vehicles were due for a comeback as soon as the next oil crisis hit, he planned to restore it. But first, he insisted Kenneth and Deb joined his therapy group, much to Connell's reluctance. Feldman's ruse soon became apparent when he wanted everyone to talk about what they'd do if they suddenly gained superpowers. Connell stormed out, with Fix in tow, telling Myron to "get his manipulative butt" off his case.

listening to Bob (Star Brand I#3) - Myron was having a therapy session with Bob, a furniture salesman with an inferiority complex. Just as he was stirring up some pre sweetened Kool-Aid, Kenneth came in hoping to talk to Myron. The two went off to separate room to discuss recent events with Feldman still annoyed at being told to keep his manipulative butt out of his business. Connell told him about his existential crisis: the Star Brand granted him all this power, yet he did not know what to do with it. Feldman advised him to be careful in making any rash decisions: figure out what you want to do, because if you go public there's no turning back. When they left the room, Bob was listening at the door. This was highly suspicious to Myron, but Kenneth didn't really mind.

wants to get paid (Star Brand I#4) - Myron still couldn't quite believe Kenneth's stories about being invulnerable. To test this theory out, he tried to whack him with an old axe he bought for 1.50 at the local flea market. The axe shattered on the back of Connell's head who barely noticed the impact. Feldman next tried to burn him with a blowtorch, which only set his sofa ablaze. Just then, his boarder Kathy returned from grocery shopping. She was exasperated at seeing the mess they'd made of the living room.

(Star Brand I#4) - Myron made Kenneth recount the origins of his powers once again, but Connell couldn't believe his friend suddenly started to doubt ever word of his story. As far as Myron was concerned, the only true fact about the situation was the power Kenneth now possessed. He told him he wanted to see him tomorrow to talk more about this, making an appointment the next day.

(Star Brand I#4 - BTS) - The next day, Myron was out when he spotted some slightly dented, though perfectly good hubcaps on the berm near an enormous pothole. He took them home with him, arriving 48 minutes late for his appointment with Connell.

(Star Brand I#4) - When Kenneth pointed out he was late, Myron shot back that he shouldn't be so compulsive. When their session continued, Myron told Kenneth that he believed that someone had hypnotized him to believe all this stuff about aliens. Even the alien attack that occurred in his presence was now highly suspect in his eyes. When Connell wanted to know what Myron thought he should do with his powers, the shrink told him they'd talk about that next time. He then proceeded to charge his friend 50 dollars for his services, seeing this had now gone beyond friendly conversation. When Kenneth didn't have the money, Feldman had him work it off by chopping wood.

(Star Brand I#7) - After facing The Old Man again, Connell felt concerned for his other friends and relatives. He even tried to reach Feldman and was relieved that he got his answering machine, which meant Myron was not at home for anyone to find.

(Star Brand I#9) -Myron Feldman was reluctant to wake up when Kenneth Connell arrived for a talk in the middle of the night. He told Feldman that he had been plagued by nightmares for nearly a week, recounting his recent adventures involving a dying ten year old boy who he revealed his true identity to. Myron agreed with Kenneth's assessment that he was in need of therapy, digging through his trade magazines to come up with an article on dream research done by one doctor Ballad at a Georgetown private clinic. Feldman suggested Connell went there for help.

(Star Brand I#10) - After news broke about a five kiloton nuclear explosion in the Eastern Soviet province of Yakusk, Myron got so concerned he reached out for Kenneth Connell, finally getting hold of him at his girlfriend Debbie's house. Feldman informed him of the nuclear strike and convinced his friend to use the power of the Star Brand to head over there and help. Feldman and Connell had a heartfelt goodbye before Kenneth flew off, he asked Myron to take care of Debbie in case he didn't return.

wanna come to shabbas (Untold Tales of the New Universe: Star Brand I#1) - Myron and Kenneth were watching the Steelers play in Leroy's local sports bar. Fed up with his team losing, Connell left early with Myron in tow. He wondered if Ken's mood had something to do with coming to grips with being he most powerful being in the world, but knowing Myron charged for his services, he didn't take the bait. Myron then offered Ken to accompany him to his mother's house in Squirrel Hill for shabbas, but he refused.

(Untold Tales of the New Universe: Star Brand I#1 - BTS) - Shortly after saying goodbye to Myron, Ken Connell was approached by Arden, a multiversal observer who had come to investigate the different wearers of the Star Brand. Arden analyzed Connell's life, pointing out its weird inconsistencies, like his friendship with Myron Feldman a "Woody Allen type" who never seemed to give any useful advice and isn't particularly funny. There is no logic to suggest why they should be friends. Connell agreed: he had no idea why he hung out with Myron. Connell's meeting with Arden ended with her reporting to her superior that the conditions on this particular reality were so worrisome, they predicted that the Star Brand would cause a catastrophic disaster within the next six months.

(Star Brand I#12 (fb) ) - Myron was contacted by Kenneth's girlfriend Debbie 'Duck' Fix who was concerned about her lover's growing despondent moods. Feldman explained why Connell was feeling so down: having the Star Brand meant no longer being able to shirk his responsibilities in life. He concluded that the thing to get Kenneth out of his slump was adulation. He needed crowds cheering him on as the superhero he longs to be.

(Star Brand I#12 (fb) - BTS) - Talking with Feldman led Debbie Fix to create a superhero costume for Kenneth.

(Star Brand I#11) - After Kenneth Connell showed up for one of their (pep) talks, Myron decided to follow through on his promise to Deb and gave his friend some tough love. Calling him friend a loser and an underachiever, Feldman psychoanalyzed his mental state, leading to the painful conclusion that having the Star Brand meant Kenneth no longer had any excuses not to live up to his true potential. He should let the world know there's an honest-to-god superhero in their midst. Emboldened, Kenneth flew off to think it over.

comes up with a power container (Star Brand I#12 - BTS) - Kenneth Connell performed several superheroic acts over the next several weeks and slowly gained notoriety. Hedecided to show up at the Pittsburgh Comic Convention on Saturday December 19th. There, he was approached by the Old Man who forced him into a fight that ended with the destruction of the convention center and roughly five thousand casualties.

(Star Brand I#12) - Myron Feldman watched in absolute horror at the news reports and then was stunned when Kenneth Connell showed up, half transformed into an alien creature before collapsing. Feldman watched over Kenneth who slowly returned to normal. The next morning, he recounted his encounter with the Old Man, sharing what he knew about the alien's origins and the nature of the Star Brand's power. Feldman concluded Kenneth would be best off ridding himself of the Star Brand by transferring it to something else. He handed him the broken dumbbell Connell once smashed to prove his newly gained strength. Feldman instructed Kenneth to fly to the Moon for the transfer, just to be safe. However, Connell decided that 10 miles up should be enough. He didn't want to be stuck offworld in case the power transfer would result in him needing medical attention.

(Star Brand I#12 - BTS) - When Connell tried to transfer the Star Brand's power to the inanimate object, it resulted in an explosion that instantly vaporized all things within a 50 mile radius, including the city of Pittsburgh. Myron Feldman was among the countless casualties.

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

Jim Shooter intended for the New Universe to be "the world outside your door"... Your mileage may vary of course, but this must mean Shooter knew some gawdawful people. Just about every single character in Star Brand acts like an unlikable jackass. From Kenneth Connell himself, willfully ignorant, underachieving sexist who two times women and thinks he's the real victim. His lady friends are no prizes either. One is a daffy ditz who goes 'quack', the other a mother of two with next to no standards. And then there's doctor Myron, a condescending, penny pinching junk collector who makes even his best friend pay for his help. Wotta jerk...And that was before John Byrne took over and purposefully dialed the awfulness up to eleven.

A lot of effort was put into making Myron a well rounded, slightly quirky character. From his therapy group to his boarder to his tendency to hoard useless junk. But as Jeff Parker quite astutely points out in 2006's Untold tales of the New Universe: Starbrand, the story fails to make a convincing case of just why a Woody Allen type neurotic would ever be best friends with a white bread, shallow jock type like Kenneth Connell.

This profile was completed 8/11/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Norvo.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Myron Feldman should not be confused with:


Kathy

Kathy

One of Myron Feldman's patients living in his home as a boarder. In return for custodial services, he provides her with room, board and free therapy sessions. Kathy was not amused when she returned from grocery shopping to find the living room a complete mess (because Feldman and Kenneth Connell had been testing his Starbrand powers). Myron told her to clean it all up, which she didn't find very fair.

- Star Brand I#4













images: (without ads)
Star Brand I#12, p14, pan4 (main image)
Star Brand I#1, p10, pan1 (learns about the Star)
Star Brand I#3, p3, pan4 (listening to Bob)
Starbrand I#4, p14, pan7 (wants to get paid)
Untold Tales of the New Universe Star Brand I#1 p10, pan1 (wanna come to shabbas)
Star Brand I#12, p19, pan2 (comes up with a power container)
Star Brand I#4, p6, pan3 (Kathy)


Appearances:
Star Brand I#2 (October, 1986) - Jim Shooter (writer), John Romita Jr. (pencils), Al Williamson (inks), Michael Higgins (editor)
Star Brand I#2 (November, 1986) - Jim Shooter (writer), John Romita Jr. (pencils), Al Williamson (inks), Michael Higgins (editor)
Star Brand I#3 (December, 1986) - Jim Shooter (writer), Alex Saviuk (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks), Michael Higgins (editor)
Star Brand I#4 (January, 1987) - Jim Shooter (writer), John Romita Jr. (pencils), Al Williamson (inks), Michael Higgins (editor)
Star Brand#7 (May, 1987) - Jim Shooter (writer), Roy Thomas (pencils), John Romita Jr. (inks), Michael Higgins (editor)
Star Brand#9 (September, 1987) - Cary Bates (writer), Keith Giffen (pencils), Bob Wiacek (inks), Michael Higgins (editor)
Star Brand#10 (November, 1987) - George Caragonne (writer), Mark Bagley (pencils), Pablo Marcos (inks), Howard Mackie (editor)
Star Brand#11 (January, 1988) - John Byrne (writer/pencils), Tom Palmer (inks), Howard Mackie (editor)
Star Brand#12 (March, 1988) - John Byrne (writer), John Byrne & Tom Palmer (pencils), Tom Palmer (inks), Howard Mackie (editor)
Untold Tales of the New Universe: The Star Brand I#1 (May, 2006) - Jeff Parker (writer), Javier Pulido (pencils & inks), Mark Paniccia (editor)


First Posted: 09/24/2021
Last updated: 09/23/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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