Starhaven
Encyclopedia
Starhaven is a fictional planet first depicted in stories of DC Comics
' Legion of Super-Heroes
set in the 30th and 31st Centuries, and described as being located near the core of the Milky Way
galaxy
. It was portrayed as being the home of Legion member Dawnstar
.
Starhaven was described as being forcibly settled in the 13th Century by the Anasazi tribe, believed on Earth to be extinct. As a result of genetic engineering
by the same unknown alien race which abducted them from Earth, their metagenes were said to have been triggered to cause specific mutations.
The inhabitants were given feathered wings which could move air, and which had an undescribed role in assisting the open-space
flight of their descendants. Some of them, at first by random variation and later through selective breeding, have superior navigation
and tracking
skills.
Their clothing and hairstyles resemble those found in various tribes of Plains Indians
: feathered war bonnet
s, fringed deerskins, hair-pipe breastplate
s, breechcloth
s, high-top moccasin
s, and long flowing hair or two long braids (for both men and women).
Their main temple, held to be sacred ground of the Great Spirit
whom they see as ordering the universe, rests atop a grand mesa
and resembles a hewn monolithic moai
. Inside, wide-open arches are supported by large, smooth columns through which Starhaven's moons can be seen. Braziers are lined along polished floors and upon a low, raised dais where vigil
s can be held.
Family dwellings resemble futuristic wigwam
s and can accommodate an open hearth. The top is opaque from the outside, but the open sky can be seen clearly from within. Community structures are cylindrical, upright, rounded at the top, and supported by six legs.
By the time of Dawnstar in the 30th Century, it is seen as being traditional for a Starhavenite reaching his or her eighteenth year to embark on a spiritual "Grand Tour" of the galaxy. After reaching one's naming place, it is believed one receives a vision of a destined soulmate
or life partner.
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
' Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
set in the 30th and 31st Centuries, and described as being located near the core of the Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
galaxy
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
. It was portrayed as being the home of Legion member Dawnstar
Dawnstar
Dawnstar is a fictional superheroine in comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Levitz and Mike Grell.- Fictional character biography :...
.
Starhaven was described as being forcibly settled in the 13th Century by the Anasazi tribe, believed on Earth to be extinct. As a result of genetic engineering
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
by the same unknown alien race which abducted them from Earth, their metagenes were said to have been triggered to cause specific mutations.
The inhabitants were given feathered wings which could move air, and which had an undescribed role in assisting the open-space
Interstellar medium
In astronomy, the interstellar medium is the matter that exists in the space between the star systems in a galaxy. This matter includes gas in ionic, atomic, and molecular form, dust, and cosmic rays. It fills interstellar space and blends smoothly into the surrounding intergalactic space...
flight of their descendants. Some of them, at first by random variation and later through selective breeding, have superior navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
and tracking
Tracking (hunting)
Tracking in hunting and ecology is the science and art of observing animal tracks and other signs, with the goal of gaining understanding of the landscape and the animal being tracked...
skills.
Their clothing and hairstyles resemble those found in various tribes of Plains Indians
Plains Indians
The Plains Indians are the Indigenous peoples who live on the plains and rolling hills of the Great Plains of North America. Their colorful equestrian culture and resistance to White domination have made the Plains Indians an archetype in literature and art for American Indians everywhere.Plains...
: feathered war bonnet
War bonnet
Feathered war bonnets were worn by honored Plains Indian men, sometimes into battle, but most often for ceremonial occasions, and were seen as items of great spiritual and magical importance...
s, fringed deerskins, hair-pipe breastplate
Breastplate
A breastplate is a device worn over the torso to protect it from injury, as an item of religious significance, or as an item of status. A breastplate is sometimes worn by mythological beings as a distinctive item of clothing.- Armour :...
s, breechcloth
Breechcloth
A breechcloth, or breechclout, is a form of loincloth consisting in a strip of material – usually a narrow rectangle – passed between the thighs and held up in front and behind by a belt or string. Often, the flaps hang down in front and back.- Native Americans :In most Native American...
s, high-top moccasin
Moccasin (footwear)
A moccasin is a slipper made of deerskin or other soft leather, consisting of a sole and sides made of one piece of leather, stitched together at the top, and sometimes with a vamp . Though sometimes worn inside, it is chiefly intended for outdoor use, as in exploring wildernesses and running from...
s, and long flowing hair or two long braids (for both men and women).
Their main temple, held to be sacred ground of the Great Spirit
Great Spirit
The Great Spirit, also called Wakan Tanka among the Sioux, the Creator or the Great Maker in English, and Gitchi Manitou in Algonquian, is a conception of a supreme being prevalent among some Native American and First Nations cultures...
whom they see as ordering the universe, rests atop a grand mesa
Mesa
A mesa or table mountain is an elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs. It takes its name from its characteristic table-top shape....
and resembles a hewn monolithic moai
Moai
Moai , or mo‘ai, are monolithic human figures carved from rock on the Chilean Polynesian island of Easter Island between the years 1250 and 1500. Nearly half are still at Rano Raraku, the main moai quarry, but hundreds were transported from there and set on stone platforms called ahu around the...
. Inside, wide-open arches are supported by large, smooth columns through which Starhaven's moons can be seen. Braziers are lined along polished floors and upon a low, raised dais where vigil
Vigil
A vigil is a period of purposeful sleeplessness, an occasion for devotional watching, or an observance...
s can be held.
Family dwellings resemble futuristic wigwam
Wigwam
A wigwam or wickiup is a domed room dwelling used by certain Native American tribes. The term wickiup is generally used to label these kinds of dwellings in American Southwest and West. Wigwam is usually applied to these structures in the American Northeast...
s and can accommodate an open hearth. The top is opaque from the outside, but the open sky can be seen clearly from within. Community structures are cylindrical, upright, rounded at the top, and supported by six legs.
By the time of Dawnstar in the 30th Century, it is seen as being traditional for a Starhavenite reaching his or her eighteenth year to embark on a spiritual "Grand Tour" of the galaxy. After reaching one's naming place, it is believed one receives a vision of a destined soulmate
Soulmate
A soulmate is believed by some to be the person with whom one has a feeling of deep or natural affinity, similarity, love, intimacy, sexuality, spirituality, or compatibility. A related concept is that of the twin flame or twin soul, which is thought to be the ultimate soulmate...
or life partner.