39 Years Later, A Classic Marvel Hero Returns to Continuity, And 80s Fans Won’t Believe Who

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Marvel Comics just teased the return of a classic hero who hasn’t appeared in nearly four decades, as part of the announcement of the upcoming, action-packed Battleworld miniseries, which resurrects the idea of heroes and villains from across the Marvel Multiverse pitted against one another, and along with it, the original version of the hero Star Brand.

According to Marvel’s press release announcing the series, Battleworld, written by Christos Gage, with art by Marcus To, will feature the re-emergence of several memorable, but under-utilized characters in Marvel’s vast lore, and among their number will be Star Brand.

Star Brand is a deep cut, but one that Marvel readers nostalgic for the publisher’s 1980s output will be thrilled to find making an unexpected return to comics. Given the opportunity, the character could make an impact that leads to a renewed place in the Marvel Universe beyond the Battleworld series.

Deep-Cut ’80s Marvel Hero Star Brand Makes A Major Comeback In The Upcoming “Battleworld’ Series

Battleworld #1 (Of 5) Written By Christos Gage; Art By Marcus To; Available September 2025 From Marvel Comics

Marvel’s upcoming Battleworld series is a return to a fan-favorite setting and premise; introduced a decade ago, many early signs point to the likelihood that Battleworld will subsequently be adapted into the MCU in Avengers: Secret Wars. So, it makes sense that Marvel Comics would bring it back first, and the details released so far suggest the company wants to take full advantage of the concept to deliver some unique, fan-pleasing match-ups this time around. As Marvel described the limited series:

In the tradition of 2015’s visionary Secret Wars event by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic as well as the original classic Secret Wars, BATTLEWORLD will see shattered fragments of infinite worlds unite to form a single planet that will play host to an epic conflict! This time around, the players will be handpicked from across space and time, including some of the most iconic universes in the multiverse. Prepare to see fan-favorite characters like the original Star Brand, Days of Future Past’s Storm, Kushala the Spirit Rider, and Maestro alongside exciting new versions of Wasp, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man and more. The battle lines are drawn as a mysterious force sets this awesome assembly of heroes and villains against each other in a war for the ultimate prize!

Exciting as all of this is, it is the mention of Star Brand that caught many fans by surprise.

Particularly noteworthy is the fact that Marvel specified “the original Star Brand,” which author Christos Gage confirmed is the Kenneth Cornell version, who has not been active since the 1980s. In the years since, a number of other characters have taken up the mantle and powers of Star Brand, rendering Cornell effectively defunct as a hero. However, that changes with Battleworld this fall, and for a certain segment of Marvel fandom, this is a major shot of excitement, vaulting this new series even higher up the must-read list than it already would have been.

Star Brand Is A Relic Of Marvel’s ’80s “New Universe” Experiment; Now The Original Hero Is Being Revitalized

Kenneth Cornell, Created By Jim Starlin

Star Brand was a creation of legendary Marvel author and former Editor-in-Chief Jim Starlin. In the mid 1980s, Starlin ambitiously pitched a reboot of Marvel continuity; this was rejected, but out of discussions of the idea grew the concept of the New Universe, a brand-new shared continuity also published by Marvel, but separate from the Marvel Universe. It is an initiative that might seem unfathomable by today’s standards, but in the ’80s, it seemed like an invigorating project, one that the publisher devoted several years to. The stand-out New Universe publication? Star Brand.

Ultimately, the New Universe was a commercial failure for Marvel, and all of its titles were canceled by 1989. In the years since, elements of the New Universe have, naturally, found their way into Marvel canon, and that includes the Star Brand character concept, but not the original Star Brand himself, Kenneth Cornell. That is why it is actually huge news, for hardcore Marvel lorehounds, that the character is finally making a comeback. In addition to Star Brand being a character that deserves a return, it also contains the seeds of potential for more New Universe revivals in the future.

Getting Star Brand To Join The Cast Was A Coup, Says “Battleworld” Writer

The Thrill Of Resurrecting A Long-Forgotten Hero

Author Christos Gage was fortunate enough to be given wide range in assembling Battleworld’s cast, and he made it clear that incorporating the first Star Brand into the story was a major feather in his creative cap. Gage explained:

When I thought I was already in nerd heaven, they let me have Star Brand. The ORIGINAL Star Brand, Ken Connell! I still have the entire run of his New Universe comic that I bought personally between 1986 and 1989, so yeah, we’re gonna go a little nuts with this one.

In other words, Star Brand is a favorite of the series’ author, which is the first hint, along with the fact that he is prominently featured on one of the first covers revealed for Battleworld, that the long-forgotten hero could play a significant role in the series, much more than just a cameo.

Whether Kenneth Cornell will survive Battleworld, and perhaps live to find himself in the mainstream Marvel continuity, are questions that can only be answered by the release of the series. However, they are questions that are at the top of longtime Marvel fans’ minds, as the inclusion of the OG Star Brand is the clearest signal about what to expect from the upcoming limited series. Which, enticingly, seems to be the unexpected, meaning the Marvel event series has many more surprises in store for fans.

Battleworld #1 will be available September 24, 2025 from Marvel Comics.

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