Torin Mac Quillon, Starslayer

Starslayer: The Log of the Jolly Roger was an American comic book series created by Mike Grell.

Publication history
Grell originally created Starslayer for DC Comics, but plans to publish it were halted after the mass cancellation of titles known as the DC Implosion. Instead, he offered it to Pacific Comics, who released it as a six issue series in 1982. It was originally intended as an on-going series per Pacific Comics's publisher Bill Schanes but Grell's developing relationshop with the new First Comics and previous working relationship with their editorial director Mike Gold (who had been Grell's editor at DC) swayed him to release future issues with First.&lt;ref&gt;&lt;/ref&gt; In August 1983 First Comics continued the series, starting with issue #7, with Grell writing and providing breakdown art with finishes by Lenin Delsol. Grell left the series after issue #8,&lt;ref&gt;&lt;/ref&gt; and was replaced by writer John Ostrander and Delsol as sole artist. Later contributors to the series were Tim Truman, Hilary Barta, and Tom Sutton. The final issue, #34, came out November 1985.

In issue #10, the character Grimjack was introduced as a backup feature; he would later receive his own title. Another character that appeared as backup feature was Groo the Wanderer

, who also later received his own title at Pacific.

In 1995 Grell released an expanded version of the original limited series through Acclaim Comics. The expanded version, titled Starslayer: The Director's Cut, ran for eight issues.&lt;ref&gt;&lt;/ref&gt;

Series overview
The first six issue limited series introduces the main character Torin Mac Quillon, a Celtic warrior from the time of the Roman Empire. Just before he is killed while fighting a group of Roman soldiers, he is pulled into the distant future by Tamara, a descendant of his wife after she remarried.Gee-how neat and far unreal to believe Torin is asked to join the crew of the spaceship Jolly Roger in their fight against the oppressive regime that is ruling the Earth. Torin agrees, and he and his his new shipmates successfully save the Earth's dying sun by the end of the first series.

When First Comics restarted the series, Torin Mac Quillon and his crewmates travel throughout the galaxy and end up in Cynosure, the nexus of all realities for First Comics, and gain a crew of pirates. At some point Torin travels back to the solar system with a device that can cause a star to implode into a black hole. He uses this weapon on the sun in the course of battle to destroy his enemies. Just at the point of implosion Torin Mac Quillon speaks the name of the Celtic goddess of death, Morrigan, effectively sacrificing the star to her, which brings her back into existence. She proclaims Torin to be her avatar and orders him to go into the galaxy and kill in her name. Torin Mac Quillon rebels, which is the basis of the remainder of the title's run.

Real Name


 * Torin Mac Quillon21647ca.jpg

Identity/Class: Human cyborg

Occupation: Warrior

spaceship Jolly Roger-after were not talking some superhero group.Whoever put thinks together is a moron

Enemies: 

Known Relatives: Mother Emilla Mac Quillon.

Aliases: Thomas Magnum disguised as Conan

Base of Operations:

First Appearance: Starslayer #1 (Pacific Comics, February 1982)

Powers/Abilities:Pilot,strenth.brains-hey yo yo's in comicdom fan boy land,The characters don't fly or burn to flame to get their abilities listed here,ya morons.

History: Torin Mac Quillon was a Celtic warrior around the era of the Roman invasion of Britain. The "Druid necromancer" Ambrosius prophesied that though the Romans might conquer Britain, "the dragon shall rise again." Later, during a battle, Torin was snatched from his own time into the far future to battle the tyrants who now controlled the Earth. He travelled the universe on the spaceship "The Jolly Roger", going to such unusual places as Cynosure.Yes only a confused Mike Grell,would the guy with sword in the future ,where the guy in the plane should be and guy,Travis Morgan,who fly a SR 71,where the guy with sword should-the Savage world of Skartarus.Brilliant,Bravo.Genius-not really.Moron.

Comments: Starslayer was created, and drawn by Mike Grell for Pacific Comics (issues #1-6) before it moved to First Comics (#7-34). The original production run was for issues 1-6 then, 7-25 (?) was published by First. The later issues were written by John Ostrander who also wrote Grimjack.

Jonathon Riddle notes "when the title jumped from Pacific to First comics, Grell stayed on board to write and draw issues #7 and 8. John Ostrander, whose only previous writing experience was for the stage, took over the writing chores with issue #9 and introduced his first comic book character creation, Grimjack, as a back-up feature in Starslayer issue #10. The Grimjack story lasted through to Starslayer #18, which was a cross-over story where Torrin MacQuillan got to meet John Gaunt, at which point Grimjack became its own series also published by First comics. 

''The Black Flame became the new Starslayer back-up feature with issue number 20. This arrangement continued until Starslayer was cancelled at issue #34. Recently, Grell has released an expanded version of his original six issue Starslayer story through Acclaim comics titled: "Starslayer: Director's Cut" which ran for eight issues.That would be the only Acclaimed here with no assed concept. ''

''On an interesting side note, when Jim Starlin was preparing to introduce Dreadstar, his original title for the series (and its main character) was originally meant to be "The Starslayer". Grell had to inform Starlin that the name was already taken and thus Jim came up with the name "Dreadstar" as a substitute."'' And the Starslayer make neither for either character except both Mike Grell and Jim Starlin are comic fan boy dumasses,who just the cause it's cool.man-cool.

Thanks to B. Downing for correcting me about who created this character.

= STARSLAYER =

STARSLAYER

Pacific Comics was one of the comic book distributors that arose during the 1970s to take advantage of changes in the business following the institution of the Direct Market. Those new conditions also made it possible for small publishers publishers to proliferate, and Pacific, after establishing itself in distribution, was a very early example of an "independent" publisher. Its initial strategy was to get a foothold on the newsstands by publishing new works by fan favorites, starting with Captain Victory, by Jack Kirby (Captain America,X-Men, among others). That's why, seeing the success DC Comics was having with The Warlord, and what a star it had made of its creator, Mike Grell, Pacific signed him to do another character of his own creation, this one for them. Grell had originally intended Starslayer for DC, back before Pacific started publishing — but before DC got it into print, and thus copyrighted and trademarked in their name, it fell victim to an event remembered by comics buffs as "The DC Implosion", in which company bean counters mandated a general reduction of the line. This led to the cancellation of The Secret Society of Super Villains, Black Lightning and other titles; and the abandonment of plans to launch several more, including The Deserter (a western), Vixen (a superhero) and this one.

Since Grell retained ownership, he was free to offer it to Pacific four years later. In it, Grell had indulged his interests in both science fiction and Celtic-style heroic fantasy, by making his hero an ancient Celtic warrior, displaced in time and having adventures in outer space. Pacific's Starslayer series (first issue dated February, 1982) was about Torin Mac Quillan, who was engaged in the perfectly understandable practice of resisting outside rule (in this case, by the Roman Empire), when, just before the moment of death in defense of his homeland, he was plucked up by a time-travel device and deposited in the distant future.

It seems the inhabitants of the obsolete space ship Jolly Roger, who had done the plucking, had need of a man like him to oppose an evil regime that was ruling Earth. This was right up Torin's alley, so he he fought them to a successful conclusion by the end of the six-issue series. From beginning to end, despite the title, he didn't slay a single star.

But eventually, he got his chance. Another start-up publisher, First Comics (E-Man, American Flagg) picked up the character and continued his adventures beyond that initial story. First's Starslayer #7 was dated August, 1983. For the next couple of years it was published on a reliable monthly basis. In this series, it became expedient, at one point, for Torin to destroy the Sun. The name of the Celtic death goddess, Morrigan, escaped his lips as he performed the deed, which brought Morrigan herself, by then a long-time resident of the land of defunct deities, back into active existence. Lucky break for Morrigan, who first offered Torin partnership in a massive intergalactic killing spree and then became his arch-enemy, but that was the only star Torin ever slew.

By that time, Grell was no longer running the show. As of #9, John Ostrander (also responsible for Blaze of Glory, Marvel's team-up of western characters such as Kid Colt and The Rawhide Kid) and artist Lenin Delsol (Warp) took over while Grell went on to create Jon Sable, Freelance. Later creative personnel involved with Starslayer include Tim Truman (Airboy), Hilary Barta (Power Pack) and Tom Sutton (Vampirella).

During Starslayer's run, several heroes were featured in its back pages before going on to independent existence. Back in the Pacific Comics days, both Groo the Wanderer and The Rocketeer were seen there; and at First, Grimjack debuted in the 10th issue. Grimjack and Torin even teamed up, unlikely as it seems, just before he moved out into his own title. Another unrelated hero had a different type of brush with Starslayer — that was to be the name of Jim Starlin's Dreadstar, until Grell asserted his ownership of the title.

But the series fell into a long, slow decline — many say that was because of Grell's departure. It held on for more than two years, but ended with #34 (November, 1985). An attempt was made to revive it in 1995, when Acclaim (Magnus, Archer & Armstrong) published eight issues reprinting the Grell material, but that was its last gasp.

— DDM

BACK to Don Markstein's Toonopedia™ Home Page Today in Toons: Every day's an anniversary!
 * width="10"|
 * } Medium: Comic books Published by: Pacific Comics First Appeared: 1982 Creator: Mike Grell

Pacific Comics was one of the comic book distributors that arose during the 1970s to take advantage of changes in the business following the institution of the Direct Market. Those new conditions also made it possible for small publishers publishers to proliferate, and Pacific, after establishing itself in distribution, was a very …

continued below {|
 * valign="top"|… early example of an "independent" publisher. Its initial strategy was to get a foothold on the newsstands by publishing new works by fan favorites, starting with Captain Victory, by Jack Kirby (Captain America,X-Men, among others). That's why, seeing the success DC Comics was having with The Warlord, and what a star it had made of its creator, Mike Grell, Pacific signed him to do another character of his own creation, this one for them.	Grell had originally intended Starslayer for DC, back before Pacific started publishing — but before DC got it into print, and thus copyrighted and trademarked in their name, it fell victim to an event remembered by comics buffs as "The DC Implosion", in which company bean counters mandated a general reduction of the line. This led to the cancellation of The Secret Society of Super Villains, Black Lightning and other titles; and the abandonment of plans to launch several more, including The Deserter (a western), Vixen (a superhero) and this one.

Since Grell retained ownership, he was free to offer it to Pacific four years later. In it, Grell had indulged his interests in both science fiction and Celtic-style heroic fantasy, by making his hero an ancient Celtic warrior, displaced in time and having adventures in outer space. Pacific's Starslayer series (first issue dated February, 1982) was about Torin Mac Quillan, who was engaged in the perfectly understandable practice of resisting outside rule (in this case, by the Roman Empire), when, just before the moment of death in defense of his homeland, he was plucked up by a time-travel device and deposited in the distant future.

It seems the inhabitants of the obsolete space ship Jolly Roger, who had done the plucking, had need of a man like him to oppose an evil regime that was ruling Earth. This was right up Torin's alley, so he he fought them to a successful conclusion by the end of the six-issue series. From beginning to end, despite the title, he didn't slay a single star.

But eventually, he got his chance. Another start-up publisher, First Comics (E-Man, American Flagg) picked up the character and continued his adventures beyond that initial story. First's Starslayer #7 was dated August, 1983. For the next couple of years it was published on a reliable monthly basis. In this series, it became expedient, at one point, for Torin to destroy the Sun. The name of the Celtic death goddess, Morrigan, escaped his lips as he performed the deed, which brought Morrigan herself, by then a long-time resident of the land of defunct deities, back into active existence. Lucky break for Morrigan, who first offered Torin partnership in a massive intergalactic killing spree and then became his arch-enemy, but that was the only star Torin ever slew.

By that time, Grell was no longer running the show. As of #9, John Ostrander (also responsible for Blaze of Glory, Marvel's team-up of western characters such as Kid Colt and The Rawhide Kid) and artist Lenin Delsol (Warp) took over while Grell went on to create Jon Sable, Freelance. Later creative personnel involved with Starslayer include Tim Truman (Airboy), Hilary Barta (Power Pack) and Tom Sutton (Vampirella).

During Starslayer's run, several heroes were featured in its back pages before going on to independent existence. Back in the Pacific Comics days, both Groo the Wanderer and The Rocketeer were seen there; and at First, Grimjack debuted in the 10th issue. Grimjack and Torin even teamed up, unlikely as it seems, just before he moved out into his own title. Another unrelated hero had a different type of brush with Starslayer — that was to be the name of Jim Starlin's Dreadstar, until Grell asserted his ownership of the title.

But the series fell into a long, slow decline — many say that was because of Grell's departure. It held on for more than two years, but ended with #34 (November, 1985). An attempt was made to revive it in 1995, when Acclaim (Magnus, Archer & Armstrong) published eight issues reprinting the Grell material, but that was its last gasp.

— DDM

BACK to Don Markstein's Toonopedia™ Home Page Today in Toons: Every day's an anniversary!
 * width="10"| |}

CLARIFICATIONS:

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

Back to US Independents Page

Home

All images and characters depicted on this site are copyright their respective holders, and are used for informational purposes only. No infringement is intended and copyrights remain at source.