# Help me name this comic book **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 10, 2010, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-this-comic-book/528403 "2010-02-10T07:10:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kylede](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@Kylede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kylede)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-this-comic-book/528403/1 "2010-02-10T07:10:08Z")
IN the earliy or mid 1980’s when I was a big comic book reader there was this limited series and I can NOT remember the title. Actually, there are 2… First one - It was not a superhero comic, exactly. The protaganist was the worlds greatest construction worker, who was given this “magic” construction device to help him solve the worlds problems by this shadowy industrialist/humanitarian. At least that was how I remember it. There was a “star” motif to the main character as well. Either a big star on his shirt or workmen gloves. Can anyone help me out??? Second one - it was a series of Graphic novel format books by Marvel (i think). Even though it was graphic novel length and publication values (glossy high quality paper) it wasn’t a single story in each book. They were short stories in a shared setting (ala “Theives World”), and the setting was near future, maybe 100 years, and humanity had recnetly discovered FTL travel. The FTL was extremly easy to build and use and the inventor published the plans and open the patent so that their was this “Gold RUSH” to the stars. It become like the old west/settler/prospector/big coporate exploitation all in a future space setting. This might have been closer to the late 80’s early 90’s If anyone can help me I would really appreciate it ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-this-comic-book/528403/2 "2010-02-10T12:53:33Z")
> [@Kylede](#): > > First one - It was not a superhero comic, exactly. The protaganist was the worlds greatest construction worker, who was given this “magic” construction device to help him solve the worlds problems by this shadowy industrialist/humanitarian. At least that was how I remember it. There was a “star” motif to the main character as well. Either a big star on his shirt or workmen gloves. Can anyone help me out??? This doesn’t really match your description, but what the heck. [Edifice Rex](http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/edificer.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-this-comic-book/528403/3 "2010-02-10T14:38:15Z")
> [@Kylede](#): > > IN the earliy or mid 1980’s when I was a big comic book reader there was this limited series and I can NOT remember the title. Actually, there are 2… > > First one - It was not a superhero comic, exactly. The protaganist was the worlds greatest construction worker, who was given this “magic” construction device to help him solve the worlds problems by this shadowy industrialist/humanitarian. At least that was how I remember it. There was a “star” motif to the main character as well. Either a big star on his shirt or workmen gloves. Can anyone help me out??? Sounds like [Star Brand](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Brand), though differing in minor details from what you described. ---
**Author:** ![Kylede](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@Kylede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kylede)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-this-comic-book/528403/4 "2010-02-10T16:29:56Z")
WOW, I seemed to have stumped everyone It is not “Damage Control” is was not part of an established comics Universe It is not “Star Brand”. He was clearly a super Hero. He didnt have a “magic tool” he had a tattoo, and he was given his powers by an alien, it wasn’t a limited series…many other differences, more then “minor” ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-this-comic-book/528403/5 "2010-02-10T16:42:51Z")
The second sounds like Open Space. While everybody else is working on FTL drive, one company secretly proves it is impossible. They try to develop teleportation instead. They succeed in a small way- in a vacuum or near vacuum their SMOOTS drive can teleport a single atom-width. However, they then discover the SMOOTS drive can repeat this process over and over, at great speed. This is, in effect, faster than light space travel without the need for inertial dampeners or time-dilation. Open Space had a few eras- A century in the future, where megacorps run everything and a new brand of colonists is just beginning to move into earth orbit. The SMOOTS drive is made public and humanity is beginning to discover the stars and the last era I am aware of, humanity has spread across the universe and is discovering all kinds of wonderful things. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-this-comic-book/528403/6 "2010-02-11T02:26:51Z")
I’ve never read it, but the first one’s gotta be **[Steelgrip Starkey (and the All-Purpose Power Tool)](http://www.comics.org/series/3205/)**, published by Marvel through their Epic imprint. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-this-comic-book/528403/7 "2010-02-11T04:55:15Z")
Darn it! I thought I was the only one who remembered Steelgrip Starkey! Interesting comic, too. Ten years later, and it would have been a nanotech device.