S.T.A.R. Labs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the fictional organization in DC Comics. S.T.A.R. Labs is not related to S.T.A.R.S.
| S.T.A.R. Labs | |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Superman Vol. 1 #246 (December 1971) |
| In story information | |
| Type of organization | Research and development |
| Base(s) | Gotham City Metropolis |
The Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Laboratories, usually shortened to S.T.A.R. Labs, is a research organization shown in various stories published by DC Comics. S.T.A.R. Labs is most often seen in the Superman and Teen Titans comics.
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[edit] Fictional history and locations
S.T.A.R. was founded by a scientist named Garrison Slate, who wanted a nationwide chain of research laboratories unconnected to the government or any business interests. He succeeded not only on a national scale, but an international one as well: S.T.A.R. Labs currently maintains facilities in Canada, Europe, Australia, and Japan as well as in the United States, with the total number of facilities numbering between twenty and thirty at last recorded count.
A partial list of some known locations of S.T.A.R. Labs facilities and their research focuses, where either is known, includes:
- Austin, Texas
- Central City, Missouri
- Chicago, Illinois: specializing in research and technology
- Gotham City: specializing in weaponry
- Keystone City, Kansas
- Los Angeles, California: specializing in genetics and disease control
- Melbourne, Australia
- Metropolis (Queensland Park Borough, near Metropolis Harbor): specializing in marine biology
- Metropolis (central branch, New Troy Island): catch-all facility
- New York City, New York: specializing in research and technology
- Palo Alto, medical facillity
- Phoenix, Arizona: specializing in meteorology and natural disasters
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, radioactive storage and testing centers
- San Diego, California: specializing in chemical research
- San Francisco, California: specializing in studying meta-humans
- Seattle, Washington: specializing in studying psychology and psionics.
- Wichita, Kansas, specializing in computer engineering
Among the dismantled or otherwise inactive facilities:
- Detroit, Michigan: specialized in physics research. Was closed down in 2004.
[edit] Comic appearances
S.T.A.R. Labs was introduced in Superman Vol. 1 #246 (December 1971).
In the Superman comics, Professor Hamilton formerly worked there, and Dr. Kitty Faulkener, also known as the superheroine Rampage, is currently employed there. Lex Luthor has attempted to buy out S.T.A.R. on at least one occasion.
The Metropolis S.T.A.R. Labs is most often seen as a temporary holding area for captured supervillains, as research is made on how to contain them.
The Metropolis location is featured in a battle and as a plot point in Armageddon 2001. The main building is demolished in a multi-hero confrontation with the villain Monarch.
In Teen Titans, Cyborg's parents, Silas and Eleanor Stone, and his former love interest, Dr. Sarah Charles, all worked for S.T.A.R. The technology used to maintain his mechanical parts comes from S.T.A.R. Labs. Other past S. T.A. R. Labs employees are Murray Takamoto, Dr. Jenet Klyburn, and Dr. Albert Michaels (the first Atomic Skull).
The 1993 comics miniseries S.T.A.R. Corps was about a group of superhumans who had inadvertently gained their powers in a S.T.A.R. Labs experiment.
The labs are featured in the 1996 mini-series The Final Night. As eternal winter threatens the world, thanks to the Sun-Eater, S.T.A.R. Labs keeps their webpage updated with encouragement and various information related to the emergency. Their webpages, as text pieces, are presented at the end of each issue.
52 Aftermath: The Four Horsemen #1 (October 2007) shows a S.T.A.R. Labs relief operation working, side by side with Waynetech, in the devastated remains of the country of Bialya.
[edit] Other media
S.T.A.R. Labs is shown in the animated "Superman" episode "The Hunter."
In the TV series The Flash, Dr. Christina "Tina" McGee (Amanda Pays), the scientist who helps Barry Allen (John Wesley Shipp) deal with the super-speed that makes him The Flash, works for S.T.A.R. Labs.
In Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, S.T.A.R. Labs was often mentioned as a source of scientific information. It gained more prominence with the introduction of S.T.A.R. scientist Dr. Bernard Klein as a recurring character from the third season onwards. Dallas City Hall doubles as S.T.A.R. Labs' building exterior for long shots during the series.
In Superman: The Animated Series, S.T.A.R. Labs served much the same purpose as it did in Lois and Clark, let alone that the recurring scientist was Professor Hamilton. S.T.A.R. has also made appearances in Justice League Unlimited (although the role it serves in the ongoing story has changed with the darkening tone of the series), and was briefly mentioned in Batman: The Animated Series (its name was shown on one of Batman's monitors).
S.T.A.R. Labs was also mentioned in the Teen Titans cartoon, as the makers of the "Maxiumum 7," a microchip Cyborg uses to upgrade himself in the episode "Overdrive".
S.T.A.R. Labs is also featured in the animated series Krypto the Superdog.
