IRON LANTERN (Hal Stark)	BIOGRAPHY
Created by Kurt Busiek and Al Williamson, Pepoy, Adams, McLeod, Palmer, Milgrom, Smith

PERSONAL DATA

Real Name: Hal Stark
Homeworld: Earth (Amalgam)
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Jack Stark, Jim Stark (brothers); Bethany (sister-in-law)
Gender: Male
Height: Approx. 6' 0", in armor approx. 6' 6"
Weight: Approx. 205 lbs, in armor approx. 240 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
First Appearance: Iron Lantern #1 (June 1997): "Showdown at Stark Aircraft!"
Creators: Kurt Busiek and Al Williamson, Pepoy, Adams, McLeod, Palmer, Milgrom, Smith

HISTORY

An agent of Oa, the Living Planet, the alien named Rhomann Sur found himself under attack by hostile forces. He made a futile bid to try and call for help from a group of protectors but Sur's starcraft was shot down and crashed on Earth.

Located outside of Coast City, California was the Stark Aircraft Corporation, some miles distant from Rhomann Sur's crash site. The owner of the company, Hal Stark, was making modifications to a stationary flight trainer when a green glow enveloped the machinery and carried it and Stark towards the open desert.

Rhomann Sur had been mortally injured. Before he died, the alien drank from a bottle filled with an unknown liquid. The significance, if any, of this act has yet to be determined.

The energy carrying Stark suddenly cut off, presumably at the moment of Sur's death. The flight trainer crashed a few yards from the alien spacecraft. Stark was badly injured, jagged metal pierced his chest but he managed to drag himself inside the spacecraft where he found the corps of Rhomann Sur.

Stark used the alien technology to build himself a suit of armor that would keep him alive. The armor was powered by a lantern-like battery he had found in the wreckage. Wearing the armor, Stark fought off the aliens that had shot down Rhomann Sur's ship and he eventually made a reputation for himself as the super-hero Iron Lantern.

Over time, Stark would improve and streamline the armor. Drawing its power from the lantern battery, Iron Lantern could fly as well as create energy constructs from the unibeam in the armor's chest piece. His strength was enhanced and computer tracking systems were built into the armored shell.

Iron Lantern would later visit Oa, the Living Planet, the mysterious benefactor that granted his power. Oa's Central Power Battery supplied energy to Iron Lantern's battery back on Earth. A sentient creature, Oa kept his motivations a secret. Stark was put off by Oa's sometimes condescending attitude towards him as he did not like to be considered anyone's "servant." Stark would find many questions remained unanswered, specifically if Oa had any other agents such as himself and what, if any, was his connection to the HUMAN LANTERN of World War Two's All-Winner's Squadron.

As Iron Lantern, Stark would make numerous enemies including the magnetic whip wielding Doctor Whiplash, a villain with ties to the criminal organization known as The 100. The mechanical humanoid shark called Great White used its colossal size and strength against humanity until it was ultimately deactivated. The ring wielding Mandarinestro opposed Oa and those that allied themselves with the Living Planet. Madame Sapphire knew of Iron Lantern's identity as Hal Stark and used her gem energy against the Emerald Shellhead while in her identity of Pepper Ferris she knew nothing of Stark and Iron Lantern's connection, let alone her dual life as Madame Sapphire. Frequent foe H.E.C.T.O.R., the Highly Evolved Creature focussed Totally On Revenge was one of Iron Lantern's deadliest enemies. H.E.C.T.O.R. would either work through unwitting agents, such as the villains Sonicorn and Black Brand or ally himself with Iron Lantern's other foes such as the Weaponers of AIM.

Hal Stark also had another identity, that of Arno Manning in the far flung future of 5700 AD. Protecting the future Earth as Iron Lantern 5700, Arno Manning found Sunset Vane romantically attracted to him.

During one adventure on present day Earth, Kyle O'Brien stepped in for Iron Lantern and wielded the emerald power as the Green Guardsman. O'Brien considered that day to be the high point of his life and would later make dealings to take the power as his own.

Though Stark's personal life appeared to be that of a freewheeling executive known for dating heiresses and starlets, it centered on a trio of friends who were employees at Stark Aircraft. Engineer and pilot Stewart Rhodes knew of Stark's identity as Iron Lantern as did "Happy" Kalmaku, Stark's chief mechanic. Kalmaku kept a secret diary of Stark's adventures as Iron Lantern and shared a romantic interest in Pepper Ferris, a test pilot for Stark Aircraft. Unfortunately for Kalmaku, Ferris did not return the attraction and in fact was interested in Hal Stark. As her employer, Stark felt it would be improper to pursue a relationship with Ferris but he too was attracted to her.

Stark Aircraft's chief business rival was Olivia Stane, but perhaps the toughest business foe Stark faced was Senator Harrington Ferris, father of Pepper Ferris. Senator Ferris was quick to anger and considered Hal Stark to be irresponsible.

Little is known about Hal Stark's family, save that he has two brothers, Jack and Jim. Jim's wife Bethany believed her husband is secretly Iron Lantern, never realizing how close she is to the truth.

Shortly after he and Mariner defeated the alliance of H.E.C.T.O.R. and the Weaponers of AIM, Iron Lantern returned to Earth to find Senator Ferris once again angry at him due to the failure of the S-41. Stewart Rhodes and Pepper Ferris believed it to be the work of saboteurs but the elder Ferris threatened to cite Stark with contempt of Congress and pull all government contracts. Angered by chauvinistic comments made by her father, Pepper Ferris left with the Senator sending Kyle O'Brien after her.

Pepper found a floating purple gem which transformed her back into Madame Sapphire. Another hidden force had manipulated her into becoming Iron Lantern's enemy once more. Madam Sapphire in turn reactivated Great White which threatened to destroy Stark Aircraft.

Hal Stark made way to his private office where his security recognition codes and countersigns granted him access to the armor of Iron Lantern. Trying to defend Stark Aircraft from Great White, Iron Lantern fund himself under attack by Madame Sapphire as well. Launching Great White into space, Iron Lantern created a second layer of armor around himself which increased his size to that of Great White's. This took a great amount of energy to accomplish, a feat which was noticed on Earth.

Rhodes and Kalmaku could hear the strain on the power battery and went to hidden battery chamber to investigate. Though Kyle O'Brien had been sent after Pepper Ferris, he had plans of his own. Breaking into the inner chamber which housed Iron Lantern's battery, he knocked out Kalmaku and Rhodes then stole the power battery.

Out in space, Iron Lantern felt the power disconnect and used his emergency reserve power to detonate Great White from the inside. He fell helplessly to Earth, catching aflame as he hit Earth's atmosphere.

Madame Sapphire, her mission fulfilled, turned to personal matters by immobilizing Harrington Ferris' personal guards, Gardner and Gyrich then kidnapping the Senator.

On the dark side of the moon, the orchestrator behind the scenes, Mandarinestro watched all. He had masterminded the sabotage, turned O'Brien into one of his unwitting agents, awakened Madam Sapphire and crushed another agent of Oa, the Living Planet. -Iron Lantern #1

CHRONOLOGY

For a definitive list of appearances of Iron Lantern in chronological order click here