After Marvel recently introduced a new Star Brand baby in Avengers #30, some readers might be wondering just what Star Brand is and where it came from. Here is a brief overview of the origin of Star Brand, those who've used it and its history in multiple universes.
Star Brand was one of the foundational titles of Jim Shooter’s New Universe imprint line in the late '80s. When the Star Brand’s first known user, “The Old Man” -- supposedly a 500-year-old Dutchman -- tried to leave the power on an asteroid, it caused the White Event, an explosion of energy that gave a small percentage of humans superhuman powers. In that same event the Star Brand was passed on to Kenneth Connell, a Pittsburgh auto mechanic. The series then followed Ken’s struggles to learn and use the power, until his girlfriend becomes pregnant with the Star Child.
The Star Child gestates rapidly and bursts out of the womb, killing its mother (something mirrored to a degree in the newest Star Brand baby’s birth). It's fully aware of its powers but has no knowledge of the world. After attempting to learn and use its powers for good, it flies into space to meditate where it realizes that, due to a time paradox, it, The Old Man, and Kenneth Connell are the same person. It attempts to seal itself and the other two in a time loop to wall away the Star Brand, but forgets that some of the power had been given to a pilot, Jim Hanrahan.
Sometime later, after the end of the New Universe imprint, Quasar from Marvel Universe 616 finds himself on New Universe Earth where he seeks out Jim Hanrahan. His goal is to convince Hanrahan to give up the power, which Quasar believes he needs to get home. Succeeding, Quasar returns to Earth 616. Afterwards, he believes the power must have worn off, but he is wrong. His Quantum band was simply covering the black, tattoo-like Star Brand mark on his wrist, blocking its power.
Shortly thereafter, Quasar accidentally passes the power on to his secretary, Kayla Ballantine, who soon comes under attack by various villains. One who succeeds in claiming the power for a short period is Ereshkigal, a Deviant woman, who commits suicide after the Living Tribunal intervenes, sending the power back to Ballantine. The Stranger eventually takes control of the power and uses it to bring the New Universe Earth into the mainstream Marvel Universe to use for experiments. Again, the Living Tribunal intervenes, sealing off the world and the Star Brand, fearing its power.
From there, the Star Brand was forgotten until Marvel NOW! in 2012. In Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers, a new White Event occurs in which college student Kevin Connor receives the Star Brand, while his entire college is destroyed. The Avengers investigate and ally with Connor against the Builders. Afterwards, Captain America makes him an official member of the team.
Eventually it's discovered the Star Brand is a planetary defense mechanism and that other planets have their own Star Brands, which now manifests as a glowing white mark instead of a black one. Connor is later killed by Ghost Rider’s Penance Stare.
Finally, in Avengers #30 by Jason Aaron, Ed McGuinness, Francesco Manna, Mark Morales, Jason Keith and VC's Cory Petit, a new Star Brand is born: a little girl whose mother dies in childbirth due to the massive energy bursts released with each contraction. After she's born, Captain America takes her to ensure she is well cared for, even as others, such as Silver Surfer, Gladiator, Terrax and Firelord, warn that she is the greatest threat to the universe.
These are the main Star Brands. However, different versions appeared in newuniversal, an alternate take on the New Universe by Warren Ellis. Fantastic Four, original Exiles title, Untold Tales of the New Universe and Avengers Forever also featured their own Star Brands. There was even Ancient Star Brand in 1,000,000 B.C. in Avengers, showing the history of the powerful entity is about as long as that of the Marvel Universe itself.