The Darkstars were created and run by the Controllers, an offshoot of the Guardians of the Universe. Though their goal was to establish order in the universe, the ancient Maltusian race known as the Controllers were isolationists by nature.


The Controllers created NEMO, the Network for the Establishment and Maintenance of Order. NEMO would keep the troubles of the galaxy away from the Controllers' domain. The Controllers did not intend to use NEMO to benefit other races, but it did. Over the millennia the Controllers realized they would have to take a more active stance by attacking chaos at its roots. Despite all the good they did, there were too many NEMO operatives in too many different places. NEMO and the Controllers devised a new plan to ensure order. The Darkstars were created. The first of these new protectors was named Druu, one of a thousand to carry the name Darkstar.[1]


The first Darkstar to arrive on Earth was Ferrin Colos. He was tracking the supervillain Evil Star, but in the process, encountered a ring of intergalactic drug smugglers in Dallas. He was authorized to appoint two humans as his deputies, giving them less powerful versions of the Darkstar uniform. John Flint and Mo Douglas filled the slots,[2] though Flint left early on because he had command issues.[3] Carla White, who had at that point already been an ally of the group, became his replacement.[4] They participated in the fight against the Triarch on Maltus, but Colos found his orders contradictive, and chose to ignore them. As it turned out, a Controller was responsible for it all, causing loyalty issues within the ranks.[5]


As in many large corporations, agents of NEMO used their position to advance their own interests. Dirnu Jurnin committed several high-tech crimes on Earth and framed the criminal Bindar Kleeg.[6] Huvah Jeddigar's arrogance proved much worse. He nurtured a small universe with which he hoped to expand his powers. Merayn Dethalis stole it from him, and Jeddigar made her the subject of a manhunt, claiming she bore a dangerous weapon. Colos' attempt to investigate eventually lead to a court martial, which he lost. He tried to expose Jeddigar, but in the fight, they were both sucked into the borning universe. Jeddigar had already selected a replacement in Donna Troy, while the Controllers themselves selected former Green Lantern John Stewart to keep a closer watch on the corrupt officials.[7]

With Jeddigar gone, Stewart was eventually made director. He recruited many old members of the Green Lantern Corps after its collapse, who were grateful of this new opportunity to prove themselves. They saw their first action in a gang war between the Syndicate and Crimelord. With Colos gone, Carla White resigned her position as deputy, but Mo Douglas accepted a full commission, and helped refugees that were driven away from their homes by Psimon.[8] Ferrin Colos eventually escaped from the universe and rejoined the ranks.[9]

Dwindling numbers

The Controllers had pulled out of the Darkstar project, because they felt the agents would no longer follow their ideas. As a consequence, the majority of the Exo-Mantles were powerless. Only a new model, introduced after Jeddigar's betrayal, still functioned. In the meantime, Grayven hunted down Darkstars, and slew them cruelly. Stewart learned of this, and the remaining Darkstars with a functioning armor—only seventeen—intercepted him on Rann.

The battle was brutal, and saw the deaths of K'ryssma, Charlie Vicker and several others. John Stewart was crippled. Kyle Rayner had to help them out, and he defeated Grayven. Merayn and Donna resigned to tend to John, leaving only four Darkstars alive: Bron, Munchukk, Colos and Galius Zed.[10] They stayed behind to rebuild Rann, and contemplated their future. Galius Zed was murdered by Fatality in her hunt for former Green Lanterns.[11]


The last three members returned to Rann years later to help in the fight against the energy vampire Starbreaker. They siphoned off a considerable amount of power from him, which helped save the day, but their suits ruptured and all were disintegrated.[12]

Not long after that the Darkstar's were revived and empowered by the murderous demigoddess Lady Styx to act as her vessels to spread her word and her twisted religion across the cosmos.[13] Many new members consisting of those whom where stolen away and slaughtered by the Spider Guild who're in service to the demented alien divinity, or were predominantly deceased before her rise to power that used to affiliated with the Omega Men.

The Stygian Passover would utilize the Darkstars paramilitary unit as a weapon against all unaffiliated faiths and their gods. Roving from world after world razing their cultures to the ground and murdering everyone in sight, all in order to cull rival theological movements to pave the way for the coming of their lady.[14]

With every world they slaughtered the ranks of the Darkstars would grow considerably. As they would often reinvigorate their forces by adding ranks from among the dead populaces belonging to the planets and it's people whom her new enforcers had slaughtered. Giving them twisted pseudo life and similar empowerment's as the other revenant's in they're ladies service.[15]

New 52

Justice League 0001
DC Rebirth Logo


The Controllers sought to reestablish order in the Universe through draconian law enforcement.[16] They started by first kidnapping their former neighbors, the Maltusians who now acted as the Guardians of the Universe for extracting their genetic sequencing to create hybridized Controllers to feed their ranks.[17]

All of this was for the purpose of creating a more powerful hivemind, aided with new technology that disrupts lantern energies, which would enable them to better control the new and improved Darkstar Exo-Mantle's slaved directly to their cosmic communion.[18]

With the greatly augmented powered armors now boasting a computerized intelligence to enable the seeking and appointment of worthy vassals to serve their agenda. But due to the 10th Metal incident during Dark Nights: Metal, the Controller's new and improved carapaces gained sentience of their own.[19][20] The newly produced armors overtook their creators and locked them in coma like stasis, where their collective consciousness would link free thinking Darkstar initiates together both in mind and body alongside continuing to power their Mantle's.[21]



Equipment: Darkstar Exo-Mantle
Transportation: None known.
Weapons: None known.


  • No special notes.


  • No trivia.

See Also

Links and References

