Tales of the New Teen Titans

Origin of Starfire. As the Titans prepare to return to New York at the conclusion of their camping excursion, Starfire recounts the story of her origin. Koriand’r's birth to the royal family of the planet Tamaran was an occasion of great joy to all but her older sister, Komand’r, who, born sickly and thus unable to fly like her peers and judged unfit to rule, deeply resented her new sibling.

As the girls grew older, Komand’r became more and more wantonly cruel, even as their father led Tamaran’s forces against the invading warships of the Citadel, first planet of the Vegan system. Eventually Komand’r and Koriand’r, together with youngster of the various Vegan worlds, were taken to be trained in combat by the Warlords of Okaara. The training culminated in a duel between the two sisters in which Komand’r cheated and disgraced herself, nearly killing Koriand’r, who nevertheless saved her sister’s life. Komand’r then defected to the Citadel, revealing Tamaran’s defense secrets and instigating a series of devastating attacks on her homeworld in which millions were killed. Finally, a truce was called on condition that Koriand’r be turned over to the Gordanians, the Citadel’s lizard-like allies, as a slave.

After six years of torture, hardship, and degradation, the future Starfire was brought before her sister, even as the Gordanians were attacked by the Psions, ancient enemies of the Citadel and consciousness scientists devoted to experimenting on other life forms. Koriand’r and Komand’r were captured by the Psions, who attempted to learn the secret of their race’s ability to fly by means of solar energy. Counterattacked by the Citadel during the experiment, the Psions left the two sisters shackled to a device channeling solar power through their bodies, with the result that both gained the power to fire powerful star-bolts from their hands.

Koriand’r escaped and freed her sister, only to be blasted and returned to the Citadel as a captive for her trouble. Eventually, she made her getaway to Earth, where she joined the Teen Titans. Their vacation at an end even as Starfire concludes her story, the Titans drink a toast to their friendship before returning home.