Jim Starlin

Jim Starlin is a comic artist and writer, best known for "cosmic" tales and space operas. Starlin is also credited with revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock and for creating or co-creating the Marvel characters Thanos, Drax the Destroyer, Gamora and Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu.

After writing and drawing stories for a number of fan publications, Starlin got his break into Marvel Comics in 1972.

Starlin's first job for Marvel was as a finisher on pages of The Amazing Spider-Man. He then drew three issues of Iron Man, that introduced the characters Thanos and Drax the Destroyer. He was then given the chance to draw an issue of the "cosmic" title Captain Marvel. Starlin took over as plotter the following issue, and began developing an elaborate story arc centered on the villainous Thanos, and spread across a number of Marvel titles.

He also was instrumental in the creation of iterations of Marvel and DC characters and storylines including of Star Reach, Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu, Legion of Super-Heroes, Dreadstar, Batman: The Cult & A Death in the Family, The Weird, Cosmic Odyssey, Silver Surfer, The Infinity Gauntlet, Infinity War, Infinity Crusade, Hardcore Station, Marvel: The End, Cosmic Guard, Mystery in Space, Death of the New Gods, Rann-Thanagar Holy War, Strange, Adventures and Stormwatch.

Starlin went by the pseudonym Steve Apollo, taken from a character he created for Star*Reach #1 in the 1970s, while Gemini is a signature used by Jim Starlin and Al Milgrom, primarily on covers.