Starfishman Inspirations

Starfishman was inspired by many sources. Creator Colby Fulton always had an interest in biology, and one day in a high school biology class he was dissecting a starfish and the drawing came out quite nicely. He was interested in their abilities, and their unique physiology. Inspired by serious heroes like Batman, who accomplished their goals with their genius and fascinating inventions, and humorous mutant heroes like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Swamp Thing, Colby began to draw Starfishman - a brilliant scientist who became part of his work. He realized that the regeneration ability of starfish could rival the healing power of Wolverine, who was a very popular superhero in comics in the late 80s and early 90s. The starfish also use a powerful water vascular system to hold on to rocks, move around the ocean floor, and pry open shellfish to feed. Colby realized that this was just like the climbing ability of Spider-Man.

Other inspirations included the water-controlling aliens from the 1989 movie “The Abyss”. The floating water tentacle really captures the power of water and what it could potentially do if wielded by an aquatic hero. Years later as the character was developed further, camouflage and shape-shifting were also added to Starfishman’s arsenal. For more detail on Starfishman’s abilities, click here.