Origin

Dr. Jimmy Robinson was contacted by member of the Department of Defense when they learned of his studies into the para-zone. They hired him to harness its energies and create a weapon. As it was 1942, the other heroes were contemplating heading to war-torn Europe to fight Hitler's superhumans. So, he used his invention to become Doctor Star and join them.

Creation

Doctor Star debuted in Black Hammer #4 by Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston. He is not only an homage to DC's Starman, but his civilian name being "Jimmy Robinson" is an homage to acclaimed Starman writer James Robinson. The World of Black Hammer Encyclopedia refers to him as Doctor Andromeda. It is not yet clear why this was changed.

Major Story Arcs

The Kingdom of Lost Tomorrow

Doc was looking to the stars hoping to find life and finally did in 1951. After a quick goodbye to his wife and son as if he was just going to the store, he flew across the cosmos and landed on a planet of peaceful healers. Their way of life has made them prey, and they needed a guardian. He fought a dragon that lived near a black hole. It was easily defeated, but being so close to the black hole caused time to move differently. By the time he made it back to Earth, it had been 18 years.

He missed so much time with his son, who held it against him. He had married and started a new life, but he was also dying of cancer. Doc’s daughter in law wouldn’t allow him to visit his son in the hospital. The only thing he could think of to do is go back to space in search of a cure. He activated his beacon but received a strange message in return.

A resident of the planet he saved showed up in a costume and with a weapon, both of which resembled his own. They had banded together with volunteers from other planets to protect space in Doc’s own image. They became the Star Sheriff Squadron. Doc was impressed but was even more impressed with the fact that they located the door to the para-zone to power their weapons. He was now faced with a choice: the scientific discovery he’s been chasing on the son he was trying to make everything up to.

He chose his son, sitting by his bedside, telling him his life story before his son passed on.

Reborn

After the death of his son, Doc went exploring in space again. He believed there was nothing left for him on Earth. When looking into the Para-Zone, he saw an evil twin staring back at him. Doc hesitated. His twin didn't.

When Doc was attacked by his evil double, he raced back to Earth and was saved by the vigilante known as Skulldigger. Since he was the only "hero" left in the city, Doc recruited him to help him track and contain his double before he opens a portal through the Para-Zone and releases the Anti-God. He never personally succeeded.

Instead, he was kidnapped by the evil twin of Black Hammer, who forced Doc to work where his evil twin failed. Years later, he was found by Skulldigger and Lucy Weber from his world and a heroic variant of Sherlock Frankenstein. When the evil Black Hammer killed Skulldigger and brought Lucy back to her world to collect her mother, Sherlock tried to destroy Doc's machine, causing the many universes to start collapsing and merging with each other.

Variants

Para-Verse

A version of Doctor Andromeda from an alternate reality where the heroes and villains had switched realities found the main Doctor Andromeda and attacked him. He wanted them to work together on his new project.

He believed he was the key to the "Para-Verse" and started trying to open portals through the Para-Zone into new realities. He had determined that the Anti-God came from the Para-Zone, and he wanted to bring him back for mysterious reasons.

He was confronted by Lucy Weber (who thought he was the version she knew), but when she couldn't convince him to close the portal, she killed him.