The Justice League has gone up against some truly terrifying villains in the past. They’ve defeated nightmarish versions of themselves from the Multiverse, fought several mod cosmic gods, and fought against the reanimated corpses of friends and foes. But one of the Justice League’s very first villains has horror potential that’s rarely been explored.

The Justice League doesn’t always know when a threat will appear and has to respond to emergencies at a moment’s notice. But one of the most disturbing emergencies they ever responded to was in JLA #22 by Grant Morrison and Howard Porter. During one completely average night, the entire world fell asleep and wouldn’t wake up.

Thankfully, several members of the Justice League weren’t affected and immediately set out to discover how this could have happened. What they learn is that a force from beyond space has invaded Earth, referred to only as “It”. This force seeks to dominate the minds of everyone on Earth.

This Story Made Starro’s Race More Terrifying Than Ever

JLA #22 by Grant Morrison, Howard Porter, John Dell, Kenny Lopez, and Pat Garrahy

It’s eventually revealed that the mysterious force is actually Starro’s race. They’re primarily referred to as “It” throughout the story, and there are numerous members of their species scattered around Earth—some deep within the ocean, others lurking in outer space. As the heroes try to uncover the nature of this cosmic threat, they also face the challenge of avoiding the Conquerors’ influence. The entire story carries a remarkably creepy atmosphere, clearly drawing inspiration from Lovecraftian and Eldritch horror at certain points.

A key plot moment occurs when Aquaman discovers one of the Conquerors deep in the ocean and sets out to confront it. While he initially believes the alien might be some form of marine life, giving him a possible advantage, he is quickly proven wrong. Upon connecting his mind to the Conqueror, Aquaman is immediately overwhelmed by its age and vast experiences, nearly losing his sanity in the process. This scene draws direct parallels to the many tales of Cthulhu rising from the depths of the ocean.

Starro’s Untapped Cosmic Horror Potential

Why Starro Deserves a Darker, More Terrifying Reimagining in DC Comics

Starro was the Justice League’s very first villain, and while a giant mind-controlling starfish is certainly unsettling, he’s never been treated as a truly formidable threat. Typically, Starro shows up, mind-controls a chunk of the population, maybe captures a few heroes, and then Superman or Wonder Woman punches him really hard, causing him to retreat. That’s the standard formula for most Starro stories. Because of this, few realize the true horror potential Starro holds. With the right writer, he could be the perfect villain for a cosmic horror tale.

DC has tackled numerous monsters, demons, and other terrifying creatures, but cosmic horror isn’t often explored in the main continuity. It’s typically reserved for Elseworlds stories, like Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham. Starro, however, would be an ideal villain to delve deep into that genre. As a Conqueror who travels from planet to planet, mind-controlling entire populations and draining planets of their resources and life, Starro embodies the kind of terrifying cosmic force that would shine in a horror-focused story. It’s honestly surprising that DC hasn’t revisited this angle since this storyline.

Starro’s Untapped Potential: Why DC Needs to Reimagine Him

It’s Sad, But Starro has Become a Joke in Present-Day Storytelling

DC hasn’t taken Starro seriously in years. One of the most notable recent appearances was when a smaller version of Starro, named Jarro, became Batman’s Robin—an absurd and goofy story that didn’t do the villain justice. Aside from that, DC introduced the Necrostar, a larger and scarier version of the Conqueror, which was defeated by Beast Boy shapeshifting into a version of Starro. Beyond that, there’s been little exploration of the character, which is a missed opportunity given the immense potential Starro clearly has.

Many villains have been reimagined over the years to great success. The original Clayface was just a serial killer in a silly mask, and Mr. Freeze started as a simple bank robber with a cold theme. Both were later reinvented and became iconic characters because of it. There’s no reason a writer couldn’t do the same for Starro, especially since DC doesn’t seem interested in exploring much else with him. Starro has the most untapped potential of any Justice League villain right now.

JLA #22 is on sale now from DC Comics!