Corinna Stark Corinna by Jack Sparling Art copyright by DC Comics

Corinna Stark began as a mystery, served as a mystery, and departed a mystery. In between, in her two brief sojourns with the Challengers, she left a trail of broken hearts and questions marks in her wake.

Corinna Stark walked into the Challengers' lives in a castle planted in the Ozark Mountains (COTU 69). She later would claim she was "imprisoned" by her father for "years". Stuck, she studied the occult, reading in Latin. She never claimed to control black magic. It did exist, she insisted, and tampering with it could unleash terrible consequences (COTU 72). Corinna's only known relative is her father, Algernon Stark, a mad scientist (COTU 69).

Algernon's fiendish experiments, conducted on humans, were scotched by the Challengers, but at a cost. Algernon threatened to shoot his own disapproving daughter to control the Challengers. Prof jumped in her way and was gunned down. Corinna took over. She clapped Prof in a cryo-unit to keep him alive. Shocked by his buddy's "death", Rocky freaked. "Some heroes! We can't even take care of our own buddy!" Corinna calmed him. "I sympathize with your grief! But I beg you to reconsider... the world needs the Challengers! I pray your friend recovers! And until he does... I shall humbly attempt to take his place! With your permission - I could myself a Challenger!" This was the last time Corinna Stark was "humble".

Algernon Stark ran afoul of an alien cult leader and was killed (COTU 70). Since Algernon had a mansion, land, and high-tech toys, it's likely Corinna inherited a barrel of money - which she no doubt squandered. Corinna's only comment on her father's death was cold, despite that he was a despicable crumb. "He was hopelessly insane! He's probably better off dead!" (COTU 71).

Not two minutes on the team, Corinna turned to a chest and plucked out new uniforms to replace the old yellow-red. The new winter-weight suits were purple with long yellow stripes and fur collars. Corinna claimed her father had the suits made up. But how could anyone have five tailor-made uniforms beforehand - including one for Corinna? Did Algernon Stark hope to dress and cryo-freeze the Challs as trophies, as was planned for the previous uniforms (COTU 43)? Did he plan to enslave them? Experiment on them? Or - did Corinna plan all along to lure the Challengers here and worm her way onto the team? Is that something a filthy-rich and bored debutante might contrive? Or connive?

Corinna did well at adventuring. She helped defeat the alien cult leader Chu (COTU 70 and COTU 71). All the while she bickered with Red and gently deflected Rocky's affections. Red snidely calls her "the beautiful Southern belle" (COTU 72).

Always a mystery, Miss Stark pulled remarkable abilities out of her hat. She claimed nurse's training (COTU 71). Oh? She looks to be 25 at most. Nursing school takes 2 or 4 years. Yet Corinna claims to have been imprisoned for "years". One hint is telling. On Skull Mountain, Corinna tries to talk a sheriff out of enabling a sacrifice. Rebuffed, she says, "I pity you! From this moment on, you life will be an agony of self-hate! I know... for I, too, once served evil!" (COTU 71) Maybe she tried bargaining with dark forces to get out of that damned castle. About to die, Corinna tells Ace and Rocky, "Goodbye... and thanks! Though I've been with you less than a wek, I found love..." She also prays for Red's recovery - and when he's better, falls into his arms with a passionate kiss! (COTU 71) Rocky needn't worry. No sooner is Red released from the hospital than he resents Corinna's presence - and the bickering resumes. Later Rocky thinks she's making eyes at Ace. So where's the love?

Corinna's knowledge of black magic is real. It saves the day when an epidemic sweeps the city. Researching in the original Latin, she mixes an antidote that' dumped into the city water supply (COTU 72). When an astronaut is murdered in space, Corinna goes with the team to Cape Kennedy. She gets sudden "vibrations" because "I have a little abillity as a medium - nothing I can control - but occasionally I receive messages from the beyond!" She conducts a seance and determines an evil spirit waits in space. So naturally she's rocketed to the Moon along with Ace and Red, making history as America's first woman in space! (COTU 73) And if she faked the "vibrations", she still made history.

Called to the demonic possession of a child, Corinna pulls another rabbit out of her hat. She hypnotizes the girl's father to find the source of her illness: a vengeful ghost who gets trounced by Deadman (COTU 74)

Corinna adventured with the Challengers through her own home turf of the Ozarks, at Cape Kennedy in Florida, in New York City... ... then she was gone. No explanation, never mentioned again. What happened? Did Corinna decide adventuring was too hard? Did June Robbins walk back in and tell Corinna to take a hike? (I'd pay to see that.) Did Corinna get scared - or bored? Dunno.

We do know Corinna flitted off to Europe to become, essentially, Eurotrash. She was in Italy when the newspapers reported the Challengers' break-up (COTU V2 2). She hitched a ride with a "gentleman" aboard the QE II.

Corinna got back in the news by hooking up with Rocky. Her appearance hit the champ like a ton of bricks (COTU V2 3). Note the hourglass pendant. Nice touch. And her hair is black.

Rocky, feeling glum, was glad to see her. He'd been infatuated with Corinna since first sight (COTU 69). He latched onto her like a drowning man. They went everywhere: London, Rome, Tokyo, Cairo, Athens, Rio, and more. Rocky paid - and paid. Corinna plied him with booze and sex. Rocky went along, towed in her wake like a empty beer bottle (COTU V2 4).

Corinna took Rocky for a ride -for a while. As reported in one gossip column (COTU V2 5), "Word is that a certain ex-jock, ex-superhero, and soon to be ex-movie star, who blew a three-pic deal at Warner's when he didn't report to work, gave it all up to be with his ex-teammate and well-known bad girl. Well-placed sources tell me that SHE is fed up with his rumored drinking problem and HE can't control her spending habits!" After tossing all the tableware at hand, Corinna walked out of Rocky's life. He asked, "Corinna, why did'ja have to come back into my life just to ruin it?" "Because," she deadpanned, "it was fun." And that's the last sighthing of Corinna Stark. All she left behind was a towering stack of bills. Will she turn up again? Unknown...