This is the latest in a series (of indefinite length and regularity) of pieces looking at particular odd/strange/interesting instances of retroactively connecting different comic book characters (for instance, Uncanny X-Men #268 retroactively established that Wolverine knew both Captain America and the Black Widow from World War II). Here is an archive of all of the past pieces.

Today, based on a suggestion from John Trumbull, we look at the 40-year-after-the-fact connection between the original Starman and the original Phantom Lady.

Starman, Ted Knight, made his debut in late 1940 in National Comics' Adventure Comics #61 (by Gardner Fox and Jack Burnley)...

Five months later, Phantom Lady, Sandra Knight, made her debut in Quality Comics' Police Comics #1 (by Arthur Peddy)...

Forty years later, in 1984's All Star Squadron #31, Roy Thomas, Rick Hoberg and Mike Machlan introduced the Quality Comics characters into the All Star Squadron (Quality's comic book characters had been purchased by National, later DC Comics, sometime in the late 1950s). When Phantom Lady and Starman met each other in the issue, Roy Thomas introduced the idea that the two Knights were related...

And they've been cousins ever since!

Thanks to John for the suggestion! If YOU have a suggestion for this column, drop me a line at bcronin@comicbookresources.com