Jim Starlin, born James P. Starlin on October 9, 1949, is an esteemed American comic book artist and writer renowned for his significant contributions to the realm of comics, particularly in the genre of space opera. Commencing his illustrious career in the early 1970s, Starlin has left an indelible mark on the industry through his work with Marvel Comics, where he revitalized characters such as Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock and introduced iconic characters like Thanos, Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, and Nebula.

Perhaps his most acclaimed work is the creation of the The Infinity Gauntlet series, including its sequels The Infinity War and The Infinity Crusade. These stories chronicle Thanos' quest for the Infinity Gems in a bid to win the favor of Mistress Death by eradicating half of all life in the universe, ultimately leading to epic confrontations with superheroes across the Marvel Universe. Starlin's narrative expertise extended to DC Comics as well, where he illustrated iconic characters like Darkseid and crafted the pivotal storyline A Death in the Family, which witnessed the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin, during his tenure on Batman. In addition to his work on mainstream titles, he created his own character, Dreadstar, for Epic Illustrated.