Warning: The following feature contains SPOILERS for Stargirl season 1’s finale.
The first season of Stargirl came to a close with an explosive finale which ended the series’ first major story arc in style. At the same time, the finale opened ample avenues of opportunity for the series to expand upon in its sophomore season.
Delayed for the better part of a year after its intended August 2019 premiere date on the DC Universe streaming service, Stargirl proved to be a critical darling and a fan favorite. Overseen by Executive Producer Geoff Johns, who drew upon his work on the comic book series Stars and STRIPE and JSA in developing Stargirl’s world, the series proved to be a breath of fresh air for those superhero fans wanting a simple, straight-forward tale of hope and idealism winning in the end. And yet, the series wasn’t afraid to go dark when necessary or to tackle real-world issues, like in its reworked background for Yolanda “Wildcat” Montez.
While season 1 ends with Stargirl and the new Justice Society of America bruised, they are not beaten and they are in a far better position than the villainous Injustice Society. Despite this, the finale hints at some of the new enemies and challenges that await the young heroes in the coming year. Luckily, it also hints at some of the allies that may be joining them in the battle for Truth, Justice and the American Way.
Injustice Society’s Defeat & Doctor Mid-Nite’s Death Explained
The penultimate episode of Stargirl season 1, “Stars & STRIPE: Part 1,” ended on a cliffhanger as the adult members of the JSA fell under the control of the Injustice Society’s mind-control machine, which they planned to use to reprogram the minds of every adult in the middle third of the United States so they could form their own surprisingly progressive nation. Thankfully, Doctor Mid-Nite (Beth Chapel) reasoned that the there must be some kind of electronic signal dampener within the Injustice Society’s own base, as she lost her Wi-Fi connection when she tried exploring it during an earlier adventure but didn’t have any trouble maintaining radio contact with her teammates now. With that knowledge, she was able to remotely turn on the dampeners, freeing Shining Knight and STRIPE from the Injustice Society’s control.
Ultimately, Stargirl was able to destroy the satellite dishes broadcasting the Injustice Society’s signal, after she and her teammates fought most of the Injustice Society in the foyer leading to the room housing the mind control machine. Brainwave fell to Wildcat, as he tried to use a telepathic illusion to convince her that he was her ex-boyfriend, Henry King Jr., back from the dead. Dragon King was stabbed in the back by his own daughter, Shiv, as he dueled the Shining Knight. The Gambler escaped from his own remote lair, but not before Doctor Mid-Nite was able to hack his personal bank accounts and donate all his ill-gotten gains to charity.
Despite routing the villains, the Justice Society of America did not win without casualties. Before he was ground into a pile of crushed ice after being hit with a truck (driven by Stargirl’s younger brother, Mike Dugan) Icicle was able to destroy the Doctor Mid-Nite goggles and the Charles McNider artificial intelligence housed within them. This cost Beth Chapel her self-described best-friend and her main means of contributing to the team. Stargirl said they’d try and find a way to repair the goggles, but it’s unclear where they might find someone with that level of technical expertise.
Eclipso Diamond & Villain Explained
The one villain who was conclusively shown to have escaped from the Injustice Society’s underground base was Cindy “Shiv” Burman, who was seen searching through an old warehouse full of The Wizard’s old belongings in one of the finale’s final scenes. After digging through several boxes, Shiv ultimately found what she was looking for; a black diamond which glowed with a dark light. A deep, wicked-sounding laugh echoed around her as she picked up the diamond and looked through it, saying “I see you in there… Eclipso” before she too joined in the laughter.
Eclipso is one of the odder villains in DC Comics’ mythology. Originally a split-personality villain in the same spirit as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the 1992 Darkness Within crossover event gave Eclipso a new background as the original Angel of Vengeance before The Spectre, who became imprisoned in a black diamond after Eclipso became more focused on revenge than divine retribution. This diamond was then cut into 1000 pieces, through which Eclipso could possess anyone who touched one of the diamond shards. Eclipso nearly destroyed the world but was ultimately thwarted thanks to the sacrifice of several heroes, including Beth Chapel and Yolanda Montez. It remains to be seen if a similar sacrifice will be required in Stargirl season 2.
What A New Injustice Society Could Look Like
Apart from Shiv and Eclipso, there are several supervillains in the making who could become a problem for the Justice Society in the year to come. It is unclear, for instance, if Tigress and Sportsmaster were able to escape from the ISA’s underground lair before it was destroyed, as they were both unconscious when last seen in the finale. Even if they did not, their daughter, Artemis Crock, could prove a willing recruit to a new Injustice Society if Shiv tells her about how her classmates were responsible for her parents’ deaths. It’s worth noting that Artemis Crock did become the second Tigress in the comics, although she also become a hero in the reality of the Young Justice animated series.
Another likely recruit to a new Injustice Society is Issac Bowin; the son of The Fiddler. Isaac was already shown to be moving down a dark path in the Stargirl season finale, having lashed out at the bullies who made fun of his tuba by hitting them with his instrument, based on his villainous mother’s advice. Finally, there’s Cameron Mahkent, the son of Icicle. While shown to be a good and kind-hearted kid in earlier episodes, he’s also being raised by two grandparents who disapproved of his crush on Courtney Whitmore and supported their son’s sinister plans. Between that and Shiv’s vendetta against Stargirl, it’s easy to imagine someone who knows Courtney’s secret identity trying to get back at her for destroying the Injustice Society by turning a potential love interest and ally against her by telling Cameron who was responsible for his father’s death. It should be noted, however, that Cameron hasn’t shown any sign of possessing the same cold control powers as his father, though he did become the second Icicle in the comics.
What The Shade’s Appearance Means For Stargirl
Stargirl’s finale also introduced an interesting wild card in its closing moments, with the appearance of a character who was mentioned earlier in the season but not shown directly: The Shade. The shadowy villain was briefly shown watching a news report on the Injustice Society’s defeat in their secret meeting room, having a seat at their table as he put down his trademark top hat and cane, muttering to himself, “Oh, Jordan — I told you it was folly.” It remains to be seen if The Shade, who was said to have betrayed the Injustice Society before, will be an enemy or an ally to the Justice Society in Stargirl season 2. While largely amoral, The Shade in the comics possessed a mercenary’s code of honor and acted as a mentor to the seventh Starman Jack Knight; not out of any love of the law but because Jack was protecting his hometown of Opal City and even supervillains want a well-protected neighborhood to live in.
How Rick & Yolanda’s Stories Mirror Each Other In The Finale
The stories of Yolanda “Wildcat” Montez and Rick “Hourman” Tyler offered an interesting contrast throughout Stargirl’s first season. Yolanda’s storyline was built around redemption, as she sought to redeem herself in the eyes of her family after she rashly sent a racy picture to her boyfriend, which was shared with the community at large. By contrast, Rick’s storyline was built around revenge, his anger at the world and his desire to destroy the zombie Solomon Grundy, who killed his parents.
Stargirl subtly addressed both characters differing views of the world and their approaches to heroism. Yolanda was shown to be a devout Christian, going to church in the middle of the week to pray for her dead ex-boyfriend Henry King Jr., after the son of Brainwave sacrificed himself to save the Justice Society from his villainous father. By contrast, Rick was portrayed as a cynic who only believed in what he could prove himself. While not professing any atheistic feelings directly, Rick was shown to be a gifted engineer, translating the formulas in his chemist father’s journal and managing to reconstruct a classic car engine all by himself. This led to a brief but powerful scene in Stargirl’s finale, where Yolanda warned Rick against seeking revenge but Rick angrily told the devout young woman that “God shouldn’t let bad things happen.”
Ironically, both heroes’ stories ended with them getting what the other sought. Rick was able to deliver a mighty beating to Solomon Grundy, but ultimately relented when the zombie began crying like an injured child. Rick ultimately let go of his anger and let Grundy go when he realized that, for all his savagery, Solomon Grundy had no real malevolence in him and had just been a tool of the Injustice Society’s scheming. By contrast, Yolanda lost control of her temper after Brainwave took on the form of his son in a telepathic illusion and played upon her conflicting emotions regarding the ex-boyfriend who accidentally ruined her reputation. While Yolanda rallied through her shell-shock to save Stargirl’s life later, she still seemed to be deeply troubled by what she had done at the episode’s end, suggesting she’ll be dealing with PTSD heading into the next season.
The JSA’s Future In Stargirl Season 2
Beyond the traumas Wildcat, Hourman and Doctor Mid-Nite suffered and the new enemies they may face, there are several potential storylines for Stargirl season 2 concerning how the new Justice Society may expand their ranks. Courtney still has to find a bearer for the ring and lantern of Green Lantern, though Green Lantern rings in the comics usually have a way of choosing their own wielders. Courtney is also still holding onto the pen containing Johnny Thunder’s Thunderbolt, though it seems likely that Mike Dugan’s new friend Jakeem (who has been mentioned in earlier episodes but not seen so far in Stargirl) might become its wielder. In the comics, Jakeem Williams was the second young man to wield the power of the Thunderbolt as a member of the JSA.
Stargirl‘s season 1 finale also introduces an avenue through which older heroes who were allies of the JSA might be introduced into the show. Sir Justin of Camelot, the Shining Knight, left Blue Valley on a quest to find his lost horse, Winged Victory, though he announced his intention to seek the rest of the Seven Soldiers of Victory as well. Pat Dugan asked for him to pass on word to them that he was alive and would like to hear from them. This means that we could well see the Green Arrow of Earth-2 show up in Stargirl season 2.
Stargirl & STRIPE Finally Become A Family
Family and Legacy have been two of the continuing themes of Stargirl since the first episode. It is fitting then that the finale should see both Courtney Whitmore and Pat Dugan finally finding peace with one another as both crime-fighting partners and father and daughter. In the opening fight scene, Courtney was able to stop a mind-controlled Pat from smashing her to pulp in his STRIPE armor by pleading with him and saying that he couldn’t kill her because she was his daughter. The acknowledgement that Courtney regarded him as a father figure slowed Pat enough for the team to break him free of Brainwave’s control. Later, Pat Dugan affirmed his own feelings for Courtney when he confronted Icicle, as the villain taunted him and threatened his wife, Barbara, saying that Pat had “… no powers, no STRIPE…” and asking what he had that could possibly lead him to think he could save Barbara. Pat simply replied “our daughter,” as Courtney launched her own sneak attack while Icicle was distracted.
The final confirmation of their relationship came near the end of the episode, in a time-skip forward six weeks to Christmas. The pilot episode of Stargirl revealed that Courtney had a wrapped present she had been holding onto for ten years, which had been intended for the father she later found out abandoned her and her mother. Courtney gave the present to Pat, which was revealed to be a hand-painted coffee mug reading “World’s Greatest Dad.” It was a touching moment and a fitting conclusion to Courtney’s long search for the father she’d always dreamed of having.
Is Starman Alive? Stargirl Season 1’s Final Scene Explained
Stargirl’s season 1 finale ended with a post-credits scene set in North Hollywood, California. The brief scene showed a man enter an apartment office, saying he was looking for Pat Dugan. The manager said Dugan moved out several months earlier and asked who the man was. The camera pulled back to reveal the man was Sylvester Pemberton, a.k.a. Starman; Pat Dugan’s one-time partner in crime-fighting and the man Courtney Whitmore briefly thought was her biological father.
Given that Stargirl is set in the DC Multiverse, there’s any number of explanations for how Starman could be alive and well now despite dying on camera in the pilot episode. The most likely explanation may be that this Starman is a time-traveler and that Sylvester Pemberton was sent forward in time during an earlier adventure before his death; something which happened to all the Seven Soldiers of Victory at one point in the Stars & STRIPE comics. Whatever the explanation, the return of Starman is sure to complicate Courtney Whitmore’s new life as a superhero in Stargirl season 2.
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