Courtney Whitmore is the fictional superheroine Stargirl in the DC Comics Universe. She was originally known as Star-Spangled Kid II, but took the identity of Stargirl when she was presented with the Cosmic Rod by Jack Knight. DC Comics is one of the largest American companies in comic book and related media publishing. ... In comic books, first appearance refers to the date or issue of a characters first appearance. ... Geoff Johns at a book signing at Midtown Comics East on 24 June 2004 in New York City. ... The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. ... Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E was the title of a comic book published by DC Comics, featuring the second Star-Spangled Kid and her stepfather, the original versions sidekick Stripesy. ... Suicide Squad is a name for a variety of organizations created for and owned by DC Comics. ... Young Justice is the name of a comic book written by Peter David and published by DC Comics, and the DC Universe superhero team within it, created by Todd DeZago. ... The Star-Spangled Kid is the name of two DC Comics superheroes. ... Batman and Superman, two of the most recognizable and iconic superheroes. ... DC Comics is one of the largest American companies in comic book and related media publishing. ... The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared setting where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. ... The Star-Spangled Kid is the name of two DC Comics superheroes. ... Starman is Jack Knight, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe, and a member of the Justice Society of America. ...

Character History

Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.

Stargirl, who was previously called Star-Spangled Kid, is Courtney Whitmore, stepdaughter of Pat Dugan. The character was created by Geoff Johns, who is said to have based her personality on that of his sister, also Courtney, who died in the explosion of TWA Flight 800 in 1996. Johns is an avid fan of Captain Carrot and the Zoo Crew and Courtney's original outfit was quite similar to Zoo Crew member Yankee Poodle's.^{[citation needed]} Stripesy is a fictional superhero in the DC Comics universe. ... Geoff Johns at a book signing at Midtown Comics East on 24 June 2004 in New York City. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Captain Carrot is a comic book superhero who appeared in a series published by DC Comics. ...

Courtney Whitmore found the original Star-Spangled Kid's gear in her stepfather's belongings and donned the costume in order to annoy him as partial revenge for marrying her mother and supposedly forcing the family to move from Los Angeles to Blue Valley, Nebraska. Dugan, a skilled mechanic, designed and built S.T.R.I.P.E., a robotic suit which he rides in to accompany and protect her. // [edit] Character history [edit] Star-Spangled Kid The original Star-Spangled Kid was Sylvester Pemberton, a Golden Age character. ... Blue Valley is a fictional city, created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino in the 1960s initially as the backdrop for occasional adventures in various DC Comics featuring Wally West as the original Kid Flash. ... Stripesy is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Comics universe. ... Powered armor (also mechanized, battle, personal armor and suits) is a science fiction concept referring to a type of armored self-powered exoskeleton that is typically intended for use in battle, construction and survival in dangerous enviroments. ...

During her time in Blue Valley, her frequent nemesis was the young villainess known as Shiv, who served her father, the immortal Dragon King.

Stargirl

Eventually, Courtney joined the Justice Society of America and, after being given Starman Jack Knight's cosmic rod/staff, changed her identity to Stargirl. The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. ... Starman VII is Jack Knight, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe, and a member of the Justice Society of America. ...

Starman & Stargirl, in the cover art for JSA: All Stars #4, by John Cassaday.

Courtney has appeared in most issues of JSA and it was in these pages that her little sister Patricia Dugan was born. Image File history File links Cassaday_stargirl. ... Image File history File links Cassaday_stargirl. ... John Cassaday is a comic book artist, best known for his work on Planetary with Warren Ellis, and Astonishing X-Men with Joss Whedon. ...

Despite a glimpse into the future, which showed an adult Starwoman married to Albert Rothstein (a.k.a. fellow JSA member Atom Smasher), Courtney briefly dated another JSA member, Captain Marvel, who in actuality is a teenage boy named Billy Batson. However, Captain Marvel was, by all appearances to those not knowing Billy's secret, an adult, and the relationship between Marvel and Stargirl drew the attention of JSA members Jakeem Thunder and Jay Garrick, the original Flash. After being confronted by Garrick over the issue, Marvel chose to leave the JSA - and Courtney - instead of telling the team his secret. Marvel has recently reappeared in the JSA and revealed he can't give out his true identity due to the wisdom of Solomon blocking him. Atom Smasher (sometimes spelled with a hyphen) is a fictional superhero in the DC Comics Universe. ... Captain Marvel is a comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and now owned by DC Comics. ... Jakeem Johnny Thunder (initially called J. J. Thunder, a name he dislikes) is a fictional character published by DC Comics and a member of the current version of the superhero team the Justice Society of America. ... Jay Garrick is a fictional character in the DC Comics Universe and the first Flash. ... Barry Allen as the Flash. ... Artists depiction of Solomons court (Ingobertus, c. ...

JSA/JSA and Black Reign

During this storyline, Courtney's family was murdered by agents of Per Degaton. She traveled with the rest of the JSA back to 1951. The time-traveling adventure featured the newest versions of classic JSA members meeting and fighting alongside the originals to try to save her family and the future. During this adventure, she found herself forced to work with Atom Smasher again, for the first time since he defected to Black Adam's rival team. Following this, she apparently forgave him, but Atom Smasher was then nearly murdered by the Spectre. Though Atom Smasher was saved, the events clearly revealed the depth of feeling she has for him. She was quite relieved to return after this time-travelling adventure to see that her family was still alive. Per Degaton is a supervillain in the DC Universe who can travel through time. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Black Adam is a fictional comic book character, appearing in DC Comics, whose morally ambiguous nature has his character fall between the lines of heroism and villainy; as a result, he has associated himself with both superheroes and supervillains in the past. ... The Spectre is a fictional cosmic entity and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. ...

Later, Atom Smasher was tried and convicted for actions he took while working for Black Adam, and during a TV appearance, Courtney stated that even though Al was in prison, she would "wait for him."

Infinite Crisis

Main article: Infinite Crisis

During the Infinite Crisis, Courtney was approached by the Shade, who told her of the final demise of her biological father. The tragedy, and the witnessing of the mother-daughter love between Liberty Belle and Jesse Quick led her to rethink her family life. She discovered that she couldn't hate her biological father for being an absentee, a slacker and even a supervillain thug, and also learned from the tragedy to accept Pat Dugan as the first true paternal figure in her life. Infinite Crisis was a seven-issue comic book limited series published by DC Comics. ... Infinite Crisis was a seven-issue comic book limited series published by DC Comics. ... The Shade, as painted by Tony Harris on the cover of Starman #6 (1995) The Shade is a DC Comics character, a villain created in the 1940s who would fight against two generations of superheroes, most notably the Golden Age and Silver Age Flashes. ... Liberty Belle Liberty Belle is the alias of Libby Lawrence-Chambers, a fictitious superheroine whose wartime adventures were published in DC Comics All-Star Squadron. ... Jesse Chambers, aka Jesse Quick, is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. ...

Stargirl survived the Crisis largely intact, and has begun attending college. She has changed her equipment: her rod now compresses to a small cylinder, and when she activates it, her costume and belt appear while the rod grows to full size.

Personality

She has developed from a bit of a brat to a well-rounded heroine. She is best friends with Hawkgirl and is also close to Power Girl, whom Courtney considers a role model of sorts. As well, she has started to befriend the new Supergirl, Kara Zor-El. (Ironically, in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Chaos at the Earth's Core", Supergirl and Stargirl were portrayed as rivals, although by the end of the episode, the two appeared to start to form a friendship.) Early in her superhero career, Courtney was invited to join Young Justice; she declined, since she was already a member of the JSA, but she remained a reserve member aiding them in events such as 'Sins of the Youth'. Courtney often trusts and stands up for those whom other members of the team seemingly distrust, such as Atom Smasher, or Brainwave. She has also developed good leadership skills and courage, often throwing herself directly into harm's way. She can also be quite violently effective when angered. After Courtney's family was killed by Per Degaton's Forces (incident later erased from history) she used the rod to disintegrate all of the attackers. First and foremost, the term hawkgirl orignates from her being part Hawk, part Girl, and full idiot. ... Power Girl (real name Kara Zor-L, also known as Karen Starr) is a DC Comics superhero. ... It has been suggested that Kara Zor-El be merged into this article or section. ... Justice League Unlimited (or JLU) was an American animated television series produced by and aired on Cartoon Network. ... Young Justice is the name of a comic book written by Peter David and published by DC Comics, and the DC Universe superhero team within it, created by Todd DeZago. ...

As well as her relationships with Atom Smasher and Captain Marvel, Courtney is the object of a crush held by Jakeem Thunder. She has also been stalked by Solomon Grundy who was at one point obsessed with her. In Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. and an issue of Impulse, Courtney dropped hints of having a crush on Robin (Tim Drake), but that hasn't been picked up on in recent years. Solomon Grundy is a DC Comics character, a large, strong zombie supervillain. ... In classical mechanics, the impulse of a force is the product of the force and the time during which it acts. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this comics-related article or section may require cleanup. ...

Trivia

• Courtney switches between riding her cosmic rod like a skateboard or like a witch's broom.

• Courtney wears braces.

• Courtney Whitmore is loosely based on Courtney Johns, the late sister of comic book creator Geoff Johns. Courtney Johns died on TWA Flight 800, which exploded off the coast of New York in 1996.^[1]

• Courtney was revealed in the pages of JSA to be a virgin.^{[citation needed]}

Geoff Johns at a book signing at Midtown Comics East on 24 June 2004 in New York City. ... TWA Flight 800 (TW800,TWA800) was a passenger flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport (Jamaica, Queens, New York, New York) to Charles De Gaulle International Airport (near Paris). ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

Other media

The modern Star-Spangled Kid (Stargirl) and her partner, S.T.R.I.P.E., as depicted in Justice League Unlimited.

Courtney and S.T.R.I.P.E. have also appeared in the Justice League Unlimited animated series, where she is voiced by Giselle Loren. Screen Capture Still from the Justice League Unlimited Television series. ... Screen Capture Still from the Justice League Unlimited Television series. ... Justice League Unlimited (or JLU) was an American animated television series produced by and aired on Cartoon Network. ... Giselle Loren is an actress most famous for her voice-over work in video games and animated series. Her credits include playing Buffy Summers in two Buffy the Vampire Slayer Video Games, Stargirl in Justice League Unlimited and the wife of Curt Connors in the 1990s Spider-Man animated series. ...

Stargirl and her partner appear in a speaking role in the episode "Chaos at the Earth's Core." In that story, Stargirl is childishly jealous of Supergirl's fame. However, in the resulting adventure in Skartaris, the girls come to a understanding. It has been suggested that Kara Zor-El be merged into this article or section. ...

She later appeared in "Patriot Act", where she and other League members were trying to stop a mutated General Wade Eiling from rampaging through a city. In this episode she takes the place of the original Star-Spangled Kid in the symbolic and unofficial reformation of the Seven Soldiers of Victory. Stargirl was badly injured by Eiling, but survived the incident and flashes a smile when she is loaded into an ambulance. General Wade Eiling is a military character from DC Comics. ... The Seven Soldiers of Victory (also known as Laws Legionaires) is a team of comic book superheroes in the DC Comics universe. ...

She and S.T.R.I.P.E. later helped repel the invasion of Earth by Darkseid's forces in the series finale, "Destroyer." Darkseid is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain created by Jack Kirby as part of The Fourth World series of comic books in the early 1970s. ... JL title logo for seasons 1-2. ...

References

1. ^ Newsarama.Com - Behind The Pages: Geoff Johns (Part 1 - Stargirl-TWA 800 connection)

Comic Bloc Forums: Stargirl & Captain Carrot References