With the first season of Stargirl in the books, it’s time to look into the future and explore each and every possible path for the shows upcoming sophomore season. The second season of Stargirl will be departing its home at DC universe and moving on to the CW network where it’ll join the already packed roster of superhero dramas like The Flash, Supergirl, and Black Lightning. The next season has a vast amount of potential and has its work cut out for it after dropping all those hints as for what’s to come. Warning, this article does contain spoilers for season 1 of Stargirl.
5. The Royal Flush Gang
One of the biggest inspirations for Courtney this season was the running theory, despite Pat’s denial, that she was the daughter of the JSA hero Starman. That, of course, is revealed not to be the case when Barb denies this outlandish theory and contacts Courtney’s biological father, Samuel Kurtis. For many that don’t know, In Geoff Johns’ “Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.” comic run, Sam Kurtis was a low ranking member of the Royal Flush Gang, specifically the Two of Clubs. Kurtis never seems to mention a past with this gang but it wouldn’t be completely unbelievable, per his brief appearance in ‘Shining Knight’ where he radiates quite the strong deadbeat vibe. Another leading factor to this theory comes from the season 1 finale, when we shift to a frantic Cindy Burman, who is tearing through what I can only assume to be an old ISA storage room. In the background multiple giant playing cards can be seen; giant playing cards that just happened to be the getaway vehicle of choice for the Royal Flush Gang. While this room may have just been leftover items of The Magician, is it possible that he may have had a past with the gang and does this leave the door open for Courtney’s father to return in a larger antagonist role?
4. The Seven Soldiers Of Victory
Another one of the show’s longest running mysteries was that of the elusive janitor, who was later revealed to be the Shining Knight and later revealed to be one of the Seven Soldiers of victory, a team that first appeared in Leading Comics #1 all the way back in 1941. It was confirmed in the episode ‘Brainwave’ that the soldiers were active before the JSA, with a roster that included the original lineup of Shining Knight, Stripesy, Star Spangled Kid, Vigilante, Crimson Avenger, Wing, alongside the Green Arrow and Speedy of Earth-2. Towards the end of the finale we saw Sir Justin packing up his truck and preparing to depart Blue Valley after helping defeat the ISA. While he didn’t get to slay the dragon, he did set off on a new quest to find the other soldiers and bring them back together. This could open the door to more than just a guest appearance in a future season, possibly a spin-off featuring a newer more modern roster of the team, most likely taking inspiration from Morrisons run, would make for an excellent show and focus on the legacy aspect that ‘Stargirl’ absolutely nailed.
3. The Legacies Should Live On
One thing that worked so well in the first season of Stargirl was how they were able to honor the past heroes of the JSA and how well the new heroes adapted to their alter egos. They were able to keep focus on the newer characters while digging deeper into who the previous incarnations were, and with the roster of the team surely to expand in the second season it would be great to see some new characters pick up the mantles from some of the JSA’s best. When first introduced to the JSA headquarters, Courtney’s first instinct was to use the gear left behind by the previous heroes and build their ranks to help take down the ISA. She does just that and without knowing specific details just grabs anything she can fit in her bag. While there hasn’t been any teases for these few, except for brief flash from Alan Scott’s old lantern, the potential for Flash, Doctor Fate, and Green Lantern is there. Each hero has had their respective successor that could fit well within the newly formed team, with Jade filling in for Alan Scott, Jessie Quick for Jay Garrick, and Khalid-Ben-Hassin the grandson of the first Fate, Kent Nelson. This offers more chances to dive deeper and further explore the past JSA heroes and adventures before the eventual fall of the original team.
2. Shade and Eclipso: A New ISA?
The finale of Stargirl ended with the members of the ISA either being taken down or going AWOL, with the future of the team seemingly in the hands of Cindy Burman, who retrieved a gem that seemingly has the angel of vengeance himself stored within. I’m curious to know how much Cindy knows about the ISA and the teams past misdeeds to be willing to let the incarnation of gods wrath himself out to play, the character who in the comics is responsible for the death of Yolanda Montez and Beth Chapel, the current Wildcat and Doctor Midnite. Along with what seems to be the return of Eclipso, Shade, the mysterious ninth member of the ISA has returned to Blue Valley upon the failure of Jordan’s “Project New America” to possibly to see what of the team was left to salvage. It was mentioned in a previous episode that Shade had betrayed the team but was never specified how. It seems as if Shade did not agree or believe in Jordan’s plan of a better and new america that the ISA had become set on and left, wanting no part in what they were preparing. With Cindy seemingly ready to take part in this new age of the ISA, it wouldn’t be surprising to see her recruit the other children of ISA members as she had previously brought the idea up to her father.
1. Starman!?
One of the first things we’re greeted with in the first episode of Stargirl is a high paced battle between the ISA and the JSA. This fight seemingly takes the lives of many JSA members, and while many of their fates are left unanswered, one of the few that we do witness is that of Sylvester Pemberton, AKA Starman. After a brutal fight with Brainwave, Starman is speared through the chest by Icicle, and is assumed to be dead following the aftermath of the fight. At the tail end of the season one finale, what at first glance is thought to be Courtney’s father, its quickly revealed to be the one and only Sylvester Pemberton, who’s searching for his good friend/sidekick Pat Dugan. The biggest question to be answered is How?! and another is could anyone else have survived the battle who was long thought to be dead. How will Sylvester react to the new JSA and to see that someone has assumed his mantle and is able to wield his staff. Could the people that saved Starman be connected to the same mysterious organization that covered up the events in Blue Valley the pat so nonchalantly mentioned, or will nothing come of it? With many unanswered questions left for the second season to answer, the anticipation for whats to come next is through the roof.
