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Stargirl’s first episode continues its trend of referencing obscure DC comics characters with mentions of four of the JSA’s past nemeses.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Stargirl Season 2, Episode 1, “Summer School: Part One,” which aired Tuesday on the CW.
Stargirl has a particular fondness for uncovering old DC Easter eggs and sprinkling them throughout the show. Season 2’s first episode is no exception to the trend, as Pat finds Courtney losing sleep researching the Justice Society of America’s old rogue’s gallery. Courtney mentions four villains in particular as she talks with Pat, including Gentleman Ghost, Black Briarthorn, Per Degaton and Baron Blitzkrieg.
Some of these villains have found their way into the Arrowverse already, but Stargirl sits in its own timeline, isolated from the rest of the DC TV multiverse. That means Stargirl could easily unveil new versions of these niche villains — or simply be dropping red herrings. Let’s break down each villain’s history in the comics and the Arrowverse in case they make an appearance in Stargirl Season 2.
Gentleman Ghost
Like all the villains Courtney mentioned, Gentleman Ghost has tangled with the Justice Society of America plenty of times. However, his primary enemies are Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Originally a robber who used misdirection and illusion to pretend to be a ghost, James Craddock was reworked as an actual ghost after the Crisis on Infinite Earths. In life, Craddock was a highway robber but met his end by the British Imperial army, who hanged him for his crimes. His ghostly form later fought the Justice Society of America, summoning hordes of spectral assailants to overwhelm the team. He was defeated and “killed” by Wildcat, fulfilling a prophecy that someone of noble blood would defeat him.
Per Degaton
Per Degaton appeared in Legends of Tomorrow as the young heir to the Kasnia Conglomerate, a powerful corporation/country in the year 2147. The Legends kidnapped him as a young child to prevent his future self from being manipulated by Vandal Savage into releasing the deadly Armageddon virus. But Pat’s description to Courtney of Per being “banished to an alternate timeline” doesn’t quite fit for a young future-despot, which likely means the Per of Stargirl‘s Earth more closely resembles his comics counterpart. That Per Degaton was a time-traveling menace, who fought the JSA on multiple occasions and even briefly succeeded in an attempt to erase all masked crime fighters from Earth’s history. There’s little resemblance between the two versions of the character, likely a result of Legends’ writers deciding to borrow a name familiar to fans of the comics without taking any of the character’s associated history.
Baron Blitzkrieg
Baron Blitzkrieg is another character imported to the Arrowverse with little regard for his original story. Baron Reiter was a Nazi army officer in the comics and underwent experimentation from German scientists after he was blinded by a prisoner throwing acid into his face. The volatile drugs he was given granted him incredible powers of flight, speed and strength — but only one at a time. In contrast, the character given the name of Baron Reiter in Arrow Season 4 was an African expatriate who ended up leading Shadowspire’s operation on Yuan Li. This brought him into conflict with Oliver Queen, who defeated the General after he absorbed the mystical Khushu idol’s powers. Once again it seems more likely that Stargirl‘s writers are referencing the comic incarnation of the character, who bears little resemblance to Arrow‘s version.
Blackbriar Thorn
Blackbriar Thorn was a Celtic druid during the time of the Romans until swallowed up by the Earth after a piece of magic meant to thwart his conquerors went wrong. Unearthed and brought to Gotham City many years later, the druid fought against the original Green Lantern, making use of Alan Scott’s particular weakness to wood. This lines up with what little of the character is revealed on Stargirl, as Pat says he was “destroyed by Green Lantern.” A return for Blackbriar would also be serendipitous considering the Justice Society of America’s newest addition: Green Lantern’s daughter, Jade.
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