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From SCIFIPEDIA
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The Star-Spangled Kid and Stargirl are fictional comic book superheroes owned by DC Comics. There have been two superhero characters called The Star-Spangled Kid. The second one has changed her name to Stargirl.
The Golden Age Star-Spangled Kid
The interesting thing about the Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy is that they were the first and only superheroes where the kid was the lead character, and the adult was pretty-much reduced to sidekick status. This was the reverse of the usual “kid sidekick” formula that was so popular in the 1940s. The two were a superb team, and used the Kid’s agility and acrobatics and Stripesy’s strength to develop maneuvers that would beat the bad guys. They first got together to fight Nazis during the Golden Age of Comics.
Wealthy brat Sylvester Pemberton and garage mechanic Par Dugan formed a unique bond when they had the opportunity to fight off some Nazi agents, who had interrupted a patriotic film and were inciting the audience to riot. They beat the agents soundly.
Later, the two everhear a conversation while people discuss the incident at the theatre. Someone says that they wished the American flag would come to life and retaliate against those that insult it. Inspired by this discussion and their earlier success at the theatre, they each separately decide to become Mystery Men. Sylvester and Pat designed “Mystery Men” costumes for themselves, each based on a part of the American flag. Sylvester’s costume was based on stars part of the flag, and he became the Star-Spangled Kid. Pat took the stripes for his costume, and became Stripesy. The two operate independently for a while, and then end up as partners.
They had no superpowers whatsoever, but manifested the ordinary American’s fighting spirit, and took on villains like Dr. Weerd and the Needle. Developing a partnership, Sylvester persuaded his father to hire Pat as an in-house mechanic and chauffeur, so they could more easily work together.
The two became part of the superhero team the Seven Soldiers of Victory and the All-Star Squadron.
Infinity Inc. founded by The Star-Spangled Kid, seen flying in the background.
During The Bronze Age of Comics, a tale was told in the Justice League of America #s 100-102 where the Seven Soldiers of Victory battled the Nebula Man sometime after the war. The resulting explosion destroyed the villain, but stranded the Seven Soldiers in different time periods. The Seven Soldiers of Victory consisted of Green Arrow, Speedy, the Crimson Avenger, the Vigilante, the Shining Knight, the Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy. Wing, the Crimson Avenger’s kid sidekick, was an unofficial eighth member. Wing died in the blast that hurled the other seven through time. Part of the story was the Justice League and the Justice Society of America (during their annual team-up) got together to retrieve them. Sylvester had wound up in the pre-historic time of Neanderthals. The Justice League’s Green Lantern and Aquaman and the Justice Society’s Wildcat rescued them. With all seven heroes saved, the three teams got together and defeated yet another foe.
When found, though they had been missing for decades, the Seven Soldiers only experienced being missing for a few weeks. So, at the conclusion of the story, they were still young, but now living in the 1970s. Sylvester eventually joined the Justice Society taking the place of Ted Knight, the Golden Age Starman, when he became injured. Ted gave him the use of a Cosmic Converter Belt, which gave him the power to fly and shoot energy stars. Sylvester would soon upgrade the belt and change his superhero name to Skyman. He later started a team of second generation superheroes (sometimes referred to as legacy heroes) connected to the Justice Society of America called Infinity Inc. Infinity Inc. consisted mostly of the sons and daughters of the members of the original Justice Society.
Skyman is eventually killed in battle with one of Infinity Inc.’s most dangerous enemies, Solomon Grundy, who was under the control of the new (the third) Harlequin. The Cosmic Converter Belt was given into the care of his old sidekick, the now retired Stripesy.
| The Star-Spangled Kid / Stargirl
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Stargirl and her Cosmic Staff!
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| Gender
| Female
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| Publisher
| DC Comics
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| Origin
| Metropolis
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| First Appearance
| Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #0 (1999)
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| Creator(s)
| Geoff Johns
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| Alter ego
| Courtney Whitmore
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| Aliases
| Stargirl
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| Abilities
| Trained gymnast and kick boxer. Uses the powers of the Cosmic Converter Belt and the Cosmic Staff.
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| Affiliations
| Justice Society of America
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The Star-Spangled Kid / Stargirl
When teen-ager Courtney Whitmore’s mother remarried, she did not like her new step-father Pat Dugan one little bit. When she found out that he was the former sidekick to Sylvester Pemberton, the original Star-Spangled Kid, she thought it was interesting, but dorky. One day, she came upon Pemberton’s old Cosmic Converter Belt, which Dugan had kept since the death of his friend. The belt was an amazing device invented by the Golden Age Starman, Ted Knight, then used and upgraded by the original Star-Spangled Kid. She considered taking the belt out for a spin. The fact that this would annoy her step-father was reason enough to do it. At first Pat was not at all happy with his step-daughter’s super-heroics, fearing that she would come to harm. The more he complained, the more determined she became to use the belt. Eventually, their relationship grew, and they were both surprised to discover that she actually had a talent for super-heroics.
The Cosmic Converter Belt converts solar energy (star light) and into a very useful and flexible force. It allows Courtney to lift incredible weight and move with heightened agility. She can also throw what she calls “Shooting Stars,” which are light forms which disrupt electric devices and organic nervous systems.
The responsibility of being a superhero caused Courtney to grow and mature. Her mother and Pat Dugan eventually grew to respect and support her in her super-hero career. Pat even backed her up in a robotic suit of armor he invented called S.T.R.I.P.E. With Pat’s help, she eventually joined the Justice Society of America, where she treasures her chance to learn from the greatest and most experienced superheroes in history.
As a member of the Justice Society, she met Ted Knight’s son, Jack Knight, the new Starman. Jack and Courtney grew to like and respect each other. When Jack left the superhero business, he gave Courtney his Cosmic Staff, also developed by his father, the first Starman. The Staff allows Courtney to fly and emit concussive blasts of solar energy. Since getting to know and use the Cosmic Staff, Courtney has recently changed her superhero code name to Stargirl. Due to her link to both Stripsey and Starman, she is legacy hero of two different superhero traditions.
The Star-Spangled Kid and S.T.R.I.P.E.
2008, SCI FI. All rights reserved.
