Biggest Unanswered Questions In Stargirl Season 1
The first season of Stargirl has come and gone, and predictably, the audience is left with a lot of questions. Courtney Whitmore's (Brec Bassinger) battle to save millions of innocents from the machinations of the Injustice Society of America (ISA) wasn't fought alone. Just as the villains of Courtney's new home of Blue Valley, Nebraska, had their own team, the first season of Stargirl introduced us to a bunch of heroes pulled from the pages of DC's comics, and all of them came with their own mysteries.
And as any fans of the source material will notice while watching season 1, Stargirl's creators aren't at all stingy about using DC's vast mythology to plant seeds for future stories. Along with the many heroes and villains who've already been introduced, plenty of other DC good and bad guys have either been directly mentioned, or in some cases, loud hints about the characters have already been dropped. Considering the rich fictional universe of DC, the possibilities for new champions of good and evil in Stargirl's future are limitless, but we're also wondering what'll happen to our original cast of characters. And as a result, we've got some pretty big unanswered questions about Stargirl season 1.
What will happen to Solomon Grundy after Stargirl season 1?
For most of Stargirl's first season we don't get to see much of the powerhouse Solomon Grundy. Finally, in the season finale, Grundy is unleashed on the heroes. It's tough to not be reminded of the battle between the Hulk and Iron Man in 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron as Pat Dugan/S.T.R.I.P.E. (Luke Wilson) takes on Grundy, though in this case, it's the monster who defeats the robot. Fortunately, Pat is saved by the young Rick Tyler (Cameron Gellman), aka Hourman, who defeats Solomon Grundy in combat but finds the mercy to spare the undead beast.
It's clearly important for Rick's emotional growth to refrain from killing Grundy. He's been intent on getting revenge for the deaths of his parents ever since learning it was Grundy who killed them, to the point where he risks the team's mission in "Brainwave Jr." by trying to free Grundy from his prison just so he can murder him. Showing mercy to the beast puts him on a much different path.
But Hourman's mercy leaves us with a question — what happens to Solomon Grundy now? The last we see of the monster, he's wandering off. Did another member of the Injustice Society manage to wrangle him back in his cell, or is he free to roam where he wishes? If Grundy is free then — considering Grundy's power and bad disposition — it could very well be that Hourman's mercy will mean the deaths of innocents.
Where are Sportsmaster and Tigress?
While they may not have the overwhelming physical power of Injustice Society members like Solomon Grundy and Icicle (Neil Jackson), the married couple Sportsmaster (Neil Hopkins) and Tigress (Joy Osmanski) prove two of the deadliest additions to the villainous group. Among other things, Sportsmaster comes within a hair's breadth of murdering Pat Dugan in season 1's penultimate episode.
The events of the season 1 finale leave us wondering whether or not the lethal pair will stick around Blue Valley. In spite of the many deaths the Injustice Society suffers by the end of the finale, Sportsmaster and Tigress don't seem to be among them, nor is there any word of them being arrested. The last we see of either of them, they're unconscious in the Injustice Society's underground lair, having finally been defeated by the heroes.
So what will happen to them? Well, it seems likely the answer is tied to whether or not they want to stay in Blue Valley. On one hand, considering the Injustice Society's failure, it makes sense for them to pack up, get out of Blue Valley, and start a new life somewhere else. On the other hand, neither of these two killers seem to lean heavily on the practical side of things. They're going to want payback for taking their lumps from the new Justice Society of America (JSA), so we're guessing we haven't heard the last of them.
What's the Gambler going to do after Stargirl season 1?
While the Gambler (Eric Goins) is arguably one of the most important members of the Injustice Society to participate in the battle with the JSA in the season finale, he doesn't physically confront his enemies. Gambler spends most of the finale in front of a bank of monitors, waging a digital war against Beth (Anjelika Washington), the young Doctor Mid-Nite. He isn't counted among the Injustice Society's dead or even the unconscious.
Will Gambler be back to harass Stargirl and the other members of the new JSA? Well, let's consider the kind of guy Gambler is. He's not a self-proclaimed visionary like Icicle or Dragon King (Nelson Lee), and while he isn't above murder or torture when it suits him, he isn't a sadist like Sportsmaster and Tigress. Gambler is all about the thing he loses in the season 1 finale — money. In order to distract him, Beth and the A.I. Chuck (voiced by Henry Thomas) go after the villain's bank accounts, and by the looks of things, they don't even leave him enough money to buy any of those ascots he seems to like so much.
So the answer to whether or not we'll see Gambler again probably boils down to money. If the injustice Society is reformed or a similar group takes its place, Gambler will likely only be interested if it gives him a chance to refill his empty bank accounts. Otherwise, he's probably on his way to Vegas.
Where has the Shade been all this time?
The season 1 finale ends with a number of big teases for season 2, one of them being the appearance of the Shade. We don't see his face, but we do see his signature hat and cane, and as he sits at the ISA's conference table, he makes it clear that he never thought Icicle's Project New America would work.
More than anyone else in season 1, the Shade has been conspicuous in his absence. While he doesn't physically show up in the series premiere, to fans of the comics, it's clear it was his powers that killed the original Doctor Mid-Nite in the opening scene depicting the fall of the original JSA. Also, some eagle-eyed viewers spotted him in the portrait overlooking the ISA conference table long before the camera zoomed in on it in the season finale.
Now that the Shade has finally emerged, we have two big questions about him — where has he been, and what role will he play in future seasons? Did he really stay away simply because he didn't believe in Icicle's plans, or was there something else going on? And while the obvious role for him might seem like the new head of the ISA, that might not be the case. There have been times in the comics when the Shade has shown a more heroic side, most notably in the critically hailed James Robinson and Tony Harris run of Starman.
What will Beth's role be now that Chuck is gone?
While just about everyone in the JSA survives the season finale, there is one victim. The artificial intelligence in Doctor Mid-Nite's goggles — calling itself Chuck — dies when Icicle destroys the device.
Ever since she was brought into the fold, most of Beth's contributions to the JSA have come through her interaction with Chuck and her access to the goggles. She doesn't have access to powerful items like Stargirl and Hourman, nor does she have the physical skills of Wildcat (Yvette Monreal). So moving forward, it's unclear what role Beth will play with the JSA. It doesn't seem like the goggles could be easily fixed or Chuck revived, as no one in the JSA we've met so far possesses that kind of know-how.
Beth is a fun, lovable character so it doesn't seem likely she'd just leave the show. One possibility is that she could become the proverbial girl in the chair, feeding intelligence to the rest of the team while they're in the field. Another possibility is that instead of being the new Doctor Mid-Nite, Beth could take on another identity. There are still plenty of artifacts Courtney took from the JSA headquarters that went unclaimed.
Where are the other Seven Soldiers?
While he doesn't complete his quest to kill the Dragon King — an honor that the villain Shiv (Meg DeLacy) takes from him — Justin, aka the Shining Knight (Mark Ashworth), survives the battle against the Injustice Society and seems to have a somewhat firmer hold on his sanity. Toward the end of the season finale, the JSA bids Justin farewell as he leaves in search of his magical horse and the rest of the Seven Soldiers of Victory.
It makes you wonder exactly why the rest of the Seven Soldiers never found their way to Blue Valley. After all, you would assume word of an event as catastrophic as the deaths of most of the JSA would reach the ears of other superheroes, not to mention that at least one of the victims — Starman (Joel McHale) — was one of the Soldiers. Did they do anything to find justice for their fallen comrades, and if not, why not?
Time will tell if the other Soldiers ever appear. We've met three of the Soldiers so far — Justin, Starman (who was Star-Spangled Kid when he was in the Seven Soldiers), and Pat Dugan, formerly known as Stripesy. That leaves the Crimson Avenger, Wing, Green Arrow, Speedy, and Vigilante. No, that doesn't add up to seven, but the soldiers were never known for their math skills.
How did Blue Valley hide what happened?
At the end of the season finale, Blue Valley and the rest of the country not only survive the Injustice Society's attempts to literally change their minds, but it doesn't seem like anyone remembers what happened. We see a news anchor explaining it all away as an earthquake, but that really doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
After Brainwave (Christopher James Baker) starts broadcasting his amplified powers across the country, we see adults in Blue Valley frozen in place and staring off in the distance. We see all the coaches and other faculty on Blue Valley High's football field affected by the broadcast, as well as every adult on the town's main strip. It's conceivable Brainwave's signal somehow made them forget what happened, but they're not the only ones there. The children are there and desperately trying to wake the older townsfolk, like the young girl played by Lexi Rabe, known for her touching portrayal of Tony Stark's daughter in 2019's Avengers: Endgame.
If this is happening not only in Blue Valley but in all of the surrounding states, how could it be explained away as an earthquake? It would be like a volcano erupting in the middle of a town and the news explaining it away as the result of rowdy teenagers. The dots simply don't connect.
What are Shiv's plans after Stargirl season 1?
One of the major teases toward the end of the season finale involves the introduction of another prominent DC Comics villain. After the defeat of the ISA, we see Dragon King's daughter, Shiv, going through some kind of storage room — presumably her father's — and finally finding a glowing jewel. As soon as they see the jewel, many fans know exactly who's being referenced, and even if they don't, Shiv says his name — "Eclipso."
The answer to the question may be obvious, but we have to ask what Shiv plans to do with this artifact. Eclipso is a powerful, mystical DC villain, and his mention in the series finale is a pretty big deal. If he shows up as the season finale seems to promise, it would be the first live-action portrayal of the character. He often possesses human hosts, and if Shiv is planning what we think she's planning, then characteristically, she's in over her head. If Shiv plans to merge with Eclipso and become his vessel, while she might have a little fun with his power, it probably won't turn out well for her in the end. Eclipso isn't known for his gratitude.
What about the orphans of the Injustice Society?
Stargirl introduces us to a bunch of teenage heroes, but the members of the JSA aren't the only teens we meet, and we have to wonder if some of the others will have more prominent roles in future seasons.
Many of the villains in the Injustice Society have families in Blue Valley, and throughout the series, we learn most of them care a lot about legacy. We see more of Shiv than most of those children, though we also meet Henry (Jake Austin Walker), who's murdered by his father in "Brainwave Jr." Still, there are other children who have the potential to become either friends or foes to Stargirl's heroes. There's Icicle's son, Cameron (Hunter Sansone), who takes his father's name and powers in the comics. Sportsmaster and Tigress' daughter, Artemis (Stella Smith), seems to have the potential to be just as cutthroat as her parents, and the character has been both a hero and a villain in other media. The season finale opens with the Fiddler's son, Isaac (Max Frantz), hitting a bully upside the head with his tuba, and a villain named Isaac Bowin is one of the characters to call himself Fiddler in the source material.
Overall, it seems like if the Injustice Society wants to recruit some new blood, there's plenty of potential in Blue Valley High.
Will the other JSA artifacts find new bearers?
In spite of Pat Dugan's initial resistance to the idea, Stargirl uses the artifacts sitting in the JSA's old headquarters to arm her new allies. Beth gets Doctor Mid-Nite's old goggles, Yolanda gets Wildcat's outfit, and Rick gets the empowering hourglass that belonged to his late father.
But there are still artifacts left. We've seen the Flash's silver hat, the powerful Green Lantern battery, and Johnny Thunder's pen, which — if it's anything like the comic book version — contains a powerful genie that could prove to be just about any hero's best friend. Will Courtney use them to find new allies? Might Beth take one of them now that Doctor Mid-Nite's goggles have been destroyed? Or will they fall into the wrong hands and cause more harm than good?
And, by the way, while we're on the subject of the JSA's old headquarters, what about that owl, Hootie? How many years has that poor bird been hanging out there, waiting for Doctor Mid-Nite to come back? Who feeds that thing? How is it even alive?
Where does Wildcat go from here?
Before the new Hourman is able to confront Solomon Grundy, the new Wildcat warns him against killing the monster. Ultimately, Hourman's mercy prevents him from murdering Grundy, but Wildcat doesn't take her own advice. When she figures out that it's Brainwave masquerading as his own son and her ex-boyfriend, Wildcat lashes out, killing him with a single strike across the throat.
That leaves us wondering exactly how Wildcat will fare in season 2. She's visibly shaken at the end of the season finale, and she doesn't seem to be opening up to anyone else. Between Henry's death, her continued social shaming in school, and dealing with the ramifications of killing Brainwave, Wildcat may be dealing with a lot of emotional instability when the next season comes around.
It doesn't bode well for the future of the JSA, either. Between Beth losing her connection to Chuck and Wildcat's issues, the team will be dealing with some serious interior struggles before any villains even lift a hand against them.
How is Starman alive at the end of Stargirl season 1?
Without question, the biggest reveal in the Stargirl season 1 finale is the return of Sylvester Pemberton, the original Starman. We see Pemberton die in the series premiere, yet the season 1 finale ends with the former superhero showing at Pat Dugan's former apartment, looking for his old friend and sidekick.
There are a lot of questions about this reveal. Is it really Starman? In the world of superheroes nothing is out of bounds. He could be a demon in disguise, a ghost, or a robot. He could be a supervillain with shapeshifting powers. Or he could actually be Starman. If so, how is he alive? Was he ever dead in the first place? Was that a clone we saw die? Is this a Starman from the past who traveled in time from before his death? Did a bad guy resurrect him to cause trouble? Did he come back from the dead recently, or has he been back for a while? And if the answer is the latter, why has he waited so long to reconnect with his old sidekick?
More importantly, what does Starman's return mean for Stargirl? Assuming he eventually tracks down Pat Dugan in Blue Valley, Pemberton will probably want the cosmic rod back, and Courtney won't want to give it to him. Will it be up to the rod itself to choose who keeps it, and if so, who will it choose?