Henry King Jr.

**Henry King Jr.** was a major character in The CW and DC Universe series, *Stargirl*.

He was a student at Blue Valley High School and a skilled football player, whose elite popularity gave him a cocky edge. Henry was known as an arrogant, spoiled, rich teenager with little respect or care for others. His disrespect for Yolanda caused tension between him and her new group of friends, which escalated when Henry exhibited his father's telekinetic abilities. He was alone in his discovery of his powers, but learned to accept help from Courtney Whitmore, launching him into a complicated battle between good and evil.

He was the only child of Henry King Sr. - aka ISA member Brainwave, and Merry King, the superheroine "Girl of 1,000 Gimmicks". Henry was also the nephew of Sylvester Pemberton, the superhero known as Starman.

## Biography

Henry King Jr. was born to Dr. Henry King Sr. and Merry King in 2004. He is the nephew of Merri's brother, Sylvester Pemberton. Henry grew up in California with his parents. The day after his sixth birthday, Merri was supposed to pick Henry up from school but never showed. Henry was scared that his mother had forgotten about him. A few hours later, his father picked him up and told him that there had been an accident. His mother had fallen into the pool and drowned, and by the time Dr. King found her, she was ice cold. The remaining King's moved to Blue Valley, Nebraska, soon after Merri's death.

Three months ago, Henry had a relationship with Yolanda Montez and she believed they were serious. He was supportive of her campaign for student president and they enjoyed their time together. One night, he asked her to send him revealing pictures of herself and she obliged. The next day, he showed his friends the images in the halls of BVHS. His phone was taken by Cindy Burman, however, he managed to retrieve it. At the assembly, Yolanda's pictures were leaked by Cindy which led to a breakup between Henry and Yolanda. He then began dating Cindy, which was orchestrated by Dr. King and Cindy's father, Dr. Ito.

## Series

### Season 1

Henry approaches a table in the cafeteria alongside his other jock friends. He leans to the right of Yolanda, smirking at her despite her being uncomfortable with his presence. His friends shroud to the left of her, boxing her in. Henry slyly and cruelly asks if his friends smell that, saying that it smells like a slut and looks at Yolanda. He then asks if she has taken any pictures she wants to share with them, but Yolanda stays quiet. Courtney Whitmore, however, speaks up telling him to leave Yolanda alone. Henry looks to Courtney and greets her as the new girl and snatches her phone, asking what she has on hers instead. He smirks holding it just out of her reach when she tries to grab it. As if on instinct, she shoves him backward while grabbing her phone back from him. He staggers into a lunch monitor who spills food all over the place. Henry mutters something after Courtney as she is taken away by Principal Bowin for punishment.

That night, Henry and his friends gather at the drive-in movie theater but cause trouble instead. They are purposely loud and obnoxious, annoying fellow movie-goers who yell at them to stop. He and his friends advance to the car with the teens who dared to speak up against him. As they are harassing their peers, one of Henry's friends brings attention to the person letting air out of his tires. The staff Stargirl is holding intentionally hurtles itself into his chest, knocking him down. Henry and his other friend rush to fight Stargirl, unaware of the person's identity. The staff positions itself horizontally and glows bright, blinding Henry's friends and causing them to run into it. Henry recovers from being hit, and charges at Stargirl again. The staff twirls Stargirl into the air, tripping Henry back. The staff backs up to avoid one of the jocks and accidentally hits Henry in the face. Aiming for the third boy, the staff blasts a beam of light that causes Henry's car to explode, knocking everyone to the ground. Henry stands amidst the chaos and clutches his head, muttering that his dad is going to kill him.

At the Kings' residence, Henry Sr. asks his son to repeat the story about what happened at the drive-in. Henry Jr. begins his story by apologizing for taking the car without asking, but his father is more interested in the part about the staff. Henry tells him about a glowing thing that shot fire or lasers or something, but it was too dark to see who was wielding it. Henry dismisses his son in a cold tone, telling him they'll discuss it more in the morning. Henry Jr nods saying yes sir, and exits quickly.

At the King manor, Henry steals money from his father's wallet only to be discovered by the maid, whom he orders to make eggs for him. Henry Sr. calls his son over to his study. Jr. claims he's late but reluctantly sits across from him. Sr. says he has a few more questions that night and asks if his perpetrator was a girl. Henry says it was a guy, leasing Sr. to stand up and say he can never lie to his father as he always knows. Using his powers on him, he cruelly asks him once more if a girl beat him and his friend up and destroyed the car. Henry Jr. tells him it may have been a girl, as his father slowly sits down. Staring at him, he asks his son to tell what he's thinking. Henry Jr. exclaims he hates when he stares at him like that, and, after a moment, guesses that his father is thinking he has to take the bus. Secretly disappointed, his father says he'll drop him off. He stands up, but before he leaves, he holds out his hand for the money Henry took.

After the assembly, Henry complains to his father that they never go to these things and asks why they're here, but Sr. dismisses his son and tells him to get some juice. Dr. Chapel escorts Henry in the hospital, telling him they found his father's body after he suffered a seizure of sorts. She says that the person who would've known what to do was him, as Henry looks on and struggles to hold back his tears.

At the hospital, Henry leaning on his hand, in a deep sleep. The boy is startled awake when a coffee cup moves suddenly on the table next to him. He looks at it and then at his father but brushes it off. Rattled, Henry stands up and walks to his father's bedside. He sadly places his hand on his father's. He looks down at his father feeling emotional. A moment passes before Henry turns and sees Jordan Mahkent looking at the duo through the room's window.

In a flashback from three months ago, Henry is happily greeted by his girlfriend Yolanda Montez at Blue Valley high. They hug before she pins a "Vote for Yolanda" button on his letterman jacket. They walk down the hallway together smiling happily. Cindy Burman walks past them and Henry barely glances at her, paying the most attention to Yolanda. They continue down the hallway despite Cindy's glares. That night, Henry eagerly texts Yolanda asking her to send him a picture of herself - something sexy. He assures her it will just be for him and claims to love her, then sends a "please" with an emoji. She eventually does send him a topless picture.

The next day at school, Henry is gathered with his friends by the lockers. He is showing them something on his phone, which can only be assumed to be the photos Yolanda sent him. He watches her and smiles at her as she walks by. He lowers his phone as his gaze follows Yolanda as she passes and he continues to smile. Before he knows it, Cindy snatches the phone from his hand. She sees the images of Yolanda on his phone though he quickly grabs it away, scolding her and repositioning his backpack nervously.

At the assembly for student government elections, Henry is wearing "vote for Yolanda" merch sitting next to his jock friends. He is surprised when a text message is sent to every student and faculty member in the auditorium. Two of his friends hang over him and point to their screens, clapping his shoulder eagerly. He merely sits there in shock staring at Yolanda as everyone looks at the nude images of her on their phones.

In the present day, Henry runs into Yolanda in the hallway and apologizes for knocking her off-balance. He awkwardly continues only to be pulled aside by his girlfriend, Cindy Burman, who interrogates him about what Yolanda said to him. He tells her it was nothing but she pushes him on. He blows her off and walks away, ignoring her yelling his name after him. Later on that same day, Courtney is going through a yearbook when she sees a picture of Henry and Yolanda together having been voted "Most Outgoing" by their peers.

The next night, Wildcat and Stargirl spot Henry driving to Blue Valley Medical Center to visit his father. Wildcat accidentally ends up in Henry King Sr.'s room where Henry Jr is holding his father's hand. Wildcat, overcome with emotion, almost harms Henry but is stopped by his cries. Henry emotionally tells his father how much he misses him and wishes he would wake up. As Wildcat is trying to escape she runs into a tray which causes noise. Henry turns around to look but by the time he does, Wildcat is gone. A few moments pass before he leaves the medical center.

On Halloween, Yolanda, Beth, and Courtney arrive at Cindy Burman's party. Yolanda sees Henry inside through the window and refuses to go in, as she doesn't want to face him. Inside the party, Henry is greeted by an eager Cindy who wants him to comment on her costume. He coldly states that it looks like Jenny's, which annoys her but she stays silent. He is irritable and in noticeable pain, so she asks what his problem is. He states that it's loud but she counters that it's supposed to be loud it's a party. She then rudely tells him that he's been a real downer lately which surprises him. He reminds her that his father is in the hospital but she dismissively tells him that maybe he should go see his dad since it's quiet in hospitals. Henry downs his drink throws it on the floor and walks out of the party. Once outside, he grips his head in pain and tries to shake it off. From across the street, Yolanda thinks *jerk* at him and Henry hears it. He stops and looks around confused. He notices Yolanda and asks what she said, but she claims not to have heard anything so he walks off.

Henry visits his father at Blue Valley High School where he takes more medication to manage his headaches. He is surprised when Cindy Burman arrives with flowers, claiming to be there in support of her boyfriend. He admits that he feels as though he can wake his father up if he just concentrates enough, to which Cindy agrees that it sounds crazy. She tells him that she will handle the plans for the Homecoming dance but he cuts her off saying that he isn't going to the stupid dance. She presses the matter but he reminds her that his father is in a coma so she feigns empathy and apologizes. They eventually hug, though Cindy finds in awkward.

At school, Henry is putting away his books when Cindy saunters up and yells his name. He hears her both audibly and telepathically, which causes him to wince in pain. He tells her not to be so loud which she brushes off. She then tells him that he's taking her to the Homecoming dance. He declines again, telling her that he's uninterested in going, but she reiterates that he *is* taking her to the dance. He finally snaps saying that if she wants to go so badly she should just take someone else. He then closes his locker and walks off. Cindy, now alone, mutters that she wishes she could take someone else.

Now in math class, Henry struggles to pay attention due to his increasingly painful headaches and sensitivity to sound. His absent-mindedness catches the attention of the teacher, who asks if he is alright. Henry snaps out of his telepathic zone and claims to be fine as he flips over the test to get started. He finds it hard to concentrate and then begins hearing his fellow classmate's thoughts. While initially confused, he realizes that some students are bragging about how they studied while others are wishing they had studied more. Henry uses his newfound gift to listen to the minds of those who studied and circle the answers they think are correct.

The night of the Homecoming game, Henry visits his father in the hospital when Courtney Whitmore rolls by in a wheelchair guided by Pat Dugan. She waves to Henry and gives a smile, greeting him by name. He notices her and stands up, walking to the door as if he might talk to her. He then closes it in her face, refusing to speak to her.

The next day, Henry's headaches have become debilitating to the point where he can barely function without feeling immense pain or hearing a painfully loud ringing. He rummages through his father's drawers until he finds over the counter pain reliever, but also finds a golden key. He picks it up out of curiosity and the intense pain and ringing suddenly stop. He is confused by the key but drops it and the pills as everything commences again. He grimaces and grips his head in agony. Suddenly, one of the white pills begins to rise from the table catching Henry's attention. He watches in shock as he is able to move the pill through the air without touching it. He only uses his finger as a guide, much to his amazement.

He is still curious about the key, so he uses his newly discovered telekinetic abilities to make the key travel from one lock to another. From drawers to patio doors, to a globe, they all fail to open. But he is determined in his endeavor and notices that there are locks on the library shelves for seemingly no reason. The key slides perfectly into the lock and the shelves part to reveal a secret room. Henry takes in everything but is especially drawn to the green Brainwave suit in the center of the small room. He touches it but then moves on to other objects. He notices a photograph of his mother on the wall along with several VHS tapes all marked in numbered days. As he is exploring, he roots through what he believes to be mail until a photograph of his girlfriend, Cindy Burman, catches his eye. When he takes out the letter he is confused to find that Cindy's father Dr. Shiro Ito had been corresponding with Dr. King to arrange for Cindy to enter Henry's life and spy on him.

Henry speeds down the streets of Blue Valley and past Cindy Burman's house, where he witnesses her being propelled out of her bedroom window by the Cosmic Staff. She crashes in front of his car much to his horror. He rushes out and to her side making sure she is okay. She only quips back that she is going to kill that Star-Spangled Bitch, referring to the costumed girl on the opposite end of the street. Henry asks who the costumed girl is but Cindy ignores him. He begins to hear the thoughts of both Stargirl and Cindy at the same time that Cindy verbally entices him to help her kill Stargirl. Stargirl, on the other hand, is worried about the JSA and her friends. She doesn't want to die but Cindy is too strong. The thoughts and emotions of the girls swirl in Henry's mind as he clutches his head, begging them to stop and to be quiet. The thoughts continue with Cindy's verbal enticings only quickening. Overcome with emotion, he grips his head just as green energy begins to appear from his head and swirls around his hands. He screams at them to get away and a powerful green energy blast projects out of his body and slams into Cindy and Stargirl, sending each girl in opposite directions. The energy spans out several feet and leaves Henry confused as to what just happened.

By the time he reaches Stargirl, Cindy has disappeared after being dragged away by her father's minions. Henry asks Stargirl what she did to Cindy, and begins to hear Stargirl's thoughts and communicates with her telepathically. He murmurs her name but remains confused due to the onslaught of information coming from her thoughts. He struggles to piece together the JSA, his father having powers, and now having inherited them himself. He communicates that he has to get out of here and runs away down the street as Stargirl yells after him to wait. As Henry runs, Dr. Ito watches him on the monitors and muses that his daughter was wrong about Henry not having powers.

Henry returns home to his father's secret Brainwave room and explores the VHS tapes he found. He takes the first one, labeled, *Day 1*, and slides it into the VCR. Much to his amazement, an image of his father at a much younger age appears on the screen. Brainwave explains how he experimented on himself with unsanctioned cerebral expansion experiments and began hearing voices a result of these experiments. He soon realized that he could read minds. But that night as the first time he killed someone. Henry is disturbed yet intrigued as he watches his father explain everything that happened. When the tape runs out, Henry grabs *Day 2*.

The night passes but Henry is still watching his father's tapes, now onto *Day 10*. Brainwave speaks about realizing he can move objects with his mind, demonstrating by moving a soda can from out of frame to his hand just by focusing on it. A moment later, the can crushes inward and falls to the ground. Henry looks off to the distance where a soda can of the same brand is sitting on the edge of his father's desk. He focuses causing the can to shake on the desk before rising a few inches into the air. He repeats his father's action of crushing the can.

Time goes by as he grows accustomed to his newfound gifts, and moves onto *day 23*. As he does so, he begins to cause objects to move around him in the air just above his head. These objects include several more tapes and miscellaneous items. He grins in amazement and watches the scene unfold with a look of innocence and pure glee on his face. He then notices a letter opener in the objects and focuses, sending it flying across the room and lodging it into the wall several feet away. The once innocent look on his face vanishes.

Henry watches a tape where Brainwave opens up about his traumatic childhood and abusive father, with Henry beginning to garner sympathy for the man he once feared. Brainwave also admits that he felt powerless his entire life - until he received his powers. Henry is intrigued and slides in *Day 91* and his father's familiar stoic face appears on the screen. Brainwave talks about hearing a man's disturbing thoughts regarding a woman on the subway, so as punishment, Brainwave blinded the man but that didn't stop the horrible thoughts. Henry listens intently with a concerned look on his face when Brainwave admits to having killed the man after the incident. But what truly surprises Henry, is that Brainwave admits to feeling better now that he's murdered, someone. Until he heard another thought, and another, realizing that humans are monsters deep down inside.

Suddenly, there's a creak at the door, and Henry stands up, using telekinesis to bring the dagger to him from the wall. The maid walks in causing Henry to relax and hide the knife by his side. She asks if he's okay. He reads her thoughts that show she worries about him sometimes and his expression softens as he says he's fine. The maid tells him that a man called - a lawyer that wants to talk to Henry about his father, and silently thinks that Henry would be better off without his father. Henry is angered by her thoughts and tells her to shut up, just as his head starts hurting again. Brainwave's voice rings in Henry's mind calling to him, and Henry looks around eagerly for his father as he verbally calls out for Brainwave. Brainwave responds telepathically, clearly intrigued by his son being able to hear his thoughts. Henry puts the dagger down and tells the maid to stay out of his way, storming out of the room.

Henry retreated to Blue Valley Medical Center where he was bombarded with the thoughts of nearby patients and their families. From complaints about pain medication not working to a woman hoping a patient would die, the thoughts were each more vile and surprising than the last. It wasn't until Henry passed a man pushing a wheelchair that he was truly disgusted. The man seemed to be looking forward to the woman's passing so he could inherit the car, sell the house, and turn a profit. Henry looked disgusted at the thoughts and hurried into his father's room, where he was finally able to garner some quiet. He went to his father's side and tried to awaken him using telepathy, but it failed as Brainwave merely laid asleep in the bed. A male nurse entered to change Brainwave's IV when Henry heard his thoughts. The nurse was bothered by Brainwave's months of being in the hospital with minimal brain activity and thinks Henry should just pull the plug already, remarking how he didn't even like Dr. King. The nurse smiles at Henry who is angered by the man's thoughts, and the nurse leaves. Henry takes his father's hand and agrees with him that people are monsters.

He continues to stand with his father when Courtney Whitmore enters hoping to speak with Henry, who is on guard from their last encounter. She admits that she doesn't want to hurt him and just wants to talk, though her thoughts reveal that she doesn't want to hurt him - like she hurt his dad. This angers Henry who demands to know if Courtney really hurt his father, which she doesn't argue with but tries to reason that it was an accident. He inflicts telepathic pain on her causing her to grip her head. She reasons that Brainwave was going to kill her and her mom, so she didn't have choice and she didn't mean to put him in a coma. The truth calms Henry enough to release her from the pain, and she closes the hospital room door so they can have some privacy. She asks how much he knows and he pauses, focusing on her thoughts for a moment before stating that he knows what she knows. She asks if he knows that they kill people but he merely looks at her and then at his father. He is quiet as she tells him that the ISA killed Joey Zarick, his father, and her father. Henry looks out the hospital room window and ponders if they had it coming. She asks if he really believes that, bringing up Joey's death as an example.

He softens a little, closing his eyes as he admits Joey was a nice kid. She asks why he isn't a nice kid, to which he looks at her with spite in his eyes. He asks if she knows what it's like to read everyone's thoughts, bitterly admitting that it's Hell on Earth. She might think he's a jerk, but everyone else is worse. He eerily adds that if his father killed someone, they probably had it coming. He recants what Brainwave said in his tapes about people being monsters, and that deep down, they're hateful and twisted. Courtney tells him that life isn't that black and white and that people can be both good and bad. They can be kind and compassionate. She says that even though the thoughts he's read are horrible, he should try looking a little deeper, claiming that everyone wants to feel loved, including him. Henry asks what makes her think that, and Courtney tells him what Yolanda told her about his dad, and how even though his dad treated him horribly, Henry's still by his side, but her thoughts on the horrible things Brainwave did to Henry triggers the young telepath, and he loses control of his powers and the room begins to shake. He tells her coldly to get out and she holds up her hands in surrender. Just as she leaves, she tells him to come to talk to her when he's ready. He watches her go then turns back to his father.

That night, Henry is getting water at a water fountain in Blue Valley Medical Center when he is yanked into a room and thrown against a wall by a mysterious figure. He is terrified until he looks up and reads the mind of his assailant, recognizing her as Yolanda - who is dressed as Wildcat. She warns him to stay away from Courtney to which he quips that Courtney needs to stay away from him. She knows Courtney thinks his soul is worth saving but Yolanda knows that it isn't. She tells him to read her mind, thinking the most horrendous thoughts about him and the ways she wants to kill him. He is overwhelmed at first but digs deeper into her mind and she admits that her actions come from a sense of betrayal. She trusted him and he betrayed her. She loved him, even. As soon as she thinks about loving him she stiffens and averts her eyes. She then reiterates that he needs to stay away before jumping out of the window and disappearing into the night.

Henry returns to his father's room and is dozing off when someone knocks on the door and jolts him from his sleep. A strange man walks in announcing himself as Mr. Green, Dr. King's attorney. He explains that Henry's housekeeper told him that Henry would be here. Henry is jittery as he listens to the man who explains that Dr. King left very specific instructions on what should happen if he were to be rendered comatose with minimal brain activity. The time allotted for waking up is nearing its end, meaning that life support will be terminated shortly. Henry reads the attorney's mind and realizes the man's lying, and only doing it for the money. The papers are fake. He confronts Mr. Green, who denies faking the papers, trying to calm the boy. Henry is engaged by someone wanting to kill his father and gives Mr. Green a seizure that cripples him to the ground. When the emotion passes Henry looks down at what he's done in utter horror, emotion filling his face as he watches the man writhing on the floor. Brainwave calls to his son causing Henry to look up and see that his father has awakened. Brainwave seems confused and asks his son what's going on.

When the confusion wears off, Henry approaches his father's bed and speaks with him. Brainwave is confused as he remembers that just last month Henry blew out six birthday candles, musing how he could have forgotten ten years. He quickly assures his son that he will get his memories back. He then asks what they're doing here, to which Junior explains that they're in a hospital. Brainwave corrects that he meant in Nebraska, to which Junior sits on the end of the bed. He takes a moment then is forced to tell his father that he moved them to Blue Valley after mom died. Henry didn't know that Merri had died, and is crushed by the news. Junior is emotional about having to relive the event and avoids his father's eyes. He explains that it was an accident, that she had drowned in the pool, and by the time Brainwave found her she was ice cold. He averts his gaze emotionally telling his father that Merri was supposed to pick him up from school and he worried that she had forgotten about him. The men are emotional and Brainwave hugs his son, much to Henry's surprise yet comfort. Brainwave begins to think about how much he loved Merri. Henry responds telepathically and Dr. King is surprised to learn that his son has his gift. He asks if he knew this and was training him, but Henry explains that the powers started when Dr. King was in a coma. Dr. King muses on this saying that he may have been trying to reach out telepathically which is what triggered Henry's latent abilities. He puts his hand on his son's shoulder, assuring him that even though the powers are scary when they first start that it will be okay. He'll teach him control. Henry nods with a soft smile.

Henry is sound asleep when Dr. King's thoughts awaken him. The thoughts are about Merri and how much he loved her. He is thinking about *the last day*, *drowned*, *my wife's dead*, and *last day* on repeat. Henry tries to wake him telepathically to no avail, so he leaves the hospital and hurries home to watch the last tape. He bursts into the office and roots through the tapes until he finds the last tape written, *Day 3233*. He slides the tape into the VCR which begins with a blunt announcement by Henry Sr. that his wife is dead - just like that. Henry dejectedly looks at his mother's picture as Brainwave tells the story of when they met when he robbed a bank. Henry walks into the office and takes his mother's photo off the wall as his father's voice plays in the background. He walks out with the picture as he listens to Brainwave explain that Merri was known as the Girl of 1000 Gimmicks and how he was stunned by how pure and good her thoughts were. She caught him, in more ways than one. However, being with her made him question Jordan and his mission. The latter couldn't allow it - he led the JSA to them and killed them, including Merri's brother, Starman. Henry looks up in shock that his Uncle was Starman. Brainwave continues saying that Merri would never forgive him for his part, and hope she would into hiding but didn't. He utters a "damn you" to Jordan, and says there are no more good thoughts left. Henry mutters Jordan's name, places the picture down, and races of the office.

He returns to the Medical Center just in time to see Jordan holding a now frozen Cosmic Staff while Brainwave watches in amusement. Henry panics and hides behind the nurse's desk just in time for Jordan and Brainwave to walk out of the room, speaking on how Dr. Ito will restore Brainwave's memories. Henry tries to calm himself as he focuses on staying hidden from his father's radar. He is sweating out of nerves as Brainwave senses something but doesn't say anything to a questioning Jordan. When the men are gone, Henry lets out a breath of relief.

The next morning, Courtney is walking through town on her way to school when Henry's voice telepathically calls her name. She sees Henry across the street and the boy motions her over with an irritated look on his face. She hurries over and he emotionally states that he has so much to tell her that he doesn't even know where to begin. He puts a hand on her shoulder, which sends an onslaught of visual memories from Henry's mind to Courtney's. It fills her in on everything from his father being awake to Starman being his Uncle. When she snaps out of it, Courtney shrieks and staggers back much to Henry's horror. He profusely apologizes as he doesn't know what just happened but she frantically tells Henry to stay away from her, and Henry explains that he didn't know what he just did. Courtney tells him that she could see what he was thinking, and thinks over the situation aloud.

She suddenly realizes that they're cousins, and looks over at Henry who doesn't seem to have thought of that before. She suddenly hugs Henry, who is taken aback by her onslaught of affection. He awkwardly pats her shoulders as she smiles into him. He clears his throat asking if they could maybe sort that out later. She quickly notes that they can and pulls away. He explains that Jordan has her staff and his dad. Courtney suddenly realizes that Henry's dad knows who she is, as Henry explains that Brainwave can't remember anything from the last ten years since Merri died, as it hurts him too much. Courtney says that's good, and quickly says it's sad but good for now. They need to get her Staff but Henry also wants to save his father, explaining to a reluctant Courtney that his mom was starting to change his dad and that he could see it, and feel it. That's the reason Jordan killed her. Realizing they both lost parental figures to Jordan, Courtney agrees to help him but they're going to need help.

The next school day, Courtney brings Henry to the group where she tells them that Henry knows about them being the JSA. Rick sarcastically congratulates Courtney for giving away their identities to the enemy, but Courtney says that he's not the enemy. Yolanda protests against Henry's presence, and Henry says that if it helps, Courtney didn't tell him anything; he read her mind, to which Courtney hastily adds that he's not going to do that anymore. Henry agrees and sits next to Courtney, letting her try and bargain with her team. Courtney thinks that if they can get the staff and defeat the ISA, they can save the town, along with Pat and Barbara. Rick adds that they'll also be saving Henry's dad, reminding Courtney that if Brainwave gets his memories back, he'll kill her first, then all of them. He worries that Henry will give them up first, but Henry insists that he won't tell anyone anything. The boys begin to argue and Rick wants to fight right now but Henry rejects the idea. Rick dares Henry to stand up but Henry counters that Rick should sit down. Things escalate and Henry loses control and telekinetically throws Rick, who instigated the fight, across the cafeteria. Yolanda reminds Henry that she told him to stay away from her friends and that he knows what she'll do to him. Courtney intervenes telling her to save it for the bad guys. Yolanda angrily retorts that Henry is the bad guy. Rick says there's no way he's working with Henry, and Beth asks what Pat thinks about it. Courtney explains that he's with her mom, and Beth tells everyone that they have to do it for Courtney. Yolanda takes a moment before telling Courtney that she's only going along with it because she knows Court will do it anyway, and she wants to be there to watch her back. She glares at Henry as she claims someone has to watch Courtney's back. She then glares at Courtney, crossing her arms over her chest, saying that Courtney since chose Henry over her after all he did, they aren't friends anymore. Henry looks over at Courtney who can't meet anyone's eye but is certain in standing with Henry.

The group travels to the underground tunnels through the Burman residence, which is empty now that Cindy has "transferred schools". The group stands at the steps with Courtney informing them that Pat isn't answering so it's on them to retrieve the staff and Brainwave. She leads the group through the tunnels with Henry staying close to Courtney, despite Yolanda's glowering glares and insistence of standing nearest to Courtney. Henry is surprisingly quiet during the trudge through the tunnels. The tunnel splits into two parts, so Courtney suggests they split up since they don't exactly have a choice. She and Henry should go one way while Beth, Yolanda, and Rick going the other way. Henry seems fine with the idea but Yolanda quickly states there's no way she's leaving her alone with Henry, and that she's going with her. Courtney agrees as they don't have time to argue. Beth and Rick go left while the other three go right, and decide to meet back at the split in fifteen minutes. Henry hurries down their path behind Courtney and Yolanda.

As the trio walks through the tunnels, Henry and Yolanda lag behind before he asks her to stop. She is annoyed by him and he remarks that he wishes she could read his mind, with her angrily retorting that she would never want to be inside his head. He explains that he wishes she could know how sorry he is for what he did and how he would do anything to take it back. She is surprised by his honesty and how much he understands and regrets what he did. She is quiet for a moment before angrily snapping that he can't take it back before stalking off after Courtney. He watches her go with remorse in his eyes as he is disappointed by the lack of acceptance but follows after the girls.

Courtney, Yolanda, and Henry arrive in Dragon King's lair, where they see Brainwave in his suit, hooked up to different wires. They spot the Cosmic Staff which is in a golden cage hanging from the ceiling. They walk past Cindy, who is still imprisoned by her father. Upon seeing them, Cindy yells for her father and tells him that the bitch is here and begging him to let Cindy kill her. Dragon King looks at them, and signals for his henchmen to kill them. Courtney grabs a spear from the wall, while Henry assumes a fighting stance as he hypes himself up. He telekinetically punches one of the minions and throws him aside with his fists. He repeats this maneuver as he works his way over to his father.

He eventually gets to his father and places his hands on his father's tunic covered chest and telepathically calls to his father who jolts awake. Henry tries to hurry his father along claiming that they have to go. Brainwave stoically responds causing Henry to turn around in horror as he realizes his father is his old self again. He sadly admits that he's too late and they've turned him back, a statement that confuses Brainwave. Brainwave claims this is who he has always been and who he is at his core. He pushes that Henry is just like him, causing Henry to emotionally scream "no!" and send a telekinetic blast at his father that sends Brainwave into the wall. Henry hurries to the girls who have defeated Dragon King, for now, telling them that they were too late and have to get out of there now. They run through the tunnels with minions on their heels and run into Beth and Rick, who is also being tailed. Together, the group runs through the tunnels in an attempt to flee.

They reach a tunnel that is gated off by metal bars that stops them from progressing. Hourman bends the bars creating a space large enough for them to move through. He motions for the girls to go through first, with Wildcat following Dr. Mid-Nite through the gap. Seconds later, the metal bars snap shut cutting the team off from each other. Henry's composure turns to fear when he hears Brainwave's ferocious voice telling them to calm down. Stargirl doesn't hesitate and attacks him with her staff. Hourman tries to pull apart the bars again but Brainwave is manipulating the bars with telekinesis as well. Henry asks if he needs assistance and uses telekinesis on top of Hourman's super strength to pull the bar apart. Once they are open, Henry snaps at Hourman to move it through the bars. Henry calls for Courtney to go, but she refuses to go through before Henry, who can't leave her behind. He has a pained expression but uses telekinesis to move her through the opening bars which snaps shut seconds later.

Henry turns to his father and emotionally pleads for his father to listen. Brainwave admits that Henry is strong just untrained, which is a good thing. He sends a telepathic wave at Henry that shoots pain through Henry's entire body, crippling him to his knees. The JSA fervently tries to break through the force field that Brainwave has put around the bars. Henry lets out a screen as he sends a smaller blast back at his father and staggers to his feet, the blast only knocking Brainwave off balance. He pleads with his father to listen. He knows what the powers did to Brainwave how they warped what he believed in, but people aren't monsters. He doesn't want to fight him - he loves him. Brainwave returns the sentiment telepathically and wants to train Henry. He has no idea of the power he is capable of.

Henry emotionally refuses. He believes Brainwave is better than this and that mom knew he could be good, that she believed in him. He knows Brainwave loved her. He also knows that Jordan killed her because she saw the good in him too. He breaks down a little as he emotionally speaks, tears in his eyes. Brainwave calmly addresses Junior, telling him that Jordan didn't kill his mother - he did. The revelation shocks Henry who can barely comprehend the thought. Brainwave presses that Henry should stand by his side now or not at all. Henry takes a moment before gritting his teeth and emphatically states he will *never* stand by his side. He lets out a yell as he telekinetically pulls debris and chunks of rock from the ground so they surround him. The feat is riddled with emotion and strength as he hurls the rocks at his father, whose force field stops the rocks.

Power turns to fear when Henry realizes the ramifications of his actions and what his father will do now. Brainwave merely states *goodbye son* and throws Henry into the metal bars. He then begins to break the ceiling loose, large metal pipes splitting in half. The JSA screams in horror and tries to break through the shield but fails. Henry looks over at the group, his eyes resting on Yolanda. He assures her that he really is sorry and she nods, tears falling even through her cowl. He struggles to stay on his knees as he tells Courtney that she's right, people are good - don't let this change her mind. Brainwave collapses the ceiling on Henry seconds later, covering Henry in large rocks and rubble. The JSA breaks into tears as Brainwave disappears, and the young teens are left to stare at the rubble where Henry used to be.

Henry's death impacts everyone around him and those who knew him. His father barely copes as he views it as a means to achieve the greater goal of Project: New America: The brainwashing of a significant portion of the United States. Brainwave informs Jordan that when Henry died, he absorbed his son's powers and became even stronger. He'll be able to control half the country now and not just six states. Across the city, Courtney struggles with the loss and blames herself. A memorial is held at Blue Valley High School, which nearly every student and faculty member attend. Brainwave speaks at the funeral lying about the tragedy of Henry's death and how no one is to blame. He telepathically communicates with Courtney telling her that she is too blame and that he's coming for her.

During the fight between the Justice Society and Injustice Society, Yolanda, dressed as Wildcat, slashes through Dragon King's minions and begins to attack another minion. This minion holds up his hands and tells her to stop, removing his mask to reveal that it's Henry. Yolanda is relieved that he's alive and hugs him, with him explaining that his father didn't kill him and he's been hiding out in the tunnels ever since. He asks if she remembers what he said before about being sorry, to which she nods yes. He tells her that she meant it and when everything is over he wants to talk things through. She smiles at him. He knows where Brainwave's machine is and wants to help her destroy it. He asks what her plan is and where her friends are. The smile on her face falls and she takes a step back which confuses him. Without hesitating, she slashes his throat with her claws. He grasps his throat as blood pools down his throat. She coldly states that they were Henry's friends too, and Henry's face slowly shifts into that of his father, revealing that Brainwave was merely trying to use Henry's memory to manipulate Yolanda. She stands over the dying man cooly stating that she watched Henry die, and now she's going to watch him die too. With the death of Brainwave, Henry's murder is avenged.

### Season 2

When Yolanda was in Summer School, she imagined seeing Henry sending her a text like the one he sent when he asked for a topless photo of her. She then saw a photo of her in class, and looked up to see Henry leaving through the window of the door. She followed him, and he turned around to show her a cut on his neck. Henry claimed he was burning because Yolanda didn't forgive him, but Yolanda said she does. Henry said his father won't forgive her, and Yolanda turns to see Brainwave. While in church, Yolanda imagined being attacked by Brainwave and her costume materialized onto her body, so she attacked Brainwave by slashing his throat. Brainwave morphed into Henry, and Yolanda held him filled with remorse as Henry tells her she will burn with him.

## Personality

Henry King Jr. was the embodiment of the high school jock - athletic and strong as well with an underrated disregard for others and a bully to a high degree, such as openly slut-shaming Yolanda when he was the one she trusted with her images as they were a couple at that time, or picking on a new student when she spoke up against him. He had no problems establishing and spreading his misbehavior, which were presumably unhealthy outlets stemming from his strained relationship with his condescending and emotionally-manipulative father.

Despite his aggressive and negative traits, Henry is capable of real emotion. He was genuinely surprised and emotional when the photos of Yolanda leaked. This is also the reason as to why he constantly called Yolanda a slut; because he thought she was the one who leaked the photos. When his father fell into a coma, he has consistently worried about his father's well-being and spent every moment he could at his father's bedside. He eventually fell into a vulnerable, depressive state with intense periods of sadness and high stress.

This newfound condition of emotions will eventually succumb to the emergence of his powers, which added a new slate of confusion and distress to the already ailing Henry, adding a struggle to understand and control his abilities to much pain, curiosity, and shock. When his telepathic abilities expanded enough for him to read virtually any mind, Henry read vile and disturbing thoughts that made him hate mankind. He grew to believe that people are twisted in their core, influenced by his father's daily tapes that conveyed the same message. Henry’s growing powers also amplified his anger, as shown when Courtney tried to get him to join the JSA and he threatened to kill her if she didn’t leave him alone which scared Courtney. When he communicated with Courtney and Yolanda, he began to see that people aren't all horrific.

Henry eventually shows a much kinder and more humble side to his personality, willingly seeking to help the Justice Society with his powers. Though at the same time he still shows a great deal of vulnerability, mainly around Yolanda who he feels a great amount of guilt towards. However, his love for his father remains, willing to get into a conflict with Rick when he insulted his father and even believing that there was good in his father in spite of all his crime. However, this love seemingly was extinguished when his father revealed he was responsible for murdering Henry's mother to ensure the Injustice Society's plans came through. Enraged, Henry attempted to attack his father but was quickly overpowered. In his last moments, Henry apologized one last time to Yolanda, showing he was truly remorseful for his actions and had learned from his past. By the time he died, Henry had evolved into a better man, who believed people could be good.

## Physical Appearance

Henry had curly red hair, a pale complexion, and deep brown eyes. He had sharp features and high, prominent cheekbones. He was an athlete and thus has a very physically fit physique. He was usually seen wearing a BVHS letterman jacket over dark colored shirts that were paired with jeans and sneakers.

## Powers

Henry inherited his father's telepathic and telekinetic abilities through genetics. His father experimented on himself with unsanctioned cerebral expansion treatments that altered his core DNA. Henry began exhibiting powers at the after of fifteen, shortly after his father was rendered comatose. Dr. King speculated that while he was comatose he was reaching out to Henry which triggered his latent abilities.

* **Telepathy:** Henry inherited his father's potential for mental superpowers. Henry King Sr. once tried to get Henry to read his mind by focusing. However, Henry failed to read his father's mind at the time. Later, after his father was rendered comatose, Henry began to have crippling headaches and pain that seemed to last for hours. On Halloween, Henry telepathically heard Yolanda Montez call him a jerk, but didn't understand what was happening as she denied having said anything. His powers grew exponentially to where he was able to hear the thoughts of every student in his math class. He then used this to his advantage and cheated on his test.
	+ **Memory Sharing:** When Henry touched Courtney's shoulder he accidentally shared his thoughts, which were also memories of the days he had experienced. These images were distorted around the edges yet clear in their intent and succeeded in bringing Courtney up-to-date in a matter of seconds. This power seems exclusive to Henry, as his father has not yet exhibited this power.
	+ **Sensing:** Henry could sense when his father is within a certain proximity, as he can feel him through their shared telepathic and telekinetic abilities.

* **Telekinesis:** A few days after his telepathy power manifested, Henry was able to levitate small objects using telekinesis. He originally levitated an Aspirin pill, and later, his father's key. His telekinesis advanced quickly as he figured out how to hone his power in a matter of hours. After training his powers for a full day, Henry’s telekinesis had grown so advanced that when he aggressively told Courtney to leave, he shook the whole room.
	+ **Telekinetic Blast:** When overwhelmed with the telepathic communications from Cindy and Stargirl, Henry wanted them to stop just for a moment of silence. Because of this, he lost control of his powers and unleashed a powerful telekinetic blast that blasted Cindy and Stargirl in opposite directions. The blast was unintentional, yet powerful enough to knock the girls apart and off their feet. He recreated this blast to attack Brainwave with, however, it had a much less impactful result.

## Abilities

* **Peak Human Condition:** Henry is an athletically fit individual.

## Weaknesses

* **Power Instability:** Henry’s biggest weakness is that his powers, being still new to him, are unstable and cause him pain when in use.
* **Inexperience:** While Henry's powers are shown to be quite potent, his lack of experience at using them makes him quite vulnerable. This is best seen when he attempted to use them against his father, who was able to easily overpower him thanks to having his powers for over 16 years.

## Quotes

**Henry (to his friends about Yolanda):** You smell that? Smells like... Slut.
**--** "*Stargirl*"

**Henry (to Courtney):** You know what it’s like to be able to read everyone’s thoughts? It’s hell on earth. You think I’m a jerk? Well, trust me, everyone else is worse. If my dad hurt anyone he had a reason too. People are monsters, deep down, they’re ugly and greedy and hateful and twisted. That’s the truth.
**--** "*Brainwave*"

**Henry:** Dad. Listen to me. I know what these powers did to you. How they warped who you believe in. But people aren’t monsters. I don’t wanna fight you. I love you.
**Brainwave:** And I love you. Let me train you. The power, Henry, you have no idea --
**Henry:** No. You’re better than this. Mom knew you could be good. She believed in you. I know you loved her. And I know Jordan killed her because she saw the good in you too!
**Brainwave:** Junior. Jordan didn't kill your mother. I did. I had to make a choice, don't make me chose again son. Stand by my side now, or not at all.
**Henry:** I will never stand by your side!
**Brainwave:** Good-bye, son.
**Henry (to Yolanda):** I'm sorry... (to Courtney) You're right, people are good, don't let this change your mind.
**--** "*Brainwave Jr.*"

## Appearances

* *Additional Season 1 appearances include a glamoured appearance in "*Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. Part Two*".*
* *The appearance in "*Summer School: Chapter Seven*" was as a mind hallucination.*

## Notes and Trivia

* Henry was voted most outgoing alongside Yolanda at Blue Valley high.
* He kept a photo of himself and Cindy Burman hugging taped to the inside of his locker.
* His memorial service was held in "*Shining Knight*", making him the first character to have a memorial service. Though Joey Zarick was mentioned to have one, but it wasn't seen.
* Henry is the only character to appear via a glamour. Dr. King was able to alter his appearance to look like Henry in "*Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. Part Two*".
* Henry was the last member of the Pemberton family, with his grandparents being killed long ago, his mother being killed by Henry King Sr.and his uncle Sylvester Pemberton being killed by Jordan, the Pemberton family line is currently extinct.
* Yolanda avenges Henry's death by killing his father, Brainwave,
* Henry was the first main character to be killed, as he was murdered by his father in "*Brainwave Jr.*".
* Henry was the first ally of the JSA to die.

## Comic Comparisons

* In the comics, Henry "Hank" King, Jr. is the son of the villainous Brainwave and Mary Pemberton, the sister of Sylvester Pemberton. Having inherited his father's mental powers, Hank decided to use them for good, joining his uncle's superhero team - Infinity, Inc. - under the alias of "Brainwave, Jr." His powers later drove him insane, leading him to become a villain and fully taking on his father's mantle of "Brainwave".

## References

1. ↑ "*Stargirl*"
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "*S.T.R.I.P.E.*"
3. ↑ "*Icicle*"
4. ↑ "*Wildcat*"
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "*Hourman and Dr. Mid-Nite*"
6. ↑ "*Shiv Part One*"
7. ↑ "*Shiv Part Two*"
8. ↑ "*Brainwave*"
9. ↑ "*Brainwave Jr.*"
10. ↑ "*Shining Knight*"
11. ↑ "*Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. Part Two*"
12. ↑  "*Summer School: Chapter Seven*"