Justice Society of America

* Modern Age
* Golden Age

The **Justice Society of America** (abbr. **JSA**) is an elite team of superheroes that; work together to stop crime. Courtney Whitmore currently serves as the team's valiant leader under her alter ego, Stargirl. She worked to rebuild the team by first recruiting Yolanda Montez/Wildcat, Rick Tyler/Hourman, and Beth Chapel/Dr. Mid-Nite to her team of misfits that became heroes. She is guided in her journey by Pat Dugan/S.T.R.I.P.E. who was a member of the Golden Age JSA.

The JSA faces foes of all varieties that threaten the safety of their beloved town, Blue Valley, while facing everyday challenges. They form a chosen family as they learn more about their namesakes histories, while creating a new future for superheroes.

## History

The earliest recording of the JSA is in 1941 when Dr. Charles McNider founded the Justice Society of America and operated under the moniker of Dr. Mid-Nite. His vast intellectual capacities and desire to fight crime made him an asset to the team. In the later years of the JSA, he was joined by brilliant chemist Hourman, boxing champion Wildcat, The Flash, Green Lantern, Johnny Thunder and The Thunderbolt, and several others. They caught more media attention than any other superhero group before them.

When socialite Sylvester Pemberton was given the Cosmic Staff, he became the superhero known as Starman. He was recruited by the JSA due to his newfound powers and brought his best friend and then-sidekick, Pat Dugan/Stripesy with him when he joined. Pat assisted the JSA in their battles and made sure that they were ready for anything. He was a mechanical genius and built many of the devices the team used. The group quickly became friends, though they didn't share their personal lives with one another. Pat and Johnny Thunder were sidelined as the rest of the team fought villains. This changed when the demonic creature Eclipso emerged and killed Dr. Mid-Nite's daughter, Rebecca. This event that changed the course of the JSA forever. The team sought justice for Rebecca, but the beings power was too strong for them to face alone.

When Eclipso appeared, the immortal Richard Swift/The Shade returned to the fold, having previously run-into the JSA. He told Sylvester Pemberton the only way to stop Eclipso was to kill his current host, the human Bruce Gordon. The spirit of Eclipso would then be returned to The Black Diamond, where it would remain harmless as long as no one touched the stone. The JSA were divided on how to handle the situation, as Jay Garrick, Pat Dugan, and Sylvester Pemberton were against the idea of murdering a human. Pat argued that it went against everything the JSA stood for, and they had to find a way to exorcise Eclipso from Bruce. However, as the situation escalated and more of the JSA members fell victim to Eclipso, the team re-evaluated their decision.

They brought Pat in to be their tie breaker, a fact Wildcat vehemently disagreed with, though Flash and Starman supported Stripesy's inclusion. Eclipso had begun to threaten the lives of the JSA's families. Hourman and Wildcat voted for killing Eclipso's host, while Flash and Stripesy voted against. The tie breaker landed in Starman's hands, and he voted for the death of Bruce. The team killed Bruce and placed The Black Diamond in a wooden case that was entrusted to Starman. After the act, Starman admitted to Stripesy that he was right - they never should have taken the life of a human. The event put a wedge between the JSA and the group disbanded for years. Pat returned to the headquarters often in case anyone did show up, but no one did. It wasn't until the ISA surfaced, led by cryokinetic master Icicle, that the JSA came back together. However, the JSA were never the same and struggled to work together.

They battled the ISA several times over the years, however, they were encountered stalemate or near-escapes, which Pat reflected was because the team couldn't work together. Many members had left over the years or had been killed, leaving them at a disadvantage.

On Christmas Eve, 2010, the Justice Society and the Injustice Society fought in a ferocious battle in a secluded Los Angeles, California mansion. While everyone was out fighting, Pat Dugan and Johnny Thunder were asked to stay behind. Wildcat arrived that night to request Johnny's help as the ISA now had Solomon Grundy in their control. Pat was ready to leap into action but was stopped by Wildcat, who stated that only team members were allowed per Starman's instruction. As the doors closed, Wildcat noted that Pat had Mike to think about, as that was the most important thing. The ill-fated fight proved disastrous as the JSA heroes fell one by one until only Hourman, Dr. Mid-Nite, and Starman remained. When Stripesy arrived, having responded to an SOS from Starman, he witnessed the deaths of several JSA members including Wildcat, Flash, Sandman, and Dr. Mid-Nite. Starman was impaled with an ice shard from Icicle, forcing Stripesy and Starman to retreat, barely outrunning Solomon Grundy in time. They crashed in the woods where Starman seemingly died moments later. After the battle, Pat retired from his days of being a sidekick - but never forgot his fallen friends. He wanted justice for them but didn't know how to achieve it.

Hourman also survived the battle despite being wounded by The Wizard. He took it upon himself to follow the ISA's movements across the country, from Los Angeles to Colorado to Blue Valley, Nebraska. Rex couldn't find their trail and assumed the ISA left the town or presumably the country. Pat Dugan built an armored robot to aid Rex in his search, however, Rex declined his help and wanted to work alone. A year later, he discovered more information on the ISA and frantically sent Pat the research he managed to accumulate on the group over the year, including his journal. Rex and his wife fled Blue Valley but were murdered by Solomon Grundy before they could make their escape. The ISA had become victorious in killing the last legitimate threat posed by the JSA.

Unbeknownst to the Injustice Society, Rex and Wendi were parents to a son, while Starman's staff waited for a hero to rise. Dr. Mid-Nite's goggles waited for an intellectual successor, Wildcat's cowl would be filled by a brave heroine, and Green Lantern's ring was gifted to his daughter.

## Series

### The Rise of Stargirl

In 2018, fifteen-year-old Courtney Whitmore becomes the reluctant stepdaughter of former JSA member, Pat Dugan. She is captivated by the Cosmic Staff, which lights up in her hands for the first time since Starman's death ten years ago. Upon believing that Starman could be her father, she seeks justice for him and the rest of the murdered JSA. To do this, she takes on Starman's legacy to become Stargirl. In the meantime, she learns of her stepfathers past as a member of the JSA and recruits him to help her, as even though she proves herself quite capable of being a hero, she knows she needs help to defeat the ISA.

Pat is forced to come out of retirement to save Stargirl after a face-off with ISA member, Brainwave. But this time, Pat pilots a fifteen-foot robot that Courtney dons S.T.R.I.P.E. Though he is reluctant at first, Courtney reminds him that this is their destiny and they can do this together. Her tenacity reminds Pat of Sylvester and how Sylvester used to say being in the JSA was their destiny. He agrees to help her - but under his terms and guidance. When a dangerous run-in with ISA leader Icicle results in the death of a student, Courtney realizes that she and Pat aren't enough to defeat the ISA. She decides to rebuild the fallen Justice Society of America.

### Building a Team

Her first recruit is Blue Valley High's former popular student turned outcast, Yolanda Montez. Courtney forms a friendship with Yolanda upon recognizing her hardships yet heroic demeanor. Yolanda's impressive boxing abilities inspire Courtney to offer her the mantle of Wildcat, thus, asking her to join the JSA and fight alongside her against the ISA. Yolanda tried on the Wildcat suit and was taken by it. She had a natural rhythm with Stargirl and they worked well together. The next day, Yolanda realized that she could become a better version of herself if she accepted the mantle. She accepted Courtney's offer and became Wildcat.

She secretly worked with Yolanda to bring in new members - people that weren't just physically fit but also had heroic qualities. They were unaware that they are being followed by resident BVHS intellect and go-getter, Beth Chapel. Beth visited the Whitmore-Dugan household and encountered Dr. Mid-Nite's goggles. When she wore them, they begin to work and her unique personality and mannerisms allowed her to bond with Charles McNider's artificial intelligence. Courtney and Yolanda were reluctant to accept Beth due to her chatty nature, but Beth eventually proved herself to be helpful when the girls attempted to recruit their next member.

Courtney noticed one of the JSA's artifacts, a mysterious hourglass, glowed in the presence of the brooding BVHS delinquent, Rick Harris. She soon learned from Beth, who used her newly discovered goggles, that Rick is the son of the fallen JSA hero, Rex Tyler/Hourman. With Yolanda and Beth by her side, Courtney attempted to recruit Rick, though he expressed no interest in working with a team. This changed when Beth used her goggles to show Rick what happened the night of his parent's death; that the fatal car crash was not an accident, but a murder committed by Solomon Grundy and the ISA. Upon learning this, Rick agreed to join the JSA, but made it clear that he didn't want justice - he wanted revenge.

Now assembled, the team had a difficult time learning to work together, specifically under Courtney's leadership. Pat requested that she take the monikers away as he feared the teenagers would misuse the power they were given. The JSA refused to comply so Courtney eventually conceded, just in time for the JSA to fight their first battle. Beth was alerted that The Gambler was hacking into Empire Enterprises, a technology company. With everyone suited up together, the group struggled to find a working dynamic due to their individual perspectives and eagerness. They are soon confronted with their first fight against Tigress and Sportsmaster. Hourman and Wildcat were impulsive in their advances, attacking Sportsmaster and Tigress respectively. The JSA was forced to split up as Dr. Mid-Nite followed Wildcat and Stargirl followed Hourman.

The team proved to be no match for Tigress and Sportsmaster, especially while separated. Though they were able to assist one another, with Stargirl saving Hourman and Dr. Mid-Nite assisting Wildcat, their inability to communicate as a group was apparent. It wasn't until the younger members assembled for the first time, ready to fight as a team, that they stood a chance against the villains. They are joined by S.T.R.I.P.E. and the six-membered-team squares off against their costumed foes who escape after triggering a smokescreen.

Pat realized that the teens were going to fight no matter what he said, so he took on the responsibility of getting the new generation of heroes ready for the fights to come. Though everyone was on-board with his training tactics, Courtney struggled to pace herself and ruined the training course for the rest of her members. She believed herself ready for everything. She ignored Pat's warning and followed Anaya Bowin, whom she believed to be the Fiddler. This moment of impulsivity proved dangerous, while the Injustice Society of America met to form a plan of attack against the new JSA who have now interfered with their plans twice.

### Unexpected Allies

Stargirl's pursuit of Anaya put her on a collision course with Cindy Burman/Shiv. Their fight lead to Stargirl being gravely injured, though she was saved from death by a sword-wielding Janitor Justin. Stargirl's real identity was exposed to Cindy, who decided to wait on exposing Courtney until *after* she killed the JSA. As Courtney healed in the hospital, the remaining JSA went on a mission to learn more about Cindy's family and past. They discovered the existence of Dr. Ito, a mad scientist with the reptilian alter-ego of "Dragon King". Dr. Ito was thought to have died many years ago. In fact, Pat recognized Dr. Ito from his time with the Seven Soldiers of Victory, and knew the man was dangerous. As Stargirl and Shiv battled it out once more on the streets of Blue Valley, Stargirl's identity was exposed once more when Henry King Jr. arrived and accidentally read her mind.

Courtney attempted to reach out to Henry, as she believed his telepathic abilities could help the JSA determine which Blue Valley residents are members of the ISA. Though her team members disagreed with her choice of recruit, Pat surprisingly supported her decision as he believed she could reach Henry. She was able to reason with him and reach a brighter side of the boy that hadn't been seen in quite some time. Henry remained uncertain in his alliance until his amnesiac father was seemingly lured away by Jordan Mahkent. Jordan hoped to restore Dr. King's memories of a negative world, which Henry despised as it meant Dr. King would revert to a crueler man. Henry and Courtney convinced the JSA to help them in their endeavor. They were able to track Dr. King in the underground tunnels, and together, Henry, Wildcat, and Stargirl fought Dragon King's minions. While trying to escape the tunnels, the JSA were separated by Brainwave's force field. Henry ensured Stargirl and Hourman's safety, before he made a final effort to reach his father. The idea was futile and Brainwave ultimately collapsed the ceiling on Henry, whose last words to Stargirl were that people can be good.

Henry's death allowed Brainwave to absorb his son's powers and thus, grow strong enough to push the ISA's plan of Project New America forward. While the ISA plotted in secrecy, the JSA was left reeling from the death of their friend. Courtney's attention was diverted from Brainwave when her biological father suddenly returned. His sudden reappearance and realization that her father is not Starman, caused Courtney to spiral. She questioned her identity as Stargirl and lost belief in herself. When the Cosmic Staff ceased to work for her, she was ready to give up her role as Stargirl and leader of the JSA. She informed her friends of her decision and was ready to leave Blue Valley with her mother.

In the meantime, Rick, Beth, and Pat were surprised when a man from Pat's time with another superhero team returned seeking Pat's help. The man was unable to remember his life as a hero, though Pat knew him as the Shining Knight. With Pat's help, Justin is able to reclaim the memories that Dragon King stole from him and decided to help his old friend in the battle against Dragon King. Pat brough Justin home so the Whitmore-Dugan family could care for the unstable man and help him get on his feet.

When Brainwave used Henry's memorial service to threaten Courtney and her mother, Courtney was inspired to reclaim the staff. Pat reminded her that the staff chose her because it believed in her, so in order to be Stargirl again, she must believe in herself too. With her parental figures behind her, Courtney believed in herself and accepted the staff along with her role as the leader of the JSA. With the cosmic staff, Justin, Barbara, and a newly aware Mike assisting them, the JSA fled Blue Valley to regroup at the Dugan family cabin. They realized the ISA's plan would start in the morning, and Rick worked to unlock his father's formula.

### Battle Against the ISA

When Rick finally cracked the code he was surprised that Rex had not only mapped out the underground tunnels but also discovered the satellite machine the ISA planned to use to alter people's minds. The minions they fought with Henry were Dragon King's test runs for a grander scale. The team decided to split up with Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E. entering through one tunnel while Wildcat, Hourman, and Shining Knight entered through the Burman residence entrance. Beth and Barbara went to The American Dream to hack the ISA's servers and unlock their plans. It was here that they learned the mission was on a timer with the thirty-minute timer marking the start of the reprogramming process. After those thirty-minutes, the process is irreversible. The young JSA members were surprised to find that Justin, Barbara, and Pat, were all under the hold of Brainwave, was worked to alter their belief systems.

Beth and Chuck worked together to outsmart The Gambler, who was stopping them from activating frequency blockers that would interrupt Brainwave's signal and free the adults in the tunnel. They managed to distract Gambler and activate the frequency blockers. Pat and Justin were freed from Brainwave's hold, but Barbara and everyone above ground were still being manipulated. Stargirl and the JSA regrouped up in Dragon King's lair where they are interrupted by the ISA, led by a confident Jordan. They two teams faced-off, as Tigress and Sportsmaster reminisced about the last time they fought the JSA a decade ago. The two teams charged at one another, using every tool and power at their disposal.

As the teams battle it out, the ISA gained the upper-hand until Stargirl intervened and was able to help Wildcat overcome Tigress. Hourman defeated Sportsmaster by knocking him unconscious, while Shiv intervened in the fight in an attempt to kill Dragon King, leaving a depleted Icicle who the team surrounds. STRIPE was about to deliver a final punch when Solomon Grundy burst through the room and threw STRIPE aside. Hourman, overcome with rage for the beast that killed his parents, attacked Grundy despite the protest of Wildcat. Grundy easily swatted Hourman aside. STRIPE rose to his feet and instructed Wildcat and Stargirl to finish their mission while he fought Grundy. She and Stargirl were about to enter Brainwave's control room when Shiv lunged from the side and brought down Stargirl, who urged Wildcat to continue without her.

Shiv and Stargirl engaged in a heated fight until Stargirl blasted her away with the Cosmic Staff. Wildcat, in the meantime, defeated several of Dragon King's minions before she discovered one was a disguised Henry King Jr.. Henry began to ask questions about her plan and where her friends were. Wildcat slashed his throat, which revealed his true form as Brainwave, who had glamoured into his son in a futile effort to gain Wildcat's trust. She watched him die just as Stargirl hurried to her side. They don't have time to process the event due to the countdown, and locate the satellites that the ISA designed. The satellites emerged through the BVHS football field. Stargirl takes flight and used her staff to destroy the satellites, exposing herself to the gathered BVHS students. She landed just as the satellite caved in. The heroines fled the broken room to find the rest of their team.

With the machine destroyed, Hourman was able to save STRIPE from destruction at the hands of Grundy. Pat escaped the dismantled robot and rushed to help Barbara, who had been taken by Jordan as a last attempt to escape. Jordan also destroyed Dr. Mid-Nite's goggles and knocked Beth unconscious as he kidnapped Barbara. With only five minutes left in his hourglass, Hourman fought Grundy, and used his full force to defeat the creature. He spared Grundy's life but exiled him from Blue Valley, much to Justin's amazement. The men hurried out of the tunnels where they encountered a scared Beth, who asked if Rick was okay. He claimed that he's fine and asked about Yolanda. Beth than noticed Icicle and Stargirl battling atop The American Dream.

They fought in a slew of energy and ice sparks, brief words exchanged as he froze over her staff. The staff released a blast of energy, which, paired with Icicle's frost explosion, knocked Stargirl and Barbara over the edge of the building. Pat was able to grab Barbara before she fell, but Stargirl plummeted toward the ground. Wildcat appeared and leapt over the edge. She caught Stargirl seconds before they landed, the Wildcat suit absorbing the impact of their fall as to avoid injury.

Icicle rolled into the street, ready to attack when Mike drove the car into Icicle's frozen body. The impact caused Icicle to shatter into thousands of little ice chunks. Mike, elated to have destroyed the villain, asked if this means he can be in the JSA. With the battle now over, and everyone safe on land, the young JSA members shared a group hug while Justin and Mike celebrated. A few moments later, Pat and Barbara stood on the American Dream building and celebrate their victory with a kiss. The JSA and allies happily looked up at them.

With the Injustice Society of America officially defeated and no one posing an immediate threat, the JSA began to pick up the pieces of their battle. They started by promising Beth a way to repair Chuck and the goggles. They bid farewell to Justin, who planned to find the rest of the Seven Soldiers of Victory, but promised to return for the next battle. The public was left to believe the destruction in Blue Valley was from an earthquake that caused a satellite to malfunction, though the government promised that nothing like it will ever happen again. When Christmas arrived, Courtney invited Rick, Beth, and Yolanda to the Whitmore-Dugan household to celebrate as a family. They took a family photo much to the glee of Mike, who had cemented his role as an ally of the group. When the celebrations pass, Stargirl and STRIPE soar over Blue Valley together, unaware of the growing threats posed by Cindy Burman and an ominous Eclipso, the return of Shade, and an inquisitive old friend searching for Pat.

With the defeat of the ISA, Blue Valley is once again safe from the threats of imposing villains. Over the next few months, Stargirl leads the JSA on nightly patrols. When her big foe is actually a raccoon, that Hourman, Wildcat, and Dr. Mid-Nite admit that they don't think there's any real threat to the town. It isn't until Dr. Mid-Nite's scan of the town comes up clear that Wildcat insists they are protecting a small town that doesn't need protection. Hourman recaps that the ISA is gone now that everyone is either dead or in prison; The Gambler is a wimp, Icicle was shattered into a million pieces, while Tigress and Sportsmaster are locked up. He concludes that Cindy Burman was probably crushed when the satellite came down along with Brainwave. The rest of the JSA agree to put away their superhero acts for now but will gladly suit up if any trouble arises. Meanwhile, Pat accidentally exposed the existence of S.T.R.I.P.E. to local mechanic and junkyard owner, Zeek. Without elaborating, Pat asked Zeek to keep the robot a secret and Zeek obliged, though he had some suggestions for how to improve the machine.

### New Arrivals

Courtney unexpectedly meets the daughter of Golden Age hero Alan Scott/Green Lantern, when the girl breaks into the Whitmore-Dugan house to steal the Green Lantern. Courtney explains the situation to Pat, Barbara, and Mike, though the adults primarily blame Courtney for the destruction. Pat is surprised to learn that the girl, Jennie, is the daughter of Alan Scott. Jennie, however, recognizes Pat's name as Stripesey's civilian name, and gushes over his popularity and infamy due to his mechanical genius. Barbara and Pat accept that Jennie means no harm and let her stay at their house. Courtney is still skeptical over Jennie's true identity and struggles to trust the new arrival.

Meanwhile, Pat and Jennie take to The Pit Stop to train with Green Lantern's ring. Though she struggles to focus her willpower at first, she later creates a large replica of a toy car her father left her. Beth, Rick, and Pat are enthralled by the girls powers while Yolanda and Courtney are skeptical. Yolanda ultimately gives the girl a chance. Courtney than accuses Jennie of coming to Blue Valley because she heard about the JSA being active again. The girls argue before Jennie runs out, with Beth and Yolanda chasing after her. Rick pauses a moment to tell Courtney her behavior wasn't cool.

During a long and honest with Pat, Courtney revealed that she feels like a fraud around Jennie. The girl is everything Courtney should be: perfect, kinj to Pat, and the real daughter of superhero. Pat reminds her that her power goes beyond the Cosmic Staff - it's her ability to see the good in others. Courtney realizes he's right and apologizes to Jennie, making amends with her. As they talk, Courtney drives her point that Jennie has everything now, which causes Jennie to lash out. She knocks the lantern off the table and exclaims that she only put on the ring to find her brother. The lantern begins to shoot rays of green energy. The JSA grabs the lantern and takes off to the park, where they will be away from people. Pat follows them and tells Jennie to control her emotions as it affects her power and the lantern. Courtney realizes that Jennie is the lantern.

Jennie is charging the ring which is why it worked for her before she found the lantern. Courtney believes Jennie can absorb the energy before it explodes. Jennie picks it up and tells the JSA to leave in case it doesn’t work. Courtney won’t leave and tells her she can do this. The absorption works for a moment before the power explodes across the town, blasting the JSA backward and leaving a giant crater in the ground. Believing they've lost Jennie to the crater, the JSA is left stunned. But floating above the crater, surrounded by green energy and smiling, is Jennie. She happily notes that she can fly now. The next morning, Courtney wakes up to learn from Barbara that Jennie has left the Whitmore-Dugan household. Courtney goes to the basement where she talks with Pat. She is ready to accept that her life as Courtney needs to come before her life as Stargirl from now on. Pat, while happy to hear that, is forced to admit that Shade, the only ISA member unaccounted for, has returned to Blue Valley.

The JSA's plans to step back from their superhero antics are abruptly ended. While Courtney is excited about the arrival of another villain, Pat warns the team that The Shade is responsible for the death of Charles McNider and has power over shadows. Beth wants to get justice for Dr. McNider, who is the only member left without justice. They hatch a plan with help from Mike Dugan and his newfound sidekick Thunderbolt, to confront Shade about his arrival in Blue Valley. When they burst in, Shade doesn't want a fight and instead, invites them to tea. He explains that while his interests coincided with the ISA's at some point in the past, he did not agree with Jordan Mahkent's plans and defected.

Stargirl refuses to let people like him threaten their town. He assures her that he has no dark design for Blue Valley, and if they stay out of his way, he'll be gone before they know it. Unfortunately, Mike bursts in and makes a wish for Thunderbolt to "zap" Shade. Thunderbolt attacks but Shade easily renders the being useless. The rest of the JSA react to attack Shade, but he incapacitates them and disappears into the shadows. Meanwhile, Barbara tells Pat of the missing artifact in William Zarick's belongings that upset the inquisitive Richard Swift. According to the ledger, it housed a black diamond. This strikes a cord with Pat who knows the black diamond is an entity of evil called Eclipso with the power to make people hallucinate their worst fears.

### Injustice Unlimited Strikes

When the JSA tracks the recent storms caused by Eclipso’s power to its epicenter at the school, they are shocked to discover the art rooms walls covered in paint. The paintings around the room are of a black diamond. Stargirl is horrified when a horrific face protrudes from the wall before spiraling up the wall in a tentacle of black paint. The group is overcome by painted images of their fears and regrets, the images overcoming their minds as their eyes glaze over. Stargirl is unaffected and confronts a possessed Deisinger covered in an organic paint like substance. Stargirl is able to free him by using the light of the cosmic staff to overcome Eclipso’s darkness. The JSA did not find the diamond on Deisinger and he is sent to the hospital under psychiatric evaluation. The JSA regroup at the Pit Stop to talk about the nights events with Pat realizing that Eclipso is getting stronger as his powers are spreading beyond the Black Diamond.

The Justice Society of America fights against Injustice Unlimited in the cafeteria of Blue Valley High School. Stargirl and Shiv go one-on-one as does Wildcat and Isaac, finally Hourman and Artemis. The JSA gains the upper hand in the fight that leaves the Injustice Unlimited depleted. Shiv demands they continue fighting, but her team is depleted. Shiv decides to do this herself and removes The Black Diamond, holding it up menacingly. Suddenly, The Shade arrives in a wall of shadows that surrounds the JSA and protects them from the light of the diamond. Shade warns Cindy that she has no idea of the power inside the diamond. She knows what she's doing but he scoffs that if she knew what it truly was she wouldn't be using it in a petty teenage rivalry. He instructs her to give him the diamond, triggering Eclipso to take control of Cindy's body, much to her screams to stop. As Shade battles with Eclipso, Stargirl takes charge and attacks using the Cosmic Staff, against Shade's warnings. Eclipso relishes in the incoming attack. When the staff touches the diamond, it causes the diamond to shatter and Eclipso is set free. The blast causes everyone to fall to the ground, and Eclipso rises in his true form.

Cindy realizes Eclipso tricked her and tries to attack him. Eclipso grabs Cindy's wrists, and sneers that they used each other. He tears out one of Cindy's blades from her wrist and throws it at Isaac Bowin, impaling him in the stomach, then throws Cindy against the wall. Eclipso approaches Isaac and relished in the impurities that he senses. Eclipso then absorbs Isaac's soul, turning his body into ash. Cindy gets back up, and demands Eclipso remember that she's the only reason he's here. Eclipso causally throws a piece of the shattered diamond at Cindy's feet, and it opens a black portal that pulls Cindy into it, despite Courtney's attempt to save her. Hourman charges at Eclipso but the latter swats him into the wall with his backhand. The Shade antagonizes and attacks Eclipso, who walks through Shade's shadow wall, angrily reminding Shade that his powers come from Eclipso's homeland. He impales Shade with his claws, and throws him aside into the air. Shade teleports away as a result. Stargirl then attacks Eclipso with the Cosmic staff. He grabs hold of the staff and while it appears to hurt him, he drains the staff of its light and pushes Courtney to the ground. Eclipso then runs out into the night in an animalistic way, disappearing once he's outdoors. Courtney gives chase but realizes that Eclipso has escaped and that something is wrong with the staff.

Courtney and Mike meet with Barbara and Pat in the hospital to fill them in on the nights events. Meanwhile Rick, Yolanda, and Beth head back to the Pit Stop where Beth inspects Rick's broken rib and discuss Eclipso's release and their next course of action.

### Battle Against Eclipso

*See also: Battle Against Eclipso*
Yolanda suffers from headaches and pain since the death of Brainwave, and struggles to deal with the crushing guilt she feels over the murder. On July 3rd, her time with the church doesn't soothe her pain, as her headaches begin to worsen to the point of mental hallucinations via dreams. She dreams that Brainwave has returned and has transferred his consciousness into her, and is merely waiting for her to be weak enough so he can take over her body. She begins to dream of Henry, who is suffering in hell because Yolanda couldn't forgive him for the sins he committed against her. He warns that while she might forgive him, his father will never forgive her, and they will burn together. As Yolanda suffers, she feels as though she can't reach out to Courtney, and tries to face her torment alone. Courtney notices of Yolanda's pain and convinces her that she doesn't have to do this alone and should tell the others what happened. Yolanda hesitantly agrees so they call a team meeting.

Yolanda admits that she killed Brainwave and lied about the tunnels killing him. Rick understands that she had no other choice, but Beth struggles to see it that way. Yolanda begins to open up as she makes the team realize that she's the only one capable of murder, referencing Rick letting Solomon Grundy go. She knows she's going to have to be the one to kill Eclipso when the time comes, as the others won't bring themselves to do it. She has to face that she's the JSA member who kills. She leaves the meeting despite Courtney's pleas for her to stop. Yolanda retreats to the church where she suffers a major episode. She is found by Courtney who uses the Cosmic Staff to wake her. Yolanda is angry at Courtney now, as she was fine being alone before Courtney pulled her into the JSA. She wants to know why Courtney chose her to be Wildcat, but Courtney can't give her an answer. Yolanda coldly states that she's never going to put on that costume again and runs out. She ignores Courtney's calls and instead has her mother answer to tell Courtney she doesn't want to speak with her. Maria then calls Richie's Diner and informs them of Yolanda's choice to leave her employment. Now unable to reach her friend, Courtney leans into her family for support as she worries Yolanda's suffer is from Eclipso, or worse, just in her head. The next day, Yolanda returns the Wildcat Suit to Courtney, solidifying her exit from the team.

On July 4th, Rick continues to feed a hiding Solomon Grundy in the woods near Blue Valley. He begins to grow closer to the creature, and when he leaves the woods, he hears over the radio that the town has started a manhunt for the bear in the woods. Trucks with hunters begin to fill the streets. Rick panics and grabs the hourglass before running into the woods after Grundy. He calls Pat and Courtney to franticly tell them that he needs their help protecting Grundy. He runs through the woods looking for Grundy. He stops at the sight of two hunters - one who is injured. They are frightened as the thing in the woods isn't a bear but some kind of creature, and with the ten-year-old girl missing from her parents backyard, the hunters are more determined than ever to kill the beast. Rick refuses to believe that Grundy would hurt the girl and flees. He runs to the riverbank where he finds Grundy standing by the river, his hands covered in blood, the body of the young girl floating in the water.

Rick screams that Grundy's a monster and is going to kill him. He pursues Grundy while Pat and Courtney try to help the girl, only for her to open her eyes and vanish. Courtney and Pat realize that Eclipso is behind this and track Rick to the Harris farm, where they find Rick pounding on Grundy. Courtney tries to get him to stop but he's intent on killing the creature, throwing him into the truck as he continues his assaults'. Courtney blasts him with a weakened Cosmic Staff, yelling that it isn't Grundy. Rick stands and is horrified as he realizes his assaults were against his uncle Matt Harris, who is leaning against the truck unconscious and covered in blood. Rick is overcome with emotion as he rips the hourglass off his neck and drops it on the ground. The artifact shatters and the powder inside lands in a pile. Rick is taken into police custody while Courtney and Pat are left powerless to help him or Matt.

Simultaneously, Beth works to communicate with Charles McNider and manages to briefly reach him. The man is still confused as to who she is and why she has the goggles, so she explains that she's the new Dr. Mid-Nite. He realizes she has his original goggles and her pair is somehow connected to his. He reveals that he's trapped in the Shadowlands, though the communication is interrupted before he can elaborate. Beth's parents arrive home early from work to talk with her about their impending divorce. Things start off okay, with the couple completing each other's sentences and thoughts. But things begin to take a dark turn as Bridget admits that she and James drifted apart because of Beth. Beth is hurt by the revelations and looks down at her sandwich, which is crawling with worms. She pushes it off the table and is reprimanded by her parents for her behavior.

Beth runs to Courtney's house where she sees Eclipso in the form of a young Bruce Gordon. Eclipso holds Dr. Mid-Nite's goggles and accuses Beth of stealing them. He taunts her over the fact that no one chose her to be Dr. Mid-Nite, not even her own parents. Beth demands he give the goggles back, but Eclipso runs off with them. Beth chases Eclipso through the house and when he suddenly appears behind her, she realizes his true identity as Eclipso and not Bruce. As Eclipso continues to taunt Beth, he tries to make her doubt herself, and throws out a racist insult. Beth calls him out on it, and Eclipso roars, sealing Beth in the closet. He opens the closet and she falls into the JSA headquarters where Starman, Wildcat, and Hourman reject her. Eclipso taunts that she's the only thing that doesn't fit - she's the wrong age, wrong gender, and even the wrong color.

As Eclipso taunts Beth from the shadows for being afraid, Beth asks him why he she's the one hiding then, and asks him what he is scared of. This prompts Eclipso to emerge in his true form as he yells that he is scared of nothing. He grabs Beth and continues to taunt her to make her afraid. Beth snaps that she chose herself and yanks the goggles from Eclipso's claws. She tells him that she chose herself and she loves being black. She puts on the goggles, causing Eclipso to vanish. Beth realizes she's still in her home, and wonders when she came home. Charles McNider contacts Beth through the goggles and explains that she never left her home - it was all an illusion created by Eclipso. He warns her not to take off the goggles as it will allow her to see through Eclipso's illusions. When talking with her mom, Beth also realizes her initial talk with parents was part of Eclipso's mind games, and they never blamed her for their divorce.

Eclipso targeted the Whitmore-Dugan family next. He tormented Pat Dugan with visions of Rebecca McNider's funeral, and later, an adult Bruce Gordon who threatens to shoot Pat. Eclipso made Barbara Whitmore believe her car stalled and froze over with a hallucination of Jordan Mahkent having returned to harm her and her family. She was able to shake free of the illusions with help from The Shade, who convinced her to fight through illusions. Eclipso also tormented Mike Dugan with a vision of Jordan's son, Cameron Mahkent, using cryokinetic powers like his father to try and kill Mike in revenge for his father's accidental death at Mike's hand. Courtney pulls Mike out of his vision by placing his hand on the Cosmic Staff, an act she repeats with a hallucinating Pat. That night, Pat ultimately confessed to Courtney that the JSA killed Bruce to try and stop Eclipso. The secret served as a betrayal for Courtney who had trusted Pat to tell her everything. The family erupted into an argument while Eclipso watched from the outside as a young Bruce Gordon, laughing gleefully at the chaos he created.

The Whitmore-Dugan's are surprised by the arrival of an injured Richard Swift, whose injuries at the hands of Eclipso still haven't healed. He is linked to The Black Diamond and it's destruction left him in a weakened state. Courtney questions how they can defeat Eclipso, with Richard saying they can repaired the Black Diamond using light. The diamond would then act as a magnet and pull Eclipso back into it. Courtney tries to use the Cosmic Staff to repair the diamond, but the artifact is still too weak. She and Pat are forced on a road trip to Civic City to find Jennie, whose ring holds enough light power to fuse the diamond together. They deduce the only place in Civic City where she could visit is the JSA's headquarters. They find Jennie, who has been searching for her long-lost twin brother, and convince her to help them refuse the diamond. Jennie uses the ring and her power is strong enough to pull the pieces together. Meanwhile, Beth learns from Dr. McNider that fusing the diamond doesn't act as a magnet, but rather, a beacon. Moreover, the repaired diamond will give Richard his full strength once again. By the time Beth learns the truth and the history behind Richard's powers, Jennie has already repaired the diamond. Eclipso arrives at the headquarters and easily dismisses Pat. The rings powers stall Eclipso but he pushes through the power and dismisses Jennie. He then throws the Black Diamond at Courtney's feet and sends her to The Shadowlands.

Courtney awakened in the Shadowlands to discover people she's lost during her time as Stargirl, including Joey Zarick, Anaya Bowin, and Isaac Bowin. Before they could converse more, Courtney was attacked by Cindy Burman who donned her Shiv costume. The girls fought and Cindy sliced Courtney's arm. She then froze when she saw the blood. She realized Courtney was actually there and not an illusion, as no one in the Shadowlands ever bleeds. Courtney learned that she was trapped in the Shadowlands. A place of despair and negativity where Eclipso was born. It fed off the darkness in humanity and tormented its inhabitants with memories of all the terrible things they had committed in their lives. All the people they've lost and all the mistakes they've made. She warned that Courtney would never survive the place as she's too good. She see things in black and white but the world is more grey than that. Cindy also pressed that there wasn't a way out. She had seen peoples souls be ripped apart by the things they endured in the Shadowlands.

Meanwhile, in the real world, Pat, Barbara, Mike, Beth, and Jennie believed Courtney had died when she was pulled into the vortex. As they grieve the loss, Beth is contacted by Dr. McNider who revealed Courtney was alive and trapped with him in the Shadowlands. Beth convinced Pat and Barbara to believe in Dr. McNider, an act that was supported by Mike. She relayed Dr. McNider's instructions to use Jennie's ring to locate The Shade, as her ring could "catch the scent" of Shade's dark energy. Jennie succeeded in her search but found two potential locations where Shade's energy was present. the team split up, with Barbara and Pat going to the local theatre. They found Shade watching a black and white movie. They asked him to open a doorway to the Shadowlands so they could save Courtney and Charles. Shade was surprised that Charles was in the Shadowlands and felt remorseful for having placed him there unknowingly. Despite his weakened state, Shade agreed to open a doorway using the movie screen in front of them. With much focus, he succeeded in opening a door where the two dimensions could see each other. Courtney and Charles prepared to leave when Courtney remembered that Cindy was still trapped. She refused to leave without Cindy, and Charles pressed they had to hurry in saving her. Shade struggled to keep the doorway open long enough for them to return.

Once they rescued Cindy, the trio hurried to the JSA headquarters where they pushed through the barrier The Shade had created. Courtney pressed through the film first and transitioned from black and white to back into color. Dr. McNider followed soon after, with Cindy having crossed through last. When all three were safely returned, The Shade closed the portal. Pat and Dr. McNider embraced happily. However, the exertion of energy was too much for Shade in his weakened state, and he succumbed to his injuries. His body faded away in black shadows while everyone watched. Cindy was unphased by the death and simply asked who was ready to kill Eclipso.

Once Courtney was reunited with her family and Beth, she prepared for the eminent battle against Eclipso. She knew they would need everyone they could possibly find to help them defeat the monster. Pat did what he could to convince Matt Harris to drop the assault charges against Rick Tyler so the teenager was released from prison. Pat brought Rick to The Pit Stop where he tried to fix the shattered hourglass, though the feat proved difficult. Meanwhile, Courtney tried to reconnect with Yolanda to convince her to return to the JSA. She told Yolanda about the Golden Age's choice to kill Bruce Gordon, but the revelation didn't soothe Yolanda's guilt as Courtney had hoped. Instead, Yolanda doubled down on her choice to never put on the Wildcat costume again. Cindy watched the tense standoff and decided to intervene. She used reverse psychology to tell Yolanda that the JSA didn't need her now that they had Shiv. Her efforts worked as Yolanda confronted Courtney over her choice to work with Cindy who was evil. She couldn't believe that Courtney would work with Cindy, and decided to come back to the JSA on a temporary basis until Cindy was gone.

Simultaneously, Mike hunted down the Thunderbolt and discovered that his friend Jakeem Williams was the new wielder. He explained the JSA's history to Jakeem and how they needed Thunderbolt's help to defeat Eclipso. Jakeem didn't want to part with the Thunderbolt as the creature had become his friend. Mike agreed to let Jakeem keep the Thunderbolt, but reminded him that he now had the responsibility to save the world. Jakeem agreed to help Mike and the JSA. Meanwhile, Beth and Dr. McNider explored The American Dream in search of the ISA's headquarters so they could expand the system needed to track Eclipso. They unknowingly walked into a trap by Eclipso, who was pleased when Beth sent out a trouble alert to her friends.

Beth learned that Eclipso had captured her parents and trapped them in an Eclipso-vision that would eventually kill them. Just then, Stargirl, Wildcat, Shiv, and Pat arrived at The American Dream. They faced-off against Eclipso and Stargirl sent Pat to find Beth. Now, the three heroines attacked Eclipso but he vanished only to reappear across the room. He infected Wildcat and Shiv with illusions of Ted Grant and a younger self respectively. While they were distracted by the realism of the illusions, Stargirl attempted to blast Eclipso with the staff multiple times but he avoided her attacks. Pat was also attacked by a dark version of himself.

Jennie had been infected with residue from the black diamond that had created the portal that trapped Cindy. She was haunted by visions of Eclipso that revealed his plan to take over Courtney's body so he could wield both light and darkness. She jolted awake and warned Barbara that they couldn't let Courtney go after Eclipso as that was part of his plan, but it was too late as they had already left. As they prepared to leave the house to help the JSA, they were distracted by a surprise visitor.

As portals opened in the sky, Stargirl realized that Eclipso wanted to bring The Shadowlands to their world, and he confirmed her theory. Once the two world merged he could consume all of humanity at once and become a god. McNider and Beth were now focused on saving their friends, as McNider stopped Pat from his attacks on his darker self, while Beth guided Stargirl to Eclipso's true whereabouts in the room. Stargirl blasted him backward with Cosmo and managed to wound him. The team rallied around Stargirl but Eclipso quickly overpowered them with a blast of darkness that sent them flying. Stargirl, Shiv, and Wildcat recovered quickly and worked together to attack the monster. He quickly batted away Wildcat, though the remaining duo proved a challenge to him. He ultimately overpowered them despite their expert maneuvers. He threw them out of The American Dream window and scaled the rooftop.

Elsewhere, Rick gave up on trying to fix the hourglass after more failed attempts. Instead, he left with the suit to fight Eclipso without his super strength. Mike and Jakeem tried to stop him but were distracted by Zeek who announced that he couldn't finish S.T.R.I.P.E. until the next day as they needed a rare part. Mike realized that Pat knew they wouldn't fix the robot in time, though Jakeem believed it was because Pat wanted to keep him safe. Just then, Thunderbolt arrived with the Chinese food that Jakeem wished for the day before. He realized that something was wrong. Jakeem wished for the rare part and Zeek repaired S.T.R.I.P.E. just in time for Mike to pilot the robot. Mike flew the robot to The American Dream where he grabbed Eclipso from the rooftop and threw him into a car. S.T.R.I.P.E. proceeded to attack Eclipso with a newly installed chainsaw and then blasted him with the flame thrower.

Jakeem teleported into the fight and wished for Thunderbolt to electrocute Eclipso. The being obliged and attacked. He succeeded in wounding Eclipso but the monster grabbed hold of Thunderbolt's ankles and threw him in S.T.R.I.P.E. This caused the robot to short circuit and malfunction. It fell to the ground unable to move. Eclipso advanced on a defenseless Jakeem, just as Hourman arrived at the fight. Eclipso remarks that he didn't have super strength, but Hourman did - and it lasted longer than an hour. Solomon Grundy appeared and threw Eclipso across the street. He roared before he descended on the monster with multiple attacks. Eclipso regained himself long enough to grab Grundy's punch, fling him away, and then blast Grundy with a ray of darkness that formed a hole in his chest. Grundy fell to the ground now dead. Hourman attacked Eclipso out of anger and was batted aside.

Eclipso then grabbed Pat and dragged him across the road until he stood in front of Stargirl. He threatened to rip off Pat's arms if Stargirl didn't admit how she truly felt about Eclipso. She struggled as she watched Pat writhing in pain as his shoulder and arm were broken. Stargirl, finally at her breaking point, screamed that she hated him. Eclipso stopped, sighed in satisfaction, and then used his hyper speed to appear in front of her. He grabbed her by the throat and raised her above the ground. He admitted that everything he did - torturing her friends, family, the illusions, it was all so she would admit one thread of darkness inside her. That was all he needed to get his claws in her. Eclipso turned into darkness as he possessed Stargirl, entering her body through her eyes and mouth. Stargirl fell from the hovering stance to the ground. Pat called out to her. She raised her head up and her eyes glowed red. She reached out and grabbed the Cosmic Staff, which reacted to the darkness inside her as it glowed with purple energy. Eclipso spoke through Courtney as he revealed that he now wielded the power of both darkness and light. He could now merge The Shadowlands with this world. He turned to the sky and shot beams of Cosmic Staff energy into the rifts.

Beth and McNider watched as her parents were suddenly freed from their illusion by a returned Shade. He revealed that when Eclipso brought The Shadowlands to this world, it was just what he needed to come back. His whole theater debacle was just his flair for the dramatics. Meanwhile, Wildcat and Shiv, who had to pop her bones back into place, agreed to try and take the staff from Eclipso instead of killing the host as the Golden Age JSA had. They descended on Stargirl as Wildcat tried to pull the staff from her hands while Shiv wrapped her arm around Stargirl's neck. Eclipso cackled that they couldn't beat him and easily flung Shiv backward. Wildcat tried to reach Courtney but Eclipso had already taken hold. He shouted that the staff was a conduit for spiritual enlightenment and is creation itself. Only one person can wield the staff. He threw Wildcat aside as he repeated that only one could wield the staff.

Suddenly, Sylvester Pemberton grabbed the staff and smirked that maybe two can wield it. He gripped the staff as Eclipso struggled against his pull. They locked into a battle of will as the staff rose them several feet above the ground. The JSA and their allies watched in awe as the scene unfolded. As they struggled for control over the staff, Sylvester admitted to Courtney that he was still getting caught up. However, if the staff worked for her, that means she was chosen for a reason. He told her to fight the monster inside of her. Eclipso also taunted Courtney by telling her she's unwanted by her father and unloved. Memories of her friends and family flood her mind. Pat encouraged her from the ground as Sylvester pulled at the staff. Eclipso began to groan as light began to enter Courtney once again. Eclipso gave a shout before Courtney expelled him from her body in a burst of dark energy. She let go of the staff, which allowed Sylvester clutch it. Sylvester used the staff to guide himself to the ground, and caught Courtney in his arms. She looked at him in shock before they looked over at Eclipso.

The duo was joined by Sportsmaster, Tigress, and their daughter Artemis. Artemis had broken her parents out of jail. Meanwhile, Eclipso laid on the steps. Stargirl, Wildcat, Hourman, the Dr. Mid-Nite's, Pat, S.T.R.I.P.E., Thunderbolt, Jakeem, Shade, Barbara, Jennie, and Sylvester advanced to Eclipso. Shade stated that Eclipso was in a weakened state, so those who commanded the light must act fast. Sylvester gripped the back end of the staff while Courtney held the front half, and together, they blasted Eclipso. They were joined by Jennie who wielded green energy and Thunderbolt who used pink energy on the command of Jakeem. With their combined efforts, Eclipso was defeated, though Jakeem's wish for Eclipso to "be toast" was taken literally as the creature transformed into a half-burnt piece of toast. After the blast was over, Courtney turned to Sylvester and introduced herself as Courtney. He smiled as he said his name was Sylvester. Jakeem wondered what they should do with the piece of toast, and Hourman stated they should put it somewhere safe. Thunderbolt peered over and cringed as he saw the toast was a little burnt which was his bad.

In the days that followed, the young JSA members convened on the Whitmore-Dugan House steps. The town had finally returned to a normal weather state. Yolanda confirmed that she was back as Wildcat, Rick left to bury Solomon Grundy, and Jennie returned to Milwaukee to search for her brother. Courtney feared that Sylvester had only returned to take back the staff. This fear was laid to rest when he assured her that he wasn't back for the staff. However, he did want to show her what the staff could really do, something she happily agreed too. As Beth said goodbye to Chuck, who was on his way back to Melody Hills, Indiana to find his wife and ten-year-old son, she asked what they should do if the world needed Dr. Mid-Nite again. He simply smiled and handed her the bag that contained the Mid-Nite gear. He said that the world already has one.

Meanwhile, Shade appeared to Rick to tell him that Grundy had a habit of coming back if they bury him at the right place at the right time. Rick wondered why Shade was still in Blue Valley, to which he admitted that there was something charming about the town. Across town, Yolanda left church when she spotted Cindy, who had decided to stay in town as she liked it there. She then, rather nervously, said that Eclipso got her thinking about her future and how Yolanda got a pass. Which means she should get a pass too, but knew it wouldn't happen if Yolanda didn't agree. She admitted she wanted to join the JSA. On the final day of summer school, the Whitmore-Dugan's were surprised by their new next door neighbors - the Crock's.

Across the country in Civic City, at the Helix Institute, a nurse revealed to a mysterious patron that Jennie was in Milwaukee searching for her brother, but she made friends in Blue Valley, Nebraska. The town somehow had a collection of superheroes and villains that coexisted. The man, who bore translucent skin and steampunk clothing, admitted the town sounded intriguing. He thought it was time to visit Blue Valley.

### Trust, Heartache, and Murder

Courtney dealt with the alleged return of Sylvester Pemberton, who was secretly the Ultra-Humanite in Sylvester's preserved corpse, by agreeing to share the staff with him, so he could continue his fight as Starman, though she remained in charge of the JSA. The team begrudgingly accepted Cindy Burman/Shiv as a new member, as Courtney and Beth had voted yes, while Rick and Yolanda were against the idea. The group suited up for the first time together to stop the hijacking of a truck. Their efforts weren't needed, as Artemis Crock swooped in and took out the robbers. She remarked it was her her tryout for the team, but left without a word to anyone else. The JSA returned to The Pit Stop to regroup. They learned the gang responsible was the No Limit Gang, who were once led by Steven Sharpe/The Gambler. Knowing he had just returned to Blue Valley, the JSA hurried to his trailer park to question him. They heard a gunshot and rushed to his trailer, where they saw Shiv stand over Gambler's dead body, a smoking gun in her hand.

Shiv professed her innocence, which both Courtney and Beth believed. Beth confirmed the cause of death to be a puncture wound through the heart, not a bullet wound. The team disagreed over Cindy's involvement, though Courtney deduced that whoever had The Gambler's laptop was the killer. Pat and Sylvester interrogated Richard Swift about his involvement, but Richard denied any as he didn't kill Sharpe. He threatened Sylvester to leave him alone, which made Sylvester cause a scene in the diner. After Pat calmed him down outside, the man went to BVHS and pulled Courtney out of class for lessons with the staff. After, they headed to Richard's house so Sylvester could apologize. Things went from tense to worse when Sylvester attacked Richard, which forced Courtney to intervene. Richard reiterated his innocence, told them to confirm with Maria, and refused to help Courtney find the killer. He disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Beth received an anonymous tip that revealed The Gambler blackmailed someone before his death - the Crocks. Cindy, Rick, and Yolanda agreed to confront them, as blackmail was a strong motive for murder. Courtney refused as she didn't want to take Artemis' family away from her again unless they were sure. She wanted to talk with the Crock's first, and gave an order not to tell Sylvester about the blackmail or the Crocks. She feared he would burst in like he did with The Shade. Cindy ignored this order and offered to join Sylvester in a mission to arrest them. He rudely refused her help and took the staff to a supermarket to confront the couple, who were shopping in peace. The trio fought which destroyed the store. The fight spilled into the parking lot, where Sylvester prepared to deliver another blow when S.T.R.I.P.E. arrived. He warned told Sylvester to stand down, as the fight was over.

Once back at the Whitmore-Dugan's, the Crocks explained how Gambler blackmailed them for months over crimes they didn't commit from their stint with the ISA. When Gambler stopped blackmailing them and returned to Blue Valley, Larry went out to his trailer to confront him. He wanted to hurt him but didn't, as he chose to leave. He and Paula's story convinced the family of their innocence. When Sylvester returned, the men argued in the basement until Pat told Sylvester about Courtney's father. He explained that Sylvester had to be like a father to Courtney because of her hardships, a better man, and a better Starman. Sylvester remarked that he didn't have a suit, which would help his cause. Pat agreed that it would help. That night, Sylvester returned to the crime scene to find more evidence. He left Cosmo behind out of respect for the rules, and was ambushed by a massive figure.

In the aftermath of his attack, the JSA investigated the trailer themselves. Dr. Mid-Nite found an unidentifiable skin cell that had been left behind. With help from Charles McNider, Beth learned the cell might be match to Dragon King. Yolanda and Rick believed Cindy helped Dragon King, but Courtney vehemently disagreed and shared memories from their time in The Shadowlands together. Meanwhile, Courtney grew closer to Cameron Mahkent, which led Rick and Yolanda to search for her at the Whitmore-Dugan home. They instead found Sylvester, who had recently been given a new suit by Pat as encouragement to not retire just yet. The teens planned to investigate the underground tunnels for signs of Dragon King, and Sylvester agreed to suit up.

Starman led Wildcat and Hourman in the tunnels, though his flared temper left much to be desired. As Courtney continued to split her focus between Cameron and the JSA, her friends began to notice and pieced it together when Cameron greeted them at lunch. Rick's rudeness toward Cameron sparked a disagreement between the foursome, as Rick and Yolanda disapproved of her hanging out with a creep like Cameron. Beth, however, was concerned about solving the murder. Courtney just wanted her friends to be happy for her, but Yolanda couldn't be on account of who Cameron's father was. The statement hit home for Courtney, who proclaimed Cameron wasn't any more his dad then Courtney was hers; saying differently wasn't fair to either of them. She left the meeting early, so the remaining trio sought advice from Sylvester. He advised them to let Courtney hang out with Cameron, and do whatever they could to keep the team together. There were no sides, only the team. He encouraged Yolanda to follow her instincts, Rick to fix the hourglass, and Beth to make a decision about her parents involvement in the JSA.

Wildcat broke into the Burman residence and found Gambler's laptop, which sparked her decision to kick her ass. Meanwhile, Rick fixed the rest of the hourglass by removing the limiter, and Beth asked her parents to not be involved with her life as Dr. Mid-Nite. The next morning at The Pit Stop, Yolanda told Sylvester, Rick, and Beth that she found The Gambler's laptop hidden in Cindy's room. Sylvester surmised she did it, but asked why. He needed to know what's on this laptop right now, and told Beth to do it. She hesitated as there are probably the usual encryptions and firewalls, but she should be able to get through them with an assist from the goggles. He instructed her to download everything, and then Yolanda should put the laptop back where she found it. This confused Yolanda, so Sylvester explained that if Cindy knew the laptop was gone, she would know she's busted and might run. There was still a chance Dragon King's a part of this, or maybe someone else.

That night, Beth worked on decrypting the laptop when her parents entered, wanting to still be part of her team despite her plea for them to not be involved in that part of her life. She feared for their safety, though they worried who would protect her if not them. She insisted that her friends, her team, would. Her parents accepted this fact and left, just as Wildcat emerged through Beth's window, needing the laptop back to return it to Cindy's room. Everything's downloaded but it was going to take a while for her to decrypt it. Wildcat put it in her bag and planned to get it back to Cindy before she realized it's gone. She smiled and praised Beth for doing a great job. Wildcat snuck into Cindy's room to return the laptop as Beth continued to work on the decryption. Her computer suddenly picked up on an unidentifiable feed.

Wildcat was caught by Cindy, who greeted her as Kitty Cat and walked over to her. She knew it was her as she scratched the window coming in the first time. Defiant, Wildcat sneered that she would do more than that right now and sunk into a fighting stance with her gloved hands closed into fists. Cindy defensively tried to stop her to explain, as she did not kill The Gambler. Wildcat didn't care, as she had The Gambler's laptop and didn't tell them. Cindy had her reasons and would have explained. She still can, but Wildcat unsheathed her claws - it's too late. She sung at her and slashed the bedpost in half as Cindy dodged an onslaught of attacks. Wildcat kicked her backwards into the window. Cindy does a flip and kicked Wildcat into the wall, which commenced a brutal fight. She dodged another attack and Wildcat pinned herself on the wall as Cindy grabbed the bedpost as a weapon. Wildcat threw herself off the wall and used the force held in her suit to scale forward from the horizontal ceiling, land on the floor, and reprised her razor-clawed assault. She landed a scratch on Cindy, who held her face until it healed shut. She dropped a lock of white hair and Wildcat smirked. Cindy shook her head "no", for Wildcat just did a very foul move. They continued to fight until Wildcat threw Cindy out of a window and jumped out behind her. Her suit absorbed the impact as Cindy struggled to get up. Beth, through the usage of the video feeds, saw Wildcat fight Cindy on the front lawn of the Burman residence. She quickly put on her goggles and called Courtney, begging her to pick up.

Wildcat and Cindy continued their fight. Wildcat grabbed and restrained Cindy. She snarled that Cindy's always been a bitch. Cindy returned the sentiment and kicked her aside. A metallic creaking caught her attention, and she saw a car fly towards her. Cindy jumped out of the way just as Hourman leapt into the fight. He surpassed the house in his grand leap. He landed on the bus as he remarked that he knew she wasn't good. The trio began to fight and Wildcat restrained Cindy long enough for Hourman to kick her away. Cindy stood back up, prepared to fight more, though her ripped showed green scales emerging. Rick asked what the hell that was, so Cindy quickly covered it up. Wildcat sneered that Cindy's just like her dad. Cindy unsheathed her shiv for the first time. Wildcat and Hourman ganged up on Cindy and slammed her into the ground. From above, a bright light emerged as Stargirl performed the shooting star into the center of the fight. She blasted everyone away from each other. She looked up, her eyes glowing brightly from the power of the staff.

Wildcat and Hourman assembled behind Stargirl, ready to continue the fight. Courtney turned to Cindy, asking what she's doing, though Cindy pointed out that Yolanda started this. Wildcat reveals Cindy stole The Gambler's laptop, but Cindy swore she didn't kill him. Wildcat snapped she's just like her father. She encouraged Courtney to just look at her scales. Stargirl realized the DNA at the crime scene wasn't Dragon King's DNA, but Cindy's. She asked what was happening to her. Cindy wanted her to stop acting like she cared. Stargirl did care, and asked her to please talk to them. Fighting back emotions, Cindy explained she started changing when they got back from The Shadowlands. She didn't know if The Shadowlands triggered this or if it was always going to happen. She doesn't know what her dad did to her. She was just trying to figure it out. She stole The Gambler's laptop so she could go through his files, locate labs, find a cure, but she didn't kill anyone.

The JSA stared at her and Cindy emotionally exclaimed for them to stop looking at her like she's a monster. Her eyes flash reptilian and she covered them up, squelching and groaning. Stargirl wanted to help her, though Cindy only threw the offer back at her. She's so tired of all of this. Stargirl defended herself - if Cindy was just honest with them in the first place like they asked her to be, but Cindy cut her off. She asked if she should be honest like her. She urged Stargirl to tell the JSA about her little secret she kept about Cameron. Wildcat already knew she was dating Cameron. Cindy shook her head at the definition, taunting a "like father, like son". Courtney taught that little psycho how to conjure up icicles, just like Daddy. This news shocked Hourman and Wildcat. Cindy pressed that Cameron had powers like the rest of his family, and turned to Courtney. When Cameron finds out what she did to his dad, which he will, he'll come for her. She hoped that he won. Cindy stormed off, which left Hourman and Wildcat to glare at their leader with disdain.

Courtney nervously paced at The Pit Stop, rubbing her hand. They should have had a plan. Rick pressed they did have a plan, she just wasn't involved. Yolanda added that Courtney hasn't been around. She was too busy training the new Icicle. Courtney insisted that she wasn't training anyone, she was just trying to help him, just like they should be trying to help Cindy. Yolanda snapped that this isn't about Cindy anymore - it's about her lying to them. Courtney didn't mean to. Yolanda snapped that after everything that happened with Pat and her mom that she would realize how damaging this is to them. Courtney insisted it was Cameron's secret and wasn't hers to tell. Rick assumed Cameron mattered more than them, which wasn't true. She promised not to tell anyone his secret.

Rick angrily shouted that he was a threat. Courtney snapped back that he's not. Rick believed he was, and she made that decision by herself when all of them who are a team are at risk. Yolanda calmly added she turned her back on them for him. Courtney, emotional, looked at Beth who shook her head. Beth had been on her side this whole time - she trusted everyone because Courtney thought they should. But Rick and Yolanda are right, she should have told them. Courtney nodded as she cried. Yolanda talked about Courtney wanting them to trust each other, when it turned out, the person she was closest to is the one that can't be trusted. Courtney apologized again, as she was really sorry. She looked away and took a shaky breath. She offered that until they get this sorted out, Sylvester should lead the JSA. Yolanda glared that he already has been. Courtney noded, her face scrunched in pain as she cried.

Courtney returned to her room where she cried over the loss of her friendships. Sylvester came in to talk with her. She worried she kicked herself off the team, but he assured her she's not kicked off anything. He understood her reasonings even if the others didn't, and will talk to them. He admitted they're a lot alike. Balance was hard for people like them because they loved it too much. He confided her in about his sister Mary and her ill-fated relationship with Brainwave. He didn't know Cameron Mahkent, but he did know Courtney. He trusted her gut more than anything. So if she said he's a good kid who just needed some guidance, he was on board.

Courtney and Pat talked in the kitchen when Beth arrived, visibly worried and acting strangely. She fed the juicer than hurried over to them with her laptop. She through a smile for them to just act super normal. The machine whirred in the background as Beth explained she hacked into The Gambler's files and found something she believed he found. She showed them a feed of Cindy's house, but that wasn't all. She flicked through the feed to show The American Dream, The Pit Stop, the exterior of the Whitmore-Dugan House, and the very kitchen they stood in. They all look up for the camera but don't find it. In a hushed one, Courtney asked Pat what they do now. He remarked they don't say another word. He closed the laptop.

The JSA split up and removed the cameras from around Blue Valley. Courtney and Pat's duty at the Whitmore-Dugan home was derailed by The Shade, who returned for her help. They end up in a power struggle between The Helix Institute For Youth Rehabilitation, Todd Rice, and Jennie-Lynn Hayden. Todd lost control of his powers and accidentally sent Pat and Shade to The Shadowlands. Back in Blue Valley, Dr. Mid-Nite learned that Hourman removed his limiter and witnessed first-hand the negative effects the power is having on him. Meanwhile, Yolanda argued with her mom and was kicked out of the household. She sought solace in the Whitmore-Dugan house, and effectively moved in with them.

Courtney convinced Mister Bones, the mysterious director of Helix, to let Jennie be the light Todd needed instead of synthetic lamps. Her methods worked and Jennie expelled the darkness from her ring which mended it, and calmed Todd's out of control powers. Todd returned Pat and Shade from The Shadowlands, and Courtney confronted Nurse Love for spying on her friends and family with hidden cameras. She refuted this claim as they would never do that. With one more suspect eliminated, Courtney and Pat returned to Blue Valley. Shade left with Jennie and Todd to teach the boy to control his powers, and hoped to find The Sandman's nephew to help him too. With their guests gone, Mister Bones mused to Love that Courtney might be right about his patients not needing isolation. He wondered if they should create a team of their own.

Upon Courtney's return to Blue Valley, she quickly repaired her friendship with Yolanda, then asked for her support in telling the team something important. The JSA convened at their usual lunch table, where Courtney once again apologized for not telling them about Cameron and making them feel as though she put him above her team. Beth and Rick forgave her, while Yolanda urged her to tell them the rest. Courtney wanted to tell Cameron everything - about his dad, the JSA, and her being Stargirl. She can't be with him if he doesn't know the truth. He deserved to know what happened to his father. She wasn't asking for their permission, just their support. Yolanda supported her and referenced Cindy and how Courtney was right about her not being the killer. Rick emotionally admitted he'll always have everyone's back here, because they're his family, but he warned her that it won't end well.

Believing the cameras signal came from the Mahkent residence, Hourman, Dr. Mid-Nite, and Wildcat planned an attack. Hourman plowed ahead of his teammates and burst into the Mahkent living room. He angrily confronted Cameron, Courtney, Sofus, and Lily. He attacked Cameron in spite of Courtney's shouts for him to stop. Cameron, taken off guard, used his powers until Courtney explained that it was Rick. Hourman didn't hesitate and continued to attack Cameron, which sparked an intense fight between the two, with Courtney trapped in the middle. In the meantime, Wildcat and Lily struck up a heated fight that Lily ultimately won. Sofus found Dr. Mid-Nite in a hallway and attacked her. Through her father, she learned the full capabilities of her suit, which included combat mode. She received unexpected help from Artemis Crock, who burst in through a window to assist the JSA. Courtney desperately tried to stop Hourman's chokehold on Cameron, but he flung her into a wall. Cameron saw her injured and overtook Hourman with his cryokinetic powers. As Hourman lay defeated, Lily revealed to Cameron that the JSA killed his father. Full of emotion, Cameron blasted Hourman until Sofus intervened. He didn't want his grandson to give up on love. He collapsed of a heart attack, but was saved by Dr. Mid-Nite. The JSA gathered around the carnage and Dr. Mid-Nite called 911.

The team recouped and Rick sought medical treatment from Dr. Chapel. Beth insisted that his irrational behavior and dangerous vitals were from the hourglass, which he hadn't taken off. He lashed out at the family and stormed out. Meanwhile, Sylvester was certain the Mahkents weren't involved with the cameras, as the goggles were wrong about the other places he investigated. He pointed out the irony of the JSA getting confirmation that blew up Courtney's attempt at peace. Because Mike and Jakeem were MIA, Pat and Sylvester visited the Mahkent residence to learn if the family was involved. Sofus, who returned home to recover, insisted they would never hurt children. He and Lily only fought only because they were attacked. Now that the truth was revealed about Jordan's death, he warned them to take their families and leave town. Otherwise, things would not end well for anyone. Meanwhile, Cameron and Courtney met behind The American Dream to talk. He demanded to know who killed his father and she lied that it was her who did it. Lily attacked Barbara in response to Sylvester and Pat's visit, but was thwarted by Paula. Paula and Crusher wanted peace and visited the Mahkents. The appealed to their morality and what Jordan would have wanted. They encouraged the grandparents to put aside their vengeance for peace, as the Crocks had.

Mike and Jakeem showed up at The Pit Stop to tell Pat and Sylvester they found a monster in the woods - an albino gorilla. The men recognized the creature and called a JSA meeting, though Rick didn't show. They explained the gorilla was the Ultra-Humanite, the most dangerous creature the JSA every faced. The team deduced that he killed The Gambler and attacked Sylvester outside the trailer. Across town, the Crocks left the Mahkents with the belief the Mahkents were at least thinking about peace. They followed a trail of Ripped City fliers into the underground tunnels, where they found the voyeurs lair. Crusher was quickly impaled and frozen as he fell to the ground. Paula tried to help but was grabbed by her throat, and began to freeze as a result. The voyeur ripped off his mask to reveal himself as Jordan Mahkent. Paula and Crusher lay side-by-side as Jordan turned their corpses into ash.

Courtney shared her belief that the Ultra-Humanite was the next Eclipso; the big evil that would bring everyone together to stop it. Whether they were ISA or JSA, their town needed them again. Artemis arrived on her doorstep in search of her missing parents. Unable to reach Rick, Courtney, Beth, Yolanda, and Artemis followed a tracker in Sportsmasters mask into the underground tunnels. They discovered the human remains of Larry and Paula in the voyeurs lair. As they notified the team and their allies, Barbara was left shell-shocked when Jordan Mahkent arrived at The American Dream. He claimed his death was a fake report after a horrible accident, and proposed peace and his help to Barbara. She refused it and warned the rest of them about Jordan's return. Cameron visited Courtney with the prospect of a fresh start now that his father wasn't dead, though she needed time to think about it. She found Jordan by his mural and his offered her the same thing - his help with the Ultra-Humanite in exchange for peace. She was conflicted when she came home to find Sylvester and Pat, who waited up for her. Sylvester asked her to give him the staff so he could go after the man who killed him and his friends.

### Battle of Blue Valley

Courtney refused to give Starman the staff so he could kill Icicle, as she didn't believe it was the right way to handle the situation. While waiting for Courtney's decision, Sylvester visited Beth and Yolanda at The Pit Stop. Yolanda asked about Courtney, but he didn't tell her they were meeting because she already knew the plan. He's going to face Icicle himself. Yolanda wanted to come with him but he refused. Jordan's stronger now which means he's too dangerous. Yolanda reasoned that with Cameron and his crazy grandparents, Jordan won't be alone. Sylvester knew he would be alone, since he dropped a bug in the Mahkents' living room when he and Pat were there. Yolanda asked if he's sure he didn't want their help, and he did, actually. He walked to the S.T.R.I.P.E. armor, and looked at the girls after a moment. When the JSA died, they left family members behind. Sandman had a nephew, The Atom a son, Green Lantern's kids, Jennie and her brother. But there were other JSA members whose bloodlines died that night. He turns to look up at the armor. Heroes like him who had no families to pass their legacies onto. Mr. Terrific, Dr. Fate, The Spectre, Flash, and others who shouldn't be forgotten. He looked to the girls as he's asking both of them, when this was all over, to go find someone like themselves, someone worthy of taking one of these mantles on for their own. To keep his friends' legacies alive.

When Pat told Starman that Courtney wasn't giving him the staff, Starman cruelly lashed out. He stormed upstairs where Courtney waited - she heard the entire conversation. She expressed her disappointment in him and refused to give him the staff. He called Cosmo to him and the staff obeyed. It refused to return to Courtney's grasp when she called it. Starman told her she wasn't worthy of it and left. Yolanda and Beth came over and they had a team meeting about the incident. Pat decided to suit up and find Sylvester before he could do anything. Unfortunately, Starman dismantled STRIPE with the staff.

The rest of the team decided to find Rick, who was at the back door when they went to leave. He admitted he needed their help with the hourglass, as its side effects had grown. He was reluctant to take it off as they needed him powered up, but Courtney insisted they needed him healthy. Rick revealed that Sylvester told him about the limiter, which surprised Beth, as she read about the hourglass. His father went through the same thing once, and the JSA helped him through it. Starman would know the dangers of the limiter.

Simultaneously, Pat decided to utilize STRIPE's flamethrower, converting it into a handheld device with help from Zeek, who advised that Starman might be pushing everyone away to protect them. Stripesy headed to the Mahkent residence where he found Starman and convinced him this was both of their destinies. They investigated the rest of the Mahkent residence when Starman attacked Stripesy and knocked him unconscious with the staff. He revealed his true identity as the Ultra-Humanite and told a waiting Jordan Mahkent that he would take care of Pat. Ultra-Humanite took Pat to the woods where he buried him alive as he recapped his brain transplant into the body of Sylvester Pemberton. He mused over how he fooled everyone into thinking he was Sylvester.

The JSA realized the depths of Sylvester's manipulations and how his actions kept them distracted, broke them apart, weakened them, and Courtney morosely added it took away their confidence. As they searched for Mike and Pat, Courtney answered a call from Cameron, who told her that “Starman” was at the junkyard. He hung up before she could ask him anything else.

The JSA suited up and went to the junkyard to confront “Starman”. They stopped when they saw Icicle, "Starman" who wielded the staff, and Sofus, Lily, and Cameron waiting for them. Icicle pressed that he met with them on neutral ground with good intentions. “Starman” sadly told Stargirl that Pat had been killed by the Ultra-Humanite, but she refused to believe him as they both were liars. Cameron apologized for Pat's death, but the only thing they could do now was work together to stop the monster before it hurt anyone else. Before Stargirl could respond, S.T.R.I.P.E. landed behind the JSA. Pat, who had dug himself out of the grave, told Stargirl it was him, but that wasn't Sylvester. It was the Ultra-Humanite. Infuriated, Ultra-Humanite attacked S.T.R.I.P.E. and they fought in an adjoining lot while the rest of the JSA squared-off with the Mahkent family.

Stargirl tried to convince Cameron that Icicle lied to him, but the supervillain silenced her with his powers. Hourman stopped Icicle then turned to Cameron, though the effects of the hourglass weakened him immensely. Cameron easily stunned the aggressive hero with an added blast from Icicle. Wildcat saw Hourman's defeat and narrowly dodged Lily's cryokinetic blasts as a result. Dr. Mid-Nite squared-off with Sofus, but quickly realized the man didn't want to fight her either. As they made an alliance, Lily turned her anger toward Sofus and threatened to kill him if he didn't kill Dr. Mid-Nite. Wildcat distracted Lily, who shot a blast of ice at the heroine. The blast missed Wildcat but hit a scaffold, which caused a car to fall on Lily and crush her to death.

Stargirl tried to help Hourman to cover just as Icicle returned to the fold. He gave her one last chance to pledge her loyalty, or he would kill her. Barbara shot him in the shoulder with Tigress's crossbow, and warned Icicle to stay away from her daughter. He made one last attempt to win Barbara over to rekindle what they had, but she refused as they never had anything. He prepared to kill the trio when Cameron intervened. Icicle and Cameron fought while Barbara encouraged Courtney to get the staff back from Starman.

Simultaneously, Pat and the Ultra-Humanite fought brutally until Ultra-Humanite took down the giant robot. As he was about to kill Pat, Stargirl rushed into the lot and voiced that the staff didn't work for him. Cosmo depowered in Ultra-Humanite's grasp, which gave Stargirl the chance to take it back. They locked into place with the staff as they tried to move it with sheer willpower. Stargirl commanded that Ultra-Humanite was not worthy. The staff sent out a blast that sent them in opposite directions. She finally knew she was worthy and held out her hand. Cosmo returned to her grasp, reunited with its true handler. Now triumphant, Stargirl left the lot at the insistence of Pat, who wanted to fight this battle alone. The men exchanged heavy-hitting blows until Pat struck Ultra-Humanite over the head with a rock. Pat stood bloody, in pain, tired, yet victorious.

Meanwhile, Stargirl performed the shooting star to stop Icicle from killing Cameron. Now on the same team, Stargirl and Cameron fought Icicle together. Cameron asked his father to give up, but Icicle couldn't. Icicle advised Cameron to do what he has to, or he will. Cameron summoned his powers forward and hurled them at his father. It collided in a cloud of snow, mist, hail, and ice. Icicle's face emerged from the cloud, screaming until it dissipated. When the mist settled, Cameron helped his weakened grandfather. Stargirl tried to approach him, but Cameron refused her help. He betrayed his family, her, and his grandmother is dead. He wanted to get Sofus medical attention then leave. Stargirl offered her help but he refused, using his powers to disappear. Also that night, the Young All-Stars fought Dragon King who was in Ultra-Humanite's former gorilla body. They defeated him by turning him into a stuffed animal.

In the days that followed, Rick sought help from the Chapels to break his addiction the hourglass, while Beth accepted her parents help in her superhero life. They quickly decided to label themselves her sidekicks to become Hootie and Nite-Lite. The Whitmore-Dugans hosted a dinner party, where Cindy Burman mused over Buddy playing with the stuffed animal version of her father. Yolanda decided to reach out to her mom, since her friends only grew closer to their families when they knew the truth. Barbara and Pat hugged as they waited for Courtney to come home. They looked over at their full table of guests. Across town, Courtney visited the Mahkent residence. As she stared, snow fell and she turned around to see Cameron behind her. He asked if she could really help him, and they hugged in the middle of the street.

### Looking to the Future

Ten years later, the Justice Society of America has a new legacy. Richard Swift leads a group of eager patrons on a tour of the JSA museum. Banners for each member hangs around them, along with exhibits dedicated to their specialties. Shade identifies who sits around the table, pointing at where the chairs would be. Starwoman, Wildcat, Jade and her brother Obsidian, Dragon Queen, S.T.R.I.P.E. 2.0, Jakeem Thunder, Icicle, Artemis, Sand, Damage, as well as Hourman and Dr. Mid-Nite. The latter of who's impending nuptials are just around the corner, and will be officiated by Shade. With those two, come their loyal if somewhat foul-smelling and simple-minded friend, Solomon Grundy.

United, the JSA stopped the Injustice Society from brainwashing America, then prevented the demonic brute Eclipso from merging his nightmarish world with theirs. They shut down the Ultra-Humanite before he could tarnish Starman's legacy. They brought the true Sylvester Pemberton back to life. Then, they rescued the Seven Soldiers of Victory from a cosmic deity called The Nebula Man. They're the greatest heroes the world has ever seen. But they won't be the last. Because there are other legacies of heroism waiting for a new generation to find, to take on, to rise up. For as much as evil has tried to destroy the Justice Society of America, it cannot. Nothing can.

A portal opens across from the table and The Flash races in, slicing the JSA table in half, much to Shade's anguish. Shade turns to face Flash with acknowledgement, and the hero greets him. The Justice Society is needed and according to Courtney Whitmore, that means him now too, old friend. He tells Shade to gather the troops - their adventures are not over. Shade questions if they ever are.

## Modern Age

### Active Members

* Courtney Whitmore/Starwoman (leader)
* Yolanda Montez/Wildcat
* Beth Chapel/Dr. Mid-Nite
* Rick Tyler/Hourman
* Cindy Burman/Dragon Queen
* Artemis Crock/Artemis
* Mike Dugan/S.T.R.I.P.E. 2.0
* Jay Garrick/Flash
* Jakeem Williams/Jakeem Thunder and the Thunderbolt
* Jennie-Lynn Hayden/Jade
* Todd Rice/Obsidian
* Cameron Mahkent/Icicle
* Sand
* Damage

### Former Members

* Pat Dugan/S.T.R.I.P.E./Stripesy (Retired)
* Chuck (Inactive)
* Ultra-Humanite (Co-Leader and Mentor; while posing as Sylvester Pemberton/Starman)

### Known Allies

* Pat Dugan
* Seven Soldiers of Victory
	+ Sir Justin/Shining Knight
* Zeek
* Barbara Whitmore
* Henry King Jr./Brainwave †
* Charles McNider/Dr. Mid-Nite (Situational Mentor)
* Richard Swift/The Shade
* Larry Crock/Sportsmaster †
* Paula Brooks/Tigress †
* Solomon Grundy
* Bridget Chapel/Hootie (Sidekick to Dr. Mid-Nite)
* James Chapel/Nite-Lite (Sidekick to Dr. Mid-Nite)
* The Helix Institute For Youth Rehabilitation
	+ Mister Bones
	+ Nurse Louise Love
* Sylvester Pemberton
* Jay Garrick/Flash

## Golden Age

### Known Members

* Charles McNider/Dr. Mid-Nite (doctor and detective; founding member)
* Rex Tyler/Hourman †
* Ted Grant/Wildcat †
* Sylvester Pemberton/Starman
	+ Pat Dugan/Stripesy (sidekick of Starman; unofficial member)
* Jay Garrick/Flash
* Alan Scott/Green Lantern †
* Hawkman †
* Hawkgirl †
* Doctor Fate †
* Johnny Thunder †
* Wesley Dodds/Sandman †
* Spectre †
* Black Condor
* Liberty Belle
* The Guardian
* The Newsboy Legion
* TNT
	+ Dyna-Mite (sidekick of TNT)
* The Human Bomb
* Cherry Bomb
* Blue Beetle
	+ Spanky (sidekick of Blue Beetle)
* Sandy
* Mr Terrific †
* The Atom
* Dr. Fate †

### Known Allies

* Seven Soldiers of Victory
* Unnamed FBI Agent (Deceased)

## Known Enemies

### Former Enemies

* Per Degaton (Banished into an alternate timeline by The Flash)
* Blackbriar Thorn † (Destroyed by Green Lantern in 1988)
* Baron Blitzkrieg (Died in World War II)
* Gentleman Ghost (Status Unknown)
* Clifford DeVoe/The Thinker (Status Unknown)
* Injustice Society of America (Disbanded)
	+ Jordan Mahkent/Icicle † (Killed by Artemis)
	+ Mr. Bowin/The Fiddler (Status Unknown)
	+ William Zarick/The Wizard † (Killed by Icicle)
	+ Anaya Bowin/The Fiddler † (Killed by Tigress)
	+ Dr. Henry King/Brainwave † (Killed by Wildcat)
	+ Larry Crock/Sportsmaster † (Became an ally of the JSA)
	+ Paula Brooks/Tigress † (Became an ally of the JSA)
	+ Solomon Grundy (Joined the JSA)
	+ Steve Sharpe/The Gambler †
* Injustice Unlimited (Disbanded)
	+ Cindy Burman/Shiv (Joined the JSA)
	+ Artemis Crock (Joined the JSA)
	+ Isaac Bowin † (Killed by Eclipso)
* Richard Swift/The Shade (Became an ally of the JSA)
* Eclipso (Destroyed by the JSA: Transformed into toast)
* No Limits Gang (Taken down by Artemis) (Arrested)
* Lily Mahkent †
* Dr. Shiro Ito/Dragon King (Put in Ultra-Humanite's white gorilla body) (Young All-Stars defeated him by turning him into a gorilla stuffed animal)
* Ultra-Humanite † (Defeated by Stripesy)
* The Nebula Man (Defeated during 10 year flash forward)

## Notable Artifacts

The following artifacts either belonged to the JSA or are currently in Pat Dugan's possession after their defeat. Some of these artifacts also reside in the Justice Society of America Headquarters.

* **Cosmic Staff:** A sentient golden rod that harnesses and produces cosmic energy. It only activates for the wielder of its choice. Sylvester Pemberton was given the staff by its creator, Ted Knight, and became the hero known as Starman. His affiliation with the staff is what spurred the JSA to recruit Starman and his sidekick, Stripesy. When Starman was first defeated, the staff remained inactive and in Pat Dugan's possession for ten years. His stepdaughter Courtney Whitmore found the staff, activated it, and became the heroine known as Stargirl. The staff is a staple for the JSA and one of its more powerful artifacts.
* **Dr. Mid-Nite's Goggles:** These advanced technological goggles were built by JSA leader and founder, Dr. Charles McNider, as a means for him to see after an assault left him blind. He used these goggles for several purposes to obtain knowledge on their enemies, and as such, was an integral member of the team. After his death, the original pair of goggles from his earlier days as Dr. Mid-Nite were left in the JSA headquarters. Courtney found the goggles and brought them home, but couldn't get them to work. Beth Chapel found the goggles, put them on, and became the new Dr. Mid-Nite, alongside McNider's artificial intelligence Chuck. Ever after the AI was destroyed, Beth continued her heroics as Dr. Mid-Nite.
* **Golden Age Photo:** This photo is a group picture of every active JSA member from the Golden Age, except Stripesy, who was taking the photo. It is the only known photo of the group from that era.
* **Green Lantern's Power Battery:** This green lantern was used by Alan Scott to charge his ring during his time as the Green Lantern. Pat warned Courtney that the lantern was useless without its ring, but it is extremely powerful and could have killed her. Green Lantern's daughter, Jennie-Lynn Hayden, later stole the lantern from the Whitmore-Dugan house and absorbed the remaining power. She now serves as the lantern, able to charge the ring on her own accord.
* **Hourman's Hourglass:** Built by scientist Rex Tyler, this hourglass is directly tied to his DNA. The sand within activates when the hourglass makes contact with his DNA or is turned over. The hourglass gave him extraordinary strength for one hour per day. When Rex died, the hourglass was safely placed in the JSA headquarters, until Courtney Whitmore stole it to recruit a new era of JSA members. She found Rex's son, Rick Tyler, and gave him the hourglass. Through the artifact, Rick became the newest iteration of Hourman.
* **Injustice Society of America Files:** The JSA kept detailed files of almost every member of the Injustice Society of America. The files were kept hidden from the world but often used information gathered from police reports. This information helped the JSA in their fights against the ISA. Some of the known files were Brainwave, Icicle, The Wizard, and Sportsmaster. Courtney discovered at least five more files after the ISA's defeat, though these villains had already been defeated. The Justice Society were unaware of the ISA's true identities, so the files were incomplete in that regard.
* **Justice Society of America Suits:** These suits are worn by the Justice Society of America while they fight crime as their alter-egos. The origins of the individual suits are unknown, though most of the Golden Age suits are kept in the JSA's headquarters in Civic City. However, the Stargirl, Hourman, Wildcat, and Dr. Mid-Nite suits were given to the next generation of heroes. They are kept safe by the individual heroes, with the exception of the Wildcat suit, which was returned to Courtney after Wildcat left the JSA.
* **Rex Tyler's Journal and Research:** Rex Tyler, better known as Hourman, kept a journal detailing his life as a superhero and member of the JSA. He also included pictures of himself as both Hourman and Rex. After the deaths of his fellow JSA, Rex tracked the ISA around the country. He kept detailed and meticulous research that he later entrusted to Pat Dugan shortly before his death. When Pat learned that Rex had a son, Rick Tyler, Pat passed the journal onto the teen. It ultimately contained the needed information for the JSA to stop Project New America.
* **Thunderbolt:** The Thunderbolt is a powerful weapon that Johnny Thunder used to fight crime. It appears to be an ordinary pink pen, however, it contains a magical, electrical, fun-loving, wish-granting pink imp. The wishes he grants often cause more trouble than the wish-asker would ever expect.

## Public Perception

The Justice Society has always existed just under the public radar, preferring not to take credit for defeats in flashy grand examples of superhero antics. They were calmer and more experienced than other groups, but came into the public eye with the addition of Starman and Stripesy to their team. While the public remained aware of the Golden Age heroes, their secret identities remained completely intact, for the most part. They were most active in the news during their long battle with the Injustice Society of America. Their defeat in 2010 made headlines, especially because of the death of Starman. The Modern Day JSA exists in an even smaller setting, with their activity exclusive to Blue Valley, a small town full of villains and heroes. Blue Valley only became aware of Stargirl's existence when she stopped a "satellite malfunction" on the field of Blue Valley High School. Even then, her superhero name and antics were never reported on by the news. She was only seen by those in attendance.

Stargirl's existence was reported on in several newspapers during her family road trip, though conjunction with a "shooting star" or "mysterious glow" while the heroine herself was unreported. These reports were not in Blue Valley and were about a pizza robbery, a rescue, and a lost boy scout troop. The JSA continued to operate in secrecy from the general public, though their existence was known to their villainous counterparts.

## Notes and Trivia

* Jordan Mahkent/Icicle was responsible for the fatal wound that was thought to have killed Sylvester Pemberton/Starman. He was also the cause of the destruction of Charles McNider/Dr. Mid-Nite's AI.
* Henry King Sr./Brainwave was responsible for the deaths of Johnny Thunder, Hawkman, and Hawkgirl.
* Richard Swift/The Shade was responsible for the deaths of Wesley Dodds/Sandman and Jay Garrick/The Flash, although the latter is later revealed to be alive.
	+ He was also thought be responsible for the physical death of Charles McNider/Dr. Mid-Nite until it was revealed to Beth Chapel, the Modern Age Dr. Mid-Nite, that he saved his life by actually trapping him in The Shadowlands.
* Solomon Grundy was responsible for the deaths of Ted Grant/Wildcat and Rex Tyler/Hourman.
* The fates of Golden Age members Alan Scott/Green Lantern, Doctor Fate and Spectre are unknown, though it’s believed that Eclipso killed the latter two, while Alan Scott/Green Lantern perished in the final battle against the ISA.
* The Golden Age Team kept files for each critical member of the Injustice Society.
	+ After the Golden Age team died, their files and artifacts fell into Pat Dugan's custody.
* Pat Dugan is in possession of the only known Golden Age photo of the JSA.
* Several artifacts were kept at the old JSA hall as part of a memorial. Although some of these are merely sentimental, such as Jay Garrick/The Flash's helmet, while several potentially dangerous items include Doctor Fate's Helmet, Alan Scott/Green Lantern's Power Battery, and the Thunderbolt. Some of these items were taken by Courtney Whitmore/Starwoman to give to the next generation of heroes.
* It is unknown if Charles McNider took Hootie home since his return from The Shadowlands.
* Most of the Modern Age heroes are females, having taken over the mantles of their fallen male predecessors.
* Only three of the Golden Age JSA members are alive; Charles McNider/Dr. Mid-Nite, Jay Garrick/The Flash, and JSA ally Pat Dugan.
* So far, the Modern Day JSA is associated with three known legacies:
	+ Rick Tyler, the Modern Age Hourman, who is the son of Rex Tyler, the Golden Age Hourman.
	+ Jennie-Lynn Hayden/Jade and Todd Rice/Obsidian who are the fraternal twins of Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern.
* The photograph taken during "*Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. Part Two*" is tagged by Dr. Mid-Nite's Goggles as being the JSA's holiday photo of 2020.

## Gallery

* Modern Age
* Golden Age

Recruiting HourmanTheir first missionTraining

StarmanDr. Mid-NiteHourmanWildcatGreen LanternThe FlashDoctor FateJohnny Thunder
JSA artifacts including Rex's journalJSA files
## References

1. ↑ Beth sees the JSA's foundation date through her goggles in "*Hourman and Dr. Mid-Nite*".
2. ↑ Beth sees the JSA's foundation date through her goggles in "*Hourman and Dr. Mid-Nite*".
3. ↑ "*Stargirl*"
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "*S.T.R.I.P.E.*"
5. ↑ "*Icicle*"
6. ↑ "*Wildcat*"
7. ↑ "*Hourman and Dr. Mid-Nite*"
8. ↑ "*The Justice Society*"
9. ↑ "*Shiv Part One*"
10. ↑ "*Shiv Part Two*"
11. ↑ "*Brainwave*"
12. ↑ "*Brainwave Jr.*"
13. ↑ "*Shining Knight*"
14. ↑ "*Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. Part One*"
15. ↑ "*Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. Part Two*"
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "*Summer School: Chapter One*"
17. ↑ "*Summer School: Chapter Two*"
18. ↑ "*Summer School: Chapter Three*"
19. ↑ "*Summer School: Chapter Seven*"
20. ↑ "*Summer School: Chapter Eight*"
21. ↑ "*Summer School: Chapter Nine*"
22. ↑ "*Summer School: Chapter Ten*"
23. ↑ "*Summer School: Chapter Eleven*"
24. ↑ "*Summer School: Chapter Twelve*"
25. ↑ "*Summer School: Chapter Thirteen*"
26. ↑ "*Chapter One: The Murder*"
27. ↑ "*Chapter Two: The Suspects*"
28. ↑ "*Chapter Three: The Blackmail*"
29. ↑ "*Chapter Four: The Evidence*"
30. ↑ "*Chapter Five: The Thief*"
31. ↑ "*Chapter Six: The Betrayal*"
32. ↑ "*Chapter Seven: Infinity Inc. Part One*"
33. ↑ "*Chapter Eight: Infinity Inc. Part Two*"
34. ↑ "*Chapter Nine: The Monsters*"
35. ↑ "*Chapter Ten: The Killer*"
36. ↑ "*Chapter Eleven: The Haunting*"
37. ↑ "*Chapter Twelve: The Last Will and Testament of Sylvester Pemberton*"
38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 "*Chapter Thirteen: The Reckoning*"
39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 In "*Chapter Thirteen: The Reckoning*", Richard Swift/The Shade lists the 2031 JSA members, which includes the new heroes Damage and Sand.
40. ↑ Beth confirms his membership in "*The Justice Society*"
41. ↑ 41.00 41.01 41.02 41.03 41.04 41.05 41.06 41.07 41.08 41.09 41.10 As depicted in the DC Comics and The CW comic strip, "*Road Trip*", whose events are canon to DC's Stargirl.
42. ↑ As stated by Pat in "*Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. Part One*"