History
Courtney Whitmore: 1995 - 2008
Courtney Whitmore is the daughter of Barbara Whitmore, a single mother from Gotham City that had fled across the country to escape her abusive boyfriend and raise her then unborn daughter in peace. Little did Courtney’s mother know what she had put her daughter on a collision course with a life filled with crimefighting adventure. Though Courtney was born in Coast City, she and her mother moved around a lot. Eventually settling down in the calm small city of Blue Valley; Barbara Whitmore befriended Patrick Dugan, a single father and a mechanic.
When Courtney was ten, the single parents joined their families and Courtney got Mike Dugan as a stepbrother. It was shortly after moving into Patrick’s home that Courtney discovered an old S.T.A.R. Labs container with a digital keypad. When she asked Patrick about it, all he did was tell her to stay away from it. Of course, she didn’t listen.
In time, Courtney realized that she lacked the know-how to get into the container. Snooping in her stepfather’s workshop, she found evidence that Pat had once worked as a mechanical engineer in the U.S. Military and had worked with S.T.A.R. Labs to create a belt that, when worn, would endow an individual with enhanced physical prowess through a process called Cosmic Conversion. Armed with this, Courtney confronted her stepfather, forcing Pat to explain that he had been the field technician for a special forces team of seven soldiers, all armed with these Cosmic Converter Belts. The team had been given the call=sign “Victory” and was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan after the events of September 11th, 2001 and had worked with the likes of Steve Trevor and Wonder Woman. When Pat’s team was disbanded in the aftermath of UN Sanctions being leveled at the military for use of “persons of mass destruction”, Pat was able to quietly retire from service amid the confusion, taking his belt with him. Of course, after hearing that story, Courtney was made to promise to not tell her mother… but there was no promises made about showing her mother. Returning to the locked container, Courtney punched in the numbers corresponding to the word “Victory” and just like that a hero was born.[1]
Star-Spangled Kid: 2008 - 2014
The Star-Spangled Kid
After unlocking her stepfather’s old war chest, Courtney Whitmore discovered Pat Dugan’s old Cosmic Converter Belt and a variety of wartime memorabilia. Though Courtney’s original plan was to expose Pat Dugan’s secret past to her mother, Courtney got sidetracked as she decide she had to at least test out the dangerous military equipment herself. Clipping the belt around her waist, Courtney Whitmore went for a joy ride and found that through this process of “Cosmic Conversion” she gained superhuman attributes. Of course, like any responsible teenage heroine with newly found superpowers, Courtney decided to become a superhero and made herself a costume (originally consisting of a black hoodie and pink ski mask).
Fortunately, Courtney’s plans were derailed when on her debut outing in costume; she was quickly caught by Pat as she snuck out of the house. Courtney tried to knock-out Pat (in those early days, Courtney’s didn’t really like Pat), but he disabled her despite her superpowers with the use of his military training, easily outclassing Courtney’s frantic swings and aimless kicks. Once Courtney cooled her jets, Pat surprised her once more by not taking the belt away or grounding her, but rather offering her a chance to train with him with the promise that once she was ready, he would let her go superhero-ing… with a chaperone. Not really sure what he meant by “chaperone” but wanting that offered training, Courtney agreed.
After some couple of months of proper training, Pat Dugan took Courtney to the outskirts of town and introduced her to their new lair… and her very own costume. Court did not care for Pat’s sense of style so she insisted on some modifications. Pat agreed, on the condition that the costume had a patriotic theme. After getting her costume just right, Court got to meet her chaperone: a giant mech-suit worn by none other than Pat himself. Talk about father/daughter bonding time! I wish my dad would fight crime in a mech suit…
As the Star-Spangled Kid and S.T.R.I.P.E.S the two heroes became U.S. Mascots overnight, replacing the dated Uncle Sam and Rosie the Riveter. Courtney even got to join the Titans![2]
Stargirl: 2014 - Present
Missing Data
Powers and Abilities
Star and S.T.R.I.P.E.S
- S.T.A.R. Labs Prototype Cosmic Converter Belt
- Superhuman Strength and Resilience
- Superhuman Speed and Reflexes
- Plasmoid Projectiles ("Shooting Stars")
- Flashbang Grenades ("Fireworks")
- Proficient Cheerleader
- Patriotic Fashion Sense
Trivia and Notes
Trivia
- Stargirl joined the Justice League in 2015 nominated by Wonder Woman.
- Courtney is dating Billy Batson; and is roommate with Cassandra Sandsmark and M'gann M'orzz.
- Unlike most teen super heroes, Courtney didn't star her career as a sidekick, she rather considers S.T.R.I.P.E.S. to be her sidekick.
- Her identity is secret, but it's not a good secret.
- Courtney is studying American History at Ivy University.
Notes
- Remark about Barbara's dad fighting in a mech suit is a nod to the comics, when Jim Gordon became the Batman.
Links and References
- Appearances of Courtney Whitmore
- Character Gallery: Courtney Whitmore