Justice Society of America

This article is about the group. You may be looking for the episode or their headquarters.

“	What if we had help? I’m the new Starman so why couldn’t there be a new Hourman? Or a new Dr. Mid-Nite? This stuff shouldn’t be sitting here, collecting dust. It should be in the hands of possible heroes. This is our destiny, Pat.	”
	— Stargirl on rebuilding the JSA

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 recruiting Yolanda Montez/Wildcat, Rick Tyler/Hourman, and Beth Chapel/Dr. Mid-Nite to her team of misfits that became heroes.

With the help of her new team and the guidance of 1990s superhero Pat Dugan, Courtney is able to fight the Injustice Society of America with her new team. They sought justice for their fallen predecessors, while stopping the ISA's plan to alter the minds of Americans to fit their agenda.

History

The earliest recording of the JSA is in 1941 when Dr. Charles McNider joined 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, and several other costumed heroes including The Flash, Green Lantern, Johnny Thunder, Sandman,Hawkman and Hawkgirl. They caught much media attention and were covered more in the news than any other superhero group.

In the later 1940s, Sylvester Pemberton discovered the Cosmic Staff and became the superhero known as, Starman. He brought his best friend and then-sidekick, Pat Dugan, with him when he joined. Pat operated under the less-than inspired name of Stripesy. He assisted the JSA in all of their battles and made sure that they were ready for whatever fights came their way. The group quickly became close friends, though they didn't share their personal lives with one another. Their main foe consisted of the menacing Injustice Society of America, who were lead by powerful cryokinetic master, Icicle. The JSA members battled against the ISA several times over the years, however, they were mainly rendered at a stalemate or near-escape due to neither side operating at their full capacity.

“	The Justice Society... they're gone.	”
	— Starman reveals the JSA's fate

On Christmas Eve, 2010, the Justice Society and the Injustice Society fought in a ferocious battle at a secluded Los Angeles, California mansion. 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 Stripesey 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 Angelos to Colorado to Blue Valley, Nebraska. Rex couldn't find their trail and assumed the ISA left the town or presumably the country. Stripesy built an armored robot to aid Hourman in his search, however, Rex declined his help and wanted to work alone. A year later, Hourman discovered more information on the ISA and frantically sent Stripesy the research he managed to cumulate on the group over the year. Rex and his wife fled Blue Valley but were murdered by Solomon Grundy before they escaped Blue Valley. Unbeknownst to the Injustice Society, Rex and Wendi were parents to a son, while Starman's staff waited for a hero to rise, and Dr. Mid-Nite's goggles waited for an intellectual successor.

Series

“	I don’t know yet, but whoever they are, they’re in Blue Valley. They’re the reason I’m putting together this new team: to get justice. For my dad, for yours, for all of the JSA.	”
	— *Stargirl in "Hourman and Dr. Mid-Nite"*

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.^[1]

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.^[2] 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.^[3]

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 theWildcat 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.^[4]

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.^[5]

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.^[6]

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.

Stargirl's fight with Anaya put her on a collision course with Cindy Burman/Shiv.Their fight lead to Stargirl being gravely injured, though she was from dying saved by a sword-wielding Janitor Justin.^[7] 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 JSA, 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.^[8]

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.^[9] 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 despited 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.^[10]

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.^[11] 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.

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.^[12]

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 with no remorse 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 ran 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 stook 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.^[13]

Known Members

The Modern Age

The Golden Age

Charles McNider/Dr. Mid-Nite † (Team Doctor and Detective: founding member)
Rex Tyler/Hourman †
Ted Grant/Wildcat †
Sylvestor Pemberton/Starman
The Flash †
Green Lantern †
Hawkman †
Hawkgirl †
Doctor Fate †
Johnny Thunder †
Sandman †

Allies

The Golden Age

Seven Soldiers of Victory
Unnamed FBI Agent (Deceased)^[15]

The Modern Age

Enemies

Current Enemies

Defeated

Mr. Bowin/The Fiddler (Status Unknown)
The Shade (Betrayed Icicle)
William Zarick/The Wizard †
Anaya Bowin/The Fiddler †
Dr. Shiro Ito/Dragon King †
Jordan Mahkent/Icicle † (Killed by Mike Dugan)
Dr. Henry King/Brainwave † (Killed by Wildcat)
Solomon Grundy (Exiled by Hourman)

Known 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.

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. The known files were Brainwave, Icicle, The Wizard, and Sportsmaster. The JSA was unaware of the ISA's true identities.
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.
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.
Thunderbolt: The Thunderbolt is a powerful weapon that an unknown member of the JSA used to fight crime. It appears to be an ordinary pink pen, however, it contains a powerful electrical charge.
Dr. Fate's Helmet: This helmet, presumably called the Helmet of Fate, is an extremely powerful magical object that was used by Doctor Fate.
Green Lantern's Power Battery: This green lantern has unknown properties, but is quite bulky and noted to be an odd shape as it won't fit in Courtney's locker. At the end of "Hourman and Dr. Mid-Nite", the lantern begins to flash green waves from the duffle bag and continues to flash until Pat Dugan finds it. However, in "The Justice Society", Pat later told Courtney that the lantern can't do anything without its ring, however, it is extremely powerful and could have killed her.

Appearances

Season 1 (13/13)

"Stargirl" (Golden Age: Flashback)
"S.T.R.I.P.E." (Golden Age: Picture)
"Icicle" (Golden Age: Mentioned and Pictures)
"Wildcat"
"Hourman and Dr. Mid-Nite"
"The Justice Society"
"Shiv Part One"
"Shiv Part Two"
"Brainwave"
"Brainwave Jr."
"Shining Knight"
"Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. Part One"
"Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. Part Two"

Notes and Trivia

Icicle was responsible for the fatal wound that was thought to have killed Starman. He also killed The Flash, Sandman, and the destruction of Charles McNider/Dr. Mid-Nite's AI.
Brainwave was responsible for the deaths of Johnny Thunder, Hawkman and Hawkgirl.^[16]
The Shade was responsible for the physical death of Charles McNider aka Dr. Mid-Nite.
Grundy was responsible for the deaths of Wildcat and Hourman.
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 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 The Flash's helmet, several potentially dangerous items include Dr. Fate's Helmet, Green Lantern's Power Battery, and Thunderbolt. Some of these items were taken by Courtney to give to the next generation of heroes.
Dr. Mid-Nite's Owl still lives in the hall and appeared when Pat visited, and he doesn't understand that Dr. Mid-Nite is dead and won't be coming back.
Most of the Modern Age heroes are females, having taken over the mantles of their fallen male predecessors.
Starman, Dr. Mid-Nite, Wildcat, Hourman, and Sandman are the only members of the Golden Age to appear physically in the series. However, Sandman only appeared as a corpse in the first episode of the series.