| “ | We're the ones that are putting our lives on the line and have to make decisions like this that we don't want to make. | ” |
— Wildcat in "Summer School: Chapter Nine"
| ||
Ted Grant is a character in The CW and DC Universe series Stargirl.
Ted was the former heavyweight boxing champion who became a vigilante superhero with the Justice Society of America known as Wildcat. A founding member of the Justice Society of America, Wildcat may get knocked down, but he always stood back up. A champ through and through, Wildcat was as good a trainer as he was a fighter.[1]
Ted fought crime along the upper Eastern Seaboard until his death at the hands of the Injustice Society of America.
Biography[]
Ted Grant became the heavyweight boxing champion at some point in his life. On one occasion, he was accused of fixing a fight and stripped of his title, which nearly defamed him until he made a comeback in his match against Castillo. Over a decade ago, Ted Grant became a member of the Justice Society of America and operated under the moniker "Wildcat".
Wildcat's in-universe Wikipedia page:
He helped bring down criminal groups and others using an unparalleled ability in boxing and hand-to-hand combat. This led to greater acceptance and recognition, although it also brought the costumed hero to the attention of super-villains keen to end this new threat. Most notable among Wildcat's costumed foes was super-villainess, The Tigress, who fought Wildcat on many occasions. These exchanges were inconclusive, however, each time ending with the Tigress' escape, although on some occasions this escape took the form of her apparently perishing as a means of eluding Wildcat and the police.[2]
Ted Grant perished along with the rest of his team on Christmas Eve of 2010 during a battle against the Injustice Society of America in a California mansion. Stripesy was present for Wildcat's final moments after he was blasted out of a window. The reports around Wildcat claimed he "disappeared", but claimed there was no conclusive proof of Wildcat's real identity.
Series[]
Season 1[]
The death of Wildcat
In a flashback to December 10, 2010, Stripesy rushed to the California mansion where the JSA and ISA fought their final battle. He burst through the gates and ran to the mansion, just as Wildcat was thrown out of the window. He landed in a crumpled heap on the ground, and Stripesy solemnly said his friends name.[3]
Ten years later, Courtney Whitmore is rebuilding the Justice Society of America and wants to give the Wildcat mantle to fellow BVHS student Yolanda Montez. Yolanda puts on the Wildcat suit and agrees to test out what abilities the suit gives her. She and Courtney look up Wildcat on Wikipedia and learn about his past and his abilities. Yolanda agrees to become the new Wildcat.[4]
Yolanda learns that Ted Grant was Wildcat and begins to idolize her predecessor. Yolanda shows Courtney a video of Ted Grant, explaining how after false accusations of fixing a fight, he cleared his name and rebounded in his boxing career. She's optimistic that if he could bounce back after fake allegations, then she could too.[5]
Season 2[]
Ted appeared in the flashbacks where he paid his respects after hearing Charles McNider's daughter, Rebecca was killed by Eclipso. He voted "yes" to kill Bruce Gordan to defeat Eclipso as he had a son and Eclipso threatened his family. He later appeared as an illusion to fight Yolanda stating that she "didn't deserve his mantle as she didn't have the stomach to do what was necessary".
Personality[]
| “ | Yeah, Ted was tough on everyone. So are you. That's good. He saw people for who they were and didn't let them slide just 'cause it was the polite thing to do. And the way you don't let Dragon King's kid off the hook, it's very Ted. It's good judgment. | ” |
Ted always stood back up after he got knocked down. He believed in the concept of good luck, as gave Stripesy his Big Boy keychain to symbolize it, and he also believed there was nothing more important than children, as he supported Starman's decision to sideline Stripesy so he could look out for his son. Grant's belief in the importance of family is what led him to vote in favor of killing Eclipso's host after the former threatened the JSA's loved ones, as he was looking out for his son and was willing to do what was necessary to protect him. This darker side of his personality was also demonstrated when he dismissed Stripesy as merely the JSA's mechanic and Starman's chauffeur, going as far to say he should not have a say in the matter of killing Eclipso's host despite Flash's objections. According to Courtney Whitmore, Ted was the one who had killed Gordon to stop Eclipso and was forced to live the rest of his life with the guilt of his actions.
But despite this regret of Ted's, he had permanently lost the complete trust and respect from the other members of the Justice Society of America, who were all completely enraged and disgusted by the fact that he had violated the JSA's moral code, by killing an innocent individual, Bruce Gordon, who was a victim of Eclipso. They had all refused to work with Ted again.
Sylvester Pemberton described Ted Grant as "a real piece of work", but would have approved of Yolanda Montez succeeding him as Wildcat. Pemberton stated that he was tough on everyone and did not discriminate, seeing people for who they really were. He also mentioned that Ted did not care about being polite if it meant letting people off the hook for their misdeeds, as he had respected his judgment.
Physical Appearance[]
Wildcat greeting Johnny Thunder
Ted was a burly, athletic man with a strong upper body. He was Caucasian with short brown hair light facial hair. His muscular physique was emphasized by his black form-fitting suit. While fighting crime, his knuckles were wrapped to keep his bones aligned to prevent injury, compress soft tissue to make his fists more rigid, and pad his knuckles.
Powers[]
Ted Grant's suit augmented his natural athletic prowess. Although there is some speculation as to the full extent of Wildcat's powers, his traits in battle strongly indicate that he displayed additional abilities.
- Superhuman Agility: Wildcat, as his name implies, had the agility of a cat. He displayed enhanced agility, including the ability to leap large distances both vertically and large spans of length. According to his Wikipedia page, he could jump off buildings. His agility was all the more impressive given his stocky build.
- Superhuman Balance: At other times, Wildcat showed a superhuman ability to balance on high wires and narrow stretches, beyond anything normal. Wildcat always landed on his feet.
- Superhuman Reflexes: Ted presumably had superhuman reaction time, as Yolanda was able to catch one of Tigress' crossbow bolts fired at her while wearing his suit.
Abilities[]
| “ | This fight was his last chance to reinvent himself, and he did. He came back a champion. | ” |
Wildcat's fighting stance
- Master Martial Artist: Ted Grant was a former heavyweight boxing champion and highly skilled street fighter who always stood back up after getting knocked down. He was also a good trainer. Ted's fighting skills made him a worthy inclusion to the Justice Society of America, as he and the Golden Age of heroes protected the world for decades. According to his Wikipedia page, he brought down criminal groups "solely using an unparalleled ability in boxing and hand-to-hand combat." He has also fought against the extremely dangerous Tigress on many occasions, with each of their duels being inconclusive and ending with her escape, implying his superior skills. His successor, Yolanda Montez, grew up idolizing him and his fighting career. Prior to his match with Castillo, Ted was stripped of his title because he was wrongfully accused of fixing a fight, which ruined his reputation by the time his name was cleared. During his fight against Castillo, he made an incredible comeback, which was his last chance to reinvent himself, and he returned a champion. This act inspired Yolanda and Courtney Whitmore, with the former believing that he could do anything. Wildcat also notoriously fought alongside Green Lantern against Sportsmaster, who, according to Pat Dugan, is one of the best fighters in the world. Wildcat also presumably incorporated his claws into his fighting style. Whitmore stated that Wildcat is the one who killed Bruce Gordon.
Equipment[]
Wildcat and Johnny Thunder
- Wildcat Suit: The Wildcat suit is a form-fitting full-body black jumpsuit that has a leather texture. He has a cat cowl that covers his head, neck, and half of his face. The cowl goes over his nose and past his cheekbones. The sides of the cowl that extends past his jaw and ends just above his shoulders. The cowl does include two cat ears on the sides. He wears a Kumpur to protect his hand and wrist against injuries induced by punching. Some of the wrappings do extend to just above his knuckles. The tops of his fingers are covered with black gloves. There is a version of knee pads on his knees that also provides support for his foot wraps. Wildcat wears black leather shoes with metal claws that protrude from the tips of his boots. Ted's history in boxing and martial arts is apparent throughout his suit. The wrist wrappings are normally exclusive to boxers, while his foot wraps are common in kickboxing.
- Claws: Wildcat could cut through metal like butter using his retractable claws.
Appearances[]
- "Ted" does not appear in "Summer School: Chapter Eight", as his "appearance" is just Eclipso inflicting a hallucination on Beth. This is not the actual character, but a version of Eclipso.
| Stargirl | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | P | P | P | ★ | |||||||||
| Season 2 | ★ | ★ | M | M | ★ | ||||||||
| Season 3 | M | M | M |
Notes and Trivia[]
- Ted gave Pat a Big Boy keychain that was the closest thing he could find to a Stripesy action figure.
- "Wildcat" has an in-universe Wikipedia page that was seen in the Season 1 episode, "Wildcat".
Gallery[]
