How an important 'Stargirl' character practiced the ULTIMATE social distancing
The coronavirus pandemic has required some extreme measures from people in order to contain the spread of the virus. However, one comics character may have gone above and beyond in his attempts to keep his infection from spreading to those around him — the Star-Spangled Kid, Golden Age superhero who was the original inspiration for DC's 'Stargirl.'
It's important to note that unlike the upcoming TV series, the 'Stargirl' of the comics was originally inspired by Sylvester Pemberton, the Star-Spangled Kid. The show sees Pat Dugan (Luke Wilson) having been the sidekick to Starman (Joel McHale) in the Justice Society, the comics version of Pat Dugan dressed up as Stripsey to aid the Star-Spangled Kid, and it's the latter's costume that Courtney Whitmore first dawns to become a superhero. It's not until later in her series that she gets the Cosmic Staff that leads to her calling herself 'Stargirl.'
In original comics continuity, Stripesy and the Star-Spangled Kid were never a part of the Justice Society, but a much older team known as the Seven Soldiers of Victory — a superhero team from Earth-2 who were lost to time after a climactic battle against a being known as Nebula-Man. Scattered across time, the members of the Seven Soldiers of Victory were practically erased from existence, with no one on Earth-2 even remembering who they were. Which brings us to 'Justice League of America' #100.
The big milestone issue saw the Justice League of America travel from Earth-1 to Earth-2 to aid the Justice Society, who were having to deal with a rather unique emergency — a giant hand wrapped around their entire planet, threatening to destroy that Earth. The magic users of both teams, seeking a solution, summoned the omnipotent Oracle to tell them all what to do next. The Oracle revealed that the Seven Soldiers of Victory would be the only ones able to stop the hand, but first they had to be found. The Justice League and the Justice Society were divided into groups and sent through all of time and space in order to save their Earth.
It was Green Lantern, Wildcat and Aquaman who found the Star-Spangled Kid hiding out in a cave 50,000 years in the past from the cavemen of that era. Being a superhero in his own right, the heroes were naturally curious as to why the Star-Spangled Kid had been hiding out from them for so long, which is when they discover that the Kid had the flu. He had placed himself on what is likely the world's very first self-quarantine to avoid infecting early man and erasing all of humanity in the process.
Trapped in a cave 50,000 years in the past and with no internet, that's about as isolated as one can possibly get. Fortunately, the heroes manage to rescue him and return him to his own time, but the Star-Spangled Kid's heroism is noteworthy in this time. Not all heroism is about punching bad guys. Sometimes keeping those around you safe is the most heroic thing one can do.
'Stargirl' is set to premiere May 11, on DC Universe.
