'Stargirl' Episode 5: Why Wildcat and Hourman are worthy additions to the Justice Society Of America
Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger) isn't wasting time in recruiting members for the young Justice Society of America. In the previous episode, the showrunners crafted a relatable origin to Yolanda Montez AKA Wildcat (Yvette Monreal), an honors student who had been publicly humiliated by bullies and lost her sense of identity. After Courtney hands her the Wildcat suit, she is given a different and fresh lease of life. During their mission to sneak into Brainwave's (Christopher James Baker) hospital room, Beth Chapel (Anjelika Washington) discovers that Yolanda is in the guise of Wildcat. In the upcoming episode of 'Stargirl', Courtney recruits Beth as Dr Mid-Nite, as well as Hourman jr, (Cameron Gellman), the son of Rex Tyler (Lou Ferrigno Jr).
Wildcat has already proved that she is here to stay. In the comics, Yolanda is the daughter of Maria Montez, a woman who took experimental drugs from the evil Dr Love, when she was pregnant. As a child, Yolanda developed powers, due to the drugs. In the third issue of the 1985 DC Comics event series Crisis on Infinite Earths, Yolanda takes up the identity of "Wildcat," a title that belonged to her godfather, Ted Grant. On the show, Yolanda is a happy and carefree student till she is humiliated and is then isolated by her peers and grounded by her family. She appears closed off, till Courtney manages to thaw her out and grows well into her costume and gets used to much super-heroing that includes jumping off rooftops and climbing walls. Yolanda's character was a breath of fresh air on the CW show and seemed to push the story forward. In the promos for the next episode, we get to see Rick Tyler AKA Hourman make his way to the JSA as well.
Created by Ken Fitch and Bernard Baily, Rex Tyler made his debut as Hourman in Adventure Comics #48 in 1940. Rex, who is a chemist, discovers a new chemical that he names 'Miraclo', which provides superhuman strength, durability, stamina, and agility when ingested as a pill. However, the effects are short-lived, as the human body can only process the drug for an hour at a time and needs an entire day to recover before it can be used again. Rex decided to use Miraclo for good and he soon became "Hourman". However, as threats like the Injustice Society grew more dangerous, he tried to strengthen the drug, and this had side-effects. Rex's heart gave out in the middle of a fight, and though he was revived, he decided to retire his Hourman mantle and decided to marry and settle down.
His son Rick Tyler has no interest in the sciences and is keener on sports. During 'Crisis on Infinite Earths', however, Rick took one of the Miraclo pills to save Beth Chapel. And so, he became the new Hourman when the Miraclo allowed. He founded Infinity Inc, a superhero team comprised of the successors and descendants of the Justice Society. Soon, the Tylers created an enhanced version of Miraclo, and Rick could become Hourman on a full-time basis.
It will be interesting to see how these comic book characters will be brought to life on the 'Stargirl' show. The show airs on CW, Tuesdays at 8 pm.