'Stargirl' Season 1, Episode 7: 'Shiv, Part One' reveals a mysterious janitor with a link to Stargirl's legacy
Spoilers for 'Stargirl' Season 1, Episode 7: 'Shiv, Part One'
'Stargirl' co-creator and showrunner for the series, Geoff Johns, has stated that every Easter Egg seeded throughout the show has not just been put in there for fun, but is meant to pay off – he appears to be a man of his word. Janitor Justin (Mark Ashworth) has been a mysterious, lurking figure in the background for a while, though fans of the original 'Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.' comic know exactly who he is, and now, the viewers of the show know, or at least they mostly do.
Though it's not stated explicitly yet, this episode confirms that the janitor is indeed, Sir Justin, the Shining Knight, a hero who has a very personal connection to Stargirl's (Brec Bassinger) past - not to mention one to the Dragon King (Nelson Lee). He's had his eye on Stargirl for a while, and this episode, he draws his sword and comes to Stargirl's rescue at the very last second, dealing a handy blow to Shiv (Cindy Burman) in the midst of an all-out, superhero brawl. What's more, watching from the shadows, he recognizes Pat Dugan (Luke Wilson) as his superhero persona – Stripesy.
In the comics, Sir Justin was one of the Seven Soldiers of Victory, a team that contained, amongst others, both Pat Dugan and the Star Spangled Kid, the latter of which the show made the new Starman (Joel McHale) before his tragic killing. The Shining Knight of the comics was a knight of old Camelot, who was trapped in ice at one point in his career, awakening in the 20th Century much in the same way Captain America from Marvel Comics did, immediately joining the superheroes of this new era.
After a terrible battle with the Nebula Man, the Seven Soldiers of Victory were scattered across time and space, with Sir Justin's mind being erased and forced to work for Genghis Khan. He was later rescued during a team-up between the Justice Society and the Justice League, but on returning to Earth, he had found that even more time had passed. At one point, he entered into a relationship with the second Firebrand - who was then killed by none other than the Dragon King.
Seeking vengeance, Sir Justin went to confront the Dragon King, only to be captured and have his mind erased. Using the last of his wits to escape, Sir Justin quickly succumbed to amnesia and took up a job at Blue Valley High as the janitor. It wasn't until he saw Stargirl, dressed as his old teamate the Star Spangled Kid that Justin's memories began to return, and with them, his powers.
Amusingly, a major clue to the janitor's identity has been apparent from the very beginning - a pegasus can be seen on his cap, referencing Sir Justin's steed, a pegasus named Winged Victory. Whether or not this version of the Shining Knight was a member of the JSA, or whether he's about to introduce the concept of the Seven Soldiers of Victory to the series remains to be seen, but in either case, Blue Valley High now has a very powerful hero on its side.
The next episode of 'Stargirl' airs July 6, on DC Universe, and July 7 on the CW.
