- Courtney's seemingly perfect life in Los Angeles gets upended with a move to Nebraska.
- Courtney's seemingly perfect life in Los Angeles gets upended with a move to Blue Valley, Nebraska with her mother Barbara, stepfather Pat Dugan and stepbrother Mike, and she finds herself struggling to adapt to her new town and high school. But when Courtney discovers that Pat is harboring a major secret about his past, she ultimately becomes the unlikely inspiration for a new generation of Super Heroes.—brahamdali
- A Golden Age of Heroes protected the world for decades.
Ten Years ago that Golden Age ended...
Pat, Stripesy, drives through town in his car, calling on the radio to Starman. Starman tells Stripesy to stay away, because he's not in the JSA. Starman is cut off, and Pat calls to his partner and keeps driving. He arrives at the JSA manor and sees that it's filled with green energy. As Pat runs to the door, Wildcat is knocked past him and dies on the lawn.
Running inside, Pat sees bursts of energy everywhere. Hourman and Huntress drop from a balcony, fighting, and the Wizard blasts Hourman in the back with magical energy, levitating him into the air and killing him. Dr. Mid-Nite crawls across the floor to Pat, and yells at him to get out before some dark energy pulls the hero back out of sight. Wizard drops Hourman to the floor, and Starman arrives and knocks Wizard down. Huntress and Sportsmaster attack Starman and he tries to fend them off. Starman sees Pat and complains that he came in, and as he goes to Pat, Brainwave mentally levitates him and debris into the air.
Brainwave mentally shields himself when Starman fires his star Staff at him, but is finally blasted back. Another villain firers an icicle into Starman's chest, bringing him down. Pat runs to his partner and pulls the icicle out, as Icicle steps out. Pat picks Starman and helps him toward the door, and out in the car, Pat revs up his car and drives off. Solomon Grundy chases after them and Pat turns the car into a plane and flies into the air. Grundy hits the back of the Racer but fails to stop it.
The Racer finally crashes and Pat manages to land it in a forest. It bursts into flames, and Past helps Starman out. As the Racer 3explodes, Starman tells Pat that it's over but the Justice Society must live on and its legacy must survive. He says that someone with honor and strength must carry the torch... must c carry the torch, and it's not Pat, but someone with grace and heroism. Starman figures that someone out there will but it's definitely not Pat. The Staff powers down and Starman tells Pat that he was a good friend, and then dies.
A young Courtney Whitney looks out the door and looks at a Christmas present from her father. Her mother Barbara is preparing to leave, and asks her friend Miss Kramer to watch after Courtney. Miss Kramer assures Barbara that it's not a problem, and she and her daughter Mary will make cookies with Courtney. Barbara goes to kiss Courtney goodbye, and Courtney says she just wants to her daddy Barbara tell her that she knows, kisses her daughter goodbye, and leaves.
In the present, a now-teenaged Courtney is packing to move. She finds the present in her closet from years ago, and looks at it wistfully. Her friend Mary comes in, says that she can't believe Courtney is moving, and they hug. Pat pulls up, towing the Racer, and honks the horn. Courtney and Mary watch him, and Courtney insists that Pat isn't her new dad, and is the reason they're moving to Nebraska.
In the truck, Pat is arguing with his son, who is complaining that they're moving to Blue Valley, Nebraska. Pat asks Mike to be positive, but Mike isn't impressed. He wonders why they're still moving around after Pat hooked up with Barbara, and Pat insists that they're not hooked up. Pat says that they're married and thanks Courtney as she comes out with a box of stuff. Barbara comes over to help her, and tells her daughter to be mad at her because she's the reason they're moving and they made the choice together. Courtney clearly isn't impressed.
As the family drives to Blue Valley, Courtney looks wistfully at her former home. They finally arrive in Nebraska and their new home, and Mike isn't impressed by their larger new house. Two of the movers drop a crate and it rattles, and Pat says that it's delicate and runs over. He then suggests to his family that they go get something to eat.
The family walks into town and the townspeople say hello to them as they pass. Mike thinks that it's weird, and Pat insists that people are just being friendly. Courtney wonders why they're in Nebraska, and Pat says that he was looking for something.
That night, Courtney is unpacking and stops to sit at the window and look at the sky. She then walks away, while a constellation lights up in the sky.
The next day, Pat drives Courtney in the Racer to Blue Valley High. Once he drives off, Courtney goes in and the teacher tells her that there is no longer a gymnastic team. The teacher takes a school ID photo of Courtney and suggests she become a cheerleader.
Pat opens up the garage that he bought and runs, and another man, Larry "Crusher" Crock comes in. He introduces himself and says the gym down the street is his, and offers to shred Pat up. Pat says that he's busy, and Crock tells him that he has half price membership; off for newbies before leaving.
New employee Barbara arrives for her job at the town biggest company. Her boss shows her around. The boss points out Town Councilman William Zarick and the CEO, Mr. Sharpe, and then takes Barbara to her office.
At the high school cafeteria, Paula Brooks confronts Courtney and points out a seat with the school losers. Once Courtney goes over, Paula scowls at her. Meanwhile Courtney sits down with the other students. Two of them ignore her while the other one introduces herself as Beth Chapel. Courtney asks what they do around there, and Beth says that they're not friends and it's the table for losers. The boy, Rick Tyler, tells her to speak for herself and walks off.
The school jocks, including Travis Thomas, come over. Travis calls the remaining girl, Yolanda Montez, that she's a slut and asks if she has any photos she'd like to show around. Courtney tells Travis to leave her alone, and when he takes offenses, Courtney shoves him into a cafeteria worker, spilling her tray. The principal, Anaya Bowin, comes over and drags Courtney away by the arm. as they pass one student, Cindy Martin, she tells Courtney that Travis is her boyfriend.
That night, Mike tells Pat and Barbara that it was the best day ever because they designed a computer game. Barbara asks Courtney if she joined the gymnastic team, but Courtney says nothing. When Pat suggests that they hit the old drive-in, Courtney tells him to stop pretending he's her dad. As Courtney goes out, she finds Mike microwaving some marshmallows.
Courtney goes down to the basement and sees an old box. She kicks it and it breaks open, revealing framed photos inside. One is of Pat holding up his fish. Courtney checks it and finds a photo of the Justice Society of America behind it. Courtney looks through old photos and finds a photo of Pat in his Stripesy costume, with Starman. The costume is in the box, and the box from earlier glows with energy and then explodes. Courtney goes over and opens the box, and finds Starman's star Staff inside. She picks it up and it glow briefly, then emits a flash of light. Courtney drops it back into the box in shock, then picks up the Staff. It glows again and she holds it up, looking at it. She lets go of it and it hovers in the air on its own, and Courtney grasps it and tries to move it. It finally moves, and Courtney stares at it wondering what it is. as she twirls it.
The Staff pulls Courtney to the nearby park, . It levitates itself into the air, and Courtney uses it as a bar to twirl on it. She wonders if it's alive, and it flies off into the air with Courtney holding onto it.
Pat comes down to the basement and finds the box open and the Staff gone.
The Staff finally drops into the forest and Courtney hears voices nearby. She goes to investigate and finds a drive-in, and one boy, Joshua, throwing popcorn at Travis and his friends. The jocks go after Joshua, and Courtney puts a bandanna over her face and then lets the air out of the tires on Travis' car. One boy spots her and comes over, and the Staff smashes into him on his own. Travis runs over with his friend. When the two of them charge at Courtney, she plants it in the ground and it emits a burst of light, stunning Travis' friend.
Travis charges at Courtney, and she jumps over him with the help of the Staff. She knocks him and the other jock out when she recovers, then the Staff fires a burst of energy that blows up Travis' car. Courtney grabs the Staff and runs off, and Travis figures that his dad is going to kill him.
Courtney returns home and sneaks in through the window. Pat is waiting for her in the basement when she goes down to it. She says that she knows he's Stripesy, and says that the Staff blew up a car but she didn't. Pat asks if anyone was hurt, and his stepdaughter assures him that everyone is all right. She asks what the Staff is, and Pat says that it's the Cosmic Staff. He gently grabs it and it settles down, and Pat says that is should be in the crate. He says that the Staff isn't supposed to work for anyone but Starman, who was a member of the JSA.
Pat says that the JSA died ten years ago on Christmas Eve, and Courtney realizes it was the night her father didn't come home. She asks if Barbara knows, and Pat says that she doesn't but it's for the best, because people have died getting too close to the JSA. He warns that Courtney is at risk, and tells her that he was concerned and that's why he got upset. Courtney wonders why the Staff would work for him, and suggests that Starman was her father. She points out that Starman died that her father disappeared, but Pat doesn't believe it, and figures her father didn't show up because he died saving the world.
Pat has Courtney sit down and tell him her father's name. It was Sam Kurtis, and Pat says that Starman's real name was Sylvester Pemberton, and he doesn't know why the Staff worked for her. Courtney goes to Barbara and asks if her father was a superhero, and Barbara tell her that Sam only came to see Courtney once a year until she was five, and then abandoned them. Pat is the only man who has been there for then, and Barbara says that if Sam was so great, he'd be there instead of Pat. Courtney doesn't tell her mother Pat's superhero ID or the Staff, and Barbara goes to bed.
Travis' friend Henry Jr. goes home, and tells his father Henry King what happened. Henry Jr. describes the Staff, and Henry asks who had it. His son says that he didn't get a good look, and Henry sends his son to his room. Once he's alone, Henry opens a secret compartment, revealing his Brainwave costume inside.
Courtney finds Pat on the porch and sits down next to him. He's looking at the photo of the JSA, and she suggests that someone should have helped him brainstorm a better superhero name than "Stripesy". He explains that Starman used to call himself the Star-Spangled Kid, and Sylvester was younger than him and put on a mask to save his parents. Later Star-Spangled Kid became Starman, and Stripesy was his sidekick. Pat insists that he was an important part of the JSA, and he isn't in the photo because he took it. Courtney says that she doesn't like that Pat is keeping secrets, but he makes her happier than anyone she knows. She agrees to keep Pat's secret as long as he stays out of her way. Pat tell her that it's about keeping Barbara, Courtney, and Mike safe. Courtney agrees and asks if they have a deal, and Pat agrees.
Later, the Staff makes its own way to Courtney's room. She's sleeping, and wakes up screaming when she sees it. Barbara comes up to investigate the noise, and Courtney hides the Staff under the bed. Courtney claims that she couldn't sleep, and Barbara sits down with her and apologizes for what she said earlier. Her daughter tells her that she'll give Pat a chance and lies back down. Once Barbara leaves, the Staff flies to the window. Courtney grabs it and it flies away with her holding on.
Brainwave goes to the drive-in an looks around.
The Staff flies Courtney to a rooftop in town and drops her down. She wonders why it brought her there, and it flips away from her. Courtney figures that it wants to practice, jumps onto it, but falls. Courtney tries again and succeeds, and then flies off with it. A bunch of tires fly at her, and Courtney falls off the staff and lands on a pile of tires in a tire yard below.
Someone telekinetically throws Courtney across the tire yard and then drags her along the ground. She grabs the Staff and stops herself, Courtney runs into a nearby building where Brainwave. He asks her where she got the Staff and went after his son, and telekinetically pulls Courtney to him. Brainwave says that he can read her thoughts of loneliness, and wonders why she's thinking about her father.
The Staff finally responds to Courtney's commands and hits Brainwave. He telekinetically throws tires at her, and Courtney dodges them. Courtney swings the Staff, releasing a bolt of energy that blows up the building behind Brainwave. Running outside, Courtney heads home only for a large robotic being to drop down in front of her. Pat is inside, and says over the loudspeaker that he told Pat not to touch the Staff. Courtney realizes that her stepfather is inside.
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