It’s not every day that a young girl inherits the legacy of a man who is not only admired and respected by his community but literally a superhero who gave his life to protect the lives of others, yet Courtney Whitmore does just that.
Courtney Becomes StarGirl
In the show StarGirl, which is executive produced by Geoff Johns, high school girl Courtney Whitmore becomes the superheroine known as StarGirl. She inherits the legacy of her predecessor, the superhero known as Starman. She discovers his Cosmic Staff and its powers activate for her, something that only ever happened with Starman before. Therefore, from the beginning, it’s obvious that StarGirl isn’t your typical superheroine. She’s already breaking stereotypes by inheriting the legacy of a man as a young girl. From the start, her story is one of female empowerment. She demonstrates that she is capable of the same feats of heroism that a man is.
What makes Courtney even more special is her young age. Female superheroines are far less common than male superheroes, to begin with. Additionally, most of them are adult women who operate alone. Courtney is still a growing teenager who is surrounded by friends and family. In the show, this leads to an interesting coexistence between her regular life and superheroine life.
From Friends to Superhero Partners
It’s impossible for Courtney to be completely independent. She is too young to live on her own and lives with her parents. She has to attend school. It’s understandable for her to want to socialize with her friends and feel like a part of something larger than herself, feel included. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that it was impossible for her to keep her superheroine status a secret from the people in her life. Her parents and her friends all eventually find out that she’s StarGirl. It’s actually refreshing to see a superhero who is able to be honest and open about their heroics with their family and friends.
When Courtney’s worlds collide, something really interesting happens. Several of her friends, both male and female, become superheroes alongside her and join a group known as the Justice Society of America. Amazingly, StarGirl becomes the leader of this society. Starman was the leader of an old society known by the same name, and then StarGirl inherits another part of his legacy by reviving the society in the present and taking the leadership position in it.
The fact that StarGirl is the leader of a society of heroes comprised of both males and females is yet another example of how her story empowers young girls and women alike. Courtney is an inspirational character because she’s a young superheroine with an incredibly unique story who is able to accomplish so much more than many people might expect.
When StarGirl inherits Starman’s legacy, she demonstrates both through her abilities and her actions that she is a worthy and competent successor. The fact that she can be such a great superheroine at such a young age is very impressive.
