Stargirl will be hitting TV screens and streaming services this May and is set to feature a new generation of the Justice Society of America as its title character inspires new heroes to rise up against the Injustice Society. One of these new vigilantes will be Yolanda Montez, a.k.a. Wildcat, one of the most distinguished members of the JSA in the pages of DC Comics.
Yolanda wasn't the first character to take that name, however. In fact, the "Wildcat" name is one of the longest-lived legacies in DC Comics' history and fans will soon get to see it on the small screen.
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The original Wildcat was a heavy-weight boxing champion named Ted Grant who made his first appearance in the pages of Sensation Comics #1 in January of 1942. Grant fought crime with little more than his fists, becoming one of the best fighters in the world and eventually joining the Justice Society of America.
When the JSA eventually retired, Ted remained active in the ring as a fighter and a coach, eventually going on to train future superheroes Black Canary, Catwoman and Batman. When the JSA eventually reformed in the present day, Ted took up his Wildcat ways once again, making good use of his one superhuman ability: a mystical curse that allows him to resurrect, using up "nine lives" like a cat.
Ted eventually discovered he had a son named Tom Bronson, who had the meta-human ability to turn into a were-cat, potentially as a result of his father's magic curse. Tom and Ted first met during one of the JSA's many battles with Vandal Savage, and after the dust had cleared, Ted invited his son to join the Justice Society of America as the third Wildcat. The pair would serve alongside each other on the team until the events of Flashpoint wiped this continuity away.
Before Tom began his superhero career, however, there had been a second Wildcat, a young Latina woman named Yolanda Montez. Yolanda's father was a boxer named "Mauler" Montez, who was one of Ted Grant's best friends. When Yolanda was born, Ted was chosen as her godfather, and the two were quite close. Yolanda eventually developed cat-like meta human abilities that she discovered were the results of inhuman experiments performed on her mother before Yolanda was born by the villain Doctor Love.
When Ted Grant was nearly killed during Crisis on Infinite Earths, Yolanda decided to use her powers to take on her beloved godfather's legacy as the new Wildcat and would later join Infinity Inc, a superhero team consisting of the descendants and successors of the original members of the JSA. Yolanda would continue to fight crime as Wildcat until she lost her life at the hands of the Justice League villain Eclipso.
Both Ted Grant and Yolanda have been confirmed to feature in Stargirl, and her comic book origins just might give fans a glimpse into her television future. Based on the trailers, the JSA, and presumably Ted Grant, are dead, and Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E.'s decision to fight against the Injustice Society will inspire a new generation of heroes.
This tracks quite well with Yolanda's comic book history. She first took on the Wildcat identity after a Crisis nearly killed Ted, and Stargirl's new team seems to be following the same premise as Infinity Inc and featuring the Justice Society's descendants and successors. Though little is currently known about Yolanda's backstory in the show, it would be simple for her to keep her connection to Ted Grant and similarly easy to adjust the origin of her powers to experiments performed by a different mad scientist like Brainwave.
Keeping these characteristics would connect Yolanda to the JSA and fulfill the generation and legacy themes that the show has been marketing. It would also give her ample motivation to join the fight against the Injustice Society, as they are implied to be the reason that the JSA, and thus her beloved godfather, have gone missing. Add that to potentially being a target and subject of one of the team's villains, and Yolanda could easily develop a desire for revenge that would simultaneously create interpersonal conflict with Stargirl.
DC Universe's Stargirl stars Brec Bassinger as Courtney Whitmore (Stargirl), Brian Stapf as Ted Grant (Wildcat), and Yvette Monreal as Yolanda Montez (Wildcat II). The series will premiere Monday, May 18 on DC Universe and Tuesday, May 19 on The CW.