So far, DC TV's Stargirl has showcased the legacy of the DC comic-book universe more than perhaps any other adaptation in the company's history. With the live-action debut of several obscure characters, many of whom had their start in the Golden Age of Comic Books, the show channels exactly what made the Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. and JSA comic books from the 1990s such hits. To that end, the show typically focuses on the characters tied to the Justice Society, as well as their chief rivals, the Injustice Society.
However, in the recent episode "Brainwave," another team from DC's 1940s publication history was introduced: the Seven Soldiers of Victory. The Seven Soldiers' ranks in the comics included not just the show's Stripesey and Shining Knight, but also the Arrowverse's original major vigilantes.
Victorious Vigilantes
The team known as both the Seven Soldiers of Victory and Law's Legionnaires first appeared in Leading Comics #1 in 1941. Created by Mort Weisinger and Mort Meskin, the team was comprised of B-list superheroes who had already made their debut in other comics. Those heroes included the Crimson Avenger, the Vigilante, Shining Knight, Star-Spangled Kid, Stripesey, Green Arrow and Speedy. The Crimson Avenger's sidekick Wing also joined in on adventures, making the team rather unconventional due to the presence of several sidekick characters. Many of these characters were also non-powered, street-level heroes, with the exception of the magical Shining Knight.
The team's first adventure involved a villain called the Iron Hand, who, due to a supposedly terminal illness, bequeathed his most evil scheme to a group of five other evildoers. Criminals Big Caesar, the Dummy, the Needle, Professor Merlin and the Red Dragon all targeted each of the aforementioned heroes in different cities. Defeating them individually, the heroes eventually converged at Iron Hand's base, discovering that the evil mastermind had cured himself of his ailment. Attempting to escape justice, Iron Hand was felled when the heroes combined forces against him, dubbing themselves the Seven Soldiers of Victory afterwards.
The ongoing series, and thus the team itself, didn't last long, though they were reunited in the Bronze Age for an Earth-1/Earth-2 team-up between the JLA and the JSA, all orchestrated by the return of the Iron Hand. The continuity rearranging of Crisis on Infinite Earths would rewrite the team's history, namely its membership, as Green Arrow and Speedy were no longer viable as members.
The team didn't see much action in this revised continuity, and even a new line-up featuring more popular characters never went much of anywhere. These Seven Soldiers, whose adventures together appeared in the series Silver Age, were Batgirl, Blackhawk, Deadman, Mento, Metamorpho, Adam Strange and Shining Knight. Grant Morrison later completely reimagined the team and concept in his Seven Soldiers book, though it still involved some Golden Age characters. A version of this team recently appeared in the DC New Age of Heroes series Sideways.
Seven Soldiers on Stargirl
In the aforementioned episode of Stargirl, Pat shares a photo and his history with a team before the JSA with Courtney, which is none other than the Seven Soldiers of Victory. Stripesey and the Star-Spangled Kid were members, along with fellow show hero Sir Justin/Shining Knight. Pat also mentions Vigilante, Crimson Avenger and Wing, while Courtney references the fact that "Robin Hood" is apparently part of their number. Based on the picture, she's referring to this world's version of Green Arrow (who resembles Stephen Amell) and Speedy, who were part of the team as well.
This suggests that the show could later feature a reunion of this team, especially since Justin has already been introduced as the janitor at Courtney's school. The show could also introduce a new version of Green Arrow, one who, along with Stargirl, could appear in the next DC TV crossover.
DC Universe's Stargirl stars Brec Bassinger as Courtney Whitmore (Stargirl) and Luke Wilson as Pat Dugan (S.T.R.I.P.E.). The series airs Monday on DC Universe and Tuesdays on The CW at 8 pm ET/PT. It also stars Amy Smart, Yvette Monreal, Anjelika Washington, Cameron Gellman, Trae Romano, Jake Austin Walker, Hunter Sansone, Meg DeLacy, Neil Jackson and Christopher James Baker.