The latest addition to The CW DC Universe, Stargirl, is only a few episodes into its freshman season, but it's already being hailed for its hopeful tone and for embracing its roots in the Golden Age of comics. Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger) is a legacy hero who is filling the shoes of a legendary member of the Justice Society. However, the TV series has rewritten her comics origin and left out a major character: Jack Knight, who gave her the Cosmic Staff.
For streamlining purposes, her on-screen origin and the JSA's history are condensed, resulting in Courtney stumbling upon the Cosmic Staff in her basement and quickly assuming the mantle of Stargirl.
The series shows Pat Dugan (Luke Wilson) as the former sidekick to Sylvester Pemberton (Joel McHale), aka Starman. With his dying words, he gifts Pat the staff and explains it must be passed on to a worthy successor. The comics version of Sylvester never operated under the name of Starman, instead going by the Star-Spangled Kid. He possessed a Cosmic-Converter Belt which was the source of his powers. The belt also happened to be an invention of the original Starman, Ted Knight.
Ted Knight got a name drop from Pat in the Stargirl TV series as the original inventor of Sylvester's Cosmic Staff, but it's unclear if the show will explore the first Starman in any significant capacity.
In the comics, Courtney discovers the belt much and becomes the new Star-Spangled Kid (Stars for short). Her stepfather Pat dons his robot armor as S.T.R.I.P.E. and the two are quickly recruited for the newly re-formed Justice Society, where Courtney meets the then-current Starman, Jack Knight. It's this iteration of Starman who first wielded the iconic Cosmic Staff. Without him, Courtney would have remained the Star-Spangled Kid, rather than becoming Stargirl.
Jack Knight was also a legacy hero. In the mid-90s, Jack served as the protagonist for a legendary, 80-issue run of Starman. Written by James Robinson with art from Tony Harris and later, Peter Snejberg, Jack's tenure as Starman was highly praised as going against the grain for what was then considered the popular "extreme" approach of the '90s. Jack didn't have bandoliers of ammo, thigh pouches, or protruding blades that served no purpose other than to look cool. He didn't even have a real costume. Jack was a dude in a leather jacket, wearing a kid's sheriff's badge and welding goggles so the light from the Cosmic Staff wouldn't blind him.
Jack served as a sort of everyman hero. When introduced, he was the black sheep of the Knight family, forgoing his father's love of super-science and penchant for heroics, instead choosing to run an antique shop. He was a radio collector, tattoo aficionado, lover of history and art. He looked down upon the perceived egotism of his father and the two had a rough relationship. It wasn't even a question that when Ted retired, his eldest son David would step in as the new Starman. Fate, however, had a cruel joke in store for Jack.
Early in his brother's tenure as Starman, David is shot and killed by the son of Starman's arch-nemesis, the Mist. The Mist, with the aid of his son and daughter, then launch a campaign of terror and set much of Jack's beloved Opal City on fire. Jack is forced into the fray when an attempt is made on his life and his father Ted is hospitalized after surviving an explosion.
Against his father's wishes and his own sense of self-preservation, Jack takes his father's Cosmic Rod and sets out to confront the Mist and his children. Things don't pan out perfectly and Jack escapes his first real fight with his life, but loses the Cosmic Rod in the process.
On the run, Jack makes his way to one of his father's secret caches in Opal. Inside he finds back-up equipment from Ted's Starman days, including an original Starman costume and a new weapon. He refuses to put on the costume, but he does take the Cosmic Staff, a larger prototype of his father's rod. He makes a few modifications to give the staff's head its iconic swoop, then uses the Staff to stop the Mist and save Opal City.
Jack serves Opal City as its new Starman for years, operating without a secret identity, all while trying to keep his antique business going. He quickly gains the respect of the citizens as well as his father, by displaying a selflessness and bravery that surprises everyone -- Jack most of all.
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Everything changes when Jack falls in love and becomes a father. His priorities shift and being a superhero just doesn't seem as important. He feels tremendous guilt, but a visit from Superman assures Jack that it's okay to retire. Superman tells him this life is not for everyone and certainly not for its entirety; he assures Jack that he's done his part as Starman and deserves a happy ending.
Not many heroes get to end their careers voluntarily and ride off into the sunset, but that is exactly what Jack does. The last mention of Jack confirms he is still a happily retired family man.
However, before he leaves for San Francisco, he stops by the JSA to formally resign and have a chat with Courtney. It's in this private moment that Jack personally gifts Courtney with not only the Cosmic Staff, but his jacket and goggles too, telling her to "be as much of a Stargirl as you want to be." She ditches the goggles and jacket, but holds onto the staff, changing her name from the Star-Spangled Kid to Stargirl.
It's highly unlikely Jack will show up at all in the Stargirl TV series, but his impact is still important.