WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for "Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., Part Two," the Stargirl Season 1 finale.
Stargirl just confirmed two major DC villains are on their way for Season 2.
In "Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., Part Two," the Season 1 finale, the Shade and Eclipso both reared their ugly heads in Blue Valley. While the Shade appeared at the Injustice Society headquarters of his own volition, it looks like Eclipso will be resurrected by none other than Cindy "Shiv" Burman, whose intentions are unclear.
As the finale drew to a close, the episode cut to the Shade as he lounged in the ISA's meeting room. He chuckled to himself as he watched a broadcast, which blamed an earthquake for the effects of Project New America. "Oh, Jordan," he sighed as he emitted a menacing black shadow. "I told you it was folly." The camera never showed his face, so it seems the role has not yet been cast.
The Shade has changed a lot since his debut in 1942's Flash Comics #33 by Gardner Fox and Hal Sharp. When he was first introduced as a Flash foe, he was a thief who used a cane that could control shadows. Decades later, he became an immortal from the Victorian era, who received his powers from a mystical event that killed over a hundred other people and wiped his memory. This version was more morally ambiguous than evil, though he did butt heads with Jay Garrick a few times in the early 20th century. Notably, Stargirl series writer James Robinson found use for the Shade in his 1994 Starman series, which put the character in a more heroic light.
Elsewhere on the DC Universe series, Cindy rifled through the the Wizard's old storage room. The camera panned past some miscellaneous items, including campaign posters for the late William Zarick, to find her overturning boxes and spilling their contents on the floor. Finally, she found what she was looking for in an old file box: a diamond-shaped crystal.
With her flashlight illuminating the crystal, Cindy held it aloft to get a better look. "I see you in there, Eclipso," she chuckled. A deep, male voice laughed back in response.
Eclipso debuted in 1963's House of Secrets #61 by Bob Haney and Lee Elias. Unlike the Shade, Eclipso is an entirely mystical being who was not human at any point in his existence. A fallen spirit of divine vengeance, Eclipso lusts for power and so seeks to possess the body of anyone he views as such. He is bound to a black diamond, but is released whenever the person who holds it becomes angry. He eventually came to possess Alex Montez, Yolanda's cousin, ultimately leading him to commit suicide. At one point, he even brainwashed the Shade, although the Shade managed to break free and help the Justice League defeat the demon.
Clearly, the Shade and Eclipso's arrival in the Stargirl Season 1 finale sets them up to pose a bigger threat in Season 2. While Eclipso appears to be evil from the jump, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Shade experience some character development that sees him realign from evil to good, given that Robinson is a writer on the show.
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 will return for Season 2 on The CW. 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.