Finders Keepers
Courtney Whitmore, born in Los Angeles, had a pretty normal childhood. Sure her parent's were divorced, but whose wasn't in California. She was your typical child, she liked princesses and tea parties and as she grew older that changed to surfing and boys. When she was a pre-teen her mother met and fell for Pat Dugan. Courtney was not amused and she was even less so when the got married and decided, "Hey, lets move to Blue Valley, Nebraska. Where there is no surfing and lots of corn…or whatever." And they do. She didn't like it, but with her personality she made friends quickly and even joined the cheerleading squad. Things would change soon though in unexpected ways.
Being a teenager, yay 16, petulant, and not liking her new step-dad Courtney decides to see if she can get any dirt on him. A lot of his pre-marriage belongings are stored in the attic of her house, so she gets nosey. Most of the stuff she finds is boring, boring, boring. One small box, hidden within another though proves far more interesting. In it is a strange belt, along with some old newspaper clippings about a hero duo from the pre-WWII era. She's not stupid she figures that her new step-dad is descended from one of these heros. She put all the clippings back and everything else away, but the belt, that she kept.
The Most Awesome of Fashion Accessories
It took a while for Courtney to figure out how the belt worked, and she was about to give up on it when Spectre's judgment was lifted. She noticed the difference right away. It made her faster, stronger, and more, even made her have the Bruce Lee moves. It was the awesomest thing she had ever worn, and she wasn't going to give it up…wasn't going to let it go. She came up with a plan. She got a costume together, took the alias Star-Spangled Kid after the WWII hero from the clippings she had found. She then patrolled the streets of Blue Valley and fought crime. As much of it as there was…which wasn't as much as she would have hoped. Thankfully there were other towns nearby and it wasn't long that the Star-Spangled Kid made a name for herself…and came to the attention of Pat, her stepdad. Instead of busting her or discouraging her he joined her, posing as a robot in armor that he built based on the ones his ancestor had. Thank goodness for family keepsakes..he had the schematics. He took the name S.T.R.I.P.E. He was much better at keeping his ID a secret and it was a few years that she finally figured it out. Naturally she was pissed at first, but after awhile she forgave him and with that she accepted him as her stepdad.
Starlight, Starbright, First Starman I See Tonight
Fast forward a few years, Courtney graduated from high school and moved to Opal City on the East Coast, near the ocean FTW, and went to college on a nice cheerleading scholarship. She continued to fight crime as the Star-Spangled Kid and early on she meet and became the protégé of Starman. Being a full time college student and a superhero was just as hard as being a high schooler and fighting crime, but it was already in her blood and she couldn't think of doing anything else with her freetime. In her senior year of college Starman decided it was time for a break from heroing, for personal reasons that we won't go into in case there is ever someone who wants to app him. And gave her his Star-Rod so she could be an ever better hero. With the Star-Rod and to honor her mentor, she changed her hero name to Stargirl, and continues to fight crime up an down the East Coast, from Opal City to New York, from Gotham to Metropolis, no villian is safe from America's Sweetheart, Stargirl.
Motivation
Courtney's motivations are an evolving thing. She is young, sure legally an adult, but in some ways still trying to figure things out. She is motivated to be a hero because she wants to help make her little part of the world safer. She his the ability, it would be wrong of her not to use it for the betterment of her part of the east coast and planet Earth eventually.
Goals
To kick villian butt and look good doing it. To have as much fun as a 22 year old can and not get into trouble doing it. To stay unattached and not tethered down to anyone, male, female, family etc. To possibly join a team to help with the kicking of butt.
Thrill-A-Minute
Courtney is a thrill seeker and adrenaline junkie. Not to the point of putting her life on the line, but when you have her skills and resources the line between death defying thrills and well not death-defying isn't as fine as it is for most.
Positivity
In Courtney's world the glass is never half-empty, there is always a silver lining, and the sun /will/ come out tomorrow. Not much if anything can bring her over to the pessimist side. She is still a peppy cheerleader inside.
Snarky
She's young and despite her optimism is a little on the jaded side, but not overly so as of yet, she hasn't delved into cynical certainly. She occasionally has a witty comeback to whoever she is fighting at the time, or for her compatriots of the moment.
Morals
Morally her compass points to true north. She has a tendency to look at things in black and white, but is discovering that life is technicolor.
he loves being a hero and will go out of her way save the day. Though she doesn't see why she can't be a hero and get paid for it to and not be considered a sellout.
Cosmic Converter Belt (CCB) - Enhanced Agility
While wearing the CCB Stargirl's agility is enhanced to metahuman like levels. She has the reaction speed only slightly less than say that of Spiderman. Her reaction time is faster, her movements faster, and her gymnastics skill takes on a whole new level, easily surpassing those of an Olympic level athlete.
CCB - Enhanced Durability
With the CCB Stargirl is able to shrug off most trauma given her by an unpowered and minimally superstrong opponents. She can also shrug off small cailber bullets and most blunt force trauma. While she wouldn't particularly feel it if say Batman smacked her around, she would certainly be knocked out if someone with a similar strength to her landed a punch on her.
Enhanced Speed
When wearing the the Cosmic Belt Stargil can run upwards of 50 mph, in short bursts. These sprints usually don't last for more than a mile or two, she could probably push four miles, but again it would be a hard push.
Enhanced Stamina
The Cosmic Belt makes it so Stargirl is in physical peak condition, she can exert herself for several hours without feeling any detrimental effects. After those several hours though she will start to feel winded and muscle fatique will start to set in.
CCB - Enhanced Strength
The belt gives Stargirl a low level superstrength. She is able to life upwards of 15 tons with minimal effort, a few more if she really pushes it.
CCB - Martial Arts
The Cosmic Belt gives her the fighting skill of a master martial artist, not quite Iron Fist, but close. She is able to pull off all those tricks and moves that people who have studied the martial arts all their lives are able to do. The fact that she has actually taken various martial arts classes certainly aids in this.
Star Blasts
The Cosmic Belt gives Stargirl the ability to shoot blinding stars of light that, not only can they blind her oppponent but also causes knockback and consussive blunt force damage similar to getting hit by a 50 lb sledge. Which might not seem so much really, but when she can shoot about half a dozen in a few seconds flat, it adds up to one painful hit.
CCB - Quick Change
From street clothes to costume in seconds flat all with just a tap of the buckle on her belt.
Star Staff
Come on, it's to long to be a rod, so let's just call it a staff and be done with it. Besides Star Rod sounds like a porno name and we aren't going there. End of digression. In many ways the Star Staff works in the same way a Green Lantern ring does. Absorbs energy like a rechargable battery and uses that to do powerful things, like Flight, Forcefields, and Energy Constructs, not to mention Energy Blasts. Additionally, it is cosmically attuned to her and will appear to her on an as needed basis just by her thinking about it. She is the only person that can use it, besides perhaps Starman. Fun!
Star Staff - Energy Construction
The Staff is capable of constructing just about anything Stargirl can imagine out of hardened energy. Weapons, machines, all manner of things, not all of which would be useful in certain situations. Like she couldn't make a key to perfectly fit a lock so it can be opened, but she could make the jaws of life or something equivalent to break said lock.
Star Staff - Energy Blasts
The Star Rod can fire a variety of energy beams. The most common of these is a Heat Beam capable of melting carbon steel. Another is a beam of energy that causes similiar, but much heavier damage that her Star Blasts do. It can be as minimal as a 50 lb sledge to the maximum feeling like you just got hit with a missle fired from a LAW.
Star Staff - Energy Absorption
This is mostly how it recharges by absorbing the ambiant radiation put off by stars, including the sun. Unless it is actively using one of its powers it is constantly in a state of recharding. It has been known to absorb/dissapate lightening and other forms of energy and electricity to protect Stargirl.
Cosmic Converter Belt
Taken from her stepdad this is is the source for part of her powers. It absorbs cosmic energy and embues its wearer with it to give them enhanced abilties.
Star Rod
In many ways the Star Staff works in the same way a Green Lantern ring does. Absorbs energy like a rechargable battery and uses that to do powerful things, like Flight, Forcefields, and Energy Constructs, not to mention Energy Blasts. Additionally, it is cosmically attuned to her and will appear to her on an as needed basis just by her thinking about it. She is the only person that can use it, besides perhaps Starman. Fun!
Allies
During her career as a superhero, Stargirl has made a few allies, though one actually married her mother. Pat Dugan, Starman, to name a couple, are people she can call on should she need help with things or if a situation gets out of hand.
Education
Courtney has a bachelors degree in Criminal Justice, not that it does her much good, she is much happier fighting crime as a heroine than as any legitimate fighter of crime, like a cop, detective or something.
Martial Arts
Everybody was kung-fu fighting…*ahem* Sorry. Stargirl has been training in the martial arts since she has been 16. Six years is quite a long time to learn quite a bit in one form certainly, but she is a dabbler. Earn a few belts in this one and then on to the next to earn a few belts…and again on to the next. When it comes to martial arts she is a Jack of All Trades, knows a lot, but is master of none. Thankfully she has her CCB that makes her a master of all.
Acrobatics
Courtney has been doing gymnastics/cheerleading since she has been twelve or so. She is quite skilled in this area. She isn't Olympic level, at least not without her CCB, but she is close.
Staff
Part of her martial arts training was in the use of various weapons. She is most skilled in the defensive and offensive use of a staff. She is no master at is use, but in a pinch she could use her Star Staff as a weapon.
Surfing
Born in LA, with the beach within walking distance, Courtney was bound to pick up a surfboard at an early age. She is pretty good, able to stay on a ride some choice waves, but she certainly isn't at any level to compete or anything.
Volleyball
Courtney spent a lot of time on the beach. If she wasn't surfing she was playing volleyball. She is alright at it. Can spike a ball like nobody's business, but she is only good enough to have fun with it.
Dancing
Cheerleading requires know how to move to the beat of music, as well as learning both dance and acrobatics moves quickly. Add to this that she is a young adult who likes to have fun…she has the dance moves. She couldn't win 'So You Think You Can Dance' but she would get a golden ticket and make it a few rounds at least.
Balance
With all the training Courtney has had it shouldn't be a surprise that she has perfect balance. Given proper concentration she can easily cross a tightrope without a problem.
Tech
Computers, cellphones, smart phones, all of these have been around for as long as Courtney can remember. She knows how to use them all for all sorts of things, and not just social media and chatting with her friends. She is a college graduate so had to use them for actual work and stuff.
Criminal Justice
Courtney has her bachelors degree in Criminal Justice and has all the skills and smarts that having that entails.
Street Smart
Having been fighting crime on the streets for years now, Courtney has learned a thing or two about the best way to not only to keep herself in one piece, but also about how to spot trouble at a distance, but it harmless trouble or the kind that can cause her a load of hurt.
Rogue Gallery
If six years is plenty of time to make plenty of friends, it is certainly enough time to make plenty of enemies. Having put away and foiled the plans of many a bad guy and villian, she has plenty that would like to get back at her.
Only Human
…of flesh and blood she's made. For your average joe, being a normal human is great, a wonderful thing even, but when you are fighting villians that are more than human, it's bad, very bad. Courtney is dependant on her equipment, the Cosmic Converter Belt and Star Staff to make her able to go toe-to-toe with uber powerful baddies. Without those two things she may as well get a real job.
Secret ID
Courtney Whitmore couldn't be Stargirl, no, not at all. This is what Courtney wants everything to think and keep on thinking. It's not easy either. Especially when there is so much crime on the streets and everyone has a camera phone to capture anything and anytime. She has seen what happens when secret IDs are found out. She doesn't want that to happen to her.
Blonde hair, blue eyed, as American as baseball and apple pie. With a star on her chest and a twinkle in her eye the Star-Spangled Kid splashed onto the hero scene at the tender age of 16 when in the town of Blue Valley, Nebraska she foiled a bank robbery and apprehended the criminals that were so bold and daring as to attempt something so foul in her home town. It wasn't long before this perky teen heroine was a household name and appearing on a variety of touristy knick-knacks sold in the local five and dimes and convenience stores. Several years went by and Star-Spangled Kid and her robot sidekick S.T.R.I.P.E kept the Blue Valley streets free of crime.
Having cleaned the streets of her home town the Star-Spangled Kid left Blue Valley, leaving S.T.R.I.P.E to keep them that. She appeared again in Opal City, where she continued her crusade against the filth that festered in the city streets.
It was in Opal City where she met Starman, and the two became the duo that struck fear into the heart of criminals. For several years the two worked side by side to keep the streets of Opal City clean, they were often praised by police and local politicians alike for there unwavering duty to the city.
It was an amazing day though, when after a pitched battle, Starman, seeking a quieter life handed over his Star Rod to Star-Spangled Kid and thereafter she was known as Stargirl.
Since that fateful day Stargirl has made a name for herself up and down the East Coast and like the heros the tries to emulate, she has became the sweetheart of America.
As for Courtney Whitmore…meh, she's cute and all but she's just some recent college graduate that doesn't have a real job.
