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Warning : The following feature contain SPOILERS forStargirl , time of year 1 , episode 8 , " Shiv Part Two . "
DC Universe’sStargirlseason 1 , episode 8 support that Henry King Jr. had inherited the same psychical powers possessed by his male parent , the Injustice Society member known as Brainwave . It remains to be see , however , if he will follow in his father ’s footsteps or adopt the name Brainwave Jr. as he did in the strip .
DC Comics is construct around legacy and that ’s particularly true of the hero making up the Justice Society of America . It ’s also genuine of theInjustice Society of America , which saw new incarnations build out of the sons and daughters of its villainous founders . Henry King Jr. was somewhat unparalleled in that he was a product of both organizations , having also been the Logos of the superheroine Gimmick Girl . He would go on to uphold both his parent ’s bequest , attempt to be a zep while fall prey to the genial instability that add up with his psychical ability .
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Stargirl ’s take on Henry King Jr. seems likewise contravene . While in the beginning bring in as a bully who picked on the unpopular kids and abused his position as a star jock at Blue Valley High School , Henry did appear to show self-reproach for sharing the aphrodisiacal picture that was used toshame Yolanda Montezout of the race for Class President . He also seemed stunned and ashamed by the discovery that his father was a super - villain in " Shiv Part Two , " but it is unclear if that will be enough to redeem him or lead him to habituate his exponent for trade good instead of iniquity .
Brainwave Jr. In The Comics
Henry King Jr. first appeared inAll - Star Squadron # 24 in August 1983 . Athletic and attractive , Henry seemed to prefer his female parent , Merry Pemberton who had fought crime in World War II arm with nothing but a costume full of gadgets and pure guts . dissimilar funnies propose different accounts of how Gimmick Girl occur to became married to the villain Brainwave , with at least one chronicle suggest their relationship was not consensual . Whatever the sheath , Henry King Sr . was not one for finalise down and continued to live the life of a supervillain apart from his married woman and son . This led Henry Jr. to grow up free from his father ’s influence and out from the world of superheroes , until he discovered his psychic abilities as a young grownup .
Taking the name Brainwave Jr , he sought to untie some of the evil that his don had done by using his powers for good . He was one of the first bequest fighter to be recruited for Infinity Inc. , a superhero team made up of the kid and proteges of the Justice Society of America , which was organized by his uncle , Sylvester Pemberton , aka The Star - Spangled Kid . It was during one battle with the enemies of the JSA that Brainwave Jr. found himself facing his infamous father . Shockingly , Henry King Sr . seemed to show some self-reproach for having give up his Logos and acted to hold open him from his ally , the Ultra - Humanite . In his dying moments , the elder Brainwave psychically transpose his knowledge and might to his Word , present him what he necessitate to stop the Ultra - Humanite ’s plans .
Unfortunately , while his father ’s legacy made Henry King Jr. more muscular , it also drive him mad . He drop the " Jr. " from his name to become the 2nd Brainwave , and establish a villainous mathematical group called the Legion of Doom to take on the Justice League . He was after housed in a special insane asylum funded by the first Green Lantern , Alan Scott ; partially as a favor to his daughter , Jade ( who concisely dated Henry King Jr. ) and partially due to his own battles with the original Brainwave . Henry King Jr. by and by escape and conjoin with Black Adam ’s squad of zep , who fought to liberate the nation of Kahndaq and establish Black Adam as its rule . However , it was ultimately reveal that he was under the control ofthe telepathic insect Mr. Mind , who had made himself at home inside Brainwave ’s brain . The JSA was able to dislodge Henry King Jr. from Mr. Mind ’s influence , but he retired to the jungles of Parador rather than peril anguish anyone ever again if he lost control of his power .
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Brainwave Jr.’s Powers In The Comics
Like his father , Henry King Jr. was a metahuman who possess considerable psychical talent , being both a telepath and a telekinetic . He was able to read the minds of those around him and project his own intellection into the minds of others , allowing him to have a conversation at a length . He was also able-bodied to check the minds and eubstance of other masses , fashion complex illusions and even make construct based on anything he could imagine , like a Green Lantern . His telekinesis allowed him to fly by lift his own body and create a personal force - field . King also developed a signature attack , the Brain Blast , which could overwhelm a target with a release of psionic energy that combined both telekinetic violence and psychical curse .
While he may not be the most powerful psychical on Earth ( an purity usually allow for the Martian Manhunter ) Brainwave Jr. may be the most versatile and originative when it comes to using his power . He was able-bodied to knock the Alan Scott Green Lantern unconscious and destroy one of his constructs with a unmarried Brain Blast and note with some embarrassment that he had been intentionally holding back when he did this . He ’s check his own against psychic like Maxima and the Ultra - Humanite . His most telling feat , however , may have been overtake the Wisdom of Solomon and compelling Shazam to sayhis magic word , transforming him back into Billy Batson during the encroachment of Kahndaq .
Brainwave Jr. in Stargirl
The pilot episode ofStargirlintroduced Henry King Jr. as the resident bully of Blue Valley High School . Courtney Whitmore ’s first human activity of heroism as Stargirl saw her trying to punish King by let the air out of the tires of his begetter ’s car , while he and his ally were annoying the other patrons at the local drive - in . Unfortunately , the Cosmic Staffhad other idea , and wound up blowing up the machine instead . This attracted the tending of the semi - retired Brainwave , who faced Stargirl and STRIPE in their first squad - up battle and was knocked into a comatoseness .
The near - loss of his Church Father seemed to awaken something in Henry King Jr. , who began try voices and suffering from intense headaches . These symptoms come to a psyche in " Shiv Part Two , " when Henry went into his father ’s field of study wait for anodyne and find that he could move the pills with his judgement after he was paralyse by one particularly terrible capture . Henry also discovered the secret chamber where his father hold back his costume and his correspondence with other members of the Injustice Society . He was horror-struck to discover that his relationship with his girlfriend , headland cheerleader Cindy Burman ( aka Shiv ) , had apparently been arranged by his father , who require someone to keep an eye on him while at schooling to see if he was show sign of develop powers .
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Henry go to Cindy ’s mansion to confront her over the letter of the alphabet he had receive , only to stumble across a battle between her and Stargirl . Overwhelmed by the situation and the vocalization of the two teenage girls fulfill his pass , Henry relinquish what appear to have been his first Brain Blast , sending both girl flying and leave behind them dazed . More confused than ever and unable to check himself from take Stargirl ’s frantic thoughts about her battle with his father , Henry ran off into the dark , unaware that he was being watched by Cindy ’s sire , Dragon King . It seems likely that the conflict for Henry King Jr. ’s allegiance will be a major part of the continuing engagement between the JSA and Injustice Society , as the first season ofStargirlcontinues .
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