Sorry, Mike but your buddy Jakeem will be wielding the pink pen…
Courtney’s iteration of the Justice Society of America is about to get a little bit bigger. A while ago we got the news that Jim Gaffigan had been cast as the voice of Thunderbolt, the sidekick of late OG JSA member, Johnny Thunder. Now, we’re getting the second Thunder, Jakeem in Season 2 according to CBR.
For those who need a bit of a recap, in Season 1 Courtney and the cosmic staff break into the JSA headquarters and take a number of items. Among them is a seemingly harmless pink pen which Pat explained to his stepdaughter that it was the most dangerous gadget in the room.
Courtney simply thought he was being ridiculous and picked it up when she broke in. Later in her room, she clicks the pen but nothing happens. The creature inside the weapon laughs at her, but it’s unclear if she heard it.
Who Will Jakeem Assoicate With?
To be played by Alkoya Brunson, Jakeem will be a classmate of Courtney’s stepbrother, Mike. His existence was confirmed in a mention the heir to the S.T.R.I.P.E. armour makes to dad Pat in the episode, ‘Wildcat’.
Whenever he is introduced in the season, it may include how he ends up with pink pen that contains the Thunderbolt as the last time we saw it, Courtney had stashed it in her pen holder.
Given how the core members of the new JSA are so close, it’s unclear at this point how Jakeem will fit into the equation of the team. He may already know Courtney and Pat as he is a friend of Mike’s.
The Jenny Connection
At the moment, all we actually know about Jakeem is that he will wield the Thunderbolt and that he’ll probably be friends with Mike. Outside of that, there’s not much we can talk about that is confirmed.
However, there’s been speculation going around for a while that it’s possible that Jakeem may be related to an already existing character; Jenny Williams.
This could be a plausible theory given in the comics, Jakeem’s last name is Williams. His full name is Jakeem Johnny Williams. For all we know, it may be a coincidence that he and Jenny share the same last name. But, if Stargirl has taught us anything, it’s that nothing is done without a reason. For example, Joey Zarick was killed to serve as a wake up call for Courtney to take being a superhero seriously.
If there is a connection between Jakeem and Jenny, they could be full or half-siblings, step-siblings or even cousins, if they want to take it that far.
Could Courtney Be The One To Welcome Jakeem To The World Of Superheroes?
In the comics, Courtney is the one who introduces Jakeem to the JSA where he serves as a part-time member. They end up becoming close friends with Whitmore becoming a positive influence on him.
This may end up being case in Stargirl as well to a certain degree. It may be a similar situation to when Beth got her hands on the Doctor Mid-Nite goggles. She wasn’t meant to have them, but ended up with Chuck anyway. We say this because Courtney has no actual link to Jakeem in the show that we know of.
Perhaps instead of Courtney, it might be Mike that introduces his friend to the JSA and the superhero world. It makes sense since his dad is a former sidekick turned hero with S.T.R.I.P.E and his stepsister is Stargirl.
It may even spark some jealousy within Mike given how he wants to be on the JSA. He might see Jakeem joining the team as an insult as he knew about it first.
Will Jakeem’s Background Remain The Same As The Comics?
To end this post, we had to address Jakeem’s backstory. In the comics, Jakeem’s mother leaves his father when she is pregnant. She dies a few years later, leaving her son in the hands of his aunt. As he grew up, he ended up on the streets and became a latchkey kid. His father, Phil had no idea he even existed. Given his sad backstory, he became self-reliant and foul-mouthed.
Phil ended up married to another woman with whom he had another son, Jakeem’s half-brother.
Honestly, we think Jakeem’s backstory in Stargirl will be different. It might be less tragic, but given how much darker the new season is believed to be, we’re not counting on it to be light and happy. There may be some semblance of the comic background but it probably won’t be identical.
