Stargirl Season 3 has a murder mystery on its hands with the death of Steven “The Gambler” Sharpe. So, since we don’t know much about him in the show, we will explore his comic book origins. We’ve previously covered the Mahkents and the Crocks. The season premiere referenced another (potential) Injustice Society legacy; Rebecca “Becky” Sharpe, the Gambler’s daughter. However, in the comics, she has a different relationship with Steven. The Gambler’s death takes place in the 35th issue of Infinity Inc in 1987 after he takes his own life.
While we know that The Gambler was back in Blue Valley to track down his daughter, his demise was still shocking. The build-up in the premiere episode ended with a literal bang. If you would like to follow the events of the Justice Society’s murder investigation, be sure to check out the DC’s Stargirl Wiki page.
This post will be set up differently from the other history posts we’ve done. Also, check out our CW promotion article and the one we did on who would want Sharpe dead. So, without further ado, let’s jump into our history of Steven Sharpe.
Introduction To Steven Sharpe
Steven Sharpe III (yes, there are two others before him) first appeared in Green Lantern #12, debuting in the Summer of 1944. Sharpe was a creation of Henry Kuttner and Martin Nodell. The pesky villain affiliated with the Black Lantern Corps and the Injustice Society of America, one of which we see in DC’s Stargirl. Beginning in 1947, the Gambler was a founding member of the ISA, which also included The Wizard (William Zard), Brain Wave (Henry King Snr), Per Degaton, the Thinker (Clifford Devoe) and Vandal Savage. The original version of the ISA debuted in All Stars Comics #37, which was released in October/November 1947.
Now, we first got a look at Steven in the Season 3 trailer, and we questioned why he was back. Now that we know, it makes his comic origin rather sad. So, according to what we found, the Gambler wanted to propose to his girlfriend, Helen, who ultimately turned him down. However, she did tell him that she would accept but only if he could prove he wasn’t a gambler like his grandfather had been, though she left Steven for another guy who was a gambler. Ouch!
The New Earth variation of Sharpe depicts him as being married, but no wife is listed.
Steven Sharpe’s Family
There is very little about Sharpe’s family out there, but from what we know, his grandfather and father were both named Steven Sharpe. Steven III had at least one son, Steven Sharpe IV and two grandchildren, Steven Sharpe V and Rebecca “Becky” Sharpe.
Various sources state different relationships between Steven V and Becky. For example, the New Earth versions of Steven V and Becky are siblings. Other sources list the pair as cousins.
Steven V would take on their grandfathers’ mantle of The Gambler, while Becky would become known as Hazard. The second Gambler would take their grandfather’s mantle and become a member of the Royal Flush Gang.
Hazard would become a member of Injustice Unlimited alongside Cameron Mahkent (Icicle II) and Artemis Crock (Tigress).
The Gambler In Stargirl
Steven Sharpe in DC’s Stargirl is first seen as the CFO of The American Dream, a business set up in Blue Valley, Nebraska, by Jordan Mahkent, Sharpe’s ISA teammate known as Icicle. The Gambler is well-known for dismissing anyone who issues an idea, despite asking for them in the first place.
Of the ISA members, Steven was friendly with Jordan [Mahkent] and William Zarick (the Wizard). However, the rest of the team hated him, especially Paula Brooks and her husband, Crusher Crock. In addition, he was well-known for being a litterbug.
Sharpe’s crimes include:
- Murder
- Conspiracy
- Fraud
Despite being bright and an expert hacker, Steven has been outwitted by his two rivals, Charles McNider – the original Doctor Mid-Nite and his successor in the Doctor Mid-Nite mantle, Beth Chapel.
After the new JSA stops Project New America, Steven goes on the run. About a year later, he returns, attempting to reform himself. He reveals to Pat Dugan and his stepdaughter Courtney Whitmore that he has discovered he has a daughter, Becky, that he never knew about. His arrival at the Whitmore-Dugan house is noticed by Crusher, who warns Pat and Courtney not to trust his former teammate.
Even The Shade isn’t happy to see The Gambler. He even goes so far as to threaten him.
