No one deserves more love than Rick Tyler. Stargirl Season 1 showed us what grief can do to a kid and how messed up they can become…
Nothing says tragedy quite like the loss Rick Tyler suffered at the hands of the Injustice Society. His parents, Rex and Wendi, were killed by Solomon Grundy, leaving him with his deadbeat uncle, Matt Harris.
For years, Rick believed that his parents had died in a car crash when their vehicle hit a tree. Little did he realise that Rex was a superhero who used an hourglass in combat where he could use his strength for an hour per day.
As a character, Rick Tyler is so much more than just your typical delinquent who everyone thinks is trash. He’s a hero and a protector and above all, he deserves love.
From Tyler To Harris
Rick’s journey begins the night his parents place him in the care of his uncle. His father has fake documents created in order to create a false trail for the ISA to follow. In the eyes of the law, he was the son of Matt Harris and not Rex and Wendi Tyler.
This ultimately forced Matt to give up his life in order to raise his nephew as he was the only person his sister and brother-in-law trusted. As the years passed, he took his frustrations out on Rick which often turned violent.
Having been raised by his uncaring relative, Rick Tyler went from being a kid who didn’t understand why he was being left behind to a teenager with an incredibly short fuse.
If this had been reality, people would just assume Rick had anger management issues. However, if they were to dig a little deeper, it is easy to understand.
Rick Tyler: The Loner
When we meet Rick as a teenager, he is sitting at the ‘singles’ table with Beth Chapel and Yolanda Montez. He is not friends with them at this point, but this changes once new student, Courtney Whitmore joins them when she can’t find a place to sit on her first day at Blue Valley High.
Until Courtney’s arrival, Rick was perfectly content on being a loner. After all, he was always in detention and threatening to break people’s arms if they didn’t do what he wanted.
While Rick’s anti-social behaviour came down to the way his uncle belittled and abused him, there was always something at the back of his mind that made him want have what everyone else his age has or is trying to find; purpose.
Becoming Hourman
Rick Tyler was always destined to follow his father’s footsteps in becoming the second Hourman. He just needed a push to see that he was worthy. While we the audience see potential in him, people like Matt do not as he blamed his nephew for everything that had been forced upon him.
Having felt the neglect of his uncle since the age of seven, Rick thought he would never amount to anything useful. Once he met Pat and Courtney, he found himself discovering things he never imagined.
When Courtney gives him the hourglass, Rick feels he can take on the world. However, Pat and Court warn him not to use it when he’s pissed off. While he doesn’t listen to them in the beginning, after Henry Jr’s death at the hands of his father Brainwave, the second Hourman realises that perhaps he should begin to listen.
Being the only guy on the new JSA, Rick is extremely protective of his friends. This is evident when Courtney is injured by Cindy Burman and he wants venageance. It takes both Beth and Yolanda to talk him down into coming up with a plan to find out more about Shiv’s association with the ISA.
Showdown With Solomon Grundy
Rick had one goal. Take out the beast that killed his parents in cold blood. However, in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to slaughter Solomon Grundy. Having come a long way since becoming friends with Courtney, Beth, and Yolanda, he realised he didn’t need to murder the zombie as his parents could not be bought back.
He had also listened to what Yolanda had told him about not killing. However, this did not stop her from slaughtering Brainwave. After the fight with the ISA, Rick feels a sense of relief after spending so much of his time bottling up his anger. Having exiled Grundy to parts unknown, He now knows he has a brighter future than he did before.
What Comes Next For Rick Tyler?
By the time Christmas rolls around, Rick is far happier and in a much better place. He comes to embrace the JSA and the Whitmore-Dugans as his true family. So, that begs the question of what comes next for for him?
Rick’s future is believed to be far better than it once was. He has found his true purpose in the world, but how long will it last? Depending on when we see him again, he might have taken up a new hobby or have gained new insight into his dad’s hourglass.
It has been hinted that Grundy will come back into play one way or another. But we need to question where that will put Rick? He exiled the monster so will he need the beast’s help or will it be the other way around? We’re hoping there is a logical explanation for it because we’re going to be anxiously awaiting any new information.
