Eclipso’s powers and Dr. Mid-Nite connection in Stargirl season 2 explained. The former DC Universe original series has begun its sophomore season on The CW. Set a few months after the events of the season 1 finale, Courtney Whitmore (Stargirl), Beth Chapel (Dr. Mid-Nite), Yolanda Montez (Wildcat), and Rick Tyler (Hourman) — who collectively form the new Justice Society of America — are still on the lookout for new villains after defeating the Injustice Society of America, which resulted in the deaths of Icicle, Brainwave, his son Henry, and The Fiddler.
At the end of Stargirl season 1, Cindy Burman (aka, Shiv) went snooping in the basement of the ISA and came into contact with the diamond containing Eclipso, who was teased as season 2’s primary villain. Viewers got a taste of the chaos and hurt Eclipso is capable of inflicting in Stargirl’s season 2 premiere and that’s just the tip of the iceberg with regards to the character’s abilities. Considering he’s willing to prey on a little girl and possess another child to do it, Eclipso knows no bounds when it comes to his menacing ways.
However, there is more to Eclipso’s powers and his corruption of young Rebecca than meets the eye. Here’s how the Stargirl villain uses his powers, his link to Dr. Mid-Nite, and what exactly he might have in store for the JSA in season 2.
Eclipso’s Powers & Comics Origin Explained
First introduced in 1963’s House of Secrets #61, Eclipso was initially written as an average villain who plotted and schemed to attain his devious goals like so many others. However, during 1992’s Darkness Within miniseries, Eclipso was retconned and became more of an ancient demonic entity that could possess and corrupt others, feeding off of their anger, hatred, and any darkness they have within them. He was considered an evil being, an angel of vengeance who tapped into the bad in others and siphoned that energy. As a spiritual entity, Eclipso is immortal and nearly invincible, with abilities including energy blasts, weather manipulation, and growing to the size of a giant. He also has godlike abilities (he’s considered the spirit of God’s Wrath) and is known to have defeated the Spectre, who himself is considered to be a powerful omniscient being with the power to manipulate all time and space. Eclipso marks those he’s possessed with a blue circle on their faces and has even taken over the mind and body of heroes like Superman.
Eclipso can also control other people’s powers (or enhance their abilities) if they’re in contact with him through one of his diamond shards, which collectively makes up the mystical Heart of Darkness, an artifact that was found on the planet Apokolips. He can also possess several people simultaneously and is an excellent swordsman. Over the course of Eclipso’s existence, he has possessed a number of people, including the scientist Bruce Gordon, Alexander Montez, Yolanda’s cousin, Jean Loring, a lawyer and ex-wife of Ray Palmer’s The Atom, and several members of the Justice League. Eclipso also kills Yolanda and Beth Chapel in the comics. Though it’s unlikely they will die permanently in Stargirl season 2 because live-action adaptations never play out exactly like the comics, it’s possible Eclipso will hurt them in some way.
Eclipso & Dr. Mid-Nite History & Connection Explained
Stargirl’s season 2 premiere opens decades earlier (presumably in the 1960s) with a young girl named Rebecca, whose attendance at a neighbor’s birthday party is refused by her mother. A mysterious and creepy boy, Bruce, appears and coerces Rebecca to go to the party anyway, pushing her to steal one of the neighbors’ birthday gifts. What she sees inside is a rotten, horror-like doll that is then shown to be a regular one. However, it’s all a part of Eclipso’s corruption as it’s revealed Bruce is under the villain’s influence and Rebecca’s actions were enough for Eclipso to feed on her. (The boy being named Bruce might be a shout-out to Bruce Gordon, one of the original possessors of Eclipso’s diamond.) Eclipso’s tangle with the JSA in the present probably won’t be the first time the team will personally tangle with him because, as it turns out, Rebecca’s last name was McNider.
It’s likely she was none other than Dr. Charles McNider’s daughter (aka, Dr. Mid-Nite) and Eclipso, as revenge, purposefully corrupted the JSA member’s kid in a bid to attack him in the most brutal way possible. While it’s unclear what happened after Rebecca’s demise, it could be that this event alerted the JSA of Eclipso’s existence; it could also be the JSA had something to do with Eclipso's arrival in town. The fact the villain targeted Dr. Mid-Nite’s daughter would have made his capture more of a personal vendetta for the superhero. Dr. Mid-Nite was not only smart, but a skilled detective who could find anyone and obtain information via his artificially intelligent goggles, so it's possible he went in search of the villain in the aftermath. Eclipso going after Rebecca means the villain isn’t averse to personally attacking the JSA and it’s more than likely he already knew who Dr. Mid-Nite was before he set out to corrupt her.
Eclipso’s Powers Could Explain Starman’s Return
In the comics, Eclipso once shapeshifted into Starman to infiltrate the JSA and collect information on them as they planned to take him down. This comics storyline could explain why Starman suddenly reappeared around the same time Cindy found Eclipso’s diamond at the end of Stargirl season 1. Currently, Sylvester Pemberton's iteration of Starman is searching for Pat Dugan. Either Eclipso has shapeshifted into Starman’s physical form or he’s somehow possessing the former superhero’s body in a bid to track down the JSA. The latter would make more sense considering Starman doesn’t know Pat moved to Blue Valley and it would certainly be an interesting take on the superhero's return in season 2.
How Eclipso Targets The Justice Society Of America In Stargirl Season 2
Eclipso will be working his magic on the new JSA team members by digging into their darkest impulses. As a villain, he’s much different than the ISA because he feeds off of people’s inner darkness and hatred, latching onto it and bringing out a side of them they likely haven’t tapped into. With regards to how he’ll affect the JSA, it’s possible Eclipso will siphon the turmoil within Yolanda, Beth, and Rick in Stargirl season 2, tapping into some of the negative energy they may have due to their respective personal situations. Wildcat, for example, is still grappling with her part in Brainwave’s death and Eclipso might sense that and work to corrupt her by latching onto her guilt.
For Beth, Eclipso will likely try to expose her deepest fears. She’s already learned of her parents’ divorce and that shatters a lot of Beth’s preconceived notions about her family. It also dims her optimism a bit, allowing Eclipso the space to amplify the fear she is likely feeling already. Rick is also dealing with conflicted emotions after letting Solomon Grundy go in Stargirl’s season 1 finale and that will likely play a role in the way he could be manipulated by Eclipso. Considering how powerful Eclipso is as a villain, he will no doubt find a way to get under the skin of the JSA in any way possible.