The Arrowverse is finally getting a Green Lantern as Stargirl season 2 is introducing Jade, the daughter of the Golden Age Emerald Knight. One of The CW's recent additions to the DC TV line-up is Stargirl, which focuses on Courtney Whitmore and the next generation of the Justice Society of America. As most of the original team was taken out by the Injustice Society of America, Courtney took it upon herself to revive the JSA with new blood taking on some famous DC mantles. But as Courtney went through the JSA brownstone collecting the old heroes' costumes and gear, one of them happened to be a Green Lantern power battery.
While fans never saw him die on-screen, the battery belonged to Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern, who was a significant member of the original JSA. Despite Stargirl season 1 not doing anything with the power battery, the creative team had assured fans that there would be a payoff in the following season, especially as the Green Lantern ring was mysteriously missing. After having to wait for over a year, The CW unveiled their first major trailer for Stargirl season 2, revealing the next Emerald Knight. Ysa Penarejo, who had been cast in a secret role back in 2020, was confirmed to be playing Jade, Alan's daughter, as shown in the trailer.
Jade is only one of the new characters showing up on Stargirl season 2, but for the Arrowverse, her addition is important. After all the Green Lantern teases on Arrow and The Flash, Stargirl becomes the first Arrowverse show on The CW to explore a side of the beloved mythology properly. While the mainstream audience may not be as familiar with Jade as they might with Hal Jordan or John Stewart, she has existed in DC Comics since September 1983.
Green Lantern Jade's Comics Origin & Powers Explained
Jade, a.k.a. Jennifer-Lynn Hayden, is one of Alan's two kids; she has a twin brother named Todd Rice, who operates as the superhero Obsidian. When Alan's wife Rose Canton, who was also his former villain Thorn, was pregnant, she was worried the kids would get hurt due to her evil persona. Rose gave Jade and Todd up for adoption, and they were ultimately separated when two different foster families raised them. Jade eventually discovered she had a brother and that they were the Green Lantern's children. They actually tried to join the JSA, but were rejected, so they formed Infinity Inc, which consisted of other JSA sidekicks and offspring.
When it comes to Jade's powers, she was born a metahuman due to the magical energies that Alan had been exposed to throughout his superhero career. This gave Jade the power to produce green energy, similar to how Green Lanterns create their energy constructs. However, this caused Jade to be born with green skin and green hair. Jade had also inherited some of her biological mother's abilities, which allowed her to manipulate plants. She also had a telepathic link to her twin brother Todd, enabling them to communicate in a limited capacity. Unlike the Golden Age Green Lantern, Jade doesn't need to recharge to access her abilities since she was born with them.
How Stargirl Season 1 Introduced The Original Green Lantern
Stargirl season 1 didn't waste any time alluding to the Golden Age Green Lantern, with the pilot showing the JSA's final battle against the ISA. While Alan was never seen in the flesh, his green flame energy was spotted all over the mansion as the heroes were losing. Ten years after the original JSA fell, Courtney took Alan's power battery with her as she was emptying the brownstone. The only images that exist of Alan are the JSA group photo and his banner in the headquarters. Despite being dormant, the power battery was seen lit up a few times in Stargirl season 1, hinting that it wasn't entirely out of juice.
But as Pat explained how dangerous the power battery is, he stressed that it was useless without the ring, as he didn't know what happened to it after the Injustice Society killed Alan. The Arrowverse iteration has so far been ambiguous about the larger extent of the Green Lantern Corps and how Alan ended up getting his ring and battery. That might be a question Stargirl season 2 gets to properly answer to help establish how the Green Lantern mythology works in this universe.
Arrowverse's Version Of The Green Lantern Jade
So far, there is very little known about Penarejo's Arrowverse version of Jade in Stargirl season 2, outside of the shots from the recent trailer. The first look at the power ring is when it begins to glow up in an unknown location. But it seems that Jade has had the power ring the entire time, as the trailer sees her coming to Courtney's home, where they have a showdown for unclear reasons. It's fair to speculate that Jade came to retrieve the power battery as the trailer ends with her taking it and revealing to Courtney that she is Green Lantern's daughter.
Based on the trailer alone, it seems the Arrowverse is taking some liberties with Stargirl's Jade, who doesn't have green skin like her comic book counterpart. But that doesn't necessarily mean Jade may not be seen with green skin throughout the season, or if it is something she can shift from in this incarnation. It is also unclear whether or not her brother Obsidian will show up. However, given how much Stargirl has been drawing from the JSA comics thus far, it wouldn't be surprising if he appears in a cameo, or perhaps in a bigger role in season 3.
While many Arrowverse viewers probably expected Arrow's John Diggle to be the first Green Lantern on The CW, Stargirl season 2 will now beat him to it. It's interesting that a different DC TV show is utilizing Jade as HBO Max's Green Lantern series will feature Alan as one of the lead characters, played by Jeremy Irvine. Perhaps that is one of the reasons Alan was killed off due to the HBO Max drama using the Golden Age Green Lantern. But as Stargirl season 2 brings Jade into the Arrowverse, it will be exciting to see The CW's first Green Lantern in action and how she fits within the JSA.