Warning: contains spoilers for Justice Society of America #2!
Content warning: brief discussion of sexual assault
The newest recruit to the Justice Society of America has a dark connection to a beloved '90s DC hero: Jack Knight, who once held the mantle of Starman. In Justice Society of America #1, the legendary team has fallen on hard times, forcing them to recruit villains or their offspring into their ranks. Kyle Knight, the son of Jack Knight and the Mist, is one of these new recruits. But is he carrying on his father’s legacy or his mother’s?
Jack Knight is the son of Ted Knight, the Golden Age Starman. Created by writer James Robinson and artist Tony Harris, Jack Knight lived in Opal City, where he ran a vintage/retro store. After his brother David - who had taken up the family hero business - was killed on his first mission, it fell on Jack to save his father and avenge his brother - a path that led him to become Starman. During the book’s second year, Knight was sexually assaulted by the Mist’s daughter, who subsequently became pregnant. She named their son Kyle in memory of her brother, who Jack killed, and intended to raise him to kill Starman. At the book’s end, Jack was able to obtain custody of Kyle, and after defeating the Mist once and for all, retired from being a superhero and moved to San Francisco. Now, many years later, Kyle has grown up - but which of his parents does he actually take after?
In Justice Society of America #1, the Huntress has convened a meeting of the new Justice Society, which is composed mostly of 'repentant' villains and their offspring. Kyle, now calling himself the Mist, is a member. He is new to the team, and the Huntress states he has a clear tie to his biological mother’s side of the family - one she hopes is "simply physical." The issue is written by Geoff Johns, drawn by Mikel Janin, colored by Jordie Bellaire, and lettered by Rob Leigh.
Whose Side is the Justice Society's New Recruit On?
The issue leaves many tantalizing questions open about Kyle Knight, the new Mist, and he is seemingly killed off a few pages later, leaving the truth unclear for now. However, death is rarely permanent in comics, and it's likely fans will see him again, especially since he's so intriguing to fans of Starman. He is the scion of two notable metahuman families, one heroic and one evil, but which side is he playing? By choosing the name Mist and not Starman, it may seem that he has come down on the side of evil, and indeed his edgy response to Icicle shows he's no boy scout. Yet Kyle also wears the goggles his father made famous -is this an acknowledgment of his heroic lineage? Another possibility exists: Kyle is an anti-hero, possessed of his own moral code, and difficult to put in either 'box.'
Kyle Knight is a True Legacy Character
Starman was a book that celebrated the concepts of family and legacy - themes that are also playing out across DC’s New Golden Age initiative. Kyle Knight, the child of a hero and a villain, exemplifies this concept better than anyone else on the team. Yet questions remain over whose legacy Kyle is living up to: his evil mother or his heroic father? The Justice Society of America, and readers, will hopefully learn more about Kyle Knight's Mist in future issues.
Justice Society of America #1 is on sale now from DC Comics!