Simon Stagg

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Simon Stagg
Simon Stagg.jpg
Simon Stagg as depicted in Metamorpho: Year One #1 (December 2007). Art by Dan Jurgens (penciler), Jesse Delperdang (inker), Guy Major (colorist), and Rob Leigh (letterer).
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance The Brave and the Bold #57 (January 1965)
Created by Bob Haney (writer)
Ramona Fradon (artist)
In-story information
Species Human
Team affiliationsStagg Enterprises
Abilities
  • Genius-level intellect
  • Business management

Simon Stagg is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, serving primarily as an antagonist to the superhero Metamorpho in most comic book stories and their adaptations. He is responsible for turning Rex Mason into Metamorpho out of spite after catching him in a relationship with his daughter Sapphire Stagg. Given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman, the Flash, Green Lantern and other heroes in the DC Universe.

Contents

The character has made several appearances in media outside of comics, such as the television series The Flash in which he was portrayed by William Sadler, and the DC Extended Universe film Wonder Woman 1984 , in which he was portrayed by Oliver Cotton.

Publication history

Simon Stagg first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #57 and was created by Bob Haney and Ramona Fradon.

Mark Waid, writer of the Metamorpho limited series, commented that "writing Simon Stagg was always a tightrope walk. On the one hand, you don't want him to be so comically evil that he's a cartoon. On the other hand, you have to remember that he's an absolute creep. The key to Stagg is not losing sight of the fact that he does most everything he does for the sake of his daughter, regardless of how insane those actions may look to us". [1]

Fictional character biography

Simon Stagg is the unscrupulous owner and CEO of Stagg Enterprises and the father of Sapphire Stagg. He sent adventurer Rex Mason to Egypt to retrieve a meteor referred as the Orb of Ra, during which he was exposed to its energy and transformedinto Metamorpho. [2]

Sometime later, Stagg tricked the Metal Men into attacking the Justice League and had Java detain Rocket Red and Animal Man. It turned out that Rex had a baby who harmed whatever it touched. Metamorpho handed the baby over to Stagg, who became convinced he would now die, harmed like Java had been moments earlier. Stagg came through unharmed since something in his genetic structure protected him just as it did with the baby's mother. Stagg's stance softened, and everyone was allowed to go. Doc Magnus of the Metal Men offered his services to Stagg in creating new arms for Java. On the way home, Metamorpho's friends were puzzled as to how he knew Stagg would be unaffected by the child. Metamorpho indicates that he had hoped the baby would kill Stagg. [3]

Java came upon Black Canary while searching for help for Sapphire. His story was that Sapphire and Joey, Metamorpho's son, had been caught in a lab explosion and merged into a single energy being who was taking revenge on Stagg's former colleagues. [4] It is revealed that not only were Sapphire and Joey merged, but so was Stagg, who was directing the revenge. Black Canary realized that Java was actually Metamorpho, somehow affected to believe he was Java (the actual Java's murder was still a secret known only to the Staggs). The three were separated once more with Stagg claiming to have been overcome by the energy itself and unable to control his actions. As the comic ends, he steps away from the reunion to check on a clone of Java. [5]

In the one-shot "Countdown to Infinite Crisis", Maxwell Lord is seen talking with Stagg on the phone. [6]

In the "Blackest Night" tie-in Weird Western Tales #71 (Mar 2010), Stagg appeals to Joshua Turnbull (great-great-grandson of Quentin Turnbull) for help in analyzing a Black Lantern ring that was found on Don Hall's grave. [7]

During the "Brightest Day" storyline, Stagg shelters Metamorpho and the Outsiders after the events of War of the Supermen . [8] Stagg later placed Java's mind into the body of a Shaggy Man which was defeated by Freight Train. [9]

In 2016, DC Comics implemented another relaunch of its books called "DC Rebirth" which restored its continuity to a form much as it was prior to "The New 52". In The Terrifics series, Stagg opens a portal to the Dark Multiverse which Metamorpho, Mister Terrific, and Plastic Man travel through, and is present when they return. [10] [11] [12]

During the "Endless Winter" storyline, Stagg is revealed to have a son named Sebastian. [13]

In other media

Television

Film

Simon Stagg appears in Wonder Woman 1984 , portrayed by Oliver Cotton. [16] This version is an investor of Maxwell Lord who demands to pull out after learning that the latter's oil business is fake and demeans him in front of his son, Alistair. Later, Lord absorbs the power of the Dreamstone and visits Stagg to seemingly apologize for deceiving him while secretly tricking him into wishing that Lord's business will boom. After Lord leaves, the FBI arrive to arrest Stagg for supposed tax fraud as a side effect of the Dreamstone.

Video games

Miscellaneous

Simon Stagg appears in a Dick Tracy comic strip published in February 2018. He strikes a deal with Ghost Pepper to buy his restaurant, Pepper's. However, Ghost backs out of the deal, poisons Stagg, and steals his money.

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References

  1. Wells, John (September 2016). "Bullies and Blowhards of the DC Bronze Age". Back Issue! (#91). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 24–25.
  2. The Brave and the Bold #57. DC Comics.
  3. Justice League Europe #11-12. DC Comics.
  4. Birds of Prey #51. DC Comics.
  5. Birds of Prey #52. DC Comics.
  6. Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1. DC Comics.
  7. Weird Western Tales #71. DC Comics.
  8. Outsiders (vol. 4) #30. DC Comics.
  9. Outsiders (vol. 4) #35. DC Comics.
  10. The Terrifics #1. DC Comics.
  11. The Terrifics #2. DC Comics.
  12. The Terrifics #3. DC Comics.
  13. Endless Winter #1. DC Comics.
  14. 1 2 "Simon Stagg Voices (DC Universe)". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved December 15, 2019. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  15. Paige, Rachel (October 14, 2014). "Who is Simon Stagg? 'The Flash' Scientist Might be Vital to the Future of S.T.A.R. Labs". Bustle.
  16. Humphries, Rebekah (January 8, 2021). "Simon Stagg: How DC Killed Wonder Woman 1984's Cameo Villain". Comic Book Resources .
  17. "Batman: Arkham Knight Easter Eggs and References Revealed". Comicbook.com. July 1, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2024.