DC's Stargirl: SPOILER Dies in Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. Part Two

The Season 1 finale of DC's Stargirl brought Stargirl and the Justice League of America face to face with Icicle and the Injustice Society of America in one epic final battle, the fate of millions in the balance thanks to the villains' mind-control machine Brainwave was using to brainwash citizens into falling in line with their idea of a perfect America. With such high stakes it should come as no surprise that there were casualties of this final fight -- but who specifically met their end, well, that is another story. "Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E. Part 2" saw some surprising deaths that will very much change the game as the series heads to Season 2.

Warning: spoilers for the Season 1 finale of DC's Stargirl, "Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E. Part 2", below.

So, who died in the season finale? Quite a few people, actually. The first death of the episode was Mr. Levine, a teacher at Blue Valley High School whose nervous system collapsed during the brainwashing process. Turns out he was one of the strong-willed people whose minds fought against Brainwave's efforts. He dropped right in front of a group of horrified students and while Mr. Levine wasn't a major character of the series, it certainly reinforced just how serious the situation was for not only Blue Valley, but the entire central United States.

Moving on from there, though, the deaths were much more major, changing up the villain landscape forever. First up was Dragon King (Nelson Lee). During the fight between the JSA and the ISA, the disturbing doctor was taken out not by one of the heroes, but by his own daughter Shiv (Meg DeLacy), who stabbed him in the back as revenge for locking her up while Dragon King fought Justin/Shining Knight (Mark Ashworth).

Also taken out was Brainwave (Christopher James Baker). As the fight between the JSA and ISA continued, Brainwave had The Gambler (Eric Goins) loop his signal so he could go help kill the JSA, but his plan didn't quite work. Using telepathic illusion to disguise himself as his own son, Henry Jr. (Jake Austin Walker), Brainwave tried to convince Wildcat (Yvette Monreal) to take him to "her" friends. Wildcat realized it wasn't a miraculously alive Henry but his evil father instead and used her claws to slash his throat, watching as the villain bled to death in front of her.

While those two deaths were pretty savage, we're not done yet. With the mind-control machine successfully taken out and the rest of the ISA either dead or severely injured and unconscious as appeared to be the case for Sportsmaster (Neil Hopkins) and Tigress (Joy Osmanski), Icicle (Neil Jackson) then went after Beth/Doctor Mid-Nite (Anjelika Washington). He destroyed her goggles, effectively killing Chuck -- the artificial intelligence version of Charles McNider.

But Icicle himself doesn't get out of things unscathed. After trying and failing to convince Barbara (Amy Smart) to run away with him so he can try again to save America, Stargirl (Brec Bassinger) and the frosty villain fight. The pair are blasted from the roof of a building with Icicle landing in the street. As he gets icy and prepares to kill Stargirl, however, Mike (Trae Romano) drives up and saves the day -- literally. He slams Justin's truck into Icicle, shattering the villain into a million pieces.

That's a lot of grim ends for DC's Stargirl's season finale, but they set the stage for new villains and new challenges in Season 2. With Icicle and most of the ISA gone, it's possible that the series will see the next generation rise. After all, Shiv is still alive, and she won't be alone. The end of the episode saw her find a diamond-shaped object that houses the villain Eclipso and more than that, The Shade returned to the ISA table having betrayed the villains years before. On the JSA side of things, the team will need to find a way to repair Chuck for Season 2, both not only for the sake of the team, but for Beth who is deeply sad over the loss of her best friend.

What do you think about the surprising deaths in DC's Stargirl's Season 1 finale? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

DC's Stargirl Season 1 is now streaming on DC Universe. The series has already been renewed for Season 2 which will air exclusively on The CW.