| Simon Stagg | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Brave and the Bold #57 (December 1964-January 1965) |
| Created by | Bob Haney and Ramona Fradon |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Simon Stagg |
| Team affiliations | Stagg Enterprises |
Simon Stagg is a fictional businessman in DC Comics.
Fictional character biography[]
Simon Stagg is the unscrupulous owner and CEO of Stagg Enterprises and the father of Sapphire Stagg. Adventurer Rex Mason wanted to win the hand of Sapphire Stagg. Simon sent Rex to Egypt to retrieve a meteor referred as the "Orb of Ra". Unbeknownst to Rex, Simon had his brutish neanderthal bodyguard Java attack him and leave him for dead. Unfortunately, Rex was near the Orb of Ra and was exposed to it leading to his transformation into Metamorpho.
Later appearances[]
Sometime later, Simon Stagg tricked the Metal Men into attacking the Justice League and had Java detain Rocket Red #4 and Animal Man. It turned out that Rex had a baby son, who harmed whatever it touched. Metamorpho handed the baby over to Simon, who became convinced he would now die, harmed like Java had been moments earlier.
Simon came through unharmed; something in his genetic structure protected him just as it did with the baby's mother. Simon's stance softened, and everyone was allowed to go. Doc Magnus of the Metal Men offered his services to Simon in creating new arms for Java.
On the way home, Metamorpho's friends were puzzled as to how he knew Simon would be unaffected by the child. Metamorpho indicates that he had hoped the baby would kill Simon.
Birds of Prey[]
In Birds of Prey #51, 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 upon Simon Stagg's former colleagues.[1] In issue #52, it is revealed that not only were Sapphire and Joey merged, but so was Simon and it was him who was directing the revenge. Black Canary realized that Java was actually Metamorpho, somehow affected to believe he was Java. The three were separated once more with Simon claiming to have been overcome by the energy itself and unable to control his actions. As the comic ends, he steps away from the joyous family reunion to check on a growing clone of Java.[2]
Countdown to Infinite Crisis[]
In the one-shot Countdown to Infinite Crisis, Maxwell Lord, the villain of the story, is seen talking with Stagg on the phone.[3]
Blackest Night[]
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 the grave of Don Hall and transported by The Ray. He leaves before the Lanterns attack, and it is unclear whether he survived the event.[4]
Other versions[]
- Simon Stagg appears in the Elseworlds story The Nail.[5] He and Java are found dead by Outsiders members Geo-Force, Katana, Black Canary.[6]
In other media[]
Television[]
- Simon Stagg appeared in the Justice League episode "Metamorphosis" voiced by Earl Boen. When some of his company's developments were becoming too dangerous, Stagg wanted to create the ultimate soldier he referred to as a Metamorpho, for the U.S. Military. He had Java smuggle some chemicals for that into the country where one of them leaked and nearly causes a train wreck which was prevented by Green Lantern. Like in the comics, his favorite employee Rex Mason was in love with Simon's daughter Sapphire, of whom Stagg was jealously protective. In order to "protect" his daughter, Simon tested the chemicals on Rex, who was transformed into a shape-shifting mutant. Upon learning that Simon was responsible, he went after him in which the first attempt had him frozen to below zero temperatures. When Simon had his men dispose of Metamorpho, he later broke free. During a fight with Metamorpho in the next encounter, an accident causes part of Simon's mind to end up in a synthoid that rampaged throughout Metropolis. When the synthoid was destroyed by Metamorpho, Simon Stagg woke up in the hospital screaming. Simon Stagg later made a cameo in "Only a Dream" Part 1 amongst the villains in John Dee's dream.
- Simon Stagg appear in the Beware the Batman episode "Hunted", voiced by Jeff Bennett. He is among the corrupt executives hunted and kidnapped by Professor Pyg and Mister Toad for revenge after a land deal he was involved in resulted in severe damage to the environment. When Michael Holt and Alfred are captured, they and Simon Stagg end up hunted by Professor Pyg and Mister Toad. Alfred ends up injured saving Simon Stagg from a trap. Before Professor Pyg and Mister Toad can finish off the three captives, Batman arrives and fights Pyg and Toad while Alfred gets Stagg and Holt out. In "Toxic," Simon Stagg disapproved of Sapphire Stagg's relationship with the security guard Rex Mason and believed that he had bred his daughter to be better. Donning a ski mask, Simon Stagg set off an alarm and lured Rex Mason into the lab in "Project Metamorpho" where he trapped him inside and exposed him to the chemicals. Upon Batman's arrival, Simon Stagg fled the lab and deleted an incriminating security footage. Batman eventually learned the truth and told everything to Metamorpho in order to lure him back to Stagg Industries so that he can be cured. Simon Stagg allowed Batman access to Project Metamorpho where the antidote didn't work. After Metamorpho vanished, Simon Stagg attempted to pin the blame of Metamorpho's death on Batman only for Batman to show Sapphire Stagg the footage of her father's role in Metamorpho's creation. Batman then leaves with plans to leave the incriminating footage of Simon Stagg's role in Metamorpho's creation to the police. In "Allies," Simon Stagg was mentioned by Tobias Whale to have been arrested by the police at the time when Tobias Whale and his gang were robbing one of the Stagg Enterprise warehouses.
Video games[]
- Simon Stagg's Stagg Industries is referenced in DC Universe Online. When the players on the hero side find a Jade Jaguar Totem during their mission to stop Catwoman, a voice-over by Catwoman mentioned that she acquired it in Peru while trying to save the jaguars from Stagg Industries' sponsored murders. Stagg Enterprises Gotham HQ can be found in the Otisburg section of Gotham City.